Productive Day

This is our last week of school before Christmas Break & apart from a brief (very brief!) PTO meeting at tomorrow night's Christmas Show, I'm just a parent this week!

Today was one of those days where things fell together & was able to get so much accomplished.

I walked Sunshine into school where her homeroom teacher gave me an adorable hand painted ornament.  I knew she had something  for me as she texted yesterday to ask if I'd be in today.  So right off the bat, I start off my day with a pressie!

I got the PTO closet put back together.  Last week was our 5 day Secret Santa Shop.  While it wasn't my event, I was up there for a few hours a day for 4 days.  They took pity on me as they knew I was sick the weekend we set up & gave me Monday off.

When I left school I realized that my idea of going to the commissary wasn't wise.  The no-longer new manager has reinstated an old policy that limits purchases made before 10 am to 30 items or less.  Crazy manager lady, please.

So, not wanting to deal with silly rules, I decided to head to Target.  Cards for my brother, 2 nephews & Sunshine's 2 teachers--check.  More gift wrap--check.  A few little stocking stuffers--check.  Gift for Hunter's nephew--check.  Gift card for PTO Treasurer as a thank you from the VP & I for truly going above & beyond the call of duty---check.

A run to Sally's for hair color & other stocking stuffers (shush, my husband likes their foot files & nail buffers!)---check.

Michaels for 50 glass ornaments, paint & sharpies for a craft for 2 of our 4th grade classes and I was done with that part of town.

I headed to the commissary & was in and out in record time.  I also didn't get the crazy bagger which was a bonus.  The commissary has baggers who work on tips.  Most of them are teenagers.  Some are retirees & one is this really weird older guy who was a military brat back in the day.  I've gotten him to speak but mostly he sings bits of various 70s songs that he feels pertain to his customers.   Don't believe me?  One day he had a 40ish woman who was um, well, she had made some questionable clothing choices.  And she didn't choose wisely.

Ol' bagger guy takes a look at her and mid-verse of "Down By The Bayou" switches to "Witchy Woman"

Seriously.  If you've ever been to a military commissary & had the crazy bagger guy you know that I couldn't make this stuff up!

Made it home where I discovered Hunter working on a couple Christmas presents in the garage (his makeshift workshop).  Got our groceries put away & enjoyed my sushi for lunch.

I had time to color my hair and then make it up to school to pick up Sunshine & my friends' 2 kids as she and her husband were at a funeral.   We went to Cherry Berry for fro-yo which was yummy.

Sunshine & I hit up Kohl's for some shoes for her chorus outfit tomorrow.  I am not a Kohl's fan.  I find their stores to be laid out really weird, their associates are never to be found and I hate the whole front check out thing.

That being said, their intimates sales are great & my comforter set came from there.

But they stink.

We couldn't find tights for Sunshine in the girls department.  At all.  Not just her size, but NO tights, period.  Um, I realize it's Georgia but no tights?????

We moved onto shoes where I thought I'd stab someone.  Their shoe department is like that of Target or TJ Maxx---it's all open stock.  Only Target & TJ Maxx have some organization to their shoes.  Sunshine is roughly a 2 1/2 in shoes.  Kohl's has no half sizes.  I found some 3s but really, 2 styles that were appropriate for her.  I can't even begin to describe the sizes all mixed in together as it was truly mind boggling.

We left with a pair of shoes & the task of trying them on at home with tights on.  As I predicted, they are too big so tomorrow I have to return them & go on the Great Shoe Hunt 2013 while she's at school.  Pray for me that Dillard's can come through.

I also got all the gifts for Hunter's family wrapped & ready to go.  My mom's gifts are wrapped & ready to go along with the gift cards for my brother & his boys.  My other brother & SIL's gift is going to be ready tomorrow so we'll get it wrapped & ready for shipment.  I hate shipping gifts so late---I always worry they won't make it there in time!

Now I'm getting into bed for some quick time w/ my Kindle & then a good night's rest.  

Tomorrow's going to be "productive" too!

Better Than You Think

I like to think that I'm an optimist but really, deep down, I'm a realist.  I do tend to have a sunny view of things and expect that good things will happen but my gut will tell me when I'm being ridiculous.  Or when I shouldn't trust someone or something.  Ask my friends, my built in BS detector is amazingly accurate.  I don't know how many times I've commented about something not being right about a person while others tell me I'm not giving them a fair shake, or that I don't really know them, only to have them show their true colors & I'm proven right.

This isn't about me being right, but it's about being real about life.

Life isn't always pretty.  It isn't always fair.  There are times it's hard and there are times when things just downright suck.

But do they really?

A friend of mine shared this post on Facebook today.  Jackie is one of those people who makes things happen.  She's someone who dreams big and who lives big.  She mocks my love of Bloody Marys & has deemed them only fit to drink at brunch.  She also tells me when I'm fabulous.  Apparently I'm fabulous a lot in her eyes.  We all need friends like her.

So, if you're thinking that life sucks.  Or is so hard.  Or that it's so unfair, take a minute and read this.  Your perspective will change.

Even in uncertain times, it’s always important to keep things in perspective.

True wealth is the ability to fully experience life.
- Henry David Thoreau

1. You are alive.
2. You are able to see the sunrise and the sunset.
3. You are able to hear birds sing and waves crash.
4. You can walk outside and feel the breeze through your hair and the sun’s warmth on your skin.
5. You have tasted the sweetness of chocolate cake.
6. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
7. You awoke this morning with a roof over your head.
8. You had a choice of what clothes to wear.
9. You haven’t feared for your life today.
10. You have overcome some considerable obstacles, and you have learned and survived.
11. You often worry about what you’re going to do with your life – your career, your family, the next step, etc. – which means you have ambition, passion, drive, and the freedom to make your own decisions.
12. You live in a country that protects your basic human rights and civil liberties.
13. You are reasonably strong and healthy – if you got sick today, you could recover.
14. You have a friend or relative who misses you and looks forward to your next visit.
15. You have someone with whom to reminisce about ‘the good old days.’
16. You have access to clean drinking water.
17. You have access to medical care.
18. You have access to the Internet.
19. You can read.

The truth is, you’re doing better than a lot of people in this world.  So remember to be grateful for all the things you do have. 

Yeah, my life rocks too.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. . .

We've enjoyed our Thanksgiving Break so much.  After the first three months of school being SO hectic, it's been nice to sleep in, be lazy, be busy for reasons that don't involve the PTO & to just enjoy our little family.For the last few years, we've made what we call our "glitterific ornaments"  Hunter & Sunshine are getting really creative with their swirls!

We went to see Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens.  This is my favorite part---the snowstorm.  We went to dinner with 2 other families and then to see the lights together.  The kids were good  & sat together while the grown ups sat together and had fun.  

When  you're on your 4th year of making glitterific ornaments, you need more places to display them.  The light in our dining room is a perfect place!

My new Ornament for 2013

I purchase a new ornament (at least one) each Christmas.  This is this year's addition.  Truth be told, I didn't put all my ornaments on the tree!  We downsized our tree (7' slimmer tree from a 7 1/2 ' Donner Fit that was like 5' at the bottom) which meant fewer ornaments.  I do put all of the ornaments that Sunshine has made, or that have pictures of her/us.  I have the Hallmark Penguin series that I started collecting in '89 up as well as a few other special ones (the '07 Spode bell ornament that was to remind me of the hardest year of my life).

If you read my last post, you know I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to my Christmas dishes.  I haven't bought a new piece (so far) this year but I'm sure it's a matter of time.  I have 8 bowls, sandwich plates & dinner plates pulled out for our daily dishes until shortly after New Year's Day.  I need to pull out the glasses & wine glasses.

Tomorrow starts back to school for Sunshine for 3 weeks.  They're going to be a crazy 3 weeks too.  We have our Secret Santa prep this week---getting everything wrapped, priced & ready to be put out either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.   The following week is the actual SSS and then the week after that is the Annual Christmas Show.  Sunshine is in the chorus this year---we've tracked down a black skirt & white blouse for her chorus costume so that's good.  Hopefully, the director doesn't decide he needs props the day before the show.  It's happened before.   And, I think I may need to track down a back up photographer for yearbook pics.

And, I'm behind on my knitting for Sunshine's teacher.  *sigh*  Maybe my tradition of a feather & fan scarf for all her teachers is ending.  I could probably get it done if I focus & commit some time to getting it done.