Designer Tree or Well Loved Sanctuary

My tree every year in no way has a color palette that matches my decor. If I have matching ornaments at all it is because so many of them come in two's for Regan and Rebecca to inherit one day for their own trees. I love my christmas tree, and every ornament I unwrap brings a smile to my face. Whether it is my ornament made for me by my own great grandmother, or the ornaments I bought as a new bride, and the ones I inherited from my mother's tree. I love each story that they have to tell, and I whisper to each one like they were my children that they are my favorite.

Our typical routine is to take everything out of the attic the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We break out the Christmas CD's and the hot cocoa. We get to work with each doing their own traditional jobs. John Mark decorates outside wrapping a tree and lining the sidewalk with lights. I put together the tree (all fake for us). I have to add lights, ribbon, and fun gold curly Q's to it before the first ornament goes up.

Regan unwraps each ornament out of the tissue and we talk about the history of each one. What country they came from, what special meaning or person they came from. Rebecca adds the hooks and I place it in a perfectly planned spot on the tree. When we step back with the finished tree it is pure joy and always makes us feel the Christmas spirit has started.

GameStop saves my Black Friday shopping

I love Black Friday with every fiber of my being. To me it is an example of first of all what retail is really worth (to some degree) and human interaction. Standing in line at Kohl's at four in the morning, you begin to make friends with those around you, find out deals on items you weren't even considering, and learn all kinds of shopping strategies.

The main big ticket item we were hunting for was the Wii. Regan had saved up her money to buy the game system. I was determined to find it at a better price the $199 which is what it was advertised for at Sears and Wal-Mart. Also high on the shopping list was purchasing a Dyson vaccuum for my parents (their funds mind you, not my own). New to my shopping experience this year was having Rebecca join me.

For some reason she was convinced that I was going to the biggest party of the holiday season every year after Thanksgiving. She has begged the entire year to be allowed to go with me. She didn't mind waking up at 3:00 am and wanted to experience all that Black Friday is about. We had our lists, our strategies, and snacks ready to go and we were off to find the bargains. In the midst of all the office furniture in Target we found the Dyson deal, and grabbed it quickly.

The best Wii deal was at HEB Plus which was advertising at $149...but limited supply. The next best deal was GameStop which had a deal with trade in of an old system. No problem there, we were more than willing to sacrifice the old Playstation II for the upgrade.

GameStop was a dream when we arrived there, The employees were wonderful to work with even on the most harrowing day of the year. They answered every question I had and found me an even better deal than I was going for. Apparently they carry factory refurbished systems as well as the new ones. It had already been cleaned, checked, and played in great working condition, and with the trade-in of my system and the purchase of three games we ended up paying a total of $160. forty less than all the competitors.

The girls are thrilled and have really enjoyed their games. I love all the great physical therapy and occupation therapy Regan is getting with how intricate all the sports and activities that come with the Wii are. I ended a wonderful day of shopping with the best Black Friday ever.

How Starbucks ruined my Thanksgiving

Well I had been officially without a car for five weeks. I am not going to lie. It has been hell....no kidding. I loooooove my little Honda Odyssey mini van. Regan could maneuver in the seats easily. Her walker and wheelchair and any extra paraphernalia fit nicely in the back. I could haul eight people around at a moments notice. In short I love my car.

Well due to the small fender bender that I had mentioned before. The insurance company did not opt to total my car....but to fix it which in small town translation means the local body shop has to order Honda parts from BFE and fix it all up.

What they don't tell you is that anything left in your car will not be touched by a mechanic NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!! I guess that is not part of the repair shop employee screening process.

So say your darling child left hot chocolate from Starbucks in the back cup holder and it has been an extended period of time in an enclosed space with no thoughtful repair shop man to dispose of it for you. When you get your car back....It is going to smell! I mean stink so bad that you once again you thank God that you live in south Texas and can roll your windows down to drive and won't be freezing.

So the day before Thanksgiving when I was celebrating the return of my precious little mini van....I spent the whole evening febreezing, lysol, renuzit....etc.

Then the next day we took Rebecca's friend back to her family ranch in a neighboring town and on my way back.....my van died.

On the side of a road in a still smelly van on Thanksgiving morning and a house full of people heading my way.

Starbucks is not to blame I know....but gosh it made for a really difficult day.

Performing for Lions can be Scary

Today my younger Gifted and Talented group are presenting their Thanksgiving play to the local Lions Club. In some form of insanity I thought it was a good idea to take seven boys and one girl from 1st-4th grade to present a program for my husbands organization. Let me be clear that these boys can be wild.

It is partly why I just adore them, they are creative free spirited and imaginative beyond belief. It makes them perfect in GT, but sometimes difficult in social situations. After they had made their own costumes, helped with script, designed the background.....well I couldn't help but want to show them off.

So last week we practiced like crazy. Then the 7th grade class who had built a tepee and and drying rack for a history project decided to work with us and loan us their items to enhance our scene. Add a Mayflower and we had the cutest little set you ever saw.  We moved all this  industrial equipment from the school to the community center with the help of the 7th grade and we were good to go.

My darlings were fabulous if I do say so myself, and the only time I really had to reign them in was not letting them go crazy when they were offered lunch by the Lions Club. One of my boys wanted to know if he could put three rolls on his plate. One wanted to keep the community ketchup on our table just in case he needed more, and one proceeded to pick off all the breading from his fried chicken and put it on a napkin beside his plate (at least he used a napkin).

I pronounced the day a success and I am very proud of my younger group even if social skills becomes my next major project with them.

Making it Sparkle and Shine

I have conveniently ignored the fact that I have fifteen people coming to my home for Thanksgiving dinner this year. With my cleaning skills being somewhat lacking....and me falling so far behind on my computer work. I thought "what the heck" might as well dedicate my whole day to making this place sparkle and shine.

It consisted of moving about twenty boxes that are loaded up for my next garage sale whenever that might be. There were also about eight boxes I have packed in getting my house prepared to be put on the market. It's not like we are talking cross country moving here. We just want to find a place about ten miles down the road in the neighboring school district.

Anyway (sorry I am random and distracted), I packed and polished. I scrubbed and vaccuumed. I ironed table clothes and put out the good china and crystal so that it would get one more use before it was designated to packing boxes as well. I even managed to decorate and cut out my placecards on the cricut.

I have been a busy little beaver have ya'll missed me?

Blogging Cheery Thought

Cheer season is upon us once again at my house. This year both the girls are involved again. Regan had taken a break from cheerleading the last two years to do dance instead, but she is back and will compete in the next few months.

Rebecca's squad has been practicing their routine since August and were hoping to once again get a National Bid to the championships at Walt Disney World. This is just her favorite thing in the whole world. On any given day you will find Rebecca practicing her routine or choreographing her own dance or making up her own cheers. It is constant at our house and her absolute passion in life.

They did okay for their first competition of the season. It showed what they were doing right and where they could improve. They did get the bid for Disney World, so now it is up to the parents if we feel like the squad is good enough for the big time again this year. Last year they placed third in the nation, but the way the routine shaped up on Sunday they have a lot to improve on before they are back at that caliber again.

Regan voted for Disney, because I told her I wouldn't go again without her......you can tell the girls have no inkling about how bad the economy is and whether it will even be manageable in the family budget.

I should have Blogged but Instead got Horrible News

Today we went to a wedding in our small town. In typical small town style there was everyone and their dog invited. The local community center had over 800 people crammed in to dine, dance, and socialize. One of my friends from a neighboring town is a gossipy sort and couldn't wait to give me the dish on a mutual friend.

It was a nightmare beyond belief. To put a very long story short there was an incident of child molestation in a house that both of my girls have spent quite a bit of time in over the years. It lead to suicide by the perpetrator and the devastation of an entire family in one swoop.

At the first hearing of the story I was sure my gossipy friend was lying or had misunderstood the facts. Then to my horror I found out the story was indeed true. A day that started in the joy of watching two young people start out their dreams has led to a personal nightmare. To talk to my girls about this was going to be difficult too.

This is a home where both of my girls especially Rebecca had spent a lot of time. Rebecca had even stayed an entire week while John Mark and I were on vacation years ago. I was told by other mutual friends that the incident wasn't isolated and that a few more victims had come forth....but on a good note it had not involved any of the children that lived there. It was an outside family member that very few children came in contact with.

Luckily, after a very intensive conversation with the girls they both assured me that nothing remotely wrong had ever occurred with them or in their presence. They were just as surprised at the news as I was. I am so sad that my friend and her family are going through this and at the same time relieved that nothing ever involved my children.