And so ends another holiday weekend....

Well, Thanksgiving is over and now comes the dreaded Christmas rush.  The decorating is done here, but that's it.  I still have to bake cookies and shop....which means I will be shelling out some serious dough.  (Pun not intended but it was a good one!)  The hubby put up the outside lights on Friday, and boy do they look nice!  My youngest dd helped him and they had a wonderful time.  The started at 9 am and finished around 3:30.  I, however, decided to run to Wal-Mart.  Let me just say that going to Wal-Mart the day after Thanksgiving is insane.  I was weaving in and out of aisles, dodging crying toddlers and wayward seniors.  But, I did get my ten boxes of lights, two extension cords and a packet of replacement fuses.  Oh yes, and my one impluse buy....the new surround sound equipment.  It was on sale for only $49, so I couldn't pass it up!  It actually sounds very good, however, our vcr is not one that can be hooked up to it, so we will have to get one that is compatable.  Which, of course, will shoot that $49 good buy up another $70+ dollars.  Hey, I never said I was a financial genius!  

It's Turkey Day!!!!! (But we're having ham....)

Ahhhh, it's the dawn of another Thanksgiving morning.  Wonderful smells of food are wafting from kitchens across the country....but not from mine.  We are eating at Mom's today and I am in charge of the side dishes; mashed potatoes and broccoli casserol.  This year, with Dad being sick and a houseful of family Mom decided on purchasing the "Ham Dinner" offered by Heavenly Ham. It comes with a ham,and a few side dishes. However, upon seeing the size of the side dishes, we decided that the advertised dinner for "12", would feed 5, if only 2 people ate the side dishes.  So I am bringing the aforementioned potatoes and casserol.  That's fine with me, because it just isn't Thanksgiving without broccoli casserol!  And, it isn't Thanksgiving without turkey....but, alas, it is not on the menu. While shopping last week, our local grocery store was offering a free turkey with a purchase of $75 or more.  Of course, this falls on the day when I swear I will stick to my list and only get what is on sale.  But I say to myself, it's a free turkey.  Who can pass that up?  So, I turn the cart around, and start my shopping over again, adding to the sales items so that I can get my free turkey.  Here's where my math skills fail me.  Instead of keeping the sales item's and actually paying for the turkey for a grand total of $40.92, I spend $75 and get my free $10.92 turkey.  I'll admit, I did need most of what I added to the cart. Of course there were a few nonessentials, but I got my free turkey.  I know what you are saying....why didn't you just pay for the dang thing?  I DON'T KNOW....It just seemed neat to be able to say I got a free turkey.  And really, what tastes better than free turkey?  The whole reason I got it is because I am going to prepare my little family our own turkey dinner this weeked.  That's right; even though I don't have to toil over a hot stove this year, I am going to give my family a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Yes, it will mean more work for me, dishes to clean up, and Saturday spent cooking instead of shopping, but I am willing to do it. By the way, did I mention that hubby doesn't like turkey?     

Happy Freaking Holidays....

Well, it's done.  I have finished my holiday decorating.  I tell you, I am exhausted!  Here's how it all started....I spent the entire day cleaning, and getting ready to put up the tree since the wee one wanted it up before Thanksgiving.  "Mom, it's tradition!  Can't you have it up when I get home from school?"  Oh sure.  I'll just add that little project to my list! (Oh, and as a sidebar, I was feeling rather "frisky" all day, so I shaved the legs, called hubby with suggestive comments, and couldn't wait to see him when he got home.)  He gets home early, so that he can paint the front of the house.  Fine.  No problem.  All I ask is that he help me move the loveseat into dd's room, so I can put up the tree.  We start moving it, and it won't fit through the doorway.  Then we bang it into the woodwork, scraping the paint and gouging a nice chunk out of it.  And so begins the yelling.  "I'm so glad I came home early to move furniture!  Why do you always have to start these projects?"  (follow that with a string of curse words, especially when he catches his hand in the springs of the pull-out bed).  Frisky level at this point....zero!  And as for my "project", forgive me for being festive and wanting my house to look nice.  So, long story short, things were said, yelling happened, and I ended up in the bathroom crying.  Hubby comes in and apologizes, I begrudgingly forgive him, (can't let him off too easy), and I begin putting up the tree.  All goes fairly well until after dinner, when oldest dd decides not to save the leftovers, but put them down the disposal.  Dinner was spaghetti, so of course, it slides down the pipe and gets stuck.  Disassembly of sink pipes and a grounding later, things calm down and the tree is finished.  Now, that I am able to sit and enjoy the glow of my beautiful tree, my anxiety level is so high that my stomach hurts and all I want to do is go to bed.  So, on that note, I will bid you all goodnight....for tomorrow is another day....whoopie.   

Million dollar dog....

I just got back from the vet with my dog, Percy.  I expected to pay close to $100 for the visit, since she wanted to do a certain test....boy was I surprised when the total was $206!!!!  Holy crap!  Do you know how many Christmas presents I could buy for that amount of money?  She took 2 vials of blood and gave him 3 shots.  However, she decided to do a complete lab panel, with a test costing $56 alone!  Sheesh!  I don't know that my doctor does that kind of elaborate testing on me!  Now, don't get me wrong, I want Percy to be healthy.  But $206?  They are testing to see if his pheno med levels are preventing seizures....well, duh, he hasn't had one, so I'd say it was working.  Our old vet never did these kinds of tests.  He checked him, gave him his shots and meds, and sent us on our way.  And tomorrow, she will call me with the results and a prescription for antibiotics....so there goes another $50 at least!  Although, if he needs antibiotics, that's reasonable.  While the assistant was checking Percy out before the vet got in there, she asked if I wanted the "extra" physical to make "extra" sure he was okay.  It was only an "extra" $45.  Needless to say, that was not done.  Well, I need to go and balance my checkbook....I believe it is safe to say my finances have truly gone to the dogs! 

Color me red and green....

Today I began my Christmas decorating.  I know, I know....it's not even Thanksgiving, right?  Well, it's a tradition with me that I have the house decorated for Christmas by Thanksgiving.  Strange?  Perhaps....but the tradition started because family from the south would come up north for turkey day, and we would have an early Christmas with them.  So, even though we are now here in the south, I am still continuing the tradition.  This afternoon I got out my two favorite cd's, "Christmas Sing-a-long with Mitch" and "A Gene Autry Christmas", and cranked up the music.  Then, I went room to room, singing and decorating, and periodically dancing in the kitchen with my 8 year old, while my 15 year old rolled her eyes and went into the other room.  I had a great time.  My husband came in from painting and just shook his head.  "You do realize that it's 78 outside and you are in here playing holiday music and decorating?"  Of course I realize.  I was wearing a tank top and shorts for gosh sake!  But, I didn't let the heat, or the summer-like day get me down, no siree.  I continued on and now, I sit here in front of my computer, basking in the glow of my "computer tree", and from here I can see my dining room "buffet tree".  I can also see the glow of both of my "kitchen trees".  And by Thursday, you can bet I will be finished with the "family room tree", and the "foyer tree".  I also have the 3 "bedroom trees", but they've been up for a week. Hmmmm, maybe that is just too many trees.  But they are so beautiful!  If I could, I'd have 50 trees....perhaps, after Christmas, I should seriously consider "tree-hab"....

Early morning shopping....

Okay folks, I'm going to play the "stay-at-home-mom" card here.  To me, the following is a true perk of being a sahm.  It is the quiet peacefulness of going to the grocery store just after it opens. At this time of day the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins and bread hangs in the air, the aisles seem wider and more spacious, and the early morning dairy stockers smile as they actually place the gallon of milk in the cart for you.  Cans and boxes are neatly placed on shelves, their lables facing forward, so they can actually be read.  The produce department is brimming with fresh, green vegetables that are glowing with the promise of vitamins and minerals in every bite. The fruits are polished to such a high gloss that you almost need sunglasses as you choose between McIntosh and Jonagold.  And then there are the checkout lines....oh the blessed lines!  The clerks are actually standing there waiting for you.  You are most likely their first customer of the morning and they are smiling and chatty. They happily run your items through and if a price check is needed, there are no scowls or heavy sighs.  Just a cheerful call over the intercom, "Jerry sweetie, I need a price check on celery, Thanks hon."  And, my favorite part, the comical retiree who packs your groceries.  "Paper or plastic young lady?"  At this early morning hour, this dawn of a new day, eggs get carefully placed in their own bag.  Bread is ever so gently tucked into the cart, no where near the canned goods.  Then, with a twinkle in his eye, the bagger asks, "May I help you out with your purchases?"  I'm always tempted to say yes, but I see the harried working mother running late behind me, and decide to let her reap the benefits of the early morning glow that surrounds the store. It's an experience that stays with me through my day.  And every time I reach for an egg, or glass of milk, I am comforted by the thought that tomorrow is another day, and I will surely run out of something before then.... 

Advertising the kids....

Have you seen those magnetic sports balls people have on their cars?  They are baseballs or soccer balls, and they usually have the child's name on them and/or their jersey number.  Am I the only one who thinks that this is a really bad idea?  I watched a show where a woman and her daugher were at the ballpark one evening and her little girl asked if she could go play with the other kids while her mother was talking with a friend.  She was allowed to....and was never seen again.  Someone abducted her.  It just seems to me that it is giving potential abductors information they need to stalk a child, by advertising their names and numbers on their cars.  Let's face it, you could follow a car with these magnets, follow the people into the store, and as the kids are looking around, start up a conversation with them, already knowing their name!  What kid wouldn't be excited if someone came up to them saying, "Hey 'Joey', I saw your game last night.  You were awesome!"  We tell our kids not to give out personal information on the internet, we tell them to be careful about talking to strangers.  But hey, that guy knew my name!   I have been seeing cars with the magnets without the names lately, and I think that is a much better idea.  It's sad that we have to live in a time when we can't shout out to the world our children's accomplishments for fear of strangers with sick intent.  I suppose all we can do is teach our children about stranger danger, and try to keep them safe to the best of our ability.