I have a funny story about Laney and Christmas presents.

It requires a little back info.

She is getting a Tablet for Christmas.  She’s been wanting one for awhile now.  Everytime we go into any store that has an electronic section she HAS to play with the various iPad products.

The other thing you need to know is I have a smart phone.  It looks pretty much like a small tablet.  I found a really good pic online to compare.  Of course I would have taken one myself but I went looking for the tablet just now and Corey has “hidden” it…and you will see why as you read further.  Pic found courtesy of this site.

I’m a VISUAL person…so just visualize these two things…my phone and the “future” tablet that Laney may-or-may-not-be-getting-for-Christmas as we say around here.  Corey…please don’t send links to the actual products.  That’s not the point of the story.  Because no, I don’t have a Samsung phone, and I don’t know what the brand of tablet Corey got.  Just picture the photo above.  ;D

The other day I “lost” my phone.  This is the time when I probably should have installed this app.  But alas I haven’t so Laney and I are searching all over the house for it.  Corey was not around to call it so I could find it…and it was on vibrate anyway.  It frequently is.

So Laney is searching all over the house…in the usual places I leave it.  She was being a good helper for her mamma.  I wasn’t thinking anything of it and she was looking around in our bedroom.  She opened Corey’s bedside table and then I heard this voice from the bedroom say, “Well…I found a BIG phone!”

I told her to close that right away and come here!  She sat there looking at me with this “deer in the headlights” look.

“Laney.  What did you see in there?”

“It wasn’t a big phone was it.”

“No.  I’m so sorry, Laney. You weren’t supposed to see that.”

Silence.

“Is Christmas ruined for you?”

A very long pause…

“No.”  she said.  “At least I know I’m getting an “iPad” for Christmas!  DON’T tell Dad I saw it.  He’ll be really mad!”

I told her she had to not say anything about it and act surprised on Christmas.

She hasn’t breathed a word since. ;D

Laney got a set of drums for her birthday.  You can see the joy on her face. ;D  Happy Birthday Laney!

For Fall Break we headed to sunny California and Disney.  I’m so glad we went.  I’m so glad it is over.  I think I’m on vacation sensory overload.  Five days in Disney and then one day in Sea World.  I’m just plain worn out.  The good kind.

There are so many good photos.  Here are just a few of my favorite…

Oh there’s just too many to pick from.  I didn’t even get to Sea World here. ;D

Laney woke up this morning feeling sick.  Among other things she said her arms and legs hurt.  I told her she probably had a “touch of the flu”.

Coming home from taking Ava to school a vehicle with a very loud exhaust passed us.  It was quite annoying.

Laney said, “Hello!  Keep it down.  I have half of the flu over here.  I can cough on you anytime I want.  Yeah, that’s right!”

Where does she get these things? ;D

Laney hiking in Evergreen 9.3.2011

Now it is Laney’s turn to have some artwork hanging up.  This was over the weekend at one of the district libraries.  Just can’t say how proud I am! ;D  Being an artist ROCKS!

It doesn’t really matter what you put on the celebrate plate so much as the fact that you get it out. ;D

For example.  Here is a rather “boring” egg sandwich.  A staple in our house.  This is what Corey and I had for lunch together the other day.  The reason it is on the celebrate plate is because he got a new job and got the news just minutes before.  He talked about how special getting the plate out was days later. ;D

When you want to make a statement…or just be noticed.  I recommend these…

Real love is sitting at a concert waiting for your child to perform…and you have to sit thru the entire thing because they are LAST.  Not to take away from the other kids.  But let’s be real.  I just wanted to see Ava perform.  Yes.  That selfish part of me.  The nervous wreck part of me.  The part of me that wanted her part to be done so I could relax and enjoy the rest.  Self admittedly I am quite possibly the worst person for saying that.  But admit it.  You feel it too.  At least from time to time. ;D

I don’t have a photo to describe this…but lately it has been a stream of hormones and emotions and first boyfriends, talking on the phone, fighting to get homework done, failing grades, forgetfulness, sassy mouths, more hormones, more fighting…between all of us…and a host of other things.  And no one is a teenager yet.  There are days when weary is a very good explanation of how I feel.  And I think…the worst is yet to come.

Just to add some humor…Here’s what the kids do to Baxter when he sits still long enough.

Lastly…this year’s birth-a-versary present.  To know what I’m referring to see this post.  Corey got me this…

This is the iPod Classic.  No I don’t like any other version of the iPod.  Except this one.  It is so not new anymore they refer to it as the “Classic”.  I think it is more expensive than the iPod Touch.   Oy!  Don’t call me old…I’d rather think of myself as “retro”. That’s “in”, right?  Anyway…I’ve wanted one of these suckers since they came out.  Thank you, Honey!  We’ve been married 18 years this month btw. ;D

Today was Laney’s birthday.  We had cake.  I also took in “goodies” for her to share with her classmates to celebrate her birthday.  We were supposed to go out tonight to celebrate Laney’s birthday but Ava wasn’t feeling well so we are going to try again tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to just relaxing this weekend.

I just got back from my dr.  All good.  No more coumadin.  It was a little anticlimactic.  As in…I’ve spent the last year dieing.  To now be free.  She said now go back to living!  It is hard to remember a time when I wasn’t sick.  Now it is kinda weird to not have an appointment with her every week.  I’m not sure what I am supposed to feel.  Weird.  That’s a good word.

I’m back to work…after an unexpected week off.  The girls had a week off from Thanksgiving.  I didn’t really plan to take it off…I was going to do some work…and I did a little here and there.  But I pretty much goofed off with them all week.  I liked it.  I like them!  They are back to school.  The house is strangely silent.  And I’m finding it hard to get back into a routine. ;D

We went to see Tangled on Black Friday.  No shopping.  Just fun.  Fan-tab-u-lous movie.  I highly recommend it.

The kids discovered that we got Rock Band 3 for Christmas.   Fortunately they haven’t discovered the instrument (the new keyboard…yay!) we have bought to go with it! ;D

I’ve got a new kit in my Scrapable store.  I’m so in love with this kit.  Very fun.  You can purchase it here.  Right now it is 30% off!

Here’s a layout I did with it…

Layout credits.

At the new house there is a gigantical maple tree out front (well there are several out back too) and the girls were so excited about this because they knew come fall we would have a yard full of leaves.  They have been raking and raking the last few days…making these huge piles to jump in.  Oh how I remember doing that as a kid.  And burying myself in the piles.  My girls do the same thing.  I love the smell of the leaves.  And I love it when they come inside with their hair full of leaves.

It has been unseasonably warm this weekend.  It kinda feels like summer.  Shorts and t-shirts are the wardrobe of choice.  So naturally your first thought would be…

“Mom?  Could we PLEASE sleep on the trampoline tonight?” asked Laney in the most humble voice she could muster.

“Laney.  It’s November.  You will freeze to death out there at night.  No.  You cannot sleep on the trampoline.”

“But wwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy??????”

“You can do it in the summer when it is warm…if you can ward off the mosquitoes.”

“We can cover ourselves with a big blanket!” exclaimed Ava.

They ran off to plan.