Growing up

My daughter has decided that she no longer wants to live here. She hates our rules. My only rule is that she come home at 1 am. That's too strict, apparently.
Friday she is moving out with some other girls from work. To say that I am shocked is an understatement. She has no license yet and is not going to school at this time.
Of course she thinks she knows it all and she can live on what she makes at her job. (She can't.)
I can't help but feel that she is repeating the mistakes I made at about her age. I traveled a hard, hard road to get to where I am today. I hope she comes to her senses and moves back in before she does anything stupid.
At least the constant battles we have been having lately will stop. That's a plus, I guess.

Niece pics

I still haven't seen her since the day she was born because I have been sick off and on since then.

She sure is cute though : )

Christmas threw up in my house

At least it looks that way. No, there will be no pictures because it is way too messy. My living room is a mess of wrapping paper, gifts, and bows and stuff. Very festive. Or messy. It's all in your perspective : )
The outside is decorated....kinda. Nothing special but at least it is done.
I haven't even started baking...but I have a kitchen full of baking stuff. My problem is...no clue how to store the cookies until I make up the trays. I can't find anything big enough to store them. Well, I have one container but it was $11...and I am not spending that on a container again.
I decided the gifts were not going to buy themselves. I know, shocking, huh? I have spent three mornings shopping. I enjoy buying people things....I just hate holiday shopping.
Sadly, the gifts are not going to wrap themselves, either. I have been wrapping as I buy. A huge change from my frantic "The party is in an hour...where is the tape...where is the wrapping paper..."
I am also trying to give my kids a bunch of surprises this year. It has been so long since they have been surprised by gifts. Unfortunately, they say they hate surprise gifts. I think they just doubt my gift-buying abilities. I got mad skillz in the gift department. Ok, not really.
The inside is not decorated yet. With our pets...it is kind of a last minute thing. Scott would not care if we every decorated because he is a Scrooge like that. I have my village to put up, though, and I am doing it this weekend. The tree will probably go up Tuesday...lol.
Oh, and my cards are being mailed tomorrow.
And packages sent out this weekend.
I will stay on top of this holiday.
I will, I will, I will.
Maybe.

Ice, Ice, Baby....

Crap...I wrote that title and now I can't get the song outta my head. AAhhhhh!! I guess I should also keep it real here and admit that my friend and I did the dance to that song. In public. In clubs. I cringe when I think about just how bad that had to have looked. But, we thought we were da bomb. LOL
Anyway.
We had an ice storm yesterday afternoon/evening. I hate ice storms. The trees are beautiful...the streets, not so much.
Scott has an hour drive home from the site he is on right now. Of all days to forget his phone, yesterday was it. By 7 pm I was kind of (quietly) freaking out. Called his partner...he left 2 hours ago. Great. Finally at 8 pm he calls me to come pick him up at the McDonald's down the street. Pick him up...he is fine, his truck is fine. But, he had to pull into a church parking lot about 25 minutes from our house (in a not so nice area) because the streets were a solid sheet of ice. He caught the bus to the city near us, then another to our area. He then walked to about 5 minutes from our house. And finally gave in and called me. He didn't want to call me sooner...he was afraid for me to be on the streets. I am proud of him for being able to admit to himself he couldn't make it home....he has never done that in his life.
And, even better, nothing was taken from his truck when we went to pick it up this morning.

I had to take Brianna to work, and Tyler to school this morning. Our steps out front were solid ice. I am not ashamed to admit that I sat on the porch, and then rolled across it to the dry part. Tyler laughed at me, of course. He said I looked like a very bad impression of a stunt person in a movie. Maybe so, but I am proud to say that I did not fall even once today. And that is really sayin' something.

A Christmas survey thingy....

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I am sooo bad at wrapping gifts..but I like to do it. I go with bags if I am running out of time...which is usually.

Real tree or artificial?
Fake, sadly. I break out in huge hives when I try to decorate a real one. Seriously, I am allergic to something on them.

When do you put up the tree? uhhh....soon! : )

When do you take the tree down? usually on the 26th...the cats think it is their personal playground if we don't.

Favorite gift as a child?
One year I was really into GI Joe (don't ask...I have no clue), but I got men and jeeps and a tent for them. And all this cool stuff that went along with them. I spent the whole next summer playing with them. And they dated my Barbies.

Hardest person to buy for?
my dad

Do you have a Nativity scene?
Yes. But I love it for sentimental reasons. My grandpa made the stable and my mom put it up in our house every year when I was a kid.

Worst gift you ever got?
Hhhhmmm. I got some really lame gifts from the same person every year. But, this is public so I am pleading the 5th...lol.

Favorite Christmas movie?
any and all of the movies on Hallmark, Lifetime, or ABC family this time of year.

When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I started in November....it is the finishing that is killing me right now.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Buckeyes. Or peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. I guess Buckeyes is the Ohio name for them.

Favorite Christmas song?
So This is Christmas (John Lennon originally did it) and anything by Tran Siberian Orchestra.

Travel or stay home at Christmas?
We stay here but go to relatives for dinners

Top of tree?
A star

Open presents Christmas eve or day?
Helloooo....Santa brings them overnight. Geessshhhh. : )

Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Dealing with/thinking about dealing with relatives. And, rude ass people in stores.

Favorite ornament theme or color?
the ornaments my kids have made in the past, and snowmen...can't ever have enough snowmen!!

Favorite for dinner?
the usual...ham, turkey, and all the fixings. Basically a repeat of Thanksgiving.

What do you want for Christmas this year?
A Photoshop program, books, a Wusthof santoku knife, a good chef knife, and a new TV for my bedroom.

I'm done.

With my family.
They suck.
And I greatly dislike them.
You can talk about me...but not my kids.
Gah.
I am so mad now that I am shaking.
Brianna cleaned my dad's house Friday. I guess she didn't do it very well. My sister effing inspected it--and then went to my brother to bitch about what wasn't done. Not me. Not Brianna. My brother. WTF is that shit?? Start family drama over something trivial like that?
I am so over them.
Why can't my family just be normal? It sucks that we can't even get along enough to be together for a holiday. Or not spend time going behind another's back to spread stupidity.
Sigh.
I just feel lonely. I never knew with 3 other siblings that my life would be like this.

Anybody need a new dog??

Anyone, anyone....????

Just kidding. Kind of.

He dug a huge hole in our backyard. Not only that, I only had ONE bush/shrub/plant back there....and he dug it up!!!!!!!

It's not that he is a bad dog...he really isn't. He listens better than most dogs. He knows what we are saying....he just likes to get his way. And at roughly 65 pounds (and still growing) it is really hard for me to get him to do what I want if that is not what he wants to do.

Oh, and he can clear the table beside the couch with one swoop of his tail. I have to laugh at him, because he is like this big goofy kid who just grew too big too fast.

But...if he eats one more $10 bill....things might get ugly. Fast.

A picture of the new niece....

Welcome baby!!




Since this blog is public I am not going to post her name. You can never be too safe, right?

Sickness.
Which apparently leads to rambling on a blog.
I thought I was going to avoid the sickies that invaded my house last week. Ha. Ho.Hee.
I have a weird sore throat...affecting my voice and hurts when I cough. Which is often. My family is probably happy I can't talk. I tried yesterday...but it hurt my ears to have to listen to me so I just shut up. My chest is also on fire. And I can't take any cold meds because they make me sleep for 17 days and I feel funky on them. Which then causes a panic attack because that is how I roll. I am not even sure why I feel the need to blog this...except for the fact that every single person in this house has had it already and I will get 0 sympathy here. Assmonkeys. <~~~my very favorite word when I am mad. (Yes, I realize just how mature that makes me sound.) Ya know, if someone googles part of that word...they are gonna be mighty disappointed if it leads them here. Just sayin'.
Don't even get me started on the fact that people were in my house that have been exposed to a freaking staph infection. Never mind...I can't even think about it for another second.
Anyway.
I have started my holiday shopping. I got my nephews football jerseys that they wanted. I am sooo gonna be the cool aunt this year. As always. Just kidding. Kinda.
I have made a dent in my kids' shopping. I have also done most of it from this very chair I am sitting in. Again, the lazy thing. No, most of the stuff I got isn't in the stores. I got Tyler some of those "Fathead" wall stick on things of sports stars. They show them on sports channels. They had a buy one/get one free sale with free shipping yesterday. I also got Brianna some of the coolest Tinkerbell (she loves her) stuff. One is a Precious Moment girl holding Tinkerbell in her palm. It is a music box and says something about letting every day be musical. Since she is my musician....it's perfect. OK, enough rambling since I am losing interest now, so I know anyone reading this has to be.
I am going to go finish my housework and then lay down with some Vicks and Tylenol. Don't be hatin' cause my life is just so super-exciting. Sigh.

Does this mean I am getting old...???

I was talking to my sister the other night when she mentioned that she was going to go to Target in a few minutes.
Me: What? It is dark out.
Her: Uhh...you do know it is only 6:30, right?
Me: No, but still....why do you want to go out in the dark and cold?
Her: My god, what are you...76??

I really do not like to go out after dark when it is cold out. I put my SUV in the garage and call it a night about 5 pm. Which is funny when I think that just a few short years ago I was just pulling into work for a 12 hour night shift at 5 pm. Gah....I am not old acting....I am just a big wimpy whiner sissy girl.

Hey, it has been awhile....

What food do you refuse to eat? brussel sprouts...gag
Have you ever injected any type of drug before? Heck no!
Do amusement park rides make you sick? the spinning kind do
What was the first thing you learned to cook? I remember making cookies with my mom
Did you ever collect Beanie Babies? umm, errr....yes. Don't judge me.
When was the last time you had a haircut? last Wednesday
Have you ever been to a bachelorette party? yes, one. There was not enough alcohol in the world to let me forget some of the things I saw that night. Seriously, I had jello shots, and lots of shots, and beer...and I was still stone cold sober. I also felt like a prude that night.
Have you ever bailed anyone out of jail? nope
Do you still own any VHS tapes? yes, a box of them, can't seem to let them go.
Do you ever read the newspaper? If I do it is the Sunday paper
Would you do meth if it was legalized? uhh....nooooo. I had this talk with my son a week ago...just because something is legal doesn't make it a good or right thing to do.
Do you think Obama will be assassinated? I really hope not. I do think someone will attempt it, though. I have seen too many angry message boards to think differently.
Have you ever made out with someone and never saw them again? yes
Do you drink egg nog? No. And I caused a scene in a grocery store when Scott tried to get me to drink it. Just because I never tried it doesn't mean that I don't know that I hate it. And, for the record, it sucks. Just my opinion, of course.

A (very late) thankful list


Just a few things...

I am thankful for my family (the ones in my house).
I am thankful that we have a house. (It was pretty iffy about 9 months ago.)
I am thankful that we have the necessities in life. (food, clothing, heat, all that good stuff)
I am thankful that gas is $1.64 here right now.
I am thankful that my dad is still with us.
I am thankful that almost all of Scott's family came to dinner here.

I am now the queen of gassy Thanksgiving dinners.

Don't ask. Just be thankful that you don't have to be here with Scott and Tyler right now.

On Wednesday I got a call from Scott's sister...her son was in the hospital and so was my other sister-in-law. So no one was coming to dinner.
I spend the rest of the afternoon visiting my dad and getting a (badly needed) hair cut. I came home to hear that everyone except one person is coming now. Crap. I was really glad his nephew was better but now I had to rush to clean the rest of the house. It did get done but not without a 2 am meltdown that involved much whining and crying.
The dinner itself was great. They said my turkey looked like a "movie turkey" and they were coming back every year for Thanksgiving. Yay!! This was my first year cooking this for them...so it was nice to hear that they enjoyed it. His sister brought a chocolate cake (hello, lovely cake just for me) that was the best chocolate cake ever.
Tyler had about 15 mini turkey sandwiches yesterday. And then wanted pizza in the evening. He is determined to eat us out of house and home, isn't he?
My nephew decided to spend the night and just got out of the shower. As in, he hasn't left yet. It's no bother, though, he is Tyler's age and they play video games.
I did not make it to the early shopping extravaganza on Friday morning. I looked at the clock at 4 am and decided that I didn't need anything badly enough to get out of bed at that ridiculous time of night. I did go out later and still found some pretty good deals. What I did not find was a Rock Band 2 for PS3 or Wii. Anywhere.

Anyway.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday with their loved ones.


And, some good thoughts and prayers sent this way for Scott's sister Teri would be great. She had surgery yesterday to remove a mass in her chest. It was supposed to be a routine surgery, but it didn't go well and they are not even sure what it was they took out. It is being tested now. She has been ill the past month with a staph infection she got while staying in the hospital for another illness.

The donuts are evil, man, evil.

I have often heard of the sheer ecstasy of Krispy Kreme donuts when the "Hot Now" sign is on. I have avoided them, mainly because the store is too far from my house. And I am lazy. Yesterday, however, the sign flashed on as we drove past. My kids had tears in their eyes so I felt too guilty to not stop. No, seriously, they did. I went to the drive thru (hey, I said I was lazy) and got a dozen. We pulled into a parking spot and I proceeded to eat one of these lovely hot creations.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
They literally melt in your mouth. You can eat a donut and not even bother to chew. I sent Brianna in for milk.
And, when I came out of the donut fog....

I had eaten 5 of them.
EVIL things....they seduce you into eating more than you should humanly be able to.
And, I don't think I chewed once the whole time.
And, I refuse to feel guilty about it.
They were just that damn good.

A new teen phase I didn't know about...???

I thought I knew all of the teen phases...the moodiness, the laziness, the "momisthestupidespersonever" phase.
Apparently...there is a new one.
Tyler decided he wanted new pajamas. Real ones as opposed to old tees and shorts. He chose a black and red plaid set with a robe. And plaid slippers.
Now he gets in them early, settles in on the couch, and reads a book (Which I also had to recently buy).
Apparently, he is bypassing everything and going straight to the retirement years.
He also mentioned that a cup of coffee and the morning paper would be a great way to wake up.
What the.....???
I think my son has been taken over by aliens....
the grandfather of them, anyway.

She is finally here!!

My new niece (name not decided as of yet) was born yesterday evening at 8:59 pm. She was 8 lbs even and 21.5 inches long.
Labor went well...about 13 hours.
I had planned to be there for labor but that didn't work out. Tyler was sick and my sister had her hubby and friend there so I wasn't really needed. I also was at her other 2 deliveries so I didn't want to be selfish.
I did bring her a burger and fries around 10 pm...I have now done this for every delivery of hers...lol.
I will post a pic later when I find the cord for my camera.

This is starting to feel alot like work....

I am super excited about our Disney trip so I started looking at different message boards and things like that.
Basically to read opinions on the dates I chose, and the resort I chose.
Big mistake.
I have about 10085783408440385 pages of info to read before I go on this vacation. There are 192 pages on one message board alone just about the resort we are staying at.
People who vacation at Disney often do.not.mess.around. And, by their standards, I am making last minute plans. Alot of them plan years in advance. So I spend my days figuring out where to make dinner reservations and such. I am a planner/list maker when it comes to vacations anyway....so this is just stressing me out. I guess because it is so expensive even with the deal we got...I just want to make the most of every day there. And still be able to relax and have fun. I did add extra days to the trip so we can just hang out and swim or whatever.
Scott is already tired of hearing about anything Disney related. He just cares about the golf. Period.


Oh, my sister is being induced tomorrow (Thursday)...send good thoughts her way if you can : )





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Things that make you go awwwww....

I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day and got to hear my 5 year old nephew say the cutest thing:

"Mom, can I have that baby book you made for me when I was little? 'Cause I really don't remember any of that stuff."

He is such a cute lil booger : )

A dream come true!!

Finally!
I have wanted to take my kids to Disney World since, well, forever. We are finally going this spring : )
The only reason we are going is because Disney is offering a great deal: If you buy a 4 night package they will give you an extra 3 nights FOR FREE! That includes park tickets for every day of your trip. I have been reading up on it since it seemed too good to be true...but I guess the economy is hitting the land of the magic mouse enough to make them offer some real bargains.
Since the only way we could ever go is if we got a great bargain...I took it as a sign.
Ya know, that someone important really wants me to see Disney World.
Yeah, Scott didn't buy it either.
I had to bribe Scott with golf outings on the trip to get him to say yes. He lived in Orlando for years and isn't very impressed with the whole Disney thing.
But me, I am as excited as a kid : )

I hope everyone takes the time to go vote!

I voted around 8 am. For the first time ever...I had to wait in a line...lol. It was only 20 minutes, though. I am so glad that people are so passionate about this election....no matter what side you are on.

Of course, I do hope that my candidate of choice wins : )