Last post for 2005

Unless I get inspired... which is unlikely. Christmas has come and gone. Steve's sister and her family came down from Montana to spend Christmas with us, while my mom went to Texas. Everyone did something different this year, and I believe that was a very good thing. Dad was very much a part of all we did at Christmas, from gifts of years' past still on shelves or in use, to traditions that will need to be tweaked a bit now... fro example, we had a crab dinner last year on Christmas Eve, and the year before that, and the year before that... but there was no one here to clean crabs this year - that sort of thing...

I have absolutely loved being home for the last two weeks. I sent the boys to childcare before Christmas so that I could finish my shopping and final preperations for the Mandeville's visit, but once they arrived on the 22nd, the kids and I have been home and its been really wonderful. We had the warmest Christmas in nearly 80 + years and the boys have been taking advantage of it by playing outside a ton!

In that vein, I am really not looking forward to going back to work on Monday. Christopher is at such a wonderful age - he's loving and snuggly and is interacting with his world every which way he turns around! He giggles and laughs and coos... its really amazing!

Santa treated the boys well, but didn't spoil them rotten... they got a few things they'd asked for and I know there were a few disappointments. Parker got a new bike as his "big" present and he's thrilled. This one has both pedal-brakes and a hand brake to get him used to it. His last bike he outgrew in about a year or so, even though we've been riding it for two years, he really looked rediculous because it was way too small. Now we want to see if Matthew wants to ride it. If he does, then he, too, will get a new bike for his birthday because P's old one is way too small for Matthew as well (FYI, for those who measure these things, both boys will be riding 20" bikes!)

The fat fighting front has been going pretty well lately. Having the stomach flu actually started a good eating pattern for me and while I am quite thankful to NOT have to go through that again any time soon *or at all, ever!* it did have an upside. Now, I don't eat till I'm full, but more until I am not hungry anymore. And, if I'm not hungry, I don't eat. Sounds pretty simple and it is. Nothing is off limits, and I think that makes it easier! I read an article about "intuitive eating" and what I am doing is kind of like that; I'm listening to my body more. So far, since the weekend after Thanksgiving, I am down 10.5 lbs. I can live with that!

Now is the time everyone begins to think about what they would like to accomplish next year. I'm no different!

1) Get back to my "happy weight"
2) Drive my Arbonne company car (A white Mercedes) by June (You've gotta click on that like to see it - and imagine it in white...)
3) Grow both my Arbonne business and my photography business.
4) Go to Italy with my husband
5) Play. A lot. I don't think I've been good at this lately. Want to get better!

I am not sad to see 2005 go. Its been a rocky year, punctuated with the best day and the saddest day within two weeks of oneanother. 2006 will be better... will be wonderful! I am excited at what the future holds.....

Half a bag of salt

Anyone who has a water softener will know what I am talking about with those huge bags of salt that we need every so often to keep our water from feeling like showering with pebbles. I will buy them, but leave the hoisting to Steve. 40lbs of rock salt sure feels heavier than 60lbs of Parker!! Must be the dead weight of it...

Yesterday I had to take Matthew to the doctor. He's been running a fever off and on, and had a nasty case of "the gunks" for about a week. Here's a new one for you, he's got the adenovirus. Never heard of it before. Evidently, its a rather creative and entertaining virus, never striking the same way twice. Matthew has the upper respiratory and eye infections. Can't go back to school until both the fever and the red eyes have cleared up. Hopefully that will be tomorrow!

So, while we were at the doc's, I decided I needed to know how much this little tank weighed. I've been asked a multitude of times, and don't know the answer! So, just for comparison sake... at aproximately 4 months (17 weeks) Parker weighed 17lbs, 7oz. Matthew at 16 weeks weighed 18lbs, 9oz. Christopher topped the scale at 20lbs 8oz!!

So, this explains why I have such a hard time carrying him and why it feels as thought my arms will fall off. The kid weighs half as much as a bag of rock salt!!! Sure hope he's an early walker - can't imagine him at 12 months!!! (His brothers were well over 30lbs at a year... any bets how high this one will tip the scale??)

How to behave so your parent will, too...

Love those books, by the way - the HOW TO BEHAVE books... but as I was leaving school yesterday at the bell and saw all these parents parked and waiting in the teacher parking lot, I began to think...

~~You are warned - Stepping up on a soapbox right now!~~~

Its no wonder why we can't get our middle school kids to follow the rules; their parents all seem to think the rules don't apply to them, so why would the rules apply to their children?? This parking-where-you-are-not-supposed-to thing is just the tip... they park out front in the handicapped spots and then argue with the campus cop for writing them a ticket! We ask that girls not wear spaghetti straps, show any belly or wear shorts short enough to be a bikini, and yet this is exactly how the mom's dress... complete with fake boob cleavage dripping out of their work-out tops. This is not just physical, but includes things like integrity. One girl last year was caught cheating on a test. The mom's response?? Well, good - those crafty skills will come in handy later! What?? Sure - if she grows up to be Bonnie looking for Clyde!!

Then I wonder if it is just here... there's so much money in Scottsdale that is practically grows on trees. People believe that with money comes entitlement. They are entitled to a fancy house and a set of matching Hummers, they are entitled to our admiration and they expect us to swoon over them. Anyone remember the "BOB" commerical a while back - parking only for Bob, green lights only for Bob... well, that is very much the attitude I see here! And since living in one area for a while renders one miopic, I have to wonder if it is just here, or if this nauseating trend is nation wide.

It has been the case for several generations - you want more for your children then you had. You want to give them everything, but you also want them to appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that went into earning such privelges. But I ask you, when you live in a 6-million dollar home with a set of matching Hummers as well as matching Mercedes electric golf carts, where is the motivation for your kids to do better? When a 7th grader is carrying around a $600 pit-purse, how is she going to want to work hard and achieve more? I mean seriously - don't you get to a point where there is no more to have/get/want/be??

Parker started asking for a Game Boy a while ago. Many of his friends from Kindergarten have them and he thinks they are cool - so of course he wanted one too! (He's a Marketer's dream!) In all candor, what on earth does a 6 yr old need with a 90$ toy?? One that doesn't even teach them anything, at that??

I told him when he's 9 and has the money to buy one himself, he can have one. By God, if its the last thing I do, I will raise kids who see there is more to life than having more, and that the rules most certainly are meant for THEM!

And, while I am on a roll about things that just don't make sense to me...

I was watching the SC Trojans very closely this year.. and my condolences to all my friends and family who went to other schools that we crushed into the gridiron this year... but I digress...

Pass interference... Isn't that the point???

Bring on the Longhorns!! It's going to be a great game!!

Fight On!!

Ahhh - a little slice of heaven...

My middle school kids were on a field trip today. I was at school, in my running pants and sneakers, alone, until noon!! I caught up on paperwork, I made copies till I ran the machine out of toner, I played my music a bit too loud.... it was wonderful! Makes me seriously think that I need to take a day every two or three weeks and not go into the classroom with my kids and just work!!

I get to do this again Monday - the little critters are out again for the day!!!