School Parties

Each year while the parents are setting up for the year end Christmas (AKA as Holiday party :() party, the kids do a sing along of Christmas carols in the gym.

This year Joshua came home and said that his class was having a "PANTY TREE". Excuse me??? His teacher does this every year. The class decorates a tree with underwear/ panties for Broken Arrow Neighbors. It is a great idea, it just through me off for a second :)

Leave the Dog Alone!

I say this phrase at least 50 times a day. Joshua loves the dog so much, too bad the affection is not mutual!

FATHER FROST

The last two years we have gone to the Russian community Christmas Party. It is a special night for Joshua and Alex to exchange presents and to celebrate their heritage. We allowed two siblings to come along this year.

It is held at a local cinema. The organizer has games to play and presents have been bought through grants. This year we were able to meet Father Frost as well.

The Grinch called E-Bay!

We have been burned on two occasions this holiday season by e-bay. We bid and won a present for Joshua. It was at such a great price-- should have been the first clue. When we read the small print we realized that the Lego set did not include the figurines.
So, we put it back on E-bay and put that it did not include figurines in the first sentence.

We also bought the actual present we wanted on a Buy It Now deal on e-bay. That was on 12/7.

Well the winning bidder on our sell backed out and recalled her deposit from our account. I am not sure how Paypal allowed it unless she lied to them-- but they did.

So after paying a re-listing fee. We placed it for sale again and it did sale-- we recouped our money from that deal.

So, all was good-- we waited for the much coveted present to arrive. We waited and waited some more. Two days ago, we received a notice from Paypal that our money had been returned to us because the seller couldn't meet delivery requirements! Since that time, the seller has received 10 other complaints in addition to ours. He was a complete fraud that held our money until there were no others to be purchased. Merry Christmas!!

Luckily, we can order it from Lego and it should arrive Jan. 29th. A lesson in patience???

I had a great idea to give my mother an Iris Portrait for Christmas. This flower reminds her of her friend that was murdered back in 1991. The bulbs her friend gave her still produce flowers every Spring.

I saw an awesome photo on a photography Bl0g. It was a daily give away prize. I didn't win it but decided to contact the photographer. She told me that she had no desire to let me buy a print at this time. Yes, she knows the story! I guess it is her choice though.

I contacted the winner and she was going to allow me to buy it but I find a nice substitute in the interim. Wow, I know my mom is going to love it. It does not have as much characteristic as the other one but I know it will be cherished none the less.

I am deciding not to let the Grinches get me down. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! HAVE A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

My Little Helper

I love when I find new products that help me clean in a shorter amount of time. I find the Sonic Scrubber at Wal-Mart and thought I would give it a try. It is right up there with the Magic Eraser!!

Paul had mentioned that our grout was looking pretty bad. I always thought it was suppose to be gray--- looks like I was wrong!

I used the Sonic Scrubber along with Armstrong Floor Cleaner and some Comet. After 6 hours of scrubbing, I now have much cleaner floors! They should last another 11 years until the next cleaning :)

NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!!

I decided to take a quiz online after seeing a friend's results. I am not sure I like that I am compared to Mommy Dearest ;). Who are you most like??

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Joan!

You are a Joan -- "I need to succeed"

Joans are energetic, optimistic, self-assured, and goal oriented.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Leave me alone when I am doing my work.


• * Give me honest, but not unduly critical or judgmental, feedback.


• * Help me keep my environment harmonious and peaceful.


• * Don't burden me with negative emotions.


• * Tell me you like being around me.


• * Tell me when you're proud of me or my accomplishments.

What I Like About Being a Joan

• * being optimistic, friendly, and upbeat


• * providing well for my family


• * being able to recover quickly from setbacks and to charge ahead to the next challenge


• * staying informed, knowing what's going on


• * being competent and able to get things to work efficiently


• * being able to motivate people

What's Hard About Being a Joan

• * having to put up with inefficiency and incompetence


• * the fear on not being -- or of not being seen as -- successful


• * comparing myself to people who do things better


• * struggling to hang on to my success


• * putting on facades in order to impress people


• * always being "on." It's exhausting.

Joans as Children Often

• * work hard to receive appreciation for their accomplishments


• * are well liked by other children and by adults


• * are among the most capable and responsible children in their class or school


• * are active in school government and clubs or are quietly busy working on their own projects

Joans as Parents

• * are consistent, dependable, and loyal


• * struggle between wanting to spend time with their children and wanting to get more work done


• * expect their children to be responsible and organized

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Things I have done....

My answers are in Blue

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a Baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Christmas Time!

It is so hard to believe that it is so close to Christmas. We are really starting to get busy with the parties. The kids were excited to put the tree up. We dragged everything down this weekend and decked the halls!

Cutie Pie

Here is little Isaac. He is getting so big and I get the pleasure of babysitting him from time to time.

Soccer Night

The local High School held a Soccer Clinic to raise money for their program. Delaney wanted to go. Joshua decided not to go.
Delaney was so excited because her babysitter was there. Delaney was able to hang out with her for the evening. Her sitter said that she was a great player.

Thanksgiving Day!

We went over to my dad and mom's for Thanksgiving. It is one of the few occasions that my side of the family gets together. We all live in the same area but with all the kids involved in sports, it is hard to make our schedules meet up.

The kids love playing with each other although there is usually a lot of mischief going on between them.

Before the meal, we go around the table and tell what we are thankful for. It is so cute listening to the kids.

After eating the meal, we played a family game of soccer. The adults played against the kids. The adults actually outlasted the kids. The next few days, I was very sore from playing. It is amazing how just a little game could cause so much soreness.

Uncle Buck!

My Great Uncle Buck passed away last month after being diagnosed with Cancer. In his last days, he was comforted by many from his past that had already made it to Heaven. He would talk about his old relatives and how they were in the room with him. My grandmother did the same thing. I believe that our transition is made easier with the comfort of those that went before us. They welcome us home and let us know that they are ready and waiting for us.

Uncle Buck was more like a grandfather to me. My father's dad passed away before I turned two years old. We spent many a Thanksgiving at Buck and Joyce's house. It was always great seeing them again.

Buck was a character. You can read an article about him that his granddaughter wrote about him several years ago. He was such a loving man. He will be missed!

A little late--- worth the wait??

Fall Break!

The kids fell in love with Great Wolf Lodge this summer while we were in Grapevine. We promised them that we would go again. We decided to change venues so we went to Kansas City.
The great thing about the children's resort is that you can have an awesome vacation with out ever leaving the hotel.
We didn't do that but it is a possibility. I love the Kansas City area!
Here are a few of my favs: (Delaney was being a toot when it came to pictures so there are fewer of her :)