Happy Thursday! Coffee's ready, so sit down and have a cup with me while we plan our day.

I brought home a yummy looking platter of homemade gourmet cookies from Richard's mother yesterday, and they've been trying to lure me with their siren song. Jake is enjoying them, but I haven't given in to them yet. I will allow myself to have one or two, but right now I'm trying to test myself to see how long I can stay out of them. I'm just thankful it's not fudge! My strategy is to wear a tight fitting pair of jeans today and hope that gives me the motivation to stay OP.

I'm going to finish wrapping presents this morning since I don't have to go in until noon. I'll have tomorrow off, and I just have to pick up two gift certificates, then the shopping is done. It will be interesting to see how the weekend turns out. We're expecting a significant snowstorm Saturday night into Sunday, and our family has two big parties planned for each day.

So what's on everyone's agenda for today?

Good Morning!

Cottage, You are strong! I can be strong with store bought junk food. But the homemade stuff does me in! Fudge is my weakness, too. Thankfully, I haven't seen the first morsel yet.

Today is Auston's 6th birthday. He is so excited! I have two dozen chocolate cupcakes with red icing ready for his class. His teacher is going to love me! He has requested pizza for dinner, so I'll stop and get it on my way home from work. His grandparents will have dinner with us tonight. His party with his friends and family will be Saturday. No throwing up this week!!!

My Chai tea just finished brewing. Anyone?

Chelby, I have to start my day with coffee, and lots of it, but I will be happy to join later this afternoon to share a cup of Chai. Give that handsome boy of yours a big birthday hug from me! I bet his teacher is really going to love you after cleaning up red icing and cake crumbs!

Good Morning

Chelby, I love the Oregon Spice SF Chai, but I have to add a teabag for a little kick! Happy BD to Auston and Happy Mom Day to you! Have lots of fun!

Cottage, the tight pants thing sounds like a great idea. I hope you get just enough snow to make it fun!

Me, haven't had that yet so I'm typing as fast as I can. We're going to Denver today; exercise, lunch with DD, Costco for tires and who knows what else. I'm baking Kalyn's PB Choc cookies this morn, made SBD Truffles last night but they didn't harden all the way. My Sis will have her special cookies ready this PM so we'll start mailing.

Have a great day everyone!

Good morning

Cottage - I can resist fudge only because after 2+ years on the Beach it's just too darned sweet for me, but homemade cookies, etc whisper to me. Congratulations on completing most of your shopping! Guess I better get online and get mine finished ASAP!

Chelby - here's to an all healthy weekend and fun party! I'm so glad no one else in the house got sick.
I adore good chai but like Cottage the coffee comes first

I'm WFH today. We have our "real" party tonight. 3 people who used to work with us and 3 who still work there are getting together to have the sort of party we used to - potluck and Yankee exchange with wine My plan is to bring Gypsy Soup to fill up before goodies and to eat very carefully and exercise a lot today. Then there will be one or two treats and wine tonight.

It's ridiculously cold here today but I don't think we are getting that storm this weekend. Glad one is missing us!

How is your day shaping up?

ETA - Good morning Debbie I'll be looking forward to the cookie review. Julie made a double batch of those vegan chocolate cookies I posted the other day. They taste great but I can't stop thinking about the amount of almond flour in them. That does stop me at one small cookie because I know they are a ridiculous amount of calories.
Sounds like a crazy busy day. Hope you have 10 minutes stuck in there just to breath and center.

I can't have caffeine after 3:00 p.m. or I will still be up at midnight. It stinks!

Cottage, ... and lots of kids on sugar highs. Yep, Ms. Malone will love me!

Debbie, I've never been to Costco, but Sams is my favorite place. Have fun in Denver!

Cyndi, What is a Yankee exchange?

Linda, you are a brave woman! I hope the tight jeans keep you in control. I just fell off the wagon when my aerobics teacher (I KNOW, what was she THINKING?) gave me cookies and I had a couple. Okay, a few... I will be good the rest of the day. I will be good the rest of the day.

Michelle, wishing Auston a very happy sixth birthday! Have a great pizza dinner with family!

Debbie, good luck on your errands. Drive carefully!

Cyndi, have a wonderful time at your party. That sounds like such fun!

I just got back from three hours of exercise class. I put those darned cookies away and they are not coming back out again. I had a yummy scrambled egg and spinach breakfast and I'm going to make a good clean lunch and have leftovers from Laurie's lentil with balsalmic roasted veggies soup (minus the bacon) for dinner, so we'll just make the rest of the day Phase 1. It should all balance out. Water, water, water!

Tonight is Connor's school's Christmas program and I am so excited to see it. He's playing his violin and his class is singing a song. The video camera is charging right now! Before that, we have violin lessons and we have to get the girls from Kindergarten. Connor finished his homeschool math BEFORE he left for school today, so he gets to relax until his violin teacher arrives. Kadyn still has to do her math, but that won't take long.

Time to jump in the shower and get all freshened up. Have a great Thursday!

Good Morning Chicks.... it is cold cold cold here -27 below with the wind chill. A indoor day for sure. I guess we will be doing movies and popcorn for afterschool activities as it is way to cold to go outside. I also have DH home sick and he is now off til Jan 6th. Speaking of DH I must dash for know and get off the computer and tend to his every need like a good little wife. Everyone have a fantastic day I will pop back in during nap time.

Good morning, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your coffee/tea, whatever! I've decided to nix mass amounts of caffeine, so I'm joining Chelby for a nice cup of tea. Mine's cinnamon stick with some agave nectar for sweetening.

Cottage: I'll that the storm misses you or isn't that bad so that everyone can make it safely to the Christmas festivities this weekend. Good luck avoiding the cookies! I've decided not to make any this year, much to Jason's chagrin, because I've just let things go and that would make it much worse. Have a great day!

Chelby: Happy Birthday to Auston!!! I hope he has a wonderful day and that the kids aren't too much of a handful for Ms. Malone.

Lexxiss: I'm with Cyndi; I hope you have some time to breath today. I thought I had a lot to do until I read your list. Now I'm a bit relieved, to be honest!

Cyndi: Hmmm, Gypsy Soup? I'll have to hunt down that recipe. I hope you have a wonderful time at the Christmas party tonight!! Stay warm!

Kara: Good luck to Connor tonight at the Christmas program! How wonderful that he is getting so involved. Sounds like you have a great plan to get past the cookies...I need to take a page from your book.

LC: Oh, I hope DH feels better soon. It sounds like you're really going to have your hands full with kiddos inside and a sick hubby this afternoon. I'll be thinking of you!


Me: Phew! Things have been pretty crazy here! Jason and I got all but three presents wrapped up last night and I'm headed to the post office today to mail the boxes and our Christmas cards. I've neglected the housekeeping in favor of getting the Christmas gifts ready, so I'm going to have to catch up with that tonight.

I got a nice two-mile walk in this morning, so at least I don't have to worry about working out after work. That's a good thing because I have an eyebrow-wax at 5:40. Dinner would have been LATE had I tried to fit it all in after work.

Okay, off to the shower! I hope everyone to come has a wonderful OP day!!

good morning,

Cottage - you are remarkable in resisting those cookies. Hope that storm stays away.

Chelby - hope Auston enjoys every minute of his birthday. 6 is a big deal.

Cyndi - enjoy your party. Its all about friends.

Kara - how old is Connor. Does he enjoy playing the violin. My DH use to play violin but some how his musical and artistic talents went to the wayside. Oh yea, is Connor going to wear a little bow.

Lexiss - Costco, what a temptation, lots of nice samples these days. Enjoy your day.

LC - hope you can handle a sick hubby and all those kids.

Kim - nice that you got the exercise in.

me - I have been sick again. My grandson arrived back home with stomach flu and I think I have been fighting that off. Also, not too much in a Christmas spirit after last weekend but hope it will pick up when my younger son gets home from his holidays on Friday. He really loves movies (graduated in film studies from university) so I can imagine that his suitcase will be filled with very unusual movies especially Japanese ones.
have a nice day
Sophie
trying to clean the kitchen up now

Hi girlies! Whoa it's Thursday already! I apologize for not being around but it's been SO busy!!! Got the Christmas tree decorated finally, watched a movie with Chris last night, and work has been slammin!!! Of course today is my "late" day where I work til 7:30 so what a poopy night I will have! Hoping to still do some wii fit, even if it's just a little when I get home.

Chris' birthday is Monday so we're going out tomorrow night, then his buddy is having a get-together on Saturday night, so I'm BOOKED! I am ready for relaxation!!!!

And of course, this morning Mom was doing her Christmas baking. Banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter blossoms, turtles, pecan balls.... sigh. Moo. I haven't had any though! 37 days til Key West.....

Anyhoozle gotta get back to work but thought I'd pop in, say hi, and let you all know that I didn't fall off the face of the earth! Have a great day everybody!

Lisa

Just got my son and his halfsister's christmas pictures back! How adorable! It took a lot of effort to get the shots that we did at the walmart photog because Liam was sooo not having none of that last week!

What a day, that is all I can say- work related stuff but craziness

Sounds like everyone is doing well. I am hoping to go on a walk since things have finally calmed down in a bit. Good news is Day 3 Phase 1 eating for me, I am feeling more in control of the cookie monster I became again.

Hope everyone has a lovely afternoon. Chelby tell Auston Happy Birthday, 6 is such a fun year, my DD2 is that age, I love the stuff that comes out of her mouth so entertaining.

LC, I hope your husband gets better soon!

Kim, don't take a page out of my book. I ate more cookies tonight. The "good news" is that they're gone now.

Sophie, Connor is eight years old. He is in the second grade at the German school in our village. He didn't wear a bow tie, but he did wear a nice red sweater and khakis and looked rather handsome. He is a very musical kid. He memorizes everything and can just play things he hears on the radio and whatnot. He's certainly not a virtuoso, but he's very talented.

Lisa, hi to you! Sounds like you need an advent calendar to Florida!

Melanie, glad the pictures came back cute!

Rose, have a great walk!

Auston got in trouble at school yesterday because what came out of his mouth was, "What the H3LL???" His teacher didn't think it was so cute!