Happy Christmas Eve...

The boys are all tucked in bed, hubby is making pumpkin pies, we are just waiting for Santa to come and then we can get all tucked in bed too... Santa is in Utah right now, the boys have been tracking him on Norad all night... We had our yummy ham for dinner with mashed potatoes and such... We watched Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol... The boys opened their Christmas Eve presents of jammies and the Jeff Dunham Christmas Special... He is so hilarious... We already watched it... lol... Work was a breeze today except for the waiting to go home... We were the busiest from about 10:30am to 1pm but still not that much... If we are able to walk down aisles then that is not Christmas busy... I cleaned out almost all the kids shoes from the stockroom and then went to lunch... After lunch I put up the signs for the day after sale and then I stocked athletics... By 2pm the supervisor and other associate were just chit chatting so I went in the back and worked on opening the last of the boxes... Then at 3pm we three went home and the three closers came in and that was Christmas eve in the shoe department...

Wishing everyone the blessed of Christmases... Hope you get everything you dream of and wish for....

Happy Journaling...

Twas the Night Before Christmas

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Mooreor Henry Livingston

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Happy Journaling...

Santa Mouse

Once there was a little mouse, who didn't have a name. He lived in a great big house, this mouse, the only mouse in the whole wide house. He dreamed he had playmates who were friendly as could be. The little girls would bring their dolls, and dress up and have tea. The boys would play at cowboys or Eskimo or Spanish. But when he tried to touch them like a bubble they would vanish. Now through the years this little mouse had saved one special thing. A piece of cheese- the kind that makes an angel want to sing. And so that night as he brushed his teeth and washed his tiny paws. He said my goodness no-one gives a gift to Santa Claus. So he ran to get his piece of cheese and after he had found it, Some paper from some chewing gum he quickly wrapped around it. And then he climbed in bed and dreamed that he was lifted high, And woke up to find that he was looking right in Santa's eye. Thank you for my gift he said now tell me what's your name, I haven't any said the mouse. You haven't that's a shame. You know I need a helper as I travel house to house. And I shall give a name to you, I'll call you Santa mouse. So here's your beard and here's your suit and here's each tiny shiny boot. You mustn't sneeze and you mustn't cough, Now put them on and we'll be off. Then over all the rooftops on a journey with no end, Away they went together, Santa and his tiny friend. And so this Christmas if you please, Beneath that tree that's in your house, Why don't you leave a piece of cheese, You know who'll thank you, SANTA MOUSE!
Happy Journaling...

Making a List....

One more day!! Are you ready.... I am almost... Sunday was a whirlwind of go to work and then come home and bake gingerbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter cookies... And I made teriyaki chicken for dinner with mashed potatoes... Hubby and son2 went grocery shopping after hubby made us breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages... I think we watched The Santa Clause 2 that night... Monday hubby and the boys had the day off and I was back at work again... Hubby and the boys got all their wrapping done and then hubby raked all the leaves in the yard... I decided on Monday hubby needed to go to the deli and get lots of fried chicken and fixens as I was not doing any more cooking, it just made for more dirty dishes, lol... So we had yummy chicken and watched a Futurama movie that came from Netflix... We also finally went around the neighborhood to see lights last night as it rained Sunday night... There were a few houses with lights but not too many... The boys are too excited about Christmas and being on vacation and yet still have time to bicker with each other, which they did the whole time we were looking at Christmas lights.... Today I was back to work again... I just realized today that I have worked seven days in a row, not having a day off since last Wednesday and not being off til Christmas day... I'm pooped... And then I am back to work on Friday and then yay I am off on Saturday and I can sleep in and stay in my pj's all day, lol...

But first there are still things to get ready for Christmas:

Today I need to finish wrapping some last minute presents, put something in the last two days of the advent calendar, clean the boy's bathroom, vacuum, wash the kitchen floor, clean up all the paper piles into another room as we don't want to see paper piles for Christmas, finish off the dishes, cook the ham tonight so we can eat it for Christmas Eve dinner, and make the mashed potatoes so need to peel the potatoes, do a bit of laundry so I have something to wear to work and hubby needs to make some pumpkin pies.... And whatever else I come across that I didn't know I need to do....

Meanwhile son2 is off at a Christmas party... that his friends have been planning since before Thanksgiving... so you would think we could plan it into our schedule... noooo...... For three weeks we thought it was at one friend's house but then they changed it to another friend's house... He just found out on Friday that they were having secret Santa gifts but didn't tell us til Sunday, so hubby took him shopping after the grocery store... then they say it is tradition that they don't reveal the time til the day of the party... what??! so he found out this morning that the party was 3-8pm... I don't even get off work til 3pm.... I didn't expect the party to even start til after 6pm... so figured hubby would take him when he got off work.... anyway he rode his bike there but we don't quite know where there is... so he is supposed to call us with an address so hubby can pick him up.... I don't hear the phone ringing.... I can't wait til he gets his cell phone for Christmas, lol... That's the one good use of a cell phone... to keep tabs on teenagers....

I'm off to tackle my list before it's time to be back at work again... Oh but I didn't tell you... as of New Year's Eve, I am on vacation til Jan 10th!!!

Happy Journaling...

Last Saturday

Yay today was my last Saturday working! Next Saturday I am back to having Saturday's off again and time for cleaning the house and reading blogs... And I day to sleep in... I don't think I have slept past 6am since before Thanksgiving... Today at work I put out almost all the women's fashion boots, stocked the shoe accessories, filled the kid's shoe clearance and almost opened all the last of the boxes that finally came in... Was plenty to do to make the day go fast... Tomorrow I only have to work in the morning to set the ad, so a short day... Then Monday-Wednesday I work full days and finally have a day off on Christmas... I'm hoping tomorrow to get some baking done and clean the kitchen a bit, make teriyaki chicken for dinner and then go look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood with hubby and the boys... Tonight I plan on having a wrapping frenzy and hopefully get all the wrapping done... The boys are off on computer games so they won't even notice where I've gone off to, lol... I'll watch The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, I don't think I have ever seen it... First I have to put a treat in the advent calendar as son3 keeps opening the door and it is empty, lol... We've all had a bit of something for dinner, I had the sausage experiment from the other night, which was not a success, lol... not enough Bisquick batter to cover the sausage... We agreed on a name for the new kitty... Someone in a comment suggested something Christmasy since she came at Christmas time :), so I was driving to work the other day and wasn't even thinking of it but it just popped in my head and it was similar to Kitty or Missy, son I asked son3 and he liked it, and I asked son2 and he liked it and then I told hubby and he said it was perfect as she is a bit prickly in her personality, she hisses and/or complains with a mew or two if she doesn't like something....... So we've decided on HOLLY.... What do ya think....

OK I'm off to wrap, which Holly will protest as she is sleeping on the bed where I will do the wrapping....

Happy Journaling...

Story of St. Nicholas

Story of St. Nicholas
He was a boy when he lost his parents very early in life. It was an epidemic that took them, but not before he was old enough for them to help him discover the gift of faith. Little Nicholas went to Myra and lived a life full of self-offering, and giving of himself. His life was full of sacrifice and love, just like Jesus. Nicholas lived such a Christ like life that when the town needed a bishop he was immediately elected. Later he was imprisoned for his Christian faith, but released by the Emperor Constantine. Thereafter, many stories of his generosity were collected and they spread from mouth to mouth all through out the lands. It was told how he begged food for the poor and how he would somehow get money for girls to use as a dowry so that they could have husbands. The story most often repeated was about how he would put on a disguise and go out and give gifts to the poor children. In fact Nicholas gave away everything he had, plus everything he could get. He died in AD 314; his body was moved to Italy where his remains are believed to be to this day. The story of Nicholas has spread all around the world, and today there are more European churches named after St. Nicholas than any other person in the history of the church, aside from the famous Bible characters. People have done many things to old St. Nick. Clement Moore the poet gave him a red nose and eight tiny reindeer. Artist Thomas Nast gave Nicholas a round belly and a red fir trimmed suit. But those things really aren’t that important are they? What is important is that he lived in the mind set and the life style of Christ. And because he lived that lifestyle, the life of Nicholas touched the whole world and it does to this very day. But here is the really important part of the story. That same Christ like mind set and that life style is supposed to be in all of us and lived by all of us. And that is the true story of St. Nick.-- Author Unknown
Happy Journaling...

Vacation from School

Woo Hoo the boys are on vacation, however we got off to a rocky start... Well son3 anyway... Besides having a rough week of not doing his classwork and bringing it all home to be done as homework and not giving us much time to study his spelling words and then believing him that they had the spelling test on Thursday, which was the practice test and that they weren't having one today and since there wasn't any homework last night we didn't study... So he got mad at himself in class that he didn't do well on the test... And shut down and refused to the next part of the classwork... But that wasn't the worst part of the day, the worst part was when he got mad at his friend and called him sh** and a$$ and the friend said it too and a third friend tried to break them up and they all three ended up getting in trouble... on the last day before vacation... sigh....... So he was on a time out in his room when he got home after a lecture from hubby and then a talk from me and then even son2 wasn't happy that he said bad words so he went and talked to him too... and he was grounded from computer games tonight...

Only four more days til Santa comes... My house is a mess... I need to vacuum and wash the kitchen floor and water the plants and I'm only about 30% done with wrapping, plus I want to make some cookies and fudge and more pumpkin bread, the first batch is all gone... And I need to get the cats on an eating schedule in their own bowls as they have both been begging for food every time someone walks into the kitchen... The dishes are caught up and the laundry is almost done but tons to hang up and put away... But the wrapping is the priority this weekend and then cleaning the house...
I am almost running out of things to do at work if that is possible... Just a few boxes left to open and not much stock left to bring to the sales floor... Lots of cleaning to be done though but that is boring, lol... I work all day tomorrow so will have to find ways to keep busy...
The boys are in bed and I am headed to bed myself and hubby is due home any minute...
Happy Journaling...

One More Week

I can't believe one week from today is Christmas... And that son3 did not have any homework today!! And tomorrow is the last day of school for this year... So son3's first question to me today was 'I don't have any homework so can I play games', lol... So he is playing a game just til dinner is ready... I am trying an experiment: sausage dogs with Bisquick and peas poured over them and baked in the oven... I couldn't find an exact recipe as I was looking through the Bisquick recipe book however, of how much Bisquick vs milk, and how do they not taste like pancakes, lol....

I guess we have a new kitty... She sleeps in my bed all day and sleeps in the garage all night and eats all Raisin's food and plays with his toys, so I guess she has moved in... Raisin tries to say hello to her but they just hiss at each other.... Now we are just deciding on a name... I was thinking Missy or Kitty but nothing for sure yet...

Work has been coming right along... I just keep moving to make the day go along... We have been barely getting any new stock in so we have almost got all the old stock out... And I can't believe how not busy we are so close to Christmas... There is always someone in the store but even on the weekends I am able to stock and not be in any one's way... We shall see if it picks up this weekend... I'm thinking everyone got all their shopping done early this year or are not shopping at all... Tomorrow I get off early as I didn't realize til just this week that son3 gets out early tomorrow for his last day of school before vacation... Hours have been starting to get cut back too so even though I am not off again til Christmas day, I will have some short days I hope, unless I get all the hours and they cut the Christmas help...

Son3 lost a tooth at school this week and the nurse put it in a cute little treasure box so he wouldn't lose it... Here he is finding bubble gum in the advent calendar... I need to put something in for today... Our movie this week was Dark Knight, son2's recent most favorite movie... I'm still trying to decide what I thought of it... I'm partial to Jack Nicholson's Joker although I like Heath Ledger as an actor just not as the Joker... I think we are all caught up on the TV shows except I fell asleep during Terminator and hubby fell asleep during CSI so we have to each watch those... Tonight CSI is a repeat but it is the very first episode so will have to watch... And then tomorrow night is a new Ghost Whisperer and Numbers and then I think repeats on most things til January... We still have a lot of Christmas movies to watch...

OK I'm off to check on dinner, fill the advent calendar and see what I can wrap today to put under the tree...

Happy Journaling...

**Hail**

Monday was hubby and mine last Monday off together again as this is the last Saturday hopefully I have to work... Anyway we got son3 off to school and had breakfast and we were off to Target to officially finish Christmas shopping... We had just got back and had a bit of lunch when the skies let loose with hail... Only lasted about five minutes but it was almost like snow, lol... Actually the snow level is down to 1000ft in the Sierra's... Last night it was only 16 degrees in Yosemite... The sun is peeking out here this afternoon but it is only 37 degrees right now here in the valley of Ca... At work I could see the snow on the mountains out the window of the break room while I ate lunch yesterday.... Brrrrrrrrr...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

Decorating the tree

The decorations are officially done, the trees are decorated and the angel sits atop the tree, the Christmas shopping is done, the baking has begun, the cards have arrived at their destinations and several have been received... Two more days of school til vacation, grocery shopping of a ham and such needs to be done and wrapping has yet to be started... All will be done very soon as Christmas Eve is one week from today... Can you stand the excitement... I know the boys can't, lol...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

A-Z Photo Challenge S

A-Z Photo Challenge S

To Play visit Martha at Menagerie

S is for Snowmen!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

Saturday Rambles...

I am getting nothing done... Spending to much time sitting on this computer when there are things to be done... Work was good again today... Was not very busy, although the other associates kept saying it was... But I didn't think it was even regular Saturday busy, especially since I could get down aisles with my handcart and get all the men's stocking done... Tomorrow there is not much of an ad to set so I'm gonna get the boxes all open and cleared that came in on Friday... Meanwhile hubby got the tree almost finished decorating this morning and moved all of son3's around that were all in the front of the tree at ground level, lol... And the house roof lights will now work as hubby has plugged them into a surge protector so we won't keep popping the fuses... Son3 was supposed to go to a bday party today but with all the school hassles this week that were his fault of his stubbornness, he was grounded from computer games and going to the party... Right now he is singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and putting more decorations on the tree... Son1 called and has whisked son2 away for some brother bonding... Hubby should be home any second... I'm doing laundry and should be cleaning up the kitchen... I'm trying to decide whether to make pumpkin bread, gingerbread cake or cookies tomorrow after work, or maybe all three... And some chicken with potatoes and carrots... Although I should have done some today, but I worked all day and I am tired... but then I work tomorrow too... Monday I am off, yay, and hubby too... And hopefully we can start wrapping and sorting things for Christmas...
Oh before I forget again... Son2 was watching Funniest Home Videos on Tuesday and he had to come and tell me what Tom Bergeron had said, that, "Christmas used to be everyone getting together and talking, now they just log onto the Internet and read each other's blogs"... Lol....
Happy Journaling...

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? The week of Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year's
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? All of them
7. Hardest person to buy for? Hubby
8. Easiest person to buy for? Me!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I think I have liked everything I have gotten
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation, but then all the others are second...
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The last of our bdays are at the end of July so anything found after that gets put away for Christmas...
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Maybe...
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ham and Fudge
16. Lights on the tree? Yes
17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes. Dasher, Dancer Prancer Vixon, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen and of course Rudolph and Olive the other Reindeer
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? The boys open one on Christmas eve and then the rest in the morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Not enough time to spend with loved ones
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? All the ones we have collected over the years
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Me, hubby and the boys to have a nice day celebrating together
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Me, I'm responding to Barbara at One Day at a Time
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? I'm sure a few... :)
Happy Journaling...

Koda's Christmas Giveaway...

Koda is giving away some Christmas goodies over at Betty's Blog a corgi in southern california ... Go visit if you want a chance to win, just say Raisin sent ya....
Happy Journaling...

Two More Weeks...

I think it would be better if the kids had the three weeks before Christmas off, instead of after.... The boys are out of school the week of Christmas and then they do not go back til Jan. 12th... But it would be better if they were out now and then go back right after new year's, so we can enjoy the Christmas time, of decorating the tree, watching Christmas movies and baking cookies... Son3 had a very bad week at school, by not doing his classwork, so we had three hours of homework each night give or take... All three boys went to the same elementary school and it is amazing how much changes in the requirements for each of them... I think son2 had a much better kindergarten with all the phonics even though we spent hours and hours doing homework... With son3 kindergarten was much easier, meaning they were required to learn less... And then with last year being a tough year with a teacher who didn't want to teach first grade... and now son3 is not up to par I think in what he needs to know... and since the teacher is not able to give one on one of course to each child, it does not help that most of her class is from the teacher last year so they are all behind... anyway I know son3 can be stubborn and he needs a lot of poking and prodding to get him to finish things, son2 is the same way, and the teacher is frustrated that he shut down and wouldn't do his work, but when I set him down last night and flipped through the pages to see what he could start working on, on his own, there was not one page that he could do without help... and every page was a different topic, so nothing repetitive... from read the story to rewrite the sentences correctly, rewrite the story correctly, underline the nouns, pick the correct words to complete the sentence, circle the misspelled words and a crossword puzzle... Son3's reading has greatly improved this year but he still can't spell... but yet between all the homework and unfinished classwork there is no extra time to study the spelling words... and not to mention our minds are on Christmas, not school....


Meanwhile son2 had foggy day all week with four hour bus delays... so he got to sleep in extra all week....



Plus yesterday son3's teacher got so frustrated with son3 that she called hubby at work and demanded he come in and get son3 to cooperate after she handed son3 her cell phone and told him to talk to his father, which she said he refused, but we are thinking he did not know how to talk into her cellphone... So hubby ran down there and son3 was in the office and they said oh he is fine.... Hubby demanded to speak to the vice principle on why he was demanded to come down so he could be told everything was fine.... He later received a phone call from the teacher apologizing, and a cold shoulder from her today and son3 said she was mad at him all day still.... I told hubby we need an intervention, to make sure that son3 is learning what he should... cause I am tired of he refuses to do his work but he is a great student and very bright... how do they know this if he refuses to do his work... and I can't get past the first letter of a sentence is a capital and don't forget the period... grrrrrrrrrrr.........

Meanwhile work is good, guess the universe has to balance itself... The only boxes I have to open are the ones that came off the truck today and I am condensing down the stockroom as we get all the stock out to the floor... I've been resetting and stocking the men's shoe floor all week... Hopefully I'll be done tomorrow and I can move on to Athletics...



While hubby was putting the lights on the tree on Monday he fell off the stool, he was OK, but when I came home on Tuesday he had called off of work... Said he just needed a mental day to make sure he was OK... He got more decorations up on Monday while he was home... Our house lights are still burned out though, don't think he got a chance to fix them today... I just checked his list and they are crossed off that he fixed them so he is going to be mad when he gets home and they are not on, cause I turned them on and nothing... He dropped off the Toys for Tots, set up the little tree for son3 to decorate and brought son2's Christmas present to get activated... I thought I would just order son2's cell phone online and I could follow the instructions and activate it but noooooooo... lol.... They didn't send me all the numbers that I needed in the email so we would have to call the representative and then still program it our self... So I told hubby just take it in and they can call and look up the info and program it in probably five minutes, lol...



Son3 has been decorating the little tree and the big tree but wants son2 to help... So son2 is finally helping him and they are fighting over who gets to put up what ornament... sheesh....


We are still undecided on what to do with the white kitty... Her highness got thrown out yesterday cause she hissed and slapped the other stray kitty and then she hissed at Raisin and then she scratched me, I didn't even see her move as I walked by her... So out she went... This morning she was sitting at the front door and pushed her way right in, so fed her outside as I was leaving for work... When we came home she pushed her way in again, back out she went... Then just a bit ago she was sitting at the back glass door watching us all warm and toasty in the house and eating... So yes I let her in and she ate up all Raisin's food and is now sleeping on my bed.... Little stinker....



Son1 called the other night, wanted to know if we still had his hamster stuff from the sixth grade, No, why, oh I got a hamster a couple of months ago, didn't I tell you, No.........



Last night I watched CSI and Eleventh hour and did not even fall asleep, of course hubby was snoring next to me, lol, so he missed both of them...


I should go do some laundry and put the dishes in the dishwasher... I work again tomorrow but only til three....

Son3 is singing away and decorating the tree...
Son2 is breathing over my shoulder waiting for a turn on the computer...
Happy Journaling...

More Decorating

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

Picture Entry

What season is it... Today was finally clear and sunny, although the morning started out foggy and son2 had a three hour school bus delay... He didn't mind, he got to sleep in...
These trees have finally lost their leaves... Although if you look closely by the bird, there are buds already forming on the tree...






Feels like Winter...
























However these trees are still changing and haven't lost their leaves yet... Is it Fall...








And yet the roses are still blooming... See more roses from today in my photo blog, Not Just Roses... Is it Spring...







We have a visitor... Did someone lose a cat... She has been hanging around for a few weeks, always arrives from the same direction, but we can't figure out if she belongs to someone or not... She is very friendly and just comes right in the house, so she did belong to someone at some time as she is not afraid of people... She is a bit dirtier lately so don't think she is going in a house at night... This morning she was waiting at the back door to come in and went straight to Raisin's bowl and helped herself to breakfast and then went and took a nap in our bed in Raisin's spot... So he napped on the couch today, lol.... We have been feeding her off and on outside with the other stray cat we feed, he doesn't let anyone touch him, and she has been coming in the house for a week or so now off and on... She protests when I put her back outside... I call her Missy as she is so prissy and son3 calls her Snowbell.... This photo is from a couple of days ago, she is not as white today...

If anyone would like a Christmas card, I have plenty left... Just email me your address: fasttrack58@aol.com I have a feeling it's going to be a slim year of Christmas cards... I only have two so far...










The lights are finally on the Christmas tree as hubby had trouble with them not working either... Tonight we may start to decorate and hopefully finish by the weekend... I'm off to make a slideshow of all the decorating so far....









Happy Journaling...

A-Z Photo Challenge-R

A-Z Photo Challenge-R

To Play Visit Martha at Menagerie...

Reindeer
















Red Ornaments
















Red Poinsettias



























Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
















Raisin






























Happy Journaling...

Relaxing Time...

Hubby and son2 are off getting pizzas and chips and dips... I should be cleaning up the kitchen, lol, but I sneaked on here for a second... Work was good today, a regular day, in at 6am and off at 2pm... The ad set up was easy and I was done by 9:30... I stocked toddler shoes, went to lunch, and spent the rest of the time stocking athletic shoes and chit chatting, of course helping customers in between... Hubby was busy all day putting up Christmas lights and decorations in the house... And son2 put the reindeer in the front lawn... When I got home son3 was off playing at the neighbors, now he is on the computer games... I'm trying to get him off so we can eat dinner, watch a Christmas movie, then he is in the shower and getting a haircut... When I got home from work I gave son2 a lesson in doing laundry and I finished getting the pictures ready for the Christmas cards... I need to check if it's a burn day today so we can get the the boys to bed early for school tomorrow and then hubby and I can have a fire in the fireplace and have some relaxing time...
Happy Journaling...

***Saturday***

I happily read blogs last night, starting at the bottom and working up through the N's, lol... Having to work til 5pm today and then fighting with the printer for the last two hours to print out photos for the Christmas cards and eating some dinner, I did not have time to read tonight... I did eat dinner though and feed the boys and I did get the printer to finally cooperate and finish printing the pictures... Son2 is watching The Postman with Kevin Costner and son3 is watching Space Chimps now that I have pried his fingers off the game computer... Hubby is home and came in panicked cause I had not turned on all the outside house lights... I did not know if he had finished fixing the ones on the roof so waited til he got home... He has been coming home everyday to a strand of lights somewhere not being on... He even had to take some back and exchange them cause they were already broken, so he is not having good luck with the Christmas lights this year and they are making him frustrated...


Work was good today... Even though it was Saturday we were not quite as busy as we have been all week... Everyone's still messy though... I put up some more sale signs this morning and changed out some empty sale tables... And then I spent most of the day stocking men's work boots... I got all the boxes caught up, there are no boxes in receiving until the next truck comes, Yay!! So I have lots of shoes to put out now... Tomorrow I have the whole ad to change out with all new signs and then after lunch I will either start on stocking the men's dress shoes or work on athletic shoes or put out some more clearance... all depends on my mood and how busy we are...
I had all kinds of witty things to write about in my head while I was at work and now that it is 9pm I can't remember what they were, lol...
I have not even been out in the yard, the backyard needs mowing badly, but it is grey and dreary and cold out there by time I get home... I still need to cut back the roses too and plant the bulbs for the Spring... At least next week's schedule I am back to my 35 hours instead of 40... That 5 hours makes a big difference on the home routine...
Tomorrow after work gotta give son3 a haircut and hopefully finish up the Christmas cards so they can all be in the mail by Monday... And clean up the kitchen, even though son2 has been emptying and filling the dishwasher, he doesn't wash the pans or counters, lol...
Hubby has the next two days off so lots more decorating will be going on... And I want to get on wrapping the presents next... Christmas day is going to be here before we know it...
I already have thoughts for some New Years resolutions I want to accomplish in January.... OK sorry I won't go there yet... :)
I think we are almost caught up on all the TV shows, everything is starting to be repeats now for the holidays... I think we just have a Criminal Minds and a CSI NY to watch... Maybe we can watch one before I fall asleep... Have to be up at 4:30am to do it all over again....
Happy Journaling...

***Friday***

Ok I think I have it figured out on why I haven't been able to get into a routine of reading blogs... I thought it was so cool that all the blogs listed on my blog say when they posted putting the most recent on top... Well that is the problem, the blogs keep moving and I don't know where I started or left off from the day before... So I have now selected the alphabetical order instead and will remember where I left off reading, lol, like the alerts used to be in emails... I had them in alphabetical order so I could select which letters to read each day....

Work was OK yesterday... The days are just so long since I am working full shifts and then I've been shopping a bit after work and then come home to fix dinner and son3's homework... Yesterday I just spent the whole day opening boxes again... Today I spent most of the day doing price changes for athletic shoes and men's shoes and cleaning the clearance racks and filling them... Then I opened boxes, so today went by way quicker...

Let's see Tuesday night we watched Space Chimps and Fringe, then Wednesday night we watched Meet Dave and last night we watched Fly Me to The Moon and Eleventh Hour... So tonight I have to watch the endings to all those shows, lol... Cause I can't even stay awake lately if I sit down... This morning son2 and I both overslept, fortunately son2 had foggy day or he would have missed the bus... I got to work on time as usual, even when I try to be late I still get there on time, lol...

Tonight's goals are read some blogs, work on the Christmas cards and finish all the shows... Son3 is off on his computer games... He's still wearing his patch, shh don't tell him, lol... I usually try to have him wear it at least a half hour, but the longer the better, he's had it on for an hour and fifteen minutes now... Son2 is gonna do the dishes for me and then he is gonna watch The Happening...

Happy Journaling...

A Quiet Morning

A nice quiet morning just for me... The boys are at school, hubby is off to work... I've been checking email, ordered son2's cell phone for Christmas, made a list of what I need to get done today... Wondering why I am so far behind in reading blogs, lol, I have just not gotten into a routine of reading lately and I don't like it... Seems on blogger I write more, where's in journals, I was always reading more...

Monday night we ended up getting Japanese food at Teriyaki Fresh, it was so good, even the boys gobbled it up... And we watched Polar Express... Last night I cooked pork cube steak with all the thanksgiving leftovers and we watched Space Chimps, very cute and funny, although I fell asleep and need to watch the end...

Work was good yesterday but long as I had to stay all day, a full shift, I'm spoiled I know... But I scanned the floor and generated the report, stocked all the work boots and then spent the entire day opening boxes... We are so almost caught up...

Now today I want to put some treats in the advent calendar, laundry, dishes, pay some bills, half the Christmas cards are done and ready for the mail but need to work on the other half, clean out all the Christmas catalogs that have been filling up the house since Halloween, open the packages that have come from ordering online and make sure they are all there, a few bday cards to send out, water the plants, vacuum, cut son3's hair and of course there will be homework to do... Dinner will be easy of leftovers and we have Meet Dave to watch tonight with Eddie Murphy... Hubby wants to put the Christmas lights on the tree tonight... and it will probably be next Wednesday til he gets all the decorations done, inside and out...

Happy Journaling...

Strange Shots

Are you ready for another round of Strange Shots?

To Play Visit Martha at Menargerie...













Happy Journaling...

A Few Pictures

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

December is here...

Today hubby and I shopped til we dropped... And we found not much... Everything is sold out... In the stores and on line... We went to the postal annex and got lots of stamps... We went to the dollar store and found lots of stocking stuffers and advent calendar treats... We went to Toys R Us and found nothing... We went to Walmart and just got basic stuff of cat food and toilet paper and cola and hubby did find two more strings of lights for the yard... Then we went to Target and finally found a few Christmas presents for the boys... We came home and had some turkey for lunch... Then online to Walmart and nothing in stock to buy... So off to Toys R Us online and we found a couple of toys... Finally at Target online and we found a few more toys... Seems this is the year that we keep finding lots for son2 but not much for son3... Last year it was the other way around...
Today son2 started his day back to school with foggy day schedule of a three hour bus delay... Son3 got off to school just great and came home all full of energy... Son2 came home all grumpy, tired probably... Now son3 is doing homework and son2 is talking with hubby about something that happened just before vacation started... Seems some of his friends thought it would be funny to put son2's school binder in another friend's backpack and so the friend had son2's binder all vacation and son2 had a paper in it that needed signing and brought back to school today... Costing him twenty points for not turning in the paper today, however most of the class didn't turn it in so the teacher gave them another day, so he got lucky... And they dumped out perfume in another friends sport bag and tied knots so that she was late to practice... And another friend they filled his backpack with wet leaves and dirt... Of course they all thought it was just funny... Son2 was mad, however now he is moving past mad at them and mad at me cause I said he could no longer go to the Christmas party at the house of one of the friend's who pulled the pranks... So he and hubby are talking it out...
Son3 is needing my help to do homework and I'm not feeling like making dinner or eating turkey so thinking what can hubby can pick up for dinner... and last night we didn't watch any of the Santa Clauses cause no one could agree on which one so we watched The Grinch with Jim Carrey instead... Tonight Terminator is on and I need to finish CSI cause I fell asleep last night while hubby and I were watching it... lol...
Happy Journaling...

Concluding...

Today is a day of concluding things... Concluding, is that a word, doesn't sound right, lol... Today is the last day of the NaBloPoMo challenge of posting every day in November... And you just thought I had lots to say... And today was the last day of the weekend and the last day of the busiest shopping time... Woo hoo... Today was a normal day at work, arrive at 6am and we didn't open til 10am, no early opening today... However it took me til 1:30pm to finish setting up the ad, when usually I finish by 10:30am with or without help... I had to take down all the signs and change all the tables and then put up all new signs... Supervisor came in at 8am and signed kids and women's... Then the next associate came in at 10am and signed the athletics... I signed all men's and changed all the men's tables by 10am, then it was time for lunch... Came back and changed the athletic and women's tables and then went to make all the signs I was missing but had to wait 40minutes as other associates were also in need of signs, so finally by 1:30pm I had put up the last sign... So the last half hour I opened a couple of boxes and called it a day... Tomorrow I finally have a day off! Yay! So hubby and I can go shopping at other stores, lol...
Hubby and the boys have been putting up more Christmas lights and the big blow up Snowman in the yard... Now hubby is doing dishes... And having son2 do his chores... Son3 is filling up on chips and dips, so I need to get dinner started... Hmmmm what should we have, maybe Turkey, lol... Both hubby and son2 asked what was for dinner... Duh, turkey.....
They are deciding what Christmas movie to watch tonight, maybe one of the Santa Clauses with Tim Allen...
I finally got the picture to delete and changed the heading, yay, I thought it was going to be Christmas all next year without being able to change the heading... I think I know my mistake... I clicked on browse computer but the web choice was clicked too so it made a link to the picture in my computer, so deleted the photo from the computer, but it still took a bit for it to fall out... So hopefully all is fixed now and I can happily change out the picture all month to different Christmas themes...
Ok hubby is pulling the leftovers from the fridge and commenting that we need more potatoes and stuffing, so I'm off to cook and feed the men....
Happy Journaling...