Wow!

Just found this on Happy Meals & Happy Hour's blog. Beautiful & powerful. It reminds me just how much I love my friends.

Tis the Season

It's finally beginning to feel like Christmas around here...

Here are some of the decorations in the living room. While not formal by any means, it's a little "shinier" than the family room...

The family room is more fun. Pooh & Tigger have been around here forever. This litte tree was actually our first Christmas tree from our first little apartment back in the day. It's held up pretty well. The garland looks like candy, it's from my grandmother's tree on my dad's side. I always thought it was so fun.

Every year, Barnaby, the Christmas Elf leaves the kids outfits for their Christmas card picture, some other goodies & an ornament that usually represents something that they've loved or done in the past year. It's fun to see how their tastes & interests have changed through the years. We have lots of movies represented...Megan was obsessed with The Lion King when she was 4, Jordan spent most of her childhood watching the Wizard of Oz, Ben was enthralled with the Polar Express. We've got Buzz Lightyear, Harry Potter, American Girls, Beanie Babies, superheroes, graduation caps, Gators, Seminoles and, of course, LOTS of soccer balls.

Boy! I needed that!

This morning I woke a feeling a little better, but I'm still pretty stressed out. After I got the laundry started, emptied the dishwasher, showered, wrapped the teacher's gifts, made Ben breakfast & took Ben to school, I took a few minutes to check in with my bloggy friends. Katie had a link to this. Which totally made me happy. I had seen it last year, but had forgotten about it. Then I went to Kimba's blog & got a dose of EXACTLY what I needed. All over the blog-o-sphere, I've seen beautiful pictures of everyone's homes decorated to the nines... while I still had concrete floors. Not good for the self-esteem.

While I feel better, I still need to get some decorating done & Jordan's got a game an hour away at 2, so no time to dawdle...

Carpet peeps

Okay, what do you do when there are workmen (or women) taking up the majority of your house? Do you putter? Follow them around? Watch TV? Surf the net? The carpet installers have been here since just after 9. It's just after 2 now. I can't get to my kitchen or laundry. So I have spent the day in front of the TV with my computer on my lap. I've watched Regis, Private Practice, The View & P.S. I Love You. I'm all caught up on my bloggy friends, my Facebook friends & my emails. I've earned 2 "Badges" on Pogo.com. I have a fairly small house. They are carpeting 2 rooms, a (very small) linen closet & a hallway. What is taking so freaking long?! I have so much to do!!! Starting with a shower...

But I really like the carpet.

Sorry...

For the Bah Humbug post. The carpet installers are here, the end is in sight. Here's our Christmas card picture to show that I'm not a total Grinch...

7 Days & Counting

8 days until THE BIG DAY and I am waiting for the carpet installers to arrive at my doorstop any minute now. Seriously. A few months ago we had a leak in our A/C & it ruined our floors. We pulled up the ruined flooring (faux wood laminate) & have been living with some exposed concrete in our hall... Michael & I are a wee bit indecisive (you so don't want to be in a car with us when we are trying to decide where to eat when we are out of town, or in town for that matter), so we have been debating what to do.

The flooring we had was discontinued (of course) and the hall leads into the family room, which leads into the dining room. The way the floorplan is laid out, it was hard to find a good transition point where we could keep our old (2 year old) flooring for at least a portion of it. We finally decided we had to replace it all & we would go back to carpet. We ordered the carpet the day after Thanksgiving, thinking we would get it in in a week or so, but between our 2 weekends out of town & trying to catch our saleman on his rare non day off, we have had to wait until today to have installed.

Problem is, due to the large area being carpeted, I have not decorated for Christmas yet, AT ALL! Oh yeah, & I'm not even close to being done with my shopping. And I haven't wrapped one thing. And the kids will be home after tomorrow. And Jordan's high school team [Pardon the interuption... Mickey Rourke is on the Today Show... FA-REAK!!!] is in a tournament this weekend. And Jordan's BFF is coming from Chicago to stay with us on Monday through Christmas morning. And one of our friends from the old soccer gang is in town for the holidays, so I want to have the gang over for a get together before next Sunday.

Every year, I swear it will be different, yet every year I'm a crazed maniac in Full Bah Humbug Mode. This is not what I want the holidays to be. I just want to get things done early so I can relax & enjoy my family & friends and remember the reason for the season, yet it never happens until Christmas morning. Next year...

Sorry, I didn't mean to lay this bummer blog post out there into the blog-o-sphere, I just needed to vent a little... I'll be better when my carpet is down & I can just get started...

For Once, A Reason to Look Forward to Monday...