Christmas

We had a nice Christmas this year. We've had several snow storms, which has been fun. We had a whiter Christmas than we have in the past, so that was really pretty. We're supposed to get more this weekend, I think.



Sunday I spent the day baking and watching the Bears/Packers game. (That was an *awesome game. Sorry Green Bay fans.) We went to my mom's for dinner that night. My brother and sister-in-law are visiting, so it was great to see them, as well as my sister who lives here. We missed you guys, Heather. :(



On Christmas Eve we went to the Chamberlains and had a great time, as always. The kids did some great Christmas music, and we had some lovely ballet performed by Mike in a tutu. I'll be putting the video on YouTube later in the week.

Christmas Day we hung out at home until afternoon, and then went to my mom's for a while. My sister Heather is so talented. Look at the cute hat she made for Lexi and the Superman cape she made for Josh. It reverses to Batman. She also made Brittney a cute blanket, and sent Courtney that Saint Louis hat, which she loves.








I have a few days off school, which is really nice, but I'm not getting anything done. Every time I start something I get interrupted. Plus I'm so ADD, combined with being a Virgo, so I always get distracted or decide that the hall closet needs to be organized before I can just get the dang sheets out of it and make the bed. I am now going to get up from this computer and go get something done. I will not get distracted by children, Christmas candy, shiny objects, Judge Judy, or by all the jobs that need to be done but are not on my list. We'll see how I do.

brian regan UPS

Here's some funny for anyone with the after-Christmas blahs. Katie and Wendy got me hooked into this guy over Christmas. Really funny!

Brian Regan at the improv

One more. Tee hee

Lexi loves everything. Except Santa.

Christmas lights and Survivor

Well, not much going on around here. I think I'm finished Christmas shopping. I hope I am. Now I'm just trying to enjoy the holiday season. We went to see a Christmas light display on Saturday night, and Josh loved it. Lexi slept, Courtney and Brittney froze-- it was like that scene from Christmas Vacation... "What do you think, Audrey?" "Her eyes are frozen, Clark." I bundled Miss Alex up pretty good.



She's growing up so fast. She's such a sweetie.





Well, I think I'm happy with the outcome of Survivor, for the most part. Denise was way too passive, and it sounds like she lied about all the stuff about losing her job and only making $7/hour and all that, so booooo. Amanda just fell apart at Final 4. I think she realized she should have ditched Todd by that point. Every time they showed her I yelled at the TV that she needed to knock it off with that I'm-so-sorry-I-feel-so-bad look. Courtney was surprisingly compelling with her arguments. But Todd really did work that jury. So props to him. I'm excited for the next season, though! Superfans v. Favorites has the potential to be totally awesome. I told my family that I'd love to go on Survivor and they laughed at me. Big meanies. I wouldn't be able to do it physically, though.

So, what else? Josh painted his toenails a really lovely combination of red and lime green, for Christmas I guess. So that was nice. He got it all over his toes, but not so much on the floor or anything else, so whatever. A lot of my English students are also in Child Development classes, so they come in and tell me when they go into the daycare to work with the kids. One of my girls told me that she was going to steal Josh and take him home with her.... I told her she'd bring him back after 5 minutes. Is that so mean? He's just a crazy little boy! The high schoolers brought cupcakes, and his teacher said he felt bad that he couldn't have one. She was able to cheer him up quickly, but it makes me feel sad. Luckily he's really good about not eating what he shouldn't, and knowing what he can't have, so we don't have to battle him on it.

Well, I guess I better go get some things done. I'm supposed to be working on a web page I'm doing for school. It's fun, but it's taking me forever. I have to do some laundry, I need to wrap some presents, I'm supposed to go to the store and buy something Courtney needs for tomorrow.... Hmmmm... It's 8:00. Guess I better get on it.

long day

I just got home from Parent-Teacher Conference, ate some dinner, and it's time for bed. I hate long days like these. I have talked to so many kids and parents over the last few days that have so many problems... I'm starting to feel like a social worker instead of a teacher. Can't we just read some Steinbeck? Have a discussion about archetypes and symbolism and punctuation? No?

So Santa came to the daycare last week, and that was fun for Josh. Lexi, not so much. She cried the minute she got onto his lap. I'm told that Josh asked Santa for the following: a car, a big house, a real puppy, and candy canes. When he repeated the list back to me later, he added "something amazing". Not sure what that is... just that he wants it to be amazing. So. Sign me up for "something amazing" as well.

I can't believe how fast this month is flying by. We went to see a Christmas light display Saturday night, and Josh loved it. I still have so much Christmas stuff left to do.

Survivor is winding to an end. Not sure who to root for... So many of the people turned out to be meh this season. I guess I'll go for P.G. since she's had to work so hard just to stay in it. I want to like Denise and her lunch lady mullet, but she's just too passive for my taste. Amazing Race, though, is turning out pretty awesome. My favorite teams are still in it.

Well, Miss Sassy Pants is calling my name, so off I go.

my new t-shirt

Check out the t-shirt I just bought! Courtney said I'm such an English teacher nerd. And? Your point would be... what? (If you don't get it, ask me and I'll explain it, but there *will be a quiz later...)