my loot:

- toffifee (mmmm)
- popcorn (woo!)
- bed in a bag
- water filter system to hook up to kitchen sink
- cell phone accessories
- family heirloom scrapbook/keepsake box. it's lovely!
- beautiful snowglobe
- sexy pajamas (thanks to sisinlaw)
- the movie "we were soldiers" (which i already owned, doh!)
- a book about different ways to divine the future, and their origins (v. cool, but already own, double doh!)
- a book on public speaking/letter writing, what to do and what not to do
- a day planner/wallet/cell phone holder (memo to self: set up cell again when get money)
(memo to memo to self: f. in law offered to set up cell again, woo!)
- stuff for the bathroom (thanks ma)

from "santa":

- new thinsulate gloves (red)
- new scarf (also red)
- new hair brush (yay!)
- hair thingies (woo!)
- 2 pr. stockings (rowr)
- new venus razor and cute carrying case thingie(i heart santa! he gets me stuff so i don't have to get it myself)
- shave gel (it smells like raspberries, v. good)
- a home spa kit (mmm)
- chapstick with spf 15 block, in melon and peach flavors (v. yummy)
- more stuff. i forget now.

i won't even begin to try and compile the lists for my kids. it was insane.

also, now i'm beginning to feel sick, as is so. all three of em are still in bed as i type this.

What a holiday it's been so far.

I ended up taking K to the clinic on the 23 because he had a fever of 105. Discovered after an hour of waiting that he has an infection in both ears and his lower right lung. Oi!

On the 24 we all went to my parents' home for Christmas dinner, mmmm turkey.
K was of course still sick tho so I didn't really get to eat mine until someone else was done so they could keep the little guy company while I ate. No biggie. Family was there which was nice it was all the family I like so YAY! The kids got spoiled of course, but I'm kinda happy to report, very few toys. More stuff like new snowsuits and new clothes, or craft type things instead. C *did* get two barbies tho which tickled her pink. K got cars and a Crayola activity center which he adored, he loves drawing and coloring. C got a barbie one. I don't even know what they got anymore, too much stuff.

On the 25 the kids got me up at 7:30, a pleasant change from last year (4:30) but they both took turns keeping me awake all night with this or that complaint. We got up and opened gifts, Santa was very good to them this year and they were deeeeeeeeelighted. Then I hosted a Christmas brunch, I made a potato casserole and waffles and whipped cream and strawberries and apple turnovers and punch and SO's family came over and we had ham and other food too. Ooog. So much eating. After the brunch was more present opening. Agh! The kids got movies and books and things and one or two toys (they have too many toys, I was so glad both our parents restrained themselves this year). We got stuff too, some really nice things.

So then after all that happy eventing, C got very sick. Complained her back was hurting and had a fever of 104. I took her up to the hospital. We were admitted immediately but then stuck in a small room for a couple hours. C slept through the whole thing. Then the doctor came and poked and prodded and C bravely put up with it all. He said it was a good thing I brought her in because meningitis is going around but then after a battery of tests proclaimed her free of such thing. Then he had me get a urine sample from her and checked for urinary tract infection, came out clear. He said nothing much we can do for her, just plenty of rest and ice cream (she rather beamed at that last suggestion).

So now it's the twenty sixth. Christmas has come and gone. In spite of all the doings, I have yet to feel the holiday spirit come over me. What's wrong with me? I see everyone else with it. Maybe I am broken.

My daughter brought home a thing from school in the beginning of December, a big chain of loops she'd made, attached to a poem about Christmas. Every day she was to cut a loop off the chain, until the last loop, a big silver one. Then she'd know that Christmas was getting closer.

Today She was ecstatic to announce that there were only four more loops to Christmas, mum! Then she and her brother prompted me for their daily advent chocolate.

She made a Christmas angel at school, and the wings were white handprints of hers. It's very pretty.

I've been hella busy at work and etc. I have also been fighting off a sickness, I'm not sure what. Last night I went to bed at 7 frickin' 30. Slept right till this morning when my daughter came in and begged me to get up and feed her pop tarts. Because on Saturdays she gets pop tarts as a special treat. This morning was a strawberry sort of morning. My son was pretty excited. It's amazing what frosted, fruit-filled pastry can do to morale around the house. :p

Pop tarts are also this weird food craving I get when I get a cold. Don't ask, I'm not sure why. I'm just strange.

I lent the movie "I am Sam" to my parents the other weekend, they hadn't seen it yet. Then we dropped the kids off on Sunday to finish wrapping their gifts. When we came to get them I picked the movie up too and asked how they liked it. "Not a dry eye in the house." Dad said. "I actually watched the whole movie."

From my Dad this is miraculous praise indeed. He has this little habit of falling asleep during the movie. You literally have to prod him every 15 minutes to keep his attention sometimes. But with some movies, it captures his attention right away. This one especially touched his heart.

It's funny, anyone whom I've talked to that isn't a parent didn't enjoy the movie as much as people with kids. *shrug*

We might be going to one of SO's friends' for New Year's Eve, SO told me the other night. Fine by me I didn't have any plans anyway, but it's in Woodstock, we'd be bringing out kids... if the weather is crappy I am going to put a nix on it.

It was my friend Ju's birthday on Thursday, so S (who is Ju's sister, my friend) had a gathering at her home for the birthday girl. I went over for a while and behaved myself drinking wise, but ended up doing the horrible and buying a pack of cigarettes. Menthols. I have not smoked since January/02. I don't know what pushed me to do it. I just did.

Maybe it's all the stress finally getting to me. I don't know.

Ok I'm off.

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. It's shocking.

I talked to my cousin JP tonight for a bit over msn and gave her a livejournal code, let's see if she'll actually use the thing.

I have a heavy sense of meloncholy coming upon me. I don't know what to do with it. I could set it aside but it just makes it worse later. Holiday blues? I don't know. I just get this way sometimes. I feel older so much older than I am and it seeps into my bones and cracks them and I feel broken, washed up against the rocks




It's an effort to get out of bed in the morning



I don't know why


I find myself being irritable with the people I love, and I want to tell them I don't mean to be, and I want to explain to them why, but it's hard to do when you yourself don't know the right words...






I'm tired.

So get this, William Fucking Shatner was in my home town a few days back. Nobody I knew knew about this until they read it in the paper! Front page!

Meh, it's no worse than when the Prime Minister showed up for the inauguration of our new theatre.

Yay it is Sunday!

I need coffee. Want some? Great! While you're up, get me some too!

HOLY CATS THERE IS ONLY TEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! ADAPT PANIC MODE...>NOW!

I had a fucked up dream again.

This one involved my getting suckered into helping my friends at a sorority/frat mixer. It was really bizarre and everyone was dressed to the nines in ballgowns and tuxedos. So we were lined up like cattle and this guy they paired me up with was asking me all sorts of personal questions and then i smacked him upside the head with my tiara. Then he tried to kiss me so I stomped on his foot. Then this girl named J (someone I went to college with and have not seen since) was in her house and I was there helping her decorate. She was wearing a wedding dress but wasn't getting married. She just liked the dress. These 4 big trunks showed up and we opened them up and had a 10 minute argument over whether the stuff came from Spain or Portugal. Then this fellow with a deep voice stopped the argument with a big booming "PORTUGALE". He told her she *had* to come with him now, pack up everything she would need. She was losing her identity here, it was a matter of extreme importance that she come with him now. She said "Won't people miss me?" He said, "Not for long." Then a lookalike came in and lay down on a chaise lounge. They rubbed the real J down with some sort of soapy substance and me too. Then two big black bears came in and ate the lookalike alive! We hurried with the packing and got into a van and took off for the airport.

I don't remember the rest.

So yeah. I'm tired.

I was gonna go out last night but decided "Hey! I haven't slept in two days, I bet that would be a better idea" so I conked right out.

Had fucked up dreams involving recipes for items to save someone's soul, it had something to do with cinammon hearts and bong screens, it was very bizarre. And I was talking to some chick who totally hated me, and her boyfriend was there and he was defending me and I ended up eating some of the ingredients to save the person, I think I ate some moss and a piece of black licorice. Then SO woke me up because the alarm had gone off and I was mumbling about something being my favorite.

Clearly I should sleep at regular intervals to avoid such dreaming.

Ok I go to work now. We managed to raise $250 to buy presents for needy kids. I decided we should buy stuff for the older kids this year because the little ones are always getting donations but the older ones get the shaft. So at lunch today I go do that.

My driver's license is up for expiry soon, ACK

Reminder to self: renew that sucka

Ok I really go now.



NO......NOW.



Now?



...

stupid jimmy neutron version of parents don't understand. grr.

i've been up since yesterday, woo! my son decided he wanted to sleep poorly, but not without making sure i didn't get *any* sleep! fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

i keep thinking to myself that the holiday is coming soon and i can relax. which is bullshit because like everyone else i will be stressing myself out visiting relatives or hosting them.

k bye

A bajillion things have happened!

So yeah. I bought a computer for all by myselfness.

Also!

C had her first school concert on monday, they sang "Away in a Manger". It was great although a little weird too, my parents attended and said they found it so strange to think their *granddaughter* was up there...

I've been hella busy with work type crap, that whole year end thing. I haven't disappeared I'm just holed up in my box in front of a box doing the work thing. And when I'm not I'm doing the family thing. Gah.

Today was the core christmas lunch type thing for our company and I had to MC the thing. Which was fine but I got a lot of comments like "wow you are really brave". Well of course I am, since I don't care a damn about 90% of the people's opinions, least of all their opinions about me.

I don't really know what else I was going to say. I'm tired and I want milk.

I LOVE YOU ALL. Yes even you.