Monday, Monday

Happy President's Day!  Or as we used to say when I was a kid, George Washington's birthday.  It used to be specifically about George Washington, then about Washington and Lincoln, then about all the presidents.  Our poor first president has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy.  I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye.  Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners.  When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it.  Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous.  The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time.  I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture.  I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.

After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day.  I did do my Bible study, but that was it.  I didn't even put the laundry away.  As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time.  I've become an expert at wasting it.  This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten.  Well, that's gonna have to change.  And fast.

I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza.  Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy.  The first two are young girls.  I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy.  Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age.  I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed.  Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show.  I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow.  MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking.  I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school.  I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.

I did go online for something else: dress shopping.  I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing.  Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's.  I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do.  I decided to check out New York and Company again.  Score!  They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98!  It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion.  I know I'll get some use out it.  It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it.  I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses.  I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect.  I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!

Our temperatures are going haywire again.  Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56.  Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight.  It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots!  Yes, South Floridians wear boots.  It's quite comical.

I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed.  Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too.  I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope).  Good night, ya'll.  

Tackling Tuesdays

I don't understand why people complain about Mondays so much.  Seems to me, Tuesdays are way more dramatic than Mondays.  Everyone's too tired on Mondays to start any trouble.  Tuesdays the energy level is back and the weekend is far off.  That's when I usually expect the unexpected.

Today was a less hectic day than we should have had, considering it's semester finals week.  We couldn't do any of the exams until after class, and his first class was at 10:00, so E didn't even get out of bed till 9:45 (I woke him up at 9:30 but he went back to sleep).  His first class was English: a review for their final.  The teacher explained everything that they could expect to see on the test, and was very thorough.  Afterwards was his leadership class, and that was pretty exciting.  The class read the book Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom, and he was skype'd in to the class to talk to them.  That was so neat!  Like I told my son, he wouldn't have had that experience in public school.  The kids were able to ask questions, and be both inspired and encouraged by the wonderful stories he told.  My son also used this book when he did his book report for English.  I highly recommend this book, especially for teens.  Mawi Asgedom's story is incredible, and it teaches that with faith and perseverance anything is possible.

While my son listened to his classes I kept busy.  I cleaned the kitchen, swept the floors (I was amazed at how much dog hair was on the floor again), did a load of laundry, cleaned the hall bathroom and started lunch.  Today's menu was meatloaf patties with mashed potatoes.  Meatloaf patties are basically meatloaf that, rather than being baked in the oven, is made into patties and fried.  They look like Salisbury steaks but they taste like meatloaf.  My kids love meatloaf patties.  I prefer to make regular meatloaf because it's less of a mess, but to please them I made the patties.  As I was stirring the gravy, it bubbled and landed on my hand, on that flesh under the thumb.  It hurt so bad!!  I now have a blister there after hours of putting an ice pack on it because it was burning so bad.  I put aloe lotion on it too, to help it heal faster and to soothe it.  Cooking can be hazardous.

After lunch I had my son take his English final.  There were 24 questions: 21 multiple choice and 3 short essays.  There was a lot of reading comprehension questions but I think he did pretty well.  I say I think, because usually when he takes a test, the program will tell him how many of the multiple choice questions he got right, and he has to wait till the teacher checks the essay questions to get a final grade.  This time when he finished the test, he simply got a message that said, "Responses Saved."  Apparently the teacher set the exam so that she has to review it completely.  He's still waiting on his grade for his thesis.  His English teacher told the class she would work as quickly as possible but it would take some time to go through all the papers and get them graded.  So I don't know when E will get his grade, but for now, he's finished with 4 finals and has two left:  science and algebra.  The two hardest exams.  Lord help us.

When he was finally done I sat down to relax a bit, then decided I should go ahead and do my nails.  I took my old polish off, then remembered today is Tuesday.  Tuesdays are running days.  I knew the pastor that leads the group wouldn't be there; he's out of town at a conference.  I also hadn't heard from my running buddy, so I thought I'd just continue doing my nails.  I'd just finished painting them when my running buddy called.  It was 7:00, and she wanted to go out at 7:30.  I knew my nails would be dry by then, and I also knew E needed an extra half hour of school to finish off his day, so I told her we'd go.  I huffed and puffed on those nails till they were pretty much set, then changed into my running gear and we left.  We actually didn't run; we walked for 2 1/2 miles.  It was breezy out, which was good because it's also muggy.  I was glad I went.  I haven't been exercising as regularly as I should, and I really need to get back into a regular routine.  Right after finals.

I showered once we got home, then I checked to see if Shelbey had posted anything on her blog about a new Bare Minerals product I've been interested in called Complexion Rescue.  She had!  Since Shelbey works at a Bare Minerals retailer, she sometimes gets access to products before the public does.  She did a great review on this product.  It's a combination BB cream, CC cream, and tinted moisturizer.  So it gives some coverage while also being good for the skin.  I love this idea for days when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup but I also don't want to go out looking like a troll.  Complexion Rescue is supposed to be released in stores on January 22, but it looks like Ulta already has it.  I plan to wait till it's available on the Bare Minerals website.  The lotion costs $29, but I have a $10 off coupon from Bare Minerals, so I can get it for $19 if I order it from the website or purchase it from one of their boutiques/authorized dealers.  I'm willing to wait if it means getting a bargain!

My son R was feeling pretty bad again today.  Not sneezing, like before, nor even coughing so much.  His eyes, however, were red and swollen.  It looked to me like he'd popped some blood vessels from coughing so hard.  He texted me from work, saying that an eye doctor had stopped at the store, took one look at him and told him it's pink eye.  She wants to see him at her office tomorrow, but he has to be at work tomorrow at 9:45 am.  I don't know how he's gonna work that out, but if it is pink eye he needs to take care of it right away.  I really don't think he should be working, especially since he deals with the public, but the guy that is in charge of the liquor store is on sick leave, and the only other people that can work in the liquor store are my son and another lady.  I hope the store will be understanding and let him go see the doctor.

I guess that's it for today.  Hmm, now that I think about it, it wasn't such a dramatic day after all.  Well, except when I got burned.  I'll admit, I was pretty dramatic.  But it hurt, it really did!  I think I'll go get some rest now.  Good night and God bless.

2015, A New Year Begins With Cheer, Ends With Sadness

The year ended with a bang - or rather, a whole lot of bangs.  Man those fireworks were loud!  I wish I could say we were partying and celebrating with lots of horns and streamers.  Nope; we were home, my 2 youngest and I, and we hugged and said Happy New Year, then went to bed.  R, my oldest, did go out with his friends, but the rest of us relaxed at home and tried to keep Molly calm.  All the noise made her jumpy.  We ushered in the new year the way we'd like to live the rest of the year:  quietly, peacefully, joyfully.

I slept later than usual this morning.  It was 7:30 before I opened my eyes.  There's only one reason that ever happens: I'm not feeling all too great.  My allergies and my sinuses are not working well together, and it seems the allergies are winning.  I've had to take my allergy medicine twice today which is unusual this time of year.  My eyes are itchy too; I wondered last night if it was the makeup that was making my eyes itch, but I'm not wearing any now and still they are itchy and watery if I don't take my sinus medicine.  I'm really praying the weather makes a change.  It's warm and humid out, and that's making the pollen happy and me unhappy.  I've heard others are suffering as well.  If only it would rain, and the temperatures would drop, we'd all feel a whole lot better.

Today has been "put away the Christmas decor" day.  I need to get it all packed up before Monday when school starts up again.  I've gotten a lot done, but I'm not nearly finished.  I started at 10:30 this morning, after having breakfast and watching Shelbey's new video on her 2014 favorites.  The first step is to put away all the ceramic music playing figurines in their respective boxes.  This is probably what takes me the longest.  I have kept each of the boxes and packing material that my collectibles have come in.  This not only keeps them protected, it helps them retain their value.  Not that I'm selling them anytime soon; I don't think their that valuable yet anyway.  But to me they are.  I began selling Christmas Around The World before my son E was born, almost 20 years ago, and each year I added on to my extensive collection.  Each piece has memories attached to them, and I want to preserve them as long as I can.  So I bring the boxes out and get to work packing them away.  Once that's done, the tree has to be put away and the furniture put back in its place.  My daughter wants me to leave all the furniture the way it is; she thinks it's pretty comfortable.  Besides, she and her brothers do most of the moving, and I'm sure she's trying to get out of having to do it ;-).  I said I'd think about it.  The biggest issue is the furniture that's in the living room.  That's the first room in the house, the room everyone comes into when they enter our home, and the furniture in there right now is what the kids had when they were in college up in Central Florida 3 years ago.  You'd think that furniture that's only 3 years old would look pretty decent, but these were purchased at a furniture outlet store at a cheap price.  The furniture is all saggy and uncomfortable.  It isn't dirty, but because it sags it looks dingy.  I'm not in a position to buy new furniture right now, so I've covered the sofa with a blanket to try and hide how bad it looks.  It's not working too well.  That's why I prefer to have the sofa and love seat in the family room, where it isn't seen.  That isn't very accurate, though.  Whenever we have people over, they all congregate in the kitchen and family room anyway.  My dream would be to get Laz-Y-Boy furniture for the living room.  We got Laz-Y-Boy for the family room about 12 years ago, and that's the furniture we have there now.  It is the most comfortable furniture I've ever sat on, even after having it all these years.  It has been our everyday furniture, too, not the fancy stuff that nobody sits on.  This furniture has taken a beating, yet it still looks nice.  Maybe I need to start saving for that.

My daughter volunteered to bring pizza which was welcome since I was tired from working.  We took a break to eat, and afterwards I decided I'd put as much away as I was going to for the day.  So I started cleaning up the kitchen, and my phone rang.  We had been waiting for this news, but it's still painful to hear.  Grandma Maria has gone to be with Jesus.  She lived a long and fulfilling life; now her pain has ended, and she can be at peace.  For the family it is very difficult, even though the news was expected.  She was and will always be much loved.  Saying goodbye is never easy.

My niece and nephews will be coming to stay overnight, since their mom has to take care of the details.  So tonight's post will close a bit early as we grieve our loss and rejoice at heaven's gain.  Remember to hug your loved ones today.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Good night.

Happy Day Before Christmas!

No more counting down days - it's hours away!  This month has been a whirlwind of activities and preparation, and now the big day is almost here!  I can feel the excitement in the air!

My day started off differently than I'd anticipated.  Which doesn't surprise me anymore.  I've come to accept the fact that I'm not really in control (though it hasn't yet stopped me from trying).  Last night one of my sweet neighbors sent over a flan, a dessert that I absolutely love, and hers is especially yummy.  After dinner I had me a nice slice.  It was all creamy goodness as always.  I went to sleep at 11:00.  At 2:00 I was awake and feeling sick to my stomach.  How is it I forgot that I'm lactose intolerant?!  It's not like those issues go away with the holidays!  I was awake for about an hour feeling nauseous, then dozed off and dreamed about being nauseous.  I wanted to sleep in but that wasn't going to be possible.  My cousin called last night and asked if I would watch her kids till 10:00 am so she could go to a doctor's appointment.  She was dropping the kids off around 8:00 so I had to be up before they got here.  That was my first indication that the planned schedule was not going to go as planned.

I got up, got dressed, and started breakfast.  The kids got here as I was starting to watch a new video Shelbey put up.  I hadn't had my breakfast, and neither had they.  Good thing their mom brought them cereal because one of the kids has severe allergies, and all 3 of them are picky eaters.  She said she'd be back by 10:00 but I doubted that very much.  Even on Christmas Eve, when everyone should want to go home early, doctors never get you out on time.  I was right.  She picked them up closer to noon.  To top it off, two of the kids have colds, and the youngest (he's 5) was coughing up a lung and complaining of a headache.  He really wanted to play, especially since I'd given him his belated birthday present, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle golf game, but he just didn't feel well.  His sister (she's 8) was also coughing quite a bit.  The middle child (he's 7) is the one with the allergies.  I thought he would be calm today since he'd taken his allergy medicine in the morning, but instead he was more active and cranky than usual.  I'd told them I had a lot of things to do but they demand lots of attention.  I tidied up the one bathroom and that was about all I could do, other than preparing the stuffing for the turkey.  By the time they left I was exhausted, and there was still plenty to get done.

I managed to get the turkey into the oven at 12:40.  I use the Alton Brown method:  brine the turkey the night before, then roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes (he does 500 degrees but that'll smoke up the house), then reduce to 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.  That would give me time to get myself ready for church.  Lunch was leftover stuffing and Tyson chicken tenders for me and my youngest son.  Both my older kids were at work; my daughter would be leaving directly from the office to the church service so neither would be home for lunch.  Something quick and simple was our best bet.

After lunch I showered and washed my hair.  I decided to do my makeup first, then blow dry and style my hair.  I'd just gotten my primer on when I heard something slam against the front door and Molly go berserk barking.  Who in the world was knocking that hard on the door?!  I went to see what was going on, and spotted a FedEx truck outside my door.  I wondered if it could be...but no, that wasn't possible.  It couldn't be my package from Bare Escentuals, because FedEx had already informed me yesterday that they didn't have the package.  "Surely it must be something R ordered," I thought.  I opened the door and the package was right in front.  I could not believe it.  It was my Bare Escentuals order.  The order I'd called about just the day before.  The package that FedEx supposedly never picked up.  The order that was cancelled and the charge reversed on my credit card, that was being duplicated at that very moment.  I opened the box to verify that I wasn't going crazy.  I wasn't.  My order was there, complete.  I immediately got on the phone and called Bare Escentuals to let them know my package had arrived and not to ship out the duplicate order, as it wasn't needed.  I asked for the lady I'd spoken to yesterday, but she's on another floor, so another lady asked if she could be of assistance.  I explained the whole situation to her, made it clear the error was on FedEx's part and not Bare Escentuals, and that they needn't ship out the second order.  There was a short pause, then the woman thanked me profusely for my honesty in letting them know that I had in fact received the first order.  I hadn't really thought about it, but FedEx never got a signature for the package they'd just delivered.  There was no proof the package had been received.  Of course that was something I couldn't do; I may be able to fool FedEx or Bare Escentuals, but I can't fool Jesus, and He's the one I answer to.  The woman put me on hold to figure out what could be done; she came back twice to let me know she was working on it.  Then she passed me through to the woman who had helped me yesterday.  When I told her that my package had arrived and that FedEx must have not scanned it (probably in the chaos of holiday shipments), she again thanked me for my honesty, told me she was so happy my order had arrived in time for Christmas, and since I had been so honest and patient through the whole thing, I was not going to be charged for the order.  Say What?!?!  This order totaled $116!  I had to ask again because I thought for sure I'd heard the wrong thing.  No no, there was no mistake.  Once the order was credited in their system it couldn't be rebilled, so this was their gift to me.  I was absolutely floored!  I proceeded to gush, not gonna lie, about their excellent customer service, their professionalism, and what a joy it was to deal with such an efficient company.  She was all gratitude and kindness.  I love the Bare Minerals line, the product is amazing, and after this experience I can say they have a customer for life!  Half the items in the package were products my daughter had ordered, and the other half were mine.  I got two gift bags out, separated and packed the products, then labeled each From: Bare Escentuals.  My daughter and I are both so thrilled to get this last minute Christmas gift!  I know it was a mix-up, but it wasn't Bare Escentuals mistake.  They had every right to bill me for the products, yet chose not to.  I know God had a hand in this, that this is a gift He is sending me, and my gratitude knows no bounds.  What a Christmas to remember!

Church service was beautiful.  Pastor Bob did a great job explaining the true Christmas story (with all the glory but none of the glam), and we rejoiced in seeing several people come forward on this special day to receive Christ as their Savior.  It never ceases to move me and bring tears to my eyes, knowing these people have made the best and most important decision of their lives, to follow Jesus and live for Him.  The service started at 5:00; it was so weird going in while it was still light outside, then coming out after service was done and it was dark.  It was pouring rain too.  It had been humid out when we first got there, but once the rain started the humidity shot up.  When I got home, I looked like I'd stuck my finger in an electric socket.  Ugh, frizzy hair!  I had to fix it as soon as I got home or else it would look like a something the cat coughed up for the rest of the week.   We're supposed to be getting more rain tomorrow as well.  Good thing we stay indoors for Christmas!

It was almost 7:00 when we got home, and E said his dad would be picking him up between 7 and 8, so I sliced up the turkey and got some stuffing for us to eat (since we were all starving).  The turkey turned out delicious.  Thanks again Alton Brown!  We watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special while we ate and talked; it was very relaxing.  E got a call from his dad, who was running late and wouldn't pick him up till 9.  So we started watching videos on youtube of "alternate" movie endings.  They were hilarious!  Finally his dad came to get him.  This is the sad part for me; we used to have big family Christmases, but that ended when J and I separated.  To be honest, I don't miss the gatherings.  Well, I should say, I don't miss what they've become.  When my older kids were little, getting the whole family together for Christmas was lots of fun.  There were a bunch of little kids, and we played games or watched movies or listened to music and danced.  We thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Then Christmas became a time of complaining.  My m-i-l is especially negative about anything and everything.  There never seemed to be anything good to say about anyone.  You could almost feel the joy being sucked out of the room.  I would try to change the subject but to no avail; I'd eventually end up in another part of the house watching television or chatting with someone, which got me the title of "anti-social" because I didn't want to join in on the complaint wagon.  That part of family Christmas I don't miss.  Having my son leave with his dad and not having him with me on Christmas Eve, that part I don't like.  But I understand that he wants to spend some time with his cousins (even though I know he would love staying home just as much).  My older kids don't go with their dad.  It's awkward for them to be around the family knowing they accept J's girlfriend.  These past 3 years have been difficult in that sense.  I am thankful to God that He has seen me through all the holidays and heartaches, and that He has given me peace. 

It's close to 11:00 now, and my internet is acting up. My son R is in his way home, and my youngest won't be here for a while. Besides, there'll be plenty to post about tomorrow! Good night, God bless, and Merry Christmas to all. 

The Countdown Continues...4 More Days

It's the last Sunday before Christmas.  A day of worship, reflection, relaxation...well, maybe not that last one.

Since I gave myself a manicure last night I couldn't do my hair, so I woke up early to get that done.  Early meaning 7:30 am.  Which for me isn't early, since I'm usually up by 6:30 - 7:00.  But it's Sunday, and I haven't been feeling my best.  Truth is, I woke up at 6:30 but didn't get out of bed till 7:30.  I showered and washed my hair, then went to the kitchen to get breakfast done.  All Sunday school classes were cancelled, and there was gonna be one big class at 9:45 am, which meant I had plenty of time, I guessed.  I was feeling slow this morning, and I noticed I was coughing a lot, but not the kind of cough like when you have a cold.  Coughing like when you're short of breath.  I sat down to eat my Eggo waffle, wheat toast with apple butter, sausages and coffee, while I watched Shelbey's latest video.  When I was done it was already 8:30 am and I hadn't dried my hair, done my makeup or finished getting dressed.  I woke my youngest son up and went to finish getting ready.  The coughing and shortness of breath continued, till I knew I wasn't going to get very far without my inhaler.  I don't suffer from severe asthma, but whenever I get a cold I have to be careful because it will quickly develop into bronchitis.  After I use the inhaler I get the shakes, which meant I had to kind of wait a bit before I could go out and drive to church, so we didn't go to Sunday school.  I think it's better that way; no reason for me to be spreading my undesirable germs.

I decided that, even if I didn't feel my best, I should look my best, and festive as well.  I wore a white button down blouse with a gold colored shimmery tank underneath, and a bright red skirt.  The skirt and tank top matched my manicure :-).  I did my eye makeup using the Dazzle set that I got this week, and added a gold toned eye primer.  It turned out really nice!  When I got to church I saw that I wasn't the only one who had decided to dress for the holiday - at least 85% of the women had on red tops, skirts or dresses.  We looked like we were part of a performance!   We sang Christmas songs, then Pastor taught on Luke 2:8-11, on the angels announcing the birth of Christ.  He explained that the original Christmas message was one of "good tidings of great joy".  It had nothing to do with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, money, stress, family feuds, or any of the negativity that is so prominent in today's Christmas celebrations.  It was about having great joy because God sent the greatest gift of all, His Son Jesus.  It's not to say that giving gifts and having family meals is wrong; we have just misplaced our priority.  We were challenged to focus on the joy of the season this year, even with the few days before Christmas that are left.  It was such an inspiring sermon.  A great way to start Christmas week.

I was feeling a bit better by the time I got home.  Not great, but better.  Well enough to start my baking right after lunch.  Each year I give my neighbors baked goods for Christmas.  Whether it's cake or cookies, they know to expect something from me.  Problem is, I've started late this year because of homeschooling.  I meant to start right after my birthday; that was a week ago.  I decided my best bet to get everything done in a short amount of time would be cupcakes.  I use Duncan Hines cake mixes, and I can get 24 cupcakes from one package.  I would be able to get cupcakes to all my neighbors who have kids with just a couple of packages.  I went with confetti and devil's food flavors because kids love sprinkles and chocolate, and because the only frostings I have are vanilla with sprinkles and chocolate.  That made my choices a bit limited.

I also did laundry.  My oldest son is off today but he works the next three days, so I figured I'd get all his uniforms cleaned today and not have to think about it.  My daughter will be working at the church this week but not tutoring.  The tutoring school has the same schedule as public school, so when public school is out she is off, except in the summer when there's summer school.  She is so happy to have some time off!  My youngest son hasn't finished his PE assignment, but since it isn't really due until January 18, and he has so much of it done already, I'm not concerned.  I may have him do it next week if he's bored, or maybe the beginning of this week.  I'll play it by ear.  Thursday is Christmas and Saturday is his birthday so I can't bog him down with schoolwork on those days.  Goodness, what kind of mother would I be if I did?!

I remembered I had promised pictures of the products I'd received from Bare Escentuals.  So I got out my trusty Canon, set up my makeup, started taking pictures...and the battery on my camera died :P.  I did get a few pictures so I'll give a little recap of these items.  I probably will wait until my other order arrives and do the rest then.

This is my Delight and Dazzle set.  I didn't keep the box; I should have, at least till I'd taken the pictures, but I was trying to get the house cleaned up for the party and I didn't want stray boxes lying around.  On the right is the Delight set, with peach tones appropriate for daytime.  On the left is the Dazzle set with darker evening colors.  The Dazzle set eyeshadow is called Tantalize and it's a charcoal brown color.  I used it in the outer corner of my eye and it is really pretty.  I've used both sets and like both looks, though I think I'm partial to Dazzle.

The Pretty Wild set is stunning.  I think it's appropriate for both day or night, but probably nighttime more.  The box looks like a book.  When you open it up...

...it has the makeup and a little tutorial.  The eyeshadows are both matte; one is lavender and the other is a mossy green shade.  You wouldn't think these colors would look good together but they absolutely do!  The blush is a highly pigmented pink - a little goes a long way.  The mascara is blue-black.  I have to be honest, I was not impressed with the mascara.  I don't know if it's the blue hue or if maybe the mascara is dry, but I didn't like the way it looked.  The lip gloss, on the other hand, is my favorite part of this set.  It's like a cranberry color that is so beautiful!  I kept this one in the box because the box is really cute.  I was also trying to show off my manicure - unique, huh?

The last kit I was able to get a picture of before the battery on my camera died was the Complexion Superstars.  This set is worth way more than the $22 I paid for it.

The box is silver on the outside and hot pink on the inside, but that's not what's important.  It's why everything is still in the box, because the box is pretty ;-).  What's great is what's inside.  There's a Warmth (bronzer) in medium, which for Warmth is a good size since you only need a little to get a fabulous color.  Then there's Golden Gate, a warm apricot blush which I haven't tried yet.  There's Clear Radiance, a pink highlighter/luminizer with a pink undertone.  Last there are 2 mineral veils, one original and one Illuminating which has some shimmer to it.  I already have the original mineral veil, which is a finishing powder, and since I love it I'm only too glad to have extra.  I tried the Illuminating mineral veil, and it gives a hint of luminosity, not anything overpowering which is good.  Of all the things in this set I think I like Warmth the best.  Oh, it also brings a mini flawless face brush; I already have one but these brushes are great so having an extra one is a bonus.  I use my other mini flawless face brush for under-eye concealing.  I feel like it works better than using a small concealer brush.  My concealer brush is great too, but for under my eyes I like a slightly larger brush.

Okay, back to cupcake delivery.  I was able to get 50 cupcakes from the two cake mixes.  I separated them by 8 per house which meant I'd have enough for 6 of my neighbors, and one cupcake each for my son E and my daughter.  I went to my usual neighbors who were thrilled to get baked goods.  Then we went to the house on the corner.  The folks there moved in this year.  I've seen the husband many times; he has done an incredible job fixing up the house.  The wife I've seen from afar a couple of times.  I told my kids I wanted to take cupcakes to them.  They were a little wary; after all, we don't really know them.  But like I told them, we didn't know our other neighbors at first either.  We had to make the effort to meet them.  The wife came to the door and was so surprised - she was expecting company and met with us instead!  The look on her face spoke volumes.  She was so grateful for us bringing a gift and wishing them Merry Christmas.  Like I told my kids, it used to be common and normal to visit new neighbors and welcome them into the neighborhood, but it doesn't happen as often anymore.  I'm glad God moved in my heart to bring them some Christmas cheer.

I'm gonna sleep well tonight knowing that I brought a smile to the faces of my neighbors.  I thank God for them; we are blessed to live in a great neighborhood with such nice people.  I'm also gonna fall asleep with the Frozen soundtrack running through my head thanks to my daughter ;-).  Good night ya'll.

Birthday Eve

The countdown is almost over - tomorrow is my birthday!  So what am I doing today to get ready?  Housework, of course :P.

I got up nice and early today because I knew my kids were meeting their dad for some more Christmas shopping.  My oldest son had to work, which probably is best since his dad and siblings were shopping for him (I think he is going to be pleasantly surprised).  I got breakfast ready for us and was enjoying Eggo waffles and bacon, when I got an alert that Shelbey had posted a new video.  As soon as I was done eating I went on youtube to watch it.  She does great makeup tutorials which I love watching, but today it was about beauty gifts for Christmas.  She had us laughing quite a bit!  I really do enjoy her videos.

After that it was time for the kids to get ready and me to start cleaning.  I had to beat a pair of my youngest son's pants; he went to get something out of his closet last night and says he saw a cockroach on his sweatpants.  That boy is terrified of cockroaches.  He didn't want to go anywhere today because he didn't want to have to think about what was in his pants :P.  He actually wanted me to take all his clothes out of the closet and wash them because the thought of a bug on his pants grossed him out so bad!  Yeah boy, that ain't happening.  So I beat the pants till he was convinced there was nothing in them, then inspected them for half an hour before putting them on.  It was quite a sight.

Because of our sweet American bulldog Molly shedding so much, I have to vacuum or sweep the floors everyday.  This week I'd swept more than vacuumed, and yesterday I didn't clean the floors at all, so this morning my floors were furry :P.  Once the kids were all gone I got to work vacuuming and mopping up her industrial strength drool.  It was on the sliding glass doors as well, and I had to scrub it to get it off.  I'm not even sure it's completely clean, but I was getting frustrated.  Every time I looked at the glass I saw another smudge of drool.  Ugh!  I love you Molly but can't you keep your saliva inside your mouth?!  And quit all the shedding, girl.  I could make a second dog with all the fur I picked up today!  So I was vacuuming the family room, and the vacuum cleaner got stuck between the two recliners.  I pulled on it to get it loose and something went wrong.  The vacuum cleaner isn't working.  Well, technically it's working, it just isn't vacuuming from the bottom portion, just from the attachment.  Which is a problem.  I'll probably have to turn the thing upside down and figure out what I did to it, or get it repaired.  Dyson vacuum cleaners don't come cheap, so replacing it isn't an option.  I'm gonna have to get it fixed.  Add that to my to do list.

Since all the kids were gone and it was just me, there was no reason to make a big meal for lunch.  I cooked up some Totino's pizza rolls and munched on those.  I also had a butter pecan ice cream bar; it's not as cold out as it's been this week so I could tolerate some ice cream.  The high today was 75 degrees.  It was breezy the whole day so I was able to keep the windows open.  The humidity was 50% which for us is pretty low.  It made the weather very pleasant and enjoyable.

It's been 5 days and my Ulta order has not shipped.  This is out of the ordinary for them, but I imagine it's because of the holiday rush.  I went ahead and emailed them anyway, just to keep them on the alert.  Wonder how long before I get an answer?

At 3:00 I went to take a shower and get ready for tonight's concert.  Last night the Christmas concert at our old church was very contemporary; tonight's concert at our church would be more traditional, with the church and school choirs coming together for a reading and singing.  This concert is a dressy event, with most folks dressed in red dresses, blouses and shirts.  I love that type of tradition, so I pulled out a long sleeved red blouse I'd gotten a couple years ago at Kohl's.  I especially like the ruching around the waist that makes me look thinner ;-).  I paired that with a black skirt with a dark pink pinstripe.  What I love about this skirt, is how the pinstripe mimics the color of the top.  With a pink top the pinstripe looks pink, with a fuschia, plum, magenta, or burgundy top, that's what the pinstripe will reflect.  With my red blouse the pinstripe looked like a light red and matched beautifully.  I had plenty of time to do my hair and makeup, get dressed and be at the church with 10 minutes to spare.  The concert started off well, and we were singing along with some of the old classics.  As Silent Night started to play, I noticed a girl in the back who was moving around, something you aren't supposed to do when you're singing in a choir.  I also saw the girls around her kind of pulling her.  I couldn't understand what was going on till the girl looked up.  She looked kind of spaced out.  I suddenly realized what was happening - she was fainting.  She went down, got back up and continued singing but went down again.  Several people went to help her up but she was in and out of consciousness.  The curtain went down, and we were left to wonder if the girl was alright.  Within a few minutes our worship pastor came out and said the young girl had been overcome apparently by the heat and lights and had passed out.  She was awake and alert but an ambulance had been called to make sure she was okay.  Thankfully the ambulance got there right away and it appears it's nothing serious.  The concert continued after 15 minutes, but it was kind of awkward after that.  Our pastor got up and spoke about the Christmas story, and about 5 people raised their hands in response to the invitation to receive the gift of salvation, the greatest gift of Christmas.  We prayed for the young girl before leaving the church.  Despite the hiccup, the concert was lovely and it was a sweet time of fellowship.

Once I got home it was time to get out of my outfit and exfoliate.  I do my facial exfoliation once a week because I have sensitive skin, and I've chosen Saturday nights so Sunday morning my skin will look radiant for church.  As I cleansed my face my daughter talked about her birthday party next Friday.  Both my daughter A and my son E were born on December 27, 10 years apart.  E will be turning 15, and A will be 25 years old.  She has decided to have a winter wonderland party, with a hot chocolate bar and desserts such as cookies and cupcakes.  That will be the main focus of the party as opposed to a big meal.  We'll have party games which is something we love, and Christmas music because it is Christmas time after all.  She has invited about 25 people so it'll be a packed house.  She's really looking forward to it.  I've got a lot of scheduling to do to make sure everything goes smoothly.  That's my type A personality working overtime.

It's almost 11:00, and the bed is calling out to me.  You know what?  I haven't got anything planned for my birthday.  Unlike my daughter, I'm choosing to play it by ear.  It's my attempt at being spontaneous, which means letting go control :-).  I'll be posting about my special day tomorrow.  Come on back for a visit, won't ya?

Monday Musings

I love this time of year.  Get up at 7 am and the house is chilly even without the air conditioner turned on.  It was in the upper 50's this morning, and the outlook is even cooler for the rest of the week.  There's even threats of mid 40's in our future.  It feels Christmas-y, if that's possible in snowless Florida.

Since the weather was so nice I opened up the windows as soon as I got up.  The breeze coming in was sweet as I prepared breakfast and checked my son's schedule for the day.  Turns out his teachers are preparing for Christmas break in two weeks, trying to get all the loose ends tied, so his week will be an easy one.  My son is thrilled; I, on the other hand, have to get creative yet again.  I'm so glad the weather is on our side this week so we can do outdoor PE.  With all the Christmas decorations out I don't want to have to move furniture around to exercise at home.

I got an email this morning from Ulta Beauty Supply:  a really nice $40 men's product set free with a $40 purchase.  This is a good thing for my kids.  They have such trouble trying to figure out what to get for their dad for Christmas because he's so picky.  He's the type that thinks products have to be expensive to be good, so he won't wear anything "cheap".  I look for deals on everything.  Not that I don't like nice stuff (everyone does, right?), but I don't want to spend a ton of money.  I like getting a big bang for my buck.  That's why I like shopping at Ulta; they have really good deals on products and a large variety.  My children's father has spent a pretty penny on their Christmas gifts, and I knew they wanted to get him something nice, but didn't know what.  Even though their dad and I are separated, I encourage them to have a relationship with their father, and to show him gratitude.  I went ahead and looked up gifts for men on Ulta's website.  I wanted to find something that would be close to the $40 minimum.  They had a really nice Clinique for Men facial kit - for $36.  Doesn't that just annoy you?  C'mon!  You're forcing me to find something else for $4, for men, which you know you don't have!  The closest item (that I knew he would use) was a Jack Black lip balm for $7.50.  I was about to delete the order, but I figured what the heck?  There was plenty in the freebie to make up for it, and it would make my kids happy to have something nice for their dad.  Of course while I was at it I checked out what sales they had, you know, for ladies ;-).  Turns out they have the Bare Minerals Delight and Dazzle gift set, which was originally $49, reduced to $34.  Subtract from that my $8 in Ulta rewards and the kit was now $26.  The kit brings 2 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 2 eyeliners and 2 lip glosses.  I know the lip glosses alone are $18 each, so I'm getting a great bargain again.  Now everyone's happy :-D.

Lunch today was bourbon chicken.  I found a recipe a few years ago that is super simple and tastes just like the stuff you get at the mall, only it has no bourbon, just good for you stuff.  It takes about 30 minutes to make; serve it up on white rice with a side of steamed broccoli and we're good to go.  My kids love it which is also a plus.

E finished his school work in 4 hours today.  He got 100% on his PE test, 100% on his math work, and submitted the introduction to his essay on Letter From Birmingham Jail, which they are studying in English.  We decided to go to the park and do some walking and running.  It took us just under an hour to do 2 miles.  I like the fact that his school work is helping me stay in shape (bonus!).

My daughter stayed home from her church job today.  Her leg was really hurting last night, and she decided to stay and let it rest.  The doctor gave her a cream similar to Aspercreme to put on her leg for the pain, and she's scheduled to have an ultrasound done on Thursday.  I really think she just pulled a muscle really bad, but I'm glad she's having it properly checked out.  In the meantime she's taking it easy and trying not to put any pressure on her leg.  A heating pad - as the doctor prescribed - helps with the aching as well.

Shelbey has a new tutorial video up on youtube.  So does Alex G, another make-up artist I like to watch.  I'm gonna get me something to eat, check out their videos, and find another Christmas movie.  Yep, I really love this time of year.  Good night and God bless.

TGIF

This week has zoomed by for me.  Despite the fact that Monday we had no power for 9 hours and only got 2 hours worth of school done, I've found that making up the time has been more difficult than anticipated.  My son has not only kept up with the work, he is right on schedule and has a light work day today.  On his agenda is his unit test for science which we will have to review and study for, one live lesson and reading for his leadership class.  All that in 6 hours?  He can do it all in 3!  And if the rain continues as it has this morning (and every morning all week) he may not be able to do PE in the park.  Just Dance, anyone?

I really do love the flexibility of homeschooling.  It allows us to move things around to fit our schedule and our needs.  But that 25 hour per week requirement can get tricky.  Some weeks it's not a problem; he has portfolios and projects to turn in, along with lessons and tests.  Other weeks, it's smooth sailing, and those are the times when we have to be creative.  In school, their time in class counts no matter what they're doing, and there were times my son would come home and tell me they did nothing in class but talk to their friends and play board games.  It doesn't work that way for me.  He has to do actual school work to count for his attendance.  Any hours he makes over on one week do not count for other weeks; it's 25 hours minimum each week.  I could "fudge" the numbers, but what would Jesus think of that?  And what lesson would I be teaching my son?  For me, that's not an option.  What is an option is reading.  Any reading.  Except that my youngest son, unlike his siblings, is not a fan of reading.  Thankfully he does like reading mangas, and that's what he did.

Breakfast for today:  cold cereal and toast, along with my coffee and morning vitamin cocktail.  I've been having eggs and bacon for breakfast almost everyday, and while I do enjoy that traditional kind of meal, it does get tiring.  Lunch/dinner (I typically cook in the afternoon for the whole day) is easy chicken and stuffing in my trusty crockpot.  I don't know what I'd do without my crockpots.  They're my favorite appliance in the kitchen.  No, make that the whole house.

So y'all, this morning I got an email that got me so excited - 20% off of everything on the Bare Escentuals website!  I was there in a nano-second.  Now, before it starts looking like my life revolves around makeup and that's where I spend all my time and money, let me explain why a sale like this gets my attention.  I actually don't own a whole lot of makeup.  A few years ago (I believe it was 2007 or 2008) I received a gorgeous Elizabeth Arden makeup kit for Christmas.  It had eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, eye liners, and a beautiful set of brushes.  Of that set, the only things I no longer have are the blushes (there were 2) and one lipstick.  Everything else is what I have been using.  Yes, some of the eyeshadow palettes are down to almost nothing, but there are a few that still have product left.  The problem is, after all these years they are barely pigmented anymore, and even those that do show up when I use them don't have lasting power.  The lipsticks are nice; actually, only one of them gets used regularly.  One I don't really care for, and the other is gorgeous but it's a very dark red, so it's only appropriate for special occasions.  My brown eye liner is almost gone.  The black and silver ones I still have and they work pretty well (surprisingly).  The brushes, well, I finally started to replace them because they were looking the worse for wear.  It has been time to get new makeup and tools for a while now.

The only items I replaced regularly were my foundation, powder and blush.  Because I have sensitive skin, I have to be careful what products I use.  Brands like Maybelline and Cover Girl which have strong chemicals and fragrances make me break out.  I'd been using Almay products, specifically the Smart Shade variety.  I liked not having to go to a store and get color-matched; these products adapt to the skin's natural shade.  And they worked great - at first.  See, the foundation comes in a tube.  When I would get a new tube, the foundation looked good, the color would match, and it was pretty smooth.  Then I'd get halfway through the tube and the color wasn't looking the same.  I couldn't mix the product in the tube, and I think it would separate after awhile.  By the time I was at the end of the product I looked like a hot mess.  I didn't like the feel of the makeup either; it felt heavy on my skin.  I "felt" like I was wearing makeup, if that makes sense.  The powder blush I use is also Smart Shade technology, but I find I have to layer it on before it will even show.  And as for the powder, it's blah.  Yes, it takes away the shine, but it doesn't last very long.  I wasn't unhappy with my makeup, but I wasn't liking it much either.

It was actually my daughter's skin problems that prompted me to make some changes.  My daughter has rosacea, a skin condition that causes redness and rash.  She takes medicines for it but whenever her face flares up it's hard to conceal.  She tried several products but the redness would still show through.  She also started having lesions appear on her face.  We went to see a dermatologist who diagnosed her with a form of lupus.  Though none of the tests came back positive for systemic lupus (the disease that affects the whole body), she did have a very low positive for discoid lupus (which affects only the skin).  She went on treatment for it but it only worsened.  The dermatologist we were seeing kept insisting it was getting better, but we knew that wasn't the case, so we went to see a different dermatologist.  This one took one look at her face and did a biopsy right then and there.  Y'all, it was the longest and most difficult 11 days of our lives, waiting for the results.  Praise the Lord, the tests came back negative for cancer, lupus, viruses, and bacteria.  After 2 very small biopsies, we finally received a diagnosis:  serbo psoriasis, a form of dermatitis that can be treated with a non-steroid cream, and which could in time disappear on its own, though like rosacea can have flare-ups.  It was wonderful news, and we were thankful to God that it wasn't anything more serious.  But she was left with two small scars on her face and no real cure.

It was important to me to help find products for my daughter that would cover up the scarring and skin conditions, but that were also gentle, since both conditions get aggravated pretty easily.  At the same time I wanted something new for myself, though I didn't expect both of us to be using the same makeup.  After all, I'm 50 (and I'll be 51 in 9 days) and my daughter is 24.  Her needs are different from mine, so it stands to reason her makeup would be different from mine.  When my hairdresser said she used Bare Minerals, I took my daughter to Ulta and we both tried their foundation.  I was so thrilled to see that this product worked well for both of us - it provides great coverage for her for hours, and feels light and comfortable on my skin.  We had both found what we wanted - now we needed to build up our makeup stock.  In my opinion, Bare Minerals isn't expensive, when you think of how very little product is needed to get the coverage you want, whether it's light or full coverage or somewhere in between.  A little goes a long way.  But the initial investment can be pricey.  Unless you shop wisely.

I look for sets - value packs that bring several items, whether in trial sizes, small sizes, or gift sets with promos.  I find I can get the biggest bang for my buck that way.  So when I got the email this morning telling me they are giving 20% off of everything, I quickly went on the website to the Last Chance section.  These are items that are perfectly great but that are being discontinued for whatever reason.  I found two items that I had to snatch up immediately.  The first is called 7 Ways To Bare, and it's 7 neutral eyeshadows for everyday wear.  I have some of their shimmery and glittery eyeshadows and they're wonderful, but I wanted something with a little less "glam".  These colors are perfect, and because they're last chance, the price is $21.  Add the 20% off discount, and the price dropped to $16.80.  That's $2.40 EACH!!!  Hello! Just one eyeshadow of theirs costs $16!  Talk about a great deal!  I also went ahead and ordered Double Trouble, a mini lipstick and lipgloss duo, originally $14, dropped to $9, and with the 20% discount came to $7.20.  Oh, and did I mention, FREE SHIPPING?!  Yeah, this girl is a happy camper, for sure!  The 20% off is good till Sunday December 7, for anyone that is interested.

So my son finished his work for the day and we were able to do the 6 hours he needed to finish out the week. He took his science test but even though we reviewed and re-read the material, he got a 72% on the multiple choice.  We have to wait for the teacher to grade the 2 essay questions to get a final grade.  Some of the questions were tricky, so when he went back to see what he got wrong there was a lot of, "Ugh! I thought it might be that one or the one I picked."  I'm really hoping the teacher will give him full points on the essays, though I know she's pretty picky.  We'll have to wait and see.

I've started watching my Christmas DVD's.  We no longer have satellite television; we have Hulu Plus and Netflix.  I can watch Christmas movies there, but a couple years ago I got a Lifetime Channel collection of 12 movies for $29 at Barnes and Noble that I really enjoy watching, so I figured one per day will keep me in the Christmas spirit :-).  We did watch Christmas Vacation and Christmas With The Kranks before Thanksgiving - I love those comedies!  Yesterday I watched His and Her Christmas and today I watched Under The Mistletoe.  They're more on the sappy, chick flick side, but hey, I'm a sappy chick.  What can I say?

My oldest son is out with his friends, my daughter is at the church office's Christmas party, my youngest son is finishing up a documentary, so I think I'll go watch Shelbey on her youtube channel.  Have a great night folks!

It's Tuesday, And I'm Back!

Surprise!  Two days in a row!  I haven't done that in a while.  Shame on me.

My day started pretty early.  At 6 am I heard my oldest son get up to go to work and I wasn't going back to sleep, so I spent about 45 minutes with the Lord.  My morning routine is prayer time, devotion time, get ready for my day time.  Some days prayer time lasts 30 minutes, sometimes an hour or more.  It's my special time with God that makes the rest of my day go smoothly even when my circumstances don't.

My oldest son R left for work before I got to the kitchen.  He showed back up about 15 minutes later.  He was complaining about a stomachache and nausea, headed to the bathroom, then went to bed and slept for about 4 hours.  I thought it was a fluke, except that my youngest son E was also complaining of a stomachache.  He didn't feel as bad as his brother, thankfully, since he had plenty of schoolwork.  Maybe it was yesterday's pizza...

I checked my emails and found that my son had yet another live class to attend on top of the two already scheduled.  I wasn't too thrilled about that, since he had work from yesterday to complete.  When he went for his second class, he realized no teacher was there.  Come to find out the class had been rescheduled for next week, which was great because we got started on algebra.  He finished his  morning classes before taking a much needed break.  Doing school at home means he can make up his own schedule, so long as he does the required 25 hours per week.  He usually takes a 2 hour break for lunch; his buddies are so jealous!  He was able to do another hour and finish English, but when he tried to do his algebra work, the internet started acting up.  It tends to do that on rainy days, and today has been on and off rain all day.  I figured he could leave it till tomorrow; really, he didn't have much choice.

At breakfast I typically do an online codeword puzzle, but today I watched my favorite youtuber, Shelbey from www.loveshelbey.com.  I'd been pondering makeup products for myself and my daughter, and seeing as how my hair stylist always looks so pretty and her makeup looks fresh no matter what time of the day it is, I asked her what brand she used.  She told me she liked Bare Minerals.  I told her I was looking for something new that would be gentle since I have sensitive skin, and that my daughter with even more sensitive skin can use.  She asked the esthetician on staff and she also said she liked Bare Minerals - or Mac, of course.  I had heard of both, Mac being the expensive brand, but I was unsure about Bare Minerals, or any powder foundation.  Living in South Florida's humid weather, it would seem like powder foundations wouldn't be the best choice, but I trusted my hair stylist.  I went on Youtube looking for tutorials and product reviews and found Shelbey, a 21 year old makeup artist who works at a Bare Minerals store and who explained the step-by-step application.  She made it seem so easy, that I had to give it a try.  Once I did, I was hooked!  I still enjoy watching her videos and learning more techniques.  Just goes to show, a 50 year old mom can learn from a 21 year old girl!

Today was haircut day.  I've been cutting my boy's hair for, oh, probably the past year at least.  I'm not a hair stylist or even a barber; I'm just a lady with a machine ;-).  I bought a Wahl's haircutting system from Costco a while back, and after watching some tutorials I started cutting the boy's hair every other month.  I was mostly concerned about my youngest, but he enjoys getting his hair cut at home where he can immediately jump into the shower when I'm done.  My oldest likes the fact that he saves money; even a $20 haircut isn't as economical as mom's free one.  I don't even mind the mess much.  It's easy to clean up, and we save money.

I got some more presents in the mail today.  This year I've done about 75%, if not more, of my Christmas shopping online.  What with homeschooling and everything else I've had going on, I haven't had time to go to the stores or malls.  The internet makes shopping easy, and since we have Amazon Prime I don't pay for shipping.  By Thanksgiving I had all my Christmas shopping done, and everything I'd received I'd already wrapped.  The only thing missing was my son E's birthday present.  E and his sister share the same birthday, two days after Christmas.  I got A's present but I didn't know what to get for E.  His dad made it easy:  he took the two youngest kids Christmas shopping this past Saturday (R was at work and couldn't join them), and Dad went ahead and got E the Wii U console system from Game Stop that brings a couple of games.  I knew my son wanted some other games for the Wii U so I went ahead and ordered them on Cyber Monday, before the electricity went out (see yesterday's post for details).  Those should arrive tomorrow, and with just a few items still awaiting delivery I'm pretty much done.  Yay for no procrastination!!  We have a tradition in our home - the day after Thanksgiving we start decorating the house for Christmas.  Once everything is done inside the house, I will put one present under the tree for each of them every night.  Even the older kids go over and check to see what mama has stashed underneath the tree every morning (though R tries to play it cool, like he's not really interested.  He doesn't fool me).  I love those kinds of traditions that we look forward to each year.

I did a load of laundry this morning; it's still in the dryer.  E and I were watching A Muppet's Christmas Carol and I was dozing off.  It's been a busy day, and I think it's time I started winding down.  Today I'm thankful that my Christmas shopping is done, that I have no Christmas shopping debt, and I'm especially thankful for the relaxed schedule of homeschooling.  What are you thankful for?