Happy Holidays

From all of us here ~ Wishing you and yours the most wonderful of Holidays ~ no matter what holiday you enjoy. May the coming year be one of good health, good wealth and lots of joy!

Finished and delivered

Finished up the last three of the gifts I needed to make ~ the two screen bags are for Nate's teachers. One loves pink, the other frogs.
Julianne wanted a notebook cover for her teacher (who loves dogs) so this is what we came up with
The kids are now off school for the holidays and Richard took the same 2 weeks off. Just a few things to finish off and we will be ready for Christmas.
I also finished up and mailed a few gifts for the babies in the family but I can't show them yet cause their mommy's read my blog ~ Trish & Alex ~ UPS says the gifts will be delivered by the 24th. Danielle ~ I'm holding on to Abbi's until you get here!
I'll try to check in again before Christmas but we will be doing our Christmas on the 24th when we wake up. We make this accommodation so Jen & Jeremy can get to other parents as well and my little kids sure don't mind having Christmas a day early. My MIL Charlotte will be up on Wednesday as well and we will all be able to share a meal together before J&J head out. Christmas day is then much less hectic ~ a nice breakfast and maybe a movie... kids playing with their new toys and all is right with the world.
If I don't get back here before then I am wishing all of you a very very Merry Christmas and a Healthy & Happy New Year.

New item in our dinner rotation

While we don't really have a dinner rotation, I do seem to make the same stuff over and over again. Some times new things are added, old ones deleted or forgotten about. I really like to cook, just hate the monotony of doing the same ol same ol. Our local grocery store, Publix, has a program where they cook up new meals most days and give you recipes on these great cards that fit into a little notebook. I've gotten some of my favorite meals on those cards.
I came across a new favorite the other day. It starts with this but adds a few things here and there and it is really very good. The same card also gave you the recipe for a very yummy salad with Makoto Ginger dressing; some egg rolls and it was a most delicious dinner.

I don't always have the time available to make a big dinner. Actually some days, especially lately, I'm lucky I have time to drive thru Mickey D's. Tuesday, for example started with an 8:00 am meeting at the school, followed by work at the quilt shop until 2:30 and then directly back to the school for a PTO meeting at 3:00 ~ then it was a race to girl scouts to find out info on selling girl scout cookies and thru the drive thru (I was starving at this point) and back to the school once again for the Winter Music Show where Nate was playing the bongos!
We didn't get home until after 8:30 because one of the girls from Nate's class was still outside waiting to get picked up and I didn't want to leave her there alone.

All in all it was a very busy day and I can't believe we only have one week left till Christmas! I'm off and running again.....

I've been a bit neglectful

I've been a bit neglectful in accepting a wonderful award from my friend and fellow blogger Ann from "A Day In The Life" She sent me this award in the beginning of December and things have been so crazy I have completely overlooked both thanking her for the award and passing it on to other deserving bloggers.
Since the award is "A Real Person" award I am passing it on to a couple of Real People I have come to know through their blogs ~ Buck of "I Laugh Therefore I am". He lives in downtown Chicago and his pics are amazing and his stories hysterical. I'm also awarding this to his friend and now my friend "Miss Healthypants" who I'm hoping to actually get to meet in Feb when she heads this way for a conference.
They, to me, are very real people bloggers and they are on my "not to miss" list of blogs to read.
Thanks again Ann ~ a very real person indeed!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The tree is decorated
The outside of the house is done

And yes, those are flamingos pulling Santa's sleigh

Hey, it's Florida ~ what do you expect?
I finished up some notebook covers for my fellow PTO officers, to be given out at our meeting today I tried to match the fabrics up with their personalities.
I also finished this bible cover which was a custom order I'm just hoping it fits.
And also this chalk mat which was also a custom order of my Etsy shop
Met with Nate's teacher this morning, along with the principal and the "Gifted Education" teacher and he will be starting back with the gifted program when he returns to school after Christmas break. Last year his school dropped the ball with putting him in the program even though I asked about it several times. I think this year it'll be a really good program for him and I'm looking forward to seeing how he does.
I also found out in the meeting, that I will be bringing in pizza's for his class on Friday. Nice of him to tell me that he volunteered me! Seriously though, it's not a problem and I look forward to spending some time in his class and getting to know his friends.

Christmas has been called off...

For years ~ every year ~ I called off Christmas. I always brought it back again but not until I was satisfied that all parties involved truly appreciated Christmas and all that it meant. I always hate the greed involved "I want this" and "I want that" plus as the person mostly responsible for making Christmas happen, I really wanted/needed a bit of help here and there. Now, don't take this the wrong way, Richard and Jen did their part most of the time. Well, Jen did. Richard, not so much a Christmas person although he is MUCH better these days. Jen was still young and just wanted to do the "fun" part. Making cookies, while I cleaned up. Wanted the tree up but hated to go through all the mess of putting it up (decorating it). Making sure the house was cleaned before we decorated. And then there was the spending of all the money...
And part of it was me too. I can get stressed fairly easily and every year I got pushed to the point where I'd call off Christmas ~ at least for a day or two. We kid about it now and I haven't called off Christmas in years...
UNTIL THIS YEAR!
The kids are getting bigger, the "I wants" are getting more expensive, decorating the tree is not so much fun, and they are fighting like cats and dogs. I reminded them that their dad and I are decided on what/how much to get them for Christmas and with every argument, fight, punch thrown, etc... we are less inclined to buy them gifts. That actually didn't work so I called off Christmas last night ~ in the middle of Christmas shopping, mind you. It didn't last long and wasn't nearly as dramatic as it's been in the past but it worked. They are actually getting along (for now) and Nate even gave his little sister (who worships him and drives him nuts simultaneously)one of his prized Bakugon! Who'd have thought? I even have proof


Actual cooperation between the two of them! Of course they were looking for things to add to their Amazon wish list on line ~ but I'm hopeful... After all, isn't it the season of hope?

Sadie and the squirrels

So my youngest child insists that she can't draw but look what she made here
She loves drawing on my write on/wipe off board. I think this mouse is just too cute.
We didn't want to loose it forever so her wonderful daddy makes sure he takes pics of her creations before they get erased ~ gotta love digital cameras.

And now for your viewing enjoyment ~ Sadie and the squirrels..

Tis the season ~ to be too busy to enjoy it!

It's been a hellova week at sea sir! I've been running around like a crazy person and really shouldn't be blogging right now as I'm due back at the kid's school in under an hour to unload a truck full of cookie dough!
Since I last posted I "worked" at the kids Christmas store at school which was fun but insane at the same time. We've sold anywhere from $800 to $1000 per day in merchandise and have had to restock every day ~ sometimes twice a day. We though the sales would be down this year but almost every child has come in with $20 ~ some even more. Most of the items sell for around $1.25 so they can get a lot with $20.
I'm glad I was able to help out with this although it was heartbreaking to see a little boy in kindergarten fill up his basket with about $25 worth of stuff and have him come up to the cash register with only $2.00. He cried when he had to put the stuff back. I felt so bad but the fact that most of it was for him (not presents for others) helped. We tried to chat with the kids when they came in to find out how much money they had and who they had to buy for so we could help them pick out the right amount of stuff.

I also taught they placemats again in our Cocoa store. This time it went a bit better. There was some confusion in the beginning but they all got their placemats done. Here are a couple of the happy students.

I actually finished the sweatshirt jacket and while I hated it while I was doing it, I really like the way it turned out. I took it into the shop yesterday and the girls were fighting over it. Here are two of our employees I caught trying it on.

And last but not least, we started putting our Christmas decorations up. Yes, we have a fake tree again this year, but hey, it comes with lights already on it and I hate putting lights on a tree. Hopefully we will finish up this weekend and I'll post the final pics.

Now I really have to go unpack that truck... cookies anyone?

Kennedy Space Center

This has been such a crazy week and I'm still trying to catch up. Wednesday I went to Kennedy Space Center with Nate's class. It's been close to 20 years since I've been there so I was excited to go. KSC has their own buses that came to pick us up It took three of them to pick up the entire 6th grade. Our two teachers/classes went on one bus. It was loud but air conditioned and comfy. I did have a seat all to myself and the other chaperone and I (who happens to be a neighbor and Nate and her son are friends) got to chat the whole way up.
Nate's teacher took the girls (22 of them) and I had all the boys ~ that's 20 ll/12 yr olds ~ yikes! What was I thinking? Actually they were all very well behaved for the most part. I had one or two that had a tendency to wander but we returned to school with all the kids we left with so I guess it was a successful trip.
This is a real Saturn 5 rocket. It was never went into space because the program was cut before it launched. It was HUGE!
This is the rocket garden It's also where KSC served us lunch (hamburgers or hot dogs, chips, cookies and drinks. The two blondes in the middle are Nate's teachers. It was a beautiful day out ~ the weather was a perfect 70 degrees.
This was the group shot of our two classes. I think I will get these printed out for the teachers as part of their Christmas gifts.
We watched a cool 3-D movie Got to talk to a real astronaut (who's name I can't remember). Saw a great experiment with liquid oxygen which they use in the space shuttle booster rockets, and finally rode on the Shuttle Launch Experience.
The Launch "ride" holds 42. Unfortunately 40 of those were 11/12 year olds screaming at the top of their lungs the entire time. Other than that the ride was pretty cool.
There was a lot we didn't get to see but all the kids were issued passes to come again and bring 3 family members so guess what we're gonna do over Christmas break?

And they said it would never last...

Today is mine and Richard's 21st and 22nd anniversary! How can that be? Well it's 21 years today since we were married and 22 years today from our first date. Yep, we got married one year to the day from our first date. Sounds kinda like we rushed into it but in reality we had known each other for over a year before we actually dated. We had become really good friends first and I think that's a big part of why we are still together. He's still my best friend.
We met when my boss at the time called one of our customers who taught at a local college and asked him if he could recommend someone to write a computer program for us. He sent over this cute young blonde. I can still remember the first time I met Richard. He was wearing jeans that were torn at the knee (they were all the rage at the time) and a light pink button down shirt. It wasn't love at first site but I remember thinking how cool was this guy. I also felt sorry for him cause he had no idea the craziness he had just gotten himself into. My poor boss drove him crazy and didn't pay him nearly what he deserved. He stuck around for over a year, first with the program and then into computer sales.
Even after he got a "real" job he continued to come around sometimes leaving me notes on my desk or coming over for lunch. He was young (23/24) and hoping someday to settle down. I was (28/29) divorced with a child and swearing to NEVER marry again. I was single and having a blast. My ex had Jen on the weekends and I went out on Friday nights and didn't resurface until Sunday morning when it was time to be Mommie again. Needless to say, he changed my life and in someways saved it and I am forever grateful to him, the love of my life.

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

I know I've been neglecting you, my regular readers and for that I am truly sorry! I tried a little experiment this week. I played along with the "give away day" from Sew Mama Sew to see what it would do to my viewing numbers and also maybe drum up a little business for my Etsy shop. I have to admit.. it was a giant bust. It did boost my readership for a couple of days but now I am back to my usual numbers. Those "johnny come latelys" have all gone home and it did nothing for my Etsy shop either. I don't know how those people with enormous readerships keep up with it all. It took up quite a lot of time and made me realize, I am happy just having you guys and wanted to say "thanks" for sticking with me. We will now continue with our regularly scheduled blogging!

AND THE WINNER IS....

After careful consideration and specific scientific methodology ie I put all your names in a hat and pulled out a winner. And the winner is Twylabug of "Sweet As Steel" You all need to check out her blog. She's got some fantastic stuff on there ~ especially the domino magnets which I'm hoping she'll put in her Etsy shop soon. She has asked for the green with orange flowers and it'll be on the way to her soon and we will be resuming our regularly scheduled posting later today!