andi~ our kids don't get out until Friday...so late. but they get to stay out until the 9th and us parents can get some extra shopping time in. :D

Bre~ don't give in, I am really upset with myself this morning.

Star WB!!

Bre - obviously you are our country's undiscovered secret weapon -- I think you should volunteer to the CIA, just like Mrs Pollifax (have you ever read any of those)

About :devil: Olive Garden - I guess I'm lucky that I'm not too crazy about cream based pasta dishes -- the salmon was really good when I was there - and when I go with a group of people and lots of talking - I realize that I'm full about halfway thru - so there really is something to say about waiting 20 minutes to see if you're still hungry. AND I have learned that it is OKAY to be high maintainence and ask for the dressing on the side - and that I'll probably be doing this for the rest of my life.

Julie

:wave: Good Morning Chickies. Just a quick checkin...

Yesterday was not POP again, but was close. I had a rum and coke with my DM as we were having a giftwrapping pow wow, and now today I am a bit groggy. Funny how one drink will make you feel out of sorts after you have not had any liquor for awhile. I had wine on Monday, but as for rum I haven't had any since Thanksgiving weekend.

Star - Welcome Back, Girlfriend!!!! :hug: I'm happy that the surgery was a success. After you're done there will be nothing holding you back. Look out world! ;)

Julie - Alfredo sauce is truly my :devil:. I don't understand how anyone could not like it. BUT that's the way of the world, we are all soo different. What is your ultimate temptation? I know its probably been discussed...

I have to run now (meeting at 10:30) so I'll check back in with you all this afternoon.

:cheers: <--water (of course)!

Morning chicks.
Well i havent really been sick much this year but tuesday morning i woke up feeling bad and it got worse throughout the day. Stayed home from work yesterday had a temp of 101.7 last night but i twas down to under 100 this morning and im feeling somewhat better so i came on in to work. I have to hit the grocery store, sams club and probably target to finish up last minute shopping for christmas. Glad to see that everyone seems to be doing well i will check back in this afternoon. Oh and I havent been to the center this week and since im sick and been on meds i doubt i will. Have to go in monday though.

Britt

WB Star! :hug:

Morning all!
Bought my lotto ticket last night and...........nothing. We are trying to get ready to go to the cabin so that we can leave in the morning. I got up early and started the meat and beans for chili, made a pan of cornbread, and the kids helped make a birthday cake for baby Jesus. I started this with the kids a few years ago, because Santa and the presents totally steal the meaning of Christmas from my kids. We make a birthday cake, complete with candles, and sing happy birthday and blow out the candles on Christmas eve. This really opens the door to discussing the Christmas story.

Last night we did our Secret Santa. We did my daycare mom that had to get the Protective Order last week. She just has one child, an 18 month old little girl. It was great. We pulled together 2 outfits for the baby and 2 toys, and a mini chopper, gloves, scarf, hat, and Old Navy gift card for the mom. After looking over what we had DM and I panicked that it was not enough, and ran to the grocery store for ham, potatoes, fruit, candy, and cake. It looked like a lot on her door step. We waited for her to be gone, since she lives in an upstairs apartment, and the old knock and run trick would be way too hard, and she knows all of us, so we did not want to get caught. I wish that I could have seen the look on her face when she got home!!

I was POP all day yesterday until I got to DM's last night. She had all manner of naughty stuff, and so I replaced my last 2 veggies with a slice of bread with honey, and my last fruit with 5 cherry chocolates. Now I know what you are all thinking. I should have had 12 cherry chocolates to really count those cherries as a fruit!!

Have a great POP (yeah, right) day!!!

Oh yeah, welcome back Star, we missed you!!

You chicks ROCK.....
 

:o It's great to be back- Thanks!!!

Hi all:)

Welcome back Star, glad to hear it wasnt so bad!

WTXCHICK- I'm 5'4, maybe even a little shorter..I THINK I am 5'4"

Shennie- our holiday starts on Friday too, they go back on the 3rd (WOO HOO!) I dread winter break- LOL!

Im not with you all on this Olive Garden thing...I was there once about 10 years ago and maybe Im missing something amazing, but its better I keep it that way. ME? ID LOVE a HUGE PIZZA and some ice cream ANYDAY!

I finished all of my wrapping last night, I always WAY overbuy, but I know the kids will be very happy. Theyre so young, theyd be happy with one toy, but, ah...y'know:)

My DH didnt buy a gift, discuss the gifts, wrap a gift...NADA. Hes like friggin' THe Little Red Hen (the barnyard pals wouldnt help cut the weheat, make the bread or clean up but they SURE wanted to eat it!). He doesnt buy gifts for me. He knows hes gonna get me something wrong (like the year he bought me seafoam green timberlands- WHAT?!) and that I am so bad with spending and buying stuff year round, that I make up for it myself. Thats ok, I buy stuff for myself and wrap it too! I said I wasnt gonna buy him anything, but ended up doing it anyway. I really love to give! Somehow that spirit isnt contagious...MEN (sheesh!)

Gotta start fixing lunch, Ill catch you later!

Katie~ absolutely wonderful tradition with the kids and the cake for baby Jesus, and just so you know I am stealing it for my Sunday school class :D your family is so loving and caring.

Deets~ I am going to ignore the Olive Garden comment and still say you rock! My Ds is going to the GP's for the second week of break so i get a break too.

I just got sort of bad news. My boss is retiring. I mean we knew it was coming one day (she has retired and came back 2 times already :lol: ) but they are starting a national search for her replacement next month. I am so scared I will end up with a prick for a boss. Plus my co-worker is kind of ditzy and I need to have another “sane” person around here to survive. Then I also have my second practicum next year and I will need my schedule to be extremely flexible and she is so great with letting me take time off for school, my son, or just rest. She is by far the best boss I have ever had and now she leaving :cry:

Going to WI, I have already had 52 oz of water and have been in the bathroom about every half hour, so this is just a WI for the Christmas challenge, I don’t expect to see anything amazing.

OMG you are brave to drink so much water before any WI, for real or not! Too bad about your boss, that stinks!!!

Katie- I LOVE the way you celebrate Christmas...we need a lot more of you in this world. YOU are awesome! Dont forget to say goodbye before you go! how long will you be gone?

Shennie- Steal away, I got the idea from a Gooseberry Patch book! Want another one that I like? Take a little wooden box like a jewelry box or something, and tell the children this baby Jesus's bed (manger).Tell them that we need to fill baby Jesus's bed with straw so that it is soft for him. Then, when you catch them being good, helpful, kind, generous, ect., give them a few little pieces of straw to put inside. When the box is full, then place a small baby Jesus from a Nativity inside, and tell the children that they have made baby Jesus's bed soft and warm by acting like him. I usually start this right after Thanksgiving with my kids, but I forgot this year, so we are going to start when we get to the cabin. I am thinking that in close quarters, a little bit of incentive to be good might help!! You could probably do this in one SS lesson by asking the children to say kind things to each other, make plans to do something kind for a family member or neighbor, etc.

Deets- We are leaving tomorrow morning and will back around noon on Christmas Day. Then we will shower, throw in gifts, and drive about 1 1/2 to EMIL's house for dinner at 3:00. I really did not want to have to go down there at all, but DH feels obligated. I told him if they are nasty or are fighting (I had to call the cops to break up one of their fights on Christmas at my house about 5 years ago, needless to say, I have never hosted Christmas since) then we are going home. I want my children to have a magical, amazing Christmas like I used to have, and I am not going to let them ruin it!
You just never know with them. I actually have to ask them not to use the F word in front of my kids, not mention assorted racial slurs. As for DH's and Christmas, I hear ya! My DH does nothing, but is always questioning how much I buy, and what should be from Santa vs. what should be from us. He is so no nonsense about Christmas that it drives me crazy!!

Im sorry, all I want to do at this second is complain. I AM HUNGRY DARNIT! I only have 2F,2V and 1P left for the day and all but one fruit is for tonights dinner...this is my hungriest time of the day and felt like whinning...that is all:)

deets~ can you spread out your snacks more. I ussually have a smaller mornign snack because there is a shorter stretch between breakfast and lunch and have a bigger one during the afternoon...sometimes if I plan for 2 things like a fruit and a lite, i will have the fruit at about 2:30 and then the lite at about 4:30...the time between lunch in dinner is terrible. that is the time that i am ussualy driving home and looking at all of the fast food...telling myself not to stop.

Katie~ i already brought he decorations for the cake. i am going to bake it at home and then let the kids decorate it and they can sing and cut it up to pass out to everyone after sunday school... i am so excited (I am such a Christmas geek:D )

Hey Deets - Whine away sister - I hear you - I polished off my lunch like a starving wolf - at 11:40AM

-S