Would Someone Please Make the Room Stop Spinning?

I forgot how awful "morning" sickness is. I have also been enlightened that the older you are when preggers, the worse it is. Fan-freakin-tastic. I want to puke. All. Day. Long. It is so bad. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to be having another (final) baby but I am so hoping this passes soon. Ugh. I have tried every trick in the book including prescription drugs and so far nothing helps much. The drugs have almost stopped the actual throwing up but I am still so queasy I could die.

OK, pity party over.

Christmas was good~the girls were spoiled as per usual and we got to have Cuncle Jer and Cant Kim and Ewise here for a few days which was great fun. Lots of sorting of presents to happen today until the Bears game starts. We have no plans for New Years Eve but that's OK cuz I'm not sure I'm really a fun addition to a party right now. We had a great time in Hilton Head with Dad and Judy and Jeff and Seana. I went shopping alone. As in ALL BY MYSELF! I was giddy with joy. I also found a Gymboree outlet down there and was in my glory. :-)

Chirstmas Wishes to All!

Merry Children and Happy New Baby to All! Oops. Guess I'm a bit mixed up, being preggers and all.

We are off to Hilton Head for the week~without the girls! All alone to sleep in, eat out, and shop, shop, shop. We'll miss you all and see you all for the New Year's Eve!

Merry Christmas to You from us!

Tim, Jen, Caroline, Amelia, Greta, and Baby Bean

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad. . .

Here's Jen, Anne and Shawnie singing the theme song from "The Facts of Life" We knew every stinking word. We also did a mean rendition of "Little Red Corvette"
I'm not sure what Tim was doing here. Suffice it to say it was the end of the evening. He did roll up his jeans to earn him the nickname "Huck". Not sure why.
Here is our only guy who dressed for the night. Lee AKA Steve sported his Sonny Crockett look.
Part of the festivities of the evening included Totally 80s Trivial Pursuit. All kinds of fun and hilarity ensured. Boys vs. Girls. They did well with Sports while us gals had Music and TV locked up! Here Dawn becomes very excited to shout out "Alan Thicke!!"
Shawnie tries out the martini shaker. We had Wedding Cake Martinis, Jack Frost Martinis, and the non-alcoholic Cosmo-NOT Martini. They were yummy!

I gotta say, I love these people. We had our 2nd Annual Small Group Christmas party last night. Yee Haw. Over the past year we have been through a lot together, the most difficult being the losses of Andrew and Jesse. We also know how to have a rockin' good time. Real friends are the ones who are there for the fun and the not-so-fun. So last night was a Christmas in the 80's theme. Great fun for most of us who were cool in the 80's not so fun for the ones who were toddlers in the 80's! We had martinis and dinner. Cheesecake and beer. And lots of "candy from the crapper." I had a dish of wrapped candies in the bathroom last year and they were so excited about it! Some of the highlights of the evening included the girls singing the "Facts of Life" theme song all the way through, Tim making up his own questions, calling Lee "Steve" all night just because we could, Tim rolling his pants up like Huck Finn, laughing at all our pictures from the 80's, and dicussion of the term skin flute. Hmm. . . Enjoy the photos and join a small group today.

To Do's Done

In an effort to feel as if I have actually accomplished something, here is my DONE list. Now most will need to be re-done before tomorrow night's party but hey, we're closer.

CLEANED
Master bedroom
Master bath
Hallway
Laundry room
Amelia/Greta's room
Girls' bath
Family room
Mudroom

Nov. invoices
Paid bills


STILL TO BE DONE
Playroom
Office
Kitchen
Bath
Mop floors
Caroline's room

Make grocery list
Grocery shop
Plan menu

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work I go. . .

My Insurmountable To-Do List

In my "free" time I often surf blogs~especially the Christian Mom varitey. While some are a bit on the cheesy side, they are often well-written snippets from other moms like me. One thing I have noticed on the Homeschooler Mom Blogs (LOVE these as they are full of organizational ideas) is the practice of listing your to-do list on your blog (I think my pronouns are all messed up there.) One mom I "chatted" with said she does it for accountability. Well, heck, I need me some o' that! So, here's my To-Do by Friday night list. We are having a Christmas party here and only one person has seen the house so you know I'll be doing the grand tour.

CLEAN
~playroom ~office ~family room ~mudroom
~downstairs bath ~kitchen ~Amelia/Greta's room ~Caroline's room
~guest room ~girls' bath ~laundry room ~master bedroom
~master bath ~hallway

Grocery shop
November invoices
Pay bills
Laundry
PHONE CALLS
~painter ~builder ~insurance guy
Find pototo recipie
Finish and mail Christmas cards
Organize Christmas presents
Figure out who needs what for Christmas

I think that's it for now. Anyone wanna help? :-)

Griswold Family Christmas

I have a really weird extended family. I mean that in the nicest way possible, but they are kooks. We had a family Christmas party this afternoon that ended with a bottle of Irish whiskey being passed around the circle with everyone taking a hit~especially my 81-year-old Grandma and her sister. So I got thinking in the season of much family togetherness that I really do like them and the biggest reason why is they are a hoot. Exhibits A-E

**My Grandma makes us sing the "12 Days of Christmas" every year and last year we tried to do it "gay"

**My dad and my uncle once went sledding down a hill. With no coats. Into a creek.

**When Tim married into my family, he didn't know quite what to think. His family is very nice and my family yells things like "GET OFF ME YOU FAT OAF!"

**We once had a "meeting" to move the official beginning of Happy Hour up to 10am so one could have beer on one's Post Toasties.

**My Uncle Jim does a mean rendition of "Junior Birdman"

What kinds of fun stories come from your family? Do you do weird things? Are we the only ones who spend hours of drunken fun?

A few additions. . .

A while back I listed so simple do's and don'ts to make this holiday shopping season nice for all. After being out all morning, I need to add some.

DO vacate your parking spot immeadiately upon arrive to one's car. DO NOT organize your reciepts, adjust the heat, light up a smoke, balance your check book and start chatting on your cell phone while others are waiting to take your spot.

DO NOT chat on your cell phone while navigating a crowded parking lot. Please pay attention.

DO allow the person behind you to ask a quick question of the sales person who is helping you. If you are the person asking the quick question, DO make sure it is a question answerable with one-word.

Anchor stores in the mall, DO NOT close any earlier than the rest of the mall without making a huge announcement. Especially when my car is parked near your store.

Thank you for your cooperation.

My New Favorite Website

I am having a moment here. This is my new homepage. Every recipie EVER! Check it out and we'll have a party!