What Does Santa do on the Off Season?

He's busy cleaning the glass at the Long Beach Aquarium

Poor guy, work is tough all over I guess. Everyone is looking to earn an extra buck and Santa had to get his feet wet (a-ha!) just hours after his big day of deliveries.

WW: Now That's a Good Lookin' Family

"Bill's Sock"

I was just making a list of things I have to do tomorrow. Oh, stop laughing! I do, in fact, make lists sometimes. It doesn't happen often, but when I have a deadline or someplace important to go, I will make a list of things I need to do before I go. Also, I will make a list if I need to focus and want Bill's help.

So I was making a list of things to do so everything doesn't get put off until Christmas Eve. Today I did a little shopping to get ready for our trip and stuff our stockings. I like to stuff my own stocking with smelly goodness from Bath and Body Works. Their Sweet Pea is bliss and I indulge once a year. (other store brands are cheaper but they are for crap) At the end of the list I put "Bill's sock" because he is the only one left with an empty stocking. (although now that I think of it I have socks to put in his sock so maybe I'm fine) As I wrote the word sock I teared up a little. (Yeah, yeah, I know, hard to believe- me tearing!)

Even before we were married, Bill and I would get a huge package in the mail from his parents with Christmas gifts in it. His mom would wrap them elaborately with lots of ribbon and bows and nice tags on them. The smaller ones wouldn't have anything on them though and would be for the stockings. Scribbled in her very slanted cursive writing would be "Bill's sock" (that would actually be for Billy), or "Big Bill's sock" (that would be my Bill), or "Helena's sock". Bill's mom felt obligated to help fill the stockings because she had made them for the kids. She could knit and she made some beautiful stockings for Billy and Kyra with their names on them. To say that the stockings were HUGE is an understatement. I'm pretty sure we could have put a 5 month old Kyra in her stocking that first year.

I believe that Bill's mom bought the yarn to make Tasha's stocking while I was pregnant but never started it. Then she got sick and couldn't start it. Tasha's first Christmas was an easy one to get through because I had hopes of asking Bill's sister to make one for her and it's not like Tasha would miss a stocking at 8 months old. But then the next year rolled around and the next. I finally gave in and made everyone new stockings at a church super Saturday. Now they hang there, the 4 of them, and Payton is missing one. I guess I'll have to go back to the drawing board for next year since the girls are already concerned with him missing out. Sweet girls.

Anyway. I miss Bill's mom. I miss her sweet stocking stuffers. I miss seeing the word "sock" on small packages and chuckling to myself that there is no way in heck that any one's foot would fill the sock that she made for my kids to hang up at Christmastime. I love you Lorraine Durrenberger! Take care of yourself up there in heaven. Your memory will always live on in my heart.

NTS: Make One Thing a Priority

I've found that I can count on getting about one thing done per day. ONE THING!!! If I get more than that accomplished then I consider it a good day. SO, if I only get one thing I have to make something a priority, and anything else is a bonus.

Things that don't qualify for the "one thing" category, but have to be done and interfere with getting that one thing accomplished:

• nursing the baby


• changing diapers


• breaking up arguments between the girls


• directing the girls on tasks other than watching TV


• ignoring the dog (this takes effort to not explode in anger)


• making the bed and putting away clothes


• doing dishes (if this has become priority then things have been REALLY bad)


• eating done after 11am (if I get breakfast then it was priority or it was a good day)


• driving anywhere


• answering the phone


• answering email (read my technology post, this is as necessary as the phone now)


• keeping the peace between siblings, parents, and friends


• making dinner (although, by default do to the first item on this list, this task has fallen on Bill's shoulders more often than I'd like to admit)


• carpooling

Things that I have to make a priority if I want them done:

• showering before noon (this is done if I have someplace to be later and need to make sure I'm presentable before people)


• working out (the time will vary depending on the mood and sleeping habits of the baby, and who is around to watch him)


• grocery shopping


• church


• meetings (both church/calling related, and school)


• cleaning the floor (although this was a bonus one day as I was waiting for my mom to come watch Payton while I went to the gym since that was priority that day)


• cleaning the kitchen (if I did this regularly it wouldn't have to be on this list, dang it!)


• LAUNDRY!!!

When did life get so complicated?

Oh yeah, when I became a mom.

So what is tomorrows priority? Finishing the laundry that I started Saturday. Then I'm finding a friend to hang out with and whine to about not getting anything done.

Is It Neglect If...

...you leave your sleeping infant in the van...

• parked in the carport
• 10 feet from the front door
• with the front door open
• while you sit at the computer
• another 10 feet from the front door
• and check your email
• and blog
• and read fanfiction

?

I've checked on him several times. And, although I can't actually see his face (because he's nicely bundled in his jacket with the hood covering all but the bottom of his chin), I can see his chest heaving up and down. Seriously, if I bring him in he's sure to wake up and I really want to read about Jacob and Bella and a Volkswagon bug.

Mary's Boy Child

Mary's Boy Child is my favorite Christmas song this season. There is a version on the radio that I like, but I have a CD that my friend gave me that has Harry Connick Jr. singing it. Who doesn't like a little Harry? When I googled it I found out that Harry Belafonte was the first to record it. I don't like his version at all, it's way too slow. I like to have a little reggae feel to this song.

Here's a youtube version of it if you don't know what song I'm talking about. I think this is the version from the radio, although it sounds much better in my van.

I was singing it with Kyra on the way home this evening and here's where our conversation went:

Me: Ya know, that's not really true. The song says, "man will live forever more, because of Christmas day."
Kyra: What?
Me: Well, Easter and the resurrection is really what makes it possible for us to live again, right?
Kyra: Right. But we couldn't have Easter without Christmas.
(Smarty!)
Me: All right. But which came first the chicken or the egg?
Kyra: The egg.
Me: Where did the egg come from?
Kyra: A chicken.

I'm just sayin'... not even an 11 year old has all the answers.

NTS: Lagging Left Turn at Priest and Baseline

I used to live in Scottsdale and they had the lagging left turn signal at all the intersections. The solid green light would send all the cars through the intersection, then the left turn signal would let cars turn left. I adjusted to that fairly well and even grew to like it. It was nice if I missed the light because I could turn left, continue my travels, and just alter my route a little.

Then I moved back to Tempe and the turn signal comes before the straight green. This is a pain, especially if there is nobody sitting in the turn lane because you won't get the signal. I HATE sitting through a whole series of lights because I got to the intersection too late. Again, I adapted and got used to it.

Now however, I find myself driving east on Baseline quite often to get home. I can turn left on either Priest or Hardy. I usually go all the way to Hardy because I have all green lights in the morning. At least 3 times now I have decided to turn at Priest because the light has been red. AARGH! Why, oh why, is this the only intersection in Tempe where the left turn comes after the straight green?! Frustrating! I have to wait like a whole extra minute before I can get driving again!

Yes, I have driving issues.