Dear Friends,
I decided recently that blogging could be a good thing for me. I decided it was something I wanted to do more often. I decided this last week, in the throws of the Christmas season. Here we are, the last week of the Christmas season. Every day this week is packed with things for me to do. SO...I made a command decision. I'm going to take a break from blogging. That's right, before I even really got started. Things will settle down after Christmas, I am confident (they better, or I'll holler.), and then I will be posting more. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my family. Christmas only comes once a year, you know.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Enjoy your families!

deception

It has been brought to my attention that my last post may have been a tad on the negative side. I'm not a negative person (I don't think); I was simply trying to be honest. I'm better now. Going Christmas shopping does wonders to lift the spirits. Especially when it's sneaky. What other time of the year are you totally justified in lying? Honestly? (ha ha! No pun intended).

See, I take an Institute Class. (For any non-LDS friends reading, that means that I take a Scripture Study College Course) every Thursday night. It's my night off. And I love it.

At the community college where it's offered, classes ended for the semester last Thursday, but I didn't tell anyone in my family. So yesterday, when I was busy getting dinner ready, and The Hubby came in and said, "You better hurry and eat or you're going to be late for your class," A light went off over my head. In my mind I thought, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that my class is over for the semester." But the words that came out of my mouth were, "oh yeah, I'm always rushing to get out the door on time. Thanks."

I ate quickly.

I even took my scriptures with me.

But I went to the mall and did some Christmas shopping--making spirits bright. Pretty sure I was laughing all the way, too. See, I am in the Christmas spirit.

I made sure to come home at the right time, too, and no one was the wiser here.

Since The Hubby doesn't read my blog, if he finds out it will be because one of you told him.

So don't be a snitch. Santa's watching. He's making his list and checking it twice. Deck your halls, Jingle you bells. Jump in bed, cover up your head. Settle your brains for a long winter's nap. Do whatever, just don't be a snitch.

Let's put on our happy clothes

Sooo...
I know it's Christmastime. You don't have to tell me again. I know my blog still reflects a certain Thanksgiving-y type reflective background, and a Thanksgiving-y type reflective quote at the top. *sigh*
I can't keep up with all these holidays.
The Hubby and I planned poorly when we had three kids (count 'em, THREE!) all around the holidays. Halloween to Valentine's day is one huge round of "spend-the-money-as-wild-and-fast-as-you-can!"
Calvin's birthday is only days before Christmas. Dev's birthday is only days after Christmas. Mine is end of January, and Bogey is lucky enough to be in February (lucky because we've some distance from the holidays before his birthday comes, but also unlucky because we're out of money by the time his birthday comes.)
Every year at this time I think, "why don't I budget for Christmas and birthday all year?! Then I wouldn't be trying to scrape money from who knows where within the two months that 4 out of five of us have birthdays, and all of us have Christmas? Why? why? why? WHY?!"

I know why. It's because by the time February is over, and I am patting myself on the back for making it through, I tell myself I deserve a little break...a break that inadvertently stretches 8 months, and I realize that Christmas and birthday's are just around the corner again.
Or maybe I'm just not that organized.
Or maybe I just block the trauma every year.
And then discover the horror anew every November.

I feel a little like the Grinch this year: " For 23 years I've put up with it now. I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming! But how?"

But I'm fighting it. The Grinch is no fun. I am trying to find that ol' Christmas spirit and don it. You know, don we now our gay apparel. Translation: Let's put on our happy clothes. I don't know what happy clothes are. And I don't know if I have any.
Anyway...
I am starting my Christmas shopping tomorrow (yes, just starting. Go ahead, gasp, but I've been busy making gifts all month. That's done, now I can go buy stuff, too.) and I'm hoping that will vent some of that backed up stress and cause me to spew forth random Christmas lines (like Fra-gee-lay! Must be Italian!). I'm hoping. I'm really, really hoping.
Because I don't want to be the Grinch.
I want to be Cindy Lou Who.
or Ralphie...