Happy New Year

It is 8:40 pm on New Year's Eve, the Baby is just in bed and I am about fifteen minutes away from being there myself. I hope you are all having a bit more excitement then I am, but honestly, there is nothing more that I want then to be asleep. I will see you in 2009, goodnight!

Hey

Did you think an avalanche of toys fell on me and I was trapped, buried underneath them for a few days? Well, you wouldn't be far off if you did. Most everything is put away and the house is mostly 'clean', as in -don't go peeking around too hard, you might get attacked by a stray dust bunny. But, as opposed to just a couple of days ago, we are looking good, dude.

So what are we doing right now? Right this very moment? We are waiting for our overnight guests to arrive for our first official sleepover party! The girls had two countdowns going: one for the arrival of Christmas and the other for today - our pajama jammy jam celebration. I'm not quite sure if Middle really knows what is going on, but she keeps saying 'Whoo Hoo, they are coming TODAY!'. Miss has gone to a sleepover already so she is just happy to have kids coming to her house to do it.

My friend Jen, who lives a few hops, skips and jumps away from me is leaving for FIVE months to go to Florida. She is leaving in just a couple of days and this is the last get together for our kids. Her girls are older, but so sweet to my girls. They bring themselves down to my seven and five year olds levels and play and joke around with them without my kids feeling like babies. When we go to their farm, they gently take the kids around and bring the animals over to them and teach them how to hold, pet or where to stand to make the animals comfortable. We will miss them so much, but I'm happy for them to be able to go.

I can't even imagine driving by and not seeing them in their yard, or not seeing the horses watching us as we go by. Aside from my bestest friend in the whole world, Novella, Jen has really been there for me the past few months. She helped me in so many ways, I can't even count. Mostly, she knew when to call me to make sure my head was still above water, but also she helped by interpreting medical jargon for me, and telling me how to get real answers out of doctors. She intuitively knew to call down to my parents house on November 15th, just thirty minutes after my grandma died. How did she know? She perks me up too, knowing what to say to get me through a tough day or hour or minute. There were people I considered friends, not super close friends that I could call at any time or just drop by on, but still friends I have known longer then Jen that didn't call me during that dark time, or ask how I was handling things, or even come to my grandmothers wake. Sure, when I ran into them they would ask how grandma was that day, or tell me to call if I needed anything, but Jen just knew to call, to come take the kids without me asking. She even came by to visit my family and pay respects to my grandma at the funeral while she was on her way to work. Her schedule is crazy -working all hours of the night and day - yet she knew that I needed a friendly face and provided it.

Yes, life will be hard for the next five months without my friend near. I hope she has a safe, happy time in Florida and hurries home. The next sleepover will be at her house after all.

Spare Closet? Anyone? Anyone?

Just when I thought I might be able to squeeze the new toys into spots we have in our pantry, we made a trip to see my parents. 'Santa' brought a shitload of gifts to their house for the girls too, so now I'm screwed. There is no possible way to fit it all in, the basement isn't really ideal because it is too damp. Now I'm looking under beds, behind the couch and maybe getting rid of the dining room table and installing bookcases in its place. Eh, I'm going to bed.

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We Had A Good Christmas Because,

...there were Scooby Snacks and,









surprise gifts and,

chocolate before breakfast and,

tattoos!

But best of all we had a day spent together. A day spent together wading through wrapping paper, and mounds of candy.

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Christmas Eve

The pageant went off without a hitch. The 'angel' remembered her lines and spoke so loud and clear all the congregation nodded and smiled at her as she finished.





'Mary' got to hold her real baby for the entire time because he was too big for the manger. What a good baby! All he did was lie there and look around. He never once fussed or squirmed. Every once in a while Miss would catch my eye and motioned to me as if to say, 'Am I doing this right?' and I would hold up my two thumbs and smile at her and then she would flash a huge grin. She was so proud.

Mary and Baby

After a dinner of Chinese food, a real treat for us since we don't order out much, the girls got ready for bed. (Yum, eggrolls.) Then the stockings were hung, but not before they were used as props for pictures.


Stocking hats, anyone?

Tomorrow these will be bursting at the seams. And these girls will have even bigger grins on their faces.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Love, All the Mice on the Mountain.

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What Was That?

Original Silent Night: Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Middle's Take: Round young vermin, Mother and Child.

The pageant tomorrow night should be interesting, huh?

Let Me Tell You About My Day

And it is only 3:00, but we are home safe so I feel confident no other major incidents will occur.

1. Middle woke up today with a bright red rash from her cheeks to her ankles. It didn't itch, or seem to bother her but I made a doctors appointment just in case. (It was made for 1:40.) She ate her breakfast fine, and later her lunch too. The closer we got to her appointment time, the rash seemed to fade every where except her face. It is so bright though one woman in the grocery store commented on it saying, "Wow, you must have been out in the cold this morning!"
2. Our first stop on our way out this morning was to deliver a baby gift to a friend of mine that lives in my town. They just moved in their new home about a month ago, and I've yet to see it so I wasn't exactly sure which house was hers. She lives on a steep hill like mine, but all the driveways are on a downward slope. I was really nervous my car wouldn't get up the hill, but it did, then I was nervous I would get stuck in her driveway. I ended up turning around and not risking it. I gave the gift to her mom to deliver for me!
3. We first stopped at Target to get something for my parents that I saw in yesterdays flyer. Of course they were sold out. The parking lot was packed and we walked from the back of it to the entrance and let me say, it is COLD out today. The wind is strong too, so that made it extra fun. All through the store the baby kept saying, "I wan Wonk! I wan Wonk!" Which means I want a drink, lovely mother of mine. Of course I didn't pack a wonk today, so she got upset. Very, upset.
4. For a treat, I took the girls to Friendly's for lunch. (It is a family style restaurant that is like like a diner, but a franchise.) We arrived at 11:22, and I know this because when we first sat down I looked at the clock on my phone. We ordered right away and we didn't get out of there until 12:49! A friggin' hour and a half! At a place that caters to kids!!! URGH! The baby was really good until about the last 15 minutes, by then she was tossing jelly packets around like a crazed juggler.
5. Next stop: the grocery. Packed. Everyone must have been holed up all weekend like I was and then realized they better get their Christmas menu set up. I needed American cheese at the deli, so I picked a number and it was 45. I looked up at the counter and they were only on 32. Bye, bye deli cheese. I ended up buying the prepacked stuff.
6. The doctor diagnosed Middle with Fifths disease. I didn't have to wait at all in the waiting room and he came into the examining room before the door closed on the nurse. We were out of there by 2:10 and thank God for that. The baby was in complete meltdown mode by now. It was also about an hour past her nap time, so she was in rare form. Me: Let's put your jacket on. Her: SCREAM, throw self down on floor. Me: Let's get buckled up. Her: SCREAM, kick and make body rigid so mom can't do straps. Fun times.
7. I went to put the garbage out at my parents house and the boy that is supposed to be shoveling for them....isn't.

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Christmas

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart." ~ Marjorie Holmes

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Just call me a shut-in, because that is what I've been for more then three days. My car hasn't moved an inch and my desire to get in it has disappeared. I could care less about going any where, there is no where to go, no one to see. I am perfectly content to be in the house, the pellet stove burning away, keeping us warm and happy. There is plenty of food to keep us fed, and plenty of toys to keep us occupied. I will have to leave though, eventually, to bring the gifts here from their hiding spot in my moms house. They still even need to be wrapped. Is Christmas really only four days away? Unbelievable. We will venture out tomorrow, killing time and doing the weeks errands before the big day. Then we will come home and continue our countdown and dreaming aloud of presents to come. I love watching and listening to Miss and Middle speculate what will be brought this year, and to all their dreams I remember having at their age: staying up until they hear sleigh bells, trying to catch Santa in the act, what time to get up on Christmas morning. Thank goodness for little girls and their sweet innocence.

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We got an unbelievable amount of snow yesterday and last night. Truthfully, it is still lightly snowing now and we are supposed to get eight more inches through tomorrow night. We have more then three feet accumulated on the ground as of right now, and three more months of winter to go. The plow companies must be happy. The snowmobilers must be happy.

I keep remembering the summer, going on the beach, playing outside and open windows blowing a warm breeze through the house. Memories of summer inevitably bring memories of grandma. Going to her house to swim, her telling the girls "Don't get wet now" and them laughing and saying, "Grandma! We will get wet, we are going swimming!" and her just smiling at them and herself. She never tired of that joke, and neither did we. We would come back over to the house, dripping wet and with sandy feet and she would say, "Oh! Look at you. I told you not to get wet!" The kids would giggle and show her how wet their hair was, their bathing suits. They would strip down to nothing to change into their clothes and she would say, "Look at the brown babies!" and they would argue over who was the most tan. Then she would offer them a drink, candy, snacks a TV show. On our way out to go back home she would say, "Come again tomorrow" and she would wait at the door until I backed out of her driveway out of sight.

Today is the kind of day I would have called her to ask if she needed anything, and she would say, "Just some milk and bread maybe". She would be fully updated on the weather reports and forecasts and tell me what was in store. I would drop off her bread and milk and her TV would be on the Weather Channel. We would sit in silence for a moment to watch and then I would say, "I'm heading home before I can't make it up my hill," and she would ask me to call her when I got here so she would know I made it OK.

If I have lived this scenario once I have lived it fifty times. What is the one thing I would have changed? This: instead of being so concerned about her blood pressure and/or weight, I would have picked up a box of sweet cookies or cakes for her to enjoy while riding out the storm. I would have baked them. I would have made a double batch. She loved sweet things and I know this sounds idiotic and small, but it would have made her happy. It would make me happy now. This is not to say I never got her sweets, I did. But on a day like this I would have just brought the damn milk and bread. While I was so worried about her diet and blood pressure, cancer came in under the radar and stole her. In the end it was never the sugar and cholesterol. In the end, she couldn't eat a piece of toast, a cracker crumb, not even a swallow of coffee without cancer forcing it back out of her. In the end, all anyone wanted was for her to eat but cancer wouldn't allow it.

I miss her. I miss her weather updates. I miss her predictable jokes. I miss it all.

Christmas Pageant(s)

Middle had her pageant at school on Wednesday and even Miss could go because her school was cancelled due to the weather. It was very cute, as it always is. She sang loud and proud. There is church pageant rehearsal on Saturday morning and in that one she is sharing the part of Gabriele with another little girl. The other girls mom suggested they share the part because there are quite a lot of lines for just one to remember at this age. She is very excited to be able to talk REAL LOUD in church so that the people in the back can hear her. Miss is playing the part of Mary and is very excited because baby Jesus is being played by a REAL BABY this year, not a doll. She will be in charge of swaddling him in the manger. All I can say is he has very trusting parents.

Maybe his Head Wasn't Screwed on Just Right

All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not. The Grinch hated Christmas — the whole Christmas season. Oh, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or maybe his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the best reason of all May have been that his heart was two sizes too small

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The weather report for the next four days is snow, snow, snow and snow. The kids have already used two snow days this year and we still have a solid three months left of potentially bad storms. Sigh.

I'm going to the grocery store (aka my home away from home) when Mr gets home. I will most likely be joined there by 90% of the community because when the weatherman predicts snow for four days we all have to stock up on our beer and potato chips. Oh, and milk.

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Christmas Tea

Our town's girl scouts put on a tea this past Sunday and it turned out nice. Of course, there was a bit of confusion when they made it a formal mother/daughter tea six days before the event, but in the end it was fun. There were little sandwiches and cookies and of course tea. Some of the kids didn't like tea, but not my Miss. She was born in the south you know. Tea runs in the blood of southerns.

Oh, Christmas Tree...

So over at the tree farm there is a bounty of trees to pick from, and as you can see here, the Mouse family has staked their claim on a beaut.



It was so cold this day so of course that is the day the baby discovers she can rip off mittens. Luckily daddy was near to stick them back on.

(A cute snippet of this adventure: When the baby saw the tree lying on its side after my dad cut his down, she said "OH, aww boo-boo mommy. Tree have boo-boo on. Awww" She felt bad for the tree! I Love it)

I am all out of order with my pictures, but this is from this afternoon. The kids finally were all home and awake at the same time so we got our tree decorated. Check my Flickr page for more pictures.

As you can imagine, the tree is bottom heavy. The kids only put the ornaments on the tree at their level and down. Every other year I would have to sit on my hands to not 'fix' the symmetry (at least until they went to bed) but it doesn't even faze me this year. I guess I finally have embraced the sweetness of it. Some day they will be tall enough to not decorate the bottom half, and I will reminisce...

I Lied

I won't be posting the pictures tonight. I tired. Very much. Me no sleep last night. Plus busy day today. And annoying toddler that tantrum too much. Mine head hurt. Everything jumbled inside, need sleep.

To Be Continued With Pictures

What a weekend! It started with a huge winter storm rolling in Thursday night, cancelling school on Friday. Friday was supposed to be Miss's Christmas concert at school, so that is rescheduled for tomorrow. Yesterday I did a few haircuts and we cut down our tree. Today Miss and I had a Girl Scout Christmas tea, and a leaders meeting right after. Then tonight, to top off the weekend, we watched Prince Caspian. It is two and a half hours long, so we were going to watch the first half tonight, and finish tomorrow but we couldn't turn it off! I'm not sure if I liked it better then Narnia, but it was very good. I would like to see them back to back, but who has five hours to do that!? Anyway, I will get the pictures off the camera tomorrow night and give the visuals then. Goodnight!

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Swinging In Snowsuits

And this was yesterday, before the snowstorm hit.

She is a maniac I tell you.

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Christmas Vacation

Clark: Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah

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Those Bastards Are At It Again

And if you can't imagine who I'm talking about, why it is Frontier, of course. Except this time the upped the ante. Instead of just wiping out my Internet connection, this time they took the phone line with them. Niiiiice. I guess it was about 15 hours that I was without a phone. I never realized how much I liked having phone service until I thought about no 911, no receiving calls from the school if needed, no asking Mr. to bring home some milk on his way home. Or vodka. Anyway, it is back on and just in time for the nasty weather approaching: Snow, sleet and about 8 inches of it. Yay, winter.

Quack

I'm not turning into a infomercial, and I'm definitely not getting paid to say this, but this stuff-

Duck Tape Window Kit

-is awesome!
We have old windows and can't seem to find that five grand we left laying around to replace them, so this year I saw this and for ten bucks thought I would give it a try.
Mr. did the application and he said it was really easy. He just spread out the clear wrap (it looks like Saran wrap), and then he used the adhesive to make it stay on the window frame. Next he got the blow dryer out and for a minute let the hot hair blow on the plastic. I'm telling you, you would never ever know there was anything there! No wrinkles or bubbles. The baby actually bumped her head against it while trying to look out our window. We only did three windows but will do all next year unless the five grand shows up.

And, our room is noticeably warmer. Our kitchen window over the sink has a gap in it and whenever I stood doing dishes I could always feel the cold air coming in. And when the winter winds were blowing, it would make my hair move the seal is so loose. Not now. I don't know how much energy and money this will save us, but definitely more then the ten bucks I paid for it.

This Is How Cold It Is At My House

Santa's Secret Helper

'The shit I put up with to live in this place.'




Don't look into her eyes... they will hypnotize you.

'Yeah, it's so funny to see the dog in earmuffs, ha ha. Just wait till you go to sleep and I jump up on the couch and shed half my weight in fur, then we will see who is laughing.'

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"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. " Buddy, from the movie Elf.

Today, Ho Hum

• Today we melted white and dark chocolate and dipped marshmallows and pretzels in it. Then we covered them with red or green sprinkles. We were going for the bananas next and if you had stopped by we just might have dipped you in chocolate too. There has to be worse things then getting dunked in chocolate, right?
• I went this morning to quickly pick up the Christmas pictures at the store and finished the shopping I needed to do so that Novellas box could be sent on Monday. It will probably not arrive in time for the 25th, but at least it will be on its way. I am always late in sending her things, like MONTHS late, yet she is consistently on time- early actually. Makes me feel little. Very, very little.
• I knew from the time I heard how long my grandma had to live that I would miss her after she was gone. I knew it would be hard but I didn't realize this: I lost a friend. I thought I was losing a grandmother, and I did, but I didn't realize I would be losing my close friend too. She was someone I told everything to. I talked to her about important things and also about nonsense things and she listened to both with interest. She would tell me things too. She would help me understand the kids and their phases. She would reminisce about when her kids were little and when I was little. She would retell gossip she heard through the grapevine at her senior meetings. I would tell her about some fiasco Eric was trying and she would laugh. I would tell her about perceived injustices done unto me and she would be indignant for me. She would offer her help with the kids when one needed me at school. She would accompany me to the grocery store. I would do her hair every week. I would stop by for a bit and we would have a coffee together. I would grab her mail and she would read to Baby. The void she has left in my life was more apparent this week then any other yet. I will not be buying her a gift this Christmas - her name isn't on my list this year. And, for the first time in my 34 years, I won't be getting anything from her. I won't be stopping at her house Christmas morning after we open our presents at home, the kids won't be decorating her tree any more... it doesn't quite feel like things are right.

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Charlie Brownest

"... I think there must be something wrong with me Linus, Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy, I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel ... just another dang Christmas I guess, I like getting presents, and sending Christmas cards, and decorating the tree and all that but I'm still not happy, I always end up getting depressed ..."

"... Charlie brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful gaping white Christmas and turn it into a problem, maybe you shouldn't gripe, of all the Charlie Browns in the world you are the Charlie Brownest ..."

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It's My Back, Bessie

As I was picking up the random items that make their way on to my floor this morning, I twisted some important component in my back. Oh Lord, the pain! I gasped, then froze thinking it would disappear if I played possum, then sloooowly stood straight and saw fireworks. I haven't been able to bend at the waist without feeling like I'm about 115 years old since. I took Advil, put the baby down for her nap, played four bored games (yes that is how I spell it, because they are BORING) with Middle and chilled until Baby woke up, and still feel pain. Right in the lower back. I took more Advil and nothing eased. When Mr. comes home I am taking a pain pill I have left over from when I had Middle. Five years ago. It will either work, not work, or put hair on my chest. I'll let you know.

Thanks Dory

You know what you gotta do when life gets you down?

Just keep swimming

Just keep swimming

Just keep swimming swimming swimming

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After watching Finding Nemo a couple of years ago, when one of the kids can't quite 'get' something, or they are trying really hard on a project sometimes I sing "Just Keep Swimming". It was sung by Dory in the movie (my favorite character) and it was so annoying to Nemos dad, but it was catchy and cute. The song has come to me at such appropriate times since our first viewing of the movie, and the kids always smile and even sing along when I start.

SO, this morning after Miss had left on the bus for school, I was in the bathroom thinking (which always seems to cause me problems) and started feeling a little low. Grandma thoughts, you know. I came out with the hair clips ready to call Middle to come get her hair did and before I could, out of no where she enters the room singing, Just keep swimming, Just keeeeeeeep swimming, and I smiled. She was right after all. Just keep swimming. Keep going. Move. Keep living life and swim, swim, swim.

How did she know I needed that?

My Glamorous Life

Look at my accomplished to-do list for today:

• Change the sheets (4 mattresses)
• Dust
• Clean the bathroom
• Vacuum
• Organize shoes in my closet
• Unload/then reload dishwasher
• Five loads of laundry
• Cleaned up dog puke
• Cleaned up a broken (by Baby) snow globe
• Picked up about 167 Polly Pocket pieces

And yes, I'm bragging.

Send Out Good Thoughts

My dad has been sick and I'm asking all my kind internet friends to send out thoughts of good health to my dad. He goes to the doctor again on Wednesday and hopefully gets some good news. Thank you!

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