Brandon's Puppy

Happy 2008!

We're almost ready to head out for the evening, so I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 2008. Have fun, and be safe!

glitter-graphics.com

Just in time for year's end

The A/C in my car stopped working yesterday. Hubby checked under the hood and concluded the belt had torn, mostly because he could see the tear. He took it to Tires Plus today and they discovered the tensioner was busted and needed replacing too. I was not expecting to spend much money this weekend, but I guess $210 were meant to be spent. At least the A/C works now, a true necessity here in the 3-0-5!

Culinary Creativity

I wasn't quite sure what to make for dinner tonight. We had brunch at my sister's house earlier today followed by a visit to my in-laws, and a big dinner did not seem necessary. But it was 7pm, and we had to eat something. So creativity struck and I made meatball subs. We had frozen meatballs and mozarella cheese from a run to the market before coming home, and a pack of hot dog buns in the pantry. I toasted the hot dog buns slightly in the toaster oven, and heated the meatballs in a saucepan with two tablespoons of grape jelly and a hint of chili sauce (sounds weird, I know, but it tastes delicious!). i put cheese on one side of the buns, put in three meatballs each, and served. They were such a hit, even Matty liked them. He ate a whole meatball and some of my bread, which was lightly soaked with the jelly/chili sauce blend. I'm adding this one to my "quick dinners" arsenal!

Because even the most insignifcant things happen for a reason

I'm a multi-tasker, and the internet is no exception. I'll have four of five windows open at the same time, one with my email, another with blogs I'm catching up on, and the remaining two alternate between online shopping (most of the time it's just browsing!) and articles of interest. I do it all the time, and it drives Eric nuts. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I come across something in these browsing frenzies of mine that proves most helpful. For example, earlier I was reading a friend’s blog where she mentioned that her husband bought a flat-screen TV, and it just so happens that in another window I was viewing an array of plasma lifts I stumbled upon. She reads my blog, so I know she’ll stumble upon this and perhaps benefit from my findings. It pleases me when this happens. I like to think of it as internet serendipity. ;-)

Reflecting

This year is over in one day, and here are some of our accomplishments:

- Baby boy #2 was born without the assistance of drugs. Not that I had a choice, but I was braver than I thought!
- I (finally!!) graduated and got promoted once I went back to work.
- Brandon is thriving in pre-school.
- Hubby became a citizen (another "finally!!" is in order).
- I signed up for paid blogging, and it's been quite helpful in keeping our heads above water.
- The baby...too many accomplishments to name. This year has been spectacular, watching our new boy learn and grow.
- Hubby started a job that, while exhausting, holds great promise for the future.
- We're all healthy, with a roof over our head and food in our pantry.
- Repaving our driveway. This is a biggie for us, we're not big on home improvement tasks.

Things not accomplished:
- Instead of paying down our debt, it increased. Circumstances dictated the use of credit cards, but we have already discussed next year's goals and expect to get out of this rut soon. At least I hope so...
- Painting and decorating the playroom
- Installing laminate flooring
- Hubby's dental work
- Enrolling the boys in pre-paid college programs
- Fixing the siding on the house
- Purchase our highly-coveted entertainment center
- Scrap as much as I'd like

Isn't it interesting how just about all the items not accomplished involve money?!
In spite of all those things, I try to remember that it could be worse, and we are rich in so many other ways.
How did you fare this year?

This kid'll be a star someday!

I don't know who this is, but hubby found him doing some searches on YouTube, and I am in awe over this boy's ability! He can't be more than 8 years old! Check these out:

Part 1
Part 2a
Part 2b
Part 3

Part 3 is the best clip, by far!

Oh, and he plays Clapton too.

Amazing!

Growing way too fast!

I forgot to mention that Matty's fifth tooth broke through on Thursday. He gave the sitter a heck of a day, from what I hear. And, he turns 11 months tomorrow. Brandon turns 5 in 13 days. What's happening to my babies?? =/

Note to Self

I bought a little notebook and I carry it in my purse. The purpose of it is to remind me of things, whether it is bills that need paying or things I need to buy when I go to the store. Ironically, when I’m at the store I always forget to look at the notebook. I’ve had “buy diapers and wipes” written on there for a week and I’ve yet to buy them. Fortunately, I make that note well in advance, before it becomes a desperate matter and I have to send Eric to the drug store for an emergency run. That foresight is useless though if I forget to look at the notebook! Can you tell I’ve annoyed Eric with an emergency run to the store one too many times? ;-)

Because I know you love to hear about my crazy life!

For having had the day off, I sure was busy today! After spending the better part of the day at my grandparents' house, my BFF and I had dinner at Flanigan's with the kids. The kids exchanged presents, and they were all pleased with the results. Brandon got a remote control speedboat, and Matty got the Stretch & Fun Elmo, which is just SO CUTE!! Oh, and dinner was my BFF's treat, so that was cool. ;-)
Then we came home to pick up hubby and went to Target to buy totes for the playroom and a few other essentials. While browsing the aisle of clearance toys, I dropped a box and the corner of it fell directly on the cuticle of my big toe. I was limping all over the rest of the store. Serves me right for tempting myself with bargains...Anyway,after Target we stopped at K's house so the kids could get their Christmas presents. It was supposed to be a quick visit, but we ended up staying for about an hour. Both boys fell asleep in the car on the way home, and are now dreaming, tucked in bed. And that's where I'm headed now. We've got Felipe's baptism to attend tomorrow afternoon, and I've got a few things to do around the house before the ceremony. In other words, another long day ahead. Good night!

About spam

wRitErsbLock has been having some trouble with her spam filter, and it got me thinking about all the products that are given a bad reputation thanks to this annoying phenomenon. Take hoodia, for example. The actual plant is recognized as an excellent appetite suppressant, but there are so many disreputable companies out there trying to market the stuff, the actual product is written off rather than the companies selling it. Don’t get me wrong, I hate that my inbox and comments get bombarded with p0rn ads and the Nigerians offering me money that doesn’t exist. I just feel bad for the legitimate ideas that get mixed in with the illegitimate ones.

No more work for me until 2008!!

I wanted to try and sleep in a bit today since I'm off from work, but I forgot about a certain almost-11-month-old that likes to wake up at the crack of dawn. When he woke up and started crying I took him out of his crib and brought him to bed with me, but there was no going back to sleep. We've both had breakfast, with Brandon about to start his now, and then we're getting dressed and headed to my grandmother's house. My aunt and uncle are here from New Jersey and I want them to spend some quality time with the kids. In the late afternoon we're meeting up with my BFF so the kids can exchange Christmas presents. We'll be back later tonight. TTFN!

You really can't have it all, can you?

My husband has many wonderful traits, but romantic gift-giver is not one of them. We have an on-going agreement to not purchase gifts for each other for holidays, birthdays and the like in order to save money or use the funds to something else. He’s the type to actually follow those instructions. I’ll ignore the agreement and usually get him something, be it clothing or a DVD or CD he wants, or whatever else strikes my fancy. He, on the other hand, just doesn’t have romantic chip installed, and won’t surprise me with gifts of jewelry, or chemises, or breakfast in bed, or flowers. He shows his love in other ways, and I’d rather he be a faithful, helpful, loving husband than shower me with gifts and be a terrible partner, but a romantic little something on special occasions would be nice…

Miscellaneous Musings

Little things I want to blog about, not quite worthy of their own posts:

- I realized that in about a week I have to put all away all the Christmas stuff. Yes, I said about a week. I like to wait until after Three Kings' Day. It's a family tradition. Thing is, I don't wanna!! I love Christmas! Plus, it feels like I just put everything out.

- I also recently realized I've yet to go to Ikea. We have a busy weekend ahead so it will have to wait till next weekend. I'm almost glad though because it's not like I have money to spend.

- My cold is much better, except I've got a sexy (aka raspy) voice now. But my sinuses are clear and I'm not coughing. I might actually be shaking this thing...about time, it's been just under two weeks!

The Big Apple Calls

Here’s the thing: I’m itching to go away somewhere. I know we can’t. We really, really can’t. We need to stay on a strict budget this coming year. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I’ve mentioned before we want to go to New York City again. Even Brandon is in on it. Every once in a while he’ll say, “Mommy, we’re never going to go to New York City” and puts a pouty-face. I told him we have to wait a while to go because it’s a lot of money, and Matty needs to be bigger, but we’ll definitely be going. I know he’s going to love it. Eric showed him a home video we took when we went two years ago, and he was totally awed to see mommy and daddy “on TV” visiting the places he’s heard so much about. If I had my way, we’d go during the winter. Brandon’s never seen snow, and I’ve never been to New York for Christmas or New Year's Eve, so we’d kill two birds with one stone. Of course, that’s definitely out of the question. Cheap hotels are completely non-existent during the holiday season. But if I’m planning this imaginary trip, I might as well do it right!

I love post-Christmas deals!!

Yesterday after work I stopped at Toys R Us and got two Leapster games for Brandon. They were on sale, buy one get one free. He'll be getting those for his birthday in two and a half weeks. And this morning on my way to work, I ran into Walmart for some necessities and left with 2 rolls of Thomas and Friends wrapping paper and a 60-sheet pack of red, white and green tissue paper for $1.45 each! I love post-Christmas sales almost as much as Black Friday sales!

Christmas pictures

...are now on Flickr. There's much of the same: opening gifts at different houses and Matty tearing paper. I just couldn't trim it down, they are all so cute! Enjoy!!

Christmas presents are slowly finding a home

The good news: I've sorted through all the toys in the playroom and have put aside quite a few for giving away. Some will go to my friend's aunt, who owns a daycare in Santo Domingo, and others will go to charity.
The bad news: That took so long that I've only put away about four items from the lovely pile gracing our dining room. I guess I shall continue organizing tomorrow. I'll be returning a couple of items we purchased in order to minimize the pile, and buy any additional organizational devices we might need to finish the job. Good thing I'm off on Friday!

No longer at their mercy

It seems that Google’s plan to take over the world has backfired. Several companies have created alternatives to Google’s Page Rank system, and EarthFrisk is one of them. Not only have they created a search engine they call “the ultimate world search”, they’ve created their own ratings system that counts page visits, comments and even community votes. They launch on Monday, and I can’t wait to try them! I’m tired of Google’s monopolizing ways.

The Secret's Out!

Remember that secret I mentioned last week? Well, I'm free to share now: C-man is going to be a big brother! My friend Claudia is 5 weeks pregnant with baby #2. Congrats to the growing family! For those of you keeping track, that's grupito offspring #9!

On a side note, hubby's mad at me because I didn't share the news with him. That wouldn't make it a secret anymore, would it?! ;-)

Outta Hand!!!

This is what my tree looked like during out little get-together this evening. This includes Secret Santa gifts between 12 adults, and gifts for all 8 kids. Here's most of what the boys received, and I have no idea where it's going to go. The playroom needs a makeover again!

Batteries Not Included

The boys received so many presents today it seems like we own half a toy store, and of course most of them require batteries. Between these new toys, all the ones we currently own, and of course all the other gadgets in the house, we’re definitely in the market for a battery organizer. Never seen one? Click here to see what I’m talking about. But just like all these new playthings, I'd have no idea where to put it!

Merry Christmas!!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss

May your hearts overflow with the spirit of Christmas.

Love,
Amanda, Eric, Brandon and Matty

High maintenance tastes, low maintenance budget

Just because Christmas is upon us does not mean the shopping has to cease. There are great deals everywhere, all the time, you just need to know where to look. I am done looking because frankly I can’t afford to buy one more thing, but for those of you that can, I am glad to assist by pointing out these eLuxury coupons. Be warned, the goods featured are for those with caviar tastes. I can’t afford one single thing on that site, even those on sale. Just under $1,000 for a handbag? No thanks! I’m happy with my $90 knock-off, and I can do so much with the remaining $910. Let’s call it a sardine budget! ;-)

Almost free!

I'll be out of here in 15 minutes, and it cannot pass any quicker. I took a Benadryl around 9:30 and I've nodded off about three times already. I think I actually fell asleep for about 10 minutes one of those times. Thankfully, not only is the office practically empty, I'm at the end of the hall and it's highly unlikely that someone could catch me snoozing. I've been keeping myself awake by browsing the internet and while I feel a bit better, I do plan on taking a power nap when I get home. I need to recharge my batteries to face the mad house-hopping tonight.

All I want for Christmas is Sleep!

So here I am, at work, on Christmas Eve. I am running on very little sleep. Not only was I up until 1 in the morning wrapping, once I went to bed I just did not sleep well. If it wasn't an occasional cough, it was that I was too hot or too cold.
It's very quiet here in the office, there are only 8 people in today. I'm dangerously close to falling asleep. I've gone to the bathroom twice already to try to wake myself up, but the bathroom lights are very dim so that hasn't helped. Neither has the Benadryl I had to take for my sinuses. The good news? We're out of here at 11:30, which gives me enough time to get home and take a nap before I pick up the boys and head to my uncle's house.

He Walks!!

Really, he does!! Fortunately, I had the camera near by and was able to document it. Check it out!

(Don't worry, he's fine. He didn't hurt himself!)

Fabulous Finds!

We bought four more bead garlands for the tree at Michael's for 50% off. Then we went to Big Lots and I found 2 Leapster games at $12.99 each, and two LeapPad games for $5.00 each. I went to Costco to pick up some pictures I reprinted, and there was only one person ahead of me. We then went to another Big Lots because there was something in particular I was looking for, and I found it: This for $20.00!! (I'm saving it for Matty's birthday). I also found a nice gift for the babysitter, who had slipped my mind when I made our gift list. Today was definitely a good shopping day. =)

Almost Christmas!!

Even though we're not hosting, I still have so much to do before tomorrow. I still have to wrap the presents (I knew I'd get to it last minute!) and clean the house for our gathering Tuesday evening. Yes, I know I was supposed to be cleaning yesterday and today, but neither day went as planned. Yesterday I did laundry, got the boys' things ready for the stay-over at my dad's, went to the grocery store, put the groceries away and baked a cheesecake. By that time hubby was home from work and we headed to my dad's to drop the boys off. We came back home and got ready for the party we were attending while the cheesecake finished setting. We came home just a few minutes before 1 am, and got up this morning at 8:30 to go pick up the boys. We had breakfast at my dad's house, then headed to my grandparents' house (about 12 blocks away) to drop off the gifts they asked me to get on their behalf. We stayed there longer than expected, waiting for my mom who was on her way over. We left there at about 12:30 and hit a couple of stores (the finds deserve their own post!!) to pick up a few last minute things. Now hubby is watching the Dolphins game, and we all know how "helpful" men are when sports is on! Let's see how much I can get done in the next hour or so. We're taking the boys to Merrick Park* in Coral Gables this evening. Today is the last day it is open, and it's much cheaper (it's FREE!!) than Santa's Enchanted Forest!

* I had copy/pasted the wrong link before. It now sends you where I intended you to go. Sorry about that!

I really should be cleaning...

…but instead I was in the boys' room, figuring out the furniture placement in my head. We plan on building those bunk beds we bought a couple of months ago for Brandon's birthday in a few weeks. Between now and then we have to buy the two mattresses, even if the baby is still too small to sleep in a twin bed. Otherwise, it will just look odd to have one bed made up and not the other. If it were just one, we could splurge and get a memory foam mattress for Brandon, but since we have to buy two beds it will have to be something more economical. I am still so very excited that we got those bunks so cheap, and can’t wait to see them set up. =)

Pictures!!

I just loaded the pictures my sister took at my birthday party last week onto flickr. Check them out! There may be more later, I have to check my camera for any worthwhile shots.

Good Intentions, but Too Late =(

I have two new unwrapped toys I wanted to donate to Toys for Tots, but today was the last day for donations. I forgot to take them with me when I did my shopping, and when I called my local Toys R Us around 6pm today, the last pick-up had already happened. I want them to go to needy or sick children directly so I'd prefer not to give them to Goodwill, since they will just end up re-selling them. Does anyone know where I can donate them?

A Shopper's Analysis

When we were at Tarjey the other day, we were looking to see if they had a dimmer switch to replace the broken one in our dining room. At the Tarjey we frequent, the home improvement stuff is an aisle or two away from the car care aisle. But we were not at the Tarjey we frequent, and instead found the dimmer in an aisle near the kitchenware and home décor areas. I’m so used to all the “manly” stuff being together (lightbulbs, tools, car covers, car cleaning products), and the “girly” stuff being together (bakingware, picture frames, bedding, bath accessories), that I was a bit disoriented. That's the way the one we frequent is organized, and that’s what makes the most sense to me. That way, men are entertained in the "guys" area instead of waiting impatiently for the women, and the women can shop in peace in their area. Makes sense, right? Anyway, we had to look quite a few times before we found the dimmers, and when we did, they did not have the kind we currently have at home. I'll have to go to H.D. and find it there.

I haven't lost weight, but at least I haven't gained any!

Just got back from lunch with about nine others from the office. One of our coworkers has resigned, and today is her last day, so we went out to celebrate her freedom. (LOL) I had the Oriental Chop Chop at Chicken Kitchen, and it was GOOD! I am now thoroughly stuffed and won't need to eat until we have dinner tonight....unless another basket of goodies makes it's way into our office. There's always room for goodies! ;-)

Memory Trigger

You know those little square candies made entirely of caramel? They always remind me of my great-grandmother. She loved them, and there's always be a little dish of caramels in the kitchen counter in their apartment. My coworker just brought me one from a gift basket we received, and I was taken back twenty years in a matter of seconds.

Holiday Meme, 2007 version

I got this Christmas meme via email several times within the last few days, so I figured I'd answer it here for all to see. It's very similar to last year's meme, with a few different questions. Feel free to answer the questions in the comments or on your own blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?.................. wrapping paper

2. Real tree or artificial? ..............Usually real, but we got a great deal on an artificial one this year, so we’ll stick to artificial for the next few years.

3. When do you put up the tree?...........the first weekend in December

4. When do you take the tree down?------after Three Kings Day

5. Do you like eggnog?......I do, both the virgin and spiked versions!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?.....My Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls are probably tied with my Barbies and her accessories

7. Do you have a nativity scene?...........yes

8. Hardest person to buy for?................Hubby. He never wants anything

9. Easiest person to buy for?.....The boys!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?..............Can’t remember

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?.........mail

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?..........Home Alone and Miracle on 34th Street

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?..........sometime in the Fall.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?........of course. Who hasn’t?!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?.........Just about everything! LOL

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?...........clear

17. Favorite Christmas song?........”Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” by Harry Connick Jr.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home?.....Stay Home, but someday I’d like to go to NYC for Christmas

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?.........Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And Rudolph, of course!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?............Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?.....A couple on Christmas Eve and the big stash on Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?....the bills a month later!

23. What I love most about Christmas?......... The memories, the music, spending time with family and friends, the decorations, everything!

Merry Christmas To All !!

Another addition to the "Places I Want to Visit" list

Asian culture has always intrigued me, but more so since I was exposed to the differences between Eastern and Western cultures during an intercultural communications class a little less than two years ago (wow, that a long sentence!). I am fascinated by their rituals and traditions, and would love to someday visit parts of Asia and witness these things first-hand. Bangkok, Thailand offers a mixture of the old and new, with Buddhist temples alongside modern skyscrapers. I read somewhere that it’s quite contradictory: a buzzing city with a laid-back attitude. Flights to Thailand are quite costly, it’s not like we can just hop a flight on a whim, but someday I do expect to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of this wonderful city.

Four Days Till Christmas...Are You Ready?

I am! That last elusive gift I had to buy? Done, I bought it last night. I'll be cleaning the house tomorrow during the day so that it's presentable for our gathering on Tuesday evening. In the afternoon, we are dropping the boys off at my dad and stepmom's for an overnight visit (we're going to a party at night), and I'm taking full advantage of a child-free home and wrapping all the gifts before we leave for the party. Then I'm stuffing them back in their hiding places until Monday night.
Are you ready for the holiday, or do you still have lots to do?

Another thing I love about Christmastime...

is that our mail no longer consists of just bills and junk mail. We've gotten at least two or three Christmas cards a day for the last week, and I love it! On a related note, CTG, my friend Angie and I all chose the same design for our cards. I must say we all have fabulous taste! =D

Hello, My name is Amanda, and I'm a shopaholic

I'm so glad we decided to (aka are forced to) just buy presents for the kids this year. It helps me fight the temptation to buy the gifts for my loved ones that I can’t afford. For example, I saw a pair of very nice Nike golf shoes at the mall the other day, on sale no less, but I was not at all tempted to buy them for my great-uncle, the weekly golf player, since we are not buying for adults. Now I just have to work on fighting temptation when it comes to my two little guys. It’s very hard to pass up the great deals I’ve come across, and I end up justifying every one of them. My two recent favorite excuses: “Matty only has three presents and Brandon has five”, or “I’ll save it for their birthdays. It’s not smart to pay full price next month when I can save money now.” I’m sure I’ll regret it when the bills come next month, but for now, I’ll stick to the theory that I’m saving money by spending money. ;-)

22 years later

This is one of those "feel good" stories...A man found his birth mother after 22 years, and they worked together!
I cannot imagine having to give up a child, but I know some people see the need, and if they feel they cannot provide a good life for that baby, then it is a good choice. I'm glad she left the records open so that he could find her, and that he is confident that their relationship will get even better, and extend to include his adoptive parents. I know not every adoption leads to a reunion, let alone a happy one, but it really is a nice story.

Almost a Reader!

Brandon completely shocked us last night when he "read" a Target receipt coupon (you know, the ones that print after your receipt). The coupon says, "$1 off Target Brand dishwasher detergent etc etc...". He pointed to the word "Brand" and said to us, "look, it's almost my name!" Then I asked him, "Can you read the word next to it?", and he said no, but I told him, "What does it say here?" and pointed to the Target logo on the bottom of the receipt, which he recognizes. He said "Target", so I showed him the middle part again and asked him, "so what do you think it says here?" and he looked at the bottom of the receipt again, looked back up, and said, "Target!" He realized it was the same letters. I told him, "You're almost reading!" and he was beaming, jumping up and down with happiness. The kid loves books, and I know he'll love to be able to read his stories on his own.

Proof that he's growing way too fast

I went to Target on Monday evening for baby supplies, and I had a moment. Matty is no longer wearing Swaddlers, he's now in Cruisers. I bought his first pack of size 3 diapers. And, last night after his bath I dressed him in pj's sized 12-months. Somebody please stop him from growing....

One of those moments

I mentioned yesterday how I wasn't feeling well and hubby was on baby duty. I cannot complain about hubby: he bathed Brandon, fed Matty and put the dishes in the dishwasher. We put Brandon to bed and while I finished the Christmas cards, he gave the baby his bottle while laying on the couch. I wish I'd had the energy to get up and get the camera in the kitchen because once Matty fell asleep, he curled up on Eric's chest, and he looked just like a kitty sleeping in a cat bed. His little head was on top of one arm, the other was along his side, and his legs were together at an angle. It was so cute! It just reminded me of how much Brandon's grown (he used to sleep on his daddy like that too), and how very soon Matty too will be too big to sleep on his daddy.

*Sniff*, *Cough*, AchOOO!

Remember how I mentioned that Murphy like to toy with me when I call in sick to work? Well, he got me good this time! I have felt like s**t the last two days in particular, with sinus headaches and an almost constant stuffy nose, not mention my usual sneezing fits. In spite of my sickly disposition, I did manage to address more than half of the Christmas cards last night, and I mailed out the out-of-state ones this afternoon. The local ones are going out tomorrow. Hubby is on his way home and once he's here, he's on baby duty while I finish the cards ,take a shower, and go to bed. Hopefully I'll get better for tomorrow and be able to enjoy the holiday party.

Holidays = Little Productivity

Christmas is a week away, and already my office is in Holiday Mode. About a quarter of the office is out on vacation. The rest of us are "working" and gaining weight with the various gift baskets that arrive daily. Today it's homemade chocolate cake and a tray of cookies.
Tomorrow is our departmental holiday party, we're leaving at 11:30 to make it to the venue by 12:30. Afterwards, we're free to go home. Thursday is our in-office party, hosted by the supervisors, and it takes place between noon and 2pm. There will be little working, if at all, afterwards. Friday is well, Friday. Next Monday we leave early, obviously no work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are "normal" days, and I'm off Friday the 28th and Monday the 31st.
I love the holidays, don't you?! ;-)

Team Think

Now that my cousin is expecting, and the rest of us are done procreating, it’s as good as time as any to come up with a "team" name and create a design for the kids. The particular sport can be determined later, if at all. I just like the novelty of them having cute little matching shirts. I like www.bluecotton.com because their design studio is not only easy to use, it lets you browse their catalog of over 9,000 images, and use other features like adding text, using multiple colors, even adding a distress effect to the image. They feature everything from athletic jerseys to custom fraternity t-shirts to canvas totes and handbags. But I’m getting ahead of myself, we’ve got to come up with a name first. Any suggestions?

Still Celebrating!!

My dad and stepmom threw me a "surprise" birthday party yesterday afternoon. It was supposed to be a surprise, and it was also supposed to be last weekend, but since hubby and I went to the debate (note to self: blog about it before the next president is elected!!) and I needed them to watch the boys while we were there, she told me about it in case I had plans for this weekend. It was very nice, and I received a few lovely gifts from friends and family. Claudia and Christian went too, and it was lots of fun to see the boys all playing together. By the boys I mean Brandon and my three nephews, Christian, and my stepmom's nephew, with Matty crawling after them. I'm waiting for my sister to send me the pictures she took and I will put them on flickr once I get them. I know a lot of people feel gipped when they are born in December, but I love that I get to celebrate all month long! =D

Willpower

I was just told a secret and I'm supposed to keep it to myself for an undisclosed amount of time. I've been forbidden from sharing it, including blogging it, until the secret becomes shareable. I will, for the sake of the holder of the secret, but it will be no small task. I guess this can be considered blogging it without "blogging it", right?

p.s. I will not be clarifying any guesses about the secret, so don't ask. kthanxbye!

Furnishings

On Saturday, I spent most of day shopping with my Godmother and the boys. She had a few Christmas presents to buy, and I never say no to shopping, even if it’s just to browse. When we left the mall, we took a shortcut back to the expressway through a street with several discount furniture warehouses and I made a mental note* to tell hubby we should go there when we’re ready to purchase our new dining room set. We've always wanted to browse through those stores and see what they offer, but have never had a chance.

*-posting about it serves as a mental note. ;-)

I'm going to be an aunt again!!!

My cousin, the one married to my stepbrother, is pregnant! She's eight weeks along this week. We're all hoping for a girl since there are already 5 boys in the family, but then again, she might feel left out and outnumbered. Priority number one, of course, is that he or she is healthy. YAY! We're so excited!!! =)

Pull out the sweaters!

It was 50 degrees at 6:30 this morning. It is now 54 degrees, and it shouldn't get any higher than 65. That makes me very happy. It just doesn't feel like Christmas if it's 90 degrees outside. It's supposed to stay chilly through Wednesday. I hope it's chilly through next Wednesday! ;-)

Is it just me...

...or does anyone else think of The Little Rascals movie when they hear "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker? K had it played during the reception yesterday, and I had a mental picture of Alfalfa singing it to Darla. I almost burst into giggles at a most inappropriate time.

A Side Note

I was on the verge of a serious migraine headache while driving to the ceremony yesterday. On the way there, We passed several young drivers with speaker systems in their cars, including one in a pick-up truck with the huge boom speakers under a tonneau cover. I must definitely be getting old because I can’t handle that blasted music anymore, even though just a few short years ago I didn’t mind it at all.

Before, During and After K's Wedding

I took Friday off and spent most of the morning and early afternoon looking for a dress shirt for Matty for my friend K's wedding that evening. No luck, but fortunately I had a white oxford button-down shirt that did the job. Somehow, the two-hour window I designated for us to get ready before leaving for the church was not enough, and we left the house half an hour late. Thankfully, we were actually early; in fact, we were the first ones from the wedding party there. If you know me, you know what a miracle that was!
The good news is that Brandon walked up and down the aisle perfectly. The bad news is that both boys were not on their best behavior. Matty was quite irritable and wanted not only to be carried, but to be carried while I was standing. Brandon would not sit still in the pew. I guess it could have been worse, but I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped to.
Both the ceremony and reception were very emotional and included many memorable moments. Some I was able to document (pics now on flickr), but others were of the "you had to be there" kind. We got home at about 1am, and hubby woke up at 8am this morning to go to work. I hope we'll get to catch up on our sleep tonight...

Almost feels like I got a new car!

Hubby had taken my car in for service on Tuesday. We picked it up this afternoon, and $900 later we've got four brand new tires, balanced and aligned, new struts, new front brakes, the front-right idler arm was replaced, and they threw in an oil change. It's a big dent in our pockets, but ensuring our safety is worth it. Maybe I'll splurge on a car wash during the weekend, make her look as good as she feels...

Starting our Spring Cleaning a Little Early...

So far, I don’t have any major plans this weekend. Hubby may be off on Saturday, so I want to take advantage and do some things around the house. One of the first things on the list is organize the outdoor storage room (Is it considered a shed if it is part of the house?). Our holiday bins are piled up in our breakfast area because of the disarray in that room. There’s no way to walk in there right now, much less put back the stuff that belongs inside. Once we take everything out and sweep the floor (lots of cobwebs and leaves and stuff sneak in under the door), we want to set up little areas inside: one area for holiday storage, including those bins; another area for tool storage and gardening supplies; and another for the boys’ things like Brandon’s bike and scooter, and the mini T-ball and basketball games. Stuff will just be in piles for now though because we have to buy some shelving, but I think it will be much easier to get stuff in and out of there once it’s organized.

Brandonism, Wedding edition

Yesterday afternoon, in traffic, waiting for a green light next to a shopping center:

Brandon: Mommy, look at that princess dress in that store.
Me: No baby, that's not a princess dress. It's a wedding dress.
Brandon: Who is it that's getting married?
Me: K
Brandon: Mommy, we have to buy K a wedding dress.
Me: She already bought her dress baby, but that's very nice of you.

How cute was that?!

Murphy's at it again!

So I called in sick yesterday in order to chaperone Brandon's field trip to see Madeline's Christmas only to actually get sick. It never fails: whenever I call in sick, I actually do get sick. I woke up slightly congested and my throat was a little sore. I ended the day with a terrible sinus headache and a very sore throat. I couldn't call in sick today because I'm off on Friday for K's wedding. Brandon woke up with a persistent cough too, and we've been treating him with the nebulizer so he gets better quickly. I hope we're both better tomorrow, if not it will put quite a damper on the festivities.

About the FCAT

I've been saying this for quite some time. There's too much emphasis on the FCAT, and not enough on being prepared for the "real world". I know this was a long time ago, but when I was in school, there was no FCAT. I did just fine. I was in honors and advanced classes, and had a pretty decent GPA (3.2 or so). It could have been higher, but it was due to laziness on my part, not the ability to learn or my teachers' efforts. If the FCAT is not as accurate as they speculated, why not go back to the way things were before? Am I just too naive about this?

Work Woes

I don’t usually talk about work, but today is one of those days where I’m overly frustrated. My supervisor called in sick, which means I’ve been dealing with our director’s wrath. There were some budget cuts recently, and they want us to collect more from the departments we deal with to increase our revenues, but the real solution is decreasing our expenses. 20 out of 35 employees went to a four-day conference last week, and it was not necessary for that many people to go. We were renting additional office space for over six months before it was utilized, and now that some workers have moved into that space, six cubicles were left empty in our main office. That move was completely unnecessary. But unfortunately, they won’t see what they don’t want to see. Not even a business performance management evaluation will change that.