Merry Christmas!

Yes, finally we are out of school! Why is it when you have two weeks off from work, you still wake up at 6 a.m. and can't go back to sleep to save your life? I will guarantee by the end of next week I will be sleeping late, only to realize I have to start waking again early on the 7th.

Last night I started wrapping presents at 4 p.m. took an hour dinner break and didn't get finished until 11:45 p.m. Omg I was so tired of wrapping! Sam my wonderful, wonderful, husband tried to help me but only ended up confusing me. I had everything separated and was wrapping my little heart out when he came in to find out what Santa was bringing and what we were giving. Then the confusion began switching this gift here that one there, my head started spinning. Counting presents to make sure everyone had the right amount and right ones. Usually I am pretty good with sticking to my list of what to get the kids so I don't overspend or overspoil. Unfortunately, last weekend in the mountains, me and Sam went shopping alone to pick up last minute gifts, which turned into another shopping spree. Why do they put everything cute for girls right in the front of the store? Our cart was full and we weren't even in the door yet. Then you find something that one girl would love, so then you gotta go find something for the other two girls. Needless to say, our girls have way too much and Steven was way too expensive. I try really hard to be one of those responsible parents who buy reasonable gifts. Not sure if I achieved that this year. Christmas morning, when four kids wake up to see everything, the smiles on the faces will be well worth it.

We are trying to stay in our Holiday spirit mode for the children, but it's a little hard when both sides of our family have some tragic news this week. Sam's Aunt Lois has been sent home from the hospital with the sad news that there is nothing more they can do, so my in-laws left town Wednesday night heading to California. Our first family Christmas in Georgia will be spent missing them. Then on my side of the family, my Uncle David was hit in the head with 1000 lbs of steel at his job and has a serious brain trauma. The good news he is home but it could months or even years to fully heal from this injury. So if you will, keep our families in your prayers.

On a lighter note I want to take the time to wish everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas!  May all your holiday wishes come true. Don't let the craziness and madness of the holidays get you down. As Jessica would say, don't forget it's Jesus's Birthday too! Yes, there will be a birthday cake for Jesus, compliments of Jessica and Jewel.

Merry Christmas to ALL

FINALLY A FREE WEEKEND!

For the last 20 months our weekends have been spilt between Sage and my parents. See, before I moved here I lived with my parents for six years. It totally worked for us. I was a single mom of three and needed help taking care of the kids while I worked crazy hours. It also helped that my parents are my best friends. I know it sounds unimaginable but it’s very true. We all loved living together in a big house and working together to raise what my mom and I like to refer to as “OUR KIDS”. So when we moved to Georgia it was very difficult getting used to not seeing them every day so we made a pact…to help the kids get used to being away from their grandparents, we promised them that on weekends we don’t have Sage we would go to Maggie Valley. I told my mom it was like her having visitation of us. We have been very faithful about going every two weeks, I feel after all they did for us while I was a single mom, I owe my parents, my kids and myself, to visit them every other weekend. Now Sam and I have fallen in love with their place up there. We all look forward to our visits.  It’s almost like a mini-vacation

Back to the free weekend. My parents spent Thanksgiving with us and stayed through the week. I told the kids we were going to stay home this weekend since Grandma and Pop just left last Sunday.  Of course they yelled we don’t have Sage, we always go when we don’t have her. I said yeah but won’t it be nice to stay home sleep in on Saturday and just have a lazy weekend. So now they are thinking of a million things we could do, places we could go. I’m pretty sure the FREE WEEKEND is gone!  I am sure my husband has plans for the both of us after the kids are asleep. Then the laundry will be sitting there screaming WASH ME! The floors could use a shampoo. The hall closet needs to be cleaned since my husband threw all the empty Christmas boxes in there after we decorated. Then I need to write out Christmas cards, wrap presents, and put the garland and lights around the balcony. Of course, the kids will want to have three meals plus a snack. Mama/Wife’s work is never done. It’s a 24/7 job. I paid my dues for six years as a single mom. I give all single moms the praise! I am very lucky to have found a wonderful man like Sam. He’s can wash laundry, cook, vacuum, sweep, mop, clean bathrooms, fix computers, do homework, make beds, be my best friend, lover, provider, strength. Now only if I can get him to do windows?

Goodbye free weekend!. Hello to what makes my world go around, makes my life complete, and makes me happy inside and out: my beautiful kids and wonderful husband. I will take that any day over a free weekend!!

TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS

Remember the commercial of the old man getting up early in the morning saying time to make the doughnuts? Think it was Dunkin Donuts, not sure though. Anyway, that’s it what it felt like Friday morning when the alarm went off at 2:30 a.m.  Sam and I did our “Breakfast with Santa” thing Friday morning, which means spending all day Thursday looking through sales papers, going over Christmas list from all four children.  I must add we really have great children who didn’t really ask for outrageous things. Steven wants a PSP, Jewel anything Tinkerbell, Jessica a scooter, Sage a pink Nintendo DS Lite, plus a bag of Dove candy. Once we had the kids’ lists and our list of gifts and stores in line we were all set for “Breakfast with Santa”.  See, on Friday after Thanksgiving our kids have been told we go eat breakfast with Santa, walk around the stores and show him what every kid wants and then give Santa some money to help pay for the toys, feed the elves, and reindeer food of course.

So 2:30 a.m. beep...beep…beep……….Quick shower, sales papers in hand, off to our first stop. JC Penney opened at 4 a.m. and had what I wanted!  Hey, I deserve a little something for getting up that early.  They had my George Foreman grill on sale.  At 3:30 a.m. I dropped Sam off at Target to wait in line for their 6 a.m. opening.  I went to the 4 a.m. opening at JC Penney and was out of there at 4:05 and off to Toys R Us for a 5 a.m. opening.  Got everything there and was out at 5:45 only to rush back to Target to meet Sam who was like 10^th in a line of 200.  All of a sudden the doors open and what a rush. Everyone took off running and I was cheering Sam on. Go baby, run baby, there will be a reward for you tonight if you get there quickly.  By 7 a.m. we had been to JC Penney, Toys R Us, Target and Old Navy.  Finally it was breakfast time--off to Chick Fil A for food and to strategize. Then off to Best Buy and back to Target. We got home around 11:45 a.m. dragging like you wouldn’t believe.

While waiting in line at 4:00 in the morning you meet some strange people, like the girls who just left a club and came to JC Penney just to get a free snow globe. They were probably having the most fun. There was the 50ish man who came from Dawsonville to buy a Christmas tree. Toys R Us was no different: a young couple behind me were in line for a Wii for his 65 year old parents who are addicted to his game. Then on the inside was a lawyer who was getting the Wii for his son.  The funniest part was he was arguing with his wife that they could afford a Wii off sale so what in the hell are we doing here at 5 a.m. I talked with a more reasonable mom who was just trying to give her children and get Christmas and not remortgage her home in the process. I told here we are both guaranteed a room with a view at the nursing home after standing in line for Hannah Montana.

All in all it was well worth the 2:30 a.m. wake up. I know we are going to have a lot of smiling faces on Christmas morning. We have maybe four more things to get and we are totally done shopping and it’s not even December yet!

" Dancing with the Stars"

Our little Jessica is trying out for the Dance Team at her school this week.  She is attending a 3 -day clinic to learn a routine, which will determine if she makes it or not. I picked her up at 4 yesterday and I can still hear her in my head 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and bow! I went to bed counting, woke up counting and I am sure the rest of my day will be counting. She is so excited about dancing. 28 girls are trying out for the team, 20 will make it, 5 will be stand by's and 3 will go home. I am like praying please let her make it. I wonder if we could call the dance team teachers and place a vote for her, just like dancing with the stars! So everyone call 1-800 Dunwoody Springs Charter School and vote for Jessica Shirey.

 

 

In other news our twins turned 10 last week. When they were born I didn't want to dress them alike cause I wanted them to be individual little girls. But of course that changed when my mom decided  to buy everything the same. Then I got hooked on it and every since they have the same clothes, shoes, coats, socks, panties. I always felt guilty if one girl didn't have the same as the other girl. Almost like I was cheating one twin out of something.  Well we went birthday shopping for a new outfit like we do every year. New clothes and shoes to start their birthday right. Jessica runs to these cute little pink cowgirl boots. Jewel runs to these high heels that she would never be able to walk in . When I suggested the cowgirl boots Jewel flipped. She said "LIKE I WOULD EVER WEAR THOSE!" I had to realize I no longer have twins. I have Jessica who will forever be my little baby. Jewel who is too independent until she has a nightmare. Needless to say I gave in and Jessica got cowgirl boots and Jewel got suede boots with a tiny heel. I can't believe my babies are 10. Sam and I talked of having a baby but  I think we have come to the conclusion 4 kids, 1 dog, 2 jobs are enough for us now. Then we have several adoptee from the neighborhood and all my kids at school.

It's Foos Ball again

Our blog friend "The Rake" makes me feel so guilty for not writing in my blog that I dedicate this entry to him. He is so faithful with sharing wonderful adventures with "The Rake and Family". I am a terrible blog writer. When I was a stay at home mom I drove people crazy with e-mail of my wonderful husband and family. Now the job, school, kids, dinner, laundry, the dog, my husband take precedence over blog writing. But today I dare to write once again about Foos Ball in fear of getting some hateful e-mail from another woman who tells me to go paint my nails.

 

I am so into the fantasy football league my husband has. They have this cool website that I actually visit and scream at if we are not winning. So far this Sandy Springs FFC is 3-0 and has won the most point scored 2 out of the 3 weeks. So now on Sunday I am watching a game trying to keep up with which of our players have scored and if not I am dialing 411 to get Tom Brady's cell number so I can see what the problem is. Today not looking so hot for us yet.  Our line up consist of

 

Cousin Tom Brady

In-law Adrian Peterson ( in law cause he didn't score for us today)

Brother Leon Washington ( who gave us 6 points)

Uncle Plaxico Burress

4th cousin Wes Welker ( who is going to be kicked out of our family if he don't start scoring soon)

2nd cousin Algae Crumpler ( who didn't score today)

My Great Aunts, cousins brother baby boy Neil Rackers ( 2nd quarter and nothing??????? WHY??????)

 

Told my husband he should have started my favorite brother Ryan Longwell who scored 10 points today. Men! Can't tell them anything when it comes to football.

 

Life is great for us so far this school year. Jewel is playing the flute, Jessica on clarinet, Steven on drums, Sam and I are on Tylenol most of the time. Grades are looking good so far. Homework getting done with the help of threatening to kill or worse yet take their bedtime snack away.

 

Sam is great and wonderful as usual in spite of the fact he just turned 38 last Saturday. I tell him he is still handsome to me even if his beard is getting whiter than Santa Claus.

 

Thanks Rake for making me feel guilty for not writing in my blog. I forgot how much fun this is.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Life in Georgia is great these days! We are doing a little remodeling in the house. Sam and Bill (Sam's brother) along with Steven helped install French doors leading out to our back deck.  I love those doors. I have been wanting them since the day I moved here. I'd rather park in the back lot any day, so this way I can actually use the back doors. But of course now I want to paint the dining room, put some hardwood floors down, add new blinds, once you start you never can turn back. I have the FEVER -- the REMODELING FEVER! So any volunteers call 1-800- donate to the Brady fund!

 

With the big firework day here the kids are asking where we are going? So tonight, after being lazy and playing Scrabble with Sam on the computer we began to discuss what to do. Then it hit me light a lighting bolt, or should I say a bingo. I used all my letters on my rack which entitled me to a bingo which comes with fireworks and real sound effects. I told Sam that was it! We could play Scrabble tomorrow night and every time we get a bingo we will call the kids in and say Happy 4th of July. Think about it: no crowds, no traffic jams, no kids saying I am tired. But of course we are good parents and will most likely be spending the day at Stone Mountain or the pool. But it was a great idea you must admit.

 

In sad news, in the last 2 weeks our family has suffered the loss of three our loved ones. My Great Aunt Grace passed away on my birthday. My second cousin Dean passed away this past Sunday. My sister's dog Skip Pookie Fritz passed away the day before my birthday. Then I got the news that 2 of my friends in New Jersey passed away in the same week. I told my mom I love her but please don't call me for a while. If you will, say a prayer for my Aunt Reba who buried who sister last Friday and must now bury her son on thursday.

 

In times like this it just makes you very thankful for your family and friends. I have said it before, we tend to get so busy with the worldly things we forget the most important. So if you guys don't know by now. I LOVE YOU! I appreciate each and every one of you. You're in my heart, thoughts, and prayers daily. Now start writing me back or else I will start talking about each of you in my next e-mail! LOL!!!!