It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love this time of the year! I love all the twinkling lights and the music. It makes a sense of peace run through me, which doesn't happen very often! On Saturday I spent most of the day outside, putting lights up. I had already (with the help of Morgan), put up little 2 ft. trees with lights that line the sidewalk, and those lighted deers in the front yard. But Saturday was the big job. Luckily Morgan loves to help, and her friend Jordan was over and was more than eager to help too. They actually did all the work on the two bigger evergreens in the back and finished off the blue spruce. They tried doing the tree in front, but after they realized they put the wrong end of the lights at the top, they gave up and let me do it! I then had to put the lighted garland on the front porch and put Santa and Rudolph back by the deck, where it faces the street. Eric put up the icicle lights across the front of the house. I did have to make a trip to the hardware store, needed a couple more extension cords, some red bows and more gutter clips. Shortly after it was all completed (and after I'd finally thawed out), it started to snow! It snowed all Saturday evening and most of Sunday. Growing up in the midwest, where there was usually snow for Christmas, it just seems more perfect to have snow. Of course that doesn't mean that there will be snow on Christmas, but it sure helps me get in the mood. Now if I can just finish everything else about a week or so before Christmas, I can actually sit back and enjoy the true meaning of this very special holiday!

She Found It!

I was hesitant to get Morgan a cell phone a couple of months ago....she's not the most responsible child, but I was getting tired of trying to locate her through her other friends phones, etc. Most of the time, I find it plugged into her charger in the kitchen, and have to remind her to take it with her if she's got an away game or is going to a friends house. Friday evening she called me while Eric & I were out to dinner and asked if I knew where her phone was, she was on her way to babysit and wanted to take it with. I suspected it was in her room, since she called me from there (I was in the living room!) the night before. Saturday, Morgan and I searched her room, pulled the trundle out, found many things, including mismatched socks, candy wrappers, pillows and even her cordless phone, but no cell phone. I cleaned off her window seat, she went through her drawers and I sorted her laundry....no phone. We looked in her sisters room, the extra room, the bathroom. She looked in the basement. We tried calling it, but she was positive she'd turned it off. All weekend long, she'd ask, "what happens if I don't find my phone?" This morning before school, she told me she was pretty sure it was in her backpack which she left in her locker at school. I dropped her off this morning and told her to call if she'd found it. Lucky for her, my cell rang on my way to workout, and low and behold, Morgan's phone *was* indeed, in her backpack at school. She's SOOOOO lucky!

Aren't Kids Lovely

Wow, yesterday was just a wonderful day. It snowed, we had the fireplace going and it seemed a good day to just stay home. But around late afternoon, Ashley approached me about going to the high school play, with her friends. I said fine, until she also mentioned that I'd have to take her because Jenna's still driving her dad's old truck, so it would only fit 3 people (she being the 4th). Okay, I can drive her to the high school....but wait! The play is in Greeley, because the high school auditorium is still damaged from hail and rain. Uh, no thanks, not doing that. Especially since the play started at 7:00 and got over about 9:00, which would mean I would try to find something to do in Greeley or drive back and forth twice. She wasn't very happy with my decision. Then Morgan's friend wanted her to come over, I told her no, I wasn't driving anywhere. Then she said her friends mom would come get her and I said no again, stating we could all just stay home. She wanted to argue, which ended up in a yelling match, and then me marching to my room and slamming the door. I was going to lay on my bed, but there was a large hair brush, that didn't belong to me or Eric laying there, so I picked it up, opened the door and threw the brush out onto the landing of the stairs, and promptly slammed my door again! A few minutes later, Morgan came in and apologized. I thought that was the end, as we all watched Elf together and got along, but then Ashley's friends called and asked if she could watch movies with them, they'd pick her up. Okay, fine.....she left with Rachel.....she called a few minutes later and asked for her sister. Being the trusting Mom I am, I questioned her, then gave the phone to Morgan. Shortly after, Eric calls me into the bedroom to ask me what Ashley's plans were and then told me that's NOT what they were doing, because he listened into their conversation. So I had to call Ashley back, tell her to come home NOW. I then had to make sure she didn't rip her sister a new one, because none of it was Morgan's fault and of course gave her the "why did you lie to me?" talk. Sheesh....no wonder I have more gray hair sprouting on a daily basis! Hey, Ashley, I know you read this, so HI HONEY! ;)

What's a blinker for??

I admit, I have a lot of pet peeves, but today's is the lack of blinker usage....or using it too much! I was taking Morgan to school today, waiting to cross the highway. It was clear to my right, and to my left there was a truck coming, who had his blinker on. It looked as if he were planning to turn onto the road I was sitting on. I started to edge out, only to realize the guy was going WAY too fast to think about turning, and wasn't easing into the turn lane. Needless to say, he was just driving along with his blinker on....waiting to cause an accident! After a few choice words, I made my way across the highway! Of course, there are those people who fail to use their blinker at all....I know, it's a lot of work to move your finger up and down to push the lever! I mean, there are reasons the car manufacturer's made the darn things! Start using them people! And if you do, be sure to turn it off if it doesn't do it automatically!

Flying isn't always the quickest travel option

Well, I made it to IL and back.....but it wasn't the greatest trip! My flight from Denver to Chicago left 35 minutes late. When we arrived, it was 2:15, central time and my flight to Moline was to leave at 2:30. Somehow I managed to be sitting towards the rear of the plane and, even though I didn't have any carry on luggage, it seems everyone else on the plane did! My thoughts on this are....if you have carry on luggage, you should sit your @$$ down until the people who *don't* have any get off the plane, then you can get up and block the isle until your hearts content! Had I been able to get off the plane quickly, I might not have missed my flight! That and if O'Hare would CLEARLY mark where the heck the stairs are to catch the shuttle to the other terminals. Because, of course, I came in on C terminal and had to leave from F terminal. Once I found the shuttle and was dropped off, I RAN, and I do mean RAN, all the way to the end of F terminal, to gate F12, only to be told my flight had already left. I was then sent to the customer service desk, where there wasn't anyone. That's always helpful. Finally, someone showed up....who grilled me about WHY I'd missed my flight (as I'm still trying to catch my breath, it was apparent I'd made an effort at least!) , then wanted to know why my flight from Denver to Chicago was late (you know, I'm not sure, I wasn't flying the nmad thing!). Unfortunately, the 4:55 flight to Moline was standby only, and since I didn't have my bag, they wouldn't let me take that flight (bag and person have to be on the same flight, so they said). So I was stuck in the Chicago airport until 7:55, when the next flight left. First I called my parents to tell them not to go to the airport, then my husband so I could rant to him about it. Then I got a burger (not that great, but pretty $$), went to the bathroom and ended up sitting at the bar. I started out drinking a nice cold beer and watching Jepordy, but by time my flight was to leave, I'd talked to SEVERAL people, who all sat next to me in the 4 hours I sat in the bar! It's been a LONG time since I have sat in a bar all by myself! I finally was able to get on my flight, where I promptly fell asleep, and awoke when we finally landed. We went to get my bag, and can you believe it, the stoopid thing didn't come! It was on the last flight on the night! After being in Chicago for 5+ hours, my bag and I didn't arrive together! And wasn't that the reason I couldn't get the earlier flight? Sheesh! I could have actually driven from CO and made it there faster!

I am not a Planner

Oh boy....don't get my wrong on this note, I love my Mom, but she's driving me nuts! I am heading to IL all by myself for a weekend to see my nephew's last fall musical (he's a senior). I will get in on a Friday afternoon and come home on a Monday morning. Needless to say, my mom has the whole weekend planned! Seriously, I'm not much of a planner. I may make an appointment here and there, but I don't plan what I am going to do every day. Heck, I don't even plan things to do on vacations, I just like "flying by the seat of my pants"! She first asked me if I wanted to go to the steak fry at "the club" the night I get there. I said no, they could go and I'd call my friends and see if they wanted to meet in Port Byron for dinner and a few drinks. Well, she said since I was only going to be there a couple of days, they wanted to spend it with me, and they didn't need to go to the steak fry. So she decided after they pick me up from the airport, we'd pick up my grandma and go back to their house and then go to Jimmie Lee's for supper. So I did call my friends and told them to meet up with me there. Saturday she's decided that we need to go shopping so I can get my Christmas shopping for all my IL family done. And then that night she's planning on having the whole family out. Sunday will be church and the play. Don't get me wrong, I am sure I'll have fun, but the thought that she's planned every step of every day gives me a headache and stresses me out! I sure hope she doesn't expect me to get up by a certain time on Saturday.....after all, I will be without husband or kids! Wooooo! Got that off my chest!

Did YOU vote?

For the first time in my life, I actually got up *early* to get to the polls! Usually I vote after work or whatever, but I decided I wanted to be a good example all day at work and wherever I went, so I was standing in line at 6:50 a.m. with about a dozen people this morning. When I left, the line was about twice as long....and it was crazy around the high school and middle school, the other two polling places, when I dropped off the kids. Now I'm just hoping that it doesn't take a month or better to figure out who our new president is!

On to other news, I just want to sound off on something. We have this adorable puppy, Chester, a Maltese. My daughter, Ashley, begged her dad for at least a month so she could get a dog. She promised him the world, we even wrote a contract for her to sign, of her responibilities with him. Well, needless to say, all that has fallen through. Her friends drive now, her social life has excellerated, her time at home has diminished. Not that I mind taking care of him, after all, I feed two other dogs and a cat every morning, what's one more mouth? I pick up poop from two BIG dogs, what's one little puppies mess matter? I pay all the vet bills....hey, I write the checks....so what if Eric makes all the money! Anyway, Ashley has done less and less with Chester and I have done more and more. When he chooses to sit with someone on the couch, it's me, or he curls up by my feet on the floor and for the past 3 weeks, he's slept in our bed. The only night he's slept up in Ashley's room was Halloween, when she watched Texas Chainsaw Masacre and wanted some company that night. You see, I have mixed emotions, I mean it was *supposed* to be Ashley's dog, but I'm pretty sure he's mine these days. Let's just hope when she moves away, she doesn't expect me to let her take him!