Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, belated Hanukkah blessings, Joyous Yule/Solstice and what else? Oh yes, Happy Festivus!

This past week and weekend was a whirlwind of excitement and go-go-go and sick sleeping. heh. I was miserable Friday at work - got the sickness that Lincoln had last Monday. He was better Tuesday and fine by Wednesday. I left work at noon on Wednesday and went home and packed out bags. Since Celso couldn't come with us I invited Mitchell (our 3 year old cousin) to come with us instead. As soon as he got there (it was a surprise to all the kids) we left and picked up Lincoln - who was quite surprised but very excited to see Mitchell. We got to the Great Wolf Lodge about 5pm and it was just grand. As soon as you walk in we all said "oooh" and were in awe of the lobby. It was decorated for the winter "Snowland" theme and was just beautiful - we were all impressed. We went to our room and the kids just went nuts! This was the floor plan:

and this was what the room looked like:

The kids of course loved the little room with the bunk beds, single twin bed, the desk and the TV. It had Nintendo for their TV but you had to pay additional $7 to play so I said no - they didn't fuss one lick! Who needs Nintendo when you're at the GREAT WOLF LODGE?!
We unpacked our food into the mini-fridge and got our suits on. Mitchell had been there before and he just couldn't wait to get down to the pool. We got our suits on and headed down. Let me tell you it is odd to see people in swimsuits (wet and dry) walking around the hotel along with people in street clothes and others with their coats on... We weren't too cold though so it worked out fine.
We got down to the pool room and WOW! It was amazing! (I'll post pics later this week). The 3 older boys took off and I played with Lincoln and Mitchell in the little kid area - which was perfect for them. We played for about an hour and then Lidia came so we met her at the room and ate our dinner - Hot Pockets & Pizza Rolls - as requested by the kids . We then headed back down for another round of swimming. Mitchell and Lincoln both liked the the kiddie area and the hot tubs. The older boys liked "everything" (their words) but the slides were a huge hit too. I appreciated the warm, dry towels that were supplied by the GWL.
By the end of the evening my throat was raw, my sinus cavities ached and my nose was dripping but I assumed it was due to chlorine as it was pretty strong smelling at the waterpark. However by the morning I was sick, grouchy, felt horrible and just wanted to sleep. I bucked up, fixed our mini-breakfast pizzas, packed up (check out is 11am) and headed back down to the waterpark. I sat in a chair most of the day watching the boys play. I sneezed and sneezed... and sneezed. We ate lunch, played more and I dragged the kids out of there about 2pm. An hour later we were dressed, boys had picked out a gift/souvenir from the gift shop and we were outta there. It was a miserable drive home. I was sneezing, coughing and just wanted rest. Mitchell was picked up soon after we got home and I crawled into bed for a long slumber.
Went to work Friday but I was miserable and everyone on the phone that I talked to knew it. They were glad there was a phone or computer screen between us.
Saturday I rolled out of bed and went to work but was doubly miserable there and came home early - again crawled into bed (thanks Mom for watching the boys!) and I slept and slept. Woke up Sunday feeling MUCH better! Whew!
Went to church and did pretty good, came home to take care of Christmas Eve odds and ends and then we went back to church at 5pm with all 4 boys for Family worship, Jesus' birthday party and then a candlelight service which was beautiful and moving. Lincoln fell asleep about 7:30pm in the middle of the service. So many of our church friends got a kick out of seeing him asleep and still - rare site for Lincoln indeed!
We hung out at home for a little bit waiting for Lidia to get off work and come to the house and I put Lincoln to bed for the evening. Margeret-Leigh and her husband Bryan stopped over and gave gifts to the kids. They run the Field Trip Club that Henry goes to over summer break and when school isn't in session. He will see her next week. They are the sweetest people! The brought a fleece blanket kit for each of the boys AND gift for the boys from Santa! and over a dozen fancy lollypops. She also brought me a gift bag filled with wonderful things! We exchanged hugs and Christmas wishes and she left to spent the holiday with her Dad. I had invited her to spend Christmas eve and/or day with us if her Dad didn't come to town.

Lidia got to the house about 9pm and then we all went to Celso's moms apartment for our traditional Christmas Eve tamale-eating-coffee-drinking-get-together. At 12:30am we left and went to Celso's aunts house to visit her (why we had to make 2 visits instead of them being together I don't know, I don't ask anymore either, I only do this once a year so I don't mind). She gave me her Honey Baked Ham that she gets from her work every year that she doesn't like (yay!) and all the boys got socks for their gifts - not fun but very much needed for all of them. Came home about 1:30am and crawled into bed. I tried not to fall asleep (had to get up and play Santa) but it was hard. Every few minutes Henry would pop up exclaiming he "heard something" and think "it's Santa" or would swear he could hear the "reindeer on the roof". Several times he jumped so much he startled me and make my heart race. He was determined to "catch Santa".
Henry finally dozed off and I was able to sneak off and do my Santa part. My heart start pounding whenever the floor creaked afraid Henry'd pop up and actually catch Santa.

Christmas morning came and was wonderful (minus the whining from Henry due to lack of sleep). The boys were delighted with the gifts from Santa and Henry swears he heard Santa. Fine if he did "hear" Santa and his reindeer but I'm glad he didn't "catch Santa".
Lidia and the boys came over in the morning and we exchanged gifts with them. Henry got the fleece blanket he's been wanting from Lidia and Lincoln got a wonderfully cozy fleece Dora blanket he's in love with. Lidia gave me 2 pairs of jeans but I'll need to return them as they aren't 'long'.
The boys and I then left and headed to the Salvation Army to deliver Christmas meals. We picked 4 homes and they assigned us zip code 64123. I mapped my route and off we headed. We found 3 of the 4 and I'm fairly convinced the 4th didn't exist so I don't feel bad about not finding it. I called the phone number even on the card and the number was disconnected. Lincoln enjoyed delivering the meals and even accepted the hugs graciously. Henry was still overly tired and didn't enjoy it as much and was quite leery of these old people wanting to hug and squeeze on him - he did allow it though - just not as warmly as Lincoln.
We got back home and helped mom fixed Christmas dinner - ate and then Henry and I took a very much needed nap.
We woke up and called my Dad, my grandma and Celso, spent some couch-cuddling time and we all went to bed about 10pm. Very Christmas day.

Here it is Tuesday, I'm at work and it proving to be a slow, dull, boring day. blah. I work tonight as well. phooey! Least I have another 3 day weekend coming up!

Celso comes home Saturday night and we'll all bring in the new year together!

(sorry for the long post but we've had a lot going on!)

Dang, a week has gone by since I blogged? Geesh.

Let's see...

Last Thursday I had my day job work holiday lunch catered by Jack Stack BBQ - yum. This will probably be the last year as they are tearing down the mall :o(
That night Henry had his pack meeting and we did an obstacle course. I had to lead my den. Heh. I was unprepared. We had to tie hooks to our wrists with string and then hook ourselves to rope. Then go under and around a saw horse, through 3 hoola hoops, through a 50 gallon barrel that had the ends cut off and then untangle ourselves from 2 knots in the rope – get to the end to have your string cut then you back and help the others. Whew! We did come in 2nd place out of 5 dens

Saturday morning I woke with a left-over headache from Friday night so I cancelled the scout activity that I was supposed to host at my house.
That afternoon I was supposed to have the carpets cleaned but the shmuck that came out was the same one that came out 6 months ago. See, the company that came out 6 months ago suckered me into treating my carpets so that in 6 months they'd come out and clean again and said I'd only have to pay $51 to have them clean them again. Well after the dude wrote up the ticket he said it'd be $122. WTH? He said my carpets were very dirty (no shit dumbass) and that he'd need to deep scrub them and that I wouldn't be happy with the $51 steam clean. Needless to say, my ears got hot, I directed some of my energy at him and he left and I didn't have him clean the carpets. I had already moved all the furniture and I wans't about to move it all back without cleaning it so I went to the grocery store and rented a cleaner and came back and did it myself. I don't think I'll ever pay for someone to clean my carpets. I am quite pleased with how clean they came. I've rented them before and been pleased so I'll just stick with what makes me happy and does the job well - ME!

My mom took the kids to get their picture taken with her while I cleaned. So when they got back I got cleaned up and we went to a holiday party at a friends. It was 70 degrees and just perfect! She has a trampoline and I seriously think I'm going to get one for the kids. We just had too much fun! Yes, WE did
Sunday was church of course, then I worked in the afternoon and then we went to church for the Christmas dinner and listened to the teen, adult and bell choirs.

Yesterday was "hot skin snuggles" day. Lincoln felt warm Sunday night and by the middle of the night he was burning hot with fever. He had a little cough but not much, a drippy nose with semi-clear snot but poor guy had a fairly high fever. I'm guessing 103 or so.
My mom stayed with him in the morning so I could come to work and "check in" and I left at 11:30am to go home and be with him. When I picked him up to hold him he asked for "hot skin snuggles". awww!
He slept the afternoon on and off and slept through the night and sprang up this morning at 5:50am chatting away and feeling fine. Quick rebound!

Tonight I finalize the menu and pack as tomorrow we go to the Great Wolf Lodge! I'm soooo excited! I've asked each boy what he wants for dinner and breakfast so they will have exactly what they want. We'll have lunch there on Thursday before we leave. Yay!

I just ordered pizza!

for the first time in oh, 5 years I bet. I can't remember ordering pizza and having it delivered since I've lived in my house. Why?

Too.damned.expensive. That's why.

I'm hungry and it's nearly 3pm and I couldn't decide all day what I wanted to eat. Usually I would have walked across the street to the grocery store and picked up a little something. Soup, bread, frozen something but that store close and I'm without a convient grocery store. I was going to hold off till dinner since I'm going out to dinner with Celso and the boys tonight but I just couldn't - I am hungry!

I saw a magnet stuck to the filing cabinet here at work and YUM freakin YUM!

Ordered a stuffed crust, supreme and 10 bone-out wings.

It's here! Lunch time!

What a great, busy, busy weekend.

Friday evening didn't go as planned. I did take pictures of my friends but I didn't get any pictures taken of my family. CH brought a Hawaiian shirt for the picture (eh, no) and Bryant didn't even bring a shirt. I was too busy to even stress about it so we'll try this week to get our picture done. Yay for the camera timer! My kids will be pretty good and sit and wait for the timer.

Saturday I was rushing about. Left work only to pick up my kids from my Mom so she could get to her hair dresser appointment, rush back to work to help them with something (nice to be needed but geez, rush RUSH!) then we rushed to church the rehearsal and then rushed home to prepare appetizers for the party, rush to the store to grab some last minute snackies and then rush to my friends house for the party. Great party that it was - had a fun time 'cept my asthma kicked in (cat) and I am still feeling effects today. bah.

Sunday I woke up late and missed Sunday school for the first time since I started teaching. There were 2 teacher there but still, I had hoped/intended to be there. After service we came home, and I returned a call to my cousin (Shelly). She asked if she and her family could come watch Henry & Lincoln in the Christmas program. :o) Yay! She also called with sad news. My cousin (Debbie) who had breast cancer before, it has came back. Her chest has hurt since last spring and the doctors tried to treat it (as a pulled muscle or something) but it turns out it was cancer this entire time. It is in her shoulder and arm - and her shoulder was broke even. Common with cancer in your bones I guess. :o( Very, very sad. My cousin is only 40. She battled the breast cancer with radiation , chemo and surgery. They told her they'd only treat this with radiation, no chemo, no surgery. Not sure if that is good news or bad news. She goes to the oncologist Tuesday and should find out the plan of action then. Prayers for her please.

Later that afternoon we went back to church for the Christmas program and met Shelly and family there. Her son is Mitchell and he and Lincoln are close in age. They don't see each other very often at all but it was apparent that they remembered each other. Mitchell goes to preschool at our church so they invited him to participate in the program. Those boys were SOOO cute! Pictures coming! :o)

After the program we went home for a bit before heading off to our Christmas parties. Mom had hers and she was able to take the boys and I went to mine (spouses/partners were invited only). We all had a great time. I was impressed with my party for my part-time job but bothered to hear all the complaints from the seasoned workers. I appreciated what they did very much. Dinner was nice, professional carolers to entertain us, fun/quirky games with prizes and awards for some employees. I came away with some little bottles of lotion, a large decorative ornament with a candle inside, a large BEAUTIFUL poinsettia and $20 in my card. Yay!

My mom won a large family sized George Forman grill at her party. The kids saw Santa - the "real, actual Santa" if you ask Henry. Henry even says he hear the reindeer on the roof! :o)

I work tonight... tomorrow the boys and I are having dinner with Celso as he leaves for El Salvador Friday afternoon, not to return until the 30th. Wednesday I work and the boys will spend the night with him. Thursday Henry has scouts and Friday Celso leaves during the day and Henry has a birthday party to go to in the evening. Saturday I'm supposed to be doinga  scout activity at my home at 10am, getting the carpets cleaned at 1pm and have another Christmas party to go to in the evening. Sunday I work during the day and have the Church Christmas dinner/show in the evening.

O Christmas tree, O flippin Christmas tree. Why does it have to be such a pain to enjoy something like a live Christmas tree?

I don't remember the details of what happened last year but when I went to pull our tree out of the basement Sunday night I couldn't find the bottom part of the tree... and the other pieces were in 3 different boxes. "How'd THAT happen?" I asked myself. The I remember that the bottom part, the metal pole, got terribly bent (Copper or Lincoln, I forget) any I can't find it and assume it had been thrown away - but I don't remember throwing it out. Anyway, the stand is bent and impossible to fix, I don't want to buy a tree at this time of year (I'm an after-the-season sale girl) so off the 4 boys and I went to buy a real tree. Yay! We're all excited.

I found a nice tall, 7 foot Douglas Fir or something. It was wrapped up tightly so I could tell what it was going to look like but that was my choice. Celso Henrique wanted this little 3 foot scragley tree and I said it looked like Charlie Brown's tree and he agreed - that's why he wanted it. So we voted - 4 to 1 for the tall tree. We get the tree into our cart and ask for help in picking out a base. We get our things and go home.
Now the problem starts. We set up the tree trash bag (for the needles to fall) and put the base down and I bring the tree in and put it in the base. The kids hold up the tree and I tighten the bolts to hold the tree up. The bolts just touch the tree - not enough to make the tree stand up. The boys and I get frustrated so I just leaned it against the windows and we went to bed. This was all Sunday, here it is Thursday and it is still leaning against the windows.
AND I let the water well go dry and it ruined the tree. Guess it didn't matter much since the freaking thing can't even stand upright. So today I'm going to go back to where we bought it and insist they give me a new tree since they sold me the tree and the base and they didn't go together. I need a bigger trunked tree!

Tonight Henry has some gingerbread event with the other first graders and the principal of this school. After that we'll get our tree and set it up. Late night, yes.

Tomorrow I rush home from work as friends are coming for a "holiday photography session". We'll use the Christmas tree or fireplace for a background. It is the deal where "I'll take your picture if you'll take mine" type of thing. Yay for friends! After that I've invited them to stay and others to come to hang out, drink, eat and be merry

Moving along nicely with the surrogacy plan. Had my IUD taken out last night - in my house by a midwife. Why doesn't every use a midwife? Home visits are just awesome! She was professional and nice and I felt comfortable around her. I will interview another midwife or two for who will see me during the pregnancy. I have plenty of time

Let's see.... this past weekend. I worked Saturday during the day. Kicked ass on the calls and got 19 interviews - high amount. They love me! .... but my paycheck shows they only love me $8/hr. bah.

Saturday night the boys and went to a friends house for dinner. She made an fabulous deep dish pizza - it rocked! Really. Wow. Had chocolate pecan pie for dessert. Can it get better than that? Oh yes... and her house it does. We played Nintendo's Wii and bowled right in her living room. Fun! Then played several rounds of Guitar Hero II. Henry is now asking for Wii for his 11 or 13th bday... something like that. m'kay Henry.

Sunday was the first day of combined Sunday school classes. We went from 5 kids to 13 or something. Kindergaten and first grade classes are now combined and second graders joined the third graders. We'll have 3 teachers in the class each week (instead of 2) with the 4th off.
After the 11am service we had a pot luck lunch at church - love those! Mom made our broccoli rice casserole but the spread was amazing. Everything was delicious! Afterwards we had a meeting about the future of the church. Several years ago they started a campain to expand the church - build on an addition. Last spring they started collection funds for the new building and such and it bombed big time. Total failure of a campain. People pledged a fraction of what they expected. I'm glad... the church isn't ready to grow. The sanctuary isn't full for either service, maybe 75% max. Plus they have 750k(!!!) in debt from their original building and just under 100k on the parking lot that is 2 years old. They were only paying the interest, not the principal. How does that make sense? Anyway, we are to focus on paying off the debt, 10% of what is given weekly. Good plan, I like that. I like my church.

Speaking of which, this Sunday is the Christmas program. It is mainly for the 4th-6th graders but all children are in it. Lincoln and Henry are both singing songs they've been learning in Sunday school.

Sunday after church we went to Celso's apartment and had lunch again (LOL). He and Arturo cooked steak for Mariela's birthday. She's only 20. I thought she'd be 26 or 27... she doesn't look 20. She has a 4 year old and a 2 year old... left the baby when she was just a few weeks old. Still breaks my heart.

Sunday night the older 2 spent the night and we had a good time. Didn't play games but did hang out and were just there.

I worked a teeny bit last night. 1.5 hours. Only 11 hours this week. WhoopDeeFuckingDoo. Sat around and visited most of last night too... got the low-down on the company and understood the background more. I enjoy that. Our company Christmas (Yes! the call it a Christmas party!) party is Sunday night. Church program from 4-5:30 and party at 6pm. Good thing both are on 151st Street.
Oh, in the teeny bit of working I did, I did manage to get 3 interviews done. :-D THAT is why they love me. I squeak that shit out some how.

Tonight. Cinzetti's! Yummy. Cooking club and Mom's night out.

Tomorrow I work at night.

Thursday Henry and I are going to his school for a Gingerbread-house-thing with the principal of the school.

Friday - I'm open. My calendar is empty! Oh what shall I ever find to occupy my time?!

Did I tell you all about my new phone?

The LG VX8500 aka Chocolate by Verizon. I have this "cherry" version. They also come in black, lime green and white.

It is SWEET! New phone with fun new gadgets to play with and it is a MP3 player. Holds a 1G memory card. I have my 'adult' songs in a category, regular musix, smooth songs and a 'kids' category for Henry and Lincoln - Lincoln mostly. I woke him up this morning using it and he work with a grand smile on his face.

I've downloaded Sonic from Sega and Henrique enjoys playing that.

Yesterday I pick Lincoln up from the sitter and she tells me "Lincoln has a new saying" with her eyebrows raised up LOL. She tells Lincoln, "Tell your Mom what you've been saying today" and he says "Holy Fuck" oh boy... I asked her if we are hearing the same thing - we nod, indeed we are. I asked Lincoln to say it again, he says "Holy Fuck". I told Lincoln he wasn't supposed to say that, where did he hear that? ---I don't say that, my choice word is shit. He says from me and Henry.

So I'm talking with the sitter and then Lincoln walks away tipping his head from side to side in a "la la la" way and is saying "Holy Fuck. Holy Fuck. Holy Fuck a mama"

THEN it hits me what he's saying.

*I* Say "Holy Guacamole" as an alternative cuss phrase. Henry has recently modified it to: "Holy guaca mama"

Lincoln was saying "Holy Guac" and "Holy guaca mama"

I need to call Lincoln speech teachers and notify them of this development and really push to work on those G sounds.