Eeeeeeeeekkkkkkkk!!!

Ok, many of you know about our small animal problem last Christmas at the house {it was not pleasant to say the least} anyway the saga continues......

We are currently visiting friends and staying at a local hotel near their house. Last night, I was laying in bed and heard a noise ~ I nudged Tim and asked him if he heard it too and he said yes! He turned on the light but we saw nothing so off the lights went. Again, the noise came back.....on went the lights. We still heard the noise and Tim tossed a pillow in the direction of the noise. Then it appeared...a MOUSE ~ it was in the garbage can YUCK, EEEWW, SHIT!!! The darn thing was trying to jump out and then it did....then came my scream! To make a long story short, I called the front desk we moved rooms {at 2am none the less} and I had a hard time sleeping all night. Why does this kind of thing have to happen to me...I HATE rodents of any variety...let alone to see them.

Sounds of Happy New Year

With the New Year's Eve almost upon us, here's a list that's sure to be a tongue twister. See how Happy New Year is pronounced around the world.

Chinese: Chu Shen Tan

French: Bonne Annee
German: Prosit Neujahr

Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo
Russian: S Novim Godom

Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo or Prospero Ano Nuevo
Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

A Funny For You!

A Christmas Story has to be one of the BEST holiday movies of all times....every generation seems to enjoy it and has their favorite part of the movie. I saw this cartoon and had to laugh out loud.....

Rain Then Rainbows

When getting ready to take Millie on our afternoon walk I noticed a large and bright rainbow outside. So of course, I grabbed the camera and took it with us. I am glad that I did as I was able to get some really nice pictures of not only the rainbow but Millie too!

This is the view while walking down our lane to the entrance to the field that is next to the house.

Millie found some new friends across the river...not sure if the sheep noticed her or not. The river is still very high due to all the rain.

There really is no reason for the photo of this holly plant {it is on the edge of our driveway and I never pay attention to it}....I just thought it looked pretty and festive today!

13 days!!

Can you believe it....only 13 days until Christmas. You know what that means.....only 12 more days to shop! How are you doing with your shopping? All done, done and wrapped, need a few more things, have yet to start, hope that Santa is with it this year? I am almost finished and not a moment too soon! I used to like wrapping presents and this year I have decided that I really don't like doing that.

ps..before any smart comments on the photo....didn't I tell you I had an extreme makeover?? LOL

Happy Birthday!

Two good friends are celebrating their birthdays today!! SO Diana and Lisa this is for both of you. Hope you have great days and we will see you soon............

What A Difference A Day Makes.....

After 3 days of rain and grey skies the sun has finally shown up again :-) Tim took this photo this morning while out with the dog...what a pretty sunrise! Hope you all had a great day too!!

Flooding....

After another day and night of heavy rains the inevitable has happened....the river is now running over its banks and is flooding. The water will most likely spread into the field before the water level starts to go down. The ground is just saturated and I don't think it can hold any more water. Millie and I will have to take a different route on our walk today...I think we will go to the park instead.

Maggie was a flower in her school performance of the Nutcracker. Here she is with their interpretation of the Waltz of the Flowers. {to find her, she is in the middle group of 4 flowers} Maggie is seen in the still shot below...she is the one with the yellow ribbon going down her back in the middle of the screen !

How Funny Is This??

Ok.....let me set the story up for you.

Maggie has a friend over today before their performance of the Nutcracker tonight. While we were driving home from school Maggie says the following to her friend......

"Do you know who I love? Simon....you know that boy on the X Factor and American Idol!"

I about died.....it took everything in me not to start laughing outloud. {I knew if I did she would have been quite upset.}

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek at something I created for a gift this holiday season. It is one of the projects that I was taught while at the scrapbooking weekend in Holland a few weeks ago. I have finally finished it and I LOVE it. I even thought about keeping it for myself but I won't...I'll make myself one another time. The papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Wonderland Collection and I really like them ~ especially as they are not Christmas specific so many could be used year round.

Anyway, this is a board book decorated etc and in it are photographs of various things. I would love to show the inside but then that would give away who it is for! The neatest part is that is goes into this COOL box so it can be on a table, bookshelf etc. The box is actually a cigar box!!

{You will have to wait to see if it is for you or not}

Rain, Rain and more Rain....

Since Sunday we have had a lot of rain. It has not been constant but it has been heavy. Today was a weird day...it started out pouring down rain, then it cleared up and we had bright, sunny skies and now it is raining again. The river is about to go over the bank and will flood if the rain continues. That will not be a good thing as the path that Millie and I take on our walks will be covered too....I took this photo of the river from our backyard this afternoon at 4:15pm .

Andrew was home again from school today as he still does not feel well. He slept most of the day so hopefully he will be feeling better soon.

Return of Stomach Bugs

I know kind of gross but the stomach bug is back in our house. This time it has hit Andrew first. He is not feeling well at all.....so he is home today and hopefully it will pass quickly and not make the rounds to the rest of us.

How Cute Is This??

Tim has arrived back safely from China and he was able to do a bit of shopping too!

He found this doll for Maggie as she has been asking Tim to get her a China doll {we thought she meant one made of china} but she wanted one FROM his travels to China :-) I like the extra dresses myself. She must have been good this year as he also bought Maggie her first strand of pearls when in China earlier this year. So she now has two special Christmas gifts.

Hmmmmm...wonder what he got for ME??

I Feel Pretty...Oh So Pretty

Maggie has wanted to have her hair cut for some time now and we finally made an appointment and had it done today. She is THRILLED with her new style {her mean brothers, on the other hand feel it looks old fashioned}. She actually wanted it a bit shorter but the girl told her if she does not like it this way to come back next week and she will make is shorter.

Food of Choice

Do you ever go through a phase where one food or beverage is all that you want for a time? I know for some it is smoothies from a local smoothie shop {sadly, I have never had said smoothies} but for me it is clementines.

Clementines are sometimes mistaken for tangerines, but the clementine has a thinner and more easily removed skin, a sweeter fruit, and no seeds. We can get them just about all year around here but recently they have been SO sweet and juicy.

The kids and I cannot get enough of them at the moment...in fact, I made a special trip to the grocery today just to get more...how sad is that??? I guess it could be worse, I could be making trips for Cadbury Chocolates :-)

Have you ever just wanted to do this.....

Ok...this is for all mothers. Haven't you always wanted to do this when your kids were younger and having a tantrum in public?? {turn your sound on if it is off}

I just think this is the best commercial...I have another one that is based on the same concept but it is a condom ad so thought this one was better to post. :-)

Evolution of Dance

I know this made its way around the world earlier this year but I had to post this again as I just laugh watching this......

Catchphrase

TV Land has compiled a list of the 100 greatest catchphrases in TV. The network will air a countdown special, "The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catch Phrases," over five days starting Dec. 11. The greatest number of moments, 26, come from the 1970s.

Do you remember these?? {you will have to watch to see what position they actually come in}

• "Bam!" (Emeril Lagasse, "Emeril Live")
• "Ask not what your country can do for you ..." (John F. Kennedy)
• "De plane! De plane!" (Tattoo, "Fantasy Island")
• "Norm!" ("Cheers")
• "The tribe has spoken" (Jeff Probst, "Survivor") **one of my favorites :-)
• "Where's the beef?" (Wendy's ad)

Cyber Monday??

Where do they come up with this stuff?






Retailers with Web sites are hoping that Cyber Monday becomes the virtual world's Black Friday. Though Cyber Monday isn't the season's biggest online-shopping day -- that likely will come closer to Christmas -- it is the day when the power of holiday shopping comes alive.

There are various websites established for tracking the many sales and offers for the day {Cyber Monday, is one set by a retailers association}. In fact, I received an email from Best Buy today advertising their Cyber Monday Sale... free shipping and big discounts are some of the promises that online retailers are offering customers. Last year, December 12th was the busiest online shopping day {supposedly this is when many of the larger retailers stopped offering free shipping and holiday delivery guarantees}.

Websites of interest:
Coupon Mountain ~ you can select any number of online coupons and codes.
Deal Hunting ~ select a category, or search for a gift, and it lists the lowest price and where you'll find it. You can also get information about discounts and coupons.
Deal of Day ~ has a message board where people list deals they have found and how you can get them too!


[Photo from CBS/AP]

Let's Go On A Walk.....

Since the weather is still relatively nice {40's and sunny} the kids and I took Millie for a nice long walk today. We went on the route that Millie and I take every morning so it was familiar to her. We took her leash with us but she walks/runs along side us so it is really 'just in case.

Tim has arrived in Bejing safely and even spent part of the day shopping {yes, we are all in the shopping mood}. He and a co-worker went to the silk market and had a look around. He said he bought a few things, I wonder what he got??

And he's off....

Tim has just left for another trip to Beijing. He will be there for a week and potentially will go again mid December. He got a message from a co-worker before he left that it was currently snowing in Beijing so he quickly added a few more things to his suitcase.

So the kids and I are home alone with nothing to do {not really, but it sounds dramatic}. The weather lately has been somewhat mild and today is no different. We took Millie for a walk through the fields and along the river [with the rain we had last night] she is now quite muddy! She is really a good puppy and the kids are being very helpful with her too!

I have recovered from my delay in shopping yesterday and I have managed to buy a few things. One order has already been shipped WOW ~ but the stupid store has sent all 4 items in 4 seperate boxes!! {no, I will not give any hints as to what they are or who they are for}

Black Friday

Happy Black Friday!! I had great plans of getting online this morning to check out the great deals at my favorite stores today. It was going to be GREAT...I didn't need to get up at the crack of dawn I could actually start at 9:30am while it was still 4:30 am in the states. I was going to make my coffee, get some toast and settle down for a some serious shopping!!

WELL....all did not go as planned. Our power went out! Of all days....could it not have happened another time? To say I was upset is an understatement. I was ready to drive to the airport and catch a plane to Indiana!! I mean come on...I ALWAYS shop on Black Friday!! The power was finally fixed shortly after noon so all was not lost. BUT believe it or not I have yet to buy anything :-) {that will soon be corrected...I PROMISE}

Shhhhhhh don't tell........

Since Diana asked what I got her in my previous post I will let you all in on a secret...I got her this!----->
LOL

Speaking of gifts can you think of something that Santa brought to your house that you look back on now and say to yourself "What the heck was he thinking?" I certainly can say that about a few things the kids have received. Most notably, the big black ramp thing that Andrew got about 4 years ago. I think it was used MAYBE a couple of times. Santa thought it was such a great thing that he gave one to Nicholas too ~ silly Santa!


I have spent sometime this morning wrapping presents and I am taking a break...it is fun at first but then gets old very fast. Can you see which one is yours???

How Many Days 'Til Christmas??

Where has this year gone? I cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Only 3 days until the big shopping day in the US, 'black Friday' {day after Thanksgiving} - this is one day that I do miss while over here in the UK. There really is not a comparable shopping day.

I think I may just go and do some shopping on Friday just because :-) I will do a bit online in hopes of gettin in on some of the sales!! I did do a bit of shopping today and got a few fun things - I can't say what they were in case the intended recipients reads this.

LOSERS..........

It was not a good sports weekend in our house....all of the teams we watch and support LOST.

First, we had Michigan's loss on Saturday {Tim was disappointed but says they did not play well..I will take his word on it}.





Then we had our beloved Browns lose to none other that Pittsburgh on Sunday - can they ever get the lead and keep it? I mean come on, they were winning and they gave it away. At least in the era of the Cardiac Kids they were winning games in the last 2 minutes, not losing them!!





Finally, we have the Colts ~ normally they play really well but yesterday's game was AWFUL...they deserved to lose. Maybe now with the focus on being undefeated behind them they can move onwards.

SO Blue

OK...enough with the OSU jabbs :-) We all know that Tim will always support his Alma Matter but I could care less who won the game.

So Ohio States has the Big Ten title but the two teams could actually play again for the National Title if the BCS goes Michigans way :-) Tim would be SO excited if that happens as he can actually watch the game on TV in January.

Christmas Card Photos

Well it is that time of year again.....
trying to get Christmas card photos. It is a ritual that the kids do not like as I have them pose for too many photos and usually only 1 or 2 are actually card worthy :-) This year has been no different.

We went for a walk down by the river to try to get some pictures of not only the kids but the house in the background as well. It is a beautiful, sunny day so we thought it would be a great idea! {it was a good idea in theory} unfortunately the sun was not in the best location so it was a bit of a challenge. The photos that I thought would turn out the best ended up being not so good - the there were SHADOWS. We will use the pictures but they are not Christmas card worthy.

Here is a sneak peek of the picture that we will be using ~ sadly, Millie is not in it.

Behind The Times

In the past I have said that Andrew is 6 months behind Nicholas when it comes to fashion trends and ONCE AGAIN it has happened....after months of ' I won't let my hair grow long" his tune has changed to " I don't know WHEN I will get a haircut". It is just too funny!! So we now have 2 boys that are growing their hair ~ how long I have NO idea.

I spent last weekend at a scrapbooking event in Holland and made some really neat projects. My favorite one is this advent countdown doll...it is something that I would never had made on my own but I am really pleased with it. The skirt is actually made with paper and the ribbon is glued onto that.

School Pictures

We finally got the kids school pictures back and I am pleased with how they came out. They do not offer picture re-takes so it is a one time chance to get a good one. The funny thing about the boys pictures is that they look identical to last years pictures {other than they look older}.

And the doctor says.....

Well I bit the bullet and went to the doctor this morning about how terrible I feel. After the standard poking, prodding and questioning he said I have......a sinus infection{you were right Diana} and a double ear infection so I have a prescription for some mega dose of antibiotics {1 time per day for 7 days}. I don't feel as bad as I have but I still feel yucky!

This is how I feel today.....need I say more?? No matter what I take it is not working...even my favorite Dayquil. I hope today is the worst of things ~ it surely can't get any worse.

Sick...Sick...Sick

Why is it I get a terrible cold when Tim is away? All I want to do is stay in bed and sleep but I CAN'T!! I have not had a cold this bad in quite some time...clogged ears that hurt, sore throat, stuffy nose and a cough. Between the kids and the puppy I have to keep going...taking Millie out for walks in the cold and wind are not fun. Speaking of Millie, she is such a great puppy. She is pretty much housebroken and loves to run and play. She is starting to chew and bites a bit but hopefully it won't last too long.

In other news, we have a tooth fairy update. She did come last night, even though Maggie forgot to put her letter under the pillow. The tooth fairy not only left some money but a barbie princess toothbrush as well! Maggie said the tooth fairy must have known it was her birthday recently so she gave her a gift too!

Tooth Fairy Fiasco

My oh my....we have a problem! Maggie finally lost another tooth today {her 5th} and she was so proud of the tiny shiny tooth. She gave it to me to hold on to and I DROPPED it on the floor and guess who ate it???? Millie!!

Maggie had a moment of panic as she was yelling " don't let her eat it...the tooth fairy won't come if I don't have the tooth". Needless to say, we no longer have the tooth {at least for a few hours YUCK} Maggie is now writing a note to the tooth fairy to let her know that I lost the tooth and she is hoping she still visits tonight ~ something tells me she will and who knows...maybe she will leave a little extra.

Bonfire Night

Last night we went to the local bonfire night celebrations {we took the photo}. It was held in town and the evening starts of with the lighting of a huge bonfire followed by a fireworks display. Every year the fireworks are better and better. It is not a small display either...it is along the size of the US 4th of July displays.

Bonfire Night is a uniquely British event when we "celebrate" the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot against the King and Parliament in the early 17th Century. In fact, nobody cares about the origins of the celebration anymore, but they enjoy a good bonfire, firework display, and a fun night out!

Is there such a thing as TOO much pink??

If you are Maggie then NO!! Today we made the cupcakes for Maggie's birthday party tomorrow and you can see what kind she wanted. She decided that pink cake AND pink icing was the way to go so that is what we did. {pink overload if you ask me, but she didn't ask my opinion} Not only is her party tomorrow but it is also the celebrations for bonfire night {fireworks too} ~ we will post more about that tomorrow night.

ps...Maggie says thank you for the gifts she received in the mail ~ she was THRILLED to be getting packages as she says she 'NEVER gets anything in the mail". She will be sending thank you notes soon.

Birthday Girl!

Maggie is 7 today! Where has the time gone??

Puppy Pictures

Here are a few photos of Millie! She is doing really well and is a good puppy. She does, however, like to chew! Her favorite toys at the moment are the twisted ropes with tennis balls attached to the ends.

More Trip Pictures

Here are just a few of my favorite photos from our trip to Germany. This first photo just makes me laugh due to the look on Andrew's face {we did eat our fair share of soft pretzels....I don't think I'd eat one any time soon}
While at the VW facility Maggie was able to have a theory and driving test in her own convertible Beetle. She even got her own drivers license when she passed her test {not sure I'd trust her on the road, we have video of her causing a collission, that video will be posted soon }

Here are a few photos on the grounds at Neuschwanstein castle.