Em and the Possibilities There are no guarantees in life…only the possibilities

The MUD I play has a Cafe Press store.

In this store, they have this little beauty

So tell me… would YOU wear a thong that said “burning lands” on it? (Because when I think about it, I think about trips to The Clinic for antibiotics.)

‘Twas the day after Christmas
and all through the house
The OCD Mommy
was starting to grouse.

The stockings were flung
’round the room with glee
The packages had been yanked
from under the tree.

“Be careful!” she exclaimed
“Don’t lose those small parts!”
But they ignored her and played on,
those endearing little farts.

She dashed around the room
quick as a wink
wielding the mop
to clean up a spilled drink.

Her eyes, how they glared
her nose, how it flared
“They’re doing it on purpose!
I didn’t think they’d DARE!”

As she surveyed her domain,
an idea rang true
“I’ll throw them in the bath -
it’s the PERFECT thing to do.”

I kept getting interrupted, so I couldn’t quite get my hands on an ending. Given the nature of the subject material, I thought it best if I went ahead and published it anyway.

We did our ONE gift for the night, and I have to send kudos to my sister-in-law for the absolute most awesome fake-out ever.

Alannah has been shaking the box with her name on it ever since it got here, absolutely CONVINCED that it was a CD, and if she shook the box *just right* maybe she would psychically figure out which CD it was (but PLEASE gawd let it be Kelly Clarkson, please?).

Folks, my brother is a Baptist Preacher. His wife is a Very Fitting Example of a Pastor’s Wife.

I don’t think they even know who Kelly Clarkson is.

She tore off the ribbon and paper. It was a cake mix box taped shut. She ran for the box knife and sliced through it like Michael Myers.

There was another box inside – this time an Altoids tin. I started giggling insanely, singing “You gotta box of miiiiints” at her.

She was NOT amused.

She opened the Altoids tin. Inside was a business card and an envelope folded up a billion times over. I started singing “You didn’t get any miiiiiiints”.

I got glared at.

She unfolded the envelope carefully, with a frowny inquisitive look at it, hoping something coooool would magically fall out of the folds. Can ya guess what happened next?

The envelope was sealed with more tape.

With a mighty roar of frustration that only a hormonal pre-teen could muster, she shredded the envelope with her bare hands.

You’d think it was a telephone book with the effort she used.

So after all that, what in the world could POSSIBLY be in the envelope?

A gift card to The Evil Empire.

Eliza tagged “The Original Tink”, so I’m going to ASSume she’s talking about me

1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider?

Yes, thank you.

2. Turkey or Ham?

This year, it’s standing rib roast.

3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?

We’ve been doing the fake tree for years now. It’s nice to know what to expect when you take the tree out of storage.

4. Decorations on the outside of your house?

Newp.

5. Snowball fights or sleddin’?

Sleddin. We live at the bottom of a kickin hill

6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?

I’d rather have a wisdom tooth extracted during natural childbirth.

7. Favorite Christmas song?

I have to pick one??!!?? Only one??!!??

8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?

Once is enough.

9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?

Before Thanksgiving.

10. Stockings before or after presents?

When we did them, stockings were a Christmas Eve event.

11. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?

People really do that? Who’d'a thunk it??!!??

12. Go to someone else’s house or they come to you?

When I was a child, we always went to my Mamaw’s. Now we stay home. I guess that means “neither”.

13. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?

The children’s book version is added to the bedtime story pile the week before Christmas. We don’t usually read the story from the Bible unless we’re in a church service.

14. What do you do after presents and dinner?

Sit back with the camera and watch the kids ignore the toys and play with the boxes.

15. What is your favorite holiday smell?

Mulling spices gently competing with Mamaw’s Tea Cakes baking.

16. Ice skating or walking around the mall?

See #6.

17. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?

We open one present on Christmas Eve (if you’ve been GOOD!), and the rest on Christmas day.

18. Favorite Christmas memory?

They’re mostly “had to be there” moments.

19. Favorite part about winter?

It leads into spring.

20. Ever been kissed under mistletoe?

Newp.

21. Tagging…
My gift to my friends – I’m not going to tag anyone specifically.
If you feel the urge to answer the questions, knock yerself out.

I can now officially blog with a Firefox plugin.

Life is suhWEET!

Check it out – Performancing

Update: OK, so it posted to the blog, but it didn’t carry through the syndication. C’est la vie.

First of all, I’d like to let those with sticker shock know – all or almost of this stuff can be had for MUCH less than the retail prices I posted. My reason for posting retail is to allow me to compare the used price + shipping vs new….as in: if I buy it all new from one place and get free shipping for having a large order, will that outweigh the used price from different sources + shipping.

Make sense?

The other post was mostly stuff for the boys. The spanish program will be used by all 3 children, so I’m not really worried about the price ($339 divided by 3 children = $113 per child. Not a bad price for such a good program.)

I’m still doing a good bit of research on what we’ll be doing next year for Alannah. She’s not too crazy about the system we’ve got, and I absolutely refuse to let her do what she wants to (which is to sit on the computer all day).

to tell you that This thing RAWKS OUT LOUD!

That is all.

I’m making tentative plans for the next school year. Come! Look at my shopping list, and fear my budget-busting abilities!

Rosetta Stone Spanish I and II (set) $339

Music Ace Deluxe $50

Building Thinking Skills Primary $23

Manipulatives for Building Thinking Skills Primary $40

Story of the World, Vol 1 $14

SOTW Activity Book $24

I’ll have to revisit this topic later tonight, I’m being interrupted.

Non-whiny, but muttering.

1. Stalker:: psycho
2. Outrageous:: it’s CRAZY! (ScatCat from The Aristocats)
3. Carrying::the weight of the world
4. Spirited::child
5. Oh!::YES!
6. Grid:: lines
7. Country::music (no thanks!)
8. Karen::Carpenter
9. Candles::lit
10. Relationship::counselling

I’d like to talk about My Life. There’s a problem, you see…for every blog-worthy good thing that happens to me, there are 50 gajillion whine-worthy things.

I hate feeling like I’m whining.

Even when the whine is justified.

(and I feel like I’m whining almost every time I post.)

Right now, Dan is telling me “you’re in the WRONG SPOT” through clenched teeth because he wants to play nickjr.com.

Joe is in the bathroom merrily unrolling the tp while he sits and *ahem* thinks.

Alannah is upset. Horribly, awfully upset. Y’see, she went skating last night. Her new-to-you rollerblades need new wheels, so she ended up renting skates ANYWAY. A boy tripped her in the snack bar. Her wrist still hurts. A lot.

She won’t let me take her to the ER for an x-ray. She’s afraid she’s broken another bone – and it’s the same arm.

Our choices are to go to the ER, or for her to “man up” and wait til the Dr. office opens on Monday. Thus far, she’s elected to “man up” with SERIOUS whine (no cheese).

Did I mention she’s upset?

Mom, bless her heart pointed out that it might only be cracked.

Thanks for the comforting words, Mom.

Update -For those concerned that I may not be taking my daughter’s pain and “possibly broken” arm seriously, I offer this conversation:

Alannah, how bad is your pain on a scale of 1-10, with when you broke your arm being a 10.

It’s about an 8?

OK, then we’ll need to go to the ER.

How long will that take?

No guarantees – we could be in and out in 2 hours, it could be 2AM. It depends on how busy they are.

Oh, OK. *walks off and has a whispered conversation with B*
“Mom, I’ve come to a decision. I want to go to B’s house and hang out, and we can go to the ER tomorrow after church.”

I soooooo don’t think so.