Helping Out

I was over at Lou's blog today and he had a great post about helping others around the Holiday Season. It isn't always what you first think of when you think of helping others out at the holidays. Depression is a major battle for some. It can especially get worse around the holidays.


Well... (from Lou's blog)

Zoeyjane of Mommy is Moody is DOING something. She is donating all the revenue from her
advertisements on her site, for this month, to To Write Love On Her Arms. Go to
Zoeyjane's site and read This Post. She gets paid by 'Impressions'. Just going there helps.
Click on her ads - and help more. Click through to To Write Love On Her Arms and see what
they do. Just doing that will help, too. This paragraph is going to appear at the end of each post, each day until the end of the month on Lou's blog. As a reminder. Just click through. And help. Save the women and men and boys and girls that don't need to live without love, that don't
need to suffer addiction and depression, that don't need to die.

Happy December 1st!!

Happy Monday!

~

Happy December First!

~

Happy Cyber Shopping Day!!

Since I did a lot of shopping on Black Friday and then some more over the weekend, I wasn't too concerned about Cyber Monday shopping for HOT deals...

BUT

I got some emails from stores and so I checked out a few sites.

• Wal-Mart ~ wasn't too impressed with any deals
• Toys R Us ~ had a few things that caught my eye but nothing really great
• Aeropastel ~ could use a whole new wardrobe so I filled my cart there, but have yet to purchase it yet
• Best Buy ~ went in search of a Canon camera ~ NO LUCK!

that is all for now.

I'm going to try to get over to these sites to see what I can find ~

• Target
• JC Penny
• SEARS
• K-Mart
• Macy's

I'm off to go clean and decorate some more! :)

24 DAYS till CHRISTMAS!!

500!!

500! although the post before this one hardly counts as a post because of the amount of words in it... but since what is says is pretty serious, then I guess I'll count it. :)

I went shopping this morning. I got up at 3:35 AM and headed off to Wal-Mart for all the HOT sales. I've gone other years... and I have to say that this year... was HORRIBLE!! I mean a total mess!! wow. It was as if they had no idea that today was Black Friday.

We got there around 4 AM. ~ We being, Heather, Barb, Rachel & myself... and we had to wait in line, in the store, thankfully, b/c the line did end up going out of the store and onto the sidewalk, for an hour. The sales started at 5 AM and last year they let you in the store to walk around before that... this year... no such luck.

The hour went fast though, so that was good. But then the HELL began. Barb and I went off to the toys... Heather headed for the DVD's and clothes, and Rachel went to electronics... we had a plan and we were going to get everything on our lists!

YEAH right!!

the store was crazy. people were sort of nice, in a PUSHY way. they had NO idea what they had, they had NO idea how many they had... it was so unorganized and chaotic! they also didn't have everything that was advertised in the flyer... to which they replied, "if they didn't have it, they didn't have it and they weren't responsible for not having it." GREAT!

one of the things they had that I was trying to get, the one thing that was a BIG thing on my list for Trevor, because I knew he really wanted/loved it was the Batman Wayne Tech Mega Wings, for $30 ~ could NOT find it any where, I don't think they had it at all. Unless it was or IS still in the room that was full from 18 tractor trailer loads of stuff, that they had no idea what was in there.

oh well. I'm sure I'm more upset about it than he will be Christmas morning... when he doesn't even remember that he wanted it because there is so much other stuff.

They had stuff where they didn't even know where it was. In the HUNTING section we found Wii games and DVD's that were supposed to be by Electronics and the other DVD's that were by the food section... no one knew where they were... we found them by accident... but didn't care because we got our Wii Game. :)

I got the kids a bunch of board games, which I'm happy about... I think we will have a GREAT time playing them together! It will be good for them to have something to do that isn't TV or movie or whatever and something that we will do as a family. :)

We got:

• Memory
• Cooties
• Ants in The Pants
• Trouble
• Guess Who

and I can't remember if there is more or not... seems like there should be. But I know my parents also got them some...

• Hungry Hungry Hippos
• Perfection
• Operation
• Sorry

I think. I'll have to check with my mom... I know that Trevor will LOVE Perfection and probably be really awesome at it... and I know he wants Operation... so if they didn't get it then we will. We bought him some big fancy Operation with different modes and stuff... BUT... it sucked! It was NOT fun and hard to figure out and we never even played it... the kids messed around with it and all but that was it... finally some of the pieces were missing and I just got sick of seeing it around, so I threw it out.

I also got the kids some movies... since I'm preaching that I rather have them play games and all that... I wanted to let you all know that I'm human and I do let them watch TV and movies... I pray for that quiet time... for my sanity, I NEED it! Only they don't really watch TV and movies that great... only sometimes. And, only Trevor really... the girls some, but it is hard for them to sit that long. :P

I got them the new Tinkerbell movie and also Wall E. So that is good.

Well today our goal is to clean the house and then decorate some, and then I'm going to try to work on cleaning up more down stairs... hopefully the guy will come soon to start working on our foundation and then we will be able to finish up the downstairs... which I really want, hope and pray will be done before Christmas... although it isn't looking too good. We'll see.

I'm trying to have faith...

cold

it is freezing out today. and i'm so not ready for this kind of cold weather!! uh! the kind that cripples you and makes you want to stay in bed all day long and never move again till spring.

okay, enough about that.

last night while i was looking for ideas for the kids for Christmas, the were all saying things that they wanted and one of the things that Lauren and Brooke really want is a "puter"!! you know... a com-puter! only they just call it a puter. I guess it is their pet name for it. lol

Trevor told me about some games that he wishes to have... some board games, so I'm good with that... and the girls want Hungry Hungry Hippo's... which I think my parents are going to get them. that is all i got for now.

i was sort of thinking about leapsters for the girls, from Leap Frog... but they are for 4 and up so i'm not too sure... plus that takes an idea away from next year. and i'm not sure, if i'm spending the money anyway, that i should go with the basic leapster only because they are a little on the young side, or just wait it out and when they are age appropriate get them the better, or more advanced one.

still thinking that one over.

there are some games for the leapster l-max that we can get for Trev and they are great. they are learning games and he really enjoys playing them. they work for long car rides and resting at nap time for him. :)

today my parents are off to do some holiday shopping... so i'm sure they will come up with some great ideas for the kids... i'll have to see what they get and maybe we can add to it or something. but i think i'm getting more along the lines of Sandy from Momisodes... teach the children to give this year instead of getting a HUGE amount of toys and what not under the tree... keep it more simple. they will be happy with whatever they get. they are good like that.

although they do say they want everything from on every commercial on television they are pretty understanding about the fact that they won't actually get it. :) they are good kids and very understanding for three and five year olds. i'm really lucky.

well i'm off to wake up those beautiful children and get them ready to take Trevor to school, although I really dread going outside today, we have to go. :(

have a great day! and stay warm!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y!!

Yay, yay!! It is Saturday!! :o)

I love Saturdays... just because. Doesn't everyone? It is 8:30 and all the kids are up... and ready to start our day. Our house is a little bit cold... so I'm assuming that it is freezing outside. YUCK! But whatever.

Our plan for today is to do some holiday shopping!! I love everything about the holidays!! I love shopping, I love wrapping, I love decorating, I just love it all!! I want to just keep that holiday spirit and mood and bottle it!! Although we are going to be taking all three kids with us to do some holiday shopping today, which wasn't so great last weekend when we went, I'm going to try to make the best of it and see if I work really hard maybe I can make it a pleasant shopping experience for all. :o) After all isn't that a mom's job to try to make everyone happy?

Okay, so back to our plan for today... Bryan is off working this morning... actually I'm not too sure how long he is working for... he may be gone just this morning, or he might be gone all day till this afternoon or even later, and work a full day like he has to all week. Not sure. So that is a little stipulation to our plans, but I'll work around it... if we have to we can shop tomorrow instead.

Since Bryan is at work this morning... I'm going to make the kids a BIG breakfast... maybe if they are stuffed full of food, when we go shopping they will be more happy!! (maybe) Then we are going to color or paint or something fun... I think we will make some Christmas decorations to hang up, since we are done with all other holidays in our house until Christmas comes, I feel we can decorate for it now! ;o) I'm so excited!! That should get them a little bit calmer, get some creative juices out doing a art project, then everyone can have a nice warm, relaxing bath... then get dressed all nice and cozy warm... but in clothes that we can go to the store in.. and then hang out maybe play a game or something then it will almost be nap time for Lauren and Brooke... spend some time with just Trevor, maybe playing some Candy Land or Uno. Then it will be nap time for Trevor too. Then I can wrap some presents and clean up our house. I'm not sure if we are getting company later or not... but we'll see. I want to straighten up the house anyway... because I would like to start decorating it. ;o)

I'm also going to pack up the diaper bag, well re-pack it... I want to replenish some things like wipes... which there aren't any in there... which I'm not sure how in the world that happened!! But, anyway... I'm going to doctor up the diaper bag and I'm going to add some snacks and stuff to it to keep everyone happy while shopping. :o) I might help... it might not. But I'm hoping it will make everyone a little bit happier.

So part A of my plan is underway... Bryan is at work, one thing done. Hey. When you have a long list.. you gotta count everything. lol. The kids are eating, and happily, I might add. They are have some blueberry waffles with some syrup. I think that the sugar might give them the energy we will need to make it through the day and get some shopping done. I might end up with hyper kids, but at least they won't be cranky tired kids... especially if I can get them to nap before we go. ;o) Yippity Skippity we have a plan!! lol

Okay, I'm going to go work on some craft ideas for the kids and also the other things I need to do to go later...

Toodles!!