Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy...

This is always such a dangerous topic. One that is risky in any setting, but I'll give a stab at it anyway. Afterall, you ALL know that I am far from perfect...

Yesterday, Steve and I were finishing up taking down the Christmas stuff. And yes, it was Sunday. We pretty much had it all taken down on Saturday, all except the plant shelf above the fireplace, but you need a ladder for that, and we ran out of time for that. So, Steve was nice enough to go get the ladder out and took down the stuff for me. While he was up there, he ended up dusting the shelf and cleaning the windows. Now, I don't know about your houses, but our house collects dust like mad. As in so much dust it looks like dirt. And the cobwebs (I already told you about the spiders - they are busy little buggers)... So, after dusting the plant shelf, cleaning the windows and knocking down cobwebs, it had to be vacuumed off the floor. So, I vacuumed.

Then, we decided (since we put the kids to bed at 7:30 - they had late nights all week!) we would hook up some electronics, especially since Jayden was in bed. That required moving out the entertainment center a bit, which revealed some more "dust" (read - dirt) behind the entertainment center, mostly on the baseboards, so more vacuuming and cleaning, etc. Then about half-way through Steve says that we are going to have to finish it tomorrow. "What! Why? The kids' are in bed..."

His reply? "It's Sunday and to finish I need to get my drill out..."

"But we just did all that cleaning and it was still Sunday..."

"Yeah, but the drill is a power tool..."

"So is the vacuum, but that didn't stop us."

And we finished. A little side note here, Steve then said, "This isn't going to end up on your blog now is it? You know, I'm just sayin'." I said no, but upon further inspection it IS an interesting subject.

So, truth be told, none of it was probably much of a "Sunday activity". However, Steve and I had a great time doing it, there wasn't any fighting, lots of laughter, and it's done, making my week this next week looking a whole lot more like I may actually get all the cleaning done I wanted before the kids go back to school. So, what's the verdict? Is it justification or what? I'm just sayin'.

Update

OK, so I didn't get as much cleaning in yesturday as I wanted. I did everything but my room. Bummer because it stinks to spend so much time cleaning only to have a MOUND of laundry left on my bed. AND yes, it is still a mound I just shoved it on the floor and went to sleep. At least when the kids asked me what they could wear this morning I told them to look through the pile on my floor.

For the record on my post before this one, I may have said that Brad Pitt was yummy to look at, but George Clooney is more my type. At least the George Clooney from the old ER days.

I'm feelin' good today. I had a much needed break last night. I enjoyed spending some time with some of my probably best friends from around here. Sher left me some chocolates that she made, and I had them for breakfast. (The chocolate centers were my favorite BTW). Then when I went walking this morning, Kathy gave me some really good ideas for my kids for Christmas shopping, so I think I could actually be motivated to finish. Wouldn't that be nice.

I think I am even motivated enough to do my Christmas card and get it sent out soon. I am not however motivated enough to do that pile of laundry on the floor, I think that would ruin my mood.

Melissa's even doing good with her friends. In fact she even has a playdate scheduled with one for Thursday or Friday. So I am happy about that. I almost don't want to gush too much over this mood I am in right now because it seems like everytime I feel the world is right, something happens to ruin that, but for now I am just going to relish the fact that life is good, the kids are healthy, my house is mostly clean and I am happy. So here's me sending good vibes your way, I hope you are all great too! I'm just sayin'.

I'm not blogging tomorrow...

I have decided right now that I am dedicating myself to cleaning my house so I am NOT going to blog on Tuesday. So, to make up for that I am going to do a quick post tonight.

Why do people pay to see LeAnn Rhimes sing? Is it just me or does her singing suck? Actually it isn't her singing so much as her enunciation of words. For example, there's that song "How Do I Live (Without you)" that she sings. It ends up sounding like...

HowdoI Lee wi ou ou?
I wannoo know?
HowdoI Bree wi ou ou if ou ever go?
HowdoI eer eer survie?
Howdahi, howdahi, O howdahi lee?

Trisha Yearwood sings that song much better than her hands down.

And what's with Nicolas Cage? I can't stand the guy. I have been told I have missed seeing some good movies like the National Treasure ones because I can't stand to watch the guy. He always looks like he is in pain to me. Like life just hurts him to look at anyone.

Some people I think, just make a bunch of money because they look good, not for much else. There is some pretty poor acting around. Take Brad Pitt for example, there are some roles that he has flat out nailed and then others that just leave you scratching your head. But his movies always make a ton of money because well, let's face it, he's yummy to look at.

I also don' know why some actors/actresses stoop. There are some people who really are great at acting on TV and they have made some poor movies just to be in a movie. I say hold out and do something respectable, or just stick to TV. I'm just sayin'.

My Christmas Pet Peeves

There are so many great and wonderful things about Christmas that I really enjoy. However, there are some things about Christmas that absolutely drive me crazy! And here are just a few, I don't want to be too grinchy...

Steve and I went to the mall on Saturday. I don't consider myself racist or anything, but hearing Feliz Navidad a hundred times can just about drive ANYONE insane! It is probably the most repetitive song in the world to begin with, and not to mention one that just seems to get stuck in your head forever. So this is my first pet peeve. Stupid Christmas songs. Joining Feliz Navidad would have to be that song about the Christmas Shoes. You know, the song that the kid goes to buy Christmas shoes for his Mom because he wants her to have pretty shoes when she goes to heaven. It is the song that we all cried over the first time we heard it, but now, it is just plain annoying. Not to mention way over played. As equally obnoxious is great Christmas songs that are ruined by whoever is singing it. If it aint broke, why fix it?

Pet Peeve number 2 would have to be stupid Christmas candy. Non-mint candy canes for example. Spencer went through this phase where he didn't like mint, so that year I obliged him and got some other flavor Candy Canes. And you know what? They never got eaten. No one wanted them. Not even Spencer. I ended up keeping them for a year for Gingerbread making house decorating this year. Again, if it ain't broke? Other stupid candy would include Chocolate covered cinnamon Santa's, Spice drops, and those Chocolate Oranges I have previously mentioned.

Now this one will probably get me in trouble, but it bugs me that much it's worth mentioning. Christmas gifts for the parents. For some reason it always brings out the worst in siblings. For example, some years, someone doesn't pay. And someone gets stuck paying extra. Or we fight over what to get. It always starts with someone sending out an email with a suggestion that goes something like this, "I think we should get started now on Mom and Dad's gift, I had the thought of this *insert cool gift thought here* what do you think? Or do you guys have some other suggestions?" And then if someone suggests something else, that first person gets all mad because "Wasn't my first suggestion good enough?" Uh, you are the one that asked...

Then there is the coming up with a dollar amount to spend. Which always is WAY TOO MUCH! It is almost rediculous. That's right, I said rediculous. There are some couples who are just down right determined to have to spend the exact same amount for both their parents. So if one family is contributing 50 bucks towards Mom and Dad's gift, they feel they HAVE to spend 50 bucks on the other Mom and Dad as well even though in that family they decided that $25 would be sufficient. SO then they cause a stink about needing to up the second family price amount just to be fair. Fair for who?

Then, there is always the fight about who is in charge. And when that is decided, some people just can not let it go. They have it preset in their mind that the person in charge is going to do a bad job and just seem to not agree with anything that person in charge does. SO they even go so far as to call other family members and try to get people on their side and it turns into a huge mess full of hurt feelings and misunderstandings.

My solution? Rotate who is in charge. Starting with the oldest and moving down. Then you mail the "in charge" person with what amount you are comfortable with contributing and a list of suggestions. Then the "in charge" person takes whatever funds were contributed and the suggestions and they decide. They are fully in charge and do it all. They shop for the gift, wrap it and bring it to the party. And all are surprised! Mom and Dad and the other siblings. And then if they are disappointed, they just shut up about it. Keep it to themselves because if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. And just remember, your turn will be coming up and others just might not like what you do either, but that's OK you thought it was a good idea and it was your turn to decide.

My final Christmas Pet Peeve is doing the annual Christmas card. I love to get them in the mail and I love sending mine out, but actually putting it together THAT I don't like. I'm just sayin'.

Did you know?

Did you know that a grape will explode if you put it in the microwave?

I didn't know that but I do know that a fork will spark, a twisty tie will start a small fire, and a potatoe will explode if not poked all while cooking in a microwave. I've done all of those in the last little while...

All were done innocently enough, I put Jenna's food back in the microwave to warm it up again after she had to take a quick potty break during lunch. Only I forgot to take her fork off.

Then, I put some brown sugar in the microwave to soften it. It says so on the bag to do that if it becomes hard. However, it failed to mention that I might want to remove the twisty tie I had been using to hold the bag closed.

The potato was already peeled when I put the potato in the microwave and I thought that it would be OK. I guess I was mistaken...

So, apparently all of those stupid little "informative" bits on packaging isn't really stupid. You know, the bit on grocery sacks that says "This is not a toy..." Or the bit on Viagra or Cialis commercials where the announcer says, "This medication does not prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases..." Yeah, those should all be no brainers, but sometimes you just can't forsee the stupidity of people... I'm just sayin'.

One thing I would not want to live without

I am grateful for heated seats in my car...

We call it 'toasty bum'. Just knowing that when I get in the car I can flip the switch and have a nice toasty bum in a matter of minutes makes me think that I can make it through winter. I HATE being cold. It makes me miserable. It is the one and only thing that I don't like about living in Utah.

When it is so cold outside that your pants are cold enough against your skin that it actually hurts is maddening. Yet I am claustrophobic enough to not want to wear leggings under my pants. I do in the morning when I go walking and if I know I am going to be outside in the cold for a long period of time, but when I am just running from the car to the store, I can't bring myself to do it. However, coming back from the store to the car, there is always the promise of 'toasty bum' and that makes me happy.

Sometimes I will get in the car after putting the groceries in the trunk and Melissa will have flipped the switch for me and that makes me even more happy. It's a sign of love because as much as I don't like being cold, she doesn't either. However, she will sacrifice being cold for fashion. She doesn't like to wear her big heavy coat if noone else has started wearing their big heavy coats for school yet. Also if her coat doesn't match her outfit she will wear two smaller jackets so she looks better.

And kids and cold... drives me nuts! First of all, you have to bundle them all up in their snow clothes to go outside and play. Then they come in all wet and drippy and cold! Their nose is cold, their face is cold and even their covered up parts are cold! Not to mention the whole time they are playing outside, I worry about them getting cold, or freezing their little fingers (even with gloves on). Even just to go out to the store is a pain, they wear their puffy coats and you got to buckle them in the car... Argh! Summer better hurry! I'm just sayin'.

I couldn't just leave it at that...

I didn't want to have my dying wishes be the top post on my blog, so on a lighter note...

Whatinthehellisgoingon? (It's not swearing if you run it into one word right?)

In the stores that is... Have you been out shopping lately? I am finding nothing! NOTHING I tell you! I can't come up with good gifts for my kids. Spencer's first list was full of things like a Nintendo Wii, a TV, an XBox 360, the video game Kameo, a Lego set (that costs like $150). Melissa's list is a Portable DVD player, a cell phone, an IPod... Then Jenna wants a Kitten and a Horse (real ones of course). That's not much help since we aren't getting them any of those things. Melissa hands me her list and says, "I can always ask right?"

So I go out shopping hoping the stores have some good ideas, and they really don't. You hear that prices are supposed to be pretty good this year considering the fact that they are trying to lure shoppers, but I am not seeing it. And I am starting to panic. There are what? 2 weeks until Christmas? What do I do? I don't really know how to find good deals on the Internet either. I bought something for Melissa last year, but that was through a store's site and I felt like there was at least something I could do about it if things didn't work out great.

I know, I am rambling, but I feel aimless in my attempt at Christmas shopping this year. SO, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. What are you doing for your kids, and what should I do for mine? I'm just askin'...

On a side note, I have put Christmas lights on the trees outside of our house, but need some more red mini lights because some of the trees are bigger this year than they were last year (duh, I know) and I need more strands. But I can't find Red ones anywhere! ANY thoughts of good places to look? I've tried Walmart, Target and Shopko...

This is disturbing, but oh well!

My sister is having heart surgery in just a little bit, so she has had some posts lately on her blog about dying... I know, your first reaction is that's morbid. However, I have had this conversation with some of you before, and you have even told me requests for your funerals. Not to mention, a while ago my sister-in-laws sister died at a young age, and my sister-in-law found it very comforting that her sister had shared some of her wishes with her before she died. (Not knowing she would actually die at a young age - her death was completely unexpected).

SO, here are some of my dying wishes (And no I do not plan on dying any time soon, but just in case...)

• Steve is allowed to remarry, but she's got to be a good mom and a lousy wife...
• Someone's got to teach Steve how to do the girl's hair because I can't stand messy hair.
• I want fun music at my funeral, not depressing songs. There is to be NO singing of the song "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good." Because that is downright depressing. (I would even love it if my current VT's wouldn't mind playing the piano and singing something, but I won't cry if you don't want to, I wouldn't either...)
• My brothers and sisters can fight over who talks at my funeral (or they all can), but they get to do it - I would hope Jim would be HAPPY to.
• I get burried next to my baby. Then Steve next to me and if he ever got married again, she could go on the other side.

I think that is about it. I don't really care much about the rest. It's all depressing to think about, but this way, there is no confusion, no fighting and no questions. I'm just sayin' - and hope to never bring it up agiain.

Monday's madness...

I took Jayden in for Dr. appt. (Turning a year older you gotta do that)...



The doctor appointment went great, but driving there, in the snow, not so great. Why doesn't everyone slow down? IF everyone did, I bet there would be less slide offs. Simple thought, but noone seems to care. You almost want to roll your window down at the people on the side of the road and say, "What a bummer! Should have slowed down!"



The Queen Bee is back. For the longest time, Melissa's queen bee has sort of left her alone, but for some reason, she is back and just like they say in the movie, "Tombstone", hell came with her. What's ironic is someone asked me about Melissa's queen bee just a little while ago and I told her that it was actually going great, she was leaving Melissa alone. I should have knocked on wood. What is so vicious this time is she is making a posse out of Melissa's closest friends. So, if they join the posse, does that mean that they weren't really friends to begin with?

Spencer's had his own to deal with, but I don't think boys are Queen Bee's. He had a basketball game on Saturday and played against some kids from our neighborhood. One of the kids from his primary class just happened to get the same colored wristband as Spencer for both quarters that he was in. To give Steve credit, he tried to get them to change Spencer's wristband color before the 3rd quarter, but by the time he got the coach's attention, it was too late.

The kid was all over Spencer, grabbing his arms and putting his hands in Spencer's face and even pushing. At that age, the rule is that their arms have to be strait up to block shots. They aren't aloud to "reach" in front of the person. Well this kid wasn't following the rules and noone was doing anything about it. Then to make things worse, the kid goes to Spencer on Sunday and says, "YOU weren't playing very nice at the game yesturday..." Spencer was so mad. I was too because not only was the kid not being nice, but neither were his parents or Spencer's own Asst. Coach who happens to be friends with the other kid's parents. Spencer's (assistant) coach was cheering for the other kid instead of helping Spencer out either with advice, encouragement or even alerting the ref that the kid wasn't playing fair. Spencer left the game in tears, me too...

This is the one thing that I think will be hardest as a parent. Watching your kids interact with other kids. I think that it is the one thing that is hardest on them too. I'm just sayin'.

FYI

Did you know that there is an average of 50,000 spiders per acre in green areas.

My house may not be a green area, but it feels like there are 50,000 spiders roaming around. I am killing AT LEAST 5 each day. No Joke. I have never had a bug killer here either. I can't get my hubby to agree to the money spent. Nor do I want to actually spend the money because let's face it, I'd rather buy something fun, not for bugs to die. And so far every year since we've been here I get ants in my bathroom in the spring. IN MY BATHROOM! There's no food in there, only ... well ... you know. I keep telling myself that eventually I will kill them all, but I think all my neighbors are fumigating and there must be an underground tunnel system of bug rescue. We must be the bug safe house around. Plus I think they reproduce worse than bunnies, so maybe I should give up. I'm just sayin'.

Nothing's on...

Last night was pretty pathetic. There was absolutely NOTHING on TV. My kids watched the "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" thing on TV, but then when they went to bed, I channel flipped for probably an hour or two. Steve was working late (I don't complain though because at least it is a job) so I had nothing better to do. Even the news was pathetic. You know when they lead the new off with a story about how to spot a phony real estate agent that it is a slow new night. That followed by some guy using trees and such to block a road by his property... And I couldn't even go to sleep either...

It makes me wish for the better days of old where there was something on EVERY night. And I had my scheduled shows EVERY night. I even had a little list that I kept by the TV in my room so that I wouldn't forget what show was on when. I would get on to TV Guide online and go through the week. I would plan what show I would watch and what show I would tape (if there was a conflict). But now... bang my head on the nightstand, there is nothing! At least on Wednesday nights. Or last night to be specific. Tonight of course there is "Grey's Anatomy". I will be taping it of course since Melissa and Jenna have their dance recital tonight. I'm just sayin'.

My Christmas Wishlist...

You know what? I cannot justify spending any money on myself, but if I could, this is what I would get:

That's right, cushy slippers. Big rediculous-looking cushy slippers. And they would be as comfortable as I would imagine them. And why is it that things are never as we imagine them? I see people wearing things and think, "Man, I think I could look good in something like that." And then I go try an outfit just like it on and uh, nope, I don't. Or I think of something witty to say and think, "That would be so funny for me to say it." Then I say it and wish that I could just grab those words and stick them back in my mouth and swallow. Cause I got a lot of blank stares the minute I said my witty bit. Or, I schedule my day out just so, and imagine that it will all run smoothly and everything can get done just like I think it will and nope, that doesn't happen either.

So, I have gone to taking the "safe road". I don't have slippers (cause come on it isn't like they are expensive or anything) because I am afraid if I do they won't be what I imagine them to be. And I haven't decorated my house yet because I am afraid I can't do my imagination justice. Yet, the one thing I am hoping that I am right about is my kids. Cause I imagine them doing some amazing things. I'm just sayin'.

I took a little break...

I had to take a little vacation from blogging. I have been trying to get a bunch of stuff gone through before I get all the Christmas stuff out. I made myself a rule (do you ever do that?) that I couldn't get the Christmas stuff out until I had gone through each of the kid's closets, the kid's toys and the storage room. So, this is the first year ever that my Christmas is not up the day after Thanksgiving. The biggest problem is not that I have gotten into throwing crap away, I look at some of my Christmas decorations and it's crap and I want to throw it away. But I can't replace it, so that's the dilema...

I was just on a blog and Josh Groban was singing on their playlist and it made me think of the first time I heard him sing. It was on the show Ally McBeal (did you ever watch that?). I was one of the skeptical ones who thought that it was just some nerd lip-syncing to someone else. Then, the next morning I was watching one of the morning shows and they had him on, and I was blown away that he was for real! I've been a fan ever since!

So, that got me thinking about Ally McBeal, one of the things that was so fun about the show was the music. And she had this theme song (which I am totally sad to say I can't remember what it is at the moment) and she would walk around with it playing in her head, then if something happened to get her "off her groove" the music would scratch to a halt. SO, a little confession here, I still like to pretend I have a theme song playing in my head and I like to sing it in my head when I am a little off of my groove... to get it back.

So, if you had a theme song what would it be? I can't really do a poll because it is just open, but leave a comment. My theme songs have ranged from "I'm so excited!" by the Pointer Sisters {I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it} to "So what" by Pink {I've got a brand new attitude and I'm gonna wear it tonight}. So if you don't have one, go get one, and tell me what it is - I'm just sayin'.