What's Up?

No pics today. I'm actually bored to tears at work right now. Let's see how are we and what are we up to?... I'm doing very well despite the dreary weather. Actually, for about 15 collective minutes the sun peeked through the clouds today and it was GLORIOUS!! I miss the sun...really...a LOT!! I told Jon the other day that I don't want to take down the christmas tree and lights, assorted villages, etc. until the sun comes back to stay. Somehow the christmas lights make the dreary bearable. I'm ok with it, because you can see the christmas lights better when it's dark. BUT, when Christmas is over LOOK OUT. I'm going to get real crabby real quick!!!!
Sam is doing better in school...holding my breath... he has an A, a couple B's and the rest are C's. He's hangin in there, which is getting kind of hard for all of us. The child has at least 2 1/2 hours of homework EVERY NIGHT and I guess now I understand why he was shirking some of it. No I'm not condoning it, I just understand. Homework has been all he has time for lately. We are all HAPPY to have winter break come.
Liam is doing well too. He has an A in science, 2 B's and a C in reading. He is working very hard to keep his grades up and I do believe he is as proud of himself as I am of him. He just radiates every time I praise him for his grades lately.
Maggie of course in doing very well in school too. She was the first child in her class to quit bringing home book 'n bags this year. One less thing she has to do every week, not that she minded. But, she reads constantly on her own, whe really didn't need an assignment for it. She was devastated twice this week. She had a Christmas Concert scheduled for Tuesday night, which was postponed until Thursday night due to bad roads. Mind you, we did not know it was postponed until she was already dressed with her hair done and very EXCITED. Then, to add insult to injury they cancelled the concert last night due to , yup you guessed it, bad roads!! She was DEVASTATED!!!!
Today was to be the kids last day before Christmas...unfortunately, the roads really were bad and school was cancelled too! Fortunately, Katie was able to keep them for me while I worked today...Thanks Katie!!!
Jon is doing well too. We have Christmas with the Garrett clan on Sunday, so I'll be sure to post pics of that. I love and miss you all more at Christmastime than ever. I've been thinking about Maude & Poppy and Grandma and even Grandpa a lot lately. It's just something about Christmas...it's nostalgic if nothing else...

15 Days and Counting...

Ok, Ok... I did it. Thank You Liam! He nagged and pushed and prodded last night until I gave in and went downstairs to walk on the treadmill. I was initially a bit irate with him, but afterwards hugged him and said thank you for taking good care of Mommy! I had that yucky whole oat oatmeal for breakfast...I will henceforth refer to said "oatmeal" as gruel. And, for lunch, a nice healthy salad! Don't be too proud, it's all because I have every intention of eating greasy pepperoni pizza for supper. BUT, I promise I will walk tonight as well! :)

Today I have the pleasure of babysitting Cash. We are currently having some down time! He ate chips and christmas cookies 'til his eyes fell closed. I guess I probably should feed him some real food after he wakes up!! It's so fun spoiling them when they're not yours though!!! He's been real good so far, he even helped me with putting the laundry in the dryer. And he's only made a couple messes. He's even left the nativity alone. I only had to tell him no once...smart boy!!

I got one of the two remaining gifts done...one more to go and I even know what I'm gettin. I just have to go back to Mt Vernon. Only 15 days to go!!!!!!!!!! I love you and miss you all!!

Thank you Grandma Debby!!

The kids really appreciated their care package. Sam was not at all amused that he got to pick first this time though! Not really sure what Maggie's problem was here. She was mad at her brothers for some unfounded reason.

She promptly got her dolls all dressed up when she got her dress, which is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS btw. She and I (and Kay, who was here when we opened it) LOVE it!! She's really eager to wear it to her Christmas concert next week.

Kay and Rod stopped by to visit yesterday. It is always good to have them here. We had pork loin and sauercraut for supper with mashed potatoes. Oh my, it was good!!
Today I have to do payroll from home. I'm hoping to get my butt downstairs too. I did really well excercising every day last week, right up until Friday...and I haven't gone down since. Which I KNOW is ridiculous...I feel so much better when I do it. Oh well, hopefully, I'll make it down there today. I love you all!!

Busy Weekend...

Well, ok, maybe just a busy Saturday. The only "events" I had to attend this year were the annual Garrett cookie bake and my work Christmas party. Doesn't it just figure that they would be scheduled on the same day. It made for a stressful, but fun 24 hours! Friday night I stayed up until Midnight getting all my cookies ready. Usually I make them there, but between drive time and me leaving early I thought we'd be better off if I got there with mine already done. Which worked out very well. The Garrett cookie bake is girls only. Maggie was very excited and was a big help this year. We helped with cookies until 2:30pm...then we had to run. Or drive, home from Springfield. Of course it snowed, the roads weren't terrible, but I didn't really ENJOY the drive home either. Then we got ready, took the kids and dropped them off with my Aunt Barb and Uncle Jeff (Cindy & Wayne were there as well) and went to my work party in Lewis Center. Which was too funny. The food was very good and Santa even showed up!! We didn't stay late, I was tired!! Sunday, we went to church and then I vegged on the couch for the whole rest of the day! This morning I went in to the school to read with some of the kids in Maggie's class. After that I went to Wal-Mart and I am pleased to report that I only need to buy 2 more gifts and I will be DONE. Which does not mean I'll stop shopping...it just means I'll be done with what I need to buy. From here on out it's what I WANT to buy!! Last night George C Scott's A Christmas Carol was on AMC. That is my FAVORITE version. I watched most of it before I pooped out. Tonight we're popping popcorn and watching Charlie Brown's christmas show. I love you all and you're all on my mind. My loved ones are never far from my thoughts this time of year. I miss you all!!!

Not the Gumdrop Buttons!!

This morning the kids built the gingerbread house kit Kay got for them. Austin spent the night last night, so he was able to help. I think they had a lot of fun putting it all together!
The boys constructed our little edible abode...

Maggie waited patiently for them to get things put together so she and Liam could decorate...

Trust me, when you have three young boys working on your gingerbread house, the gingerbread WILL take a dump. It's unavoidable. I probably never should have given them those whoppers!! lol~

Liam added a few finishing touches and WAALAA!!!




They were extremely proud, actually Austin remarked that this could well be the ugliest gingerbread house he'd ever seen, but they had fun, so who cares!??!

Things here are settling down now after the holiday. Jon went back to work today. The kids are obviously still home...first day of deer gun season here in Morrow Co.! So, as of right now, Austin has gone home...Liam and Maggie are watching Maggie and the Ferocious Beast while Sam is at the table working on the last of his homework. He got most of it done Saturday, but saved one paper to do this afternoon. I plan on making meatloaf and mashed potatoes for supper tonight. The house is straightened...I figure I'll clean tomorrow while the kids are at school. As soon as Sam is done with his homework the kids and I are heading downstairs to work out. wooo ~ hooo... the kids have really been on me about it lately. I have gone down to walk on the treadmill every other day for the last week. I know I need to do better, but I'm working on it. I love you all!!!!