OBSERVATION

went to Target and the mall yesterday (last minute shopping you know and do you know what I found-- Men. 80% of the shoppers on Dec. 23rd were Men. HMMMM!!!!

CHRISTMAS IS A CRAZY TIME!!!

I don't have any great pictures to show. Me laden with shopping bags, kids delivering neighborhood gifts in the rain, the Usually December 23rd scramble. In all my brain fog I almost posted a really awful picture of myself for the whole world to see. Fortunately, the fog cleared. No pictures. Just some philosophizing. I'm rethinking Christmas. Not the actual holiday, but the entire season. I spend so much time thinking about everything I "HAVE" to do and less time thinking about my Saviour or other People. Christmas is a STRESSFUL time instead of a joyful one. This Ought NOT SO TO BE!! Who'll Join me in a revolution of Joy and Thanksgiving for the Holiday season-- and charity the other 11 months of the year. Let's Cast aside our expectations of ourselves and everybody else. Let's Encourage our neighbors to send a smile our way instead of waist expanders(as much as we love muddy buddies, brownies, candy, etc.-- let's relieve their burden to give to us), let's tell our families we love them more often through the year and spend less money on them at Christmas time. Let's Use our time helping at charities all year long. I'm a radical, a revolutionary, you say. Weird and crazy, even. Maybe so. Maybe so. Then again, maybe not.

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN AT MIDNIGHT WITH NO FLASH!!! I KID YOU NOT

EATING MY WORDS:)

It looks like St. George just might get a WHITE CHRISTMAS for the first time, I don't know, EVER!!!!!School is even cancelled because of snow tomorrow. It seems a little wimpy, I know, that two inches of the white stuff -- or even 5 (the projected fall) could prevent us from venturing out, but it makes an awful lot of sense. Nobody around here is equipped with studded tires. There are a fair number of 4WD vehicles but those are just for holding big families, not maneuvering in the snow. At any rate, the kids are home tomorrow!!! Yay~!~~

Make a Smilebox slideshow

LOST N FOUND

Have you lost something? Do you feel plagued like the Jaredites-- cursed with a losing curse, unable to hold on to that which is most precious or at least a little important? Are you missing a shoe, nail clippers, or maybe even your 150 ponytail elastics? Never fear. I know where you'll find them. Right here under my daughters' beds. That's right. A veritable general store of missing Jensen items right under our noses. Now this is not the first time such a heinous occurrence has happened. In fact, a monthly cleaning seems in order. Of course the energy for such a thing happens so rarely that when the bug does hit, it pretty much takes all morning. Welcome to my Morning. 4 Hours and two large garbages sacks of Trash and one Ginormous laundry basket later, their room is a haven of order and tranquility-- at least until they get home from school.

Simple Pleasures

This post is prompted by the fact that My brand new, less than one-year-old water heater is now, you guessed it, not working. Instead of cursing the fact that Robert's foray into rice pudding couture created greasy, grimy dishes that needed hot water to get really clean and none was to be found, I decided to be grateful for other simple pleasures that elude me when the holiday season leaves me triple booked and frazzled out of my mind. SO, here is the list, in no particular order of Little things that I am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR>
1. Clementines-- we love these sweet little oranges that come around at Christmas
2. Light Switches INSIDE the house that turn on Christmas lights outside (no small thing-- Thanks Rob)
3. Silly Songs with Larry-- If you have not yeet been inducted into Veggie Tales, you are missing out-- this stuff is funny and you can't help BUSTING A GUT no matter how little hot water you have.
4. Nursing home residents applaud your Kid's piano playing as enthusiastically as if he/she were a virtuoso
5. TIVO-- I can record my kid on the nightly news even though I've never been able to tape using a VCR
6. Zumba -- a little latin, a little hip hop and a lotta calorie burnin' goin' on.
7. Digital scrapbooking-- less guilt, less money, way more fun.
8. ITUNES-- when you have obscure taste in music like I do, it's so great to find ABSOLUTELY everything you've ever loved before. I've rediscovered Music.
9. House stuff-- a tub deck, canned lights everywhere, switches that switch on stuff-- just having stuff that works is so great.
10. BLOGGING: Considering that I haven't actually "WRITTEN" in a journal in over 6 years, Blogging has filled that gap. Now I just need to print and archive it. If you know how, let me know.

AND NOW, FOR THE NOT SO SIMPLE PLEASURES, but INSTEAD MY GREATEST BLESSINGS-- Our Friends and family members-- We love having the chance to catch up by reading your blogs and e-mails. Since my Dad's passing, I've really felt the need to reconnect with family and old friends. Thanks for helping me do that. Happy Dec. 8-12.

WALL E POWER!!!!!

What you are looking is not the latest animated feature from Pixar Films. NOOOOOO!!! It is, instead, a powerful, motivating force in the life of one impish three year old. Yes, I admit it. IN my desperation to free myself of Pull-up purgatory I offered a reasoned, rational incentive. If you go #2 in the potty 10 times resulting in clean, dry, Diego underwear, you will receive in your hot little hands one Disney, full-price, market-driven DVD. As is the case with all potty training-- once it clicked, it clicked. NOW, Nathan is the prowd owner of Wall-E and I am the proud mama of a "Big Boy". 20 Bucks well spent!

Official 2008 Halloween Photo As Promised