Happy New Year!

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy New Year!  Thanks to all of you who have followed my ramblings this year.  I hope I didn't bore you to death.

Have a happy and SAFE New year!!!!!

Now I have to go make the bed so my husband can go to sleep.........

ZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!

Gentrie

It's OK, you're not gonna loose......

One of Hailey's favorite games on he Leapster Explorer is Sugar bugs.  They use dental tool like a toothbrush, toothpick, suction etc... to get plaque and nasties off of and from between teeth. 

The toothpick is tough.  I've tried it, Hailey has it mastered now.

"Here momma you do this one."

"But the time's already going"

"It's OK"

"I'll loose because the time already started."

"It's OK, you're not gonna loose.  I'm really good at this so you won't loose."

Hailey takes over the game and proceeds to win.

She discovered that the machine tracks how she does and Mom can hook it up to the computer and see how she is doing.  Now she doesn't want Mom to ruin her average.

I'll get to help with the hard stuff.

Gentrie

Back from the Party......

We are back!

We came home to our Christmas tree lying on the the floor, on it's side.  Ornaments a little scattered.  Topper star flung a little bit away.

Bummer.  It's now out by the curb.

I'm needing to put the ornaments away but haven't gotten that far.  Hailey is playing her new Leapster Explorer.  She wanted a Nintendo DS but I have issues with getting a video game machine that rots her brain instead of teaching her SOMETHING.  So, we did the Leapster Explorer.  She's loving it.

She was singing to her new Taylor Swift CD she got from Santa..................

She caught me taking her picture.................

This angel has been on my dash since the day my father died.  It has never come off.........well except for the rare occasion a corner gets taken too fast.  (But that rarely happens....really!)

I just like this picture.  She was laying on the floor, being goofy.  I know, I know, hard to believe!

So I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!  We sure did.  And now back to reality.......

Gentrie

Merry Christmas!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas as I probably won't see you all again until Sunday.  It gets bust around here.  You know with all the celebrating and merry making and such.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!  HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!!!  And all the other jazz..........

Be safe and have a HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Gentrie

Time Lapse......

It just floors me how my daughter changes from year to year.

This is last year

This year's picture.........

She's not really a little girl anymore, even though she is just 7.  Yes, it's the same Santa.

Gentrie

Christmas is coming.......

See that white stuff behind the logo up there......that is what it looks like out our window.  Well not quite that bad.

It quit snowing a little while ago.  But there is more on the way.  We're supposed to go to South Dakota for Christmas........might make it.  I guess we'll see.

I made bunches and bunches of cookies for this weekend.  I also got the house and tree decorated.  Christmas cards went out in the mail this afternoon.

She's not even touching the tree, looks like she is though huh?

Of course there are the ever present peace signs.....they must always appear in at least one picture.  She looks JUST like her bog sister in this picture.  If I hadn't just taken this picture I would say it was Sydney.

This is Hailey's new thing.  She discovered how to make these hearts.  I've found these around the house.  She's made others. 

She writes notes on the back of them.  Things like "I love my Mom. She's cooler than Dad."  Or something along those lines.....

Our Christmas tree lights decided they are blinkers.  Only one section was blinking after we set it up.  Then we had a power outage tonight and now all of them are blinking.  Weird.

Gentrie

Counting Down........

Christmas tree.......check.

Christmas cards.......check.

Wrapped presents........check.

Shower.........check.

Snuggle time with hubby.........check.

TO DO LIST:

Make Lots of cookies
Do laundry
Drink lots of coffee
Decorate tree and house
Get some sort of sleep



It is so close to Christmas and our house is finally starting to look like it.  I wish my memory card on my camera hadn't been full yesterday.  When we went to get our tree the snow was knee deep.  It was so funny watching Hailey play in it.  They did not have the tractor working because of the rain we were getting RIGHT before this 2' or whatever of snow.  It was still fun though.  Tree is thawed and relaxed this morning, no more little ice balls on it, time to decorate!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday Season.........

Gentrie

Just one more thing........

I got all the Christmas shopping done and mailed off today.

Now for the Christmas cards......

And the Christmas tree.......

And the cookie baking.......

And.........

Well, maybe after this movie.

It's really pretty funny.

OK, I guess I can do the cards and watch the movie.

3 Wishes......

I wish, I wish........

What do I wish?  There are certain friends in my life I wish lived a lot closer to me.  The problem with moving a lot in my life is I can never be close to ALL of them.  (By close, I mean physically close.) 

While technology has made connecting with these people much easier.........sometimes there is nothing like the face to face.

I'm a touch person.  When I'm talking to you I touch.  Touch your arm, your hand.  I can't stop it, it's not inappropriate, although as I type this it does sound odd.  As we laugh over something I will reach out and touch your arm.  Or if you are teasing me I'll gently smack your arm or hand.  I'm a little more playful and rough with my husband, but sometimes he asks for it.  It's a good thing he doesn't bruise easy, sshhhhh! ;)

Some people are put off by this and usually I can sense people who don't like it and pull back.  For the most part, I find that sometimes that one little touch can make them smile.  Calming?  Comforting?  Maybe that's why I do it.  I sense the "good vibes".

I actually never realized I did this until a friend pointed it out to me.  Then I "watched" myself for a while.  She was right.  I in fact had never considered myself a touchy person because hugs make me uncomfortable unless I know you VERY well.

Don't judge me people, I'm just saying.

Anyway, wishes..........

I also wish my step daughter would visit more often.  I miss her, my husband misses her (even though he doesn't like to talk about it).  I've discovered that teenagers are the quickest to judge and never see the bigger picture.  I've also learned why my parents never wanted to explain everything to me.  There was so much going on in the background, and while I was not completely oblivious, they did a pretty good job of keeping certain things out from under my nose.

I realize there are so many sides to parents that kids never see, and so many sides to parents that parents WISH their kids COULD see. 

I wish my husband could find his happiness again.  The inner happiness.  He hides it well, but I know he lost it.  I'm not sure he realises I know, but I'm his wife, how could I not?  I know what will bring it back, I'm working on making that happen.  It's on my "To-do" list.

These are my big wishes......

What are your wishes?

Gentrie

Snail mail

So is the USPS mail a little slower than normal this year or is it just me?  I mailed a small envelope to my sister last Tuesday and she still hasn't received it. 

I'm hoping Sydney got her birthday present.  Her birthday is tomorrow after all.  My sisters was last Monday, you may have guessed she hasn't gotten her card yet.

I'm starting to worry that if I don't mail Christmas gifts tomorrow they won't make it where they are going by Christmas.  This is a problem since I don't have all the mail out ones done.

It's starting to stress me about a bit.

I hate to say it, because I know they all work hard.  I also know that our postal department has been suffering from cutbacks, but they're seriously giving a new meaning to the term "snail mail". 

Hoping everyone receives their gifts this year..........

Gentrie

Let it Snow.......(Not)

12" of new snow.  We are below zero weather.  Sounds a little like winter huh?  Yep, I'm afraid it is official, winter is here.

This was during the storm.  It was ICKY so I took this picture through our front window.

These are the day after.....A bit of snow in front of the garage door. 

We're lucky our street is one of the first to get plowed because it's an outlet to the highway.  Very few streets were plowed at this time.  Now to clear the 2' of snow blocking our driveway from the plow.

It is good for climbing on and playing in though..........

Lucky us are getting more snow Wednesday and Thursday.  Yippee!  It's December people, it's going to be a long winter.

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is sure delightful
And since we have no place to go
Let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow!

Gentrie

Snowdrifts and Jewelry 101......

Time to batten down the hatches!  She's a blowin' out there!  This was early today.

It rained last night so it is solid ice under that snow.  That bare patch  is gone now too.

It's blowing and drifting and blowing and drifting some more.

We are getting snowed in.  really snowed in.  The good news is we are at home.  Not stranded like some people.

Been making some jewelry, these are for in-laws.

Cleaned my house today.  I will take a few pictures tomorrow of our drifts.  It will be fun!  Hailey will have a hard time getting around out there tomorrow.  It will be entertaining.

I'd rather drive on snow than ice.  Under this snow is ice, from the rain.

Well, I hope all of you are home safe, happy and warm.  I'm thankful we are.

Watching White Christmas again.  I like that movie, what a classic.  I watch it every year.

Stay safe and warm!

Gentrie

What do you think?

Notice anything different?

No?

Well, look again......it's OK I'll wait a minute......

See it now?  You do?  Well what do you think?  It's my new Logo.  One day I sat down with a notepad and pencil and drew up what I wanted my logo to look like.  (For my Etsy site I plan on getting going after the first of the year.)  Then I called my graphic artist sister and said:

"Can you make this logo digital for me?"

To which she said:

"Maybe, if I ......(insert a bunch of graphics techie talk here)............I think I can get it pretty close."

"Great!  Let me know what you come up with."

Now about a month later and several e-mails back and forth we've done it!  Yay!  While it is not exactly the picture I drew, it's cooler.  I like it.

Thanks Sis..........

So, really, what do YOU think?

I'm diggin' it.

Really!

Gentrie

Ahhhhhhhh Love.......

Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs,
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes,
Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers' tears.
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall and a preserving sweet.
                     ~ William Shakespeare

Ahhhhhhhh love!  Just watched Letters to Juliet.  What an utter romance!  The woman who plays "Claire" in the show is just amazing.  She made me want to be the one driving across the countryside of Italy with her.  I loved her.  The boy main character is cute and reminds me of Heath Ledger in his early years.  Her "fiance" is annoying and I was just waiting for her to dump the insensitive Boob.  Which I guess is really the point of his character, in that case, good job actor!

If you get a chance, watch it.  I cried and laughed.  Good times, watch it with a friend and a bottle of wine.



Gentrie

Someone's Watching.........

Ever notice that all government vehicles on TV or undercover vehicles are either black SUV's or Sedan's with black tinted windows?

If you ever look in your rear view mirror and see one of these PLAIN black vehicles following you and you can't see inside because the windows are so dark, well you are probably being followed.  Probably by the FBI or the local federally or something. 
Maybe you should choose this moment to think back on what you did recently for them to be following you.  Maybe a website you visited, a phone number you misdialed on accident, or maybe it was one of those books in the library you checked recently.  Maybe that book was on the red flag list.

Then when the vehicle turns off a mile before your destination you can make a mental note to talk to your therapist about how paranoid you are.

I'm just sayin'.

I've already called mine!  :)

Gentrie

Freak-the-Freak Out!

Some of you may be familiar with that little title.  Those of you who have kids at home I'm sure.  For those of you who don't........it's a song.

"I'm so sick of it
your attention deficit
never listen, never listen.

I'm so sick of it
so I'll throw another fit
never listen, never listen.

I scream your name
but it always stays the same.

I scream and shout
so what I'm gonna do now
Is freak the freak out!"

I find it kind of funny that a teeny bopper wrote this song.  It's a very catchy tune and gets stuck in my head.  It probably doesn't help I hear the song at least 15-20 times a day.  I can DEFINITELY relate to the song though! 

I think we all have days like this.

Is it sad that my 7 year old daughter not only knows all the lyrics but also knows all the dance moves?  (Or at least some semblance of the dance moves?)

Watch Nickelodeon sometime in the afternoon or evening when I-Carly and Victorious are on.  It's played at about every commercial.

If you would like to listen to it, click on the link below.
http://www.songarea.com/mc/1/freak_the_freak_out.html

"So what I'm gonna do now is FRAK THE FREAK OUT!"

See you on the flip side!

Gentrie

Visiting Santa.....

We visited Santa today!  (I put snow on my blog site because that is what it looks like here.)

We went on a hay ride,  walked through the Christmas craft show.......it was fun.

She has her snow pants on because of the hayride and it's COLD here!  It was a nice day though.

We had fun.  Need to decorate the house next.  I just need to dig out the tubs they are in, they are buried.....

Hope the Holidays are going well for all of you.

Gentrie

Hummus.......Mmmmmm

There is a coffee shop downtown that has the BEST hummus place ever.  It is called The Coffee Hag.  Oh, today she had lemon artichoke hummus with fresh sliced cucumbers on the side and flat bread.  It was HEAVENLY!

I seriously think the lemon artichoke hummus is my FAVORITE!  The red pepper one was wonderful also, but this one today was better.

I don't have my camera with me or I would have taken a picture.

Seriously, if you are in Mankato, Minnesota stop in.  It's worth it.

The Coffee Hag
329 N Riverfront Dr
Mankato

NOTE:  The Coffee Hag does not know I exist.  This is NOT a paid advertisement.  They just have GREAT hummus. 

The case of the Missing Mittens........

Once upon a time there was a woman who was really frustrated with her daughter for never bringing home her gloves from school.  If it happens again she may be throttled or grounded.  On the positive side, I bet she would start remembering her gloves!

(Don't call child services, I don't actually beat my daughter, no matter how tempting.  I am a little pissy about the 4 pairs of missing gloves though......)

Grounding works well for Hailey as she is a social person and hates being cut off from her friends.  Time-outs never worked.

Ever grounded a 5 year old?  I never thought it would work on a 5 year old but it did.  Ever since then grounding seems to be the ultimate punishment.

Planning X-mas gifts for the Boogs, need to space them out.  The online sales seem pretty nice this year, been finding some good deals.  The crowds really get to me during the Holidays.  I try to avoid places like the mall this time of year.  There are times I love the internet.

Got your Christmas shopping done yet?

I've started.........

That's good right?

Gentrie