Merry ChristmaHannuKwaanzakahmas!!!

OK, ok, so maybe a day late--BIG DEAL. Yeesh.  Merry Christmas (belated) to everybody out there.  As for the title, I am Christian.  Not any other religion, and I have noooo problem saying Merry Christmas.  I just saw this on a Christmas card this year and found it hilarious.  Granted, people are more than welcome to worship and celebrate however they please.  Won't offend me in the slightest.  I just personally am a Christian and celebrate CHRISTmas.  I have Jewish friends, Muslim friends and even a few Hindu friends.  Do I tell them what to do? NO. Do they give me the same respect? YES.  I also don't go out of my way to 'convert' people who think differently than I do.  I thoroughly enjoy a respectful, intelligent discussion on the subject when it is approached.  However, I DO NOT believe it is my solemn duty to conform people to my personal beliefs. PERIOD.  If they wanna know, I'll tell 'em.  IF the discussion is RESPECTFUL on both sides. My opinion is that I am best showing the love of Christ by displaying a loving, caring, respecful character to EVERYONE I meet.  Not by saying I'm better than or smarter than those who believe different.  That wouldn't be very Christ-like at all. 
I have to carry on that same way in my own home.  I was raised in one Christian denominatino, and my dear husband was raised in another.  He still holds to many of the beliefs he was taught as a child.  We agreed looooong ago that we would tell our children how mommy believes AND how daddy believes--and allow them to research and decide for themselves when they became old enough to.  In the meantime, we don't tell them 'well THIS is how it is and you HAVE to believe THIS WAY'. No.  We teach our kids that there are several different takes on the religion subject, and lots of different opinions.  We also teach them that they don't necessarily have to AGREE with the opinions of others, but they have to RESPECT them.  When they come of age to make informed, intelligent decisions on their own, I will wholeheartedly respect their choice.  In the meantime, I will just grit my teeth and bear it when I hear folks making fun of others because they differ in that area.  I can't STAND when people do that . . . 

Aahhh, puppies. BLECH!!!!

On Thanksgiving night, my hubby decided to add a new member to our family (which I've already talked about in a previous post).  A cute, four legged, brown, furry, blue-eyed, laid back and loveable member we named Karma. Because we had a major blowout on the way home with her and had to rearrange the car to get the flat and everything else back in.  (Looooong story.) The first comment out of my hubby's mouth was, "That dog's got bad karma or something." Ding-ding-ding!!! Perfect name. Two days later, he decided she needed a buddy; so, her hyperactive, black, furry, LOUD littermate came to live with us too.  Now, we already have a full grown, un-neutered, male basset hound 

and both the new pups are female. (YIKES!!) Hubby has the bright idea that everybody will want basset/lab/walker hound pups.  NOT HAPPENING. Somebody will draw the short straw and go to the vet. (Sorry, Storm.)

Hubby's next idea actually sounded pretty good to me.  He wants me to train both new pups for hunting dogs.  I LOVE the sound of that.  You see, I grew up with dogs.  I love dogs.  I also helped my dad train and breed bird dogs for years.  I truly relish the idea.  UNTIL . . . our little black puppy made us realize that some dogs are true challenges.  Mojo (her current name) should've been named HOUDINI.  She has escaped our chain link fenced in back yard EVERY DAY at some point since the day we got her.  Our lovely fenced in enclosure is beginning to look like an episode of Sanford & Son.  We've got scrap lumber, metal fence posts, an upside-down little tikes slide and numerous HUGE rocks up against the fence all over the yard.  Yet, she STILL manages to escape.  The funny part is that she always runs to the back door and sits and whines to be let back in.  She doesn't run off--she runs around to get back in the fence through the gate.  What a doofus . . .

Now, flashback to last Thursday night.  Hubby is on his way home and he calls me as usual.  He says, "I have one of your other Christmas presents and I'm giving it to you early."  I was fixing to ask what he was bringing me when I heard a sound that brought my heart to a stop-- the distinct sound of a small puppy yapping in terror.  Not from my yard . . . from his CAR.  I promptly hung up on him.

When he arrived home, I had settled somewhat.  I asked where the flea-bitten little nuisance was.  Then, he pulled out of his jacket one of the sweetest, most adorable fur balls I had EVER seen.  My resolve and my heart melted in that instance.  It was love at first sight.  I hugged hubby, apologized and thanked him profusely.  I'm not sure what breed she is, but she is the color of a golden retriever, has short, floppy ears, a slightly curly tail, longer 'scruff' around her neck, a long body (like a weenie dog), and very short legs.  With a very wide head, short snout and HUGE paws.  Mutt?  Definitely.  Angel? Absolutely.  So Angel is what we called her. 

I don't believe we need ANY more pets, thank you very much.  We now have 4 dogs and 3 cats.  PLENTY.  On another note, I won't say that training 2 puppies to hunt and housebreaking another is easy, but I'll say that I have my work cut out.  It will eventually be worth it--but not for another year. Or two . . . Oh, boy . . .

Flu lala lala lala la laundryyyyy!!!!

I have spent the last 2 days with some of the worst stomach cramping and tummy bug symptoms known to modern man.  This morning I awoke thinking I might actually be able to stomach some dry crackers--if not for the horrid sore throat and sinus pain I am now feeling.  Yesterday my dear sweet hubby was actually late to work b/c he had to take the kids to school for me. Why? Because I could not walk--only crawl.  Between the toilet and my bed.  Yeah.  No driving for me. (duh)  The only thing that befuddles me is not the tummy cramps, but the backache I was having (????).  Makes me wonder if I had kidney trouble instead or something outlandish like that. Who knows?  All I know is that I am feeling better today and that I need to catch up laundry. Oh. joy.
Speaking of laundry, does it get on your nerves as it does on mine?  I posted a complaint about my laundry recently on another discussion board and a dear friend (with 3 children) gave me a wonderful tip I may just try.  She said in her house, laundry baskets/ hampers are only used for clean laundry.  Her WASHING MACHINE is used for the dirty hamper.  She doesn't keep clothes that bleed so they can all be washed together when the machine is full.  LOVE IT!!!!  I've been trying that for the last few days and I must say, it is quite liberating!  She does admit to keeping a hamper specifically in the bathroom for towels etc., that gets emptied into the washer every morning with what's already there. She also has a cleaning schedule that has every room of the house assigned to a day (with quick pick ups in between) and sheets and blankets for the bedrooms get washed on the day that room gets cleaned. (Genius!!)  However, I shudder to think when the last time was that I washed my sheets . . . ugh.
I also had a little revelation of my own recently. I have had a sock basket for almost as long as I have had children.  I LOVE the sock basket.  I DESPISE matching socks. I was folding towels, washrags, dishcloths and the like a few months back when I thought, "what is the point? who CARES if these get wrinkled?"  Then, the lightbulb went off in my head.  I STOPPED folding those things (GASP!).  So, what do I do?  I'll tell you.  Dishcloths and kitchen towels get thrown directly in a drawer in the kitchen.  Do not fold, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars :)  My linen closet has four shelves and the floor section beneath the bottom shelf, so there are 5 sections there (right? right.)  I put a rubber maid tote(minus the lid) on the floor and a laundry basket on the next 3 shelves. Rubbermaid tote holds small blankets and misc. items.  First shelf's basket holds towels and wash cloths (unfolded--just toss em in), second shelf 's basket holds kids sheets and pillowcases(same thing here), and third shelf's basket holds me and hubby's sheets and pillowcases (ditto).  Top shelf holds comforters (these are folded--wouldn't be able to fit much up there if they weren't). You see how much folding I have done away with? YAY!!  Now if the rest of the clothes would just fold themselves, I'd be all set!

Anonymous

I bet some of u may have noticed that I don't put names or pictures on my blog.  And I'll bet some of u are wondering why (or not :)).  Well, I'll tell ya.  Number 1: My hubby has a job where he deals with some shady characters from time to time--and has to either refuse to do what shady characters ask him to, and/or fire them.  Which has led to numerous threats against him (and us!).  So, to ease his mind, I don't tell specifics for safety reasons.  Number 2:  Past problems.  Hubby has a troubled and disturbing past w certain people, that were not of his doing.  And, he is NOT ready to reconcile old differences.  In order to keep things civil,  I just don't get specific and I don't push him to 'make things right', especially when he didn't do anything to deserve the situation in the first place.  Now folks, don't get all worked up.  He is NOT a member of the mob, or a gang, or anything like that.  And his job is a perfectly legal, average, everyday job.  He is just in charge of a LOT of people and things--and occasionally some of them are (dare I say it?) LOONEY. 

So, that is the reason why I'm not as specific as I could be on here.  Hopefully, you understand.

Now, would somebody pass the Velveeta?

Last night the Christmas parade went rather well. It was cooooooold, but FUN.  Our last Christmas parade this year will be next weekend.  I'm looking forward to it. 
 This morning I went outside to help my son feed our hounds and twisted my knee.  It's swelled up pretty bad and I can't completely straighten it.  It's really not unusual for that to happen to me--I have had knee trouble since I was in junior high school.  They pop out of socket regularly and take awhile to get back to 'normal'.  So, I guess I'll be spending this morning on the couch with ice on it instead of going to church.  Bummer...  In the meantime, I did manage to go get my Sunday papers bf my incident so I will be clipping coupons while I rest. (YEEHAW!!!)  I'm also going to give the kiddos a chore list and have the boys bring me baskets of clothes to fold. This day could turn out to be interesting . . .

Hats, scarves, coats . . . and Gi's.

Earlier this year, I opted to sign my older 3 kids up for karate. Number 1, I thought it would be good exercise and discipline for them. Number 2, they are members of the local boys and girls club, and karate is offered FREE!!!! Yup, free :-)So, they've been enjoying it for awhile now. Every Christmas, they march in 3 local christmas parades. Last weekend was the first, and the weather wasn't too bad. This weekend is number 2, and the weather is supposed to be FRIGID to say the least. So I have to figure out how to keep them warm without covering up their black karate outfits TOO much. And without them looking like the kid from the Christmas story who falls and can't get up. I hope none of them get dumb enough to try this :