My Goings On

I'm still here-- still not sick.  I was totally planning on getting sick through the night.  I even worked up a bit of hysterical nausea, I guess.  I ironed and layed out all the kids clothes, had the boys set their own alarm, and got everything ready for school.  This was all in case I was down, which I wasn't.  My brother's friend from work said 40% of his kid's school is out sick.  40%!  So, if it hasn't hit your neck of the woods yet, be prepared!  It's on it's way!  (Insert Jaws theme song here.)

Big Sis' eye is incredibly red and bloodshot.  She couldn't possibly have pink eye again after having an antibiotic shot only a week and two days ago, could she? 

You caught me...this is last year's tree.

Today is going to be present wrapping day...with Christmas Carols, of course!  Oooo...I just realized I have some chai tea latte in the fridge.  That might make things even better!  Pandora has me so spoiled right now!  When I hear a song on the car radio that I don't like, I start looking for the "thumbs down" button.  I wish life had it's own "thumbs down" button.  Wouldn't that make things much easier?

Today should be tree decorating day but I really don't want to do it.  I think I might be OK with a lights-only tree this year.  It is quite pretty that way.  Also, that will save me from getting all emotional over every little ornament I unpack from bubble wrap. 

I finally got my Christmas cards ordered and they are going to be quite spectacular!  I even paid for rush shipping since the cards were free.  Not a bad deal if you ask me!  I need to locate my calligraphy pen before they arrive in the mail.  Yes, I hand write calligraphy addresses on each card.  Do I really have time for that?  Absolutely not.  But I'm going to do it anyway.  Good thing my Christmas card list is in an Excel spreadsheet from years past.  I can be highly organized when I want to be.

By the way, most of you were correct, I did use the first Christmas picture for my cards.  My mom liked the second, with Baby Girl's head tipped, so she used that pic.  I made up a card for my parents with an adorable picture of them laughing, a photo I took of my niece and nephew, and the second photo from that post of mine.  There is nothing quite like photo cards, in my opinion.

I'm getting happier and happier as I think of these things!  I might have to bust out some Christmas cookies at some point today.  If you're looking for any new cookie recipes, check out my Recipes tab.  I posted quite a few recipes last year at this time, before I sprained my ankle.  Boy, am I glad I'm not trying to manage Christmas on crutches again!  That was truly horrid!

Baby Girl is presently eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the living room, where eating by children is strictly prohibited.  I think Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the #1 messiest cereal made!  I believe I will be chasing her down with the vacuum in about twelve seconds.  My house is still clean and I'm working my darnedest to keep it that way!!!

How are things coming along with your Christmas planning???

Stress Relief

I feel like I have breathed a huge sigh of relief, even though I'm not even close to being ready for Christmas.  But I've figured out what it is that makes me feel so much better:  my house is clean.  It's a wonderful feeling, a rarity actually, but it changes me into a completely different person! 

I hosted a Christmas party for my teenage girls group last night and things did not go exactly as planned.  First of all, it was Monday- grocery shopping day.  I considered letting it go until today but there were things I needed for the party.  I skipped breakfast for time reasons and turned it on high gear.  Then I noticed that Son #1 left his tuba mouthpiece at home.  I told the boys I am not coming to their rescue any more.  If they forget homework or gym clothes, they'll have to take the detention.  If they forget their lunch, they'll have to buy meatloaf or whatever else the cafeteria is serving that day.  I kept eyeing that mouthpiece on top of the piano and my heart grew two sizes like the Grinch's.  #1's band teacher has been awesome and has provided so many great opportunities for him.  I didn't want to let her down so I decided to make an unexpected detour to the school.

Grocery shopping went well, even though I went $5.19 over budget.  (EEK!)  I stacked 20 more cans of turkey and beef broth in the stockpile and breathed a sigh of relief.  1:00- time for Baby Girl's nap and my lunch.  She was in stall-and-distract-Mommy mode but I eventually got her in bed.  I turned it back up to high gear and started speed cleaning the house. 

Then I got a call from Big Sis.  She wasn't feeling well at school.  She just missed school last week and had a shot of antibiotics!  I gave her a pep talk and convinced her to tough it out for the remaining hour of school.  Her sister was sleeping and no one else on the street was home to pick her up.  She obliged.  An hour later when she got off the bus, she started bawling.  Her tummy hurt "real bad."  I sent her up to bed and continued cleaning the house.  She was supposed to have a party last night too so hopefully a bit of rest would make her feel better.

Then vomit happened.  Again.  Only a week after the last vomiting episode.  Same kid.  I was on the verge of tears as I cleaned puke off the toilet lid.  (She couldn't get it open in time....how sad!)  I again felt like a failure as a mother for not believing her that she was sick again.  I texted my mom who said she would immediately come home from work to help me.  She pulled into her driveway and immediately began vomiting herself.  It's like a badly written sitcom around here.  Now I have two kids without a babysitter, one of them sick, and a party in two hours.  I can't even think of a word or phrase sarcastic enough for the way I felt.

Believe it or not, I got everything done in time for my party and made two beautiful rolls of stromboli.  Once during the party, however, Big Sis came downstairs in her satin monkey pajamas to tell me she puked all over her floor.  We were just beginning the gift exchange so I had to make everyone wait while I cleaned up vomit.  I just hope all those girls don't end up getting sick. 

My tree is still not decorated; it only has lights.  When I opened up the Rubbermaid tub to get out the decorations, I noticed a bunch of fuzz everywhere.  The children's stockings were torn to shreds.  Yep, a mouse had gotten into the decorations.  Why?  What fun is there in climbing into my Christmas decorations and tearing up my stockings???  The stockings were very sentimental and I don't actually know how bad the situation is yet.  I put the lid back on and refused to deal with it. 

After all that, I still feel a sense of relief.  Maybe I'm just on my way to becoming insane, but I actually feel very calm.  I think it's all because my house is clean.  Sure, there were squashed brownie crumbs on the floor from the little piggies at last night's party but it's nothing a quick sweep with the vacuum can't handle.  Big Sis slept through the night and is still sleeping as I type this.  Tiny Prints emailed me and graciously gave me another code for free cards since I accidentally deleted the last one.  I told them they saved the day!  (Cards will just be a little late this year.)

So it's all good.  I am surviving!

Christmas Carols Gone Wrong

I can't help thinking about how old some of the Christmas Carols are that we hear every day this time of year.  Technology has changed the world so much and times are sure different.  For example, singing about one "dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh" sounds so much more romantic than "riding along in my Prius, getting 50 miles to the gallon."  It just doesn't emit the same feeling.

In Baby, It's Cold Outside, a woman spends the evening worried about what people will think about her being alone at night with a gentleman.  "My mother will start worry...My father will be pacing the floor...my sister will be suspicious...my brother will be there at the door..."  In today's world, we would simply ask, Well, why don't you just call them from your cell phone and let them know you're OK?  "The neighbors might faint...my maiden aunt's mind is vicious..."  A young woman today wouldn't be out of place at a man's home late in the evening.  They probably would have been living together anyway.  Why would her mother worry?  She probably got her daughter on The Pill at age 15 like all of her friends.

Dear old Rudolph.  Today, this would be a bully situation.  "All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.  They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games."  Well don't worry, Rudolph, those mean reindeer have been suspended from school because of the zero tolerance policy.  Just let the guidance counselor know if there are any more problems with bullies.  Now, run along to computer tech lab.


Don't even get me started on The Twelve Days of Christmas!  First of all, what in the world is this person supposed to with all the fowl their true love gave them over a period just shy of two weeks?  A partridge, two doves, three hens, four birds, six geese, and seven swans.  Maybe there is a bird farm or a small zoo involved.  Regarding the drummers, the pipers, leaping lords, and dancing ladies- were these gifts given for a one-time performance or do they all have to be housed and cared for indefinitely?  Personally, the only gifts from the entire song I wouldn't mind having are the rings (although I don't need five, just one huge square-cut diamond with a matching diamond encrusted band) and the maid service.  Hey, maybe that's an idea after all!

"He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake.  He knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake."  Santa must have surveillance cameras set up around the house.  Isn't that an invasion of privacy?  I'm calling the cops!

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. All I'm going to say about this song is that the kid is lucky that's all he saw his Mommy doing with Santa Claus. It could have been much worse, kid!

Christmas Photo Shoot

I finally found time to gather my kids together and snap their photo for our Christmas cards!  This is a huge relief for me!  Now, hopefully the printing company will get them done and shipped to me very quickly! 

It was 34 degrees outside when I attempted this but I really wanted outdoor shots.  My camera takes much sharper pictures in natural light.  Also, I didn't want them to wear coats.  So I put my kids through severe abuse to get good photos!  Baby Girl frowned in the first few because she was cold.  I told her I would give her a donut if she smiled pretty and she perked right up!

I thought it would be a unique idea to carry my loveseat outside for the photo.  Great idea, lots more work than I imagined!  It didn't fit through the doorway so Son #1 and I had to flip it on its side.  It ended up falling sideways onto the porch which scraped up the leather all across the back of the couch.  Oopsie!  At least nobody sees that side when it's against a wall.  (Don't any of you dare tell my husband what I did!)  The couch was heavier than I thought and we could not get it back into the house.  I was totally out of gas.  Son #1 got our buff 20-something, Army vet neighbor to help get it back in the house.

I snapped pictures as quickly as I could since it was freezing.  When I wanted to change shots, I had the kids put their coats back on.  At the end, I allowed Baby Girl to keep hers on.  I think we were outside for a total of four minutes.  Several of the shots were blurry due to my shivering and attempt to be quick.  But I think we got some descent results.  What do you think???

Did you notice Son #2's nasty tennis shoes?  I checked out everyone else's shoes but his.  After the pics, #1 asked "Why did he get to wear tennis shoes and I didn't?"  Crud.  And that's what seems to be the most noticeable thing to me in the picture.  Which one do you think I ended up using?

Just Stuff

• Christmas Cards...

I am agonizing over the fact that I have not yet taken a photo for my Christmas card.  I know I'll end up rushing it and it won't be as good I would like it to be. 

Do you display the cards you receive from people?  I always hang mine in the doorway of my kitchen.  My mom always did it like that so that's how I do it.  This year, I've decided to hang them in the doorway between my living room and dining room.  It's a much wider doorway so we'll be less likely to bump into and knock down the cards.

Along that line, I have a funny story about Christmas cards.  A woman displayed the cards she received every year in her home.  One year, she was hosting an event at her home.  She felt like she hadn't received many cards so she retreated to the pile of cards she had saved from years past.  She mixed some of the nicer cards in with current cards.  A guest was browsing through the cards and started shaking her head slowly.  The hostess asked what was wrong.  "Poor Mary Johnson," she said.  "She must be losing her mind.  Bill passed away last year and she's still signing his name on their Christmas cards!"  The woman had to come clean and confess what she had done.  That story totally sounds like something my mom would do!





FYI- this is NOT my drawer!!!


• Organization...

Organization can sometimes be a bad thing.  I recently cleaned out the junk drawer in our kitchen.  Doesn't everybody have one?  I grouped together like items and put them in small ziplock baggies.  There's a baggie for matches, one for paper clips, and one for rubberbands.  The bad thing is when you lose the entire bag of paper clips.  I've been searching and searching for a stray paper clip anywhere in that drawer.  No luck.  We have no paper clips in this house.  Utter shame!

I bought two new packets of tabbed dividers for my coupon binder!  I get very antsy upon finding a better way to organize!

• Babies & Parenting...

Baby Girl is into having a complete meltdown any time she doesn't get her way.  For example, when I put toothpaste on her toothbrush this morning, she became enraged that I only put a little bit.  "I don't want little bit!"  On the floor she fell, kicking and screaming.  It made me so angry that I ended up putting a ginormous glob of toothpaste on her brush and said, "There, are you happy now?"  And yes, she now is.  Wonderful parenting techniques I subscribe to, huh?

My little nephew is sick.  He's one of those babies who is either perfectly good or screaming bloody murder.  His mom suspects that he has an ear infection.  The Ask-A-Nurse told her to try propping him up on her chest while she slept because lying him down will put more pressure on his ear.  Therefore, my sister-in-law got no sleep last night.  I showed up at her house this morning, took the baby and the toddler, and told her to go take a nap.  I remember those days of trying to function on no sleep.  With no argument, she retreated to her room.  I must say, I really enjoyed snuggling with that sweet baby for a couple hours.  No, I do not want another baby....no, I do not want another baby!  I will keep repeating it to myself.

Make Your Own Sugar Scrub

I know a lot of people who enjoy making their own Christmas gifts.  I do a little of that, if you count baking Christmas cookies!  Other than that, I'm not very crafty.  People would probably just toss whatever it is I've made into the trash.  Making your own gifts is a wonderful idea, especially for people you aren't super close to...the school secretary, crossing guard, mailman, or simply the older lady down the street who smiles when you pass by her house.

The best homemade gift I remember receiving is a spiced tea mix from my very crafty friend.  She made jars of the tea for all the Sunday School teachers at church.  I have also received hot cocoa mix and candles. 

Today while browsing my favorite thrifty blogger's page, I stumbled upon these directions to make your own Sugar Scrub.  I adore the aroma therapeutic sugar scrub I purchased from Bath & Body Works.  I use it sparingly to try to make it last.  It works wonders on skin dried out by cold winter weather.  When I saw these directions to make my own, I determined that this is something I would definitely try!

Here is what you'll need:
• 1 Jar
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ – ½ cup Olive Oil
• 1 t Vanilla, Almond, or Lavender Extract (I think I'm going to use Tea Tree Oil.)

Directions:

1. Mix white and brown sugar in a bowl until blended.

2. Pack sugar into the jar.

3. Slowly pour olive oil in a tablespoon at a time until it has reached about halfway down the jar, letting each tablespoon seep in before putting in the next.

4. Once the olive oil has reached halfway down the jar, add extract.

5. Pour mixture into a large bowl and mix it up until all the sugar is moist. Add more olive oil if needed.

6. Repack jar.

A few helpful tips:
• You can adjust the amount of sugar (both white & brown) and other ingredients to the size of your jar and your preferences. The mentioned amounts are a guideline. Just make sure you have even parts of white & brown sugar!

• If keeping this in the bathtub or shower, have something with which to scoop the sugar out. If you use your hands, it’s a good idea to keep the scrub in the refrigerator to keep bacteria at bay, unless you go through the whole jar in a couple of days! I wouldn’t know anything about that!

• You can substitute other oils in place of olive oil. Almond oil is another great option, just not as readily available as olive oil. Avoid mineral oil as it prevents your skin from absorbing moisture.

•Don’t forget to make a label! You can make a label on your computer using the sticky label sheets or use some fancy font on regular paper. Glue the paper to an index card (to make it rigid), cut it to resemble a gift tag, punch a hole in the top with a hole punch and use a rubber band or ribbon to tie around the mouth of the jar!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

You will be happy to hear that the Christmas spirit is slowly filling the She Says House.

* Red and white polka-dot wrapping paper is bought and ready to wrap gifts.  Scotch tape, white boxes, and tissue paper also lie in wait.

* Living room furniture is now rearranged to allow room for the artificial tree, once Hubby carries it up from the basement.

* Shopping list is getting closer and closer to being done.

* She Says House has been downgraded from a tornado site to just a little disorganized.

* Thoughts of Christmas cookies are filling my mind.

* Christmas party for my teenage girls group is scheduled for this Monday night at the She Says House.

* Kids rooms are heading in the right direction toward being clean.  (I can't stand attempting Christmas without a totally clean house.)

* Michael Buble' plays on the radio.


It's finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Just Mish-Mosh

I don't have any deep, humorous, or witty thoughts to share with you today.  I kind of feel like my brain has been dipped into pancake mixture and is all muddled and gooey.  I just hope no one puts me into the fryer.

• Sick Kids.  You want 'em...we've got 'em!  Baby Girl led off with a hacking cough that just won't clear up.  Son #1 was second at bat with a sore throat and incredibly swollen tonsils.  Son #2 was up third with an ear infection and swollen tonsils, requiring amoxicillin.  Big Sis batted clean up and scored a home run with strep throat and pink eye.  It all went down Sunday morning when I noticed goop in Big Sis' eye.  I had to sing at church that morning so Hubby was responsible for taking the kids to Children's for meds.  What a trooper!  I was worried he would be left staring blankly when asked for the kids' dates of birth.  Luckily, he handled it all like a Professional Daddy!  He opted to give Big Sis a shot of antibiotics rather than eye drops and oral medication for ten days.  Her leg still hurts from the injection so she's home from school again.

• It is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  We still do not have any decorations up yet.  I'm feeling a little Grinch-like.  It's not that I'm anti-Christmas, I just have not had any kind of time to get decorations out and up.  Who in the world wants to kick aside a pile of junk to put a Christmas tree where the junk used to be?  I need to do some serious house cleaning first.
• Tornado Site.  Yep, that's what it looks like around here.  From all the sick kids to plans on Saturday night, I also had a church bake sale thrown in the middle.  Since the kids were sick, I only felt comfortable baking after completely sterilizing the kitchen.  I've wiped down cupboard handles and the refrigerator more times that I want to admit.  When I cook, I'm paranoid about germs....especially when that food is for someone else.  Luckily, all went well and Son #1 made $40 for his youth account at church.  I'll be really thankful for that come the next out-of-town trip.

• Coupons.  I am almost ready to say I'm sick of them.  I'm not sick of them at all...I'm just sick of cutting them out and organizing them in my binder.  When I go to the store and save 50% on my entire bill, I realize how worth it this all is.  I have thousands of coupons.  Thousands.  They actually make me quite happy. 
• Great Deals. They're everywhere! I have had so many brown boxes delivered to my doorstep the past few days! It just makes me happy that it's saving me time from going out shopping. Today's deal: another FREE Kindle book. O Little Town: A Novel. I have quite a few books waiting patiently on my Kindle to be read....maybe in mid-January when nothing's going on.
  
• Triple Booked.  Tonight starts my holiday season of being triple booked for events.  Son #1 has a band concert, I have choir practice for our upcoming Christmas concert, and my sign language group has a performance tonight.  Not to forget the sick kids at home and the aforementioned tornado house.  Anyone remember that movie Multiplicity?  Sounding good right about now.

Well, I feel really guilty sitting here writing about all I have to do.  Today is grocery shopping day so there go a couple more hours.  Time to make the donuts!!!

Boys are Fickle

Girls are supposed to be the fickle ones, not boys.  But I have one who is.

Over the weekend, we were shopping at a discount clothing/home furnishings store.  Son #2 is in need of some warmer shirts for school.  He's at that awkward size between medium and large.  (I seriously wish they had a M 1/2!)  New size large shirts are too big and new size medium shirts will be too small the first time I wash them.  What fits him best are his brother's hand-me-downs that have been washed several times.  But he doesn't want those. 

I picked out two shirts I thought Son #2 might like.  He's incredibly picky but I think I've learned his taste.  He liked the black and gray striped shirt but it was way too big for him.  Because it was only a few dollars, I bought it for Son #1 instead.  The other shirt was orange striped. 
"I don't like orange," was his reply. 
"You don't want this shirt because you don't like orange?"  I asked. 
"I don't like orange." 
So I put the shirt back on the rack.

Tuesday morning, he was getting dressed for school.  "Where is my new shirt?" he asked.  Being in the semi-confused state of early morning, I told him it was still in the bag.  He dug through the crinkly bag and declared it wasn't there.  I huffed down the stairs, irritated that he can never find anything.  I pulled the black and gray shirt out and handed it to him. 
"This isn't mine," he said, "it's too big." 
Oh, that's right...I ended up buying it for his brother instead.  "Well, I didn't buy you one then."
"You didn't buy that orange shirt?"
"No, you said you didn't like orange."
"So you didn't buy it?"
"No!  I thought you didn't like it!  Why would I buy something for you to wear that you don't like?"
Angry, he stomped away to look for something to wear to school.

And I thought women were supposed to be the difficult ones to read!

Grrrr...

This is a vent post about why I hate my husband's job.  Be warned.

I came home late last night to find Hubby passed out on the bathroom floor.  Literally.  The kids and I went to church before Hubby was home from work.  I had a practice afterward so I sent Son #2 and Big Sis home with my aunt.  She dropped them off at the house, apparently with their father.

I arrived home about twenty minutes later.  Son #2 met me at the door and said, "Dad's really sick."  I knew he was sick because he called home from work and asked me to set the NyQuil out.  He tends to be a bit dramatic when he's sick so I wasn't too worried.  I hung up my coat and Baby Girl's coat, took off my shoes, and put my bag away.  I walked upstairs to find my husband lying on the bathroom floor.  I called his name.  No response.  I called his name again.  Still no response.  I nudged him with my foot and called his name louder.  Still nothing.  Son #1 was already next to him when I got there and told me, "He has a pulse."  Well, I sure hope so!  This time, I leaned down, shook him, and yelled his name again.  He opened his eyes and stared blankly at me. 
"Why are you laying on the floor?!" I asked. 
"I don't know," he said. 
"You don't know?!?!" 
He kind of shook his head while still lying there.  He attempted to sit up and fell back down. 
I asked if he was asleep or if he passed out.  He said he didn't know but his head hurt. 
"Well, yeah, you probably hit it on the sink!"  He assured me he didn't hit his head, it was just a headache.

I finally got him up off the floor and into bed.  I asked again several more times if he was asleep or passed out.  He couldn't remember.  He said he was sitting by the toilet, throwing up, and that's the last thing he remembered.  I'll just be honest and say that I was totally freaked out.

I questioned Son #2 about how he found his father when he arrived home.  He said Dad was sitting on the floor with his back to him, leaning up against the sink.  #2 tried to talk to him but he didn't answer.  I told #2 he should have immediately called me.  He said he thought Dad was just feeling bad and didn't feel like talking.  He didn't notice if his eyes were open or closed.  Hubby apparently slumped over onto the ground from that sitting position.

Once in bed, he was making a bit more sense.  I asked if he had taken the NyQuil.  He said he had but threw up right afterward.  I told him he wouldn't be able to go to work and I would take care of it if he needed me to.  "No," he said, "I have to go to work.  It's peak season."

I slept on the couch to allow him to rest.  I was so worried about him that I hooked up the baby monitor in his room so I could hear if he needed me. 

So, a grown man was passed out from sickness, he was monitored during the night by a worried wife, yet he went to work in the morning.  That's just not right.

This morning, I got up when he did.  Again, I tried to talk him into calling off.  "She, you can't call off there!" he said.  (Which I know is true.)  I was worried about him driving into work but he assured me he would be fine.  I knew I was fighting a losing battle so I went back to bed for another 45 minutes.

Years ago, my husband was in the hospital.  I had to call into his work and tell them he wouldn't be in a for a few days.  Those people had the nerve to give me a hard time, telling me they wouldn't be able to cover for him.  I got quite rude and told them he was hospitalized and there was nothing he could do.  They acted like they were doing me a giant favor.  Gee, thanks.  Another time when he was in the hospital, they told him that he was in danger of losing his contract if he didn't service it.  Thanks, guys.

So that is why I hate my husband's job.  But in this economy, who has the right to complain?  At least he's employed.