Winter happenings...

Winter is usually not my favorite time of year. Nothing has changed, I still pretty much hate winter, but in the last couple of weeks, we've been able to do some fun "wintery" things.

Last Sunday, was the Girl Scout Christmas party. It wasn't really a party so much as it was a gathering of all the Girl Scouts from all the grades at school, and their families who could come. I was fortunate enough to be able to get off work, and go! It was held at Steinberg Ice Rink. It was myself and my three Girl Scouts....my Junior, my Brownie and my Daisy.

It was really the perfect ice skating day. It was like 40-50 ish degrees, but very windy. So, it would get warm if you were skating in your two layers of clothes that your mother made you wear, but you didn't get cold!

Alena was very worried before going that she was going to fall, and that another skater would skate over her fingers and cut them off. (geez, where does she get this crazy thinking from??? ;)) I was worried that Julianne would have a very difficult time even standing up in the skates. But ALL three girls had a blast! Julianne was able to give the rail a death grip and go 1/4 way around, and then back. After that, she was "ready to go back to grandmas". ha ha!

But Allison had a blast, and Alena had a really, really great time! She did not want to leave! After a few hours, Allison had sore baby toes, but really, that was the only complaint of the day. I did not skate, but rather took pictures and talked with the other moms! A good day was had by all.

The next fun "wintery" thing we've done is make Gingerbread men. Well, I should say we decorated them.... Target has a great deal on them, so I picked up a couple packs. The kids were really excited to get to do it, but as almost usual, it turned into a circus side show.

Ugh. It started off cool....then about halfway through, it started to get a little hairy, and the kids started "discussing" who had more cookies, who used more icing, and where on earth had all the little gumdrops gone?? (hint hint...check Julianne's mouth...)

It ended in an almost full blown fight, as Mason was soooo upset over not having enough gumdrops, and Allison worried that somebody actually ATE one of her cookies.... But, it was fun, and I have one more package to do...and when we do it, THEY WILL have FUN, gosh darnit!

The other fun winter/Christmas thing we've done is go to my employer's Christmas party. It was held at a place called Time For Dinner. I had an awesome, awesome time! I took my oldest daughter Allison with me. Allison has been wanting to take a cooking class for some time now, so this was a great and fun thing for her to experience.

I also had fun taking pics with my new camera.

So, even though I despise the cold, and the early darkness, and the high heating bills, and the scraping of ice off my windshield, and the dry skin, and the coats, hats, gloves, socks, wet floors, and everything else that comes with winter, I do enjoy the fun things I get to do with my family, that I otherwise would not be able to do in the summer.

Jury Duty...

I can now mark, "Going to Jury Duty" off my list of things to do. After nearly 8 years of dodging the bullet due to various reasons such as, babies, breastfeeding, working hardship, blah blah blah, they finally forced me to go and stay. In a way, it was exciting, because I truly did want to experience it, and see how things happen. But, I was also a bit worried that I would get picked, because I have a very important meeting regarding Julianne today at 5 pm, that I COULD NOT miss.

So, this is how it went.

First of all, not only did I have to attend jury duty, downtown, where I am not so familiar with how to get there and park and find the shuttle, all in a timely manner. (All of which I did fine, thank goodness!), but it also was icing, and snowing...which if you know me at all, you know that I am scared crapless to drive in the snow and ice. On top of that already mounting stressful bowl of life, I had to get situated my daycare issue. My sweet Aunt Mary, who usually drives to the city on Monday's to watch the little Pepperoni's offered to stay the night on Sunday, so she wouldn't have to deal with the drive and ice issues. It was such a sweet offer, but I told her it wasn't necessary, because the kids would probably be off school, since the great Meteorologists were predicting GREAT snow and ICE, as if the world was going to fall off its axis because of so much snow. So, the plan was that Jeff would take off work and stay with the kids, who would surely be out of school...since it was going to be so "bad". Well, there was ice, but it ended up not being so bad, and the kids were NOT off school, which threw the whole plan out the window. But, my dear husband does not mind driving in ice and snow, and graciously took Audrey over to my mom's to watch for the day.

Back to Jury Duty.

I get there at 8 am. Sit in my chair, in my "jury duty zone". Jury Duty Zone is when you sit in your chair, acting as if you don't mind that there are 400 other people in the room with you, two of which are touching your arms and you are squeezing your butt and legs so tight because, God forbid if you touch legs...that would be too much. And I sat reading, or pretending to read my book borrowed from my 10 year old, and ate from my bag of chocolate covered peanuts. Until 10:30, when my Juror number was called. So, I head to the assigned area, and sit some more. Same deal, different spot. Then go to the courtroom. Find out it is going to be a criminal trial. Cool, I think...beats people suing over stupid stuff. A rape trial. Ok, maybe not so cool, but should be interesting none the less.

Well, that is where the coolness stops, and the very irritating, annoying and any other word that would mean, "Totally getting on my nerves" starts. We just get started...and by started, I mean, we just start to get questioned to see who might actually get to be a juror in this case, when WHAMO, why not break for 2 freaking hours for lunch. Gosh darn it. What the hello am I supposed to do for 2 hours, downtown, where I can't leave, because my car is parked elsewhere, and it is snowing and icing out???? Geez.

So, after lunch, we get back into the courtroom, sit down, when immediately the guy with the gun in the brown suit says, "The judge needs a little more time. Please go wait outside the room, it should be about 20 more minutes." Well, in jury duty time, 20 minutes means TWO HOURS. Good lord, I'm not even kidding. What a hard thing to do, wait.

After the two hour long 20 minutes, we get back in...more questioning...still no jurors picked. SURE, why not just come back in the morning and start all over. Ugh.

So, this morning....it is SNOWING!!! ugh ugh ugh. I get there ON TIME. 9 am sharp I am sitting in my juror chair. Waiting more. 9:45 the guy in the brown suit with the gun, again starts to talk. This time, however, he said the guy took a plea, and sorry you all had to come here in this weather, but that is how it works around here.

Home I went.

Time served....I better not get called again for a long time. :)

Poor Baby...

If you were hoping to open my blog this day to read a happy, uplifting, cutesy kid story, you'd better exit right now. This story I am about to tell is a sad, horrific, terrible story. It involves a dog, a baby and a toddler.

If you continue on from here, it is your own fault. It is Christmastime afterall, and I cannot be responsible for your feeling sadness at what should be a happy time.

And this is how the story goes.

Audrey, the toddler, was playing with her friend Beebe. They were having a great day. Playing, tossing, hiding...all the great things toddlers and Beebe's do.

Well, shortly after lunch, Audrey realized that Beebe had gone missing. She looked high and low for her. At the very last second before naptime, she heard something. Something strangely familiar. It couldn't be. It better not be!!!

It was.

It was the dog. That &*@#@!! dog that lives in the kitchen had somehow gotten ahold of Beebe! It was a sight that nobody should have been allowed to see. After a long standoff by bad dog, we were able to get Beebe back. But....it wasn't pretty.

Audrey begged to see her one last time. It was almost too much for her to take.

But Audrey was brave. She said her goodbye's. Poor Baby, she said. Over and over and over and over.

She even asked if she would be able to give Beebe her feet for Beebe to use. But the doctors said it wouldn't help.

Audrey had a talk with the authorities.

and it was decided that "Bad Dog" was to be quarantined forever in the klink.

R.I.P Beebe....

A bedtime prayer...

The scene:
Julianne tucked under her covers. Hair braided ever so cutely, just for bed. She is lying on clean (spiderman) sheets, freshly showered and ready to sleep. I'm kneeling next to her bed, doing the whole, "nighty night, kissy kissy" say your prayers routine. I say, "Julianne, let me hear you say a prayer". This was her prayer:

Dear God. Can you please drop me a baby doll down here to me. I'll catch it. I am in *this* house, see me?

:) Awesome prayer!

About Alena...

Tonight I would like to introduce you to my 7 year old daughter, Alena. We recently sat down for an interview. (Just so happened to be in the car while I was driving, but eh!) Here is an excerpt from that great interview:

Mom: Thanks for meeting me for this
interview, Alena. I'm glad you could finally pencil me into your calender.

Alena: Oh, you're welcome. Just make it fast please. I've got
people to see, and things to do...

Mom: Yes, yes,
surely. So, tell me. Who are your three most favorite people in the world.

Alena: (long pause....) My mom. My dad. (another long pause...)
and myself.

Mom: Oh, very good. It is a very good
thing for people to like themselves. Now tell me, what is your most favorite
thing to do?

Alena: I have lots of favorite things.

Mom: Ok, well if you had to pick ONE thing....what would
it be?

Alena: (shrugging shoulders in a bothered manner) I like
hanging out with my friends.

Mom: Great! Friends are
lucky to have you to hang with! Now, if you could go anywhere in the world,
where would it be and why?

Alena: (without hesitation) Paris!!

Mom: Paris? Why??

Alena: It has lots
of cool things to do there, like shopping.

Mom: I
wasn't even aware you knew about Paris. Interesting. So, what would you like for
Christmas?

Alena: (A very, very long pause.) I don't know. I
guess a Nintendo DS.

Mom: What is you favorite color and number.

Alena: Oh, I think Pink, and 16.

Mom:
What do you like most about school?

Alena: Math is my favorite
subject, but I like having lunch the most.

Mom: What
do you plan to do when you grow up?

Alena: I am going to be two
things. First, a singer. And second, a veterinarian.

Mom: A
singing vet...that would be cool! What do you like most about being in a family
with so many kids?

Alena: I don't know.

Mom: What is the worst thing about that?

Alena: All
the yelling, and never any quiet.

Mom: Well, thank
you Alena for meeting with me tonight. As an ending question, tell me what you
would like people to know about you.

Alena: Um....that I am nice.

Well, there you go. That is my Alena.

A bunch of stuff...

First, my sweet sweet girl, Alena, made her first reconciliation yesteray at church. For all us "old schoolers", that is neuvo for "confession"! Alena is a very sweet little girl, who unfortunately, gets overlooked sometimes, as she is not as "emotional" and needy as Allison, and she doesn't need as much "mommy help" as the little guys do. So, I often feel guilty for not having enough time to devote to her, because she is really the sweetest little girl, who just wants some attention. It was nice to be able to go and watch her and her class do something they had been preparing for all year. Next....first communion!

Second, I have a super wonderful friend named Loryne. We have a lot in common, and we've known eachother for years. Strangely enough, we've never met, lol! We are "cyber" friends. We first met on an ebay selling bullitan board, and now "talk" daily on another "sister" site! Last year, Loryne sent me TONS of stuff for the kids, and myself for Christmas. So much so....that I was and still am amazed at the kindness of a person who has never met me or my family. Well, yesterday, I got yet another Christmas surprise from her. It was a red ball, an ornament actually. Her sweet note said, "this is all ready to go, just turn on!" I had no idea what it was really, and thought it was going to play music or something. So, I turned it on....and like a little television, a slideshow of pictures of my kids just started flashing by on the cute little screen. I was dumbfounded at the amount of time she must have invested on making this. Downloading pictures then uploading them....buying this sweet gift....mailing it. It was just heartwarming. Thank you Loryne. I will cherish this always.

Third, I got my NEW camera!!! Another wonderful "cyber" friend of mine, Stacey, let me put her Canon Rebel Xti in Lay-a-way with her! She was selling it. So, I sold my gold, sold some stuff on ebay, and made small payments over a bunch of months....and I finally got it! I am STOKED!! Now, all I need to do is figure out how to use it! :) Here are some pictures I have taken. These were all just point and shoot...no fancy footwork yet. Maybe my Uncle Bill can give me some photo pointers while he is here on Christmas Eve...wink wink....








And this one....she was digging in the dirt, and then her nose. What a little princess!