Christmas Tree

I have a confession...my tree is STILL not up. It's not that I am not in a holiday spirit (check out my farmville..lol) but with a toddler and a puppy and two dogs, I am not exactly thrilled to put it up just to tell the 4 of them - NO! My tree is beautiful when it is up but last year all the ornaments were only on the top half of the tree. My wonderful husband insisted on putting the ornaments on even though I knew the baby would get into them. He INSISTED that we could teach a 1 year old to NOT touch the tree. Well, he quickly learned the fight wasn't worth it and they all got moved up. This year he has even questioned whether it was worth putting them on. Especially since she is now a very ingenious 2 year old who has this darn plastic chair that she uses to get on EVERYTHING!

So this weekend one way or another our tree will be going up. Most likely without ornaments but it will still look pretty with the twinkling lights and big bow on top. And sometime around the 26th it will be quickly packed back up until next year. Maybe by then we can try the ornaments again.

First Dates

My son had his first date. How did this happen? How did he get to the (gulp) dating age? Of course, he has had “girlfriends”…you know the ones they rarely talk to and never really see outside of school but this was a date. And true, it was a Holiday Dance so it was a school function. And he has gone out with groups and already kissed a girl or two…I hope not more. But this was a date. After he got gussied up in his all-to-expensive suit and gathered the corsage (that Mom suggested he get and ordered and picked up and paid for…ok, I got the corsage) and we headed to her house. After pictures I left all the while wanting to either puke or cry because my baby was growing up and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. It seems like yesterday he was the little boy who still needed his Mom when he fell off his bike because the blanket he was using as a cape got stuck in his tire spokes. Or just days ago that I held him in my arms and realized he was really my son to take care of and raise. I never expected the years to fly by so quickly. I am now grasping at the few years we have left before he heads off to college and then to build his own life and family. I just can’t figure out how I blinked and he grew up. Even though there are days that he drives me crazy I still wish every day I could just stop the clock so that he wouldn’t keep growing up.

I’m just not ready for first dates and everything that comes after that.

Random Thoughts (Mostly Stolen)

My Mom sent this email to me and I just had to share it, just in case you haven't seen it before.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer's history if you die.

There was a time when this was TOTALLY true, but honestly, now I am pretty boring. Though the other day I tried looking something up on YouTube and for some reason I thought it was UTube....trust me DON'T type in UTube...not a good thing!

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

Yeah, but good luck getting me to admit to that.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

If babies and toddlers understood how good they have it. What I would give for someone to tell me to take a nap.

4. There is great need for a Sarcasm font.

Nooo...you think?

5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

What? You mean rolling it into a ball isn't the proper way to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

Actually, I am starting to think learning to write at all might not be necessary with computers.

7. MapQuest needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my own damn neighborhood.

That's if MapQuest can even find your house to begin with.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

OK...I know I might sound morbid but I have to agree. Don't you wonder why people die when you read an obit? Human nature, my friends, human nature.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Nope, not a clue but I bet it was the last time I was told to take a nap!

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

My entire life must be a good story then...may be I should write a book.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

Hmm...might have been about the time I opened my email and decided to blog about it.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection . . . again.

I am now finding the biggest reason to NOT have your kids over a decade apart is because of this issue. 99% of our Disney collection is still on VHS, lot of good that does me.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to the ten-page paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

Hey Microsoft....please explain WHY it does that.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever.

No...it means I won't BUY it.

15. I hate it when I miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!) but when I immediately call back it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I know the real truth you call as a show of good will just HOPING no one will really answer and then when they call back you don't have to answer but they can't say you didn't call. Well, I am on to you.

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day . . . What a waste.

Or even worse...not having anyone notice how great you look, specially your husband. GRRR!!!!

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Good idea.

18. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day, "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?

I am thankful that hasn't happened but trust me, there have been questions that made me scratch my head.

19. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Mine does!

20. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

LOL...but those kisses probably lead to some great stories.