Why I am so excited this year

In years past it has been way too easy for me to get caught up in making sure all of my kids had everything on their list and went into panic mode when I started to wrap and realized that John had more than Jane and the rest of the clan (names have been changed to protect the spoiled) and had to run to the store to find more things to prevent the inevitable counseling they would need someday because I must not love them as much.

I was determined that this year would be a little different...much to my kid's dismay I declared that this Christmas would be a Homemade Christmas. The kids had to come up with gift ideas that had to be made from their own hands. It could not be something silly and it was to take a lot of thought and planning. I had heard of it being done before and balked at the idea myself as anyone who knows me knows that even though I came from one of the craftiest, made-everything-on-this-planet moms, I have the creativity of a hamster. So as each child came up with ideas I could see the excitement/creativity (even from me) start to flow. I spent more time in the craft stores than all my life combined (even all the times with mom as a kid) and wanted one of everything.

My questions of whether they were "getting it" were answered by these exclamations:

"I can't wait for Christmas so everyone can see it!"

"Oh, I just want to go give it to her RIGHT now!"

"Mom, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

"Mom, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

"Mom, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

"Mom, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

"Mom, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

"Wife, when can we work on my gifts?" x10

Etcerta.

Coming soon: A peek at the busy little elves...

This post is NOT about ground beef

Can you please tell me how in the H-E-double toothpicks a cow can come from 3 different countries? Because we ARE still 3 different countries right? Am I right or am I wrong? I am very disturbed to say the least.

Side note: This is a real package purchased from the local grocery store, in my community, by me in the good ole U S of A.

The ordinary

Wow the pressure is on to do a post. It can't be that by doing so I will have broken my record of blog silence or anything. But when life kind of gets busy, your creativity goes away and Heaven forbid I should just get on here and post something ordinary like,

* My Christmas tree that died already and we are wondering if it will be just as well to set a can of gasoline in our living room for the fire hazard that it is, or

* The 10 strands of lights that I put on the Christmas tree that probably shouldn't have all been hooked together as they will did blow out, or

* How Boo was sick the other day all throwing up and everything, but pulled through in record speed and has eaten me out of house and home since, or

* How I got snowed in last night when it was one of the only nights I had to get out and finish start my Christmas shopping, or

* When Lex gave me a note about me being the best mom and that I should not ever be a mom to other kids and I willingly agreed, or

* Why I am so thankful for my job even though it can really be stressful some days, or

* How Meg and Brand did the most awesome Christmas concert ever in school and they even sang, not one or two, but A LOT of songs about Jesus and they did not even get put in jail for it, or

* That Jord makes me laugh all the time but especially when she sings the wrong words in the hymn book at church and she nudges me ferociously to stop laughing and directing even more attention her way because it is so irreverent of me, or

* That I am more excited than EVER for Christmas because I am finally really "getting" it this year, or

* How I have plead with my dh to please shave his beard, because I have never been a beard lady, or

* How I got to go shopping with my mom last week and it was so fun. I loved it and I think for one time in my entire life, I out shopped her. She was begging ME to please be done, cause she was ready to go home, or

* That it is my dad's b-day again and if you want to read more about what an awesome dad/grandpa/friend/neighbor go here, or

if you want to know more, you can just call anytime...really.

So until I can get my brain more blog-directed, enjoy the ordinary.