10 things I got for Xmas

1. delayed at the airport
2. a reminder of how cold 15 below actually is
3. welcome hugs
4. unwelcome hugs
5. dark chocolate
6. extra-dark chocolate
7. butter (seriously)
8. lots of yummy things from Zingermans
9. regifted hand lotion (I gave it to my MIL last year; she gave it to me this year. And yes, I KNOW it was regifted.)
10. a positive home pregnancy test.

For those of you who know me In Real Life* please keep this info to yourself. So far the only people who know are Norman, my doctor’s receptionist, and a couple lab techs. We won’t be telling people for at least another month.

*you know I have Stat Counter, right? You know I know when you visit my site and it is especially obvious when you read me at work. You might think you are lurking, sister and brother-in-law, but I know you are there.

In which I am simultaneously thrilled and disappointed…

Norman had been gone for two nights, and The Girl could hardly WAIT for him to get home. He was due to come home at 7:45 p.m. and bed time is at 8:00 p.m.  Although The Girl has never had any TV, I decided to lift the ban. My idea was that she could be all ready for bed but then we would all stay in our room and watch The Muppets Christmas Special. A little family time, a little Daddy/The Girl time, a little Christmas memory.

I asked The Girl if this is something she wanted to do, and she said “I don’t care much for TV.”  I totally thought she was just repeating something she had heard, so I turned on the TV anyway and told her about The Muppets and how Momma and Daddy watched The Muppets when we were little.

She seemed very unimpressed. She kept looking at it with a “whatEVER’” face and saying “is this it?” I kept telling her it wasn’t it, and that it was going to be a few minutes before it started. Then the network did a “coming up next” promo and I told her “that’s it! That’s it! Those are The Muppets! Does that look like something you would like to watch?”

She says “no, I would rather read.”

“OK” I said, and I turned off the TV. We moved to her room, Daddy read a few books, and we called it a night.

Who would have ever thought a child of mine would pick reading over TV.

The bed

As we speak, my daughter is sleeping in her own room, in her own big girl bed, without a rail.

She’s slept in a bed forever. Actually, she never spent a night in a crib. She went from our bed to a mattress on the floor in her room when she was about a year old. Well, there for half the night, and the other half in our bed.

Anyway, we slowly have been moving the bed up, first adding the box spring, then the bed frame, and tonight I just took off the rail.

I know it’s silly, but I feel like we just crossed some big milestone.

Can you imagine what it will be like if she ever, ever, ever spends the whole night in her own bed? Holy freaken’ milestone! I’ll have to send out printed announcements to celebrate.

You know your getting old when …

I made a double batch of flax-seed crackers last night. In case you have never made crackers, they have to be rolled out very, very extremely thin.

Usually when I make them I follow the recipe which includes putting the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes. Well … life with a toddler … yadda, yadda, yadda … it was in the fridge over night. This made it a little hard to roll.

But still … it’s only dough. Do you think I should actually have sore stomach muscles from rolling dough?

Seriously, they’re sore. How pathetic is that?

The other thing is that today, when I was coloring my hair it was very difficult because I couldn’t really see well enough to work without my glasses and I couldn’t do it with my glasses on. So, in other words, I am so old that I am having trouble seeing my gray hair without my glasses.

Tell me your feeling old too. Or if you are feeling young, tell me HOW?

Last minute gift ideas?

Looking for something special for the holidays? Here are some great gifts for under $10. And no one is even telling me to tell you this! How about that? They are from Jen Lemen’s Etsy shop, and they are all wonderful.

I got the Trust notes and the poster.

Don’t have $10? Try her FREE ready to print posters!

What are you best finds for the holiday season?

Happy Birthday Birdie!

Tomorrow (Sunday) is my friend Birdie’s birthday. Head on over to her place and send her some wonderful birthday wishes.

Love you, Birdie! Have a WONDERFUL birthday.

Also, Birdie’s book is out in paperback and would make a wonderful gift!

You knew there would have to be a badge …

Whew! That’s all I have left to say.

Looks like I made it!

Woo hoo! I made it, I made it, I made it!!

I am going to try to post less frequently – obviously – but more quality. I bet we’d all be happier with that.

But now, Desperate Housewives is on, The Girl is in bed, Norman is by my side and there are brownies on the counter just begging for some ice-cream.

Thanks for sticking with me through the month, and I will talk to you again after a long time or a short time.

Truer words have never been said

Me: Honey, Grandma is going to start asking me what you want for Christmas. Is there anything you want?

The Girl: No.

Me: How about some clothes for Baby? (Her baby doll that never leaves her side.)

TG: No. Baby has enough clothes.

Me: How about more waffle blocks? I know you like to build with your waffle blocks. Then you could build something bigger.

TG: No, I have enough waffle blocks.

Me: How about …

TG (starting to get frustrated): No! I have enough things, daddy has enough things, momma has enough things, Baby has enough things and Macy has enough things. 

Yes we do, little girl, yes we do. 

If only she says this next year as well.

Where are you, Sunday?

Do you think I am more sick of posting every day than you are of reading every day? Maybe it’s a toss up. Although, if I can write drivel everyday, you’d think I could write something worth reading at least once a week, wouldn’t you? Maybe I’ll shoot for that … in 2009.

I absolutely cannot get my friend’s kid out of my head. I keep checking the CaringBridge site for updates. I feel like The Girl asking the same questions over and over. “Now how is he? How about now? Now? How is he now?”

He’s in a coma. There’s not much more to say. He’s stable. The family is hopeful. The doc is painting a “worse case scenario.”

I am obsessing.

So I am turning to you. Tell me something happy. Big, little, I don’t care. Share a link, a story, something, ANYTHING that has a happy ending, or a happy middle, or at least something to make me smile. Go.