Holidays

Okay, as I sit here in 87 degree weather, it is a little hard to get into the holiday spirit. But we are just sixteen days away from Thanksgiving and only 47 days away from Christmas. By now, I would have been pressuring DH to get out the Christmas decorations and tree and get busy. Nov 1st, the day after Halloween, would be the day or the weekend directly following.

I know, I know, no lectures about skipping Thanksgiving.... the thing is, up until this year we have never been home for Thanksgiving. We used to go to the deer camp and hunt all weekend and have our "feast" at the picnic table at Streeter Deer Camp. Well, we don't know what we will do this year. Since S's family hunts, they usually don't do anything and he still doesn't feel comfortable going to my parents to celebrate, I don't know where or what we'll do this year. We usually go to my adopted parents (J's parents') house for holidays but never have for Thanksgiving. I say we can give thanks just as good at Ryan's without all the cooking.

But, since I have been unable to work or do much, I have been watching the tube- not something I wanted to start but you can only do so much on a couch or in a recliner. I am going to admit something- don't hold it against me- I have been watching Martha Stewart and have actually gotten more into the holiday mood. I'm ready to start baking and thinking about homemade gifts.

J and I have had a tradition for the last few years of getting together and making our kids' teachers, busdrivers, our coworkers, mailman, etc. little homemade gifts for Christmas. One year we did layered cookie recipes in mason jars with the recipe on gift tags with raffia. Another year, we did cocoa, spiced tea and trash (Chex Mix) and last year we did homemade ornaments that we baked and personalized. That was a lot of work.

I think this year we are going to go with chocolate covered spoons and a bag of cappuchino mix or mocha/cafe au'lait. It is so fun for us to get together and pile all the stuff together and do our little diddy's. Our recipient's love them and have really come to expect them.

Well J doesn't have teacher's this year as her son is in college and her girl is in jr high. My girls, on the other hand have, have 4 teacher's each, not counting the PE, Music, Foreign Lang, Magnet, etc. When do you say, that is enough. Do we do just the home room teachers? I could be looking at 8 teachers a piece. Okay, I want to be thoughtful but my pocketbook can only take so much.

It is not easy budgeting for 4 kids who have everything under the sun.

****Okay****
I have to take this moment to tell you what I a watching and listening to in my living room....
1. I'm listening to Montel Williams Show about this sfamily of sixteen (yes that is 16) siblings who were brutally tortured and locked in basements and fed a ketchup sandwich a day for years and years.

2. I am watching a robot, yes, I said a robot roam around on my floors picking up trash. My DH bought me an IRobot so I wouldn't have to sweep or vacuum. This thing wonders around my house going from room to room picking up dirt. When it is through, it just trots itself right back to its docking station to recharge. The neat thing is that it is Pink and is the Pink Ribbon edition and part of the procedes go to the Susan G. Komen foundation. That is just too freaking cool! I own a robot people.

Okay, back to the holidays. I am ready for some cold weather so I can sit out on the porch that we haven't gotten built yet and drink some spiced tea and enjoy the nip in the air. I am also ready for the weather to get cold enough where the deer will come out of hiding and my husband won't be so down. It must be an ego thing when these guys don't see anything. Even J's hubby didn't go Sat because he was disgusted. Now, I don't think in the 19 years I have known him, he has ever not gone hunting on a Saturday morning when he was off work to just stay home. He has got to have fever.

Okay, so I say instead of a rain dance, we do a cold weather dance. J you are part indian, get us started...

Hummahummahummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
WWooooohoooowooooohooooo.................
Hammaloccahollalammmahumau...............

Okay, I never said I had any Indian in me.