For auld lang syne…

I once heard that (supposedly) whatever you’re doing at midnight on New Year’s Eve is what you’ll be doing all year long.  I certainly hope that’s not true.  Every last family member (in-laws included) is either suffering with or struggling to recover from a cold we all shared with each other in an overzealous display of holiday generosity.  You know, the Spirit of Giving and all that.

In spite of our present, germ-infested state and the fact that - between the sick kids, the medicine for the sick kids, and the work I missed because of the sick kids - we’re starting out the New Year both contagious and financially doomed, I still find myself oddly optimistic and hopeful.  Maybe it’s because I’m sitting here in my warm, comfortable home, listening to my new mp3 player Deputy Dad surprised me with for Christmas.  (Warning to grammar geeks (of which I am one): Make no attempt to diagram the previous sentence, especially that whole with for disaster.  Just make a mental note that it’s currently 1:40 AM, decide to forgive my grammatical transgressions, and move on.)  Maybe it’s because my beautiful children are sleeping peacefully in their warm beds, my sweetheart is lightly snoring in the recliner next to me, and the puppy is curled up asleep on the couch.  Maybe it’s just because we took down the Christmas tree today, so that project’s not staring me in the face anymore.

Or maybe it’s because I’ve spent the last several days being consciously thankful for every little thing, and that’s improving my outlook.

Whatever the reason, I find myself hoping for good things in 2007.

As for you, my Internet Friends, I hope for good things for you as well.  If 2006 was a rough year for you (and I know it was for some of my dearest blogging buddies), then I hope 2007 is much, much better.  And if 2006 was a good year for you, I hope 2007 is spectacular.

A dear friend reminded me recently how important Hope is.  I’m holding on to Hope.  For me.  For Susie.  For you.

Happy New Year, my Internet Friends.  May God bless you and those you love today and every day.

A time for thanks

SuperBoy awoke early this morning, so I brought him to bed with me.

Thank you, God, for morning snuggles with my son.

When we made our way out of bed and into the kitchen, The Drama Queen and Miss Attitude were getting their breakfast.

Thank you, God, for blessing my children with healthy, working bodies.

I worked in the kitchen, making pies and green bean casserole, cleaning up as I went.

Thank you, God, for running water, for electricity, for food and two good hands to prepare it.

As I was getting dressed, I could hear the kids fighting and yelling at each other and the puppy yelping.

Thank you, God, for Zoloft. 

We drove to Deputy Dad’s parents’ house for lunch.

Thank you, God, for our car, for our small town, for our family.

Throughout the day, I whispered prayers for Susie, for CircusKelli and her grandparents, for Kit as she recovers from surgery, and for Deputy Dad and his upcoming surgery.

Thank you, God, for my online friends, who make me laugh and cry daily.

The girls are spending the night with the in-laws tonight, and Deputy Dad and I are preparing to go to bed.

Thank you, God, for my warm bed and for the strong embrace of my sweet husband, the most caring and understanding man I know.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

–from Great is Thy Faithfulness, lyrics by Thomas O. Chisolm

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  God bless you and those you love.

Only 364 Shopping Days Until Christmas!

Christmas was wonderful, but exhausting. My brain has turned into a pool of primordial ooze; so, instead of trying to form a series of coherent thoughts, I bring you Photos!

Christmas Eve, sprinkling Reindeer Dust on the lawn:

Big Boy, The Drama Queen (foreground), and Miss Attitude (pink shirt, background).

Miss Attitude (left) and The Drama Queen. This photo has a coloring book effect, to protect my sweet daughters.

Yesterday was a flurry of wrapping paper and gifts. Deputy Dad ended up working most of the day, to my great disappointment. He generally just takes calls (as opposed to being out on patrol) if he’s working on a major holiday, which is what he did this year; only, he kept getting call-after-call-after-call. I wanted to scream, “Listen folks, It’s CHRISTMAS, fer cryin’ out loud!” We did eventually get all the gifts opened and all ten hundred million plastic ties cut off of the toys. Everyone got everything they could possibly want and then some.

Tonight the girls and I finally had a chance to make Amber’s brownies. YUM!
Can’t you almost smell ‘em?

I was almost glad I hadn’t had a chance to make the brownies until tonight, because it gave me the chance to use my new stand mixer Mother-In-Law got me for Christmas. (The screaming you heard was not the lambs, Clarice. It was the sound of me mourning my old stand mixer’s recent, unexpected passing.)

Ain’t she purty?

Now, I wouldn’t normally use the word sexy to describe a kitchen appliance, but this one IS. I mean, just look at the rack on her!

ROWR

Also functions as a mirror in a pinch. Not covenient for travel, however.

Oooh, Shiny!

Oh, yes. Back to the brownies. Did I mention YUM? Miss Attitude’s words were, “MOM, these brownies are DELICIOUS!”

Indeed.

Did you know if you cut brownies with a plastic knife, they won’t stick to it? Makes a smoother, prettier cut. Seriously. Try it.

Thanks again for the homemade brownie mix, Amber!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. And I hope your Tuesday doesn’t feel too much like a Monday.

Speaking of Tuesday, please do me a favor and go send great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes to Kit, my birth mother and dear friend; and to RazDreams, one of my favorite blogging buddies.*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAZ!

*Turns out I got a little over-zealous with the birthday wishing. Raz’s birthday is NEXT Tuesday.

Christmas by the numbers

Number of school Christmas parties attended this morning: 2

Number of times in the last two weeks I have said to Deputy Dad (or anyone else who would listen), “I think Caller ID was invented by someone trying to avoid the Room Mom who was planning the class Christmas party!”: 6482

Number of children in Miss Attitude’s first grade class: 17

Number of parents who helped out with Miss Attitude’s class Christmas party: 4

Number of dollars spent on Miss Attitude’s teacher’s gift “from the class”: 30

Number of children who actually brought the requested $2 to help cover the cost of the teacher gift: 7

Number of dollars that makes: 14

Number of dollars currently in my checking account: minus 300

Number of times I have rolled my eyes in disgust as I attempted to plan Miss Attitude’s class party, buy and prepare party favors, organize parents, purchase gifts, etc.: eleventy kerflillion

Number of children in the LadyBug household who were sick last week, and are still recovering: 1

Number of children currently sick: 2 3 (See Update)

Number of medications given to the children this morning: 6 (3 for Miss Attitude; 2 for Big Boy; 1 for The Drama Queen)

Number of children seeing the pediatrician this afternoon: 3

Number of parents escorting those children to the doctor: 1 (guess who. hint: it’s me.)

Number of times Big Boy woke up crying last night: 5 or 6, at least

Number of times I’ve almost started crying, myself, in the last 24 hours: hundreds

Number of hours spent IM’ing with kalki last night: 1

Number of times I have grinned over that conversation since we said goodnight: thousands

Number of days until Christmas: 5

Number of times I have SWORN to myself that, in spite of everything crappy going on right now, I will NOT lose my Christmas Spirit: dozens

Number of times I have been thankful not only for this space where I can vent and rant and just generally get everything off my chest, but also for all the wonderful, kind people who visit here, and who have become such an important part of my life: countless

* * * *

Note: I got this completely typed up and edited, then realized the format looked…..really familiar. I did a little searching and discovered I totally stole this from kalki! I mean, I copied her title and everything. But I SWEAR I didn’t realize it until I had it all typed up! SWEAR IT! And I do NOT have time to go back and change it all up right now. So I’ll just have to give credit where credit is due. Let’s call it….”inspiration,” shall we? (Sorry, kalki!)

Wherein I go on and on about how awesome my blog friends are

I was already planning on blogging this weekend about the sweet package (no, not THAT kind of package. Get your mind out of the gutter.) I got in the mail from Amber on Tuesday. She sent me some yummy-smelling bath stuff and - most importantly of all - HOMEMADE BROWNIE MIX. YUM! I haven’t had the chance to make them yet, but I hope to soon (maybe this weekend). I know they’ll be DELICIOUS. I don’t know if this brownie mix has the chipotle peppers (Yes, you read that right.) in it that Amber was telling me about last week. I told her I don’t want to know until after I’ve tried them.

Do you see the cute little apple wedge? It’s bath fizz! Adorable!

Then today I got a box of goodies from Danielle. Danielle sent tea and chocolate, cookies, hot chocolate and marshmallows, CDs of her favorite Christmas music, and even some supplies for the girls to make Christmas paper chains! See?

I may or may not have ripped into that bag of Dove Dark Chocolates immediately after the amateur photo shoot.

Danielle included a lovely Christmas card featuring a photo of Miss Blogging Kitty Herself, also known as The Girlie-Girl.

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful. Fear me because with one swipe of my paw, I can take out your eye…and your camera.”

I haven’t told the girls about the paper chains yet, ’cause I knew they’d run off (R-U-N-N-O-F-T) with the supplies, and, dangit, I wanted to get a picture of everything first! But won’t they be excited to know we can make paper chains AND brownies this weekend?!?

So, this evening, after all the kids were in bed, I took pictures of all the awesome goodies, made myself a cup of Passion Fruit Papaya tea (Danielle’s favorite - very yummy),

and popped one of Danielle’s custom-made Christmas CDs in the computer as background music for blogging.

(Also, I may or may not be making occasional trips back and forth to the kitchen for pieces of Dove Dark Chocolate.)

(I left it in the kitchen, because if I brought it to the living room, it would be gone already.)

(Besides, going back and forth to the kitchen works off the calories.)

(It does so. Shut up.)

I am so very blessed to have such sweet, thoughtful blog friends. Thanks so much, Amber and Danielle!

Further proof that kalki is, like, so totally awesome!

I started smiling as soon as I saw the return address on the box waiting for me outside my front door this afternoon. It was something special from kalki!

Do you see how she actually color-coordinated the tissue paper to match the Post-Its? The girl is just. that. GOOD.

kalki sent Post-It pads for all my list-making, a fun (and yummy-smelling!) bath set, and an oh-so-cute pad of Target sticky notes! I’ll think of her every. single. time. I use one of them. (There are 500!!!)

Thank you so much, kalki. You totally made my day. I blove you, girl.

Hating Technical Machine Lingo

I just hate it when I can’t figure stuff out. I’m a figure-it-out type of gal, and I can’t stand it when the computer gets the better of me. But I just don’t speak the native language of HTML. I’ve learned enough of the basic codes to post entries to my blog, add emphasis with bold or italics, and even add links (go me). But I just. don’t. get. the programming, blog-layout part of it. I simply don’t speak the language. So when mrtl first awarded me a Distinguished Visitor badge, I was thrilled, but I didn’t know what the heck to do with it.

Now, she’s gone and added a star to my badge! And I still don’t know how to put the darn thing in my sidebar. So I am posting it here, along with the first one, for all the world to see that I am, indeed, A mrtland Distinguished Visitor.

Badge #1:

Now With Star:

Aren’t you jillis?

Breaking News!

I hesitated to post this first link, since I haven’t bought my t-shirt yet, but then I decided, hey, just because I’m broke and procrastinating doesn’t mean I shouldn’t share with you all the opportunity to help someone else.

ScottyGee has designed a couple of t-shirts and made them available through CafePress, with proceeds benefitting Amanda B., a fellow blogger most of you know and love, who was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. (Some of you may remember ScottyGee as “Scotty Hotpants” from the Dooce comments.)

Click here to buy a cool Hotpants-designed shirt and help Amanda B.!

Also, Amanda posted her mailing address in her latest entry, if you’d rather send something directly to her. Sheryl from Wave of Modulation has been in contact with Amanda and will, hopefully, be sending out a list of what they need most and other ways we can help. If any of you are not on Sheryl’s emailing list, and would like me to forward you the info, please let me know in the comments.

This is the first time I’ve actually ‘known’ someone who was personally affected by a disaster such as this one, and it’s breaking my heart. Having these options to send aid directly to Amanda eases my sense of helplessness, just a bit.

May I have your attention, please?

Happy Birthday to youuuuu
Happy Birthday to youuuuu
Happy Birthday, psumommy
Happy Birthday to youuuuu

Facing the music

Yes, it’s true. I am officially over 30 today. (I’m 31.)

I was using my birthday as an excuse to claim one of kalki’s yummy chocolate cupcakes, and that gal decided to throw me a virtual party! Thanks kalki! I blove you!