Santa gets cooler EVERY year!

*sorry about the poor quality, no scanner, so took the photo with my macbook.


First off, my suggestion to go see Santa right after picking up Sir Rowland from school was the most genius thing EVAH. I mean EVAH.

There was one tot sitting with Santa. One, and NO LINE. Can you believe that? No line.

This meant that Sir Rowland, and Pink Ninja got as LONG as they wanted with the big guy.

First photos. Done.

I might mention here, Pink Ninja remains under the weather. Ick...Sir Rowland is better. Pink Ninja, not so much. She is also grouchy and bossy when she is sick. Oye. So she was not so sure about Santa Claus. Sir Rowland, LOVES Santa, not a problem.

So photos taken. Not the greatest photo of Pink Ninja, but Sir Rowland...well look at his face. You also will note, Pink Ninja is all sick looking around the mouth, dry and pink from the constant stream of snot, and from tissues being smeared across her face.

So Santa gave them candy canes, and chatted with them for a bit about the wish list this year. I am not sure what Pink Ninja wants, but she did chat with him.

Before leaving I mentioned to Santa that today Pink Ninja was celebrating her birthday, and do you know what he did? He brought her over to his big chair and sang Happy Birthday to her. Santa sang Happy Birthday, loudly and proudly. He also gave her a tiny reindeer. WOW.

Then we went off to Build a Bear. A place frankly we have avoided as a one income home. But she had one request for her Birthday and it was a build a bear. Frankly we were ready to be hit pretty hard, due to the array of costuming and accessories these folks have to dress the darn bears with. But guess what? She picked out Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer. Guess what, Rudolph does not wear clothes. Easy and painless.

Then off to our favorite Chinese Eatery. It was horrible, no veggies. Ok a mushrrom and cabbage here and there, but no veggies. Ick. This is why I cook 21 meals a week at home. I swear.

We did have time to do a bit of window shopping, I found the snazziest skirt ever at Ann Taylor, Cream, and chocolate plaid. However they are out of their minds with the 98$ tag....to rich for my blood. do you know what I can do with $98 dollars? I can do some amazing stuff with that. I told the woman it had better be wool, which it was, but still. I will buy it when it goes on sale, or when someone knocks it off at a discount retailer.

Do you wish you were at SpouseBuzz Live 3?

Me too...

but we can virtually attend

Come watch my Synchronicity Live show at 8:30 AM on 12/1/2007

Tissue Issue, The Green King, and Pink Ninja Will be 4 in the morning.

November came in like a lion, and went out like a lion, did it not?

What happens this time of year, that makes time fly? I have been busy this week running around from here to there. With a child in school it seems as though there is always some paperwork that comes home that needs to be filled out. This week, it was the third field trip. This next one, is to a Christmas tree farm. It sounds like fun, and the day includes a hay rack ride, hot cocoa. DH will be going as a chaperone. Should be fun. There was also paying for the third quarter gymnastics for Sir Rowland and third quarter ballet for Pink Ninja.

I did manage to go through some of Pink Ninja's clothing. She has GROWN so quickly, it is amazing. She has outgrown all of her blue jeans, and is wearing her Brother's discarded 5T slims. She is a tall, and it is amazing. Normally I dress her in skirts and tights in the fall, and maybe I should continue to do so. Her little legs just keep growing.

Sir Rowland has been preparing for the Church's annual Christmas program. He had 3 songs to memorize, and is doing quite nicely, he loves singing. Last night we found out he will be the green King, and he has agreed to wear the costume, which includes a very ornate large hat. I am hoping to get a ton of photos. He will also be performing at the local long term care center in costume. I am pleased he has agreed to wear the costume, as he is not a fan of dressing up. He did so for AWANA, but declined to participate in trick or treating.

I got a call from Sir Rowland's teacher this morning, it seems as though he had a rough morning. Things have been going well for him, I am unsure what set him off in the wrong direction, but his mood is hard to turn when it is headed South. His Grammie sent him a big box of goodies yesterday, she included a little pack of Puffs tissue with Vicks in them. She wrote a note on the package that said "For Little Mans Backpack". Last night he took one out and smelled them and proclaimed his hatred for Vicks, and told me he did not want them in his pack. Well I guess he changed his mind at about 9am, when he was frantically searching for them while simultaneously having a meltdown about these Puffs with vicks. The teacher called for me to come get him, because he was so upset about these missing tissues. I explained to the teacher that they were currently on my table because he did not want them last night. I will tell you this, he processes things visually, so when he read the note on the pack, he probably forgot about the conversation with me, and just remembered that they should be in his backpack. Oye Vey.... I guess he settled down for the rest of the day, but geesh....Oh, and the tissues are in his backpack now.

Pink Ninja, turns 4 at around 3'ish this am. Funny, how I thought I would never forget the actual time. I will look it up in the morning. My baby is 4. She is 4, wearing a size 5T in clothing, and an 11 shoe. My baby is 4. She still looks teeny most of the time. Even with the new haircut she gave herself! Tonight i got to go Birthday shopping for her from her Grampanio. I managed to get a lot, with the money he sent. I even managed to get 2 pair fuzzy footed jammies! She will be toasty. She has been under the weather, and I am hoping she feels better in time for her birthday breakfast. There are big plans for the day. A trip to see Santa for the annual Santa photo and the "list". The one gift she will be getting from DH and I is a build a bear. That was actually her only request for months, and then a trip to the Chinese Restaurant for dinner, and home for strawberry cake and ice cream. She can write her name now, she can identify all letters. For a child of 4 I am amazed at her ability to read people's emotions. (I am guessing this is from living with a sibling whose mood dictates the mood of the house at times, which we try to avoid, but it happens). She can read emotions, and mood like no other 4 year old I know, she is also a very joyous child most of the time. She likes to run fast, and jump from high places, she has no sense of fear. And when I remind her of her that she has already broken her arms, and so she should be careful she will tell me...."Well I haven't broken my legs yet." Yeah she is going to give me a heart attack. and she remains one of the most gorgeous people I know, inside and out.

30 days

There are few moments in my life where I have sat back and soaked in what was going on. Probably out of self preservation, or just plain old fashioned being too busy. Idle hands and all of that...

There are a few moments I can recall where i have had to stop and soak. I have been reminded of them over the last couple of weeks.

This was during DH's absence, and I had gone back to my hometown to care for my Mother.

I was in the Suburban, and I cannot recall where I was going to or coming from. I was pregnant, very pregnant, and it was snowing. I am going to guess I was headed to the grocery store, or to see the midwife, as those were "the outings" in those days. But I can recall the moment, the intersection, the snow falling down in large wet flakes, and the traffic being heavy as it was Christmas and people were out running about shopping and preparing for the day.

A couple of weeks prior to this day, we had taken my Mother to yet another Dr. in another town to see what are options were. The options were running thin. She had just had her 4th or 5th MRI, the tumors that had disappeared miraculously, were now back. There were now 7 brain tumors to deal with. Radiation could no longer be done...and options. Well they just seemed far fetched and out of reach. Maybe we could go to MD Anderson and try the newest ablation therapy, but the cost involved was far beyond what all of us could manage, Plus I would have to pack up and live in a hotel with my ailing Mother who was requiring at least 2 of us to move her in and out of bed, or to the commode. There was no way I could cook for us in a hotel room, or afford living in a hotel. People kept sending us stories of miraculous treatments from all over the World. And frankly it was devastating, the logistics and financial part of curing my Mother...

The last Dr. told her in front of us all while staring at her X-rays that "you really need to make your final arrangements".....and we left his office. My Brother pushing my Mother in her wheel chair, my Mother swollen beyond recognition from all of the steroids to keep the inflammation of her brain down, allow fluids to flow from one ventricle to another. Her hair thinned, her color sallow and ashy. My Mother who had just turned 62...my beautiful Mom. And she looked at the Dr. and said.."well thank you". She looked at us and suggested a dinner out.

And as my Brother pushed her wheel chair, my Father and I lagged behind asking the Dr. exactly how much time we had. "30 days, maybe".

And I recall my Mother talking to my Brother and my Sister, my Father and I lagging behind eyes full of tears, unable to make anything out but shadows....but I could hear her voice. And I think I saw my Father's heart break, I saw his spirit sink, and I think we both could have cried for weeks.

And that moment in the car at the intersection, was one of the most painful I can recall. I had to realize that this Christmas would be the last with my Mother. There was no fixing 7 brain tumors. I had to sit at the intersection, and listen "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas"...and I literally had to hand all over to God. I had no choice. I felt like I was going to grow out of my skin from pain.

And so when I wonder where my melancholy comes from this time of year. I do not need to wonder for very long...Christmas is a bitter sweet time for many of us. A time to celebrate, and a time to reflect.

And we had longer than 30 days at the end.

Duncan Hunter and McCain handled this well

Gays, Guns, and God?

The YouTube debate

You can watch it HERE

The debate

I did not get to watch it live, I was at church.

I have not picked a candidate yet.

I know who I do not like.

I do not like Gulianni, he likes gun control legislation.

I do not like Huckabee, I live in his home state, I can see what he has done. He has put in place many "nanny" like legislation. The educational system here is in horrendous condition.

I did like this exchange last night.

The strangest Christmas

About 10-11 years ago, we had decided to trek across the country for Christmas. This was before children. I will not go into details, or name names, but we made the very costly trek, taking time off from work, which at the time was almost impossible. Particularly with DH working at the city/county jail, and I as a nurse. It was difficult getting time off from work. I think both of us were also in college at least part time.

So we made the trek halfway across the United States, with a Prime Rib tied to the roof of the Ford Explorer. It was cold, no one got food poisoning.

We spent the holiday on a couch under mortician certificates. No one died, we were spending the holiday at extended families immediately family who is in the business of taking care of the dead.

It seemed surreal at the time, and it remains the strangest Christmas I think I have ever had.

So the family Christmas photos from that year are family lined up on a couch under morticians certificates.

Surreal indeed.

It is beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

One of the best things about The Season. David Sedaris reading his Santaland Diaries.

You can listen to David Sedaris reading a portion of his Santaland Diaries here

This is a great book, but nothing beats David Sedaris reading it!

Happy Holidays.

Need to laugh more? Here is more David Sedaris.

UPDATE, I found all 3 parts!!


Part 1



Part 2



Part 3

Christmas and Candy exchange repost

Certainly I am not the only one that is preparing my kitchen for this grand holiday. I asked others to share they're favorite recipe's, in the comments, in a post, or send them in an email!! WOW. There are a lot of recipes to try here folks!

So get the flour, eggs, chocolate, and some counter space, because here we go!!

Biting the Heads off of Gummy Bears, submitted several recipes, some of these taking very few ingredients, which is a bonus.


There is toffee, mounds candy, snickerdoodle cookies and more! A recipe for "totally easy caramel corn", which looks delicious, I get so hungry for caramel corn, and I am definitely making this! I think it also makes a great gift for neighbors, teachers etc.

Shakey Pete, takes the time to steal one of Linda Lou's recipes, instead of reloading ammo!! Actually it is a family recipe called Grandma Hagen's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For the record Oatmeal Raisin cookies are the most requested cookie in this house. I also never feel bad feeding them to the children because, after all there has to be less sugar in them than most "kids cereals", which I rarely buy. Linda Lou's recipe looks yummy, and I will make these at some point.


A Rose By Any Other Name, also submits several recipes!! All of her cookies looked fantastic, and she includes her family favorites! However one caught my eye. Buckeyes!!

I have had these several times, but have never made them. THESE are delicious candies, and if my memory serves me correctly, they are a FAVORITE, everyone's loves these peanut butter and chocolately bits of heaven. These will be made this year!

The Lemon Stand, has done her Christmas baking this year, and even sent the goodies to her DH who is proudly serving our country. She has photos, and an extensive list of recipes.
This includes, banana bread, peanut butter cookies, molasses drop cookies (which sound like they would be good with tea and coffee), and a great recipe for Ginger Bread People. Which just happens to be on the list of things to make!! I think The Collective will have fun decorating these little people, and they love the story of The Ginger Bread Man. Plus biting the head off of a cookie, just screams Happy Holidays!

Sissy, from And What Next submits Mud Cookies. Which have to be easy, because Sissy does not as a rule "cook". There are not many ingredients in these, and they have chocolate in them. Everyone wins. She also submitted one of Tammi's favorite "cheater cakes", called Turtle Cake. I have never been privy to the cake, but I have heard all bloggers give it rave reviews!!

G.R.I.T.S.(girl raised in the south) includes a couple of recipes. Now I will say this, I know this lady can cook, as well as the rest of her folks. Her kin were on their way through here a few weeks ago, and man oh man did they ever SURPRISE us with the biggest of goodies baskets. Delicious.


I was even given some of her Fathers Infamous Fudge. Which I have started calling "my medicine". No kidding, it is that good. She also includes a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake bars. Did someone say cheesecake?

Boston Maggie, decided to play along, although she claims she is "a fly by the seat of your pants type of cook"...She calls this Cookie Pizza.
This recipe looks easy, and includes a cookie crust chocolate chips, and caramel...yeah...I thought you would like that. This would be the perfect thing to take to an office party. Although, if you do, take the recipe with you, people will ask for it. Yummy.

LadyGunn sends this recipe called "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" cookies. They have toffee in them!! How yummy is that. She also makes the suggestion that these be used with ice cream in the center!! Twist my arm!!

Sarah from Trying to Grok, has a recipe that is sure to please your loved one while deployed or at home!! She has even gone as far to name them "Terminator Cookies", after receiving a note that said this...

"I used to be bamboozled by the Terminator paradox...You know, Reese being the father of John Connor but also being sent back by John Connor? Well, now I'm bamboozled by your cookies. How the heck did you make those? They were incredible. I couldn't figure 3 cookies 16 ways, so I ate 'em all myself."
Now that is advertisement, for a cookie, is it not? Go ahead and give the recipe a gander, it is a good one.

My Blog Momma, Tammi played along. The recipe for Pepermint melt away, takes 2 ingredients, and is pretty on a plate. I have not had any for years. Something to do with the candy canes people are sure to send to the collective!


In addition to that easy recipe, she also put up a Chocolate Charlie recipe, 3 ingredients folks!! You can have your own Christmas candy in no time at all!! I love these recipes, because they are simple, and take little time!! You will feel guilty if you do not make any.

Stay tuned folks, due to such a high level of participation, I have part 2 coming up before the weekend!!

The nature of things

Change.

We here are at Casa De Dust, are on the verge of new beginnings, and what was exciting has turned to anxiety. The irony is not lost on me. I promise.

It is frightening to shake things up, for those of us who like routine.

And I have to remember this.

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
~Nin

Change is frightening to many of us.

Going back to work. Frightening. Particularly for someone that has been out of the work force for 5 years. I have always been confidant at my trade. But now, after 5 years. Wow. The possibilities are endless. I actually have to go into work and be the new girl. I have to look "new", heck I have to be new. Ick. That horrifies me. I have to learn names of people, where things are located, others routines.

Working will also certainly shake things up here on the home front, I am sure.

We also have an impending move. When? Hopefully when school is out. A move, particularly after 7 years means going through things, packing, sorting, and saving money.

We, are a National Guard family. We will be lucky, if this relocation is paid for. The last move was not. Chances are we will have to pay for it out of our own pocket. That is frightening. There are a lot of other things that are frightening about a move. Looking for a house, another job, schools, Drs. Frankly the idea of a move, seems to have me paralized right now. Which is silly. There is no choice in the matter.

So I am currently living in 2 Worlds. One which I am ready to leave, and the other I am about to enter.

I need to move my feet one step at a time right? Because the unknown, as exciting as it can be, it can feel like quick sand.

Hack

Fall has arrived here in the Mid-South. The temps are finally dipping consistantly into the 30's and 40's. Brrr. My tolerance for the cold is nothing any longer, and it seems once I get chilled it takes hours for me to get warmed up again. How I will ever tolerate long Nebraska winter is beyond me.

It seems as though the sounds of virul illness and allergies permeate our home. Sniffle, snort, blow, cough, for hours. The sound of my own ill children is going to drive me crazy. I am serious. I am not sure how much more I can take it.

First Sir Rowland was sick for about a month, I took him to the Dr. to find out he is probably immune to his current allergy medicine so we had to switch medications, and then we picked up some filthy nasty bug while at the DR. And now BOTH children are ill. Pink Ninja with the worst of it. Coughing and hacking all hours of the day and night, eventually climbing into bed with us. Ughhhh.

I am unsure what sort of virus this is, but the symptoms are just annoying enough to freak me out, but I do not think ANOTHER trip to the DR. would help.

I am also amazed at how little my children sleep, and I am sure if they slept more, they would feel better.

DH and I managed to get a lot of things done around the house, even though we took naps this weekend.

It is pitch black here by 5:30pm. I mean black. I do not like that one bit.

what?

Weekend continues. I promised The Collective I would teach them how to play BlackJack....

Dark...

It was dark all day here. To make matters more enjoyable, by 5:30 pm it was dark here in the river valley.

Ick ick ick.

I am not doing well with this early darkness thing, it is making me tired, and unmotivated. I am also sure I will have to start pilates/yoga again and give up the walking. It is really dark.

Weekend goals?

Finish filling out my nursing license paperwork.
The usual laundry.
Personal project.

Say it isn't so

Visitor

We had the pleasure of company last night. Jerry from Back Home Again stopped in for dinner. He did not have bibbed overalls on, and we did not get the hay vs. straw demonstration, because we are from the sticks. We even know what a fire # is, that is how rural we are.

I will send you to Jerry's farm posts here, because the stories about his Dad are the most hilarious on the planet.

We managed to get him in the house despite all of the Christmas boxes being drug out.

He is much taller than he appears on his blog.

I served cold broccoli, accidentally.

Pink Ninja, was and continues to be dreadfully ill.

The kids enjoyed showing out.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Last night after the children went to bed, I finally decided to put in the HBO movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

I was very interested in watching this account of the events. I was disappointed almost immediately.

I guess I should not be surprised at the many historical inaccuracies.

I would not dare recommend this movie to anyone that wanted to know about the events surrounding Wounded Knee, or the massacre that took place on Dec 29, 1890. A brief chronology of events can be found here, and here

I would ask that you read Dee Browns book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. This should be required reading for Americans.

One of the most horrifying aspects of the massacre at Wounded Knee has to be the inflammation of events by the MSM at that time.

The term yellow journalism was coined in the 1890s to characterize this new trend in news reporting. Named for R. F. Outcault's popular comic strip, which featured a yellow-robed character named the "yellow kid," the term refers to the circulation war that arose between Hearst's New York Journal and Pulitzer's New York World. The competition began when Hearst, determined to lure readers from Pulitzer's paper, hired Outcault away from the World to draw for the Journal. Pulitzer responded by commissioning a new cartoonist to draw a second "yellow kid" comic. Soon, the war between the two largest New York newspapers became a competition between two "yellow kids," and the term "yellow journalism" was coined to describe the sensationalist, irresponsible journalistic tactics the papers adopted in their attempts to outsell one another.

The Sioux writer Charles Alexander Eastman learned first-hand the potentially devastating impact yellow journalism could have on already tense situations. When the Ghost Dance movement was gaining momentum on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Eastman hoped to diffuse the anxiety the spiritual movement caused in white reservation authorities by assuring them of the non-threatening nature of the dancers' activities. Instead, rumors of a possible Indian attack--rumors started mainly by irresponsible journalists--increased the white authorities' fears. Eastman lamented, "of course, the press seized upon the opportunity to enlarge upon the strained situation and predict an 'Indian uprising.' The reporters were among us, and managed to secure much 'news' that no one else ever heard of." The reporters' specious news stories fueled an already fraught situation that eventually culminated in the tragic massacre of 150 Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in December 1890.

When thinking about Wounded Knee, I cannot help but think of the dangerous rhetoric behind gun control either.

There are photos of the day here.
*they are graphic in nature. And not safe for children.

Thank Them

*this will remain at the top until Thanksgiving.......

Please make sure to thank those that are protecting us, by clicking on the link below and leaving a message of gratitude.

And a Happy Thanksgiving to you

Stuffed. I am full, and I did not even eat a piece of pie.

I woke at about 6:45am, put the turkey in the oven and went back to bed. DH was a darling and got up with The Collective.

I finally crawled out of bed around 8'ish, and noted Pink Ninja looked funny.

All before finishing a cup of coffee....

AWTM: "Darling, did you cut your hair?"

Pink Ninja: staring blankly at me.

AWTM: "DH, did she cut her hair this morning?"

DH: "I don't think so."

AWTM: "I think so, PN, bring the scissors, and then find the hair, and bring it to me:"

Pink Ninja: hands over scissors, and a patch of hair.

*So you know, it is time for the family annual photo for Christmas cards. Of course it is.

Pink Ninja, seemed embarrassed by her efforts, so I told her that I too had cut my hair, DH had also cut his hair when we were tiny. DH also explained that it never looks good when you try and do it yourself. DH then explained to her, that is why we go to professionals to get our hair cut.

*Of course, it is right in front. Of course.

The new garbabge disposal has water leaking around it.

*Of course on the day where I have more dishes than any other day of the year.

WE had a lovely prayer before the delicious meal. I am successful, the meal tasted just like my Moms. We missed our family. We asked for God to watch over those we could not be with. It occurred to us, that today was probably the last Thanksgiving as a a "foursome". Next year we probably will be surrounded by family, at least we hope so.