From Chef to Chef Boyardee to Chef Menopause

Just a few of the things I am thankful for today:

1.  I am thankful that it is three days before Christmas and I am done shopping and wrapping! 

2.  I am thankful that we managed to get done all the things we wanted to accomplish this Christmas season.  Almost.

3.  I am thankful that I get to spend today with my children doing whatever they want to do (with the exception of getting haircuts) and it is the last Saturday before Christmas.  I will not be locked in my room wrapping presents, or wildly running around trying to pick up last minute gifts.  We will decorate sugar cookies today and go see Alvin and the Chipmunks.  (We didn’t make it last night) And drive around tonight with hot chocolate in the car and look at all the beautifully decorated homes in the area.

4.  I am thankful that I have two beautiful, healthy, intelligent, and thoughtful children.

5.  I am thankful that my children are still innocent and naive.  My youngest, LB, last night in the store was lamenting the fact that he hadn’t gotten anything for me for Christmas yet.  I said, "Wow, I wouldn’t mind having one of those…"  (talking about the waffle irons we were standing in front of at that time that just happened to be on sale for $12.99) "Just think, I could make you homemade waffles for breakfast!"  LB said, "You would really like that mom?"  "Yeah, I said, I think it would be great."  LB says, "Mom can I borrow $15 bucks?  And, will you go stand over there and not look?"  So I gave him the money and walked a few paces and turned around.  He then put his gift in the cart, covered it with his coat, checked out in line right behind me, hid his present in the backseat of the car, made me hide while he brought it in when we got home, wrapped it up, and put it under the tree.  And the best part is that he thinks I have no idea what he got me!  I love it.  Oh to be that young and innocent again!

6.  I am thankful that the shoplifter running from the store that bumped into my son last night did not pull out a weapon when he was tackled right in front of us.

7.  I am thankful that I have a well-stocked fridge and pantry, warmth coming from the vents, and water coming from the faucets, and presents for my children and others underneath my tree, all in my lovely home this Christmas.

8.  I am thankful that I received an e-mail this morning from my friend who is serving our country in the military overseas in a war zone because that means that as of this morning he is still alive and well. 

9.  I am thankful that I do not have to rip my children from their home three days before Christmas, with them not having any idea where we are moving to, having to leave their friends with no way to keep in touch, having to leave a school where they have grown up with all their friends, all because I cannot escape any other way from the man who is beating me on a regular basis and threatening my children.  Yesterday at BB’s class Christmas party, one of his friends came up and gave me a big hug and said goodbye.  He proceeded to tell me that after school he and his mom and brothers were moving when they got home and he did not know where, but he knew he would not be back to this school.  He had tears in his eyes as he clung to me and I asked him if everything was ok.  He broke into tears and answered a quiet, "Not really."  I took him out into the hallway where he proceeded to tell me the circumstances of their departure.  It is pretty hard to look a 10 year old boy in the eyes and see fear of both the known and unknown, anxiety, sadness, and attempted bravery.  I gave him a big hug, told him I understood (having been there myself), gave him our phone number so he could stay in touch with BB and in case they needed anything, and slipped him some money to keep in his pocket to take care of his mom in an emergency.  I do not know if he will ever need to use it, or if it will get spent on Pokemon cards and candy, but the look in his eye and the hug that he gave me told me that he had just become the man in his family. 

10.  I am thankful for my savior, Jesus Christ, who is the reason for all of this.

For all these things today I am very thankful.

December 1 - Today we enjoyed the kick off of Christmas by watching Caldwell’s Nite Lite Parade.

December 2 - Today we enjoyed spending family time together and made gingerbread houses.

December 3 - Today we made Christmas fudge, dipped pretzels and attended an Executive Board PTO meeting.

December 4 - Today I enjoyed a visit to the dentist and another PTO meeting.

December 5 - Today we played hookie from school and put up our Christmas decorations and trimmed our tree.  We also attended my nephew’s first wrestling match and the boys got to do their "brother" shopping for Christmas.

December 6 - Today we played hookie from school again and went Christmas shopping and finished decorating.

December 7 - Today we started a new tradition of "Family Movie Night."  We popped popcorn, invited some friends over, and watched Christmas classics such as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "A Year Without a Santa Claus," and "Frosty’s Winter Wonderland."

December 8 - Today the boys played with a cousin while Mom and I went shopping.  It was fun to get out just the two of us.

December 9 - Today we did some more Christmas shopping and made more Christmas candies.

December 10 - Today we went to Grandma’s house for the Annual Cookie Day at Grandma’s.  All the grandchildren get together and make Christmas Bon-Bon cookies.  The kids all helped decorate Grandma’s tree too.

December 11 - Today I enjoyed another visit to the dentist . 

December 12 - Today I took Tarik to his first orthodondist appointment.  We met up with my sister and her DH and Little Man at Squeezer’s for lunch.  Then I attended BB’s D.A.R.E. graduation at school.  We went out to eat at Olive Garden for a celebratory dinner and did a little Christmas shopping.

December 13 - Today a friend and I attended the Nutcracker performed by Ballet Idaho at Jewett Auditorium.  It was wonderful!  It was the first time I’ve seen the performance all the way through!

December 14 - Today I spent 13 hours at the school setting up for Santa’s Workshop.  It is an event put on by the PTO where every child in the school can purchase two presents (most of which has been donated) for 25 cents each.  We then wrap the presents and send them home with the kids.  For some of these kids, it’s the only Christmas shopping they get to do.  It is my favorite PTO event of the year!  (Even though it is the most work!)  We were supposed to have a 2nd Family Movie Night tonight and watch "Polar Express" but we didn’t get home till 9:30 p.m. and I was pooped!

December 15 - Today the boys went with my brother and his wife to the Boise Towne Square to go Christmas shopping which freed me up to run Christmas errands kid-free  . 

December 16 - Today we played Secret Santa to a family we decided to adopt this Christmas.  The boys learned how great it feels to give to others in need without getting caught.

December 17 - Today I spent the day at school finishing up getting Santa’s Workshop ready.  I also met with the principal at Wal-Mart at 8 a.m. this morning to pick up a $1,000 grant check they gave to our PTO.  YEAH!  Tonight we attended Kiddo’s Christmas choir concert at his school.  It was beautiful!

December 18 - Today was the start of Santa’s Workshop so I was at the school from 8:30 till about 5:30.  Then we ran to the dollar store and bought $100 worth of men’s items (we always run low on men’s items because hardly any get donated) and then went to Kiddo’s 16th birthday party at my sister’s house.

December 19 - Today was also Santa’s Workshop.  We left the school about 5 p.m., then went to dinner with the PTO president and her kids at Applebee’s and then went to the dollar store and picked up another $100 worth of men’s items.  Then we went to Target and went Christmas shopping.  It was a full day!

Decemer 20 - Today was the last day of Santa’s Workshop!  Yeah!    We processed our last class by 3:30 and then stayed till about 5:30 packing it up and putting it all away for next year.  It’s amazing that it takes two full days to set it all up and it comes down in less than 2 hours!  Then I came home and rested for a few hours!  We went out to dinner (too tired to cook!) and picked up some last minute gift cards for PTO.

December 21 - I went in and helped with popcorn at the school this morning.  Then left, went to the bank with about $300 worth of quarters to cash in from Santa’s Workshop, went back to the school for class parties, and we just got home.  Ok, so now Christmas for us can start.  We are done with school projects, homework, PTO projects, class parties, teacher gifts, etc., etc., etc.  I am now realizing that I haven’t gotten three packages off in the mail yet that should have been mailed over a week ago.  But other than that, I think we’re doing good.  Presents are all wrapped, shopping is all done.  The only thing we have left to do on my list is make sugar cookies and decorate them, deliver our goodie trays and go caroling, and make our Christmas ornaments (the cinnamon dough has been in the fridge for over a week!)  Good thing there’s still two days left before Christmas Eve!!!  LOL.  I promised the boys I would take them to go see Alvin and the Chipmunks tonight with their friends.  Tomorrow we are going to make cookies and decorate them, put together our goodie trays and go caroling and deliver them.  That leaves Sunday to get my Christmas Eve Party baking done and hopefully get the house cleaned up and ready for Christmas!

I thought there were only supposed to be 12 days of Christmas!!!!!!!!  Merry Christmas every one!

Ok, so those of you who know LB well, know that he is an extremely picky eater, has a "menu" of no more than 10 items he will regularly eat.  Won’t even try something new.

Tonight at dinner, BB was trying to get him to try his mashed potatoes, for the 400th time.

BB:  LB, just try it!

LB:  NO!

BB:  I swear, LB, you would starve to death in the desert!

LB:  BB, I highly doubt they SERVE mashed potatoes in the desert!

Me: 

BB was just playing with Little Man on the floor in all the blankets they slept on last night.  BB was lifting Little Man up over his head and then blowing on his tummy.  Little Man yells out . . ."I AM NOT A TOY!"   

It’s no wonder my sister gets to blog something funny everyday. . .she has non-stop material!  So, I’ve had Little Man and Sweet Girl and Bubba (that’s what Little Man calls him) for about 8 hrs now and my sides hurt from laughing so hard.  Let’s see, so far I’ve heard about 37 different versions of the Twelve Days of Christmas, all of which contain some form of insult to me, witnessed about 26 different dances done to my singing Santa tree skirt (with Little Man stating, "Hey watch me, watch me!  I’m gonna show you my best moves!!"; played 5 games of Candy Land, countless games of hide-and-go-seek, and Ker-Plunk.  Little Man was so excited when the marbles fell on his turn because "he finally got one! Yay!"  (I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was bad to get a marble. . .)  Tried to keep Monopoly in the closet (if you saw my house right now, you’d understand!), and listened to a few games of Uno-Spin and about an hour’s worth of Hungry Hungry Hippos (at least it felt like an hour). . . . .  But the best one of all: 

My girlfriend dropped by to visit with her two kids.  Little Man was struttin his stuff, showing his dance moves, playing the "poke" and run game, doing whatever he could for a laugh.  Then, while I’m in the middle of a story, LB starts tugging on my arm. . . . . ."Mom. . . .Mom. . . .MOMMY . . . .MO-O-O-M!!"  I look over finally and he points at Little Man. . . . who is standing with his diaper around his ankles, giggling uncontrollably.  "Oh my!" I exclaimed. . . .at which everyone looks over and breaks out into laughter.  I thought he would get embarassed and start crying. . . .oh no, he grins even wider and yells "BOO!"  I reached down and took the diaper off.  He took off running around the coffee table to the other side of the couch where the older kids were sitting. . . ."BOOM!" he yells as he is proudly displaying his manhood in his hand.  Girl lets out a loud scream.  I fall on the floor laughing.  Friend falls on the floor laughing.  Little Man is encouraged by all the laughter and runs back to the other side of the couch. . . "Boo Boom!"  With tears rolling down my face I am trying to compose myself enough to catch him.  I finally grab him, LB hands me a much-needed diaper and I lay him down on the couch to put it on him.  He just grins at me and says, "Heh, I got you good, huh!"  What a card.  Must come from his dad’s side of the family .  I can’t hardly wait to see what the morning brings. . .