A List*

• I had my eyeliner tattooed on Thursday evening while my sister and mom watched my kids.  No, it didn't hurt, yes it's black, yes my eyes were swollen the next two days, no I can't wear mascara until Thursday, and yes you should do it. Her name is Elaine Cox.
• I've already completed my first three assignments for school this semester.
• This is my second (and last) long semester of graduate school. 
• I am taking three classes this semester and have two in the first summer.  I should graduate in August.
• Now that I have something else I SHOULD be doing, I'll probably blog more- my means of procrastination. 
• I can't procrastinate on Mondays though, because the Bachelor is on and I already have to DVR it so that I can watch it sans commercials while my chillins are in bed.
• I also can't procrastinate on Wednesdays, because I dig Modern Family and The Middle.  It's family time for Rach, Trint and I. 
• That is all...

Lucky Me!

Tonight is date night...Not as in like a national holiday or anything, just for me.  Well, and Trint.  And my parents- only their date is with the grandchildren.  Rach will be at her dad's and the littles will be with my mom and dad and I will be eating at the Grill.  It's amazing and it's been awhile since I've been there.  I'm excited.  In fact, it's enough to make this unbearable day at school, well, bearable. 

Bugs

The stomach bug has invaded our home.  On Sunday night, AA randomly threw up then had the poops all day Monday.  I stayed home with her.  Then about 2:30 this morning, Lane came to our bed and shared the contents of his stomach with us.  He took a shower with Trint while I cleaned up my bed and got stuff washing.  Of course it was on the sheets and my comforter... Lovely.  We stayed up until around 4:30 when he and I finally dozed off.  My alarm went off at 6:20 and Lane wanted to come to SCHOOL!  Trint is at home with him and I'm on duty at lunch for the rest of the day.  I can hardly keep my eyes open.  Hopefully he'll want to take a nap because if not, he'll have to watch Sponge Bob while I do!

Flakey *

We got beautiful snow last night.  It started around 9:00 and came down so fast.  It looked like someone was just dumping buckets of snow from the sky. 

I'm so thankful for the moisture that it provided for our town and those around us.  It doesn't matter to me whether it's rain, sleet, snow or hail.  When we got up this morning, the kids played in the snow- as we had a 10:00 start for school.  My sweet, sweet babysitter hadn't had any electricity since midnight last night (they live out of town) so I told her to get her cold booty and kids to my house.  She's keeping my kids at home:)  So sweet little hostess AA went to the bathroom and brought Kara (our darling sitter) a beer back from the fridge, at 10:30 this morning.  She got her feelings hurt that Kara refused, but if y'all are looking for a waitress...

Alas...

I haven't posted in awhile...I'm sure no one has noticed.  Allow me to explain why.  I am crazy.  That is all.

Kidding.  Well, partially.  I have too much free time right now.  ASU doesn't officially start until January 17th, and while public school started on the 2nd, I'm still free at night.  It would be too easy to post at that time.  I like to wait and upload pictures and tell you about the happenings in our family when I should be doing something constructive like writing a ten page research paper.  So you see, when I have less time to be blogging, that's when I'll start.  But for now...

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  I think this has been the best Christmas ever.  We went to Lampasas on the weekend of the 18th and did three Christmases in three days.  It was crazy.  Then we came back and the kids and  I had two more days of school.  THEN...We stayed HOME!!! It was so wonderful!  on Christmas morning we woke up and piddled and saw what Santa brought.  Then we got Rachel and opened presents and lounged around.  Late that afternoon my mother and father in law came to our house and the kids showed off their loot.  Finally we headed to my parents, opened presents, and ate tamales and beans and lots of yummy stuff.  Afterward, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and had cake. 

I got everything I wanted for Christmas: a Keurig Coffee Pot (two weeks before Christmas!!), three happy kids, one potty trained two year old, and gave my hubby EXACTLY what he wanted- a pistol and a new rifle.  He's lucky to have me.

'Tis the Season

I love Christmas music.  I love the smell of my freshly purchased Christmas tree.  I love the lights, and the stockings and the snowmen, and the angels.  I listened to Christmas music on my computer today at school- all day- during all of my classes.  I'm not sure we even accomplished anything, but we are all in the Christmas spirit. 

Last night, we decorated the tree and house.  Taking a picture of three kids in front of the tree is challenging...

I totally dig my tree.  It's got all white lights, and it's uniform and has a particular number of ornaments and it is perfectly wonderful. 

However, when I was decorating my home, I realized that this was all I had left of my Nativity Set...

but, I guess that's the only part that truly matters.  If you've ever had a baby, you know that love and hope you feel when you hold him for the first time.  You know the gooey mess they are, and the way their fingers curl around one of yours.  You understand how one tiny look melts your heart and how sending them to the nursery for a bath inflicts heartache and a yearn for them to return to your side.  Have you ever been around sheep?  They're dumb, dumb, dumb, and they don't smell all that great.  Hay is itchy, and donkeys are obnoxiously loud.  Cows are big and cranky and horses kick.  How's that for a delivery room?  No epidural, no soap, no gloves, and here you are giving birth to the savior of the world- one who would eventually die for the sins of you and the rest of humanity.  Can you imagine giving birth to a Son who is sentenced to death?  This Christmas season I encourage you to take advantage of what's already been sacrificed for you and yours- invite Jesus to be a part of your holiday and everyday.  When you hug a baby, imagine the hope that Mary felt and the loss she encountered when she saw him nailed to a cross.  When you open a gift, take a moment to feel the security of the greatest gift of all- that of love, hope, and forgiveness.  Don't forget the sacrifice given in your honor and the conquering of life over death and in it the promise of eternal life.  For in Christmas, in Christ, in love- there is HOPE.  The gifts have been given.  Everything else is stuff. 

Don't...

Last week my sweet, darling, foul-mouthed AA asked me, "Mommy, can I say oh shit?"  After I did the heimlich on myself, I told her that we should not say that word.  Here's the conversation that followed:

AA: I say darn it?
Me: Yes.
AA: I say dagunit?
Me: Yes.
AA: I say poop?
Me: Yes.
AA: I say oh shit?
Me: Still no.
AA: Ok.

Fabulous.  In other Aidyn news, when I went to pick her up from the sitter yesterday, she came out of the door hollering, "Hello Miss Palmer!"  "Hello Miss Mommy!"  She called me 'Miss Mommy' for the rest of the day.  It was sooooo cute.  She's such a stinker.

Lane is doing well in school.  He had a difficult day yesterday, though.  He decided to act like one of his classmates and didn't want to do his work.  Of course he eventually did it and we had a little Come to Jesus meeting last night.  WE decided that WE wanted to do our work so that WE wouldn't get a spanking everyday after school... WE'll see how that goes...

Rachel is doing fantastic in school.  We're in the middle of Academic UIL and it's so busy and crazy.  She made the Social Studies team and the Listening Skills team.  She made all A's on her report card and has over 100 AR points so far.  It's crazy.  She's so smart and has good friends. 

We're trucking along finishing up Christmas shopping.  I'm going to Lubbock on Saturday with my mom and sister and have one black Friday item to purchase.  We just like to go.  I know, we're crazy.  I'm hoping to be done before December 1st.  I got a late start this year, so I'm allowing a little extra time.  I'll let you konw if I find any unbeatable deals!!