State of Obvious

I know you all wait the whole year for this special post.  Let me assure you, this year it's really good.  Unattainable, but good.  Without further ado, my Christmas list: 1. A new sofa, something sort of like this: This isn't exactly right, because I'd also like it to have recliners - but I don't want an overstuffed, lumpy back end looking sofa.  Basically, it probably doesn't exist and if it does, I certainly can't afford it.  But, Carly keeps asking for a Barbie dream house too, so I figure why not aim high? Santometer says: Even you know it's not possible. 2. This, so much this:  In the interest of full disclosure, I shall disclose that I had a Ford Edge before.  And it was my most very favorite car that I've ever owned/driven/ridden in.  I hope to someday repeat the experience.  Hopefully this whole educating myself to get a job plan will yield one in the future.  But if not...maybe a hotwheels version? Sa...

With so many tough issues facing our future, it's important to take a minute and vote for the best My Little Pony Show.  You can make a difference! Online Surveys  &  Market Research I guess you could take a minute and vote in that other election, too.

Some fun stuff from around the web for your holiday enjoyment: Make your own snowflake , scissor and mess free.  (Available all year too!) Talk to Santa on the phone .  Or ask him to talk to someone on the good list. The cutest little winter bunny you'll ever meet. Where in the world is Santa right now? Funny e cards and videos using your silly face. Videos portraying the events leading to Christ's birth . All free! (except for some of the activities on Jib Jab)  

This has been the fall of self-doubt.  A constant theme in my life, I know.  I started out the semester riddled with all kinds of worries - am I choosing the right path, what will I do with an English degree when I'm done, why are books more expensive than groceries for a month, what if I fail, what if this class is too hard, and on and on.  To add to this pile of worry, Eric moved to a new position at work and part of the new job is travel.  He's going to be gone most of October, a little of November, and a little of December.  Plus he'll be traveling at least once a quarter from here on out.  Juggling school and children and their school and football and homework and their homework and church and cleaning house and cooking and life in general - well, I'm not used to being so alone in my own house.  Oh, I've taken the kids on vacation alone.  A couple summers ago we even left Eric behind for over a month as we drove cross country.  But, th...

My son is having a conversation with himself.  It's fairly common these days.  The mumbling, the sighing, the mouthing words without sound.  It happens all the time. It makes my blood boil in my veins.  And also, my eyebrows shoot skyward like they have strings pulling them up.  It's very annoying.  (The eyebrows and the conversations.) See, the thing is, I asked him to read a book.  A good book, one I've read and enjoyed.  ( Pillage by Obert Skye , if you're interested.)  He's reading this book for school.  He has to read about 14 books by the end of the quarter.  I'm really hoping that means December but I'm not sure. My son, bless him, went right into convulsions. The body language alone is fascinating.  Arms and legs and head bobbing in separate directions.  And then there are the sounds.  Long exhalations of breath, lungs emptying at alarming rates, teeth pressed together so that the air comes out in a wh...

I wonder if they offer a class about self doubt.  I most certainly have become an expert in the field, I could probably teach it.  Assorted topics of study: How to Second Guess With Your Eyes Closed Graduation: Changing Your Major to Keep it from Happening All the A's in the World Don't Make Up for a Solid Lack of Confidence And so on. Why is it that two semesters in to my glorious return, I'm still terrified?  Why is it that I drop and redrop and reschedule until my course list is almost unrecognizable?  Why do I long to do nothing more than dig a hole and hide in it? I mean, I wanted this.  Right? So much of life is dealing with your decisions and learning to accept that even the right ones sometimes feel scary. On the up side of things, check out Miss Sass A Frass in an outfit of her own choosing on a hot summer afternoon.  

One week until eat-your-til-your-buttons-pop day.  Better known as Thanksgiving.  Unless you're Canadian, in which case you're already a month past the turkey.  But anyhow.  To prepare myself for the feast, I'm going to do the standard "I'm thankful for" routine.  Sorry, but I am thankful for so many things.  I might as well list a few.  For posterity or something. Today, I'm thankful for my son's poem.  He's writing a poem about the Thanksgiving Blizzard (he says it is a real thing, I've never heard of it before but whatev.)  Once he gets a final version together, I'll post it up for you.  See how generous I am?  Until then, my favorite part so far: "Our village was destroyed. It looked like a mountain in winter. The giant was no longer employed. Our pain was worse than a splinter." If that doesn't make you smile, you might be dead inside. Just sayin.

Upon hearing "Dancing with Myself" play on the radio: Carly: This is on Flushing Toilets! Josh: Yes, this is on Flushed Away, you're right! Carly: Mom do we still have that movie?

(In email form, via my dad.  "She" is my sister, the favorite-ist Aunt Cha-Cha that ever what was.  Kadin is Josh's cousin.) She made it home at 11:50.  Kadin  crashed at 10:50 and Josh made it all the way.  All he wanted to do was talk about D. C. He wanted to know  if she made it to the smithsonion , other points...He ( Josh ) slept in her bed last night. And he made it this morning.   He made the bed like any boy the sheets were on the floor blankets on the bed.

Written on the inside of an empty Twinkie box: "Hey, try and save some for other people!  Twinkie Aholic" And my reply on the lid: "Maybe I did and U just don't know where they are doo-doy!" And his reply to my reply: "FINE!"

People sometimes complain that if you are a mother, you are woefully underpaid. I must, respectfully, disagree. Money comes and goes, but this is forever and nothing NOTHING in the world is worth more: Happy Mother's Day!

Eric:  Knock knock Carly: What? Me: Who's there? Eric: Goa Carly: Goa who? Eric: Goa sleep now. Carly: Don't ever say that again!

According to Carly Carly:  {dragging her new pink suitcase} I'm ready to go to the hotel! Me: Did you pack clothes in there? Carly:  No. Me:  What did you pack? Carly: Shoes and a lizard. Me: Shoes and a lizard? Carly:  Oh!  And erasers!

I pause to appreciate the deep, philosophical conversations of Mother to Child: Mom (aka Me): Are you going to be a doctor when you grow up? Carly: Yes, and I'm going to be Indiana Jones. Girl Indiana Jones, but without the hat. Mom: But you look cute in hats. Carly: Ya, I almost like my pink cowgirl hat. I think I'm going to wear it for Christm -- Halloween next time. Yes, these are the moments that make me delve down into my soul and examine the meaning behind all things. Like, why does your kid wipe his nose on your clean shirt (disguised as a hug). And just how many times can she spin in that circle before she either pukes or breaks something. Deep - really, really deep.

Because I get to share this:   (I am not grateful to blogger though, because apparently it won't let me resize this darn video to fit within my blog margins.) p.s. Apologies to those of you who already saw it on Facebook. p.s.s. Oh who am I kidding, it's worth watching 1000 times.  And it's even funnier in real life. p.s.s.s.  Carly woke us up at 4 a.m. because her hair was driving her crazy.  She wanted me to get the flat iron out and fix it right now because it wasn't lying down right.  While she was sleeping.  She's a DIVA with a Double Capital D ! p.s.s.s.s. The playroom behind her is a mess.  Pretend you can't see it.

And I just thought, on Friday, we could all use some cake song. Beware, once you listen it will stick in your head. And you'll have to bake a cake.

"It's dangerous to take a nap." "I'm going to name myself Doodle." "Josh! Dude! You are too freakin big for that!"