Late Tidings

Finally got my kids home all at the same time to get a photo to send out in the Christmas cards. For the first time, the boys are in the middle because they're taller than the girls.

Time marches on.

Burning the Candle

I've been burning the candle from both ends for quite awhile. Between renovations, cleaning and purging and just regular old everyday life......sleep has been precious. And since we all know I LOOOOOVE to sleep, well when I hit the wall...I hit.the.wall.

So, after cleaning up for the umpteenth time after 30 people left my house on Christmas night, I finally fell into bed at about 12:30 and stayed there until 11:00 yesterday morning. Then I did a quick trip to the mall at about 3 pm to buy a camera (for myself...Merry Christmas to me!), then after testing a few more of the leftovers, crawled into bed at 6 pm to watch tv. I was out like a light by 8 pm, and woke up around 9 am this morning.

I finally feel human again. So you know what that means, right?

Time to work on the Christmas cards that never got sent before Christmas. Let's just hope I can get everybody to stay home long enough to get a picture.

Happy day after Boxing Day to all!

Ready or Not

Not.

Oh well. Merry Christmas anyway!

Hostess....with the Mostess

Time once again for our annual JV Wrestling Tournament. And guess who (again) is in charge of the hospitality room for the coaches and referees? You guessed it....moi.

Anyway, new younger coach who doesn't care what we serve is now on board. I got to pick the menu and we had a killer fundraiser earlier in the fall so we are flush with funds so I got to buy most things instead of beg for them.

Tonight....meatball subs, macaroni and cheese (homemade, of course), salad, cookies and soft drinks. That's all.

Breakfast tomorrow....scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, cheese grits and tater tot casserole, oj, coffee.

We are skipping feeding them lunch and just putting munchies in the room. Chips and salsa, crackers and cheese, snack mix, oranges, bananas, etc. Other than hauling all this crap over there in the rain, this one should be much easier than in the past.

Which is a good thing, since when I get home tomorrow night and this whole thing is done.....I still have CHRISTMAS to plan. I make it a rule to avoid all stores the week of Christmas, so I have to get my list together and get on it. I love midnight grocery shopping. In fact, midnight or 6 am are the only times one should even attempt to buy food at WalMart (although it's doubtful that's where I'll go....Krogering is much faster since I know where everything in my neighborhood store is located).

Enjoy the weekend......we'll be 'rasslin!

Christmas Shopping

I think I'm done. Maybe. It was touch and go for awhile there.

There are certain people (including a blogger or two) who are soooooo santimonious about having everything done and how it isn't that hard, since Christmas comes every year and you knew it was coming so what's your problem, quit complaining and stressing out. Yeah, I'm talking to you.

I say......just wait. Just wait until your kids are old and you have no idea what they want but whatever you think it is....it's not. And as soon as you find out that they like something, they don't like it anymore. And if they do like something, it costs a minimum of $150. And comes in a really tiny package.

So enjoy it now. Bask in your wonderfulness.

Your day will come.

(I'm with Preppy Player, it doesn't take much lately....... )

Perfectionist?

Who? Me?

Could this be why I never accomplish anything? I know for a fact it's why I can't do crafts, because in addition to being a perfectionist, I'm also highly impatient. Not a good combo.

Anyway, in a totally crazy (as in insane) move, I just undecorated an 8 1/2 foot Christmas tree because I screwed up the lights and hate the way it looks. It only took about six hours to decorate the thing last night, but frankly it looked like crap when I got done.

I think I need help.

Becoming Clara

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/12/09/natpkg.nutcracker.cnn


I can't figure out how to actually get the video onto my blog (CNN seems to have everything but Blogger in it's little "share" section). Anyway, this little video clip is adorable. Mainly because it brings back so many memories of the Nutcracker. We've been away from the Nutcracker for quite a few years, and actually didn't realize we wouldn't be back because J1 quit dance cold turkey at the end of her freshman year. (I'm happy to say, she is finally back to taking classes in Houston and says the muscle memory is amazing).

J1 was 10 years old the first of three times she was Clara. She wore that very nightgown, flew away on that very horse. I became the go-to girl giving advice on how to make perfect ringlets (lots of cheap hairspray and sponge rollers, for the record). The Nutcracker WAS Christmas for us, and I have the Christmas tree to prove it.....literally hundreds of Nutcracker ornaments given as gifts for every role both girls played. In my cleaning binge of late, I found pictures of J3 dressed as a party scene boy....perfect timing for senior year, don't you think?

Anyway, this video is adorable. J1 was this girl 12 years ago.

Or was it just yesterday?

ETA: Here's a link to the producer/ballet mom's blog.