Holiday Traditions

The year my scrumptious nephew was born, our family began the tradition of spending time before Christmas with his adoptive family. Each year has become a little more elaborate - we did a Mexican feast one year and baked cookies the next. We added presents to the mix, and added the sort of game play that generally had more than one of us peeing our pants from laughing so hard.

This year we went to their house. I made lasagna and we played Cranium. The kids ran wild and had a blast.


Don't you love when new ideas become cherished traditions?

Yard Clean-up

Installment 2 in the "I finally uploaded my pics from my camera" saga.


Benny was over for the day and we were outside playing and I decided to rake up the leaves that perpetually blow against the fence (I have a long fence line and all my neighbor's leaves blow up against it. Apparently the great cosmic leaf-blower has decided it should be my job to rake up the leaves for the whole neighborhood.) The kids, of course, started jumping and playing - good time had by all. I should probably get out there and actually dispose of all those leaves - it's been over a month now...
By the way, I think the interview went well. I felt like it went well. Here's hoping...

Hello...again...hello

I have finally uploaded the pictures from my camera. I have a lot of posts in mind that are related to these pics, so we are going to go back in time...


The Monkeybutt was a member of his school's academic team this year. They competed in the 7th grade invitational and came in second. They are a bunch of goofballs. They held a family dinner/quick response contest between the kids and parents last Friday, and I made the final round. Thank you very much. Star question that I rocked? "What was the name of Tom Sawyer's girlfriend?"


The winter band concert. This was Monkeybutt's second year playing the saxophone, and he has determined that it is not his thing. Which is fine. He gave it a good try. Mayhaps he will rediscover a love for playing music later in life.

Tomorrow I have a second interview for a job I would really like to get. Wish me luck!

The Books of 2009

Hi! Still haven't uploaded those pictures. Probably should. So, after being inspired by other blogs I've read, I thought I'd give a rundown on the books I read this past year, starting in January. I'll put the ones I really liked in bold.

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
Basket Case by Carl Hiassen
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House
Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen
Rattled by Debra Galant
Fear and Yoga in New Jersey by Debra Galant
Size 12 is not Fat by Meg Cabot
Size 14 is not Fat, Either by Meg Cabot
Big Boned by Meg Cabot
Dark Summer by Iris Johansen
Cross Country by James Patterson
A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House
Lucky You by Carl Hiassen
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich
Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, and Anne Tyler
Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day
Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
Watchmen by Alan Moore
Fool: A Novel by Christopher Moore
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
Run for Your Life by James Patterson
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik
Fluke, or, I Know Why the Caged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore
The Arrangement by Suzanne Forster
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Whispers by Dean Koontz
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
8th Confession by James Patterson
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Turncoat (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Relentless by Dean Koontz
The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmeyer
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Dune Road by Jane Green
Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Dead and Alive (Frankenstein #3) by Dean Koontz
Breathless by Dean Koontz
Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
Living Simply with Children by Marie Sherlock
Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule

I think it's possible I've skipped a few. And you probably notice I have a preference for more of the chick-lit/thriller variety of books. I try to read something thoughtful every once in awhile, but mainly, I read for fun. I am not ashamed of that fact, darn it.

On another note, tomorrow I have to take my girl kitty in to begin treatment for diabetes. I'm a little stressed about it, and I've been waking up with panic attacks again. So, when you think of it, please shoot a little telepathic "chill, Missy, we love you" message my way. Thanks!

Thankful Thursday

with a little rambling on the side. I really need to upload my most recent photos - I have tons to write about, but I really want pictures involved. Oh, and can I just share how irritating it is to have snow days called every time it snows? If we had snow days called every time we got a few inches in Chicago, we wouldn't go to school from November to March. The kids are enjoying it, though. Also, I took the two older cats to the vet today - My girly cat has been losing weight, and I'm concerned. The husband was concerned about the amount of money it cost to figure out what's wrong with her. They took a full blood panel - I'll find out the results tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed it's something simple to take care of...we love our Buggy.

Anyway...today's gratitude list:

1. My craft space - complete with book on tape (From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz), plenty of storage space, and a few hours to clean, organize, and scrap.

2. My brother M, who gave me those few hours by taking my housebound children sledding.

3. Chili and cornbread. Nothin' wrong with that.

4. Brownies. Necessary evil at this time of the month.

5. Arrested Development. How did this show not last? It's absolutely hilarious!

A new decade

Last year's resolutions were...scary. A treatise, really, on what I'm doing wrong and what I need to do to change it. So I've decided to simplify, and what is more simple than a happy little list?

1. Get a job. Make money. Buy less.
2. Exercize more. Eat less. Weigh less. (bring down the cholesterol.)
3. Take time to be creative each day - even if it is simply a blog entry, a doodle, a photograph.
4. Make something explode. It's been way too long.

So there we are. Simple, lovely, life changing. Wish me the best...