Yes I am still here. My computer room has been taken over by teenagers and one teenager wanna be. Christmas was good, fast and over before I knew it. I felt a little lost in it all. Wiht all the people streaming through my days and not really feeling very comfortable in my skin, it seemed to be a bit of a dream state week.

I just finished a book that grabbed me from the get go. There are 5 in the series and I went to the local bookstore yesterday on the advice of a good friend for the second one and they were having a boxing week sale so I bought the rest of the series except the 3rd book only because they didn't have it.

January will be my reading month.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Life truly is good and I wish nothing but the same for you and yours.

Bring it on!

Well, its here now. Christmas is upon us. I am as ready as I will ever be. Bring on the eating and drinking and merry making. I have more than half of my wrapping to do still along with a few loads of laundry and some house cleaning. The wrapping will get done, the laundry and house cleaning will get divvied up amongst whoever is free to do it.

Looks like Dean should be off work for Christmas day at least, maybe more and as I write, Craig, Gen, Steph and Todd are due in town any moment now. I am watching out my window to see if I can see them drive by.

It hasn't felt much like Christmas to me yet, but I am sure having the kids home will do it for me. Always a mom first and foremost.

Tassie knows its Christmas, ever since I finished decorating the tree the second time and got my little M&M town set up under it with my fibre-optic gingerbread house, she has been sniffing around it hoping for a chance to rip something open. WE MUST REMEMBER NOT TO LEAVE HER HOME ALONE WITH ACCESS TO THE GIFTS UNDER THE TREE! She will open them if she gets a chance. She is also paying some attention to the stockings this year and has been much more spry than usual this past week.

Cricket is as Cricket does.

I hope Craig feels like cooking tonite, it would sure help me out and Stephanie and Kaitlin can do the dishes.

Awww... Life is good.

Asleep by 10

Two batchs of carmel corn and a small pan of fudge done & the tree is stripped of all but the lights. I was in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10. I woke before the alarm this morning.

Kaitlin however is sick. She is missing the last two days of school before the holidays in bed with a slight fever. She has a stuffy nose and a sore throat but that seems to be it, so far.

I hope she feels better soon. I miss her.

Maybe.

I finally started some Christmas baking!!
Hee-hee-I'm on my way now!

Actually, I will fess up. Kaitlin did most of the Mars Bars - Rice Krispie squares. I just helped with the tough arm breaking mixing and the clean up.

But none the less I feel like we got somewhere tonight.

The tree is still looking like crap though, BUT I found the most wonderful perfect tree skirt at the Bay for $30.00, it was 50% off. It is the most beautiful part of the tree right now.

Tomorrow night for sure if it kills me! That and at least two batches of caramel popcorn. Maybe Kaitlin will do the Mint Nanimo bars.

No drinking until the tree is done.

I promise.

Maybe.

Bliss

33 straight hours of bliss come to an end. I got far, far away from my dependents for 33 straight hours and actually relaxed enough to become tired. All I need now is a good nights sleep NOT induced by legal over the counter drugs or alcohol and I will be ready for the next two weeks of last minute panic and all out attempt to provide everyone associated with me a perfect Christmas experience.

If I fail, please remember, Christmas will come again and I will try again.

Drinking and decorating...

...don't mix.


Last night, Cheryl came over and the plan was to do all our Christmas wrapping while enjoying a bottle of wine.

Well.. since neither of us felt like wrapping, she came over and I decorated my tree while we enjoyed 2 & 1/2 bottles of wine. I had a great time. After the tree was done, we watched Shrek 2.

This morning I got up with a bit of a light head and my tree looks like crap & Kaitlin is mad at me because I decorted it without her. I am going to have to redo it with a pot of coffee and Kaitlin's expertise.

The rest of the house doesn't look too bad, but of course that was done before the wine was opened.

Merry Holy Crapmas

I have so much to do still and Christmas is only two weeks away. I just tonite did my Christmas cards. I usually have them out in the mail by Dec 5th at the latest. I have only finished one craft project so far and I still have three to do. All easy stuff, I just need some time. I have completed most of my shopping though. I have a few small things to pick up yet, but nothing much, I just need time to get to it.

I have not decorated my home for the season yet, that is usually done by Dec 7th. Craig's birthday is the 6th, so my rule is I don't decorate until after his birthday.

I have not even started my baking and that is usually done and in the freezer by December 7th at the latest.

It doesn't look like the laminate will get onto the living room floor before Christmas. Dean has been working from apprx 4/5am to 6/7 pm every day this week. I haven't even had time to discuss it with him. By the time he has a shower, rewarms and eats his cold supper, makes his lunch for the next day, he is ready for bed.

Of course I haven't wrapped a damn thing yet either. I still have to spread it all out and see what I have. I like to make sure I have approx the same for each of the kids.

I haven't been in bed before midnite once this week. With Dean working so many hours I don't have him to help with supper, dishes, housework and Kaitlin. I also have to note that without Craig & Steph at home, I have less time. I expected to have more, but I guess for all the extra work they were, they helped alot more.

BUT, what needs to get done will get done. If it doesn't, there will be another Christmas next year.

Tomorrow evening I am going to decorate. Then up early Saturday for a hair appt and back to the house. I have to do the laundry(and man there is alot again) while cleaning the house (or not) and then I can decorate. Then organize my gifts. My girlfriend Cheryl is coming over Saturday evening for a gift wrapping wine sipping music playing all around good time. Sunday am will be a lazy relax putter morning. Then to the City I go, hi-ho. Two days of work related training combined with two evenings of eating out with a girlfriend from work and whatever we want to do in the city. It should be an enjoyable, relaxing time. I can't forget the survivor finale on Sunday evening though.

Then the rest of the evenings and one last weekend before Christmas will be for baking, last minute shopping & gift delivering combined with seasonal visiting.

On a totally different note, I have decided with my doctor this week to go ahead and have breast reduction surgery. I will be seeing a female surgeon early in the New Year, and hope to have smaller and with any luck perkier girls sometime in early spring. This should make a big difference in the problems I have been having with my neck, shoulders & back, and as a bonus, I hope to be able to wear my bottom 2 drawers of tops that just don't fit right. AND, maybe possibly dare I dream, I may have to go shopping for some new clothes.

Last, but not least, maybe I will be able to golf and join in on the Baskerville family fun.

busy

I am so fucking busy I dont have time to write this.