What not to get your wife for Christmas!

Worst gift this year: Ionic Pro air filter from my husband.
Best gift this year: AVS sweatshrit from my mommy!
Over all Christmas was a big disappointment. I never did get in the Christmas mood, and my tree is already put away, the lights are off the house and you can't even tell we had Christmas here.

The boys on the other hand had a great Christmas. Colton got a drum kit that he really likes. He sits down at the little chair, beats the sticks together and counts off 1,2 1,2,3,4 and begins to beat the drums for about 5 minutes then he stands up, throws his arms above his head and yells "Thank you, thank you my fans."
David got the Star Wars light saber game that plugs into their new TV, and that game is freaking work. He is a little sweatball after he plays it. Cam got the paintball game and he is a better shot than his dad. Overall they had a great Christmas which made mine a lot less disappointing. They all got a lightsaber and Steve and I have had more fun with them than the boys have. Those damn things are fun, and I am quickly on my way to becoming a master Jedi with as much as I play with them!

Hope everyone else had a great Christmas and don't forget we have a new story contest going on at Fizzle and Pop forum. Come on over and play!

IT"S ON!

Stole this from Tricia girl!

Round 22 is on!!!
Are we going to do this again???
Hell, we've had a year to sit and think.
We should be able to come up with something!

I'm ready!
Jenn's ready!

Let's roll!

The words for Round 22 are as follows...

n no particular order...

Smell
Velvet
Midnight
Candles
Message
Angry

Put on your thinking caps folks.

This round will self-destruct on January 16th!!!
(On account a' I intend to get smashed on New Year's weekend)

PS. You may need to get a new activation code, but your old password will let you in.

Fizzle and Pop

Just remember the rules people.
There are no rules.
Just use the words in a story then come back to read and vote for your favorite!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
(Catonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sunk

Danish: Glædelig Jul

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast

English: Merry Christmas

French: Joyeux Noel

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
amoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År

How every you say it I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. My Christmas wish this year is for each of you that read this. May all your christmas wishes come true this year, and may the year to come bring you joy and happiness. I wish for your dreams to come to and your health to be good, and most of all I wish you love and happiness! Merry Christmas everyone. See you in the new year!

Oh the thoughts you can think... I think Dr. Susse said that.

I sure hope that sex is like riding a bike you know that old saying that once you learn you never forget how. Steve has been gone so much lately we just see each other in passing.

I wonder whatever happened to that one guy who had a thing for me... What the hell was his name he played drums in a band I remember that and we got drunk on CLC together once and ended up spending the night talking about things 17 year old kids never talk about. You know the meaning of life and all of that crap that is meaningless in the end. I wonder why I never dated him?

Did I get all the boys the same amount of stuff for Christmas? I better check before Christmas morning...

What the hell is up with my tree it is leaning forward and no matter what I try I can't get it to stand straight.

Rob Thomas is hot...and he writes his own songs that is just sexy as hell.

Memoirs of a Geisha is an excellent read. I am always a day behind the times it seems though, because I just saw it advertised on TV that they made it into a movie.

I will be glad when Christmas is over. I love doing the Christmas morning thing with the boys and playing with their new toys with them, but all the family crap I hate! Steve's family does a Christmas eve thing and a Christmas dinner thing. I hate staying out until midnight and trying to get the boys to sleep after they have opened all their presents it is always 3am before Santa can even come to my house, and 5 by the time I get to sleep and half an hour later the boys are awake. Then by noon we are all tired and cranky. This year I think I am just sending them without me and my Christmas gift will be going back to bed and sleeping the rest of the day.

I am tired and I think I am going to find a place to sleep now.

Oh the Joy.

I have done as little as possible for the last 2 days. I cleaned up the basement and put the air hockey table together and beat all the boys in a game. I have chated on the phone and the computer. I have played with the dogs. I have read most of the new book I got in my stocking. Now I am going a little crazy. I think I may have to go shopping or ice skating or something! To be on the go all day and half the night and then just stop is a little to much. I need to find a middle ground somewhere.

We had a good visit with my sister. It was way to short, but it was nice to see her. When we were at the airport Colton said to her "Aunt Jo can't you just find a good home here?" It was sad they didn't want her to go. I am glad that they love her so much and she loves them. I wish she lived closer. We had a big scare with my granny. She has pnemonia and ended up going to the hospital. She got to go home yesterday with a breathing treatment machine and a bottle of oxygen. I am so thankful she is feeling better.

Now I am going to try to get caught up on blog reading. I have missed everyone these last few weeks.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been so hectic around here I have not had time to write anything. The boys had their hockey jamboree last weekend. I was at the rink by 8 every morning and didn't leave until well after 10! All the kids had a great time and got their trophies. Monday I tried to get caught up on laundry and did some christmas shopping. Tuesday both the boys had hockey games, and wednesday my sister got here. Thursday we spent shopping and today I think I finished up most of it. I still have a few more things to get, but mostly I am done. The boys all had their Christmas parties at school today, and thankfully there are 2 whole weeks of not getting up early, well except Christmas morning. Tomorrow we are going to my mom's for an early christmas dinner and to visit a little while. Then Sunday is our last hockey practice until after the new year. I am so looking forward to some sit down and do nothing time.

Next week I may have something entertaining to say, but right now I am to tired to think!

64 Years Ago

64 Years Ago

The sound of silence was deafening as we stood there and gazed over the rail into the oily water below.  For several long moments our tourist group stood there and no one spoke.  It was almost as if time had stopped for those brief few seconds.  When people finally did begin speaking again it was in hushed whispers.  I am not one who believes in Ghosts or the supernatural, but standing on the deck on the USS Arizona Memorial you can feel something beyond this world.  

If you listen hard enough you can hear the bombs exploding around these young men, who gave their all serving their country.  You can hear the people running to their positions aboard their vessels, as their confusion turned to realization.   I was very humbled and honored to be able to visit Pearl Harbor on my trip to Hawaii.  It is one of those places that every American needs to see at least once in their lifetime.  The tour of the memorial starts at the museum; they have pictures and artifacts from the day Pearl Harbor was attacked.  We spent quite some time looking through the pictures and reading the stories, some of survivors and others that perished that tragic December day.

They called our group number and we made our way to a theater and took our seats.  They show a really great film, and it makes it much better because you are right there you have looked out into the harbor and you have seen Diamond Head, and if you were crazy like us actually climbed to the top with a broken ankle.  You have all these land marks to make references to while you are getting the history.   After the film, they loaded us on the boat and carted us across the water.  There are huge Navy ships in port and you can see their crews doing their thing, much like it must have been December 7, 1941.  The trip out to the actual Memorial site only takes a few minutes.  I think the thing that I remember feeling the most as our craft pulled along side the USS Arizona was sadness.  There is an overwhelming sadness that surrounds the memorial, and even thought it happened long before my time I was still very upset by the whole thing. 

I hope one day that I can take my boys on the journey Hawaii has a great amount of American history that is worth seeing.  If you get the chance don't pass it up, it will be a trip you won't soon forget.  I have added some links below feel free to click them!









USS Arizona Memorial

National Geographic Articles

Great links for more history

The halls are decked

Woooohooo who rules. Who is better than dad. Yep that is right me! I got all the outside decorations up today. Cam was home sick so I didn't have to go to school with him and I put up the lights and snowman outside. Last year it took Steve about 3 hours to get them all up. Me it took an hour and a half, because yes I am just that good! Me and the boys put the tree up last Saturday and the stocking are all hung by the chimney with care, well not really by the chimney, but with care. Now as soon as I start my Christmas shopping all things will be good. Lets hope I soon find time to brave the hordes of mass consumers who have totally made Christmas a commercial holiday.

The things we have going on:
David played a hockey game last night scored a hat trick, his first this year!

We have hockey practice tomorrow from 5:30 until 8:00.

Cam and David play in the jamboree this coming weekend and I am running one of the fund raiser booths selling tee-shirts and what not.

My sister gets here next wednesday.

and inbetween I am trying to get the house cleaned up for christmas and get rid of toys the boys don't play with anymore.

I won't know what to do with myself over the week of Christmas because there will be no school, no hockey, and absoultly nothing going on!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I am getting the best Christmas present every and I am getting it early! My baby sister is coming home the 14th! I am so excited. We see each other about once a year and that sucks. We talk on the phone at least 4 times a week, and we email each other everyday, but it isn't the same as actually having her home! The boys are more excited about Aunt Jo coming than they are for Christmas to get her. The down side is she has to go back way to soon. She will have to leave the 19th. We will have an early Christmas dinner at mom and dad's and she will get to see Cam play a hockey game and we will do some shopping together and have a great time! The last time she was home I hardly got anytime with her, because the boys hovered over her all the time. They love her and she loves them and that makes me so happy!

I still have not put up my tree so I am getting ready to do that today, and tonight the boys can decorate it and hang their stockings!

Quick tag

Jamie made me do it!

Weapon of choice?

My words. You piss me off and they drip with vemon. I will say the very thing I know is going to hurt the most. I have figured out you can't beat a anyone under ten if they refer to you as mom though because they will defeat you at your own game.

Relative Psychosis:
I don't think I have any blood relatives that are psychotic. Yes some are a little off you could even say crazy, but we are not a threat to ourselves or others. Beetles suck.

How Hard It Can Be:
Hard enough to poke an eye out!

So, What's Next?
The occurence after this one.

I'll name that tune in...
2 notes cause I don't play to lose.

The list

I am actually enjoying a few minutes of me time this morning. We have been so busy around here there is no time for blogging, no time for reading and barely anytime to watch the AVS play a game! Sunday we had Cam's practice, then we went to the store, got home fed the boys some lunch, went back to the ice rink for David's game, came home fed the boys, and went to bed. Then yesterday I went to school with the boys and worked with the Kindergarten class, picked up Colton, came home and did some laundry that I was behind in from running all weekend, the boys got home, we had David's school program, which he was very unhappy about. He hates doing those school programs I even got an "I hate you for making me go", and he only uses that when he is really pissed off. After the program we came home whipped up some sloppy joes and I finally ate at 8 o'clock. Dinner seems to be an 8 o'clock thing around here more often than not. Tonight we have practice for Cam, David has a game, I have a meeting about the jamboree coming up the 9th of December, and then I have to come home make dinner and feed the boys. Thankfully there is no school tomorrow. Wednesday will be spent cleaning the kitchen so I can cook Thursday, unless of course Steve won't be home on Thursday then we will postpone Thanksgiving dinner until Sat. This seems to be a typical week for us lately. Now I am done with me time and off to get Colton from school!
Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

Til death do us part

Standing in the Walmart line yesterday I struk up a conversation with the lady behind me. I ofen do that, talk to strangers, but that is a different post. This was a pleasent woman, who because I talked to her felt compelled to share her live story with me. She must of been about 29 maybe 30. She has 2 kids one was 6 and the other almost 9. Then she starts telling me that she is on this diet and she has lost 12 or 15 pounds already. I am standing there nodding and saying things like good for you. She could have stood to lose 30 or 40 pounds, but she wasn't obese by any means. We talked about diets for awhile and work outs... Then she says with a venomus hiss that she hates her kids for making her fat! I just stared that blank stare at her. I being a big girl have no one to blame for the added weight except myself. Sure after the kids were born and I started staying home I gained a lot of weight, but in no way did my kids force me to eat 3 cookies to their every one. The boys never held me down and shoved food into me. I did that all by myself and would never hold my children responsible for that. I think I was most shocked at her seriousness. I think she really did blame her children and she really did hate them for it. I wanted to say so many things to that hateful woman, but I couldn't. I wanted to tell her that eating is what made her fat, and laziness, and I wanted to tell her that I would raise her children for her if she hated them so much. Then she started telling me about her marriage and how misserable she was and that if she didn't lose weight her husband was going to leave her. At that point I just felt sorry for her. What kind of man abuses his wife, the woman he is suppose to love and cherish above all others, that way. I am sure that the husband is the one responsible for making a mother resent her children. I can only imagain the horrible things he has told her. Things like "Before you had kids your ass wasn't that big." and "Before you had the kids you took care of yourself." Steve would never in a million years tell me he was going to leave me because I am fat. He loves me no matter what. Oh sure some days he would like to choke me, but that is being married and living with someone for the rest of your life, and has nothing to do with added weight. I was angery by the time I left walmart. I was angry at the husband for destroying this womans relationship with her children, and for being so cruel to his wife, but mostly I was angery at the woman for letting it happen.

and this was just to good not to share. It came in an email from my sister.

A Somalian arrives in Minneapolis as a new immigrant to the United States. He
stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says,
"Thank you Mr. American, for letting me in this country, and giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care and free education!" But the passer-by says
"You are mistaken, I am Mexican.

The man goes on and encounters another passer-by. "Thank you for
having such a beautiful country here in America!" The person says "I no
American, I Vietnamese."

The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops,
shakes his hand and says "Thank you for wonderful America!"
That person puts up his hand and says "I am from Middle East, I am
not an American!"

He finally sees a nice lady and asks suspiciously, "Are you an
American?"
She says, "No, I am from Russia!" So he is puzzled, and asks her,
"Where are all the Americans?" The Russian lady looks at her watch, shrugs,
and says:

"Probably at work!"

You're a mean one Mr. Grinch!

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
by
Dr Seuss

Every Who
Down in Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch,
Who lived just North of Who-ville,
Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas!
The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were to tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

But,
Whatever the reason,
His heart or his shoes,
He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown
At the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Who down in Who-ville beneath
Was busy now, hanging a mistleoe wreath.

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have been Grinched! Friday I asked Steve if we really had to have Thanksgiving dinner. He never got a chance to answer, because Cameron quickly said that yes indeed we did have to have Thanksgiving dinner. He informed me it was a celebration and we should be joining in on the celebration! Then last night just Steve and I were sitting in the living room. I looked at him and said "I don't think I am even going to bother putting up the tree this year." He just stared blankly at me like I was speaking a different language, but I am pretty sure I said it in English! Maybe it is the fact that Christmas should have been over a month ago, at least that is the way it feels in every store. Since before Halloween the stores have been pushing their Christmas wares upon us. Every other commercial on TV has been about the holidays, and Steve took the credit card away from me. I have to be placed on a limited budget for this Christmas. So really what is the point? If I can't spend like a mad women it is really pointless to have Christmas. Cameron said "God will be very upset with us if we don't have Christmas",and yes my kids all believe in God and Santa Clause too! I on the other hand feel like Albert in the animated classic "twas the night before Christmas". Maybe as the seasons quickly approach my mood will change, and even if it doesn't I will put on a holly jolly face and tis the season for the sake of the boys!

The Beetles

I can cohabitate with spiders, if they get in the house I usually pick them up and put them outside. I don't really mind snakes they are actually pretty neat. Rats, mice, and other rodents are furry and cute. Beetle cause me go quickly go into a panic attack.

Yesterday Cam found an ugly, horrid beetle thing. He came in to get the D man and of course David goes out to check it out. A few minutes later he comes running as fast as his legs will carry him and all I see is legs coming out of his hand. I know right away it's a beetle. I can see those ugly legs with their little grabby feet. I jumpped up and screamed, causing D to fling the stupid thing through the air right in my direction. It hit my foot as I was running in the other direction, and in the confussion it hid somewhere in my house! My fear of beetles runs deep, it is not really a fear so much as it is a phobia. When we coudln't find the stupid thing I was reduced to tears. My heart was beating out of my chest, the sweat was dripping off me, and I was in the middle of a full blow panic attack. I still can't put my feet under my desk. I didn't sleep well last night, and I really had to fight hard to stay in this house last night.

I think the hardest part of my irrational fear is the fact that I know how crazy it is. I know that normal people don't experience those kinds of emotions over a stupid little beetle. I mean a beetle can't hurt you, they don't carry nasty germs that cause horrible sickness and death, they can't sink their fangs into you and kill you with their venom, and they don't even bite. I don't want to be crazy and I don't want my boys to see that kind of fear from their mom.

What's it all for?

David had an awesome hockey game last night. It was his first mite game, and his first full ice game. They play half ice in the mini mite level here, mostly because we have 4 teams and one sheet of ice. So this was the D mans first full ice game, and they lost, but that isn't what is important. I never really care if the boys win or lose, what I care about is if they play the best game they can, and he did. He scored 2 goals and 2 assists in last nights game. He was working his backwards skating and his passing and he was paying attention to the lines and he didn't go off sides once. He was controling the puck and just over all he skated very well! I was very proud of him and his team as a team they all played very well together.

Colton got his glasses yesterday. He looks cute in them. When I find some batteries for the camera I will get a picture of him. I picked him up from school today and he says to me "Mom I could see everyone today and really know who they are!" It made me feel awful for being such a bad mom and not knowing he was blind!

Cameron is loving hockey. He had big plans of playing soccer this summer and last night he asked me if he could go to hockey camp instead of soccer this summer. If I had 2 more boys I would have a full line and a huge mortage on the house to pay for it all!

The weather has been beautiful today. We were suppose to get snow last night, but it was in the 60's today. It makes it hard to send the boys to school when it is nice. I would much rather keep them home and go do something fun!

My last vice

Hi my names Jenn and I am an addict. I had my last cigarette 4 hours and 11 minutes ago. I really want to quit, ok that's a lie. I enjoy each cigarette I smoke. I want one the minute I wake up, after every meal, and pretty much ever 15 minutes thoughtout the day. The truth of the matter is that I need to quit. I have to quit. Between Steve and I, we are spending over 500 dollars a month on the damn things. When you add it up and look at the numbers we just can't afford to smoke anymore, we never really could. I could get a new car for less a month than we spend on smoking. I could get a new computer or that digital camcorder I want. In one year if we both quit we would have saved 6,000 dollars. That is a lot of money spent on trying to slowly kill yourself. The very sad fact is that as I am writing this I don't care about the cost. I don't care that they will eventually kill me. I don't care... I want a cigarette badly. I don't need one. I don't have to have one. I want one.

Going once, going twice...

My blog is worth $38,388.72.
How much is your blog worth?

Is it November already?

I don't know where the time has gone, but it seems to be flying at warp speed. I don't think I have had 15 minutes of unbusy time since my last post. I have fallen into bed every night this week and was sleeping before my head hit the pillow.

Halloween was a lot of fun, in spite of the fact that 2 of the boys were not entirely thrilled with what they got dress up as for the occasion. I took the boys to paperwarehouse, because they were having a sale and told them they all had to pick something there because I was not running all around to pick just the right costume and I was not paying a fortune for them. Cameron had big plans of being a skeleton before we even got to the store so we lucked out with him they had just the perfect skeleton outfit. David wanted to be this zombie ghoul thing, but we couldn't find anything remotely resembling what he had his heart set on, then he was going to be Darth Vader, but they only had Colton's size for that. So I got to digging around and it was between a ninja or a power ranger. Oh my lord don't tell your 2nd grader they can be a power ranger... just don't so he took the ninja. Colton didn't care what he was going to be as long as it was scary, he likes the whole scariness of Halloween. Well I told him Darth Vader was scary and he was all for it, he ran around going "Luke I am your father." and "Aww a sister, Obi Wan was wise to hide her from me." and then I looked at the price 42 bucks... Needless to say I had to crush his hopes of being a dark lord this year. I found Hulk and a Spongebob get up, and Colton loves Spongebob so I figured he would go for that. He looked at me and says "Pongebob is not scary mom!" I quickly convinced him that The Hulk was scary, and he could take spiderman out! So the big day finally gets here...

I went to all three of the class parties, which were fun, but by the time we got home I was ready for my blanket and a story, but the boys had other ideas of how our night would be spent. So they began putting on their costumes and digging out the trick or treat bags. By 4:30 they were ready and by 5 we were out the door. We met up with the little girl across the street and her mom and off we went. After an hour and a half of trick or treating the mom's were cold and tired and the kids bags were overflowing. Success!

Tuesday we had hockey and I get to be the team mom for Cam's team, so the whole hour I was handing out team rousters and jerseys, then I rushed David into the bathroom, because I didn't have time to get a locker room key and he changed into his gear as I handed out the last of the jerseys for Cam's team, he is on the yellow team, and then I got D's skates laced up and found out that I get to be the team mom for his team as well, so it was another hour of running around handing out jersey's and team lists to parents! I may be insane by the end of this year, but with as fast as time seems to be moving it will be over before I even know it. Cam has his first game tomorrow and David's is on tuesday. It is going to be great!

Thursday we had parent teacher meetings. I am in their classes enough that it was really just a waste of time on both our parts. I didn't find out anything I don't already know, but the teacher have to have them for everyone, and I did get to pick up school pictures, which I will probably get mailed out when Colton is 12 or 13! Actually this year I am waiting for the hockey pictures so I can mail them all together. (That will be you Christmas present Paula and I promise to mail them and last years too!)

I am off to bed I tried to get caught up on house work and laundry today, noticed I said tried as with most things in my life I failed! Oh well we all have clean clothes to wear next week so that is something!

I'm still alive!

Well since we last spoke...

The weekend before last started off with the lovely stomach flu. David woke up in the middle of the night throwing up, it lasted about 24 hours with him. Steve started throwing up sunday afternoon and I woke up sunday night or monday morning witht he crap and 2 days later I was finally able to move. The throwing up wasn't so bad, but I felt like someone beat every inch of my body. I felt brused and battered it wasn't a nice flu bug... Then Colton whacked his eye with one of those sticky hands so I had to take him to the eye dr, because it looked bad! The doctor looked at it with the glow in the dark dye and everything was all good. He had some minor abrassions, but nothing in the cornea. I thought everything was good until wednesday, we had managed to get to hockey and school with no one sick! Then wednesday I get the call that Colton is sick and I need to come get him ten minutes after school started. So he missed wednesday and thursday of school. On top of all of that I have had this awful sinus headache, and stuffy head earache stuff that I have been fighting for about a month. I went to the dr. today and he shot me up with some kind of allergy stuff, gave me a perscription, and some eye drops, because I looked like I had pink eye in both eyes. I am already feeling better from that and hopefully the shot keeps the allgeries at bay. I am so happy the eye drops stopped the itching as soon as I used them life got better.

We did manage to get the back deck finished, made it to every hockey practice, and even made it to school early for David's student council meetings! I was totally impressed with my accomplishments, but then most days just getting the boys to school before the bell rings is a major accomplishment for us!

The AVS did better.

Friday nights game was played much better, and even though we suffered a lose the boys at least played. The blackhawks goalie was on fire, and Budaj, which is pronunced Boo-die not Bud-age, played an awesome game. It was a goalie game that is for sure and the boys all played with some effort.

Steve is on vacation, and I take back all the "wish he was home more" statements I made last week. Now I have to make it through this week with him here! The boys have hockey tomorrow, and then monday I will be at school all day, tuesday is hockey night, and we have hockey thrusday so I should do alright!