Snow Day

Why they like to play in the snow when it is below freezing is beyond me. But they do, and they love it. I remember I used to like to play, too. But that was back when I was much dumber and wasn't allergic to cold yet. Really. Thankfully, they have a dad who's nice enough to go out and play with them, and take some pictures.

A Little Off

Since I have been feeling beyond lousy the past few days, I was thrilled to wake up this morning feeling mostly human. (A human with a headache, but at least a manageable one!) The girls were thrilled to wake up to the third snow day in a row. No school!

They were less than thrilled when I let them know they would be required to do chores and responsibilities before turning on the TV. Actually, 'less than thrilled' might be an understatement.

"I am not doing that! We don't have school. It's a day off," screamed Snow White.

"It's a day off of school, not a day off of life," I retorted.

"Well, we didn't clean the last two days," Sleeping Beauty pointed out, none too nicely.

"Well, it's a different day. I don't care if you do Webkinz or watch TV, but if you want to, the bathroom and hallway must be clean. No more talking about it."

I didn't talk anymore about it, but they sure had a lot more to say. A lot more. I don't know how they managed to pull themselves back together and get their chores done, but somehow they did. Of course, judging from the fact that my twelve- and ten-year-olds are now watching Dora, The Explorer, I think it's safe to say that my getting up this morning has officially thrown their day off kilter.

Warnings in Order

Some commercials should come with warnings. I'm not talking about Victoria's Secret commercials. Obviously that goes without saying. I'm talking about that horrid one that advertises Bisquick Shake and Pour Pancakes. One minute I'm calmly watching Ina Garten cooking a lemon cake and thinking that I'd like to be the new friend she was having over to taste that "bright" and "rich" lemony goodness, and the next minute, the screen is shaking up and down, and I'm in danger of losing my lunch. Seriously. They should warn people about that. Also, watching anything on nighttime Food Network, commercial or otherwise, is dangerous for your health. Especially if you had graham crackers for dinner. You would not believe how good the food looks. Except for those stupid Shake and Pour Pancakes.

A Moment

This has not been my best week. I apologize for being a bit MIA, but the blog sort of slipped down the importance scale during the only brief periods of feeling mildly human. Last evening was not one of those moments.

I picked Cinderella up from choir practice and explained to her the yucky situation. "So, I need you to be helpful and get something for dinner. Maybe PB&J or Mac and Cheese or one of the frozen meals. (Thanks, friends!) Could you do that for me? I just don't think I can stand up after driving to cook."

"Okay," she says, "How about vanilla pudding?"

"Sure," I agree. I'm pretty sure she thought she'd won the lottery.

"Really? Cool."

"Yeah, just give the girls fruit or something with it. If you want. Whatever, I don't care."

"Well, can I make Shepherd's Pie?" she asks, as we arrive home.

"Uh, I don't know if we have the stuff," I say, "And I know we don't have any meat cooked." (I usually brown all the hamburger after I shop, and freeze it so it's ready to go.)

"That's okay. I can cook it." And she proceeded to do just that. She defrosted, browned, mixed, baked--and I did not step one foot into the kitchen. She even brought me a little plate of dinner to my bed. What a sweetheart.

I think it's so true what Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

Obviously, this was not one of my moments of exemplary motherhood. I really, really could have cared less if she had made only vanilla pudding for dinner. This was one of those hard times. But, with the hard, was a shining moment with a glimpse of what a responsible young woman Cinderella is becoming. She saw what needed to be done, and did it. It was fabulous. I've decided that, as a mother, I can take a tiny bit of credit for her actions. We have tried and tried to teach her to be responsible and charitable. It's very joyful to see that some of that has sunk in. I was very proud of her.

I've also decided that the reason she sang "It's a Hard Knock Life" the entire time she was cooking is because that's the play her choir is rehearsing for. I mean, I don't think I look that much like Carol Burnett.

Sleepy

My doctor prescribed me some sleeping pills to completely knock me out to try to break this migraine cycle my body is in right now. (I don't have a hard time sleeping, usually, unless my head hurts really bad, but he wanted to make sure I was sleeping really hard for a few nights.) Last night, I took one. Last night, Sleeping Beauty woke up in the night for the first time in forever. She woke me up a few times. So much for sleeping hard all night. It's so ironic. She didn't know why she was awake, she just wanted to make sure that I knew she was. Thanks, Babe, that was super nice of you. I just wish she cared enough about her father to let him know instead. Oh well.

He slept well, which was good, since I could not manage to drag my sorry behind out of bed until 10 a.m. I did get up for two minutes for prayers before the girls left for school, but I couldn't tell you who said it, or what any of the kids were wearing. I trust they all made it to school fine, since no one is here and there are no backpacks in the house. Now, we'll have to see if I remember posting this or not. I really should not take drugs like this. Maybe it's good Sleeping Beauty woke me a few times, or I may have never woken up at all. If you need any favors from me, this may be a good time to call, I'm not sure I have all my wits about me.

Mad

Cinderella is mad at me. Let's see if you can guess why...

A. She was told if she didn't clean her room before she left to go to the temple Saturday afternoon that everything on the floor would be mine. She didn't clean her room, everything that was on her floor is in a bag in my room. If she wants to earn items back, she can clean or fold laundry. She hates to clean and fold laundry.

B. I made her go to piano on Monday (on a holiday, of all days). She hates piano "above all else".

C. I took away her book that she was reading 30 minutes after bedtime, then her lamp and second book 45 minutes after bedtime, and then another book and her flashlight 48 minutes after bedtime. She didn't get the first book back, and she only has 30 pages left (it's a 700 page book). She can have it back after she goes to bed at a decent time a few days in a row. She hates to go to bed without reading, and she has to finish that book soon or she might forget what already happened.

D. She had to help make dinner tonight because I wasn't feeling well. Her night was supposed to be last night, but King cooked for her and thought it was fair if she then helped tonight. She hates Sloppy Joes (which, I guess, is why she only ate two) and shouldn't be expected to cook them.

If you guessed A, B, C or D, then you'd be right. It really is an unfair life she has. I keep telling her that there are consequences for all behavior, but I guess she's not really ready to learn that yet. I suppose I should be glad that my behavior has only resulted in her being mad at me. She hates everything else, it's a miracle she doesn't hate me today. Still, she's young, I'll make it on the list someday. (Again.)

Celebrate

How are we celebrating the inauguration of our new President? With stop-motion animation, of course. So, without further ado, I give you the creation that comes about when you leave two nine-year-olds, a ten-year-old, and a twelve-year-old with daddy, a camera, all the blankets off the beds, their dolls, and the ten-year-old's brother's toys.

*The views depicted in these movies do not necessarily reflect the views of the author of this blog. Any similarities to real people and animals is coincidental; these are works of fiction.*

First, Gotta Move On:

And, second, Dinosaur Destruction:

*This post has been brought to you by Four Star Productions. They wish to thank their parents, their Primary Leaders, their friends, and the new leader of the free world for inspiration, as well as the members of the Academy for their future nomination.*

Puzzlement

It puzzles me that the girls are shocked when I tell them they must vacuum their bedroom before their friend comes over on Saturday, since this is their chore every Saturday morning. Hello? Where have you been the last five years of your lives?

This morning, Sleeping Beauty was also indignant when I reminded them they needed to shower. "What? You didn't tell us that!"

"Yes, she did," said Snow White, "Last night she told us, remember?"

"Well, maybe you told her, but you didn't tell me!" SB said.

"She's telling you now," explained King, "It does not matter if you think she told you before, or not. You're showering."

"But, it's not enough notice!" she protested.

What? Now there must be notice given before a request to comply with the kindgdom's cleanliness standards? I swear, I don't know where she's been the last few years, but I'm starting to think that maybe there is a dementia problem, or perhaps some alien involvement.

Frozen

Right now, it's -13 outside, not including the wind chill. That's more like 30 below. So, no school, which is great. Who wants to go anywhere? We're spending the home bound time doing fun things like overdressing, overeating, over drinking (hot chocolate, that is) and over stressing about our frozen kitchen pipe.

I called my dad for advice on the pipe thing. His advice? "Why do you live there? You should move. I'm glad I'm not there." Thanks, Dad. As if I didn't already think of that one. In fact, I spent a good half hour this morning trying desperately to think of somewhere I could go on a four day weekend that was both 1) much warmer than here, or 2) a place where family lives. I have a cousin five hours south, but it's only ten degrees there today, so it didn't qualify in the first category. My two other closest cousins live north where it is ten degrees colder than it is here. My sister lives where it's actually above freezing, but it would take me twelve hours to drive there. Sigh.

So, I suppose we'll stay here in the freezing cold. However, if we run out of hot chocolate, I'm done. I'm moving to the equator. And I'm not taking one fuzzy sock or sweatshirt.

**update: After four hours with the space heater under the kitchen sink, the pipe finally thawed. Phew. Last night, we kept the cabinets open, and they have that insulation stuff around them, but it just wasn't enough. Tonight, we'll have to keep the space heater under the sink also. Fun times.**

Blamed

This morning, we had a school delay because of frigid temperatures and a dump of snow. That gave the girls plenty of time to complain about what clothes they had to wear to school. Lucky me.

"I hate wearing khakis," said Snow White, "They are terrible."

"Well, wear something else then," I said.

"Well, I don't have anything else. All of my jeans are dirty. And whose fault do you think that is?" she retorted, shooting me a meaningful look.

"Hmmm, could be yours since you didn't sort your clothes into the laundry hampers like you were supposed to. Or maybe it's your fault because you left your jeans you played in the snow in (both pairs) out in the garage instead of putting them on the washing machine like I told you to. But, maybe not, maybe the fact that the clothes that you wear aren't clean for another reason."

"Yeah, Mom, like maybe it's your fault for not doing laundry," she blamed.

"Oh, you mean that laundry?" I asked, pointing to the four baskets of clean laundry in the corner. (Okay, it was clean. At least give me credit for that. She is perfectly capable of digging through clean baskets of laundry for pants instead of them appearing in her drawer like they usually do. Well, sometimes do. Anyway, they were clean, okay?!)

"Well, none of that is mine."

"Hmm, well, I suggest you either put on those khakis or figure out something else. It's 25 below zero out there and I'd hate to have one of your legs freeze off. And, maybe, but only if you want to, you ought to take care of your dirty clothes so that tomorrow you can wear something you like."

"Fine! I'll wear the hideous things, but I hate them!"

Ooooo...I bet I'll be feeling bad about that all day.

Ten (plus) Ten (equals) Disaster

Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are turning ten in a few short weeks. We only have "friend" parties every few years, and this is one of those years for them. I, being the clever and resourceful mom that I am, suggested they have a Luau themed party.

"We just did that!" complained one.

"No, that's boring. We just had one of those!" said the other.

King, who is usually very clever and generally the best guy ever, had the stupid unique idea to have a theme focusing on the birthday they will celebrate: ten. So far, our ideas are: Ten Little Indians(too politically incorrect); Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed(too juvenile, and not good for our furniture); Ten Apples Up On Top(again, too juvenile); The Powers of Ten--go ahead, click on the link, you know you have no clue what it means--(a little nerdy. Well, a lot nerdy, and frankly, super confusing and way too scientific.); The Big Ten(maybe if they were boys); the Ten Commandments (Thou shalt not blow out the candles before making a good wish...); and, my personal favorite, the Ten Virgins.

So, now the girls are set on this ten thing (heaven help us all), unless I come up with something more fabulous. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to do some research on how to create a biblical oil lamp from play-dough and school glue. Unless, of course, you have an idea that might be better. Please? Anything? Anything at all?

Planning

Yesterday, I was driving Cinderella to an activity, and she decided to tell me all about her future wedding reception.

"I want it to be like Aunt Scrappy's and Aunt Emmy's receptions combined together."

"Oh really," I say. What could she remember from Scrappy's?--she was three. And only seven at Em's. This ought to be good... "Like what?"

"Well, I want a cotton candy machine like at Aunt Scrappy's. I love cotton candy. Do you like it? Wouldn't that be yummy? I could eat so much of that stuff. It just melts in your mouth and you don't even have to chew it. That would be so fun.

"And then I want Celine Dion songs playing at my reception like Aunt Emmy's. Remember that?"

"Uh, I guess, maybe a song or two," I strain to recall, "But, what if your husband doesn't like cotton candy or Celine Dion? Then what?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter. I love them."

"Well, marriage isn't about only you. It's about him, too. You have to compromise and make decisions together. Maybe you can have the cotton candy and he can choose music he likes. You'll have to see. There will be two people, always discussing."

"Mom. Duh, I know that. I'm not talking about marriage, though. I'm talking about the reception."

Oh, silly me. How could I be so stupid?

Is she really old enough to plan her wedding? She's only twelve! I guess I better start thinking about what I want at her reception. Just in case there is some compromising I need to be prepared for.

Blessed

One of the things that I really, really don't like is when the kids argue. Luckily, it only happens at breakfast time, in the morning, at lunch time, in the afternoon, at dinner time...you get the picture. It happens WAY more than I like it to. Every day and argument is different.

Lately, Snow White and Cinderella have been at each other. They clash about everything at all times and for seemingly no real reason. Last night, just before dinner, they were fighting about who said they wanted what seat first, even though they each wanted and were in a different seat. I guess the issue was who had spoken up first, or something important like that.

I had reached my limit, but just before losing it asked Snow White to pray before our meal. I spent the few quiet moments telling myself to calm down and silently praying that I could help them get over this phase they are going through. Snow White gave a very thoughtful and nice prayer. At one point, she said, "Please bless all those that are...(pause)..homeless that they can be warm."

Well, I think, at least she's thinking of others and can be a sweet, kind girl even if she forgets to show it at home. Maybe there's hope!

She finishes praying, and I say, "Thank you Snow White, that was very nice. It is a cold, cold night, and I do hope those that don't have shelter can be warm, too."

"Yeah," she says, with a sweet little smile, "I was going to say 'please bless all those that are sick could feel better', but then I remembered Cinderella is sick, so I had to think of something else to say. I didn't want to pray for her."

Fabulous. We'll have a peaceful home in no time...

The Elephant in the Room

Most of the time, I make only brief references to my daily headaches and how that affects my life or my family life. Today, this whole post is about that. Just to get it out there and get it over with. We'll bite off the whole elephant in one post, and then get on with life as "normal."

I like to pretend that I feel fine all of the time. It's easier that way. It's easier for you, for sure, and most of the time it's easier for me. I know you don't want to think about me being in pain all of the time, and even when I am, I'd rather think about something else. The truth is, sometimes I think that if I never talk about it and never think about it, it will go away. But, that doesn't happen. It's always there, which is why sometimes it seeps out onto my blog even when I don't want it to. While most times, it's easier to ignore it, it sometimes is just too hard to ignore. Elephants are big, and chronic pain is a really big (unfortunately) part of my life. An every day, chronic, part of it.

Most of you reading this know the "other me". The me that pretends that I feel great, and can do things "normally" all the time. I'm a pretty good actor, because I don't like to let people down. I like to do things "normally", and a lot of the time, (really, most of the time) I pay for it later. This is especially true of family that lives far away. If I see you one time a year, I'll make the best of it, taking medication and using all of my energy to appear normal and without pain. The truth is, sometimes I'm feeling fine, but most of the time it's the me that's acting like I'm fine. I just never know. That's one of the hardest parts--predicting when I'll feel fine, and when I might not. It's very unpredictable. I never know, which is why it's mostly easier to medicate and pretend I'm fine than it is to cancel plans so I can sleep.

Some of you have seen the "real me". The one that is too tired to talk on the phone, or in too much pain to remember the name of the book I read last week. I've heard before, and I agree, that sometimes this acting I do, helps me feel in control. I can't control how I feel, but I can control who I let see how I really feel. That way, I am controlling some part of my chronic illness that I did not choose to have and controls my life more than I'd like to admit. I should let more people see the "real me", but it goes back to what I said before, it's just easier to hide it and ignore it. Easier for you and easier for me.

Gratefully, I have a saint for a husband. I'm sure he hates the pain as much as I do. Probably more. He's the one that picks up my day if I've used all my "good time" up. If I've used all of my good time with the girls' class in the morning ,or going visiting teaching, or just doing laundry and sweeping the floor, he's the one that makes dinner, helps with homework, all the things I want to do (okay, some days nobody wants to make dinner, but I want to be well enough to do it, even if I don't want to do it!) King's incredibly patient and kind. He knows I do my best and he wants me to be able to do normal things, too, so he picks up the slack. My hope is that the girls will remember the fun field trips and mom who helps at school sometimes even though I know that they will also remember the mom who has to go to bed to rest or asks them to talk in hushed voices so it won't be too loud. This is what I hate the most about being sick.

Now, people, when they see the "real me" wonder what they can do to help. The thing is, not much. I've had a few fabulous friends that have brought frozen meals to help on the days when I just can't do food, and friends who have helped with cleaning, and running the girls here and there, but, the thing with this chronic headache thing is that it is so unpredictable that I couldn't tell you how I'll feel next month, next week, or even in the next hour. I don't know what I'll need, because I don't know what I'll be able to do. But I do know some things that would help if you don't do them...

1. Don't assume if I sound great that I'm feeling great. I sound happy because I am happy. I probably still feel bad. Don't say things like "you sound like you are feeling better" and "you seemed great the other day" if I say I'm not feeling well now. Maybe I was feeling great the other day, but chances are, it was the acting thing. I know it's not fair of me, but I also really don't like when people say, "I hope you feel better soon." You know what? I won't. This is a chronic thing. Maybe "I hope you have a better day tomorrow" would be better.

2. Don't try to "fix" me. Yes, I drink a lot of water. Yes, I've tried this natural thing and that other thing. Yes, I get enough sleep. If you've heard of a "fix", I probably have, too. I am going to doctors (admittedly, not as frequently as I could--expense, frustration, and lack of energy can all play into this, but I'm trying) and I'm doing what I can. I know you are trying to help, but it might help more if you just accepted that this is my life and something that will never go away. (Yes, of course I hope it will go away, but just accepting it for what it is helps me more.) If you must tell me about a cure, please don't be offended if I don't act excited. If it is something I think might help, I'll ask my doctors about it.

3. Don't get upset if I don't seem happy to talk to you or if I cancel plans at the last minute. It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me. I am going to try to do better this year about saying no when my body needs me to. Don't be offended and take it personally, please. I like to be a responsible and reliable person, so this one is hard for me. Don't make it harder on me by helping me feel guilty about things that I don't intend, or things that I just really can't physically do at the time.

4. Don't feel sorry for me. I do enough of that for the both of us. :) I really do have a great life and am blessed in so many ways. If I seem depressed about having a headache every day, I probably am. But, I am not having a headache because I am depressed. I am generally happy and try to make the best of my situation. God has blessed me in many ways because of my illness, and will likely bless me more. I try to look at the ways this can bless my girls and family rather than how it will hurt them. Sometimes that's hard. But, it would help me if you could do the same.

So, this was a long spewing of things that I hope I won't regret later. Thanks for listening (if you have, in fact, made it this far). I guess I just needed to put it out there so you know where I am coming from. I'll end with some of the scriptures that I love to read to give me perspective and give me hope and faith when I feel the worst. Maybe they can help you have a better day today, also!

2 Ne. 4: 20, 26

20 My God hath been my ^asupport; he hath led me through mine ^bafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

James 5: 11
11 Behold, we count them ^ahappy which ^bendure. Ye have heard of the patience of ^cJob, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very ^dpitiful, and of tender ^emercy.

Alma 33: 1
11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my ^asincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine ^bafflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, ^cbecause of thy Son.

2 Cor. 4: 14-18
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the ^athanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the ^ainward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light ^aaffliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and ^beternal ^cweight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are ^aseen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not ^bseen are ^ceternal.

Alma 36: 3

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their ^atrust in God shall be supported in their ^btrials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be ^clifted up at the last day.

I did some researching and found some articles I read a few months back that I really thought were helpful to me and to those who know someone with chronic illness. Some of my thoughts here seem to reflect those in the articles, so we're definitely on the same page and I should give them some credit. You can see a letter written to those who know someone in pain here, and a couple of essays here and here.

Hello?

Me: Girls, could you please come get your towels off of the bathroom floor?

Crickets chirping.

Me: Would you get some plates out for dinner?

Chirp, chirp.

Me: Does anyone want to watch TV?

All three: I do!!! I do!!!

Me: Oh. You're there. You want to watch TV? Well, take care of your towels and get the table set for dinner.

Sleeping Beauty: What? But why? (Said more like "but why did you just chop my head off or make me eat dirty socks" than "but why do I have to take care of my things and help with my dinner." You know, real abused and picked on.)

Snow White: But, they're not mine.

Sleeping Beauty: But, you never told us we had to do that.

Cinderella: It's not my turn to help with dinner.

Me: Fine. We don't have to watch TV.

Eventually, they all do the things I ask and get to watch their show. This, my friends, is why I continue to pay for cable even though I want to cry every time I get the bill. It is also why I am not going to be in the running for the "Mothers Who Don't Bribe Their Children With Electronics but Think of Something Better to Entertain Them With" award anytime soon. Which is just fine with me. Really. Because I think I'm right up there at the top for the "Most of the Words I Say Are Only Heard By Dust Mites Even Though There Are Children Standing Right in Front of Me" award. I'm expecting a big win soon. And won't the girls be excited? Their totally awesome mom will be famous and rich and then we'll have enough money to hire a maid so they don't have to pick up their towels. Or set the table. Ever.

What? There's no award like that? Oh. (Awkward pause.) I guess the girls are out of luck then. Too bad. I think I'm a shoo-in.

Festivity Tips

We had a perfect Christmas vacation. And, now that the kids are all back in school, I have the time and quiet to give you some tips on how to have your own. So, let's begin, shall we?

1. Definitely, invite family to be there with you. This makes even things like laundry, dishes, cleaning, and cooking during the holidays more fun. Although, besides Christmas Eve dinner, we didn't really do any of those things while my parents were here. We left all of it for after they left--which was fabulous while they were here, but stunk when reality hit. But, I imagine if you wanted to do laundry and cleaning during the holidays, that having Grandma and Grandpa help you would be super fun. For you, anyway.

2. Use the flash on your camera even if it seems like it washes out everyone's faces. This is especially important if you don't have a steady hand.

3. Double check things when you are wrapping them. Otherwise, Grandpa could end up opening something that is very girly and not supposed to be for him. Oops. Sorry, Dad.

4. Look around before you pick places to take a cute group photo.

Whoopsie! Thank goodness, it was a relaxed Saturday and the only guy there exuding some sort of authority (he took our money when we paid to ride the minuscule elevator to the top of the tower) was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and didn't seem to care what we did.

5. Send the girls off with Grandma and Grandpa to see a movie. (No pictures of this brilliant tip, because I was at home in the quiet house!!! Yipee!)

6. Open the pajamas Grandma and Grandpa gave them on Christmas Eve so the kids will look all matchy-matchy cutie-pootie on Christmas Morning under the tree.7. Be certain to watch, and pay homage to, the Christmas Classics, such as Mr. Krueger's Christmas, and A Christmas Story. (This was our favorite display at the State History Museum.)8. If Santa brings your children Webkinz, as soon as you wake up, hop on to Webkinz.com to wait your turn to log in your new pet. You will be 'in line' waiting to enter the website for at least thirty minutes. Per pet. (Who knew?!)9. You've got to have hot chocolate. At least once. It's even more fun when you get it for free.
10. Make sure you write down the places that you hide your Christmas gifts. Now, I didn't do this, but I'm pretty sure that if I had it would have worked better than my plan. This morning was when I finally remembered where I'd hid the last three gifts. Luckily, they were for me and King, and we were fine with opening them a week and a half late.

We hope your holidays were filled with fun and adventure, just like ours. We had so much fun with my parents here and wish we could be with them for ALL of our adventures. Maybe someday we'll live closer....but we're not holding our breath.

**There are a few more pictures up on my other blog for the grandmas, so you can click on over there if you'd like.

In Sync

*I know I have some updating of Christmas, etc, to do. It will come...someday. Try to be patient. That's one of your new resolutions anyway, isn't it?...It's not?... Oh....Well, it's one of mine. So you'll just have to deal with me being patient with myself in getting the things done that I want to get done, while my body isn't cooperating. Okay? Get over it if you don't like it. :) That's what I'm trying to do. On with this lame little post then...

We made the mistake of telling Grandma B that the girls would love some iTunes for Christmas. We downloaded every tween song with "stick in your head until you want to beat it against the wall" lyrics we could find, and have been enjoying them for the past few days.

Right now, the girls are supposed to be getting in bed, but, instead, they are trying to start their CDs in two different rooms at exactly the same time so they are on exactly the same note of the music. I think I've heard the first half of the first song now at least seven times in a row. I can't wait until they figure it out and it can reverberate through the house. Won't that be fun?