Simplicity in living

My 16 year old daughter wanted to know if I would be going to the after Christmas sales. I inquired that I would not because I didn't need anything. She said, "who said anything about needing something, what about something you want." I didn't want anything either and so she said that maybe she wanted something. So I said to her that she can't want anything either because Christmas just left and she ain't getting nothing. (Yeah I know I used ain't.) When church let out on Sunday, I went by CVS just to get some bread and there we saw a 50% off on all Christmas stuff. It didn't phase me so I kept walking to find what I went in the store for. I saw my daughter looking at this gingerbread house that was $5.00 and she said to me how she has always wanted to put up a gingerbread house. I'm thinking this girl is crazy. How could she ask for anything two days after Christmas!

I saw her kept looking at this gingerbread house and thought that if I did buy it, that she and her 13 year old brother would have to do it together. She said that the two of them would really delight in me buying it and they would put it up together and clean up any mess. I mean, how could I refuse such an offer. The two of them kept looking at this gingerbread house all the way home and was in such an itch to get home to put it together. The minute we walked in the house, the two of them was about to start on it. I said, "Hey you two, why don't you get out of your church clothes first and then go at it." Sure enough they did and I tell you, if I had known they would be interested in this at their ages, then I probably would have done this a long time ago.


They worked together and laughed together. They each had a job of who was to put the icing on and who would put the walls up and who would do this or that. They didn't argue and they didn't say this is my part, no, this is your part. I pulled out the camera and I sat and just watched them enjoy a simple gingerbread house and I heard them say, "This is so much fun." My daughter came up and hugged my neck for getting it and all the while I'm thinking, "Five dollars sure went a long way. It was well worth it." Now this is the simple life. Ahhhhhh.

Lovingly yours,

Kids say the darndest things!

Yes, even kids that are my children ages come up with stuff that will still leave my mouth open. I really don't know where they get this stuff from. My hubby had some white pain pills that was in a clear packet and he had sat the pills on the arm of the couch. When I told our 16 year old to straighten up the living room and fluff the pillows on the couch, she saw hubby pain pills but didn't know they were his. She turns to me and said, "Mom, are these your birth control pills?" I was watching television and almost choked on my spit when she asked me that. I thought she was just playing so I calmly said no they were not. I didn't know that she didn't know they were pain pills so I just left it at that. The question wasn't as shocking as to what she asked next. She then turned to hubby and said, "well if they not mom's birth control, are they yours?" My eyes got so big that I was really at a loss for words. I just didn't expect that. I told her that men don't take birth control pills and that the pills were hubby's pain pills. She said, "oh okay."

So as we were just sitting there talking about this and that, 16 year old tells hubby that just because she is 16 doesn't mean that she doesn't like doing kid stuff. She said that she wants to remember being this age because she knows it won't last long. She said pretty soon she'll be up doing her own thing and paying bills and that she is just not ready for that to happen. I don't really have a clue as to where this conversation is going so I'm just listening. She then tells hubby that she would like to string up some popcorn and put it on the Christmas tree. String popcorn? What? She tells hubby that she has done that and would like that to be part of her childhood. Even though they have done it before when they were younger, they just don't remember it. So she goes over to pop some popcorn and while she is stringing it, she calls her brother in the room as well. The quicker that she gets it strung, the more he is eating off the string. They are having fun and she says, "You are such a munchkin but I will remember this forever." Where do they get this stuff from!!!

Lovingly yours,

The 12 days of Christmas, revisited

I found something that was rather interesting to share. It came from www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html. I have read the copyright use and can't post it here but I can send you to their website. It's a different version of the 12 days of Christmas that I think you will enjoy. Scroll down until you see the part where it says on the first.....



Lovingly yours,

Dude, where's my car?

I don't know why the school would have weightlifting practice while we are off for the Christmas break but they do, so our daughter had practice this morning at 10:00 a.m. and I was going to the gym for a little workout time. Hubby said that he could drop me off at the gym, take daughter to practice, then swing back and pick me up. I didn't have a problem with that....at first. I got in, did my little work out for about an hour and then I was ready to go. Duh, it hit me. I don't have my car. I felt stranded even though I knew I would be picked up later. I looked outside the big windows and I didn't see that blue Ford Expedition. I worked out for another fifteen minutes and I'm so ready to go.

My usual time of working out is usually an hour, so now I've been working out for an hour and 30 minutes. I'm tired now. I look back out the big window and I'm saying to myself, "dude, where's my car?" Come on already. How long is practice suppose to last anyway? I could just start walking but then I would have to hear the dangers seen and unseen from hubby and I would never hear the end of it. I take a seat on the bench in the gym and the time is now 11:15. I thought to myself, "I won't be here long, they should be coming to get me real soon." I mean I have been there since 9:45. I see so many cars pass by but not my car. Hubby can go wherever he wants to go, just come and get me and take me home.

Finally, 12:05 I see my car pull in. I got all excited like a kid in a candy store. I walked outside and got in my car. I told hubby that when daughter has to go to practice again, that I will be driving myself and leave him at home. I'd rather just go and pick her up when I'm done. I like having my own ride and jumping in the car when I'm ready to go.

Lovingly yours,

Random Thoughts

What kind of person in their right mind gets up at 5:38 in the morning on a day they don't have to go to work? On a rainy morning at that? Ok, that would be me, ole crazy person here. Today is the first day of me being off for Christmas and I'll be home for the next two weeks and do you actually think I could just stay in bed and sleep. Nope. I'm fully awake as if I actually got something to do. This would be the time (at 6:00) that I get up and get ready for work, so I guess my body is just so used to getting up that it has decided to have a mind of its own. I figured I might as well go on and get up because no matter how much I stare at these four walls, nothing is gonna change. It's not like they will be like transformers and magically turn into something I've never seen before. It's raining hot dogs and smoked sausages outside. Anybody got a hot dog bun!!! The kids do have to go to school today. I know what you are thinking, but the answer is no, they kids will not be staying home from school today. They can enjoy sleeping in on Monday....maybe. Depends on if they do what I need for them to do.....if they don't get it done, then I will be like their military nightmare, and get their tails up before the crack of dawn.....and I ain't never been in the military in my life. They know I am not playing. I guess sleep ain't coming back so I'm up now. Did anybody say bagels and cream cheese....I think it's calling my name.

Lovingly yours,

I give you many gifts

The children had put the tree up and that was it. There were no gifts under the tree, mainly because I just hadn't found the time to wrap them. My children came to me on Saturday night and asked if I loved them enough to get them anything for Christmas. I told them that I had gifts for them and that I just needed to wrap them. My 16 year old daughter said that she would just love to wake up and there would be gifts under the tree. I normally just do it the week of Christmas (since I'm off work) and let them hover over them in anticipation. Well Sunday morning, I woke up 40 minutes earlier just so I could get their gifts wrapped so that when they did wake up, there would be gifts under the tree. It was pressure doing this on a Sunday morning and getting up for 8:00 service but I did accomplish my goal. When I woke the children up at 6:30, their joy was shown all over their face.

Children, regardless of their age, still want to feel special by getting something. Even though they know the true story of Jesus' birth, they want something physical to hold in their hands. But what children also fail to realize that all gifts are not physical gifts. When my children cried because they were teething, I gave them time to see if I could comfort their little mouths in order for them to get to playing once again. When they fell, I gave them comfort telling them that everything would be ok. When they thought they couldn't learn their alphabet, I gave them encouragement telling them they could do this. When they thought the monster was under their bed, I gave them security knowing they could sleep better at night. I could go on and on. Even though these may be unknowingly to them, I still gave and is still giving. Not because I am the parent and it's my job but because I care and love them. I've read about parents who just couldn't take it anymore and put their babies in trash cans, drowned them, and left them alone.

My gift doesn't have to come in a big package or even cost an arm or a leg. My time is a gift, my listening and trying to understand is a gift. My concern is a gift. My love is a gift. So when I sat down on that floor at 5 something in the morning to wrap these gifts, it was the smile on their faces that made it worthwhile. I know that when they get older, they will look back and say that they may not have had everything they wanted, but they sure as heck got plenty of love and time. These are the gifts that are worth unwrapping time and time again.

Lovingly yours,

Party over here!

As of today, I have four more working days until I will be off for the Christmas break. Two whole weeks off with a hubby who loves football, two ranting teenagers and a partridge that's stuck in a pear tree. Ok ok on to what I actually came here for. Today was our annual Christmas party at work. It was very nice and enjoyable. Everyone had their sign up sheets as to what everyone would bring and the list looked great before the party even happened, that is.....until I went on down the list and saw that someone was bringing puppy chow.

I declare I did not misspell it. Puppy chow. Now I know how my mind works. It does its own thing and I even ask myself why would my mind think some of the things that it does. I just can't fathom myself eating no puppy chow. It's not what it's made of, it's just the name itself. I know it's like some chex mix with powdered sugar and chocolate and what not, but to have a name of puppy chow just threw me in a loop. I just couldn't do it. So when the party day came, people were just eating it like it was the last supper or something. Good for them, but I didn't touch it. I mean how would you feel if I invited you over for dinner and I tell you that the menu consisted of meow mix, puppy chow, cow dung....heck, you probably wouldn't eat it either. You'd be running to the closest Burger King trying to get one of those one dollar double cheeseburgers, maybe even two.

Lovingly yours,

Insane must be the new word

It has got to be the new word of the day because my 16 year old daughter came to me with an idea that was so insane that I thought she was on something. She said that she had her Christmas list out and wanted to show it to me. I said ok because I already knew in my mind how much I was spending on each child anyway. I'll paint it out for you. I was sitting in the recliner taking a relaxing chill out time, catching bits and pieces of television and listening to her talk. I was enjoying the moment until that child of mine said, "The gift I want cost $300.00" I thought maybe she was talking in some strange language because I know she didn't just ask for something that cost three hundred American dollars. I sat up in the recliner and asked her was she insane. Even though she laughed at my expression, no really, was she insane? I asked her again if she was insane....she claimed she wasn't but the devil is a liar.

I said to her that she must not know I work things out on a budget and a 300 dollar gift for her was not in my plan. I looked at 13 year old list and he had two things on it and both of his gifts put together were under 50.00 and here it is, this girl whom I thought I knew thinks I'm ballin' like that. I asked her if she thought I was made of money and she actually said yes. She said that we must be doing ok cause our lights are never cut off and we always have food to eat. I told her it's called a blessing and that hubby and I are not even close to being rich. She then said she'd be ok if she didn't get this gift for Christmas but wants to know if I can buy her a car instead for her senior year next year. A car? A car? She has been practicing driving and don't even have a permit and she talking about a car.....INSANE!!!!

I told her that I'm not one of those parents who will be in debt over their children and that when she starts working that she can save up for her a car. She then asked me what if she don't have enough money, I told her that is where she may have to work two jobs. Her reply, "Two jobs??? Oh no. I'll just go to the bank of Mom." Bank of mom??? Ok you can go there if you want to, you gonna get an overdraft notice, heck maybe even an under draft. She did rewrite the list and now her total is under 50 as well. For a brief moment, I did think she was.......(the magic word).

Lovingly yours,

Vacation Adventure - Part III - After my vacation

Well I finally made it to this point. The first day I returned back to work, I expected to hear that everything was ok while I was gone and I didn't expect to do as much work. It turns out that it was just the opposite. Everybody came up to me telling me this and telling me that. They need this and they need that. Excuse me, but where are the "I miss you's" and "Hope you had a good vacation." Instead, it's "whew, boy oh boy are we glad that you are back, I......." and it goes on. My mind is like, "shut up you complaining people, go away and find me some lunch, will ya." Ok, ok, as soon as I walked in the door, my boss says that she needs to talk to me. That doesn't sound good to my ears at 7:30 in the morning....on a Monday morning at that. She begins to tell me how my student worker didn't do this and how she had an attitude all while I was gone. My boss tells me that my student worker came in late one day and didn't call or anything and now my boss feels that after one week of me being gone from work, that she doesn't want my student worker there anymore. Can somebody say, "Another vacation." LOUDER, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

I did know what I was doing when I took off work because I knew that when I got back that I would only have to work three more weeks until I was off again for Christmas break. Yes, I get two weeks off with pay. One week has already passed and now that leaves me with nine working days left. I can do this.

So I wait until my student worker comes in and sit and talk with her to hear her side of the story. True enough, she tells me everything my boss has already told me but of course, she doesn't feel that she had an attitude with my boss. I could go on and on, but I had to get to the bottom of this and not let it linger on. I then told my student worker that my boss feels that she is not office material and doesn't want her to come back to work. She is astonished. I tell her that her last day will be this Friday, Dec. 11 and that she won't be working for us next semester. That was like a kick in the throat.

As the week went on, my student worker did all the work we asked of her to do and didn't hesitate about anything. My boss came to me and said that she has seen a great improvement in her and wants to know if we can consider her to come back next semester. I'm like, she needs to make up her mind. One minute I've told the girl that she can't come back and now boss wants me to tell her that she can stay. What kind of larky crap is that? Boss must be smoking major crack-a-meth. I explained to my boss that's one of the reasons why we have a student worker because they are not used to working in the office, we are to help give them that training so that they will be able to work in offices and we are to help them through the mistakes instead of trying to get rid of them when they do make mistakes. She said she wasn't looking at it like that and was glad I pointed that out to her. Boss then went over to student worker and told her how great of a job she is doing. Now all I need is for Dec. 17 to roll around here and the college will be closed for two weeks. I can do this.

Lovingly yours,
QueenBee (no siggy today) :-)

Vacation Adventure - Part II 1/2 - During my vacation..more

Tues. Nov. 24 - I sat around the house and did nothing. I walked around in my robe and my shrek slippers. I didn't even leave the house. I guess that's why I was still up at 1:47 in the morning. I hadn't done a darn thing all day. I didn't even have a tired bone in my body. Oh well, it was nice.

Wed. Nov. 25 - Getting up to head to MS for Thanksgiving. Everything is packed...we think. We get right at the exit to get on I-10 when something hits me. I ask hubby if he remembered to get his clothes. Next thing we know, we are turning around. He had left his clothes hanging on the door in my office. I was glad that we weren't that far away from the house. Holy Moly!! We we arrive in MS and we are on our way to my sisters...when we see police lights ahead of us. We didn't know if there was an accident or not. Traffic was held up on both sides, so hubby looked ahead and said, "There is no accident, they are checking licenses." He just went on and took his out and we went through like a breeze.

Thur. Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving Day - I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by what sounded like gun shots. I've seen enough tv to know what a gun shot sounded like. I declare I heard it like 18 times. I went on back to sleep after I just lay there waiting to hear a police siren, and no one came. When I woke up around 6:30, hubby asked me if I heard the gun shots. I told him I did but I thought it was all in my mind. He said that he had heard it but thought I was sleep. My mom had gotten up and fixed breakfast, even though I had asked her not to, but that's mama. We went over to my younger sister's house for dinner and I ate like I was a piglet. Oh my! Today was a good day.

Fri., Nov. 27 - We left Moss Point, MS heading to Picayune, MS to see hubby's niece and cousin. We stayed the night there and the room we slept in was so cold. I kept my socks on the entire time and I NEVER sleep in socks. Yes, I even slept in them. Hubby laughed at me. Good golly Miss Molly.

Sat., Nov. 28 - Our goal was to go to the Bayou Classic football game in New Orleans, LA, but our 13 year old son ending up getting sick. We went on to New Orleans anyway since we had a hotel reservation. I asked the kids if they still wanted to go and they both agreed. We just hung out and ate and them them sit around and enjoy. Later that evening, we had 13 year old get a bath, drugged him up with NyQuil and sent him off to bed before he coughed up a lung or something.

Sun., Nov. 29 - Where in the heck did my vacation time go? It's time to leave Louisiana and head back to FL. I actually dread going back to work....Blah...Blah...Blah....well, after we got back to FL, our friends from ATL called (on the same day that we arrive from being gone for 5 days) and said they were on their way to FL. Well I thought it meant like in the weekend...nope, they are about to leave ATL coming our way. Wow! That was a major rush having guest at our home and we haven't even been home. I felt all drained and tired and they didn't leave until Wednesday. Whew! Well I must go and boy oh boy, you just wait for the blog after my vacation. Geez!

Lovingly yours,