Thanksgiving travels

The fam and I packed up and went to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving.  Not because we wanted to remember what we have and be grateful for it as we watched it go down the drain in a casino, but because Hubby’s brother lives there, and that’s where everyone likes to go for the holiday.  (Just for the record, neither Hubby nor I have ever even played the slots, let alone the tables, I would be a confused mess if I ever did.  Sometimes it’s just too hard for me to count to 21.) 

If you’ve read my blog in the past, you know that a seven hour ride in the car pretty much equates to seven hours of torture for me.  I get really bored.  So, I prepared myself for seven fun filled hours of looking out the window and refereeing the fights between my children. (my wonderful hubby drove the whole way and didn’t make me take a turn!)

If you’ve ever gone down the interstate, you might notice a thing called an HOV lane.  Now, these special little lanes clear on the left side of the road have been around for awhile, you would think most people would have the hang of them by now.  Some people are under the misperception that as long as they have two people in the car, it’s just another lane, and it’s perfectly acceptable to putter along at 65 MPH.  I would like to take this opportunity to enlighten the general population.  The HOV lane is designed to encourage carpools,  and to help those people not get bogged down by the rest of the traffic as much.  If there was ever a lane to go faster in, it’s that one!  Seriously, if you are only going to go 65, don’t get in the carpool lane!  We got stuck behind so many slow people, it was ridiculous!  Other than that, the drive actually wasn’t too bad.  I’ll post more on the trip and the fun stuff we did and pictures later.  Now, I am sooo ready to sleep in my own comfy bed!

Thankful Thanksgiving

Things I am thankful for!

T-  TRMinator

H- Hubby

A- A very special princess

N- New kitchen appliances

K- Kind people

S- Sales on stuff that I’ve been wanting

G- G-man

I- Ice cream

V- Very big hugs from my children

I- Internet access from anywhere!

N- Neighbors

G- Grandparents

Wordless Wednesday (from Las Vegas!)

 

I posted this while in Las Vegas, the picture wasn’t taken in Las Vegas. (just to clarify!)

It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeaaarrrr!!

Aahh the holiday season.  The time of peace on earth, goodwill toward man and the time where everyone runs around like they have lost their minds and common sense and courtesy go out the window.

I have a pet peeve about something that is generally worse during the holidays- shopping carts in parking lots.  Seriously people!!  How hard is it to put the cart back in a cart return!!!  Even when my kids were really little I could manage to put them back!   There are so many times when I see a cart stranded in the middle of a parking spot, and there is a cart return right on the other side of the aisle.  I watched a lady one time put more energy and effort into putting a cart up over the lip of the side walk that ran in front of her car so she could leave it there, than it would have taken to turn around and wheel it to the cart return that was directly behind her car.  It’s amazing to me that people can’t take the extra 2 seconds of effort to just put the cart where it goes, and show a little courtesy to everyone around them.

As I’ve gotten older and more crotchety, I’ve found that I try to avoid shopping centers if at all possible during the month of December.  I like to try and get as much as I can done early, so I can stay home in my nice warm, comfy house, instead of go out and curse under my breath at all the people who left their common sense and manners at home.

Aaahh, the holiday season, it’s the most wonderful time of the year… as long as I can stay home, and not deal with the general public!

p.s.  Here’s another one that I saw when Hubby and I were out shopping on Saturday, if it’s cold enough outside to be wearing a coat, don’t you think it’s cold enough to put socks or some type of footwear on your baby?  Don’t you think their little toes might be just a bit cold?  Some people’s ignorance amazes me!  Sorry, I try and keep this blog positive, but that one just bugs me!!

Are you smarter than a preschooler?

How is it, that a four year old can make me feel like one of the dumbest people around?

I was running errands the other day with the princess and she was pretty much chattering non-stop in the back seat.  Her chattering consists mostly of questions, and her questions are of the inane, pointless, makes no sense, variety.  So I find myself saying, “I don’t know” a lot.  

She also likes to play whatever game on the computer that her brothers are playing.  Of course, they are games that I’m not interested in, so I have no idea how to play them, and either does the princess, for the most part.  Every time she asks me how to do something in the game, I have to say, “I don’t know.”  Let me tell you, after spending half the day saying  “I don’t know” and the other half  saying, “What?” because I can’t understand her, or I have no idea what she is talking about,  I’m left in a near constant state of befuddlement, and I’m really starting to feel like I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed. 

It’s moments like these, when I think I’m going to lose my mind because I’ve been talking to a 4 year old all day, and I’m really starting to think my intelligence level has dropped below hers, that I try and take a step back, and realize just how lucky I really am.  I get to stay home all day with her, and I get to hear all her inane questions, and not a babysitter.  I get to be the one that she comes to when she wants to know why the mountains are over there, and not over here, or why chips come in a bag.  I get to be the one that listens to her count out the 5 things she wants for lunch every day.  Being a stay at home mom isn’t always the easiest, most exciting job, but it’s the most important one that I will ever have and one that I treasure and wouldn’t give up for anything.

Wordless Wednesday (as wordless as I can get it)

 

I thought since it was cold outside, I would post a picture from our cruise 2 years ago, so I can dream of warmer days!    This was a beach in Cozumel, Mexico.

More of that dredging stuff

More picture posts!

I was going through old pictures of my boys this morning, and I had a hard time narrowing it down to two.  They were so cute!  They both had chubby little cheeks and their teeth were still proportional to the size of their head.  Aaahh, the good ole days.

This was when they used to let me dress them alike and they didn’t care.  I haven’t tried to do that recently, but I’m sure they would throw a little fit.  This was Christmas 2002.

Father’s and son’s campout 2003. 

Okay, I couldn’t resist!  One more!  2003, also.