What the hell is wrong with people?

Yes, I realize that just cost me $.25….but good grief.   Someone actually GLUED a cat to the interstate!!  Here is a copy/paste from the news article…

Well we wanted to introduce you to Timothy the cat tonight. The poor thing is lucky to be alive and recovering after someone glued him to a Minnesota interstate. A couple saw the cat on the side of the road, and thought it had been hit by a car. When they stopped and picked up the cat, sadly the glue ripped off his paw pads and pulled out some of his claws. Second Chance Rescue crews say they’ve never seen anything like this. “It’s a mouth dropper because you are just like are you kidding me? but they did it.”

I am losing my faith in humanity.

What does your life look like?

Do you ever think the year just flew by way too quickly?  That you can’t remember what happened last week…much less in February?  Do I have a solution for you!?!  As my sister once stated, “Nikki starts something and takes the rest of us kicking and screaming with her”.  This is no different. 

My New Years Resolution (aside from winning MILLIONS in the lottery) is to take a photo each day of 2010.  Seems easy enough, right?  365 days – sick or healthy, happy or sad, busy or bored…  A picture each and every day…no breaks.  What have I gotten myself into?  In addition, I plan on downloading all the photos I take, date them and add journalling in Photoshop.  Each day will be a 4×6 photo, complete with journaling.  Yes, apparently I have crossed the line into insanity (we all knew I would get there eventually!)

The photo can be anything – a big event that happened that day, a flower, our garden, the moon — anything!  My project is just going to be about our life that year, but you can do just about anything.  Babies first year, senior year in high school, freshman year of college, birthday to birthday, first year of retirement…the possibilities are endless.  I’m choosing to start on January 1st, so that I will have one more thing to celebrate on December 31, 2010 — BEING FINISHED!

Here is a sample of what each 4×6 photo will look like…anyone want to join me in this challenge!?!?!?  My big fear is that I will give up on Day 11, so I have already warned the kids that they have to help me remember to take a photo each day.   Wish me luck!

Letter from Santa

I found this letter while surfing the internet.  I absolutely loved it and thought I would post for those that may have a doubter this year (or next).  Just alter a bit to fit your circumstances…

Dear XXXX,

I know you’re going through a time right now when you’re not sure if I am real or not. I know most of your friends no longer believe in me. But I know you want to believe for yourself, and for that little brother you have. Well, I hope I can help work out some of the confusion you might have.

I am Santa. I may not exist like the story goes. I am not a single man who makes millions of toys each year, and gives them all out in one long night on a sled pulled by 8 (or 9) magical reindeer. I am not in thousands of malls and Wal-Marts all at once throughout the season. But, make no mistake, I am real.

I am as real as the love in your heart. It is love that has kept my story alive all these many centuries. I am as true as the spirit in your soul. Santa’s spirit is the giving spirit of all of those who care for others. My magic is the miracle of reaching out to someone else and bringing joy to their hearts.

I do not see every thing you do. But someone does. I do not know when you’re not asleep at night. But my friend, I hate to break it to you, your mom and dad do. I do not know if you’ve been bad or good, but you know. So for goodness sake, be good to yourself and others. It shows. And how you treat yourself and others is so important. I will not reward you for good, but your mom and dad will. And you will soon find that internal reward of your own conscience. You know, that feeling you get when you’ve made someone else feel better?

As you grow older, I hope you’ll learn to more appreciate the real gift of Christmas – The gift of Jesus. For without his love, spirit and miracles, I would not exist at all. It is time now for you to realize the magic of Christmas and Santa is nothing more than the miracle and gift from God. This is the message I want you to carry with you.

You can teach your brother about God’s love through me. Showing him kindness and love throughout the year, and helping him find the magic in Christmas is how you keep me ‘real.’ Teaching him and others, by example, about God’s love for each one of us, and demonstrating kindness and giving to all in need will be how you share the spirit of Santa.

You’ll always find gifts under the tree from me as long as you believe in what I represent. You’ll always see my magic and feel my spirit at Christmas time when you make that miracle of selflessness and giving. And may you know the blessings and Peace of God now, and forever.

Sincerely,
Santa Claus

 

Can I borrow some quarters?

Seriously.  I’m in need of some quarters.   We have a “swear bucket”.  For every swear word I say, I have to deposit a quarter.  The kids get to keep the money, when I’ve been cured of my potty mouth.

I’m not sure when I got my potty mouth — I think it’s Johns fault (isn’t it always??).  The first 24 hours and I was out $1.00.  Not bad!  I was pretty proud of myself.  Of course $.50 of that, was the first two minutes of the morning.  I’m apparently not a morning person .  I asked the kids when they were going to split the money.  Alexis said, “When there is $5.00 in it…at this rate, it should be sometime tomorrow”.  Smart aleck.  I wonder where she gets it???

It’s not probably too overly optomistic when I contemplated buying a roll of quarters….

Happy Birthday, Tyler!!

Happy Birthday, Buddy!  Tyler is 10 years old today!  How exciting!  What did our darling son want for his birthday?  His ear pierced.  Now, I’m generally not a fan of ear piercings on males…however, I must have become lax in my old age.  It’s a hole.  Eh.  There are much worse things, right?  So, I took him to the local tattoo shop and got his ear pierced.   Worst case scenario — I’m out $40 and we let it close up.

He still likes his piercing and he has taken pretty good care of it.  It’s a small hoop and it looks really good on him.  He likes it.  I guess that’s all that matters.  He won’t be able to open his other gifts until Thursday, as I’m out of town on his birthday   At least I get to wish him a Happy Birthday in the morning before I leave!

We will be having a bowling party for his birthday — and then having one of the children stay overnight.  Last year, we had 6 boys spend the night and I vowed to myself  — NEVER AGAIN.  I’m sticking to that.  Girls? No problem.  Boys?  Uggh.

Happy Birthday, Tyler!!

 

Update on New Years Resolution

My New Years Resolution was to win the lottery.  Yeah….it’s not looking so good.

I have purchased one Powerball Lottery Ticket for each drawing in 2009.  I had figured that the worst case scenario would be that I donated $104.00 to the pot.   I have won a whopping $11.00 so far this year.  Seriously.  Eleven stinking dollars!!  I guess I could maybe buy a small meal with my earnings….as long as I drink water.

But, I have not lost all hope.  There is still a few more drawings left in 2009 and I have NOT given up on my New Years Resolution!!  However, I think next year, I may be more specific….I technically HAVE won on the lottery — $11.00.  Maybe I just wasn’t specific enough???

Got a bullet? A knife? I”ll even take a pillow over the head!!

Bleh.  I hate being sick!!

Alexis was the first one to come down with the flu.  She was puking on Tuesday morning, but wanted to go to school so she didn’t get too far behind.   There is no way she was going to school a mere 2 hours after she ran across my bedroom holding her vomit in until she reached the sink.  Good aim, honey!  Love ya for that!!

She felt great the rest of the day, but that next morning she was feeling nauseous again.  Two mornings in a row.  No fever.  Just puking and then she would feel better.   So, she stayed home again on Wednesday.  I was out of town, so John was in charge of tending to our puking child.

I was having a great time in Rapid City.  Had a nice social outing with my friends/coworkers and got to bed around 12:00 midnight (I was a good girl).  At 5:00am, I woke up and wasn’t feeling all that hot.  It took all of 15 minutes for me to go from “not feeling so hot” to “freaking kill me already!!”   There I was, out of town, in a hotel room praying for death.

I sent Alexis a text message stating, “You made me sick.  You are grounded until I feel better!!”

She’s all better and I’m still not feeling too hot.  I might just lick her toothbrush when she is sleeping and give this gift back to her.

Say it Loud and Proud, Tyler!

Happy Halloween!!  What a fun day!  The kids carved their pumpkins and did a great job.  The seeds are soaking in salt water, as I type, and we are all trying to relax from our night of trick or treating.

Tyler was an alien for Halloween and he looked great!  He is our last child to trick or treat.  The official end to trick or treating (in our house) is 5th grade.  Once you get in middle school, you are a bit too old.  Alexis came with to walk with Tyler and I.  Of course, some houses offered her candy too.  At one house, Alexis said “Mom, I think she might think I”m 11″.  Alexis is 12 — so that wouldn’t be a far stretch, but whatever, right?  The next house, the lady said, “Hello, girls — have a good night!”.  We walked a ways and I said, “Honey, I think she thinks I”m 11, too”.

Alexis was helping remind Tyler to say “Trick or Treat” and “Thank you”.  He did very well on his own, so he didn’t need any prompting.  (That is a HUGE pet peeve of mine — kids not saying Trick or Treat…or saying Thank You when they are getting candy.)   Anyway, at one house I hear Alexis chime…”Say it loud and proud, Tyler!”  Sounded funny coming from an 12 year old.

So, I’m going to take her advice and say it Loud and Proud — HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

What is YOUR Dork name?

This is the conversation I had with Tyler over lunch hour:

Ty:  Mom, what would my name be if I was a dork?

Me: What?!?! <laughing> What do you mean?

Ty:  Well, if I was a dork, which one would I be…you know, Snow White and the 7 Dorks.  If I was the 8th one, what would my name be?

Me: <laughing harder>  It would be “Tyler”. 

I just love this kid!

We’re hot-tubbin’ !!

Our hot tub is in!  We decided to sell our camper as the kids were getting to the age where they wanted to be at school dances, hanging out with friends, or at school sporting events…more than camping with the flies and the mosquitos.  It served its purpose for the time that we had it – and we had some great memories with it.   We may have a camper, in the future, but for now we are going to try RELAXING  for a bit. 

The hot tub doesn’t require 3 days of getting the camper and the house ready for a weekend trip…doesn’t require a 32 foot driveway to park it in….and it only takes 3.5 seconds to get from our patio door to the welcoming bubbles of the hot tub.   We had our first hot tub experience on  September 26th (a day after our 16th anniversary)…and loved it!

The kids are enjoying it as well.  They already have had a couple friends in it and they seem to enjoy it.  I”ll upload a photo in the next day or so!  Check back!