Visions of Sugarplums danced in their heads.....

With my help, Brock and Mac hosted their 1st Annual Gingerbread House making party two days ago. Click on the link to see why we are still on a sugar high here, though I think I'm starting to crash (once you get to link, click on video camera and turn up volume.) 

I am blessed beyond measure with sweet sweet friends who have equally sweet children. We had an idyllic day under balmy skies making sugary sweet houses and playing football. Aside from the fact we didn't use real gingerbread (graham crackers seem to adhere better to icing), Martha Stewart would have been proud. On 2nd thought, Martha would have been disappointed but Southern Living might have picked up our story. 

PEACE.

"It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." --author (unknown)

It's a shame I don't know who wrote this because these are words to live by, and I hate I can't give credit where credit is due. Though I keep this reminder next to my keyboard everyday, I still can't keep all the anxiety from creeping in. 

I know in my heart that a broken dishwasher and laundry shouldn't cause me anxiety, but I'll be honest, they do. Fortunately, we have these friendly little Christmas Mice who come to visit in December. They often get into mischief in the middle of the night, but sometimes they do helpful chores. My husband was in charge of giving the mice their duties the other night. I awoke to the following. 

The Christmas Mice have done a little towards easing my anxiety. My sweet Mom was here for 48 hours a couple days ago and said, "you know the Christmas Mice always look so happy." I said, "yeah--it's because they don't do any of the work, but they get all the credit." If only i could enlist a few more mice. I think next year I will add a line item to our Christmas budget. 

Hope you all find a little peace today and some Christmas Mice. I hope my dishwasher repairman shows up. 

Just another manic Monday

I almost quit Christmas this weekend due to Christmas tree lights. In my Sunday school class yesterday, we talked about "love absolutely everything that ever happens in your life." Paul Cantalupo. I feel sure Paul wasn't talking about putting lights on a Christmas tree when he said this. After cussing the tree, cussing the lights, I finally finished this morning and I have to say it is ONE good looking lighted tree. Of course I'm so exhausted now, it may never have ornaments on it, but it is well lit!! 

So to keep me in the Christmas spirit I want to remind myself of all the things I LOVE about this time of year. Think of what you enjoy and push the things that stress you out onto the "I'll worry about that tomorrow" pile. 

Enjoy.

1.The Christmas Mice at our house.

2. Now that it's cold, Brock sleeping under my "little girl" purple blanket.

3. Hot chocolate and Charlie Brown Christmas on the couch.

4. My mom's white bean chicken chili.

5. William's Sonoma Mulling Spices

6. Our gas log fireplace

7. My husband taking the trash out (he doesn't know this yet, but I'm going to tell him I blogged about it.)

8. Brock reading the Advent lesson after Mac lights the Advent candle at dinner.

9. getting a mailbox full of Christmas cards, mainly the ones with pix of kids and dogs. 

10. Mac wanting to plant a Christmas tree in our backyard so we can give it to someone who can't buy one.

Do Something Good Everyday!

I really don't  have time to blog today, but I couldn't get started on my list until I shared with yall. I knew a Starbucks would get me going this morning, but it was 32 degrees out, I was in my jammas and my Starbucks doesn't have a drive-thru. I went out of my way down Peachtree so i could do the drive-thru. There were cars everywhere, coming from both drive ways offthe side street, off Peachtree---It was a zoo. I managed to get in line pretty quickly without a fender bender and looked up and saw a gal pull in off Peachtree (her car was actually half in the street). She should have been about the 19th car in line due to when she pulled in--- but I thought if I don't let her in she might have an accident. She also might need a latte as much as I do. So, I cringed (b/c I knew the folks behind me would blast me for letting her in), and I let her in anyway. Finally got to the window to p/u coffee and the barista handed me this cute stationery you see in the picture and told me the car in front of me had paid for my coffee. I, in turn paid for the guy behind me. Call me hormonal. Call me crazy. I've been crying all morning, but patronize your local Starbucks. Their flippin' motto is "DO SOMETHING GOOD EVERYDAY." It's on their front door and on their receipts.

p.s. Can you get over the fact the girl that paid for my coffee just happened to have a charming piece of stationery in her car? 

Bah Humbug!!

If you just read my last post, you are thinking "she's doing great." "She's not letting the holiday stress get to her." "She's probably "upped her meds." ALL WRONG. I wanted to wring a reindeer's antlers today. I'm overwhelmed. I have a tree, but it's outside, not in a stand, not in water. (I barely have a tree.)

I had  a gift swap to go to tonight---didn't want to go--nothing personal to my dear friend hosting it--i just wanted to jammie up, make a fire and go to bed early. So glad I went though. A cute red head said I looked like Cameron Diaz and now I'm in the Christmas spirit again. Do you know what  Cameron Diaz (click on her) looks like? thank you. I might go back to the gift swap again tomorrow or track the cute redhead down at Macy's, where she works. 

Tis' the season

I'm going to be completely honest----I don't DREAD it, but I don't really look forward to it---the whole tree thing, lights, decor, everything. it's soooooooo much work. I really have to do it by myself. Anyway, I ALWAYS love the outcome, but the process is tiresome. I know you can relate.

Sooooo, if you've eve needed a little "oomph" to get you in the Christmas spirit---FIND A 5 year old. Find your own, borrow one, steal one, adopt one, whatever it takes to get a 5 year old and take he/she to pick out a Christmas tree. Mac ("THE" resident 5 year old in my house) , grabbed his Santa hat an we headed to Lowe's to get a tree this afternoon. I think this year was THE BEST tree buying year EVER!!

Christmas is about managing expectations. Nothing is perfect. In my perfect world---my husband, my two boys and I would all skip off to a North Georgia tree farm singing carols and cut down our "perfect" tree, all the while sipping hot chocolate and egg nog lattes, taking our Christmas card picture, ETC. 

But I've managed to manage my expectations. Mac and I went tree shopping because Brock was at a friends' house and Grady was at work. I knew if I had both kids, a husband, a camera, coffee, ETC. I would definitely have whining, spilled milk, someone so rudely on their phone, someone who had to potty, was hungry, etc, (you get the picture). 

We picked out the 1st tree we saw.  We went inside to get tree lights. Mac could have instantly qualified to be a Lowe's employee. At a moment's notice he was able to tell me ALL 200 benefits to owning the SANTA and ME SEE SAW and everything else in our path. 

Manage your expectations. Put up your tree. Happy 1st week in December!

Running on Empty?

Are you a "panic manic?"

Are you a "worrier?" 

Or do you like to live on the edge? 

This is an unscientific poll to find out where I lie in the midst of you all. 

1. Can you not get to a gas station fast enough if you are about 3/4 of the way to EMPTY? 

2. Do you wait until the light comes on and then briskly get to the nearest gas station? 

3. Do you have your own personal olympics going on how long can you go until you absolutely are riding on fumes and then you have no choice but to find gas and quick? 

I think I am a #2. when it comes to GAS, but toilet paper is a whole different issue. When we are running low (meaning I don't see any t.p. in the basket behind the toilet), I have a wave of anxiety which overtakes me and makes me want to go to Costco to buy toilet paper in bulk. 

Yesterday was one of those days, and not having the energy to do Costco, I ran up the street to Kroger and immediately bought a 24 pack of Cottonelle and a gallon of milk. (I was soooooo excited they were stocking the egg nog, but I refrained. You can't buy egg nog until AFTER Thanksgiving, but it's good to know it's there.) 

When I came home Mac asked me if he could help with the groceries. I said, "Certainly. I need you to put 8 rolls of toilet paper in each bathroom." 

Note the picture---this is what I found in the 1st bathroom. Count the rolls on the t.p. tower. I have delighted in his creativity for the last 24 hours. 

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful we have a good supply of t.p. at our house and a 5 year old that knows how to count it. 

20 reasons that made me happy I didn't beat the kids to a pulp today....

1. my boys eating marshmallows this morning in honor of Uncle Bill's birthday.

2. my Ugg slippers Grady gave me last year. 

3. My hand-me-down Levi's from Chandra.

4. filling up my van for $1.79/gallon at QuikTrip.

5. walking Munson around the block.

6. my clean house. (Thanks Gwen.)

7. seeing Shelby and Kate perform in the 3rd grade school play at St. Martins.

8. my new 2009 calendar

9. my Mom's chicken white bean chili

10. my crockpot

11. my ENTIRE family all ate the same thing for dinner and all ENJOYED it. (WoW!! The kids are maturing or I'm getting a backbone.)

12. the pile of decorating magazines Shannon gave me.

13. a phone call from Susanne

14. a 4.5 mile run

15. cleaning the lint out of the dryer

16. ordering pumpkin bread from my friend, Jarrett.

17. the kids coming home from school "lice free" (there's an almost epidemic at school)

18. seeing that they still sell "feetie" one piece jammies at Target

19. bowling shoes

20. successfully making it through the day without beating the kids to a pulp. (I actually started writing this post about 7:30 tonight when I thought if my kids were any whinier, needy, etc. I would beat them to a pulp. Decided if I reminded myself of all the good things today, I wouldn't beat them.)

I guess I should have known by the way you parked your car sideways

I've gained a bunch of weight---probably all the eating and drinking I do. Alas, instead of fretting over what's done is done I've decided to commit myself to "body sculpting" classes twice a week through the end of the year. The 1st one was today and i was introduced to the class by........"Little Red Corvette...woo hoo hoo" Who Doesn't love PRINCE? I can't say enough about how PRINCE will give you the "get up and go" you need to make it through the day. Sooooo.....whether you're getting dressed for corporate America, heading to your child's field trip, volunteering at the Food Bank, whatever....turn up a little Prince. If you want to upload a little motivation to your ipod here's the link.

Today is the 1st day of the rest of your life!

I have a dear friend who likes to call me, and some mutual friends, on a random basis and cheerfully exclaim, "Today is the 1st day of the rest of your life." I liken it to the lesson we discussed in my Sunday school class last Sunday. We don't see things as they are. We see them as WE are. --Anais Nin

This is a good place for me to start my blog and my week. I see this blog and today as an opportunity to see the possibilities that lie herein. If you are reading this, please keep in mind everyone has different perceptions (the old cliche' some see the glass half empty, half full). I hope to keep a transparent view of my life and the lives around me and share them with you. It is up to you in how you see what i have to post. 

For me, this blog gives me an outlet---a chance to speak my mind, share thoughts, concerns, observances, etc., but most of all it's an invitation to you---FOR YOU to share with me. I am an extrovert. I LOVE to hear from my friends and family. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. 

Thanks for letting me share the mundane.