I don't talk about it much, but it is quite possible that I have the two most wonderful children on. the. planet. Luke and Peyton really are just wonderful kids. They are loving and respectful to their parents, kind and sympathetic to their friends, and they simply adore eachother.

These two kids are truly best friends, which is really so funny considering that Luke is such a boy and Peyton is such a girl. But they play together so well. You never hear me yelling "Don't touch your sister!" or "You'll poke your eye out!" or "How many times must I tell you that a crystal vase is not a football?" Well, that last one simply because we dont have any crystal vases, but you get my meaning. Oh, occasionally I'll casually mention that someone is going to bust their nugget, but it's rarely due to a serious threat to life or limb.

Just like tonight. Bud's mom had us over for dinner. Who makes lasagna with yogurt and cheddar cheese instead of ricotta and mozzarella anyway? But I digress. Luke and Peyton were playing so nicely. They were taking turns hiding a penny that Luke found from eachother and then the hider would tell the seeker if they were getting warmer or colder. Very nice, appropriate indoor play and they were having a great time.

Did I ever tell you that this is my MIL's first house? She lived in a tiny rent-controlled apartment for her entire life, so this is a Very Big Deal. And when she moved in there was not a stick of furniture in the place. Not a single place to plop your hiney, and what do you think the first purchase she made was? Not a sofa, no. A GRAND PIANO. Her money and all that, yada yada yada. At least it came with a bench.

So anyway, tonight while my two delightful children were playing so beautifully together, Peyton came and whispered that she hid the penny "in a bad place." You see where I'm going with this, don't you? She slipped that bad boy right between two piano keys.

I investigated the situation, hoping to keep it a secret between Peyton and me. But had you been there and tried to play a scale on said piano, it would have sounded like this "plink, plink, plink, thump, plink, plink, plink, plink." So Peyton had to go confess to NaNa. It was not pretty, but to her credit, NaNa did not freak out (I really thought she would).

I tried to perform surgery with tweezers and flashlight, but I just pushed the sucker further in there. So tomorrow we'll get the privilege of paying some repairman $100 or so to retrieve a penny. Luke said he really didn't need the penny back, but I think we'll do it anyway.

Yesterday while I was flipping through some home magazines, I saw a picture of an old, antique Periodic Table of the Elements. This would be the perfect thing to hang in this gargantuan art niche above our stairway landing. So, I turned to Google. I have not been able to find a vintage poster - only new, modern posters. But I did find this:

The Periodic Table Table
Scroll down to mid-page to see the table. Click on any element. Go ahead, get lost in there. It's really amazing! But come back here when you're done, I like having you visit!



You can spell your name with elements here.

And if you are in the mood to have someone challenge your Classical Education Rules mindset, you can read this (written by the guy who built the above table). But don't let it make you mad.

Brain Rot

If you know where I can find a really big, vintage Periodic Table of the Elements, please let me know.

Ta.

I received this little book from my dear friend, Leanne, for Christmas. It is such a treasure.

I like you because

When I tell you something special
You know it's special
And you remember it
A long long time

You say
Remember when you told me
Something special

And both of us remember

Doesn't that just tell the story of a true friend?

I like you, too, Leanne.

Wow! I never knew Christmas could be so good. Luke and Peyton couldn't be happier with their gifts. Peyton's favorite gift was that hideous Barbie head whose hair you can curl and you can change the make-up and nail color. She squealed, well, like a girl, when she opened it and then played with it all day. I've jumped out of my skin more than once when I noticed a strange head staring at me from the corner of my eye.

Luke got a new scooter. His old one was well-used and he's been asking for a new one for six months. He promptly went outside with it and when he came back he was sweating. Yes, I'd say he's happy to have it. However, his favorite gift was a pocket-sized accordion folder - about $1.50 at Walmart. He's been making his own version of YuGiOh cards, called Rexman Cards, somewhat obsessively for the last two weeks. This little folder allows him to store his cards in an organized manner, so he spent a great deal of his day getting his system down with this new folder. He's just a tad obsessive, that boy.

Uncle Greg put Santa and Mom and Dad to shame with his HUGE shipment of gifts. And the man seems to know what these kids want - he hits it on the head every year. They are so lucky to have him - I just wish we could see him more.

Bud got the new miter saw that he's been drooling over and promptly set it up in the attic for use on his closet/media room project.

Bud gave me a new chronological Bible that I'd been asking for, and a beautiful wooden tray with an iron stand. It looked gorgeous with our desserts set up on it.

The highlight was the kids giving Bud, me and my MIL the gifts that they picked out themselves. They were just beaming and it was a beautiful thing to see them enjoy giving..

I cooked a turkey dinner, Texas style. Meaning we had New Jersey style at Bud's Mom's house for Thanksgiving and I was having withdrawal, plus I can't take the risk that my kids would like their dressing any other way than MY way! Kidding...mostly. The dinner turned out great, even the gravy, which has taken me a while to master. But it's been pretty consistent for the past three years, so I'm starting to think I've got it.

Other than that, we mostly moved from sofa to sofa, alternately dozing and reading, while the kids played with their new toys. I played a few rounds of Sudoku just to drive myself a little crazy. It' sort of becoming an addiction.

I hope yours was very, very merry!

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An after Christmas meme for you.

If you received a Barnes and Noble gift card in your stocking (or just wish you had)...

1. Do you go to the brick and mortar store or use it online?

2. Do you think "This is mine, all mine!" or "I've been wanting such-and-such read aloud for the kids?"

3. Do you buy yourself a nice B&N coffee from the cafe, or consider that a waste of good Book Money?

4. Does a $50 value on the card mean
A)Spend as close to $50 as possible without going over.
B)Buy one book and save the balance for next time.
C)Take $50 off a purchase of $100 or more.

5. Do you take the children and consider it a fun family outing, or plan your trip for when your hubby can watch the kids?

6. And finally, do you make a beeline for your favorite section (and what section is that?) or do you browse the new releses and recommendations up front when you walk in the door?

I'll answer in the comments. I hope you will, too!

Merry Christmas to all my good blog friends. May your holiday be blessed and peaceful.



Love,
Amy, Bud, Luke and Peyton


But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10

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Big day to day, gotta finish up wrapping some things, get groceries, church at 3:00, make fondue, fix some fudge and goat cheese for Santa. Let the fun begin!!!

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We don't have a traditional Christmas Eve meal, but I've made gumbo a few times in the past. But this year we're having fondue. Maybe that will be the new tradition.

What do you eat on Christmas Eve? Is it a tradition, or just whatever you feel like that year?

The building blocks.


Construction crew moved the walls into place with no mishaps.


The designers give the product that special "je ne sais quoi."


Rear view of house with the designers.

Peyton and I saw The Nutcracker today at Music Hall in Fairpark. It was spectacular. Peyton loved the part where the snow came down. It actually came down on the theater, not just on the stage! My favorite part was the Gopak. That guy was awesome!

Unfortunately, when we got home, Luke had been running a fever for a couple of hours. The ear thermometer said 103. Yikes. Hopefully he'll get better quickly, and none of the rest of us will come down with anything that would interfere with Christmas. One of Luke's best friends who moved earlier this year just came back to the neighborhood to stay with his cousin for the holidays. Luke is crushed that he's not outside in the 65 degree weather playing with his old friend. Poor guy.

And the truth is, I'm a bit off my game for caring for a sick child. You see, Season 4 of 24 just came out on DVD and, being known for doing all things in moderation the way we are, Bud and I have watched 3 discs since Saturday. We actually watched four full episodes last night after the kiddos went to sleep. So basically, we've set ourselves up for a big fall here.

We'd love a prayer on that, if you can spare one. Umm, I mean about Luke being sick, not about our need to moderate ourselves. But, well, as long as you're praying...

Our Advent Calendar tells us that it's only 4 more days till Christmas! It also tells me that it's my brother Terry's birthday. Happy Birthday, Terry. No zero this year!



I'm as excited as Luke and Peyton. Every morning they check in the pocket of our calendar to see what fun Christmas activity we'll be doing. We've made cookies, fudge, gone to see Narnia, The Polar Express, visited Santa Claus, made reindeer food and lots of other fun things. Today our activity is "Build a Gingerbread House."

The components are ready and tonight we'll assemble it. Check back tomorrow for pics of the finished product.

Having grown up going to the Church of Christ, I've never celebrated Christmas as a particularly "religious" holiday. And even though we do make a point of remembering and being thankful for our Savior's birth more now than I did as a child, I still struggle a bit with turning it into a huge religious celebration. It's very hard to break with the way you were raised, no? It just feels weird. All that to say we don't have a ton of spiritual content in our Advent calendar. But, I'm thinking that maybe next year we will. I don't know - we'll see.

Here's another picture from the cookie decorating that I guess I missed on my camera somehow. It's too cute not to share.






Here's a picture of my tall skinny santas. I hope to get another one this year, hint hint. (Just in case the right person is reading.)




See you tomorrow!

Saturday was a day of cookie decorating. We had several of the neighbors over and everyone went home with plates full of cute and yummy treats.


Luke on the left.


Peyton on the right.


The whole cookie crew.


The Moon's the North Wind's cookie
He bites it, day by day
Until there's but a rim of scraps
That crumble all away.

The South Wind is the baker
He kneads clouds in his den,
And bakes a crisp new moon that ...
greedy.... North.... Wind ....eats....again!

"What the Little Girl Said"
Vachel (Nicholas) Lindsay, 1879-1931.
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Have you played Sudoku? My neighbor, Cristina, recently told me about this. Good for working out a flabby brain.

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BFL Day 8

Well, I haven't been keeping you updated, but that doesn't mean I'm not doing it. I'm down 1.5 pounds in one week! Now that the soreness has worn off, I'm walking normally once again and I can sit down with out supporting myself with my arms.

I'll keep it up till Friday, but come Saturday all bets are off until the 26th.

Ta!

For me that is. I've been considering how flabby my brain has become over the past few years. I'm sure that in a side by side comparison no one could tell the difference between my brain and my thighs. Well, except that my brain is surely a nice tan color from all of the caramel coloring in my Diet Cokes, and of course, my thighs have no memory of a tan. But otherwise I'm sure the similarities are significant.

Staci's post about a Year of Dickens got me to thinking about my own reading plans for 2006. They don't exist. So I have a New Year's Resolution to banish flab. I've already started on the thighs, but now I need to work on my thinker. And to do that I need a booklist. And where better to gather ideas for a booklist than on a homeschool blog?

I'd like to do about 3 books per month, so I'm going to need a mix of heavy and light. Please leave your suggestions in the comments or, if you are so inspired, blog about your list and let me know in the comments.

I'm already started on book one - The Count of Monte Cristo, although I do hope to finish it in 2005.

And speaking of The Count, a wonderful quote to close this entry.

"...happiness is like the enchanted palaces we read of ni our childhood, where fierce, fiery dragons defend the entrance and approach; and monsters of all shapes and kinds, requiring to be overcome ere victory is ours."

My New Year's Eve toat? "To slaying dragons."

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BFL Days 4 and 5

Thursday was excellent, a stairmaster workout that completely stunk until it was over transformed into "I'm so glad I did that" immediately upon completion. No problems with food.

I made my own chicken broth for the first time ever. I usually only make broth with the giblets at Thanksgiving for use in my dressing and gravy, but we had chicken for dinner and I said what the heck and threw the carcass in a pot. The resulting chicken noodle soup the next day has been proclaimed by Bud as the best. What's the best way to get the most fat out of the homemade stuff? With the storebought broth they've removed the fat. Maybe that's why Bud thought it taste better, eh?

Friday was a good day for food, but my hips and thighs were still so sore from Monday, I couldn't bring myself around to doing squats and lunges. So I'll do those today and aerobics on Sunday and just leave Friday as my day off for the week. I hope not to be so sore again, so this problem shouldn't come up next time.

Again my eating was fine, except for the hot cocoa with whipped cream last night - we sat around the fire and sang Christmas carols and I wasn't about to be the only one without hot cocoa. Can ya blame me?

Four years ago today, on his 84th birthday, my father went to see the Lord. His death was a long one, stretching over years clouded by a failing body and a failing mind. This time of year has been hard for me since he died. I miss my dad, particularly on his birthday with Christmas coming. There have been so many memories of the old man in the wheelchair who couldn't always remember who I was that try to push out the more abundant and joyful memories like the one pictured above.

But this year is different. In my mind's eye I see a strong military man, a pilot, with an uncommon zest for life. I remember a man who adored his family so much that he was often moved to tears out of pure joy.

I remember waiting for him to drive his noisy VW Bug toward Post Oak Circle on his way home from work and racing down the street to meet him. He'd reach his arm through the window and hold me tight while I stood on the running board for the final block of his drive.

I remember sitting in a cockpit of an airplane while he flew us to the next destination and being amazed that my dad could do this. I remember getting french toast at the hotel the next morning, and then flying back home. I was always amazed on the return trip, too.

I remember the trip to the catfish farm where he did nothing but put bloodbait on our hooks while we fished. He laughed out loud the entire time even though he never got a hook in the water himself.

I remember the truly terrible food he would prepare on the rare occasion my mom was away and couldn't cook for us.

I remember telling the realtor that I was only 9 and my opinion didn't really matter. She replied, "I've been working with your dad for the last week. Believe me when I tell you it matters."

Last night I pulled out one of Dad's old Bibles and flipped through the worn pages to see what he had underlined. I found this:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

God has been so faithful in allowing me these joyful memories of my father once again, but I do long for that day.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

You get cyberfudge if you can say where the above lyrics are from.

Donna asked us to post our favorite ornaments. That's a bit like posting a picture of your favorite child, so I have more than one to share with you.


A little elf from my sister, Sharon. It doesn't really have a sentimental meaning, but I think this little fat guy is so cute! And his personality really reminds me of Sharon.




Rooster and lamb angels that my mom gave us in 1999. I love these guys! And these were the last ornaments from my mom before she died, and I know she put a lot of thought into picking the right ornaments for me.




This is a cube-shaped blown glass ornament that my brother, Gary, found in Germany when he was there on active duty when his AF Reserve unit got called up. Isn't it beautiful. Gary has exquisite taste.




These are ornaments that my brothers and sisters made with my mom before I was even born! Early sixties I'm guessing. They are quite dangerous with lots of straight pins that fall out easily, so that's why they're on a tray and not on the tree. I can just imagine them sitting around the big table making these ornaments. It's good to be the baby, but sometimes I feel like I missed out on a lot, too. Not sure why these ended up with me. I'm sure one of my brothers or sisters will eventually claim them!

--------------
Here are the full lyrics. They are just too great not to share!

Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums and bizilbix and wums
Trim every blessed window and trim every blessed door
Hang up whoboohoo bricks
Then run out and get some more!
Hang pantookas on the ceilings
Pile pankunas on the floor
Trim every blessed needle on the blessed Christmas tree
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim you, trim me!
Trim up your pets with fuzzle fuzz
And whiffer bloofs, and wuzzle wuzz
Trim up your uncle and your aunt
With yards of whofut flant
Trim every house in Whoville from the cellar to the roof
Hang up a mile of dafflers
And three miles of snaffer snoof!
Hang dang-donglers on the bathtub
Trim the occupant the with floof
To every home in Whoville and to every blessed Who
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim me, trim you!
Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums
And bizilbix and wums...
Trim up the tree with bizilbix and wums

Today we skipped math and just did our language arts and history, so we could finish early. We then headed to Market Street for lunch and off to Target for the kids to do their own Christmas Shopping.

To be honest, I was really dreading this outing. My kids can really linger over such decisions. But this was the extreme of easy and pleasant! They each had $5 of their savings to spend on each gift. So for Bud, they combined their funds and got a $10 tool kit. It's very handy. For Nana Luke got bath fizzles and Peyton got lotion, both with the same scent.

They also shopped for eachother. This was hilarious. I made one kid stand at the end of the aisle with his/her back to us while I helped the other one pick out their gift. There was a lot of "No peeking" being yelled back and forth to eachother. Peyton got 5 Matchbox cars for Luke and Luke got Peyton a My Little Petshop thing (they are fascinated with the bobbleheads). I don't think they peeked at all! It's a relief to know they didn't inherit that terrible habit from me.

We came home and wrapped the gifts, and then proceeded to make our Reindeer Food for gifts to their friends.





They worked hard and assembled 10 buckets. I picked up the little tin pails in the dollar bins at Target. Inside is oatmeal and glitter. So easy and fun! Putting out reindeer food is a part of our Christmas Eve ritual along with making Santa's plate of cookies. Apparently this year Santa is getting goat cheese because according to The Man himself, that's his favorite. He might get some fudge, too ;).

BTW, who knew that Santa had help from none other than Attila the Hun and King Arthur? It's a good book - we're on chapter 13, heading for finishing it up on Christmas Eve.

That's all for now. Have a great night!

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BFL Day 3

Good day! Got up, drank water, read Bible, lifted weights. Just like a good girl.

Upper body workout this morning was good. I really don't mind this nearly as much as the lower body or the aerobic. Plus, I usually see results in the arms pretty quickly, so there's some extra incentive.

Eating was good. Even at Market Street I had a green salad with grilled chicken and balsalmic vinaigrette. Pretty good for eating at the market on a cold day when they have Clam Chowder.

No great insight today, except that Bud realizes I mean it this time. He's impressed. And a little hungry.

Here she is, after a brownie making session. Peyton has "servant's heart" for the most part, especially when it comes to cleaning up after baking sweets!

Moments like these are one of the true delights of parenting. Obviously, I had to grab the camera so I could remember it and cherish it, even years from now. I feel this way when I help Luke wiggle a loose tooth, when Peyton does a ballet performance, when I watch the two of them watching the train circle our Christmas tree. Delighted. It's the best way to describe how a mom feels as she adoringly watches her children.

Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord. Isaiah 58 tells us to call the Sabbath a delight. I'm not that good at that. I love the Lord, and am so thankful that He is my God. I pray and read His Word daily because it is important to me and I know it pleases Him. And because I want to know Him more and grow closer to Him. But delight? That bubbling over feeling I get sharing life's moments with my children? I'm not so sure. There have been times in my life when I have felt it, but it's not always there.

I think I get so bogged down in trying to "do Christianity" the right way that the joy is missing. I don't abandon myself to the pure pleasure of knowing my Savior. Don't get me wrong, I am not a "just do what feels right" kind of gal. I just believe there is a point where analyzing every dot and tiddle to be sure I'm doing the right thing sucks the joy right out of the Christian life. I guess that's why the Pharisees don't seem particularly joyous or full of delight when I read the Gospels.

Something to work on, eh?
-------------------------

BFL DAY 2

It was hard. I can barely walk after my leg workout yesterday. But somehow I got my hiney on the stairmaster and did 20 minutes of intervals. I was huffing and puffing when I got off. Way to go, self.

Eating is good. My eating problem comes in when I don't plan so the cupboards are full of bad stuff and that's all there is. Since I planned and shopped properly this week I'm fine. If you're curious about what I'm eating, here's a quick rundown for today.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2 whites, 1 yolk) with salsa and a piece of toast
Snack 1: Oatmeal and Cottage cheese. Tip: don't combine these. I thought with enough sweetener it would be okay, but no. These are better eaten at separate meals.
Lunch: Green salad with leftover salmon and balsalmic vinaigrette, crackers.
Snack: Protein bar.

Dinner will be top sirloin steaks on the grill (it's warm again here in Texas), sweet potatoes and green beans.

Evening snack will be Hans' all-natural chipotle chicken sausage on a whole wheat tortilla.

See ya on Day 3!

First, Congratulations to Jess! Baby Tristan is here! Go over and see his beautiful little mug!

We just got back from The Chronicles of Narnia and it was great! Very intense, and I questioned my judgment in bringing Peyton during part of it, but in the end she really enjoyed it. Luke and Peyton kept saying what was going to happen next and I had to keep shushing them. Lucy was perfect! Actually all of the casting was quite good. The kids were very good and their distinct personalities shone through. Mr. Tumnus was sweet as can be. The white witch was eerily evil - a very good interpetation in my opinion. Of course, there was plenty of outright evil in her, too.

Oh, I cried. Can't forget to mention that! Basically from the beginning all the way to the end. Pathetic.

I recommend it, but if your little ones frighten easily, then I wouldn't bring them along.

Like I said, it was pretty intense, but nothing compared to the preview they showed of Pirates of the Caribbean II. Why that was intermingled with all the cartoon previews I'm not sure. I'm looking forward to seeing it, but the kids will definitely not be joining us.

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BFL Day 1

A late start, as Bud invited Peyton to sleep in our bed when she came in complaining of a headache. After several hours of tossing and turning with hot knees in my gut, I finally gave up and got in her bed. Where I slept in. Till 9:15. Ooops.

But, I got up, read my Bible and then did my lower body workout. Squats, lunges, calf raises and crunches. My legs still feel like noodles, and I'm sure there is some pain in my future. I just want to go on the record here: Lunges are Evil. If anyone ever tries to tell you otherwise, just nod and back away.

I've been eating properly and drinking my water. I'm having my first Diet Coke of the day right now at 5:07 p.m and NO HEADACHE!

Off to a good start. Salmon's for dinner tonight. Better go cook it.

Well, girls, a horrible shopping experience can do this to a girl, eh? I'm fat. I've got 20 lbs. more of it than I did two years ago. The crazy thing is I'm not really that BIG, but my frame is so small that I am quite fat. I can cover it up with clothes pretty well, but I'm really tired of doing that. This has actually been brewing for longer than my shopping trip, that's just what put me over the edge.

So this is what I have to do today to get ready for my start day tomorrow:

First, make a meal plan. I need to know what I'm going to eat for each meal and snack for each day of this week. Even though I could do it as I go, I know I won't. So a plan is quite necessary.

Second, I need to clean out the fridge and shop for the necessary food. Also, prep what I can so that eating the right thing is easy for me.

Third, I need bottles of water on hand to take with me. Drinking from a glass in the house works, but it's so easy to grab a Diet Coke, aka nectar of the gods, when going somewhere.

Fourth, I need a workout plan. Basically just a starting point for each of the weight exercises, and a place to record the workouts so I can refer back to previous workouts for weight amounts.

Fifth, I need to get the workout room clean. This room is the home for the homeless in this house. It houses all the Christmas gifts and wrapping, wine storage, 12 years of unfinished craft projects, and magazines out the wazoo. Oh, and a stairclimber and weights. It's a 10x9 room, people. I need to get it straightened out so it's not such an unpleasant place to be.

So, after church today, I've got a lot to do! GO AMY!!!!

I'm posting my BFL goals in the sidebar to keep me honest. If this post disappears later today, you'll know that I chickened out on the whole public-accountability-thing.

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On a sidenote - I've heard tell of a thing called "Spanx". You know, those panties that have a high waist and go down on the thighs so that you don't have pantylines. Brilliant, I thought, so I searched some out to wear to the Christmas party last night (very fun, btw). Sister, it's a girdle. A rose by any other name....

I went shopping today to try to find something appropriate for our Christmas party tomorrow night. Even hired a sitter so I could focus. I bought a bunch of stuff, because I couldn't decide, and figured I'd just return what I don't use. I hate it all - except for the jeans I bought, which are great, but not right for the party.

Now, I do really enjoy home parties. I know a lot of people don't like them, because they feel pressured to buy something they don't necessarily want. But I love them. What better way to shop than with your friends and a glass of wine in your hand? I particularly like Southern Living and Pampered Chef, because I really use that stuff. I'm not too big on the make-up parties, because I'm not much of a make-up-wearer.

So I'm thinking some smart person out there needs to do this for women's clothing. Wouldn't it be great to go to a friend's house, with a group of women whose opinion you trust, and try on clothes? I would be so happy to shop this way. I've tried catalog shopping, but nothing ever fits the way I want it to. So this would be similar, but I'd get to try on the items before ordering, with an audience of loving critics to steer me in the right direction, ie., tell me which pants make my butt look big.

It would have to be clothes that are not to trendy, but also not too matronly. Something that 30- and 40-something moms would like because, let's not kid ourselves, that's who goes to these things.

So, you entrepreneurs out there, here's your free idea. Take it and run with it. Keep me out of the stores!

(And if you are reading this and want me to have a party for your business, sorry, I already have friends who are consultants for the companies I really like, so no need to contact me.)

-----------------------------------

So close, but yet so far...

You Should Get a PhD in Science (like chemistry, math, or engineering)

You're both smart and innovative when it comes to ideas. Maybe you'll find a cure for cancer - or develop the latest underground drug.

Hat tip to Staci.

that whoever thought of cooking rotisserie chickens and putting them for sale for $4.99 each at the grocery store was a genius?

Then:


Now:


Chicken noodle soup tonight. Twenty minutes total. Amen.

Well, Bud's up in the attic hammering away at our new closet, and both of the kids have friends over to play. So, I have a few moments of quiet and thought I'd sit and talk a bit.

We're reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn this year. There are 24 chapters to be read, one each day during December. Whether or not you do Santa, this would be a great book to read. It basically takes you through the history of all the traditions of Santa Claus/St. Nicholas/Father Christmas in a very entertaining way. My sister gave it to us for Christmas last year and I've been saving it till now.

Our church had Santa at it's monthly men's breakfast yesterday, so Bud took the kids while I stayed home to wrap and hide presents. Luke is unconvinced on the Santa front, although Peyton was thoroughly impressed that Santa knew her name. She was wearing a nametag, but well, that small detail escaped her. In all, I think Santa's days are numbered around here, but I do think we'll always play the game.

Tonight the staff from My Gym is coming over for our annual Christmas party. I know, I don't own it anymore, but they asked me to host the party like I have for the past four years, so I am. Only two of the staff is actually going to work for the new owner, and three of them quit working for me at the end of their summer break this past year. But, this little crew of 7 that's coming tonight has been together for a long while, and I feel like they are family. I know I worry about their grades in school or when they have a broken heart. I also rejoice when I see them stretching out their wings and soaring in their young lives.

So, it's a treat having them come over tonight. I'm making chili, just like I always have, and we'll have a white elephant gift exchange. I always have about six white elephant gifts, so if they bring their dates, everyone can participate. My kids love these teachers, who have been in their lives as long as they can really remember. It'll be a fun evening!

As for the rest of the holiday season, we have a big neighborhood bash next week. There are set parties in our neghborhood given by various people each year. The Kentucky Derby belongs to Dale and Nancy, New Year's Eve to Cindy, Mardi Gras to Mr. Don, Fall Fest to Leanne, and the Thanksgiving pancake breakfast to Mary and David. And the Christmas party belongs to Bob and Charlotte. This year they are having it catered and hiring a staff. This really isn't *that* kind of a neighborhood, so everyone is very excited!!! I may even go shopping this week to find something new to wear. (But not at a mall.)

I just want to Praise God in Heaven for allowing me to enjoy this holiday season so much. The past years have been overshadowed by business worries, so I am truly blessed this year to enjoy this time with my family and friends without worrying that I should be doing something else. Amen!

I've already done more decorating this year than I normally do the entire season. Two words for ya: Prelit Tree. Normally I'm so exhausted from winding lights around our live tree and cleaning up all the needles it loosens, that I'm done decorating before I start. I let Bud talk me into a fake, prelit tree last year, and I have to say it is wonderful. So here are some pictures. I'll post some of the outside when we finish up out there.


The tree. Notice the village on the shelves behind it. I've given those to Bud over the years. It's "Christmas in the City" and the first piece I gave him was the Little Italy Ristorante the year we had a wonderful trip to NYC and ate at Joey's Paesano in Little Italy. The penne was so good it almost made me cry. Or maybe it was the wine.


The fireplace. Notice my tall skinny santas. I love them!


I'm very proud of my wreaths. Feeling a bit like Martha without the anklet after adding those.


Peyton is loving having a fire in the fireplace. I think we are headed back to the 80's here, so don't know how long she'll be able to enjoy it.

I'd love to see your Christmas decorations, too. Why not post some?

Okay. So, I'm not consistent. What can I say? I had two businesses to sell so I was out of pocket for a while. Then, I thought my favorite message board would satisfy me. But, it has been far less than satisfying lately. So much so that I don't think I'll be going back there (it looks like a lot of my imaginary friends feel the same way). Blogging seems to be the best way to keep connected with the folks I enjoy on the net, so I'm going to stick my toe in again. Don't expect consistency, but now that I'm just a stay-at-home-mom, maybe I will be a little more consistent.

Update on the Good Soil fam:

I'm out of business. No gym, no resale shop - they are now under new ownership. Sweet. Bud is building a closet in our attic. Double sweet. Luke has lost 4 front teeth. Peyton is still Peyton - content, loving, messy, silly. Our family is so blessed.

I'm done with my Christmas shopping. I did it all on the net. I have a goal not to set foot in a mall until 2006. Since I've only been to a mall twice in 2005 it shouldn't be that hard. My house is decorated - and I mean it looks good! I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I'm sorry I'm not a reliable blogger, but I hope you still love me anyway!

P.S. I just realized I'm going to have to go to the mall tomorrow! Our homeschool group ice-skating party is at the rink at the mall tomorrow. Does that count? I'm not going to shop, or even venture beyond the rink. I promise.