Merry Christmas!

I hope that all of you are having a wonderful day today!  We are home, relaxing, trying out new toys and gadgets.  Most of all, I'm being lazy!   Though I did workout for almost an hour; so the day hasn't been completely unproductive.  Kris bought me EA Sports Active: More Workouts.  I was really wanting to have a more involved step aerobics and while it isn't as FUN as the little dance exercises on the Wii Fit, it's a good workout and something I was able to force myself to keep doing.  I would love to have the EA Active 2, but it's just not something we were willing to shell out money for this year (wireless or not!) when we only use the Wii for working out 10% of the time.

I wish I had thought ahead to buy food before today.  I did get cinnamon rolls which we consumed for breakfast.  The kids are now eating bagels and cream cheese.  What I wouldn't give to have some Budding beef and green onions to mix in with my cream cheese, to then dip in crackers.  Cindy if you're reading this, please bring some of that over here, and while you're at it, please bring over the Mexican dip and chips.  I'll make you chocolate chip cookies and cook you dinner and you can play Super Scrabble with us!

Sorry...I just realized I changed to writing a letter to my mother-in-law...the husband is calling her now to see if we can work out aforementioned plan.

Here are some pictures of the fun this morning.  I didn't get too many.  I chose to savor their faces rather than freak out about getting a good picture, after I started freaking out when trying to get a good picture!  :-)

Santa came!  He brought the kids socks and sock monkeys, which I concluded was somewhat cruel...

How quickly the house transformed into a complete mess!

Super excited about this.  Found it for $12.88 at the thrift store and it was in GREAT condition! Took the girls Loving Family people/furniture and put it in there so they would have it when they woke up.  They LOVED it!

Grandpa Ken gave us money to buy the kids presents...we caved and gave into the Zhu Zhu Pet nonsense.  They of course love it!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Slowing down to write

It's Christmas Eve.  We are at my mother-in-law's house.  The kids are happily testing out new toys.  Cindy is busy preparing food....YUM.  Kris is moving their Wii to make room for their new Xbox 360...WITH KINECT!  So we will spend the afternoon testing that out after it gets all moved around and set up.  So, now that I used my Christmas money to buy Kris a PS3, we'll have all gaming systems covered between our two families.  Nice!  Now if Kris and I need a "fix" for the wireless goodness that comes along with the Kinect (until Wii comes out with it), we can just come here!

Now, that being said, how many of you out there participate in Blockbuster Online?  Kris and I are looking into this.  We used to do it, and actually loved it.  We stopped because they stopped allowing you in-store exchanges and thus we felt like it was as good of a deal.  But now, we have discovered you can get Blu-Ray movies AND games with it, at no extra charge.  And there's no way we'll be buying several new Wii or PS3 games anytime soon.  So we are considering starting this after the new year.  We always rent movies from the library for movie night, and let's be honest...the selection (while extensive) isn't filled with new movies we've never seen.  SO...instead of having fines at the library because we never return movies or games on time, we are considering this option.  Just thought I'd see if anyone else out there has had any experience with this, especially the gaming side of Blockbuster Online.

Climbing up on my soap box

This post is going to verge on serious.  I'm going to admit something here that might shock you.  I like in the most dangerous city in this nation.  St. Louis overtook Camden, NJ in 2009.  I've never felt unsafe here.  Not really.  Until now.  A few weeks ago, just a block away from where I work, two people were killed AT A FUNERAL. It may or may not have been gang related.  It was a little freaky seeing the road closed off, literally a block away from our office.  I don't know the details of what happened...mourners report that at least 3, possibly four people, were shot that day.

Now, I hear about another shooting at another funeral.  What??  This one was in Kansas City, which is still too close for coincidence don't you think?  School shootings were all the rage several years ago.  I don't say that to be cavalier.  I'm just saying that for a while, it seemed liked school shootings were happening left and right.  And now, the funeral home shootings are like the "thing" to do.  Why can't we just bury people in peace?  Isn't it bad enough that someone has died?  Are people so insensitive and selfish that they have to pull out a gun at a funeral?  I just don't get it.

As if the criminal side of St. Louis weren't bad enough, now we have other safety issues.  The Missouri Department of Transportation has made budget cuts.  They will plow less.  They are going to leave more snow on the roads.  Instead of getting all the snow off the roads, they are planning to now just make the roads PASSABLE!  Here are a couple of quotes that I find frustrating and somewhat appalling:

Dave O'Connor said "MoDOT has implemented some cost-saving changes this year, but they shouldn't affect people's ability to drive on the road."  He also said "We don't expect them to see any significant changes."  This article I read was out on December 11th.  At that time, I was getting worried because I knew winter weather was fast approaching.  Now that it has arrived, there have already been several accidents, including one death, after a woman went off the icy roads into water.  Fire departments are blaming MoDot for the recent accidents.  I think there would be accidents either way...but it does seem a bit suspect...

Anyway...I'll step down off of my box now.  I just had to get that off my chest.  Here's to praying we all stay safe after the freezing rain falls onto the still-snow-covered roads tomorrow.  In defense of MoDot, I do feel better after reading this and if you're in the area, maybe you will too.  OH AND IF YOU AREN'T IN THE AREA...FEEL FREE TO NOT READ THIS!


MoDOT's winter plan and savings
MoDOT's statewide goal and estimate is to save $10 million annually in snow fighting costs.  The
efficiencies and savings are projected in three areas: salt, manhours and fuel.  Again, these are projected
savings, since this is our first winter.  We will have actual savings at the end of the winter. Our average for
the past five years has been to spend about $41 million each year statewide.  We do not have St. Louis
specific numbers but hope to have them at the end of the winter.
MoDOT has not changed its practice on how we start to fight a storm.  We are still using all of our workers
and equipment to fight a storm.  We still prioritize our roads to treat the interstates first, then the major
roads like Olive, Lindbergh, Manchester, 141 and then we treat the smaller lettered roads and finally
clean up the exit ramps and outer roads.  The difference in our practice will be in how we end the storm
fight.  We used to continuing working all of our crews 24 hours per day until every road was completely
clear and not a speck snow was visible.  Now, we will not continue to work full crews overnight once the
roads are mostly clear with only snow on the shoulders and ribbons of snow on the stripes.  The next
morning crews will work on the roads again.  The savings here will be in not paying workers overtime and
having fuel costs of trucks all night long into the second or third day after the storm.
The other big savings comes in our technology and knowledge of how much salt to spread.  We have
more sensors in the pavement now so we can know exactly what the temperature of the roads and
bridges are and we can set our salt spreaders to release the right amount for the condition instead of
just setting the spreader to one setting and always spreading that much salt.  There is a science to how
much salt to spread at what temperature the road is and what temperature the air is.  The better we get at
that the more efficient we are with our salt usage.
One ton of salt costs the same as one ton of asphalt.  The savings MoDOT has in winter operations will
be spent on asphalt to improve our 32,000 miles of road in the summer.  Salt on a road helps Missourians
for a few hours.  Asphalt on a road makes that road better for 5+ years.  Given the limited budget, we are
trying to more efficiently use our money for the most long term benefit.
I know this is a lot of information.  I hope it helps you with some background knowledge and further
explanation.  For the vast majority of motorists, you won't be able to tell we are being more efficient.  We
are still fully fighting storms as they happen, we are just doing it smarter.

Really?

Sometimes people are idiots.  Sounds harsh, I know.  But it's a fact.  I'm a fairly cynical person, to the dismay of my husband, who is annoyingly optimistic at times.  That being said, idiots can be found on a daily basis in my world.  I'm constantly thinking, if not saying aloud, the word idiot, for any number of reasons throughout any given day.  People who acts as if they have no common sense make the top of my idiot list.  As do people who insist on being mean and snotty for no apparent reason.

Today, I have a little story about the first group of idiots...the ones who seem to have no common sense.  At.  All.  Every year at work we get gifts.  A guy in the office coined it as "Christmas Swag".  We LOVE Christmas swag.  Sometimes it's fruit, which is appreciated when I'm in the mood to stick to Weight Watchers.  But the vendors I love the most are the ones who send us cookies, candy, cupcakes and the like.  Harry & David truffles?  Don't mind if I do!  Every day when we see the mail man/UPS/Fed Ex guy coming down the hall with a box we hope against all hopes that it is indeed for our office and that it contains goodies other than fruit.

This year, we have not been disappointed.  Well, until this week, that is...

I wasn't here when it happened.  But as soon as I saw it, I was at once disappointed and frustrated.  You see, a vendor send us three boxes from a bakery.  Cookies, brownies, and CUPCAKES!  YUM!

Right?

Wrong.

You see...when the cupcake box was opened, this is what we found:

What happened to this box???

Now I want you to notice a couple of things here.  First, there is NOTHING covering these.  No Press 'n Seal, foil or other covering.  The goodies are just exposed in this large box.  Second, there is NOTHING in this box to keep it from moving around.  And we all know that anything that goes through the mail is bound to get turned over several times.

So I immediately take this picture and proceed to look up the bakery's website and email them, to figure out why on earth they would package this like that.  It didn't make sense to me that any professional bakery would send something like this.  Being a GREAT bakery with excellent customer service, they emailed me right back, asking that I send them the picture so they could see what happened.  I obliged and after I had done this, I started thinking through it all.  The man that emailed me told me that he was so surprised that this had happened because they frequently deliver cupcakes throughout Michigan and Indiana for weddings and have never had this kind of complaint.  This got me thinking.  If they DELIVER things, perhaps THEY aren't the ones that shipped this.  Perhaps the vendor purchased these lovely and probably pricey delicacies, and then decided to just stick them in a box with packing peanuts and hope for the best.  Who treats cupcakes this way?!?

You know what?  I think that is EXACTLY what happened!!  The owner of this bakery called me a little later and told me that they haven't shipped anything, and do not recommend shipping their cupcakes.  All of their orders were PICKED UP.  So that means that our vendor bought these (WHO KNOWS HOW LONG AGO!), stuck them in a box and mailed them.  Without even thinking about how it would look when it arrived at its destination.  And you know what else?  My company isn't the only one to get cupcakes like this either.  This same vendor sent the SAME thing to another company we work with!!  I wonder how many other people they tried to MAIL cupcakes to.  I'm sorry (I'm not really)...but let's use a little common sense here.  I wouldn't buy a cupcake and then try to put it in an envelope and mail it, expecting it to arrive in tact.  So why would someone think they could stick SEVERAL in a box and have it arrive in perfect condition?  C'mon!  Idiots...

I truly appreciate the thought...but I really wanted to try one of those cupcakes!!!  They look like they have bits of peppermint or candy canes in them!  I do have it on good authority that the brownies and cookies were delicious, though I have yet to try them for myself.  Oh and just because I was so impressed by the quick reply of the bakery and the assurance that they have a lot more common sense than this vendor, if you are in the Valparaiso, IN area, I am going to direct you to them!  Because I'm nice like that.  And because I really appreciated the personal time they took to ensure that my experience was a pleasant one, even though I still haven't tasted the cupcakes.  Why can't I live near Valparaiso??

So, if you are in the area, try to stop by here and eat a cupcake or two for me!

Designer Desserts

56 W. Lincolnway

Valparaiso, IN 46383

One Year Bible For Kids

We have been going through The One Year Bible For Kids devotion book.  It takes about 5 minutes each night.  We read the devotion then the kids take turns leading prayer time.  The kids were all acting goofy tonight, and apparently Kris was too.  He's reading and when he comes to this part:  "Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God.  They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers."  he turns and looks at me as he emphasizes the heavy drinkers part.  It was really fun.  The kids just started giggling.  You see, it's funny, because I'm NOT a heavy drinker.  I'm barely a drinker at all, especially when I am actively doing Weight Watchers.  What made it even funnier is that in the midst of all their laughing, Livvy who is facing away from me in her little camping chair turns her head and quite loudly and exasperated says "MOMMY!?!"

Later on, giving into the temptation of barely paying attention during devotions like everyone else apparently is, I decide to take my turn.  Apparently this type of thing happens from time to time when they do devotions while I am gone.  Anyway...Kris then read "Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them.  They must not talk back or steal..."  So then I said, "Did you hear that slaves?"  The kids just laughed...they won't think it's so funny tomorrow as they are hauling laundry up and down the steps all day!!

Oh Abbey!

There's no doubt in my mind that Abbey is one of the most unique, cutest kids that exists on this planet.  I just had to take pictures of a story she wrote and a card she drew for her best friend before she gave it to her.  Always making  me smile...

I LOVE that she says "You look Good. Yum." and drew eyes on the o's!

Next up is a story she wrote at school. What I find so amusing about this story is how we NEVER watch football and how random the ending is.

"I like the birds when they sit or fly.  I like the wind." - Abbey Bishop

The Sing Off

Probably my favorite days during the winter, aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas are the days that The Sing Off comes on Hulu.  All of my favorite shows interfere with my kids' bedtime, so we watch almost everything on Hulu.  Darn you CBS for NOT airing your shows on Hulu!!!!

How many of you watched The Sing Off last year and cheered when Nota won?  I know I did.  I was honestly torn last year.  I LOVED The Beelzebubs!  They were so energetic and extremely fun to watch.  I remember smiling through every episode last year.  The show just made me SO happy!!  But when I thought about who I'd rather hear on a CD, The Beelzebubs or Nota, Nota won hands down.  And if I had to choose a group to win based on being able to SEE them perform, I would have chosen The Beelzebubs.  So, because I knew I wouldn't be able to WATCH The Beelzebubs, I voted for Nota.  And they won!  All because of my votes!  They owe me...

And I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I was when I found out that The Sing Off would be back for a second season.  I've been looking forward to it since I learned about it months ago.  I'm really passionate about this show.  I can't even explain it to you.  It thrills me and brings a smile to my face.  EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

The groups are amazing this year.  I mean, several were great last year, but this year overall, the groups are exceptional.  Though when I saw Nota's performance from last night's episode I realized just why they won.  Because they are incredible.  I had to keep reminding myself that the ONLY instrument they used was their voice!  It was amazing!  And in case you have no clue what I'm talking about, here is the video from their performance last night.  I'm sure at some point this video will be removed from YouTube...so watch it now!



I don't have a favorite yet this season.  It's too early to tell.  I will say I was disappointed that Pitch Slapped went home the first night.  I loved their performance and would have loved to hear them again.  Oh and I LOVED hearing The Whiffenpoofs singing Grace Kelly.  Absolutely amazing!!  My kids LOVE this show too...I'm so thrilled that I can share this with them.  Kaleb even asked us how old he had to be to learn to beat box!!!  I told him he could start learning now...we just have to find someone to teach him.

I LOVE THE SING OFF!!!

3 Minute Microwave Fudge

It's that time of year again.  Time to make fudge.  Several years ago I found this incredibly simple recipe online and have never been able to find it again.  I've found similar, but they all have butter and the original recipe I used had no butter.  Whoever came up with this recipe was a genius!

Even before I hurt my neck and back, I hated making fugde.  Who wants to stand over the stove trying to stir constantly chocolate and marshmallow cream?  NOT ME!  And now that I can only stand for limited amounts of  time (maximum 10 minutes) without pain, there is no way I could make fudge the old fashioned way.  So I choose to make mine in the microwave.  Over the last few years, I have experimented.  Not a lot.  Because I'm too scared I'll screw it up.  So while I think I could develop some really great flavors, I'm still not confident enough yet.  One of my favorite things about this fudge is how smooth and creamy it is.  It is softer than non-microwaved fudge so it is better when kept cold, but it's a trade off I am more than willing to take.

I've posted this recipe before, but after my original Blogger account was frozen this past summer, I moved everything and so many of you haven't had the pleasure of learning how to make this "secret" super easy fudge!  So I am blessing you tonight.  :-)  Isn't that nice of me?

Here's what you need for just the base:

8x8 square pan or a 9x6.5 rectangle fudge pan (I pick up the cheap aluminum ones at the grocery store); you can grease the pan with butter or cooking spray.  Had I remembered to do this, I probably would have. ;-)

12 oz. semi sweet OR milk chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put both in a microwave container and cook on high for approximately 3 minutes.  I use a Pampered Chef Micro Cooker w/the lid.  After the first batch or two, I have to decrease the time to 2 minutes and 45 seconds or it will boil over.  You'll have to test your own microwaves to get the time down.  You're just looking for the chips to be melted with the milk so it is smooth.

Once you have the base completed, you can really do whatever you want.  I haven't gotten too fancy yet, as I said before.  I keep it pretty simple.  Here are the flavors/combinations I made tonight:

Rum - I used 2 Tbsp. of Rum flavoring.  Next time, I plan to use a little bit of actual rum.  Had I thought of this BEFOREHAND, I would have tested it out tonight.  It could be the next best thing to Rum Balls!

Heath - this one is a personal favorite of mine.  I love Heath candy bars so why not mix chocolate and Heath?  In the baking aisle out here, you can get a package of Heath bits.  I used 1/2 cup of this and just mixed it in with the melted chocolate and milk.  After I spread it into the pan, I sprinkled a little bit more of the Heath bits on the top.

Strawberry - this one was pretty simple.  2 Tbsp of strawberry extract/flavoring.  Had I had them, I would have loved to have cut up strawberries and placed them on top for the look, but overall, I don't know that they would hold up well over the course of a few days...should the fudge last that long.  It tastes delicious though!

Almond Joy - this is one of my all-time favorites.  I think I do it different every year but I think the best way to do it is to add 2 Tbsp coconut flavoring and some chopped almonds.  After it was in the pan tonight, I sprinkled some unsweetened coconut on top too.  I added 1 Tbsp of almond extract as well, but I think next time I will leave that out.  I just really love almond extract!

Candy Cane - this one is pretty obvious, but I'll tell you anyway!  I used 2 Tbsp PEPPERMINT extract.  Once it was in the pan, I crushed a candy cane and sprinkled it on top.  SO GOOD!  

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  Oh, and I used semi-sweet for all of mine.  You can't beat a 72 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips at Sam's.

Things that make me laugh - Part 3

I have been PSYCHOTIC a little on edge lately. My anxiety level has been at an all-time high slightly increased. I have felt completely out of control a little panicky. And my kids have begun to beg for their REAL mother back notice. Kris keeps patting my leg or my shoulder when I scream like a raving lunatic and looking at me like a demon has possessed his wife a little sad and helpless.  Suffice it to say that our home has been a nightmare less than calm.  And I think the kids are really being impacted by this.  The other day, instead of writing a lovely, heartfelt, "why-I-love-my-mom" letter, Katherine drew me a picture.  Here was its title:

The first two items were reasonable.  

The next one is pretty much a given, if you know me at all.  I'd like to add that I was not around her when she drew this picture.  I think she was bored at school and somehow or another she started thinking about things that I hate.

This last one though should give you a look into Katherine's understanding of her mother.  Please don't take offense to this one.  If you are reading this and I have ever been around YOUR kids, this likely does not apply to you.

Ahh...well...I can't say that my daughter doesn't know me well!

She ran out of time and didn't get to finish coloring.  I feel like she would insist that I let you all know that.

Things that make me laugh - part 2

Sarcasm - my best friend...

Most of you reading this are very familiar with Mama Kat over at Mama's Losin' It!. Besides having a great Writer's Workshop and an awesome, not to mention hilarious blog, Mama Kat draws her own comics! And it would seem that she dabbles in Xtranormal videos. I have watched this video 10 times since yesterday. It continues to make me laugh.

Chinese Cheating

I love Chin's Wok. It's a little Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood, and my personal favorite.  Though, maybe not for long...

I've seen a lot of inflated charges throughout the years.  I've paid for things that I think are plain stupid, because I haven't wanted to deal with the confrontation.  Such was the case the other night when Kris ordered Chinese.

We ALWAYS order our Chinese mild, no veggies.  We have a picky husband/father small children, with simple palates and they do not like the spicy chicken.  I don't mind it, except when I accidentally bite into a small piece of extremely HOT pepper because the idiots "forgot" to leave out the peppers.  *Side note: I'm using the words "idiots" more lightly here, as I don't REALLY think they are idiots...although I am now starting to wonder...

Kris returned to the car with our Chinese, and the receipt.  I do not think I have ever seen anything so completely absurd!  Because we had a coupon and got a couple dollars off of the total, Kris didn't contest it, though I think he should have at least QUESTIONED the ridiculous charge.  Take a look at this and tell me it isn't absolutely INSANE!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

TWO DOLLARS TO NOT PUT THE PEPPERS IN????

And why are there EIGHT exclamation points????

Snowflakes for Dummies

I could have also entitled this The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Snowflakes Out of Paper.  Actually, what I really mean is that I probably should have done some internet research instead of just relying on my 31 year old brain to remember how to I used to make snowflakes when I was 7.  I took pictures, of course, so you could see the evolution of my snowflakes.  I'm no artist.  As you will soon see.

Attempt #1 - yes I know it's hideous!

Attempt #2 - it's getting...better...

Attempt #3 - well...I'm no artist, like I said.  But it was kind of fun...

Children in the Attic

Doesn't that sound like a creepy great movie title?

Here's the plot:

A young 30-something mother of four who suffers from anxiety attacks and paranoia discovers small children living in her attic. The movie is a portrayal of her ups and downs as she learns how to cope with the footsteps and rummaging around above her. The movie hits a climax when the man of the house goes off for a night out with the guys, leaving the scared and helpless mother alone. Except for her children, sound asleep in their beds. And the other children. Living in the attic.  Based on a true story.

I may need to call this guy:

Billy the Exterminator

Anxiety Girl

Are you familiar with Drew and Natalie Dee? I wasn't. Not really. Short of seeing some comics from time to time on Facebook that a friend had posted, I had no clue who they were. Until last night. When they earned my respect. Because of a shirt. About a superhero. MY kind of superhero. I was so tickled by the comic/t-shirt that I promptly changed my Facebook picture to that, instead of jumping on the "change-your-profile-picture-to-a-cartoon-character-for-a-week-because-somehow-this-will-raise-awareness-for-child-protection-or-stopping-abuse-or-some-other-run-on-that-in-the-end-is-just-a-reason-to-change-your-profile-picture" bandwagon. I know I'm heartless and insensitive...and because of this, I blatantly refused to jump on the proverbial bandwagon and change my profile picture to my favorite cartoon character. Seeing all of my friends turning their profile pictures into cartoon characters did make me want to change my profile picture. To something completely random. So last night I set off (figuratively speaking since I was Google-ing random objects) in search of a random picture. One way or another, I stumbled upon Sharing Machine.  It was here that I found my long-awaited superhero.  Check her out!  I think you'll understand why I fell in love with her.

Christmas ornaments

The Bishops have their 2010 ornaments!  We all ordered them online this year.  For those of you who are new to me and/or my blog, every year Kris, me, and the kids each buy a new ornament.  The only ornaments that go on our tree are those ornaments that we have collected over the years (some exceptions are made, barely).  We like our ornaments to represent who we are as individuals and it is something that all of us look forward to.  When my kids move out, my thought is to give them all of their ornaments from throughout the years so that when they get their first Christmas tree, they can fill it with all of the memories, if they choose.  When Kris and I started out, we were very young and very broke.  We barely had money for a tree, let alone money for lights and ornaments.  So, we each got one ornament that meant something to us and came up with this idea to fill our tree one year at a time.  Let me tell you, a really quick way to fill up a Christmas tree is to have four kids.  Now, I didn't say it was a SMART idea...but it is what we came up with!  And it has become my FAVORITE Christmas tradition.

If you don't know me, you may not know that I have, in recent years, developed some obsessive compulsive habits.  Some of the things I am going to tell you may shock you.  They may leave you thinking that I am a horrible mother.  I don't really care.  If I did, I wouldn't share it here for the whole world to stumble upon.

I'm really mean.  I don't like having ornaments on my tree that aren't a part of our "tradition".  No.  That's not true.  I don't just dislike it.  It drives me crazy!!!  I have to really talk myself into letting the kids put their "homemade" ornaments on the tree.  I even get a little irritated when they make new ones at school, because I know these kids will want to display their lovely creations all over my perfect tree, with its perfectly placed perfect ornaments.  So, I found a way to handle the anxiety that goes along with this. Want to hear it?

I make the kids put all of their non-tradition ornaments in the back of the tree, where I can't see them.  

DON'T JUDGE ME!

Also, this year I learned how to relax a little.  At least, as far as the ornament placement goes.  I've actually let the kids put their ornaments on themselves!  Can you believe it?  It helps that our tree is larger this year.  And, to the shock of everyone, especially me, I only made them move a few.  Kris put his LOTR figures WAY too close together, so I had to move Frodo, and the dancing Barbies were too close, but overall, the kids have done well.  They are learning how to deal with me...poor kids!!!  Poor Kris!!!

So, without further ado, here are this year's ornament selections:

Kaleb - this was a good memory for Kaleb since Kris and I took him on a date to see Despicable Me.  Great movie too!

Abbey - she wanted an angel but it sold out and so she fell in love with this one!  I love her heart!

Me - I love giraffes...

 Olivia - one of her earlier ornaments was a dog that appeared to be running.  She loved this one and currently has both of her dog ornaments close to one another.  She may or may not have been one of the ones who originally put her ornaments too close together.  ;-)

Kris - Starship Enterprise...or something like that...because he's into Star Trek D&D currently, and because no one makes Michael Jordan ornaments (idiots!), and because he couldn't think of anything else he currently liked.

Katherine - she likes snowmen and penguins.  Seemed like a perfect fit to her!

Advice from my 10 year old

I've been pretty anxious lately.  Panic attacks are becoming more frequent.  With anxiety comes yelling.  At least, that's how it goes with me.  And Kaleb, as some of you know, pushes my buttons.  He really knows how to get me going and frustrate me.  And when I am weak, he senses it, and maybe he feels out of control because of it and thus his behavior changes.  ANYWAY...all that to confess that once again I yelled at Kaleb tonight.  I was particularly on edge tonight and I'd had enough.  Within a minute of yelling at him, Katherine hands me Kris' old phone.  She'd been back there playing solitaire or something on it.  I'm looking at it and trying to figure out why she has handed it to me.  At first I thought she had just drawn a picture.  Then I started reading it.  She swears that she created the picture for HER.  HOWEVER...I find it awfully convenient that she handed it to me just after I yelled at Kaleb.  Overall, it was great advice but c'mon...like she wasn't trying to send me a little message that said "Mommy, calm down already!"?  It's highly suspect...

Things that make me laugh - Part 1

Isn't it about time for a super-awesome, hilarious "good" post from me?  I think so.  I'm feeling fiesty...which is always a good time for me to write.  It's rare these days that I feel good enough to be amused by the things around me.  Speaking of which, those of you concerned about my mental health will be happy to know I have an appointment to get back on some much-needed...um...therapy...  The bad news?  It's not until the end of January.  Never fear...in the words of Gloria Gaynor, I WILL SURVIVE!

Now, let's get on to the funny, shall we?

Wii Fit - we're through!  I thought you were on MY side...(actually, I have NEVER thought this!)

Let's talk about Wii Fit.  Besides the fact that it considers me on the high end of obese, it is way too concerned about my love life.  I'm worried that the Wii is more intelligent than I gave it credit for.  The other day, I got the balance board out to do a body test, which is insulting in and of itself.  I don't need to see my skinny self quickly rise to morbidly obese in cartoon form...I've been watching it do that for the last 12 years in real life!

Now, if you aren't familiar with Wii Fit and all the little quirky things it "says" to you, it can be amusing.  Most of the time it's just lame though.  However, I was shocked the other day when I felt like the Wii Fit was overstepping it's bounds.  You see, it asked me a question.  And I answered it, thinking "no big deal", right?  WRONG!

It asked me if I had seen Kris lately.  Then it asked how he was looking and gave me some multiple choice answers.  I said he looked the same.  Because he does.  Yes he's been working out a little lately...but it's not like he's lost a noticeable amount of weight and is suddenly ripped!  So I was being honest.  Do you know what the Wii Fit had the nerve to say to me???

I'll tell you.  

No...I'll SHOW you!

Well, you know what Wii Fit???  NO ONE ASKED YOU!!!!

Strong people are weak too sometimes.

Looks can be deceiving.  Strong people can actually be ready to fall apart inside, and you just don't see it.  I just want to put that out there.  Just because someone seems strong doesn't mean they are.  Some people have to be strong to get through the rough times.  But when no one is looking, they're just like the rest of us.  They are sad.  They are weak.  They are tired.  They are human and they need just as much compassion and support as the next person.  Don't be deceived by that person you see as "strong".  Sometimes they are just as scared and alone as you are.

I'm tired.  Thanksgiving wasn't as calm and relaxing as I pictured it in my head.  I'm not going to go into the details.  I was so happy to be in Indiana with my family and there were many blessings and "you were in the right place at the right time" moments.  It just was...draining.  Prayer warriors out there, please pray for my family.  God knows what the exact issues are and what they need.

I've really gotten lazy at posting all the hilarious things my kids say.  They haven't stopped being funny.  I've just not felt like writing.  I've been kind of in a low place for the last couple of months and it seems to gradually get worse.  My anxiety is back in full force and is currently not being treated.  Probably not a good idea but it's where I'm at right now.

Kris and I have now completed 3 weeks on Weight Watchers.  The weight loss is slow going but I think we will have done OK over the holiday-i.e. I think/hope we didn't gain more than a pound or two!!  We definitely had some "relaxed" days last week!  But all in all I think we did well (we'll "weigh in" in the morning).  It's always easier to stick to your weight/eating goals when you are home and not travelling!

My Christmas tree is now up!  We only have this year's ornaments on it so far.  I'm hoping to snap some pictures after my camera charges.  For those of you who are new to this blog, every year our biggest family tradition is purchasing a new ornament for our tree.  Each of us.  We pick out our own, one that symbolizes who we are, as in individual.  It usually depicts something that we enjoy doing, or a movie we loved that year. Sadly they do not have any Elf (the movie) ornaments or I would have been all over those!  :-)  And this is how we fill our tree.  We now have a large collection of ornaments, seeing as there are 6 of us.  Kris and I each have 12, Katherine 11, Kaleb 10, Abbey 9, and Olivia 6.  They LOVE looking at THEIR ornaments that they chose.  Livvy walked by the tree tonight, looked at her ornament and smiled.  I wouldn't trade that smile for anything because I know that she LOVES her ornament and will have awesome memories of this family tradition!

I know I was a bit random tonight.  Part of it is just that I haven't written for a while, but a large part is due to the fact that I'm just in this mood.  Not depressed.  But not not-depressed.  Does that make sense?  Some days I feel so gloomy.  Earlier this evening I was having a real issue with being touched.  The kids were sitting next to me and brushing against my arm.  Kris put his hand on my arm.  There are some days I can take it but then there are other days like today where I just want to scream and go off by myself for a while.  *sigh*

Never enough time

It's driving me nuts that I never have the time to write like I used to, or like I want to. Some days I am so exhausted by the end of the day that the last thing I want to do is write. It's now Sunday morning and I SHOULD be getting ready for church. Yet here I sit, taking a few moments to post a few updates.

On the church front, I have been trying out a different church. I LOVE it! Thanks to my parents, we were able to put the kids in Awanas on Tuesday nights there. And then while Kris is at a men's Bible study, I have been attending a community group. The people are amazingly nice and have made me feel at home there.

Katherine and Kaleb are FINALLY interested in playing basketball! SO.EXCITED. I love basketball. Kaleb has played soccer, and I'm so NOT a soccer mom! No other sport interests me like basketball. Perhaps it's because I was raised in Indiana, and it just makes sense that I would love basketball. Perhaps it's because basketball is just so much more exciting than soccer or (dare I say this in St. Louis) baseball! Either way, I get to watch my kids learn the game and hopefully have a lot of fun. Abbey, who isn't quite old enough yet, has been wanting to play basketball for a couple of years. She'll get to join the crowd next year, once she hits third grade. I'm excited to see if the kids "take" to it!

I've been keeping it somewhat quiet, because I seem to fail so often, but I am doing Weight Watchers again. And guess what?!? Kris is doing it with me! He's not a heavy guy really, but he has put on some weight and HE isn't happy about it. So he has finally agreed to give it a try with me. It makes a HUGE difference. He's much more disciplined than I am, and he is helping me stay on track. I can lie to myself about what I've eaten, but not him. So I have hopes that this time around (just like every other time...) I will stick with it and see the success I saw after I had Olivia. The first week we were both down 2 lbs. We don't weigh in until Tuesday, so nothing is "official" until then, but I am currently down 6 lbs. in almost 2 weeks. We aren't paying for the program...I've done it so often in the past that I kinda remember. You know? And there are so many references out there to calculate the calories, fat and fiber that we have all the info we need. We even have this awesome Android app that does all the tracking for us. So I am hopeful that we can do this. I'll admit that Thanksgiving worries me. You combine Thanksgiving with my love for food...and well...it might be a little difficult. BUT...we have a plan and I think we'll be OK.

Well, that's all the updates for now. Hopefully I'll have some time to write this next week. I'm only working on Monday, then making the trek home to my parents' house, to make Thanksgiving dinner out there. Kat, Abbey and I will leave on Tuesday morning so we have time to get everything prepped and ready (and just to have some down time!). Kris, Kaleb and Olivia will come out with Kris' mom Wednesday evening.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to the time off work, the food (OH THE FOOD!) and the fellowship with my side of the family.

Impressed by an 8 year old

Yesterday we found out at church that it was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. They showed a video at the church we visited and Kris and I were both moved by it. In the bulletin, they included a little sheet with a few passages in the Bible you could read and prayer guide. Kris decided we would do that with the kids last night for devotions. So we tried to find the video we watched in church on YouTube. They didn't have it, but they did have this one:



So we watched this with the kids and then read through the Bible verses that were in the bulletin and had each of the kids pray.  It was so sweet to hear their prayers. As always, Abbey melted my heart and made me tear up.  She just talked to God about how sad it was that these people were hurt and prayed that God will heal them and keep them from being hurt again.

True to her wonderfully sensitive and sweet nature, Abbey surprised us tonight by adding another prayer in for the people in other countries who are suffering!  I love that she was thinking about that and remembered to pray for them!

Yoga-not for the easily annoyed

My primary doctor's solution to my neck pain is to get this Yoga for Beginners video that focuses on yoga as a way to reduce stress and relax. Here's my problem. The first half of the video was advertisments for yoga magazines and healthy eating/living. And as I keep watching, waiting for my video on stress relief to start, I found myself getting more and more agitated and stressed out! How is that helpful?? Now the video is about to begin and I must now try to relax and see if yoga will be the magic healer for my non-stop neck pain. I am WAY too annoyed for this relaxing yoga video!! Now there is just some lady walking in the dessert and a voice-over talking about yoga and the divine and blah blah blah...just start the stress-relieving poses please! And she is now doing yoga poses...instead of showing me what to do. How is this helpful? I suppose putting the computer down and focusing on the stupid video might help...

You know what, I want to see a video of a fat girl doing yoga so that I don't have to be so self-conscious and feel completely incompetent since I cannot literally fold my body in half. Maybe this fat girl should create a yoga video for other fatties out there so we can feel better about our inability to realistically complete half of these poses. This is ridiculous. They aren't even telling me how to do it. What a waste of $10! The Wii Fit is more helpful in teaching me how to do yoga.

Oh...nevermind...15 minutes in I think the "instructor" is actually going to teach me something. Some lady is talking at me...I suppose I should stop blogging and listen. By the way...she's wearing some body suit thing from the 80's. Nice. You do NOT want to see me in one of those! In my yoga video, I am going to be wearing incredibly baggy sweats. No one needs to see all of this...

Holiday shopping, all in one place!

I love Christmas!  Have I mentioned that before?  :-)

You love Christmas too right?  And this weekend there will be a Holiday Bazaar in St. Louis.  If you're in the area, here are some reasons you should attend:

#1.  You read the coolest blog ever and want to show everyone how cool you are - maybe I'll have a button that says "I'm awesome and I  read about this event on my favorite blog!"  Yeah, you are awesome and cool, but we all know there won't really be a button.  And that this likely is NOT your favorite blog!

#2.  You love free food.  Yes, that's right.  Free food.  For a small price.  Wait, what?  There is a SMALL $5 entry fee, which is going to cover to cost of the food.

#3.  You love giving to good causes.  This is to help raise money to get my kids into a new school building.  Not just my kids.  Lots of kids.  Who need a good school building.  So they can learn and become the Godly men and women of our future.  Most people love kids, right?  If you're interested in knowing more details on the whys of needing a new building (and yes it is a NEED), feel free to contact me.

#4.  You love all things "direct sales" related (WHO DOESN'T)!  There will be 20-25 different "vendors" there to make your shopping one-stop.  People like The Pampered Chef (you might just find me at that booth), Silpada Jewelry, Discovery Toys, Gold Canyon Candles, Uppercase Living, Thirty One, Mary Kay...  The list is endless.  Not really.  It's actually short in comparison with the concept of endless.

#5.  You love fashion!  There will be a mini fashion show, kids and adults, and it'll be adorable and fun, and DECENT.  No bikinis and short skirts...we ARE a Christian school after all and want to be proper!  Do you have a 9 year old who wants to wear the latest skimpy fashion?  Bring her (or him I suppose?) and maybe it'll be just what she (or he...) needs!

#6.  You have nothing better to do on Friday night, from 6:30-9:30pm and you are in the St. Louis area.  Let's face it.  If you're in the St. Louis area, THIS COULD BE YOU!

#7.  You write a blog called "The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom" and I'm begging  you to show up and keep me company for a few minutes - it's the least you can do for this shameless plug I just gave you!  ;-)

#8.  You're my friend or acquaintance and you hear my cries and pleas for someone, ANYONE (unless you're a creepy stalker then please stay away), to show up and keep me company.

#9.  You want a FREE incredibly valuable (and by valuable I mean it's worth $1 and has some awesome recipes in it) COOKBOOK, which you can get simply by saying "I read about this event on your blog!"  For real.  It's the least I can do.  You have to say those exact words though or I won't remember that I promised you a cookbook.

#10.  You love Christmas shopping!  This will be a great way for you to knock out some of your shopping.  Oh and don't worry, if you can't be there because you live out of town (that's the only acceptable reason for you not to attend), and you want anything from any of the vendors listed below, let me know and I'll find a way for you to order and have it shipped out to you.  For a complete list of vendors, contact me and I'll get that to you.

Christmas shopping

As my kids get older, it is more difficult to shop for them for Christmas.  Kaleb is easy.  He said he wanted cash.  DONE.  I'm contemplating getting some small, different-sized, gift boxes from the dollar store and wrapping up dollar bills.  I think he'd get a big kick out of that.  And if trying to shop for the kids wasn't hard enough, Kris wants some $50 Wii games.  Well here's the problem with that.  We should have enough money set aside by the time Christmas rolls around for the kids.  But Kris and I will have to use our own spending money this year on each other because, well the money is just not anywhere else in the budget.  And everything he wants is expensive.  Well, I'm not rolling in the money.  I don't just have hundreds of dollars to use on him for Christmas.  In fact, I'm pretty selfish and I'm not looking forward to having very little spending money, but I like to give gifts, so I think it'll be worth it.  Maybe.  :-)

I love Christmas!!  I love giving gifts, as I mentioned above.  I love Christmas music.  And I love Veggie Tales.  Yes, as a 31 year old woman, I LOVE Veggie Tales!  So I was thrilled when I saw a friend tell another friend on Facebook about getting a Veggie Tales Christmas album for free on Amazon.com.  So, I don't know how long it will last (I did it about 30 minutes ago), but if you are interested, go to Amazon.com and look up The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree.

Always good for a laugh

My five year old never ceases to say something that makes me laugh.  Sometimes I wonder what goes on inside her head!  We're watching Inspector Gadget (thanks HULU!) and Livvy is upset that we can't see Dr. Claw's face.  She is wondering who it is.  And so she asks "Who do you think it is?"  I said "I don't know."  She said "Just guess."  So I said "George Washington.  Who do you think it is?"  She thinks and is quiet for a few moments, and then she says "Kurt."  I said "Kurt from Glee?"  Her response?  "Yes."  Ha ha ha...she's only seen a couple episodes of Glee but the kids all know the music well and know who sings in what song.  And so apparently, that is who she thinks Mr. Claw is.  Funny girl.

Anyone in St. Louis been to Boo at the Zoo?  I am so NOT impressed!  Long lines for what?  A few pieces of candy and a toothbrush?  Really??  My kids weren't impressed either.  We'll stick with our church fall festival and other trunk or treats!

Need to lose

I'm feeling fat today.  It's probably because I am.  I went to try on jeans today.  Big mistake.  Last fall I lost 20 lbs.  I was diagnosed with Candida and thought "This is it!  I'm finally going to lose this weight."  And I did great, until I hurt my knee, and then had knee surgery, and then stopped eating yeast-free.  And now, here I sit, all the lost weight has been found, and my clothes are fitting too tight again.  I'm pretty frustrated and disappointed with myself.  I know I am the only one to blame.  I just love food so much, dessert especially.  Depriving myself of everything I love is next to impossible.  AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween is approaching.  I had grand ideas for the kids and their costumes this year.  There was even going to be an awesome blog post that you all would have adored.  For real.  And then, this weekend became crammed full of too much...and so last minute we fought the crowds at Walmart and purchased costumes for the kids.  Oh, with money we didn't really have.  Great...so no cool blog post this year.  Oh sure, I'll probably post pictures but it just won't be the same as it was going to be.

I don't understand myself.  Sometimes I annoy myself.  I hate simplicity when it comes to reading.  For instance, I can't stand the Twilight books.  Granted, I've only given the first one a shot, but I didn't like it.  Aside from the fact that I HATE vampires and any stories about them, I didn't like the writing.  And now, as I give Nicholas Sparks a second try, I'm just not impressed.  I think it boils down to simplicity.  I need more.  I need depth.  Not just brushing the surface of my emotions.  I think the story line/plot in The Last Song is good, but the writing itself seems shallow.  THIS.IS.JUST.MY.OPINION.  I do not want to read and then re-read a paragraph several times just to get depth.  But there is something so different between the writing styles of Nicholas Sparks and say, Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series-*awesome*!).  And Sparks, along with too many other authors, annoys me with his simple writing.  I tend to get bored.  And I realize I am just way too critical of authors (this is true for preachers/teachers as well coincidentally)...but well...there it is.

*cough cough*

I'm here.  I'm alive.  Just barely.  I've been fighting an upper respiratory infection since I was in Phoenix...almost 2 years ago.  Wait...I meant two weeks ago.  See?  I'm not well.  I probably shouldn't even be allowed to be typing right now.  I keep making grammar mistakes too and so I feel horrible AND I'm annoying myself!  I finally went to the doctor today and got a z-pack so I'm hoping that begins its work soon.

And while I'm talking about being sick...I don't understand sometimes why God designed the human body the way that He did.  Usually I just accept it as is.  But I've heard (not that I've ever experienced anything like this...) that after you have kids, or when you are old, you lose control of your bladder.  If you laugh to hard, or let's say you have a horrible coughing fit, you might just wet yourself a little.  Or a lot.  Again, that's just what I've heard.

;-)

Creepy Candy

So, the kids like souvenirs.  Who doesn't?  We weren't planning to get them any in Phoenix but they asked us on the phone and so we went ahead and found something small and cheap that we just knew the kids would love.  It creeps me out.  So, of course before letting them eat it I had to take pictures!  Check it out.  Keep in mind, I hate teeth, real or fake!  Here we go...

Abbey holding her tooth

Yeah, there's "blood" dripping down that tooth.

Business trips are exhausting...

I went on my first business trip Monday.  Well, it was my first business trip that directly affected MY job.  I went to Vegas a few years ago when my husband was awarded Employee of the Year at MetLife Auto and Home, and once I tagged along with him to Freeport, IL and North Carolina, but those don't really count.  This week I had an opportunity to experience firsthand even MORE chaos in my life!  This business trip felt like just another day in my life, except that I came home completely exhausted!

We have two new clients out in Phoenix and I am managing one of them.  So it made sense for me to go meet the and really get a feel for what they NEEDED.  So after a chaotic morning (in that Kris and I woke up late and had exactly an hour and a half to get ready, get to his mom's, have her drop us at the airport and board our plane after the 2 hour long security check), we boarded the plane and set off at 7am for sunny Phoenix.

I think we got into Phoenix around 9:30am, PST (11:30 CST).  We picked up the rental, had a quick bite to eat while we checked in on the office, then went straight to our first meeting.  It lasted for several hours.  It was really a great meeting and I came away feeling more equipped to give my clients the support and service they deserve and expect.  Once we left there, we checked into the hotel and had about an hour to log in and work and talk about our meeting before a vendor picked us up and took us our to a fancy restaurant for dinner.

After dinner, we talked briefly and then Kris and I settled in to work on our calendars (diaries) to try to get through some things we needed to get done.  By 9:45pm (11:45 CST), we were done.  We collapsed into bed and were fast asleep within minutes.

The morning greeted us at 6am.  We got ready, had breakfast, and then got back on the road at 8am to meet with a vendor.  We went from there to our other new client and had a meeting with them for two hours or so. After leaving there, we stopped for lunch before returning the rental car and returning to the airport 3 1/2 hours early.  At the airport, we made good use of their free WiFi, each of us connecting and working until about 4pm (6pm CST).  We boarded our plane around 4:30pm, flew to Salt Lake City, deplaned, re-boarded without sitting down and flew back to St. Louis, arriving around 11:30pm last night.

By the time we got home, ate and went to bed, it was 1am.  We were back to work around 9:15am and I am really feeling it.  So ready to relax at home (if only we had food in the house for dinner!)....and go to bed early!  Anyone who thinks a business trip is just a vacation on the company's dime is really reaching.  At least, in our company, it is not!  All in all though, I'd do it again!

If there are any typos, you'll have to just correct them in your head.  I'm exhausted and proof-reading is the farthest thing from my mind right now!

Family Fun at the Switchfoot concert

Opening band for Switchfoot...I wasn't impressed.  They do have one song I like.  But they didn't play it.

BEST. BAND. EVER.

Trying to stay warm-I was prepared!

He was freezing by the end.

Loving the time with the kids before the show started.

Could it be...do they really love each other?  Katherine doesn't look sure...

Acting silly...

Their rendition of KISS...weirdos!

Serious picture before things took a turn for the worse...

I can't even tell you how much fun they had taking these pictures...it is rare that I indulge them and play...but I was a nice mom that night and let them have their fun.

See...?

Rocking out...I think this was during "Mess of Me".

Kaleb on Dad's shoulders during "This is Your Life".  As you can see, *someone* was forced to go buy a jacket...serves him right for not being prepared!  Works for me though since he gave me the jacket!

Cold and ready to go...yes, I did wear flip flops...but also took a pair of socks to keep my toes warm.  Told you I was prepared!