Christmas Traditions

This post is probably more for me; for when I have dementia or alzheimers and I can't remember what we did when my boys were young.

We have adopted many Christmas traditions from Jesse's and my families but as a little family of our own we have our own as well. I LOVE Christmas time!! Like I was telling my Grandma last night "I would be just as happy on Christmas Day if no presents were opened" -- meaning the sight of the gifts under a decorated tree is more exciting to me than the unwrapping. Why is it that for one month out of the 12 people are more generous, more courteous, and more family oriented than the other 11? No need to analyze I guess, just enjoy.

Here is the list of Christmas traditions we have:

Black Friday shopping with my mom (and sister and Thang if they come; but mostly its my mom and me who are the troopers)

Putting up our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving (two trees actually: due to my OCD I have a tree I decorate BY MYSELF with certain decor, in our entry we put a smaller tree that the boys decorate. This year I wanted my kids to experience the hunt and cutting down of a real tree. Jesse and I enjoyed it more but at least they can look back on it)

I have my boys pick out one ornament each every year (hopefully it reflects what they are interested in that year). I write their name and the year on it. By the time they are adults they should each have a tree-full of decorations. Their tree is decorated with their ornaments. Jesse said their wives will probably put the kabosh on using the childhood ornaments; therefore they will always be mine :)

We drive around Leigh Hill in Cedar to look at all of the Christmas lights. There is a house up there (you all know what I'm talking about) that looks brighter than Las Vegas Strip. Each year we are more impressed than the last. Jesse is more impressed with the amount of extension cords there are running across the driveway.

I listen to Christmas music in my car from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Jesse hates it, the boys L-L-LOVE IT!!

We put together a gingerbread house. The boys eat most of the candy, Jesse tries to make it as structurally sound as possible, and I just revel in the activity.

I make TONS of Christmas goodies to give to friends and family. The boys help with the sugar cookie cutting out, and of course, the taste testing. Jesse demands an individual batch of "Addiction" for himself. If you haven't tasted it, you are missing out!

We are SO lucky: Santa visits our house (PERSONALLY) before Christmas to find out what the boys want. Most years their cousins are here to visit with Santa too.

On Christmas Eve the boys always get to unwrap 1 gift. So far they have unwrapped pajamas EVERY year ;)

We spend Christmas Eve with Jesse's family. The BIG family (Jesse's aunts, uncles, cousins) have dinner together, play games like bingo and "Christmas Toys", and the kids dress up as the nativity as someone reads the Christmas story from the Bible. After the BIG family party, we meet at Jesse's parent's house and have a gift exchange with Jesse's parents, brothers, and their families.

On Christmas morning the kids aren't allowed into the front room until I am ready with the video camera and Jesse with the still shot. THEY HATE THE WAIT!! But its all documented; every single year.

They enjoy what Santa left for them and then we take turn unwrapping gifts----one person at a time so that we all see the reaction and what they got. Stockings are saved for last. Some years we have breakfast before all the gifts are unwrapped, then it seems like the morning lasts forever!!

In the afternoon we go to my parents house to exchange gifts and visit and for dinner we go to my Grandparent's house to gather with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We have a buffet of sandwiches and salads, exchange gifts, and just spend quality family time together. There are A LOT of us in a small, small area but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Toothfairy

Last week the hubby relayed an incident that happened between Tel and him:

Tel had fallen asleep with me in my bed so hubby thought it would be easier to spend the night in the boys' room with Dax. The next morning Tel went down the hall to wake Dax & Dad for school. Dax got right up but Dad is a slow riser. When hubby finally opened his eyes he saw that Tel had been standing there for some time inspecting all of his teeth with his index finger. Hubby thought that even for Tel this was strange....

"What are you doing buddy?"--hubby

"Just checking to see if I lost a tooth"--Tel

"Why would you think you lost a tooth?"--hubby

"Because when I came down the hall to get you guys it was dark and I tripped over Quin (our dog) and then there was a penny on the ground"--Tel

"Did you hit your mouth?"--hubby

"No. It was probably Quin"--said Tel as he left the room to eat his breakfast.

That is the Devil!!

....is the phrase I have coined for anything and everything that I don't have willpower to resist, the temptation is far greater than my inner voice and the outcome is never a good one. As I sit here eating the last Cherry PopTart, I reflect on how I normally squash any attempt made by either of my sons or hubbie to buy them because THEY ARE THE DEVIL! The little shiny, tin foil wrapping has you at failing from the get go. If you open it, you have to eat both of the tarts! What the hell will you do with the left over one? So you toast them both but as you wait the few minutes you decide to glance at the nutritional information on the side of the box. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE F-ING KIDDING ME------ ONE SERVING IS ONE TART AND ONE SERVING IS OVER 200 CALORIES!!!! That is an entire meal and you can be damn sure I am not going to be full after these two yummy cherry frosted tarts. Because of this reminder of my weak, weak, self; I will dedicate this post to listing all (or all I can think of at the moment) of the things I consider "the devil".

1. Pepsi: fully loaded, no diet shit. Soooo soooo good. I love you Pepsi and yet the empty calories and ability to have me bloated for days prevents me from drinking you. But, if I am at any eatery and they serve Pepsi I am incapable of option B

2. Blue Hawaiians: the frozen or stir variety, I don't care which, are so delish! They make me immediately feel as if I am sitting on a beach or at the least poolside in the midst of summer. Yet, the sugar in the Rum and the artificial coloring/additives of the Blue Raspberry mix make for a very ugly morning after. Maybe I should take the blame, I am an adult, but it is not my inability to stop at 2-3 it is the additives that make me so very very sick (in the morning). But I cannot learn and I continue to fall to the temptation, time and again.

3. Little Dove Chocolate Squares: need I say more?

4. Tanning Beds: nothing tops the feeling of having a golden glow, or the euphoric feelings brought about by the artificial UV light mid-winter. I have come to the realization that I might be tanorexic but I don't place blame on myself much (did you know that) so it is the tanning bed that temps me and is the tanning bed I fall from grace before.

5. Cocoa Pebbles: I'm not much of a cereal eater and milk, hardly ever!!! But if my child chooses the cocoa pebbles, all is lost. I will sit and eat 2-3 bowls in one sitting. Not because I am hungry but because they ARE THE DEVIL! So yummy and so chock full of sugar. Too much for me to say no to.

There are probably more items that I deem "Devilness" but I am at loss of what they are. Next time you fall to the temptation of whatever, remember it is not you, it is THE DEVIL!!

Earth Day

My favorite time of day is the early, early morning when I can sit and enjoy my coffee while watching the news. On the best of days, no one else is around----this seldom happens. Tel is my early riser; 6:30 am is sleeping in for him. I cringe when he shares the news time with me in the morning (I know that one day I will look back and cherish those times, wishing they had never ended) because Tel talks A LOT. He is very curious and VERY intelligent so when his curiosity is peaked he isn't satisfied with the normal answers you would give a five year old, he presses for more information.

Today is Earth Day and each segment of my morning news channel talked about it. Of course Tel wanted to know what Earth Day was and hubby let him know that it was a day to "celebrate the Earth". Tel wanted to know HOW you are supposed to celebrate Earth Day and he wasn't satisfied with the list of ways we gave him until one of the ways was something HE could do TODAY (recycle, no. plant a tree, no. limit shower time, no. drive less, no. use minimal lights, no. don't use plastic water bottles, no. pick up trash on the side of the road, yes.)

Tel decided we would pick up trash on the side of the road. After dinner Tel, Dax (after his kicking and screaming refusal to do so), and I went to "celebrate Earth Day". Me in my naivete thought that 2 big, black yard trash garbage bags would be plenty. We didn't even make it half way up and down what we call "the lane" in our small town. THERE WAS TONS OF TRASH!!! Tel wanted to come home and get more bags and finish; had Earth Day not been on a school night we would have done just that, but we just couldn't.

Dax ended up enjoying the project and let me know, while we were out there, that he saw the need and was glad we did it. Tel is already a conscientious person (always preaching about "litter bugs", reminding me to get my reusable grocery bags, reusing plastic bottles, etc) and I think that he will always find "earth friendly" activities and alternatives throughout his life.

I'm glad Tel was there this morning to learn about Earth Day and pressure us into "celebrating" it. I'm curious, how did you celebrate your Earth Day?

Does no one else notice?

Does no one else notice....

the hair on the floor large enough that it may grow legs soon?
the two hampers full of clothes?
the pile of folded jeans on the couch?
the bills haven't been sent yet?
a person cannot step foot inside of the boys' playroom, literally?
the dog poop hasn't been picked up in days?
the dried mud out of shoe tread in the house?
the piles of swept up, but not sucked up, dirt in each room?
the soap scum in the shower?
the caulking that needs to be replaced around the tub?
the holes in the wall that need to be filled before they can be painted?
the repairs in the wall that haven't been painted?
the shoes in every room but bedrooms?
the lights left on in rooms that are no longer occupied?
the toothpaste that has become mortar in the sink?
the crumbs that are drawing ants?
that something could grow on what is stuck to the interior of the microwave?
the copious amount of tools inhabiting my laundry room?
the nail clippings in the sink? (I get my nails done in a salon)
the urine on the back of and behind the toilet? (I sit to urinate)

I spent the day cleaning and I mean the ENTIRE DAY and I wasn't able to rid all of these items that are tormenting me. I grew up in a home that was cleaned daily--by the inhabitants not a service. I feel so overwhelmed, hubbie tries to help but his idea of clean is to straighten up. The filth is never-ending and I am incapable of doing nothing and relaxing while I know that my house is D I R T Y! Yes, I am aware of my OCD. Have a great week and happy cleaning!

Gotta Document So I Neva' Forget

Thought I would share a couple of gems out of the mouths of my babes:

We are trying to get Tel to do his own wiping after using the restroom; he is almost 5 and will start Kindergarten next year. When Jesse was beckoned with the "I'm done, come wipe me" he entered with ammo, "what are you going to tell the teachers at kindergarten registration when they ask you if you can wipe yourself?". Tel replied "I'm going to tell them my neck isn't long enough to see if I got all the poop". OF COURRRRRRSE.

When Dax realized he would be continuing piano lessons, football, swimming in the summer, Cub Scouts, and now wrestling he was upset stating "I have NO free time, I need to cut something out". I said "you bet, no more football it is". His obvious reply was "I was thinking no more piano". Duh! I knew what he wanted to nix but piano is non-negotiable.

Tel started a nightly tradition: My mom always told my sister and I "good night, sweet dreams" when she would tuck us in at night and I continued it with my sons but Tel responded with a line that we have now added "Good night, I'll see you in the morning, Sweet Dreams, and SILLY NIGHTMARES (pronounced night-meres)

I'm Thankful

After reading my last blog too many times I realize that I sound ungrateful and that I am NOT. So to try and undo the done, I will devote today's blog to what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for a husband who has an excellent work ethic who not only believes a man should always work to support his family but that a man must continue to work at a shitty job if that is what is necessary.

I am also thankful for my husband being an excellent dad: he has been hands on from the moment my boys breathed air and lives for his daddy-son time.

I am thankful for parents who love me unconditionally and who influenced me to have everything in life I wish for.

I am thankful for Jesse's parents for raising such a good man. They taught him that the "extras" in life cost and in order to pay for them you must work, they taught him the importance of doing everything in your power to be at your children's "functions" and they taught him to be kind and compassionate.

I am thankful for being able to work in a career that I love!!

I am thankful for two beautiful, healthy, smart, kind, and loving boys.

I am thankful for food in my house, a roof over my head, and a dependable car to transport my family.

I am thankful for Jesse's mom and the decision she made to quit her job of 20 years to stay home and watch grand babies. I am also thankful for her willingness to help us out whenever we need no matter what it is; there are many times that transporting children needs to be done while I am to be in a meeting, etc.

I am thankful for grandparents who had a very large hand in raising me; they are/were the most understanding and non-judgmental people I have ever known.

I am thankful to live in the town in which I grew up; I can feel safe knowing my children can run and play without the worries of many cities/towns. I know that no matter where they are in this town, someone who knows them can see them. They may not be as thankful when they are teens; I know that from first hand knowledge.

I am thankful for snow because it is necessary for my garden to grow; yet I am more thankful for the warm sun that helps as well.

I am thankful for good friends who are always there when I need them without strings or expectations.

Now, I don't feel as selfish as I sounded. I hope that I have redeemed myself :)
Until next time.......

Feeling Sorry for Myself & Procrastination, or is it depression?

I've been snappy to my children all day, for no apparent reason. I didn't go to my friends cardio class this morning like I normally do and avoided her phone call when I'm sure she was trying to find out where I was. I've done the dishes and washed a load of clothes; but one sits awaiting my return for it to dry on the line. Today is the Saturday of a three day President's Day, weekend which includes Valentines; I should be elated but I'm not. I've sat and watched vehicle after vehicle drive by with only front seat riders, no children, heading south while my husband sleeps away. I have barely gotten dressed, half-assed combed my hair and have NOT brushed my teeth.

You are asking what do all of these have to do with one another and why the hell is she telling us about it; the answer is a question actually. Am I just feeling sorry for my self, procrastinating like I sometimes do or am I suffering from a bout of depression? They are all likely candidates: I could be falling into a self-involved spiral and I have been known to take a lazy day but then there is that family history of clinical depression. How do I know which it is? Who cares.

I wish my husband had a normal job where we could have "date nights" and spend weekends with one another. I say this on the cusp of a rumored lay off at his place of employment, how can I be so self absorbed.

I want my house to be "finished" and pristine clean as I once made it but where to begin, I get more and more upset about the unfinished parts as I move from room to room. Again, if said hubby had a said normal hour/shift, more work he starts at home would be finished.

I didn't go to the gym today because the workout I do on Saturdays is so strenuous that I lack energy to do the deep clean I had envisioned for today and now I sit with my house a mess and not because I was working my ass off, pun intended.

So if the feelings of sadness continue for the weekend is it depression or is it because the weekend of Valentines Day has been commercialized so badly that if one does not receive the commercialized weekend one believes she is being shorted. I don't want roses, they die. I'd rather have the money--- I really would just like the one on one time. Now it has come to a head, writing will do that. Indeed I believe I have answered my own question; it is feeling sorry for myself and it will probably continue until Tuesday because then V Day will have been dead and gone and I will go back to not having spontaneous romance and unrealistic "surprises" shoved down my throat by every television station across the land AND I won't be witnessing couples leaving town, just the two of them. They will be leaving town singularly heading to work and I will be here, enjoying my day off.

Thanks for letting me vent. Have a great loooooooong weekend!

Status Update

I seem to be able to update the "happenings" in my life on both my Facebook and MySpace (yes, I still MySpace; I have a cousin stationed in South Korea and this is our only way of communicating) but have a difficult time updating my blog. I wonder if the status update on social networking sites is more approachable because I am not pressured into writing something of length or depth whereas here I am. Due to the status update habit I have, I will devote this entire post to just that.

I became a football addict this year and my fave team made it to and won Superbowl 44. Go Saints!

Remodeling and refurbishing bedrooms! Almost done and they look GREAT!!

Feeling like an incompetent teacher as of late; nothing to warrant it just me being me.

We have caught EVERY illness that has gone around this year; lots of days out of school for the boys good thing they are geniuses!

Tel knows all of his letters (capitals and lowercase) and their sounds--- Kindergarten will be a breeze!

Dax is still awesome at school; reads on a high school level and understands it too. Next year is his last in elementary.

Jesse and Dax's PineWood Derby car took 2nd place; way to go Cub Scouts.

Planning our first camping trip for the end of March; cannot wait.

Have been away from the gym for two weeks because I have been sick (and both children); went yesterday and my calves are really feeling it.

Rumors about NASA being put on hold are making me nervous about Jesse's job security. So far we are the only ones in our family not being hit by the economy downfall. Praying daily.


That was SO much easier than really telling anything. If you are really interested in the outcome of any of my status updates, comment and I will elaborate. Otherwise, have a great week and I hope I have something of substance to write about soon.

Trying to be "back"

I haven't had much to share in a VERY long time and the more time that passed the harder it was to think of anything to post. I am now going to make a point of posting something weekly, whether it entertains or not. Today I will begin with something that is hard to ignore: Snow. I have close to 3 feet of snow from 2, count them 2, snow storms in one week. Snow is great from afar and on Christmas other than that it is wet, cold, and melts into messiness. As a child, like most children, I loved snow. There were about 5 reasons I loved snow and there are equally as many reasons why I despise it now:

1. My favorite part of snow was being the first "being" to walk through a fresh snow fall. I don't know why, I just got so tickled to be the first to plant my footsteps into the white canvas. I usually would write my name with my path.

2. Sledding. We have great hills in my home town and not a lot of town money to afford snow removal let alone salt. The hills were great!

3. Building snowmen. Mine never got really big because it is a lot of work! The base ball usually turned into the body as a whole because I would be exhausted and only lift a small ball to set atop as the head.

4. Twice growing up the school bus didn't make it to my town because of the weather and because of those times I prayed, and truly believed it would become a regular occurrence, each time it snowed it wouldn't get here and we would have a 'snow day'!!

5. Shoveling the walk. I think this was like number one: being the first to make a mark. I would really shovel to nowhere because my dad would beat me to the actual walkway.


The reasons I despise the snow or the above mentioned activities:

1. Being the first to walk in snow means I will have to bundle up to walk to nowhere and all that will really happen is snow getting up my pant-leg or down my boots--- WHY BOTHER

2. I do have fun sledding once or twice a year but anymore than that would land me in a chiropractor's office for the remaining 8 months. My tailbone just can't take the jumps and my arms can't take the emergency rolls anymore.

3. As I said, I was never really good at snowmen and tried to build one for Dax once (and failed) my ego is better off without the humiliating looks I get from my children

4. I don't ride a bus anymore instead I get to drive in the god-forsaken shit. I am not as scared of doing so as I once was (I would have panic attacks---SERIOUSLY!) I am now more afraid of the idiots who think they know it all and end up wrecking and putting the rest of us in danger.

5. Ok, I still love to shovel the walk and most times I am the first out there. Maybe it goes back to making the first mark with a twist of social acceptance: its normal for an adult to shovel snow but not randomly walk in the yard in a path that spells my name.

I do enjoy a good, heavy, white-out snow storm when I am home, do not have to be anywhere for a couple of days and have a bottomless coffee pot with sugar-free french vanilla creamer....that sounds pretty good right now: COME ON SNOW STORM!!