MORE FROM GOOEY...

Gooey: "Can I use your back scratcher? My back is scratchy (translation: itchy)."

Daddeee: "You can use it but leave it here."

Gooey: "I can't have your back scratcher?"

Daddeee: "No. I'll leave it to you in my will." <---Daddeee trying to be funny...unsuccessfully

Gooey: "When I get bigger, I'm going to have a back scratcher like yours."


Way to dream big, son!

ANOTHER GOOEY FUNNY...

A house down the street from us has one of these in their front yard along with one of those large blow up snowmen. The other night we were on our way home and passed that house. Gooey got all excited and pointed out the large snowman.

Gooey: "Look, Mommeee, at that large snowman!"

Me: "Yes, I see it. Isn't that neat?"

Gooey: "It is."

And then he points out the snowglobe and says,

Gooey: "And look at that snowman tank!"

Snowman Tank? Too funny!

IT'S BEGINNING TO SMELL LIKE CHRISTMAS...

Yes, I said smell, not look. I despise Christmas decorations but I do them for the kids. They just make the house look so cluttered and I'm allergic to clutter (I sneeze a lot because my house is cluttered from 2 boys and a husband).

I said smell because the house smells like Christmas. There's a candy cane scented candle burning in the living room and there's a cookie-baking residue scent in the air from Christmas cookie baking last night.

Packages wrapped...check.
Gooey tucked in bed...check.
Chocolate chip cookies...check.
Peanut Butter cookies...check.
Champagne for Mimosas** chilling...check.
**nice excuse to drink first thing in the morning
Stockings stuffed...next on the list.
Breakfast casserole made...second on the list.

Yes, I'm making my casserole tonight because, well, that's what the recipe says to do. I like this recipe because I can make it tonight, chill in the fridgedaire, then pop it in the oven tomorrow when, at the butt crack of dawn, the kids wake me up to see what Santa brought.

Among those 2 things to get done, I need to go in search of a kerchief or at least find out what the heck it is. Why, you ask? Well, because the story says so. "Mom in her kerchief and I in my cap". Daddeee has plenty of caps. I just don't think I own a kerchief. Does that mean we can't settle down for a long winters nap? Try and stop me!

And why is it that I can't seem to get through these sorts of festivities without an injury? Tonight I managed to slice my finger with the fillet knife. I'm on my second band-aid and am in need of a third one. What would Christmas eve be without a trip to the emergency room for stitches? I don't think it's that serious, though. At least I hope not.

Well, now that I've rambled on enough, I'll leave you with this.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, I wish you a Happy One and a Prosperous New Year (in case I don't catch you before then).

PS. are all of your presents wrapped?
PPS. Will you send me a hot EMT to save me from my bleeding finger? I prefer them scantly clad with big muscles.

CSI COOKIE CUTTER...

(insert favorite CSI theme song here)

This is what happens when good cookies go bad:


AKA WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

AKA FAMILY CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKING NIGHT

AKA DADDEEE'S MORBID SENSE OF HUMOR

MORE ORNAMENTS...

I wanted to share a few more ornaments from our family Christmas tree.

This ornament I got several years ago but for the life of me I can't remember where it came from. Of course, I can't remember what I had for lunch today so that's not a big surprise. The picture isn't fabulous but in case you can't tell, it's Foghorn Leghorn, son.

I picked this one up when The Teenager was a little tyke. He really loved Dondals (as he called it) so I thought this one was perfect. It's still his favorite ornament. You can't see it in the picture but you can insert a light from the tree so the sign lights up.



Speaking of The Teenager, this one was his ornament for his 2nd Christmas.

Everyone has to have a Spongebob on their tree. But if you don't have one, don't worry. We have several to make up for it.

And a tip for anyone with little ones and/or pets, put these on the bottom of your tree. We put a bell on each bottom limb to help alert us to little hands/paws playing with the tree. It's a great (and cheap) alarm system.

AHHHHHH....

Have you ever had one of those itches that drives you crazy and then you finally reach it and it feel SOOOOOO good?

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE...

...is nasty, cold, icy, snowy and messy. We got 3 inches of snow a few nights ago topped with a little freezing rain yesterday. Needless to say, we won't be making the trek to White Cloud tomorrow because we know the roads up there won't be cleared yet.

Instead, we're going to a Christmas party with friends at The Bar and then to some more friends' house for a small after-party. They've invited us to spend the night with a promised brunch with all the fixin's the next day. We have such wonderful friends!

So stay tuned for party details (and pictures if I can stay sober enough to use my camera)!

COUNTING DOWN...

Not only am I counting down to Christmas but also to this Saturday to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.

I'm so excited because we're going back to White Cloud, Kansas to stay in a cabin on the Indian reservation. We had such a good time last year that we decided to go back (it doesn't have anything to do with them sending us gift certificates for free dinners).

We'll get to leave earlier this year and take a little more time driving up there. That is, if the weather cooperates. We got 3 inches of snow today and are due to get freezing rain on Thursday. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it'll be cleared up before Saturday.

It's not long until Christmas either. I'm done with most of the shopping for the boys. I only have stocking stuffers to buy. I haven't bought anything yet for Daddeee. I don't have any ideas as to what to get him. I'm so stumped.

I'm also in need of ideas on what to get Gooey's most spectacular babysitter. She's the type of person that doesn't need anything so I'm drawing a blank on ideas.

I'm sending AMC Theater gift cards to the in-laws so that's already decided. I just need to get on the ball and get them sent.

Other than all that, I'm uber-excited about all of it. Come on, Christmas, bring it on!

GEE WAS MY FACE RED!...

Last night was The Teenager's Winter Orchestra Performance. It was a fabulous display of all the hard work that the kids have put into their instruments this year. I was incredibly proud because The Teenager played first chair!

Since he has to be at the school 45 minutes before the performance begins, I took him and Daddeee followed later with Gooey. This way, Gooey doesn't get bored and we're able to enjoy listening to our talented child. Daddeee and Gooey also left early because the program was long and began to run past his bedtime.

Soon after they left, I received a text message from Daddeee telling me that Gooey had left his hat. It was dark in the auditorium so I began to feel around on the floor as best I could. I reached my hand down into the fold of the seat where Gooey had been sitting and grabbed what I thought was his hat. It turned out to be the foot of the man sitting in the seat behind me!

I apologized emphatically and explained that I was only trying to find my son's hat. He gave me a look as if to say "you mean you can't tell the difference between a shoe and a hat?"

I was so incredibly embarrassed I sank down into my seat for the remainder of the performance.

ORNAMENTS...

Many, many, MANY years ago, when Daddeee and I first got married, we decided that we would begin collecting ornaments for our Christmas tree. Each year we each pick out a new ornament. We've been together for so many years now that the only ornaments on our tree are the ones that we've chosen over the years. I want to share some of those ornaments and why we chose each one.

This is the ornament we bought for The Teenager's first Christmas.

And Gooey's first Christmas ornament.

To be continued...

Sorry for the cruddy quality of the photos. I'm having camera difficulties.

17 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS...

Today we went to the Christmas party for Daddeee's company. The food was awesome as always and the kids had a ton of fun.

Gooey was so excited to see Santa that he ran right up to him, waving all the way, and jumped up onto his lap. I was shocked. I really figured he'd chicken out and I wouldn't get a single photo of him on Santa's lap.

I couldn't get him to smile for the camera, though. He'd only smile after the photo was taken. Silly boy.

The one I thought was going to be tough to get a picture with Santa was the easy one. The Teenager was the difficult one to get to sit on Santa's lap. A little bit of threatening solved that problem and I got a wonderful photo of both of my boys with Santa Claus.

They offered balloon animals, coloring pages, stuffed animals (Gooey got a stuffed reindeer) and face painting for the kids. Gooey chose an elmo for his face.

SHAME ON YOU!...

Well, not all of you but some of you.

Yesterday I went to the funeral of my sister's mother-in-law. It wasn't an emotional funeral for me. I knew her but really didn't like her. Yes, you can chastise me for saying such a thing about someone that just passed away but she annoyed the crud out of me (putting it mildly).

First off, she wasn't a good mother to my brother-in-law while he was growing up and never made amends with him about it. The reason she annoyed me the most is that she would never call me by my name. She always called me Jenna. My name is pronounced Jee-nuh. She knew this but still continued to annoy me on purpose.

Anyway, the funeral was nice. It's the procession to the cemetery that got me. For some reason, I can't help but cry when I'm in one or when I see one. I'm not talking about a simple tear or whimper either but a full on blubbering bawl fest. I can't help it. I don't know why they effect me in this way.

But yesterday, I was appalled at the number of people that wouldn't take two minutes out of their lives to pull over and let the procession go by. There was even one car (yes, you in the red Ford Explorer!) that joined in the middle of the line so that he could get to his oh-so-important destination faster.

The purpose of pulling over is to show respect to the deceased and their family. I feel it's the least that I can do to for those people in that procession is pull to the side of the road for a few minutes (and in my case, cry like a baby) and let them pass. I like to say a small prayer for the family that they'll be able to get passed this sad event easily. Sometimes, I feel the Lord's Prayer helps.

So next time you see a funeral procession, pull aside and let them pass. If you feel like it, say a prayer for the family.

But, please, be respectful.

HO, HO, HO...

It's Gooey Claus!

It began with a hearty Ho! Ho! Ho! (notice the jolly little belly?)
"His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!"

He really got into it after a few Ho! Ho!'s.
"He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself."
(ok, so Gooey Claus isn't chubby and plump. Just go with it.)

Then it got a little crazy! This Gooey Claus gig isn't as easy as it looks!
Hey! Someone help! I can't see!