Merry Christmas!

It's not likely that I'll be back for a few days. My parents are in the Seattle airport, as I type this, waiting for their connecting flight to arrive. There are delays in and out of Sea-Tac, so it just might be an interesting afternoon for them.

I need to finish up the vacuuming and mop the floors and I'll be ready for them.

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

All I want for Christmas...

Is a little bit of winter. And it appears that we are going to get it!

The forecast changed (again) and we should have rain the next two days, a little (maybe a lot?) snow as the temps drop to near Arctic levels and maybe some sun! on Christmas Day. It is looking like having my parents in town is the key to getting snow and proper Alaska weather.

(Katie - I know you just think I'm nuts, but snow is so much better than slush.)

So, I'm off to finish cleaning and washing and shopping (for groceries this time) and vacuuming because my parents are arriving in about 26 hours!

I also had the Utopian Mail Experience today - all Christmas Cards!

...It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

TMI - be warned!

I survived the Annual Exam appointment yesterday. I was very impressed with my new Doctor and I was able to address everything I was concerned about.

My fainting spell back in September could have possibly been from the flu, vertigo (unlikely) or an atypical migraine. He is thinking atypical migraine. I am now the proud owner of some Imatrex samples to try for my next migraine.

I have a current prescription to prevent my UTI's and had an enlightening talk about my sex life with a total stranger. Oddly, it wasn't that bad.

We talked about my weight - 181 - according to their scale. I have another appointment on Monday for lab work and he ordered a full thyroid panel. I have several symptoms of hypothyroidism and if the levels are off, they can be corrected with medication and as a bonus, my weight should start to drop.

We had a long discussion about my depression symptoms and I failed his litmus question, so I have officially been diagnosed and have a prescription for Prozac. I was told that I don't have the capacity (right now) to do fun things for myself. Here I was, thinking I was just being a martyr - Damn Flylady. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I'll be feeling happier and have more energy too. Joe has decided that this is the perfect time to make jokes and started calling me "Medicated Mama" this morning. Really not funny. He hasn't taken me seriously every other time I tried to talk to him about it and I guess it's different coming as a diagnosis from a Doctor. He's anxious to help though, now that he knows it isn't just going away.

The plumbing check went as expected. I do have a "very well behaved cervix" and we all had a good laugh - the nurse, the Doctor and me, with my hiney hanging off the table and feet in stirrups. I'm just a barrel of fun.

I had a 40 minute wait for my prescriptions at Fred's, so I did a little (more) shopping for myself. I bought the ring I wanted, an anniversary band on sale for $49. It was the right size and the last one they had. I had my regular "Right Hand Ring" cut off, so that it can be resized. I haven't been able to get it off in about 5 years. I've got to get my wedding ring off and have it resized too, but I don't want it cut off.

I bought some magazines for my stocking, some gold coins for everyone and some Ferrero Roche for Joe's stocking. I got myself a pour shield for my Kitchen Aid, since I was worried about the kids helping me make cookies and getting their fingers too close. This way they can add stuff and I'm not a wreck. I got the last of the supplies I needed to finish my Dad's gift too.

I came home to the kids picking up the living room because the homeowner was ACTUALLY coming over to fix stuff. It took most of the afternoon, but we have new locks, the dishwasher is reinstalled and the bathtub spout doesn't leak anymore. There will be someone out to patch the hole in the ceiling as soon as possible.

While Mr. Fixit was fixing stuff, I ran out for my last stop for my gifts. Raintree Quilts. I got some Invisagrip and a Ruby Beholder. I also signed up for the $5 quilt that starts next month. Until the Prozac starts working, I'm going to have to force fun things upon myself. I've also decided to join the quilting guild.

I forgot to fix dinner last night and Grace was up several times during the night. Joe moved all his stuff upstairs (in preparation for my parent's visit) and he needs work on his making his morning routine quiet. The garage door went up and down no less than 4 times this morning, BEFORE 7 am. Grace was ready to get up at 6:30 am, so I put on Cartoon Network and plopped her on the couch. I didn't roll out of bed until 9 am, then had to rush the garbage out to the street in my flannel pants.

I have a list a mile long to get done before my parents arrive early Thursday afternoon, which includes cleaning the house from top to bottom. I need to get to Costco and battle the crowds for a very small, but critical list. I have to finish wrapping gifts and then carry them all upstairs. I have laundry multiplying like rabbits again and I have bedding to wash and change. Somehow, it will all get done, child labor and spousal guilt may be used and I'm very glad I'm not running short of Mountain Dew.

We Three Things - for Katie

We Three Things

Three names you go by:
Heidi
Mom(my)
Olaf

Three screennames you have:
HeidiK11
hkathryn11
GTMommy

Three things you like about yourself:
my eyes
my smile
my sense of humor

Three things you hate/dislike about yourself:
My weight
My moles
My lack of tact (sometimes)

Three parts of your heritage:
Scotch
Irish
Native American

Three things that scare you:
Boats/water
Heights
Something happening to my kids

Three of your everyday essentials:
caffeine
the computer
Oil of Olay face wash

Three things you are wearing right now:
jeans
socks
cami-top

Three of your favorite bands/artists at the moment:
Finger Eleven
Newsboys
Big and Rich

Three of your favorite songs at present:
One Thing - Finger Eleven
Shine - Newsboys
Little Drummer Boy

Three things you want to try in the next 12 months:
Selling something on eBay
Leaving the kids with a sitter
Joining a quilting guild

Three things you want in a relationship (love is a given):
Honesty
Reliability
Sense of Humor

Two truths and a lie:
I have been skydiving.
I just wanted to have sons.
My husband is my best friend.

Three physical things about the opposite (or same) sex that appeals to you:
Hands
Eyes
Confidence

Three things you just can't do:
Whistle
Sing well
Play dolls

Three of your favorite hobbies:
Scrapbooking
Quilting
Knitting

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
Build a house
Buy a car
Go on vacation

Three careers you're considering:
Paramedic
FBI agent
Labor and Delivery Nurse

Three places you want to go on vacation:
Australia
Ireland
Peru

Three kids names:
Samuel
Victoria
Nathan

Three things you want to do before you die:
Travel to my list of places
Meet more online friends in person
Watch my kids grow up

Three people who have to take this quiz now or die a slow orgasmic death:
Pez
Grace
Kimmer

Three days and counting...

I have only three days to get everything done and the homeowner is supposed to be here this morning to start tearing the place apart.

I'm actually glad I have my yearly exam to escape to this morning and Joe can stay home with the kids and deal with him. That is, if he actually shows up.

I got an email from my Grandpa - more crap from the election outcome and I'm tired of it. He is spending much of his spare time wallowing in the defeat of his preferred candidate and then bashing anyone who disagrees with him. I have to be fair though - he doesn't know that I am a non-family-conformist, the only branch off his tree that does not believe the environment is the first priority (above education even and he was a teacher) and in fact, have never agreed with his religious views.

OK - I just showed Joe the email and he found it funny. It's a list of things to do before the January inaugural and includes things like "Cash your Social Security check" and "Visit Nevada before it becomes radioactive." He's convinced that PBS will be taken off the air, that libraries will be banning books (namely Harry Potter) and ALL of the Tongass National Forest (some is here in Juneau) will be clear cut. Gah! Now, I'm just plain irritated.

I'll be better AFTER my appointment and then I'm going to go get a haircut and do a little shopping for my stocking.

Enjoy your day!

Less than a week...

Until all the craziness can stop!

I got some baking done yesterday. With my "helpers", it took about three times as long as usual and we only got the spritz cookies baked. Then they ate about 20. I have dough in the fridge for Gingerbread People and my favorites - Pfferneuse.

I got the laundry folded this morning, more in the washer right now and I decided to not enforce the "less TV" rule quite yet. It's keeping them out of my hair this morning. I might even get more gifts wrapped before they come looking for me.

I was stressing about money the other day, trying to plan out all the bills for the next month because the pay cycle is changing to bi-monthly. Joe came home last night and told me that he *will* be getting paid on January 7th, for the last week of December and the first two-week check will be on the 14th. What a relief! I couldn't figure out where I had screwed up the budget so badly!

I've got 5 1/2 days (counting today) before my parents fly in. The kids are soooo excited and I'm looking forward to having some extra help with them. Grace won't let Bakka (her name for my mom) out of her sight and that means I'm bumped out of the #1 slot for the week. My mom decided it would be best to rent a minivan, so we'll have transportation on the days Joe has to work and he has three days off the week after Christmas, so we will have time to do things all together.

Have a good weekend! I'll be here until Thursday morning and then mostly gone through the 2nd. Our computer is where the guest bed is, so I'll have limited access.

Things are getting better

I'm starting to feel better. It might be the few days of good sleep or the Christmas decorations being up or the kids being back to normal or talking to friends on the phone that I was really missing or getting fun packages in the mail. It might just be the turn in the tide and everything coming back in at the same time. Regardless, I've got a better outlook today.

As I mentioned, the kids are back to normal today. It seems that the 7-10 days is very accurate for HMFD. Tristan was sick for 7, Grace for 10. They both had cold cereal for breakfast and I might just reward them with hot dogs for lunch.

I've been working on my Mom's Christmas scarf and a mystery quilt from last month. I talked Joe into wrapping my last stamp order and cardstock for my Christmas gift, so I can't use them yet. I updated my Webshots album last weekend, with my quilts from the last year and that motivated me to work on more. I didn't get as many done as I would have liked and I have projects that have been waiting for quite a while to get back to.

I've been thinking a lot about New Year's resolutions and changes I want to make in my life.

I'm going to attack the weight again this year, hopefully with less stress and interruptions than last year. April rolled around with the talk of moving and I lost all my focus. I gained back 10 pounds in our month of hotel living and eating out for every meal. I've only been able to lose 5 pounds since we got settled, but it's a start.

I'm going to be watching less TV and the same for the kids. We'll set up a schedule and I'll cancel the cable if I have to. I'd really like to get a TiVo, so I can watch only what I want, when I want to.

I'm going to find a way to get regular exercise. I know I can maintain my weight, but I want to gain muscle (use the weight bench we own much?) and get my heart and lungs in shape. I have a bad feeling that means running.

I'm going to be joining the quilt guild in January and Joe will be scheduling for it. It's time that I start doing something just for myself.

I will be seeing the Dr. for my annual exam on Monday. I have a list of things to go over with him, including the weird dizzy spell I had in September. Joe has the day off and it will be the first female exam Tristan won't be at. I am going ALONE this year!

Today, I am hoping to get some baking done and the scarf finished. My parents will be here in 6 days and I have a whole house to clean, so I'm putting that off in favor of the fun stuff. I've got laundry to fold and presents to wrap too. We still have a hole in the bathroom ceiling, so I'm thinking we can't look more white trash right now, no matter what gets done.

Oy, I've got to go eat something for breakfast - it's almost 11 am and I just realized my stomach is growling.

Festive Photos

Alrighty then.

The Gingerbread House - about 10 minutes after finishing it:



The full view of the (new) tree:



The kids in front of their decorating job:



You will notice several candies missing from the Gingerbread House. The decorators realized that ALL of the candy was going on the house a few minutes too late. The current status might qualify for an insurance claim.

The new tree is a 7.5 foot Pre-lit Slim Alpine Spruce and was declared "Non-Poky" by the decorating team. Grace got to put the angel on top this year. They are also very proud of the artful use of ALL of the purple satin balls in the lower quadrant of the tree. Tristan is also NOT that much bigger than Grace - he is up on his knees and a bit closer to the camera.

Only the good stuff

Let's see...

The kids are about 90% back to normal. They have decided that they like the nutritional drinks from Safeway after all. They are not requiring any pain meds and have slept well the last two nights. One more day should see them eating normal food again and the contagious stage over.

Joe finally took a day off from work and we got the tree up. It is not the same tree we had this morning, which was bad and we won't talk about that.

The internet is back on and the phone will be staying in service after only 45 minutes on the phone with The Messed Up Phone Company. Even better news is The Other Phone Company has DSL (not cable modem), along with control over the lines and I think we will be switching soon. If only for the customer service and established business.

Netflix shipped Dodgeball right away and we watched it last night. Predictable, but funny. I could have done without the very end though. We have Spiderman 2 lined up for tonight, after Amazing Race.

I am done with my Christmas shopping and about half done with the wrapping. I decided to make my mom a scarf and bought the yarn tonight. I'm still at a loss for my dad, but I have a book in mind that he might like. They are very hard to shop for so I'm happy just to have ideas.

I'm an Auntie Again!

I got the call this morning. Zakary William was born last night at 10:25 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and is 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well. He is the second child of Joe's sister Racheal. She is #5 in the 10 of his siblings. It also brings the cousin total to 12 - one by marriage.

If it's not one thing...

...it's another.

I think we have two cases of Hand, Mouth and Foot here. It is the only thing that fits from the symptoms I found at WebMD. We had sudden mild fevers (a day apart), mouth blisters the next day and the inability to eat most everything for at least 3 days, so far.

I've been handing out ibuprofen every 6 hours and I'm out of ideas for soft food. They've had pudding, popsicles, marshmallows and bread in the last two days. I bought some Pediasure last night, but only Grace will drink it. They have been up at night and crying in their sleep. Poor things.

Of course, I found the diagnosis online about 5:15 pm on Friday night. I'll be calling the Dr. on Monday and I'll see if there is anything else I can do for them.

Lukewarm...

Is how I would describe today.

Kids are doing better, but not out of the whiny stage yet. Tristan was feeling puny by bedtime last night and both had a hard time staying asleep.

I was up late, not feeling well myself and worrying that I wouldn't hear the kids if I fell asleep because I was so tired. So, I ended up being awake most of the night and up early this morning too. Joe even woke me up to make sure I was ok before he left for work because I was sleeping so soundly.

We were supposed to have a playdate today - to bake and decorate cookies, but we didn't go. I imagine we'll all be in bed early tonight and hopefully better tomorrow.

I did get a call from the property manager this morning. She didn't exactly apologize for the delay, but said they would have someone out to fix everything by Wednesday of next week. I'll believe it when it happens.

I can't believe it's only 2 weeks until Christmas Eve and I've got no energy to get everything done.

Invaded

We have been invaded by germs again.

Grace is feeling puny this time. She had a fever last night and missed Cubbies, but slept through the night okay.

Tristan seems to be himself.

I still have a migraine, started yesterday, so I took yesterday off and read a book. I feel another book coming on for today, as long as things don't get pukey. I might bring my scrapbook stuff upstairs later too.

We have also a bit of new snow this morning. With Grace not feeling well, I can enjoy it from the window and know we aren't going out to play in it. :o)

Hope you all have a germ-free day!

Surfing: A delicate balance

I'm still riding the crazy edge of emotions. I'm to the point now that not much else can make me change my mood for the worse. I pity the fool who pisses me off next. Also, the trip to Hawaii? Much more of a pain than I thought. Mexico is cheaper.

Fishing Guy is at work. On his only day off this week. He left about 9 am this morning, came home at 12:15 pm so I could go to my Bible study and left again about 2:30 pm. It's 6 pm now and he's still not home. I'm beyond pissed about it.

The kids have been trying hard "not to make Mommy mad" anymore. Even so, I've been doling out time outs like candy. For instance, just now The Princess closed The Prince in a 18 gallon Rubbermaid tote with the lid. While I was sitting two feet away.

So, let's focus on the good.

1. The sun was out today. The actual sun! Of course, the temperature was about 22*, but there was SUN! I went out and took some pictures from the street. I'll play with them later and post if I got some good ones.

2. I am officially caught up with the dishes. My hands are screaming, but the kitchen looks good. Don't say anything to the laundry - it's still under control too.

3. I bought a cheap alarm clock ($6.99) for the bedroom last week and just moved the "very nice ($50) but way confusing to set the alarm" one into the bathroom. Now I know what time it is while I'm getting ready and I get to blast music while I'm in the shower. Now Playing: "One Thing" by Finger Eleven.

4. My book order finally arrived today. I've only been waiting since November 5th for it. About freakin' time.

I'm a mess...

A ticking time bomb, if you will. I am overdosed on hormones this week, due to the first holiday visitor of the month and everything that normally doesn't get to me is hitting a nerve.

I'm really tired of being alone. I mean, things like adult conversation and companionship are supposed to be part of a marriage, right? Well, I get to hear how the Juneau Fred Meyer did in sales, how many pallets of freight were ordered/put out/messed up and which employees are in trouble or doing well, every night with dinner, then he goes downstairs or to bed.

I was frustrated yesterday because I had to throw out my pumpkin cheesecake from Thanksgiving - that no one ate. Along with all of the other UNTOUCHED leftovers, except for the green been casserole that I ate. All of that work for nothing. He claims he didn't know about the cheesecake.

The kids are acting up and behaving like different children then I thought I was raising. Grace is telling me what to do, what she will or won't eat and just generally acting like she runs the place. Tristan has colored on the new kids table and two chairs, with permanent markers. Their toys are in every room of the house by the end of the day and I have to pick it up. They climb on the counters to get things that are off limits. They destroyed my white board on the fridge. The response is, "Go get a new one." If it was legal to beat them and tie them to their beds, I think I would.

In all of this I am alone.

I don't normally cry at songs, new babies or during church - today I did all three.

We attempted to decorate the Gingerbread House after church. Well, I guess it is decorated, but it had a bad start. I did the prep work on the house and left it to set up. Grace threw a fit at the show I was watching in the living room - claimed it was too scary, so I was watching the last 15 minutes in my room. She comes running in to tell me that Tristan is eating the snowman. Under the table. The sure sign that there is misbehaving going on. By the end, the royal icing was melting out of the pastry bag and the kids ate the tree and the gingerbread man too. So, we now have a lopsided (candy-wise) house, that I'm sure will be missing chunks by tomorrow. Hooray, holiday fun.

Grace has been twirling her hair, while sucking her thumb and when she gets a tangle, she pulls it out instead of telling me and letting me brush it out. So as a result of her knowing the best way to do things, she is mostly bald on the top left side of her head. I was trying to get Joe's opinion of a proposed haircut for her last night - Nada. So, I cut it this morning before church and if he doesn't like it - tough.

It was about 25* this morning and we had to walk to church. There was no offer of coming home on a break, so that I could use the car. We were about 2 minutes late, which meant that everyone saw us come in. My glasses were fogged, the kids were dropping coats, scarves, hats and mittens, right and left and then we had to change seats. I very nearly stayed home this morning, but I needed a break.

I've been watching the neighbors all out working on their Christmas lights together over the last week. I'm not putting anything out until someone decides that it's a priority. It's possible that we won't have a tree up until Christmas Eve and I'm pretty sure we won't have lights out on the porch.

I had to write the nasty letter to the landlords and sent it in with our rent check. I'm sure there will be repercussions from that and I feel like I'm on my own with it too. I'll be the one to be here and supervise all of the fixing or the one that has to hire to have the repairs done, if nothing happens.

Somehow I've managed to set up my life so that I hate it. I'm struggling with trust issues - if I can't *know* that he's going to bring home a gallon of milk when I need it, how do I know that he's going to do anything more complicated. He's selfish and I expect too much - at least that's what he says. I just want consistency, dependability and for him to act like an adult.

The bottomline is I'm tired of doing everything alone. I'm the sole parent, the only one who does anything around the house or with the car or the finances. It wouldn't be so bad except that he is CHOOSING to work Sundays and about 14 hours a day. By the time his vacation comes in January, I'm not going to want to be around him.

*UPDATE*
Well, I was just finishing up the spell check when Joe arrived home. At 3:45 pm. I abandoned the computer and we went to tackle the kidlet issues. He laid down some new laws, crushed some 4 year old attitude and then told me that he was going back to work tonight. I made dinner and everyone got put in/on a bed at 6 pm. Tristan was asleep in less than an hour and Grace still thinks the rules don't apply to her.

Apparently, coming home to a crying wife makes my husband offer trips to *anywhere* in order to get away and recover. I'm thinking Hawaii in January is sounding very nice. I would settle for a couple of days alone in a local hotel though. He can spend his vacation doing my job.

Catchup and quilting

Catchup - Yesterday was a pick-up-the-house day. I did more laundry and actually got most of it folded. The kids and I went over to Dawn's to play about 4 pm. The kids played in the playroom and we played in the craft room. LOL! Joe didn't get home until about 7:30 pm and I ordered pizza for dinner.

Today - I plan to quilt. There is a mystery I'm trying to keep up with and another one I'm way behind on. It should keep me out of trouble all weekend.

Twenty-Two Days and counting...

And the list is getting shorter!

I got the Christmas cards done - letter written and printed, photos picked up, cards signed, labels made, everything stuffed together and ready to go in the mailbox!

I got the "Christmas Countdown" board made. I do need to stock up on Foamie letters after this though. I'll take a picture to share as soon as we find a place to hang it up. The kids had fun doing their own little craft too.

I got the weight bench moved into the garage and the downstairs is looking bigger. I have some issues in the garage now, but at least I'm not tripping over it.

I have some Christmas shopping done. I went to Costco last night, while Grace was at Cubbies and was able to buy for everyone while I was alone. I got Grace the 3-pack of Princess DVD's ( This one and this one and this one.) for her big gift. I got fleece pants for Tristan and 2 pair for Joe, animal flashlights for the kids (a dinosaur and a dog), 3 work shirts for Joe, a kid's Bible for each of the kids, a pack of socks for Grace in pretty colors, a pair of pj's for Tristan and a bathrobe for Joe. I got a pair of pj's for myself and a huge package of cardstock. I forgot that I have a LeapPad book stashed for each kid too. I need to find pj's for Grace and socks for Tristan yet and I still have to order Joe's big gift from me - an electric razor. I am on the lookout for cool ties to give from the kids too.

I also have to share my new find! I bought a new razor the other night - a Schick Intuition. It is the coolest thing ever! I'm a shave-in-the-shower kind of girl and it sucks having to stand on one leg so the water doesn't wash off the soap/gel/cream before you get to the back of your leg. And then you still have to wash off all the little hairs from the wall. Blech! Anyway, I paid a bit more than the price in the link, but it was well worth it. Not only did I not have to stand like a freak, it didn't feel like I was shaving. It feels like a bar of soap running over your legs. The best part was that the more water that runs over the razor while you're shaving, the better it works.

Happy Hump Day!

It's December already. There's only 24 days until Christmas, 23 until my parents arrive and it's time to start decorating, cleaning and baking. Oh yeah, and the Christmas shopping that I haven't started. Bring it on.

I finally came down off my high - last night sometime. Cripes, what a mess. I need to get back to Costco and buy my Ice drinks again or just suck it up and drink water like I know I should. Instead, I had a Mountain Dew with my breakfast - at 11 am. Don't ask, it wasn't a pretty night.

Completely unrelated, I fixed the headlight yesterday. Finally. And changed the wiper blades too. I pulled the front half of the car into the garage and was at least out of the rain. I figure I saved a good chunk of money and I will be able to see when *I* drive the car. If you want a laugh, click on the weather thingy and see how long our days are now. You'll also see why I fixed everything before this weekend. Our *mild* temperatures will be leaving for a short while because of a nice Arctic blast right out of the Yukon. I have scarves. Bring it on.

I need to finish the Christmas cards today and get them in the mail. I try to mail on December 1st every year, this year especially, since we moved and not everyone has our current address. I'm going to have to print up labels because I ordered special family ones a month ago and they still haven't arrived.

Have I mentioned lately that I love Alaska? OK - besides the shipping issues. No? Well, I do. I'm still bummed we haven't gotten more snow yet. I'm told that January and February are snowy and cold, followed by the slightly warmer and muddy season that lasts into June. Bring it on.

I'm off to shower, do the dishes, finish the laundry and print the Christmas letter and labels. Probably not in that order.