merry christmas...

Whew! What a week. Thursday marked ten years of marriage for the mister and me. We laughed about how long and short ten years feels at the same time...in our ten years we've brought three children into the world, lived in two states, owned three homes and six cars, and on and on. My grandpa said it best, "that's already a lifetime's worth of doing." Caleb was released from the hospital Friday afternoon and is doing very well. Thanks a million to everyone for the prayers and well wishes! The meds he's on have obliterated his sleeping schedule, but we'll take it and we'll like it considering the alternative. Logan is working double time to catch up on all the antagonizing his brother he missed out on when Caleb was in the hospital. I've resorted to dangling the-Santa's-elf-is-watching-you reminder over their heads again until after the holidays.

There's still plenty to be done around here so I better run. In the meantime I hope everyone has a great Christmas and gets everything they wished for from Santa!!

the best laid plans...

Caleb was admitted into the hospital this morning. His asthma went haywire for the first time ever. His body can't maintain proper oxygen levels at the moment so he is on what they're calling room oxygen (as opposed to an oxygen tent I suppose) and breathing treatments every four hours. He'll be there overnight tonight and we'll find out tomorrow whether or not his stay will extend further. Needless to say it's been an exhausting day...I've cried more than once...not because he's in dire staits necessarily because he isn't or at least they are leading us to believe that he isn't, but mainly seeing my child with a gray cast to his normally rosy skin and tubes in his nose and in him arm is heartbreaking. He's being a trooper for the most part...he and Lynn are "camping out" at the hospital tonight. When I left them there tonight he was ready to come home too. He's been ready to come home since they jammed the I.V. into his hand and drew blood this morning.

So with all that going on everything else has fallen by the wayside. I don't think there will be any Christmas cookies this year. There are definitely going to be some unfinished gifts. I've been waiting for a few more ornament swappers' packages to arrive and since I haven't received them and haven't heard from the folks in question I'm just going to work with what I've got for now and then divvy what comes later when it comes. I'm going to try to ship the packages on Thursday. Will keep you posted. Now to try to get some sleep! It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

P.S. If you've got some extra prayers laying around, we'll gladly take them :).

bah humbug...

Dear Assholes,
I love Christmas carols as much as the next guy; however, I do not love tinny, craptacular musical tree versions blaring toward my house at 8:39p.m. when my kids are trying to go to sleep. Seeing as the first two times we asked you to please turn the music down because it was affecting our children's sleep schedules didn't appeal to your better senses I've figured out a remedy to our little problem and I am one hundred percent sure you won't figure out why it's happening or how I do it. I am also one hundred percent sure that I will cackle with glee every time I do do it!

So with that, Merry Christmas! And as a gentle reminder to us all...karma is a bitch. But then again, so am I.

Love, Amy

* * * * *
12/12 When I can tear myself away from my new toy I'll shoot an email out to you guys and spill all the details :).

molly walks...

just call the authorities...

if you happen to see me wandering aimlessly through my neighborhood missing clumps of hair and blathering nonsense. When you do find me in this state, more than likely what's caused this break with reality is one of my offspring has again flushed a ball of toilet paper the size of their (Proff-sized) head down the toilet causing it to overflow all the while forgetting to tell me that the toilet is overflowing.

I hate toilets.

for your viewing pleasure...

!!!

How is everyone doing? Busy I'm sure. We've been out Christmas shopping this weekend and I have to say...thank God for the internet, because after today I refuse, R E F U S E, to step foot in another retail establishment this season. Everywhere we went today was a nightmare. Most places were understaffed, half of what we tried to buy was grossly mis-marked price wise...are retailers counting on people either not paying attention or just giving in to being ripped off after standing in line for ten to fifteen minutes before making it to the register? Gah.



After all that un-Christmas-like garbage we came home and finally put up our Christmas tree. I feel much better now. This year Lynn had to be out so the boys and I were able to work at a leisurely pace...which was nice all by itself. BUT! Even better, the boys are both to an age now that they appreciate having special ornaments and were excited (Logan more than Caleb) to hear about all of my ornaments and I was excited to tell them about all my ornaments.

The going through the ornaments is always one of my MOST favorite things to do every year. Remembering who gave me what, who made what for me. I'll have to take pictures of my favorites and post them. When my sibs and I were young my Aunt Patty used to make us an ornament every year to go along with our Christmas presents. They were always awesome and I always looked forward to seeing what she would make for us each year. Most of them hang on my tree here at home. I think one or two are still at my parents' house as part of the family collection. I have thirty-two Hallmark Keepsakes ornaments from my Patsy Grandma. I have handpainted china ornaments she made for me too. My grandpa Fred gave me several ornaments over the years too. I've bought a bunch for myself (love it when the Christmas Shops have their big end-of-season sales). Then there's all the great ones I've received from all the different swaps I've participated in. Before too long we'll have to put together our own Frankenstein tree or decorate two trees to accommodate all of our ornaments.



Earlier this month I set up a Christmas radio station on Pandora: click here to listen. I have to say the set up isn't as precise when setting up a station based on a particular song (as they suggest you do to create a holiday station) so the playlist is really hit or miss.

Now I'm going to go work on my swap ornaments and then go to bed! Lots and lots to do still. I think I'm going to ask Santa to give me three more hours a day and an extra set of hands too.