In which I beat myself up for not sticking to anything...

Well folks, it's that time again. The new year. Clean slate. Tabula rasa, as it were. And, yet again, I let myself down. I'll briefly summarize my goals for 2009 and then let you know how I did.

• I was going to write more this year. Well, that's a wash, I guess. My mom would tell you that my writing went WAAY down on this blog, which is true, but I spent a ton of time writing about Hokie football at The Football Girl, and although it's not a paying gig or anything, I did get asked to be a featured writer at Fire Bryan Stinespring.com, even though I don't do it much. I noticed during football season that my stats from the football site were like 10 times higher than those for this humble blog, so I focused my efforts there. Which made my mom mad, but didn't get much reaction from anyone else. I started this blog with several goals, one of which was to keep my family and friends updated on my children, but the other was to be able to just write, you know? Write about what was making me happy, what was making me sad, what was keeping me sane. (Or insane). I didn't do much of that. This was a rough year for me in a lot of ways, and I chickened out about airing my dirty laundry in a public forum. Maybe I didn't want my spotless reputation tarnished. Maybe I didn't want to admit weakness. Maybe I was just too sad to write. I don't know.
• I was going to watch less trash tv in 2009. And, I did it, pretty much. I stayed away from VH1 reality shows for the most part, and found a few new shows that I adore, like Glee, Modern Family, and Castle, which I have to credit my husband for keeping on the DVR for an inordinately long time, long enough to get me interested.
• I was going to exercise twice a week. Well, didn't happen. I am hanging my head, and my flabby body, in shame.
• I was going to admit that I'm not a crafty/bakey mom. I sort of did this, I guess. When my good friend Deb wanted to get the kids together to bake Christmas cookies, I flatly refused. So ha.

So what do I want to do this year? Shall I set the same goals? Just admit that I'll never be the writer I dream about? Face the facts that there will never be a book out there with my name as the author? Quit blogging altogether? I just don't know. Just like I don't know how to end this entry. So, I'll say this; to be continued, okay?

(My) Snow Angels

So we have an absolute mountain of snow here in VA. Our driveway has been snowplowed no less than three times, we've played in the snow two times, my dryer has run continuously drying mittens, hats and gloves, AND I forgot that little dogs with long hair accumulate little snow balls all over them when they go outside.

I'm gathering my strength to make Christmas cookies. Yesterday the girls and I (and when I say the girls and I, I really mean I) made Chex mix for teachers gifts. Riley informed me that she "volunteered" me to make Christmas cookies for her class, so.....(Those of you who know me know that baking is not very high on my list of things I enjoy. It's about on par with cutting my son's toenails, in fact).

But, the weather outside, while frightful, made for some great photo opportunities, and since Facebook is being stupid about letting me upload pictures, viola! You get to see them here first.

In case anyone was wondering, I do indeed still have a son. He was just playing his XBox yesterday and refused to join in the snow fun. He and Riley took the above mentioned small dog with long hair outside today to play. But I didn't feel like suiting up again, so, no pictures of him.

A Strange Way to Save the World

As I feared it might, this blog is turning out to be less of my creative musings (of which I must not have many of!) and more of a "come look at how cute my kids are". But, you're reading, so thank you.

Last night was our church Christmas production. We really do it up at Stephens City United Methodist. The name of the play/musical was "Angel Alert", and both of my girls had roles. Jeremiah refused to participate in fear that he'd have to sing a solo. First up: Riley. She sang a solo/duet and it was, of course, wonderful. Check it out:

And here's Ally as a shepherd. Due to technical difficulties (or the fact that I thought I was recording, and was not) it's a quickie, but a cutie.

Ahhh, Christmas. Tis the season for Christmas plays, children with garland halos, punch and cookies, whispered plans, countdown calendars, hidden elves, new ornaments, and general good tidings and cheer. Love and joy come to you, and to you your wassail too; and God bless you and send you a Happy New Year, and God send you a Happy New Year.

(BTW, a wassail is either another way of saying caroling, or a hot spiced punch often associated with Christmas. Either way, enjoy.)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

So, with the title, I bet you're expecting snow pictures, but I haven't been home when the kids were outside and dear hubby "couldn't find" the camera, which was in the place it is always kept. So, I have these:





Ally hugging our inflatable Santa (obviously not taken this weekend, note the tank top and shorts!)



Jeremiah and Tanner hoping for a Saints victory (currently in OT vs. the Skins)

Ally in her Christmas PJ's

The only evidence I have that my kids have had fun outside!

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

There you go, Mimi. Pictures.

I wonder what would happen, if we all tried to do a little more of this, and a little less of this:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Just wondering.......

Halloween, Halloween

A Touch of Nostalgia

My mother had to sell my grandmother's house last week. My grandmother has been deteriorating in health for, well, as long as I can remember really, but she's actually gotten to the point where she can't be alone. I totally understand this. I also completely support my mom in what she had to do. And Heaven knows, no one else was helping her out. But, I can't help feeling a wee bit of the nostalgia. It is again the ending of an era of my life. A lot of my childhood was spent in and around that house.

Here's what I remember.

I remember the dogwood tree in the front yard. It was no good for climbing, but we would pick the red berries and put them in this little metal bucket that must have been 50 years old. I remember the tree in the back yard. I think it was an elm. It had a perfect branch for a swing and my grandfather made one from a piece of wood and rope. I remember that you could climb out of the upstairs window and get on the roof, not that I ever did it, of course. I remember going into the stifling hot attic and getting out the old board games, "Uncle Wiggly", "Go to the Head of the Class", a totally old school "Cootie" and something I think was called "Spirograph" (and it was, I just checked it out on ebay, and am totally getting one). I remember playing with my brother in the dark and moldy basement. We played a game we called (bag over head embarrassed right now) "Jerry and Tuffy's Cheese Factory". It involved pretending we were the mice from Tom and Jerry and using hula hoops to make cheese. I remember how they decorated for Christmas the exact same way every year and that the star on their Christmas tree blinked, which my Dad hated, because he hates blinking lights. I remember interminably long Christmas dinners, in which we ate very little ham and turkey in anticipation of present time. I remember after we went to Christmas Eve service, my grandfather would always slice up some Hickory Farm summer sausage and some cheese. I remember going trick or treating on their street because we never lived in a neighborhood. I remember my grandmother would always count how many trick or treaters she had. I remember my dad would always turn the house number sign on their lamppost upside down. I remember that my grandparents would always sit out in their front yard every summer night. All the neighbors did. It was just what people did in that neighborhood. I remember the fake fruit that hung in my grandmother's kitchen, and that she had a shelf that pulled out underneath her wall oven where she always made her morning toast. I remember she used to make real popcorn and we would eat it and watch Hee Haw. I remember that one night I got locked in the bathroom because the door was so old and hard to open. I had to crawl through the window, which was no easy feat either, because the window had been painted shut. I remember being sick there one day, and lying on the bed in the guest room, underneath old heavy quilts, the sheets feeling so wonderfully cold.

I remember lots of things. I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I'm sorry that life is so incredibly long, yet incredibly short at the same time. I love you, Nan. I wish you had been able to stay home.