Six Word Saturday

It feels good to be home.

Even if it's the "other" home-- the one I grew up in, surrounded by family, scratching lottery tickets and playing jenga-- and even Santa knows where it is!

Just Breathe

Christmas. is. in. 8. days.

Really, couldn't someone have warned me? I have been so focused on giving homemade gifts to everyone that I neglected to think of the amount of time needed to make said gifts.
After being overwhelmed by Hobby Lobby and their sale posters, I settled on ornaments for project # 1. I finally found time to sit down Tuesday night and whip out these lovelies for my co-workers and teacher gifts.

Then, as though the week before Christmas isn't crazy enough, the young un informs me that he has to build a mission by Thursday. It's a good thing he has a crafty momma!

Too bad he doesn't have a momma more in control of her glue gun.

It's a hard knock life

Just when I start to think Christmas break is a cruel joke to torture teachers, the days begin to fly by. This week was no exception. And while I'm thrilled to only have 5 more days of the insanity that marks the end of the semester, I'm also a little worried that maybe I'm not as ready for Christmas as I thought.
I wish I had some glamorous events that have been requiring my attention, but alas, it has just been the little things we've been plugging away at:

Monday- Starting the week off with morning cafeteria duty, especially when its 36 degrees outside so all the kids come inside, can just about kill you.

Tuesday- I spent all day in training. And had a wonderful lunch with some amazing teachers at La Madeline. It always amazes me that we spend all day in the same building, but never have time to really hang out and catch up. I figured it was probably time to decorate the naked Christmas tree that has been sitting in the living room since Dec 1st.

Wednesday- Recovering from Crossfit's cleans & pull ups was made even less fun by the fact that Austin was colder than Detroit. I stand by the statement made previously. I am not made for cold weather.

Thursday- Just when the week seems to be getting into a rhythm, BOOM! A distracted driver comes along to rear end your car. Lots of crying and hysteria ensued, all of it on her part. I took the time to really appreciate the warmth of gloves and scarves and an emergency blanket while waiting for the police to arrive. We're all ok, though the young un was walking around like a little old man this morning while coming down the stairs.

Friday- Easily the longest day of my life. Prepping kids for their exams that start Monday, running to Dr appointments to have everyone checked out from the previous night's fender bender, going back to school to pick up forgotten homework and a run to Blockbuster in our PJs.

I would say it's been a long crazy week, but as I look at it, it seems pretty par for the course for us. I'm hitting a few Craft fairs tomorrow, shopping on Amazon tonight and am determined to have all gifts taken care of by Sunday night.

Six Word Saturday

Yesterday I played in the snow!

For us Texans, that's a pretty exciting event, even if it only lasted for about an hour and then disappeared without a trace. So exciting an event that I let my students out of class a few minutes early and joined them on the blacktop. Join up with Six Word Saturday by visiting Cate.

P.S. Happy Birthday to my mother in law Lynn! We'll see you soon!

I'll be up in the gym just working on my fitness

Or maybe I can do it in my own house, thanks to the fabulous Dipaola Momma at Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom I won the Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 game for Wii. How excited am I?! I can't wait to get the burn going with Jillian (and maybe a fried s'more or two while I wait for it to arrive).

Another one bites the dust

I'll admit it, I was one of those crazies at the mall at 3:30 a.m. shivering in the cold, with shopping ads in hand. That was me,along with my sister-in-law and mom, pushing my way through the doors for my free ornament/gift bag/gift card/candy bar. And yes, that was me making three trips to the vehicle before the sun came up (thanks to Penny's, Sear's, Belk, Kirklands and Old Navy) .

That was also me standing in a 37 person line at Bed Bath & Beyond in the hopes of using my 20% off entire purchase coupon before 10:00. What burning purchase would have me stand in a line that long? Why a microfiber dish towel and something equally as fabulous that I've already forgotten about. Ok, so I was really already standing in line with my mom and sis-in-law and just figured I might as well use the coupon.

Oh, and Target? Yep, that was us standing in a very "secure" line of 50 some odd people. Target was a bust for what I wanted to purchase, but I did pick up a couple of movies and cds for stocking stuffers.

Add in a quick run to Michaels (ribbon!), TJ Maxx(curtains!), Ross (more curtains!), Dollar Tree (ornaments) and Walgreens (BOGO 35. t lighted topiary!) followed by a 2nd breakfast at IHOP and you have some idea of our 14 hour shopping excursion. It takes stamina and fierce determination to shop like that, but in the end, there can be only one left standing.

And this time, it wasn't my sister-in-law.

525,600 minutes

Last year at Thanksgiving, I was sitting in an ICU waiting room praying that my brother would come out of a coma brought about by a head-on collision with another vehicle. It was an accident that changed not only his life, but everyone that he's come in contact with.

Thanksgiving is a hard time to deal with tragedy, especially when the focus is on being thankful, for life and health, and family. Our family was there, aunts and uncles and cousins, bringing food, taking home laundry, opening their houses for showers or overnight guests. And through the days of sitting and waiting , we managed to find a few hours to enjoy the company of each other and to give thanks. Last Thanksgiving it wasn't about the banana pudding, or the fried turkey. It wasn't about the Black Friday sales or the Christmas lists. It was a time when we gave thanks for the friends and the family that banded together to ensure that every need was met, every mouth was fed, every tear wiped dry.

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family. For those I see everyday, and for those we keep connected with through the phone or Internet. I am thankful for the friends that prayed for us, fed us, called us, and just sat beside us. This Thanksgiving, "I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Philippians 1:3-4.