A Snow Day...Again!

 We are in the middle of "Snowmageddon" here in SC.  We woke up this morning (day 2 of the storm) and it wasn't even snowing. Light flurries had just started, when Aaron headed to work, and about an hour later he called and said he was coming home.  In a matter of an hour it started coming down hard and coating the roads.  That is the beauty of the South we have snow days where the whole family gets to stay home! 

 Jake went outside to grab something from the car and check out the snow.  He wrote "Hi Mommy" on the Jeep and about 20 minutes later it was gone!

 When it snows and you are stuck in side you have to make very fattening comfort food.  It's a rule.  It may even be a law.  So, Aaron made the homes fries (Jake chopped the potatoes), bacon, and sausage.  I made the omelette's and cinnamon buns (tube not homemade...not as good obviously, but it works.  Jake frosted them). 

 Aaron acted like he was going to just keep stirring and at the last second did this...

 Yep.  We ate too much.   But it was delicious...and it is the snow day law, and we are law abiding citizen's so...we kind of had to.

Jake had to do some school this morning so we didn't head out into the snow until the late afternoon...Not because he did that much school, just because.  Jake decided out Shark box might work as a sled so we started to bundle up and get ready for the cold.

  Little did we know that it wasn't snow coming down...The freezing rain had started and it was pelting our faces.  I am almost to the point that I like to look at snow, but not so much be in it...

 Aaron acted like he was going to give me a white wash and I was nervous until he winked at me and I knew I was safe.

 Jake was his real target and Aaron hit is mark perfectly.

 Jake wanted to walk up to his friends house and the big dogs needed some exercise so we headed out...but not before I traded my hat in for a mask one like Jake's.  My neck was cold!!!  Some of my hair was sticking out from under it and it got a good coat of ice on it.  So did the dogs fur but they didn't mind because they were outside with their people and that is heaven to dogs. :)

 We got to Jake's friends house and played for maybe 10 minutes because it was that yucky out.  The snow wouldn't pack for snowballs and what else is there to do if you aren't sledding? 

 The snow is quickly turning to slush, that will be ice all over tomorrow.  It is supposed to sleet until about midnight and then turn back to snow.  I am glad I ran out this morning to get Valentine's day treats because we aren't going any where tomorrow!

We went to the steep part of our road and Jake was really hoping the card board box would work. 

It did....

...But only a little bit.  Tomorrow we are going to try it on a steeper (and it will be more covered with snow and ice)  hill.  The one Aaron used to sled on when he was a kid.  We live in the the same neighborhood that he grew up in.  That is kind of an awesome thing. :)

Sadie love every second of being outside.  Aaron was standing on the porch while Jake was trying to sled, so she ran back and forth between us.

Sadie is technically on a leash but no one is holding it...On a snow day that is also okay to do because: 1.) hardly anyone was on the road, and 2.) certain laws are different on snow days...maybe...

,

And then I finally just took it off because, really how could you refuse a sweet face like this? 

And then when she does this she really melts your heart.  Penny (our dog-in-law), who is usually a very photogenic dog, would not hold still.  I think she was ready to call it a day.  Plus she has longer hair which meant more ice (I felt her pain being a long haired girl myself) and she isn't as crazy as Sadie.

 We thawed out with some hot chocolate...

 ...And a fire.  Aaron wore his slippers (they have soles) out to get the wood and accidentally stepped off the path into the snow.  He is drying them by the fire. :)

 We are ending the day by watching the Bobcats game and my bookworm is reading while watching.  He finished all but just a few pages of a 300+ page book yesterday and is on to book two of the series today. 

And here I am blogging by the fire and the Bobcats pregame.  I am going to warm up some leftover spaghetti and call it a day. 

Day 3 of Snowmageddon will start with me sleeping in...Another rule for snow days when you know the night before your husband won't have to get up and go to work because the roads will be iced over. 

Three cheers for Snow days!!! 

Aaron gets a night off, Project #1 for the week, and Sadie is 12 weeks old...

...Yes, I am behind on my posts, so here is the past few days of our lives in a nutshell:

*Aaron doesn't have to go to work tonight! (If you don't already know this: he works full time 3rd shift and has Monday and Wednesday nights off). He has 3 nights off in a row!...And there may be more (he doesn't think so, but we will see), due to this injury:

Day 1 (last night):



He has rolled his ankle several times and when he does it he does it good...He is very athletic. It isn't because he is uncoordinated or anything. Harmon's are just...occasionally accident prone...I know it REALLY hurts because he asked me to call and make a doctor's appointment for him to go to tomorrow. He had to hobble around on crutches (that were made for at the tallest a person who is 5'10''...He is 6'2'') all day at school today. He had an exam and when you are taking classes like Calculus 4 you really can't miss a class. The doctor's office (the one Jake and I go to already) asked who his current doctor is..?..Oh that's right they don't know Aaron yet! They don't know that the last time he went to the doctor was to see Jake's ultrasound...Oh wait that really wasn't an appointment for him. It was actually several years before Jake was born, when he tore his knee to pieces and had to have major surgery. Aaron says he had to go a few years ago, but I really don't remember it. But any way! The doctor's office wants to get his "medical records"...I didn't even say anything. I will let him explain it to them when he goes tomorrow. :)

Day 2:



*Jake and I have started a new project. We are putting together a 1000 piece puzzle. A friend mentioned on her blog a while ago that they did a puzzle and then I read in a book about how good it is for your brain to do puzzles. I need all the brain power I can get so I was inspired!

I do however fear that this project has been slightly derailed...Jake has been saving up for the new Lego Wii Star Wars III game. He saved $20 (it was supposed to be $25 but Aaron took my advice and knocked off $5 since he didn't take Jake snowboarding this year.) and Aaron was going to pay the other half (because he wants it just as bad as Jake does). It came out today...We usually don't play the Wii during the week (we are mean parents like that) but since Jake has no homework this week (they are taking the practice end of grade tests this week...don't even get me started on what I think of those tests!), and Aaron is laid up with an extremely large and purple ankle, they are playing it. I get to blog so you don't hear me complaining! :) Aaron stipulated that Jake could play it during the week if he put the $20 he saved into his savings account by Friday. Done. I don't think Aaron realized that I have Jake's savings account on line so I just transferred it on into his account and put the cash right in my pocket! That isn't nearly as fun as it sounds though. I have to run to the grocery store to get a couple of things tonight (they go off sale today and I have a coupon so I can't miss them...Deodorant for 13 cents and eggs for 99 cents... Why doesn't the computer have a cents button?)
My guys with the new game:


*Sadie is 12 weeks old today. She had to go to the vet yesterday for her puppy booster shots and she weighs 19.2 pounds. That is 6 pounds she has gained...in 3 weeks. She is going to be a big girl. Sadie figured out how to jump on the couch. She hasn't done it since though since she got in trouble because she is not supposed to be on the couch! :) She loves ice cubes and Granny Smith apples...which I am hoping dogs can eat. Our other 2 didn't like any fruits (Daisy did like grapes-which dogs are not supposed to eat. It didn't effect her in the least though. She had an iron stomach.) or veggies (if we gave them a plate to lick off, it would be completely spotless besides a stray green bean or piece of lettuce.), so I am going to have to do some research. She also got to eat her first Dorito and piece of cheese also. Both of which fell on the floor and she instantly retrieved. Sadie loves to eat rocks...(she may not be as bright as our last 2 dogs were) or at least retrieve them and chew on them. Jake claims he did see her eat one, which really wouldn't surprise me all that much...and is starting to go out in the backyard and hang out by herself. She used to be scared if no one went with her. :) She is still afraid of the dark, or at least shadows in the dark. And she still sneaks into Jake's room after he goes to sleep to try to sleep in his room with him. She lays down with her head under his bed...I have a feeling she thinks I can't see her, but I can. One more thing I have learned about he recently is that if she goes into her crate (which is wire...meaning we can see her...) and is very quiet she probably stole someone's shoe and doesn't want us to know. Sadie is a mess! Okay, this has been a long and rambling post so I will end with a few fur ball shots and call it good. I have to go see how this new Star Wars game is... :)

Sadie after she came inside. It looks like she was enjoying some dirt...and probably a couple of rocks...Check out her tongue
A demonstration of her "laying down" on command. She really only does it for treats, but she has figured out "sit" perfectly. She knows "come" too, but she doesn't always do it...thanks to Jake, her favorite game is chase. If you tell her to come she looks at you, thinks about it, wags her tail, and then doesn't come...I just trick her by running to were I want her to go (she likes to chase us, as well as being chased), or opening up the car door and acting like I am leaving...
Best friends.
This was a shot after I made her leave Jake's room 3 times after he went to bed. For whatever reason Jake's sweat pants were in the hall way so she laid with those instead (she had 2 comfy and huge beds she rarely lays on. She prefers the hard floor). I saw her outside the other day taking a nap with a pair of Jake's underwear...I sprayed them both with the hose last week and he striped down outside so he wouldn't get the floors all wet. Don't worry the back yard is fenced in like a secret garden, no one saw him...Why his underwear are still out there, I don't know, but that is a whole other story!
I just had to add this picture of the pretty flowers Jake picked me...Spring is here!
How stinking cute is she?!?!

Another one of those mornings...Brain declutter...

*I never did get around to blogging this weekend...But I did cut my grocery bill in half thanks to coupons, store deals, and my 10% off for being an employee (we get 10% off once a month). Coupons rock!

*Well, we have started the week off by sleeping in...Last night as I went to bed I realized I left my cell phone in the sunroom...where Sadie was already sleeping. No big deal. Jake always wakes me up at a little past 6 right before my alarm goes off any way. Yes, it is true I could have set an alarm on the alarm clock but then I just wake up every hour to check the time and see if the power went off, which means the alarm won't go off...I have issues with alarm clocks...The only trustworthy alarm clocks are cell phones and children...Except this morning. We woke up when Aaron came in the door from work at 6:58...We leave for school at 7 (or we are supposed to)...How is it that we made it to school in time, and most mornings we have at least 45 minutes to get ready and the last 10 of those are usually me on the verge of yelling (or maybe I yell just a little...)? We made it in time with no time to get ready...

*I hardly ever wear lipstick. I did the other day. This is what I learned from that experience: If you do a load of wash with lipstick in the pocket of your pants it is not a big deal...It is when you put it in the dryer that it becomes a problem. I have to go buy Jake a new white shirt for church. I really hope it comes out of my khaki pants...

*Mandatory meetings at 8:30 on Saturday morning for work really should start on time...Why Saturday morning any way? It didn't start until around 9:20...

*I held a baby yesterday. For 2 hours. Charlie is his name. I am in the Primary Presidency and his mom was helping with singing time. He is so sweet. He feel asleep and was cuddled up on my shoulder. I thought about kidnapping him, but his mom knows where we live so it wouldn't have worked any way. :)

*Sleeping in on a Monday morning=crazy puppy. Sadie usually wakes up early with us and is ready for her morning nap shortly after I get back from dropping Jake off. I play with her in the backyard or take her on a walk and she is ready for a snooze. Not this morning. That extra hour of sleep translated into a broken bowl. It broke after she ate her breakfast out of it and did a victory lap around the room at top speed. She took the corner to sharp, slide across the floor, and sent the bowl sliding across the tile floor. It then bounced off the wall and broke...

*I have been saying extra prayers for all the people in Japan....And in the Middle East...I had a hard time getting out of the car on Friday to go to work because I was listening to the events on the radio. Customers gave us updates through out the day...

*A note to Tina (my sister who just promised her son Saku a dog). You have to REALLY love dogs to survive the puppy stage. I love dogs with all my heart. Puppies are adorable!...but they are just like having a baby with sharp teeth, that can run around every where and go crazy when they are tired, not just cry. I love Sadie. I do. But she is insane at certain times of the day, and that is normal for puppies. Tina, you have 4 children and one of them is 2. GET A DOG NOT A PUPPY. That is just my advice to you. You can take it or leave it.

*Jake's teacher is not my favorite person...I have mentioned this before but I just needed to vent one thing she said last week that sums up how she is as a teacher. Jake came home and said "Mommy you HAVE to make sure you proof read this story for me. Mrs. Blank (that's not her name...But I am a little scared she may stay up at night searching for her name on the web and stumble upon my blog...she scares me a little...and yet we send our child to spend 7 hours of his day with her...) said if there is one misspelled word in any of our papers she will email our parents and tell you that you must not be able to spell."....I asked if she was joking and he said no she was serious and said it grumpily (that is how she talks 99.9% of the time). I have another story I could tell you about a paper that I had to come help Jake search through his desk for that she had the whole time, but I won't get into the whole thing. :) I don't like public school...at all. Which reminds me, has anyone watched "Waiting for Superman"? If not you should. It is a documentary about public schools and it is...scary and informative. It is everything we already knew about the public school system in America but with the statistics to back it up. Aaron said the only the part he wished they would have focused on more was the solution to the problem. I cried at some parts of it. You will too. If you have children in the public school system than you MUST watch it.

...I have to go now. Sadie just got a hold of on of my shoes...Remember Tina: DOG NOT PUPPY. You will thank me for it later. :)

The story of my life...Rambling and Venting on just a few of today's highlights...

Today went something like this:

Wake up, hurry let Sadie out before she pees!...Can't resist playing with her...OH NO! We have 10 minutes to get ready for school!!!! Get dressed while I pack your lunch, Carnation instant breakfast on the way, bye Daddy/Aaron see you tomorrow (guilt set in)...AHHH! We forgot to pick out your favorite poem to bring to school...grab the Feb. Ensign (after leaving the house and coming back to figure something out...) and rip out the awesome poem (which is now Jake's favorite) about the Atonement and call it good (and it is really good, so go read it if you haven't already...I have some catching up to do on that too...Haven't finished Feb. -what I have read really made me think...more on that another time.. and March came in the mail today!...Is it really March next week?!?) . Back to the car, Jake-I really hope you aren't tardy (luckily I thought of that before leaving the house the first time and put a bra on just in case I had to sign him in...)! Sweet we made it (barley)! As much as I love that you blow me kisses, do the sign language "I love you", and wave I am really hoping you will walk quickly to the door!!!! I didn't say that to him...I just quickly returned all 3 and motioned for him to hurry...Phew...Now back to the messy house and the first day Sadie will have to stay in the crate for the whole 5 hours I will be at work...And this after she slept in it all night! Guilt sets in. Take her on a quick walk, 1 loop tires out an 8 week old puppy (she is 8 weeks today!), and play with her until she is tired. Jump in the shower and pull a head full of wet hair into a pony tail and go to work...

Needless to say I didn't walk into work my normal bubbly self. It was a break to walk in the door and wait for customers! I told the other cashiers I was grumpy and mean today and they laughed and told me that they didn't believe I could be grumpy and mean. That made me feel better until I realized how sad it is that acquaintances get my best behavior and I save grumpy for my family...Guilt sets in...

After work (where I thought all day about how much our house looked like someone either broke in or a tornado went through...I dreaded going home...), and picking up Jake from school we came home and rescued Pee-Paw (one of Sadie's nicknames since she walked through her own pee once and I told Jake "Grab her quick! She just peed on the floor and has Pee-Paw!!!) and we decided to stay outside...Jake did his homework on the table on the patio (for the second day in a row) and I read Anne of Green Gables from Aaron's Kindle (I want one...some day...). We watched Sadie play and played with her...We enjoyed the beautiful weather and for a little while I didn't care that the house is in complete disarray...Until I walked back in it (guilt sets in)
...Maybe if I close my eyes I can navigate to the kitchen with out burning the vision of stuff every where into my brain...To the library, back home to make ramen noodles (this is my single mom day-Aaron is gone to school/work and we won't see him for 24 hours so noodle ramen it is!) to eat on the way to b-ball practice, run to Bi-Lo during his practice (I told another mom there and she has my cell #...) because I forgot to bring my coupons to work that would enable me to get 2 jugs of laundry detergent (on a BOGO sale that ends today of course) for a mere $2.99. Not a piece-for both of them...AWESOME deal!...Back to practice, chat, home and get Jake in bed, make sure we focus in the morning so that Jake can do his response, on the new book he got from the library, before leaving for school in the morning...And the house is still horrible. Oh well, it will still be there tomorrow and I have the day off! Overhaul tomorrow will be a piece of cake. Instead of cleaning tonight I need to check in on the blog world-I haven't even thought about it since Thursday...You miss a lot of good posts in 5 days! ....I just got pee-foot...Awesome (sarcasm, in case you didn't know)...Sadie is sleeping soundly but not before she could pee with out me noticing it. And why did I get up in the middle of a post? Because I heard them say on the TV (the mom from b-ball practice said they only have 4 TV's...huh?...only?) that is on in the other room, that Justin Beiber cut his hair and for some reason I had to see it...Why? I am not sure, and he looks the same to me (I don't have Beiber fever or anything but the previews for his movie actually look good... What does that say about me?...). And that is the story of my life! Rushing, being unprepared and puppy pee (by the way not complaining here-she is so worth the pee)....Awesome. Tomorrow will be better and I will now stop venting and rambling and go to bed. I will put my blinders on and not look at the counter where there are all sorts of things needing to be taken care of. One of which is the pepper I spilled, but didn't have time to clean up before basketball. Guilt sets in...It will be there tomorrow. The mess and the guilt, but it will be better. :) Aaron will be home...

Highs and Lows

High: Finally have a puppy!
Low: They pee on the floor...But she is doing really good. I have caught her starting to pee a couple of times picked her up, and she stopped and finished outside...

High: The floor is cleaner than ever before!...(in the process at least)
Low: ...because ever bit of paper or dust bunny becomes a tasty nugget for a puppy.

High: I was supposed to work today and I didn't have too.
Low: I didn't have to, because my sweet Jake is sick. Fever and snotty nose and all. Oh joy...

High: Puffs plus with lotion tissues are the best.
Low: We have been through 2 boxes in the past 2 days and there where mountains of them on every surface Jake was close too.

High: Airborne has helped me not get sick in the past and I am chugging it right now....
Low: It is almost gone and going to the store loses all it appeal when Jake is sick.

High: Sadie (the peeing puppy) is finally snoozing! She has been playing all morning..
Low: Time to stop blogging and get some dust bunnies taken care of while she is asleep...sigh. And of course cuddle a sick boy and hope not to get sick in the process...Days off aren't really days off when you are a mommy...But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Have a great day!

This weeks Highs and Lows...

Have you checked out the awesome blog Memoirs of Mrs. Harris ? You need to if you want an awesome take on the highs and lows of life and motherhood. When she decided to link up and see what other peoples highs and lows were for the week I had to do it! Here are my highs and lows for the week...

High: We had an awesome play date today that made me clean up the piles of stuff...
Low: Jake was a witness to me "stuffing away the stuff"...His bottom drawer of his dresser is refilled with all the clothes he out grew that I just took out of it...and several other random things I didn't have time to find a home for. To this he said something like "what did you do with my mommy? That was a kid thing to do!"

High: This play date was for me and Jake. Erin is a great friend of mine and her son is a great friend to Jake.
Low: Did we just contaminate our friends with sick germs...(you will see why I say this next...)

High: We made heart shaped home made pizza's to continue our love week.
Low: Almost immediately after eating it Jake was in tears with a stomach ache. I don't think it was the pizza, the rest of us are fine. The stomach bug is making its rounds at school and it may have just found its way into our house.

High: Penny and Pooha (in-laws dogs we are puppy sitting) are SO fun to have around! Our home is in need of a dog bad.
Low: Unfortunately we don't know Pooha's (she is an older dog), "I really have to go pee you crazy humans! Let me out NOW" face because the poor thing tinkled in Jake's room while I was getting him settled with a puke bucket by the bed, just in case...

High: My legs are recovering from my exercising the past couple of days.
Low: The reason they are recovering is because I didn't exercise today...

High: Monday is Valentine's Day and Aaron doesn't have school or work!
Low: Since Valentine's Day is Monday and grocery stores are busy for ever holiday imaginable, I have to work from 10:30-7 (might as well say the best part of the day...I hardly ever have to work any time other than when Jake is in school...) on Saturday. I am missing Jakes' b-ball game...bummer!

High: It snowed last night and already melted with no ice problems at all!
Low: It didn't snow enough to give us the chance to have a fun PJ day off...maybe next time..

Do you have highs and lows from the week you want to share? Come on people venting always make you feel better!

An amazing invention and a secret

A week without my camera has inspired me to come up with an invention...Please don't steal this idea and go make millions because I will hunt you down. Ready for this? A tiny camera/computer/microchip thing gets implanted in your brain (a painless procedure that you only have to do one time, because it will last your whole life). Every time you see a memory in the making or thing of beauty you think "take picture now" or maybe you pull your ear lob (...I am still working on this part), and it takes a memory shot. At the end of the day you hook up to your computer by plugging in some ear buds that will download your images onto your computer. In the highest known mega pixel available of course. And because this is actually a picture of what you saw, every picture will be perfect. You will even be able to imagine the persons cowlick laying down perfectly instead of sticking up, or the zit on their chin is gone, because through your eyes they are perfect! They are your children, your best friend, or husband so the picture you will be through YOUR eyes or rose colored glasses if you will. What do you think? Perfect idea right? I had several of those moments this week. Like when I was walking the track while watching Jake's b-ball team have their practice...Or when Jake was pointing out the channels we will get now that we have switched from Direct TV to Dish network, that were pictured on the installer guys van in our drive way. He was pointing out Cartoon Network and I was pointing out Fox News Channel, and of course ESPN for Daddy. (we have more channels, HD free for life, DVR, etc., for $15 less than Direct TV's EXTREMELY basic family plan. FOX NEWS CHANNEL PEOPLE!!!). Or the organizing of Jake's "homework zone", that I am praying will help it get done before it is actually time to go to sleep...Maybe Jake needs Ritalin. J/K. He is fine. I hate homework too, so who can blame him for wasting 36 minutes pretending your pencil and pen have come to life and are fighting an epic battle...Or how big of a meal I ate the other night just to use up the rest of my daily points for Weight Watchers (lesson learned, spread them out better through out the day...). See all these fun little pictures I would have? Are you with me or what? I am working on finding a genius to pull this off for me and getting a patent at the same time...

I have a secret I really want to tell...NO I AM NOT PREGNANT. If I was it would so not be a secret...But I can't tell...I will soon enough. I am EXCITED. It is a good secret. And again, NO I am not pregnant. Telling I have a secret makes me feel a little better, since I can't say what it really is. Aaron, Tina, and Mom you all know what it is so don't rack your brain worrying why I haven't told you...And a couple of people at Bi-Lo know...and a few random blog strangers/friends know...So, I guess I have told the secret. Okay, I feel better knowing I really don't have a secret. Please don't try to guess what it is because it will be really hard not to tell you...Let me just say one more time, I REALLY am NOT pregnant, so please don't congratulate me or anything because that would make me depressed and make the real secret so much less exciting...

State of the Union Address

I watched the whole thing (didn't plan on it), and was surprised to find there were actually a couple of things that Obama said, that I agree with. He is a very charismatic speaker and it made me almost want to believe him ...BUT, he doesn't fool me. I still think he is a Socialist. :) I think government is too big. I think we live on a budget, so why doesn't the government? I think that it was nice that the Democrats and Republicans sat together because it meant there was no annoying clapping and cheering that went on for 2 minutes. I think I am so blessed to live in a country where on a little blog I can type how I feel and not have to worry, because I am free to do so. I also forgot that Obama is left handed, so we actually do have something in common!

I watched the Republican response afterward and liked it. I agreed nearly 100%...My brain was starting to hurt from listening to politicians (it has been a long time because we down graded our satellite package to the bare minimum last year. Since we don't have Fox News Channel, I don't watch the news.), so I will give or take a few % points. Not as charismatic, but I actually believed what was being said...And now I am going to bed!

Brain Declutter...

*Is it just me or does $65 seem high for a field trip? Jake's class is going to Grandfather Mountain in May...$65...really?

*I am on day 2 of getting back into exercising. I kicked butt speed walking for 1 hour on the track above the court Jake was having his basketball practice at. He kept waving to me and pointing me out to his closest team mate, which made me keep up the speed. He is adorable. But, what really helped me keep up the pace was the other woman walking the track. She was across from me on the track, and I made sure she never got closer than a half a loop behind me. That is right I say behind, because I was there first and I got within a 1/4 of the loop of her a few times and she would go faster. She probably thought she was in front of me, but I was so in front. Technically I was like 4 laps a head before she even started and she stopped about 10 minutes before I did. I totally kicked her butt...I am not competitive at all...Really, I am SO glad she was there because it made it so much easier to walk to the beat of "Single Ladies"-Beyonce, and "Twisted"-NKOTB. Listen to both those songs and you will realize I was totally kicking butt.

*We are going to have a conference with Jake's teacher. When I say "we" I mean Aaron is coming too. We are getting more and more concerned with her attitude and ridiculous rules. (Like the fact that school starts at 7:30, but in her class you have to be there at the latest 7:20 because if you turn in your homework 1 minute past 7:30, she may or may not except it...I realize that it is helpful to get there a few minutes early to get ready for the day, but you shouldn't get in trouble for getting there when school actually starts.) I am going to let Aaron do the talking because I just can't lay it out there to a teacher. I guess I have always been taught to respect them. I still have bad dreams about forgetting where my locker is, what my class schedule is, and that the major exam is today. I am a great learner and worker but school stresses me out-seriously. I thought about taking a class this semester to work toward my degree, but realized I just can't add it to my plate right now...Okay...I am going totally off the subject...See, I told you I needed to declutter my brain....So, any way we set up the conference and Aaron says it may get ugly...He is better at being respectfully mean than I am. Say a little prayer that Jake's teacher actually listens to our concerns, because I have yet to be able to get out a full sentence with out her brushing me off...Yikes...I am probably going to have bad dreams about school tonight....

*The snow and ice, that I took pictures of, and Jake missed 4 1/2 days of school because of, is almost gone from our front yard. Jake got me with a snowball in the butt today so I am kind of looking forward to it melting completely. :) I will post the snow pictures soon.

*I still want a dog,(badly) but I have finally been able to find one plus to not having one. Keep in mind that the list of positives FAR out way this one little negative...actually two, I just thought of another one. Any way, after snow melts there is always the inevitable mud to follow. This is the first time in 12 years that I haven't had to wipe up muddy paws and dog prints. But, muddy dog prints are cute...more so when they aren't there...The memory of them is fond, but at the moment it can drive you crazy. If there was ever a drought it was because I hadn't mopped my floor...EVERY time I mopped it would rain, and I would have sweet muddy dog prints...The other thing I thought of is fur. No, fur bunnies (instead of dust bunnies...or should I say mixed in with the dust bunnies...), for almost a year now. No fur floating in the air and landing in the darnedest places. Like the eggs you are scrambling or the stack of freshly clean towels. Or the wall where a wet tail must have hit and left behind what almost looks like a shadow of the real thing..I can live with fur too though...

*I am excited to take care of Pooha, Nana's little dog in February when they go on a cruise! She is so sweet and will give me my dog fix to hold me out until my birthday, when I am sure I will be getting a puppy for a gift to stop me from being depressed I am turning...gulp...35...I dread 35, but that is a post for another day....

*As you can see by the time I am posting this I am not doing so well with the going to bed early thing. But, I am up waiting for the cookies to cool that I made for Aaron, so that is a good excuse...right? My sister is going through the whole can't sleep, even if you want phase right now too. Her husband is going through some training for work and has a wacky schedule for a few weeks. She may be up reading this right now! Actually...probably not. Her hubby is probably home by now...Enjoy this tomorrow night when you are bored, waiting for Allen to get home Tina! I will not be blogging because Wednesday is a night Aaron is actually home and I will sleep good!

*I just had a thought...Is it wrong to use people's real names on your blog if they don't even use their real names on their blogs?...Or AM I using real names?...If you are reading this you probably know the truth. Because the only reason you would reading this is to find out if I have fallen off the face of the earth since this is the only way I keep in touch or because you feel obligated to occasionally comment to make me feel good. :) Either way thanks....for anyone that stumbles upon this blog (highly unlikely), you will never know if the names I am using are real or fake... :)

No Resolutions...Things I am not going to do in 2011

In not particular order....

1. I will not think of excuses not to exercise.
2. I will not stay up late just because Aaron is at work and I feel guilty that I could be sleeping and he can't...and there are always tons of random things to do around the house...I will go to sleep earlier because I need sleep. I am grumpy without it.
3. I will not let the laundry pile up, the dishes pile up, or the dust pile up...Not all the time at least.
4. I will not get sick....much. I know this because I am a big believer in anti-bac. I also haven't been getting sick much for the past 3 years that I have been using Airborne. I will buy stock in Airborne since I use so much of it. If you haven't tried it and you are a germ-a-phob you should try it. It is the bomb. You will love it.
5. I will not just read kids books. I will branch out and actually read some adult books too. Not bad adult books-you know what I mean right?!?
6. I will not eat snacks late at night just because Aaron is at work. I will no longer be staying up late so that should pretty much take care of this one too, but I just wanted to be thorough.
7. I will not be a complete slacker when it comes to keeping in touch. I probably won't be calling everyone and writing letters, but I will send out emails to remind people I am alive and if they want to keep in touch they should check out my blog. So, I guess I am not technically going to be doing much better in this category...but trying and wanting to do better, is better than nothing right?
8. I will not post pone losing weight until next Monday. Because next Monday always turns into next Monday...
9. I will not buy any purses or bags in 2011...I will try REALLY hard not to buy any purses or bags in 2011.
10. I will not feel guilty for taking happy pills, because I am not sure how I functioned in daily life before I started taking them. I will also not try an "experiment" to see if they are really working by stopping taking them for one month....They REALLY do work. ***Something I wanted to post about but forgot: While we were in Seattle Jake stopped me from taking my pills one morning. He took them to my dad and said "Papa guess which one of these pills makes Mommy not grumpy." Papa guessed right and we had a good laugh at the same time.*** If you need medication take it people! That is why Heavenly Father made people smart enough to invent it!!!

Is it wrong for me to want to stop giving credit to Santa?

I'm being serious. Give me your honest opinion. PLEASE! I am so very tempted to stop perpetuating the lie that is Santa Claus. Jake is 9. That's big kid age kind of right?...I had a conversation...Okay a text chat-lets face it people that is all I really have time for lately (what's that you say?..this is my second post of the day? I probably have more time than I think...Yes, you caught me...but this is my sanity people. See the rambling I am doing here? You should be inside my head!!!). I can have a conversation, while making dinner, and helping Jake finish his homework (WHY does it take so long for him to finish his homework?!?!?! That is a whole other post..)! Any way I told Elizabeth, I am seriously worried my child is going to leave on his mission fully believing there is a Santa Claus. He tells me all the time that people tell him Santa isn't real. He thinks they are dead wrong and feels bad for them that they have lost the ability to believe (thanks a lot Polar Express...Really I love the book, but Jake takes it as gospel truth). Jake asks me if he is real and what do I do? I LIE AND SAY YES! Why? Can I please stop lying and tell him the truth? You see Jake is at every single moment of the day pretending one thing or another. His imagination is AMAZING! I have seriously felt bad for other children who come to our house because they don't know how to play anything but the Wii. Again, that is a whole other topic, but do you see where I am going with this? Jake relates to the first line of the John Mayer song "Half of my Heart". It goes like this: "I was born in the arms of imaginary friends...". He told me while we were listening to it in the car one day-"Hey! That's just like me!" Lately, he claims to be part dog...I am starting to think he may actually believe it...I am making him sound like some weirdo, but he really is a cool kid. He is like Dr. Seuss, but if Dr. Seuss didn't like to write...(See what I mean about being in my head...). The point is his imagination is such that it some how makes sense to him, that even though it is impossible to fit all those gifts in his sled, Santa really can do it. OR WAIT A MINUTE!!! Is Jake bringing up things that Santa does that are impossible hoping I will just go a head and tell him it really isn't true?! Is he giving me an out to tell him the truth? I know you are probably thinking he's 9, give him time. But, in this economy and being poor students (again) I would love to take credit for the 3 (maybe 4 gifts) he is going to get this year! I want to shout from the roof tops: THERE IS NO SANTA!!! Sad isn't it? I love Christmas really, but I am sick of Santa. How pitiful am I that I am seriously considering telling him there is no Santa the next time he asks me? We tell him to tell the truth and then flat out lie about a fat guy coming down the chimney with gifts...ugh. I really am not Scrooge, but Santa isn't what Christmas is about any way...I never thought I would be the mom that wanted to crush the dream of Santa, but I would like to crush it like a bug...I guess I wish I could just make Jake little again so Santa was exciting and magical, not...I am just going to say it: annoying...
I think it is time to turn the attention to where it really should be on Christmas. The birth of our Savior, not Santa...

Last week...

...Was pretty much like other weeks. Work, school, clean, sleep, church, Cub scouts...You know the routine you fall into, that was our week. I of course like to take pictures of very random things and since it seems no on really reads my blog any more any ways, I can post as many as I want!

First of all I am a big fan of "Real Simple" products. Not so much the magazine-I do like it but it has way to many ads in it. I bought this grocery list pad a couple of years ago and it hangs on our fridge. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't...but recently I felt the need to give it a try again-to make errands and shopping "real simple". It is one of those pads were through out the week, when you run out of something, you just go check the box so you won't forget you need it when you are at the store. Well, we were running low on toilet paper so I went to check the little box for it, only to find there wasn't one!!! Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't EVERYONE use toilet paper? Sponges, batteries, and light bulbs made the list, but toilet paper didn't!?! I wrote it in, no big deal, but to me toilet paper is much more of a priority than sponges are...



Although the weather is still not chilly, the house is. Aaron gave Jake a great idea on how to stay warm at night, and here it is:


He said he felt like a new man when he woke up the first night after sleeping in his sleeping bag. And yes that is a beach towel hanging over his window. It keeps the draft off him a little. And yes, the tent is down. Jake decided he wanted to go back to his double bed. Aaron commented we should have kept the tent up because it would have kept him warmer...

I just have to document this awesome game of Othello, in which I totally kicked Jake's butt. I need to document this because, ever since I taught him my tricks to win, he has totally kicked my butt! So, just for the record Jake, you may bet me 99% of the time now but I KICKED YOUR BUTT this time...The last 2 plays I made may not have been legal...You see, he couldn't go anywhere so I just took his game pieces and flipped even more of his over. :) But, before that I still had kicked his butt.
And last, but not least: the Conference Ensign finally showed up in our mail box on Thursday! The first thing I do when I get it is look at all the pictures. I LOVE THE PICTURES!!! Of course I love all the talks too, but the pictures are always so beautiful...I love that we have the subscription that sends 2 copies of the Conference editions-that way I can have one all to myself...I am actually going to read the whole thing this time and I have already started. I always say I am going to but then life happens and I find my copy buried under mail, pictures colored for me by my sweet boy, and that form I was supposed to have sent back to school weeks ago...Please tell me I am not the only one with that kind of pile...


One more thing...actually two more things... #1-I needed some lip gloss, eye liner and eye shadow and the budget for that was non-existent. Target has this AWESOME AND CHEAP line called ELF (eyes, lips, and face) and I got all three of these products for $1 each. The eyeliner even came with a sharpener. I LOVE THEM! Especially the lip gloss and I am picky about my "lip products".

#2-SHHHH! Don't tell Jake...I can't keep it in any longer!!! Jake and I are going to visit my parents on their mission 12/3-12/13. Aaron can't go because of exams and work :(, but my parents found cheap tickets and that is our Christmas gift!!!!! It is kind of a gift for Aaron too because he will be able to sleep in a quiet house and study in silence. :) DON'T TELL JAKE!!! Oh, I forgot no one is really going to see this any way.... :)