The Christmas-is-Over Blues

Anyone else feel depressed when the excitement and anticipation of the holidays is over?

Don't get me wrong. I wish little elves would come by the house and rid it of all the Christmas lights, knicknacks, stockings and trees, but at the same time I'm bummed that it's all over.

Winter is no fun after Christmas. I mean, I battled the billions of inches of snow that fell (I'd rather not talk about how many hours were spent in the car commuting to and from work in said elements) prior to Christmas because I thoroughly feel that Christmas is just not Christmas, unless it's white.

Now? I'd prefer that white stuff to stay away. In fact, I'd much rather tomorrow be June. Not picky much, huh?

My Christmas was truly wonderful, though. Santa was good to us, and we all spent the day lazing around, enjoying each other's company and enjoying our new gifts. Then we sat down to a delicious turkey dinner.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday, too. We're just days away from 2009! Time is flying....

Have a Snarky Christmas!

We are, once again, being dumped on with snow. While snowflakes set the scene on Christmas Eve, I still had to drive into work this morning, and that was not fun.

However, it is gorgeous. The snow is clinging to the trees and during my drive in, I wished I had brought along my camera so I could stop and capture the beauty. Then again, it was slick, and I probably would have been run over by a snowplow or something.

So, in the event that the ride home in the snow makes me too crabby to post later, I wanted to take the time now to wish you all happy holiday greetings.

Enjoy your loved ones, and may your egg nog be creamy, and your stocking be overflowing.

Cherish Your Loved Ones

After my emotional phone call with the customer who's husband is dying, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I felt helpless. I wanted to do more, but wasn't sure what to do. I ended up picking up a card and mailing it to her.

Today I needed to call and give her a reminder that we'd be delivering her missed products from last week, and to see if she needed anything else. During the conversation, she apologized to me again and she thanked me for the card. She said it was very nice, and her voice started to crack again like she was going to cry.

She told me to have a good holiday at the end of the conversation, and I replied "Thanks, you too."

And I hope that they are able to have a good holiday, despite what the future holds for them. I pray that they all can find some happiness in this final holiday all together.

To all my readers; enjoy your loved ones and cherish all the time you have with them. Because you just never know when they'll be gone.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas is already this week. Just a few more sleeps and then we'll be listening for prancing and pawing up on the rooftop.

This weekend was spent Christmas-ing with our 3rd annual cookie exchange and grab bag on Friday, gift exchange and holiday dinner with the in-laws on Saturday, and of course, Santa's Landing.

Oh - and you can't forget that there were more Christmas presents bought that now need to be wrapped, even though that has been done for a couple weeks. Stores suck you in with their last minute sales (how can you beat a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for $130, especially when you've been drooling over one for years?).

But, back to Santa's Landing .... this was the 3rd year this has been in existence. The first year we were out there every single weekend raising money to try to help our fire department educate everyone in order to try to get the referendum to pass (and it did! SUCCESS!!!!). My dad has played the part of Santa, which he adores. And you know what? My kids think it's pretty darn cool, too, and I swear - when they are on "Santa's" lap, the look in their eyes is like they forgot it's actually their grandpa playing the part.

(My dad is employed by the real Santa himself. There is no monetary salary, and no health benefits - but the "pay" and "benefits" he does receive are truly magical in the spirit of the season. My dad reports back to his boss, relaying what he's seen in regards to naughty & nice behavior and then sends in his spreadsheet report of the wish lists that the kids give him.)

This year, my mom was also hired. They posed for some photos before I took them to the meeting spot for the magical ride in.



The kids just love that the arrival is by firetruck. The flashing lights & sirens add to the anticipation and excitement of the night.



It's such a magical night. Just look at my kids' faces...it's like right out of a movie!





And sometimes the requests to Santa get you right in the heart. One year was "I want my parents to stop fighting", and I overheard a little girl this year say "I just want to be surprised".

This year, good friend Jules, sat on Santa's lap and asked for a baby. It's been a year of trying for her & her hubby, with no luck. We're all hoping that the real Santa can pull some strings with the big Guy Upstairs. We don't know many more people more deserving of a baby.

Putting Life Into Perspective

On Monday I received a letter from my insurance company. They denied my appeal to have the rider exclusion removed.

I'm trying not to get worked up over this. Christmas is a week away and this is not the time for me to get depressed and want to off myself. I'll just wait until the new year for all that.

In the meantime, I'm trying to hold onto my sanity, all the while still doing the normal daily routine. Thankfully, the pain pills have helped me enough to make it bearable, so that I don't feel like driving off a cliff to take the pain away.

I'm still working, still parenting, still trying to keep things as normal at home as possible. Even when it took me over 2 hours to get home from work last night due to the snow, I tried not to let it get to me.

This morning I arrive at work, and start busying myself with the day's tasks. A customer had left a message, questioning her order and asking for someone to call her back. So I call, and realize that she didn't get some of her order because her cooler that she had outside was not large enough to fit it all.

So I explain and she goes off. She's ranting and raving, and venting about needing the items because her kids are coming home from college. And then it spills out. Her husband has terminal brain cancer. Her voice is cracking, and she's still spewing, and I'm trying to rectify this (she was going to cancel her service), and then she starts to cry. She apologizes for yelling and taking it out on me. She says she's so sorry, she's got so much going on in her life, working and caring for her husband and taking him back and forth to chemo. She is on the verge of sobbing; telling me that he'll be gone in a few months, and she's trying to do all this, knowing it's his last holiday.

I fixed the situation for her, she apologized and I pray that family enjoys their time together, because I can't even imagine celebrating when something so dark looms in your near future.

When I hung up the phone, I couldn't stop the tears. I still can't get her voice out of my head....

Day 2 of the Cookie Baking Frenzy

Add another 315 cookies to yesterday's total. We're now up to 14 different kinds. Mom will be making the final 3 tomorrow.

We are downright pooped and my feet are in dire need of rubbing!!

At any rate, it's truly enjoyable to bake. And my kids helped out at different stages as well. The most bizarre thing, however? That I have zero appetite and the thought of sitting down with a plate of cookies turns my stomach. I guess all that prep, and smelling them bake is enough and gives you that "full" feeling.

Give me a few days, and I'll have a hard time keeping my hands off of them. And by January, I'm sure I'll have a few more pounds added to my ass that I can blame all on these holiday treats.

You know the post wouldn't be complete without a few photos...

My daughter helping to stir the molasses cookies....


And here's the finished product (my kids LOVE these!):


The most interesting part of the day was decorating the gingerbread boys and girls....


We ended up with an Angel, Santa, Mrs. Claus, a Snowwoman, and some not so common ones like an Alien, Guitar Hero Rockstar, Cubs player, Hannah Montana and one in a polka-dot bikini....who do you see below?

Day 1 of Cookie Baking Complete

Spent over 9 hours in the kitchen with mom today, baking our hearts out (thank you pain pills, and thank you Lord for giving me 2 really good, minimal pain, days). We've got 468 cookies and we're not finished.

I'm too tired to remember how many varieties we cranked out today, but I think it was at least 8.

Here's the princess decorating the sugar cookies with Grandpa (notice that she didn't go lightly on the sprinkles)...


And here's a new one of my recipes, butter cookies, which I think came out very well.


The baking continues tomorrow.....

A Baking We Will Go

Tis the season for cookies! And cookies we will have....

My mom and I will be kicking off the baking this weekend. Tonight's trip the grocery store involved purchasing all the goodies.

Take a look....



Soon that mountain of items will be heaps of cookies!!!!!! Chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal cranberry raisin nut, molasses, kolaczky (or however you spell it - LOL!), almond Christmas balls, thumbprints, butter, oatmeal scotchies and more!