Black Friday

Where will you be the day after Thanksgiving?

I likely won't have the flexibility to take the day off work, so if I want to do any butt-crack of dawn shopping this year, I'll need to do it and then head off to the office so I can be there at 8am. I've done it that way before - being a die-hard shopper and all.

Whether or not I'll be dragging myself out of bed at 4am will all depend on the Black Friday ads this year.

I've already started my Christmas shopping, and I'm actually late with it this year. But I've started brainstorming and getting ideas on what to buy everyone, in hopes of having my shopping completed by December 1st.

So tell me .... will you be out bright and early bargain hunting? Or still hunkered down in your bed snoring blissfully?

Where's my pole?

Life is so unfair

I'm sure you all recall my post about my friend Katrina's friend, Dana, being murdered not too long ago, right?

Well, with deep and utter sadness that I write this ... Katrina's father passed away this morning.

All was normal this morning, and I was busy with the normal Monday routine at work when my cell phone bleeped that I had a text message. I flip open my phone and see that it's from Katrina, and I'm thinking she's just going to be sending a Monday Morning greeting. Until I open it and read these simple words:

"My dad died this a.m."

How can I just send a text message back to that? I immediately called her back, the tears already springing to my eyes and when I heard her voice, I lost it. The tears fell quickly, I could no longer hold them back. My heart was breaking apart for her, and I still feel an ache, knowing just what she must be going through right now.

I thought back to how unfair I thought it was that my husband at almost 30 lost his mother. How much more unfair that my good friend lost her father when she was just 28? I'm pretty sure her folks are younger than mine - maybe not by a tremendous amount, but my folks are not quite 60 yet. There's still a couple years until the big 6-0.

I feel helpless....like I should be doing something more for her. I told her how sorry I was, and that if she needed anything, to call me. I guess that's all I can do at this point, while she grieves with her family and helps to make the arrangements.

My heart is hurting.

Pumpkin Heads

Tonight was pumpkin carving night. The kids kept picking the 'challenging' stencils, and I had to decline. I'm not willing to have a throbbing arm for days just for pumpkin carving. It's fun and all, but not thatfun.

So, we settled on a ghost. Looks pretty good if I do say so myself. This year we also picked up a Mr. Potato Head set (or in this case, Mrs.) that you just stick into the pumpkin and viola! ... instead festive pumpkin, no guts necessary!

The Things Kids Say

So a few evenings ago we're sitting down and eating some leftover pizza for dinner.

Braeden reaches over to grab some of Grandpa's cheese (apparently when it's on someone else's plate it's different from what you have sitting in front of you).

The conversation goes something like this:

Grandpa: Hey! You've got your own cheese, leave mine alone!

Braeden: It's just cheese, Grandpa. Not the end of the world.

Yeah, much laughter proceeded that line.

What kind of ice cream flavor are you?

Hey man, that's about right! :)

What kind of cookie are you?

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives

Fall is officially here, and Christmas is quickly approaching. This time of year always amazes me because it goes by so fast. Before we know it, we'll be putting out milk and cookies for Santa and then we'll be ringing in 2008.

How is it possible that we're almost in the year 2008? Twenty oh-eight. Wow. 2008; I'll turn 28, and be 10 years out of high school. In 2008 my children will turn 4 and 7. And I'll celebrate my 10 year anniversary with my company.

Everyone warned me that if I thought time went fast before, to just wait until I had kids. Boy they weren't kidding. Since my first was born nearly 6 years ago, time has flashed by.

My first born is in kindergarten, starting his school "career" and my youngest is taking ballet classes, excited to start preschool next fall. I'm amazed at how quickly we went from diaper changes and middle of the night feedings to real underwear and homework. Sometimes I miss the days of wrinkled baby skin and gummy grins, but I more so look forward to what they'll learn and what they will become.

I don't want to rush time by any means, but I look forward to them gaining even more independence, being confident in themselves, finding their niche and doing what they love. We've hit so many monumental firsts, but there are still so many more to come. No matter how old they are, there's always some other first to wait for. First loose tooth (and first visit from the tooth fairy!), first day of school (at least for my daughter), first date, first real friendship drama, first day with their driver's license, first school dance......to eventually marriage and the first child (me, a grandma! -- now that's looking WAAAAAY into the future!!!).

Every day brings something new, every day we get closer to the next day, and before I know it, these kids are going to be all grown up.