Back to the grind

Well we're on day #3 of the reality of the real world NOT on vacation. So far only 1 tardy, 7 time outs, 2 spankings, and a very well rested mommy after 11.5 hours of sleep last night. I think we're doing pretty good! I was SOOOOOOO tired yesterday and the day before that and the day before that and the day before that....anyhoo, I went to bed at 8:30 last night and slept till 7 this morning. So did the kids and Cary! It's like we all got bit by the teetsy fly or something. I have good intentions of posting lots of Christmas pictures. One day. Oh funniest thing...our little "romantic getaway" that wasn't so romantic because Cary was buried under a pile of blankets with 104 fever hacking his lungs up with pnuemonia, well, I never really posted on the ol blog all of the "adventures" we faced at the "pioneer" cabin and I will...with pictures! But turns out, one of my bestest friends in the whole world knows the owners of the cabin. She doesn't just know them, they are her aunt and uncle! More to come on that story later. I'm off to get my hair cut and then, I don't know, take a nap??? I need a cure for the sleepies. (I think they call that SUMMER.) This whole lack of daylight hours is killing me.

Home again Home again jiggidy jig

My mom used to always say that every time we pulled into the driveway. Home again home again jiggidy jig. We pulled into the driveway at about 11:30 pm yesterday. I wish I could say I got all unpacked today and got my Christmas decorations put away, but neither of those happened. I slept in and then got up and went into the office and worked for a few hours this afternoon then came home and am about to work for a few more hours, study my Sunday School lesson and get to bed. I have SO much to do! I feel like I can't unpack until I clean out the girls' dresser drawers and their playroom to make space for all the new stuff. It will get done...eventually. I have lots to get caught up on at work this week so my house chores will probably have to wait! The price we pay for a vacation right? It's good to be home, even if it's not Texas. I LOVE my bed! And my bathtub! And my warm flip flop weather.

Lexi was so eager to get home yesterday. She kept talking about all of her friends from school that she missed so much while we were gone and how she missed her teacher and couldn't wait to get to school on Monday and give everyone big hugs! That made me smile! It's nice to know that your kids are happy! She has a little friend in her class that she is just smitten with and talks about non stop and I'm so excited that she finally seems to have a "best friend" here in FL. The little girl's mom volunteers in their classroom a lot and she took some pictures of Lexi with her daughter over the last few weeks every time she would go up to the school to volunteer and she sent them home in Lexi's backpack the day before Christmas break. They were so cute! She said her daughter never stops talking about Lexi. I guess it's mutual!

On the way home yesterday Lexi said, "Do you know what I don't like about Texas?" And before I could respond I had to pick my jaw up off the floor and pop my eyes back into their sockets because what's there not to like about Texas????!!!!! She said, "It's so far away and as soon as we get there, we have to leave again." I can accept that response! And I agree! Oh well, bloom where you're planted right? When in Rome...go to DisneyWorld!

New Year's Resolutions Anyone?

Would anyone like to share their New Year's Resolution? I'm not sure I really have one, but I would like to spend more time in God's word. I read God's word daily, but I mean REALLY STUDYing God's word. I'm not sure if that's a resolution or just being obedient. But either way it's what I need to do more of this year. Losing weight would be nice, but who am I kidding? I told my husband tonight I would like to resolve to volunteer LESS! Most people resolve to volunteer more, I need to volunteer less! Maybe that will be my resolution! I resolve to say NO! So what about you? What do you resolve to do in 2009?

On the road again...I just cain't wait to get on the road again...

No I did not misspell can't. It's cain't when you sing like Willie. Speaking of Willie...Did I mention I went to Luckenbach on Saturday? It's just a stone's throw from here. Pics to come! But come tomorrow morning we'll be on the road again. We're leaving my mom's around 6 a.m. to head to Mobile, AL to see Cary's folks and have our Christmas with them. Then it will be back to the swamp on Friday! I mean, the tropical paradise called Florida! Swamp, tropical paradise...same thing really. Actually I should just call it "family vacation mecca" where many families make their annual pilgrimage to worship the almighty mouse. I'm not sure what I'm going to miss the most from this vacation. The sleep and rest and relaxation. The great food. Oh and how could I forget visiting with family! Free babysitters! Shopping shopping and more shopping! Free babysitters! Heeheee! Our car is already packed. The dog, I mean the spotted girl is sitting up front in the passenger seat because we needed every ounce of space in the back to bring home an entire Santa's sleigh worth of goodies. One of us will have to sit in the back with the girls since Candice will be riding shotgun, which means I'll be driving the WHOLE WAY! I'm way too claustrophobic to sit in the back. How on earth will I get my nails painted??? That's what I did on the way here. A road trip is the PERFECT time and place to paint your nails. It's not like you can do anything else but sit still for 20 hours and hold your nails in the A/C to dry! See? Perfect!

I must get rested! Cary is giving me the evil eye because the bedroom light is still on and my clickity fingernails on the keyboard are keeping him awake. I cain't wait to get on the road again.

Please God don't let it end...

Can I just stay here forever? In Texas? At my mom's house? The plethora of FOOD, very yummy food, the huge fenced in backyard that does not require me to take my dog out on a leash, Granny's big long driveway which is just perfect for riding bikes...and speaking of...LEXI CAN RIDE A BIKE...NO TRAINING WHEELS! YEA!!!! She was so determined to learn all on her own so when we all get tired of running behind her holding her up, she just went out there and did it all on her own. Unbelievable! She's like a master at it...already...after only one day! I'm so proud of her!

My mom is cooking my favorite feast of the year today. There's just nothing like Mama's cookin! We're having turkey and dressing and all the fixins. I can't wait!

Cary and I went on our "romantic" getaway which wasn't very romantic unfortunately because how can you snuggle up next to a man who is hacking his lungs up while wrapped up in a blanket with fever? But it was still fun. I have LOTS to tell about that and many pictures to come. It was memorable. I'll just leave it at that. And we, I mean, I shopped all day in Fredricksburg which was WONDERFUL. Cary slept in the car. He was still sick. And on the way home, we stopped by Luckenbach, TX. That was a hoot. It was memorable. I'll just leave it at that.

Many pictures to come! I'm going to go indulge in the feast! Mmmmmmmm...... and then sleep, watch the Cowboys game, and maybe shop some more! This trip has been EXACTLY what this momma needed! Please God don't let it end!

So far...

I've wet my pants about 32 times on this trip with all the coughing. You gotta love a post pregnancy bladder. Just don't work like it used to!

We visited a town called "big tits". Okay, not really, but it's called Grosse Tete which is French for big tit! Only in Louisiana.

We've discovered that the Barbie Dream House should have actually been called The Barbie Playboy Mansion. Everyone is NAKED! And they're all in the tub together. Two girls and a guy. I think there's a name for that...

Ashton has given me a new nickname: Shamu! There's two things you never want to be called: "killer" and "whale". But being the good sport that I am, my response to her was, "Oh well, I guess that makes me the top predator in the ocean and you know what that means little Ashy-poo? I can gobble you up!"

Since when did Barbie clothes come with a cocktail? Okay, I already threw it away or else I would post a picture, but REALLY. It was a martini glass!

You know you're old when you get REALLY REALLY REALLY excited about opening a new iron on Christmas morning. Really excited!

You know you're getting old when you really don't care if there's anything for you at all under the tree but instead are just as excited about watching your children enjoy the experience.

It's been a great trip so far. We arrived in the Lone Star State yesterday evening. The girls were FABULOUS in the car. We had a lot of fun singing Christmas carols. We even changed our voices and sang like dogs, cats, donkeys, I sang like an old man, you get really creative when you're trying to occupy small children for 23 hours. Creative or crazy, not sure which. Cary has been sick the whole time, running fever that no drug seems to cure. So he's been kind of a grump o' rump (that's my new word) but other than that, things couldn't be going more smoothly. We stopped in Houston at 2nd Baptist Church for Christmas Eve services and played in the "snow" after the service. It's such a neat place. 45,000 members. Crazy huge! The pastor is the father of our pastor in Dallas. Ed Young Sr and Ed Young Jr, both remarkable in their own right and yet with totally different styles all their own. Their service was called "Christmas for all Ages" and afterwards they had snow machines outside and the kids got to play in the snow. It was a nice break from the car ride. Today has been very relaxing and wonderful. We're about to eat lasagna and SLEEP. Tomorrow, Cary and I leave for our getaway to the Texas Hill Country. Let's pray that we are both healthy by then. I normally like to stay home for Christmas, but this trip was exactly what I needed. I needed to get away from everything and be nurtured a little like only your mother can do!

Merry Christmas everyone! And remember the birth of our savior! Thank you Lord for coming down the stairsteps of Heaven to Earth with a baby in your arms...such a beautiful image of divinity becoming humanity.

Teacher Gifts

Today was the last day of school for two whole weeks! YEA!!! I don't know who is more excited, me or Lexi! No homework, no packing lunch or ironing ugly uniform clothes or racking my brain to figure out how many different combinations of outfits I can make with 2 pairs of khaki bottoms, 2 pairs of navy bottoms, 2 pairs of jeans, 2 white shirts, 2 pink shirts, and 2 navy shirts. Yawn yawn, boring boring. (Have I mentioned how much I HATE uniforms???) No more natzi mom in the mornings trying to herd everyone out the door by 8:15 and sounding like a broken record: "YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAY!" Well, at least for 2 weeks. Then it's back to reality for 5 months! The school life is hard work for parents. But it's been worth it.

I bought the girls' teachers Brighton key chains. They were so beautiful, I almost didn't want to give them away! But they were very affordable, yet classy gifts. The best kind! None of my students gave me a Brighton key chain. Ever. I got a used library book one year with the barcode marked through. Lots of used stuffed animals and roses with plastic dew on them. It's the thought I guess.

The girls both got ADORABLE gifts from their teachers. Lexi's teacher gave her a Christmas book called "If You Take a Mouse To the Movies" and she wrapped up a bag of microwave popcorn with it and the Christmas card was in the shape of a movie ticket. SO clever and thoughtful! The book is too cute and a very easy read that Lexi can actually sort of get through on her own. Ashton's teacher gave her a snowman cup with hot cocoa, marshmallows, a candy cane, and some chocolates in it and it had a little poem attached about "This is snowman soup...complete with a stirring stick..." it was such a cute poem that went with the contents of the cup. Both teachers have sent home the cutest, most clever little Christmas crafts the last few weeks but the one Ashton got today just about made me cry. The teacher made this cute bag and decorated it so neat and in it was an angel made out of doilies and it had Ashton's picture as the head. And there was also a Santa ornament that was made out of her handprint. Too cute! Lexi's teacher made the cutest little scrapbooks of all the kids and sent them home a few weeks ago of all their fun Fall crafts and activities and special events they have had. And today she sent home pictures of Lexi from pajama day. She set up this really cute winter scene in her classroom and took everyone's picture there. She also took pictures with each student so I have a picture of her and her teacher from pajama day. So fun! So many memories being made.

Ashton is STILL sick! She didn't go to school again today. But I took her up there this morning to deliver sandwhiches for her class party. They had their birthday party for Jesus today and it was also their pajama day. I'm so sad she missed out! Christmas vacation has OFFICIALLY begun!

Letters From Santa

I believe Santa to be a perfectly harmless and wonderfully exciting part of childhood. Today my girls got letters from "Santa"...a.k.a. "Aunt Lynda". Heeheee. She did this last year too. She asks me what types of things "Santa" should address in his letters so that it's very personalized. So for example, Ashton's letter says, "Santa is sad when you don't use the potty like a big girl" and "on Christmas Eve Night I want you to put your pacifier in the little bag that Rudolph is sending you because I'm going to take it back to the North Pold and give it to one of the new babies that will be born soon." Ashton very quickly replied, "I don't want to" to both of those requests by Santa. And Lexi's letter says, "There is one thing that makes Santa sad and that is when you roll your eyes when Mommy tells you something and you don't listen to her. You must obey your parents and always respect them." And Lexi quickly said, "Okay, mommy, can you call Santa right now and tell him I promise not to roll my eyes any more?" And then she said, "How about I just say it out loud becasue Santa can hear me and he's watching me in that snowglobe (like in the Santa Claus movie)." So she said out loud, "Santa, I promise I won't do it any more!!!" And at the end of the letters it says, "We must celebrate Jesus's birthday more than anything else. All the presents are fun to get but we have to remember that Jesus was born on this day." And Santa included two packets of reindeer food too. We had fun reading our letters from Santa tonight while watching the Charlie Brown Christmas movie. Thank you Aunt Lynda for bringing some excitement into our house!!!!