I am finally biting the bullet and making all those phone calls I'd been putting off for years. (well, months, anyway.) To the dentist, the doctor, the other doctor, the hair salon and ... I think that's it. Now I get to find sitters for all these lovely appointments. Ugh.

Well, we are all off to Philly this weekend for the "family retreat." Five of us sharing one room does not always go well, but maybe this time.... *shrugs*

Anyway, if you read this, and are in or around Philly, I WANT TO SEE YOU!!! So email, call, or comment me!

I am fighting off the start of a cold by drinking Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea. Even if it doesn't work, it still tastes good.

I'm kind of cold, so even though it's only 8:45, I think I'll go to bed. There's lots I could do, but I'm cold, and unmotivated to do anything at all. A book and tea in bed sounds great right about now.

So... that's it. Dan's at the movies with Andrew, so the night is mine. Yay.

While I am a stickler for what my kids eat (mostly b/c I know I'm the one who will reap the consequences of having to take care of them while they're sick...), my own eating habits usually leave much to be desired. It's not that I overeat, I just don't eat very well. Or I will eat the wrong things, in disproportionate amounts. So along this line of thinking, I decided to get serious this year and start a daily multi-vitamin habit. I am probably the world's WORST pill-taker; even while pregnant THREE times, I never even finished ONE jar of pre-natals. (Oops.) Anyway, I'm really serious about wanting to eat better/ feel great/ have more energy/ etc., but I'm reluctant to just go buy a bottle of one-a-days and call it done. I looked at the Shaklee Vitalizer stuff and thought about my mom's favorite (Mr. Hallelujah Acres,) and also my in-laws standby, but really... I just don't know. I don't want to waste money on something that won't make a difference, and... after a few days of "research"... in the end... I know myself: I probably will just do nothing. So I am being proactive here and trying to prevent another year of my apathetical boycotting of vitamins. (Even if I do pop a kids chewable once in awhile.) What is the absolute best vitamin out there? Is there one? I have heard from several people that a lot of vitamins just go straight through you. Or they are not utilized well by your body. Or they are not formulated right. Or whatever. You get the idea. It's like this with hair care products. Every salon thinks their brand is the end-all-be-all of hair care. Like, the best ever. Seriously, doesn't every company think their stuff is the best? I mean... really. So... yeah. That's my dilemma. Check back with me in a week; I probably will be like, "Oh yeah... vitamins.... I did want to get some of those.... Oh, well..."

*sigh*

Well Happy New Year, everybody!

I am excited for this year. Hopefully our house will be completed and we can move in and dig out all our stuff from storage. Yay.

I am also excited because my friend Natalie is coming to visit tonight for 3 days. We are hitting the outlets malls tomorrow (thanks to Dan's offer to "babysit") and I cannot waiiiiiiiitttttt!!! We are also going to see the TransSiberian Orchestra tomorrow night. So... yep. I am very happy.

I am also excited because Dan's sister and her family (including my new nephew born last month!) are coming to visit in a few weeks. I love having company.

Between now and then, (tonight, that is) I have a list of things I need to get done/ cleaned/ baked and organized, which means I have to get off here and get busy!!

***************************
(Quick digression: Does it bother any of you other moms when your husband offers to "babysit the kids" for you? I remind Dan every time that it is not babysitting, it is called parenting!)

I am trying to get motivated to stay up till midnight tonight.

Nine of us went to the slopes today, and my arms are killing me from a nasty wreck I had on my 2nd run down the mountain.

My shins are cut (and killing me) from a second nasty wreck I had-- but this one was on top on my brother (and his board.)

(Perhaps I should return to the good land of skiing.)

Thing is.... if I go to bed early (before midnight) and don't watch the ball drop and celebrate the new year by jumping in the air, hugging and high-fiving people, and generally being celebratory.... I will feel old. And I am not ready to concede that I am old. NO WAY!!!

So I'll be up tonight, probably laughing at my brothers being retarded or at the silly newscasters covering Times Square. Kinda lame, I know. But I am NOT old. Thank you very much.

Thursday night, all the kids slept all night. Tristan slept from 7p-7a, which was a definite first for him, and even though I'd gotten to bed late (12:30) I was so surprised to wake for the first time and see daylight that I wasn't even tired. I was so excited and kept thinking, "maybe this is it!"

Ha. Ha, ha, ha.

This morning I dragged myself out of bed, feeling less-than-well-rested, at 8:00. Between Dan and I were both Will and Hallie, and Hallie had been there since about 6, alternately wiggling, kicking, and complaining, "Stop touching me, Will-Will!" (Will, who was sound asleep, kept inadvertently putting his arm on her.) The great night had started at 12:30, when Will (who never does this) awoke screaming that he had wet the bed. So after I fixed that entire situation, it was back to bed only to have him come in our room an hour later wanting to sleep with us. Tristan was up twice (wanting to nurse, of course) and when Hallie came strolling in around 6, I was just too fed up to fight it.

So we all ended up in our bed together, which would have been okay if I had actually been able to sleep instead of being Hallie's personal assistant. Besides frequent drinks of water, she need space (no one could touch her, or squish her pillow) and every 10 min. or so she would hiss in a loud whisper, "Mommy, I wanna get up now!" Needless to say, Friday night was not the great follow-up to Thursday night that I had hoped/ planned it would be.

*Sigh*. Sometimes life is like that.

Well, yes, I know it's Christmas and all, but there are several factors as to why I'm on xanga tonight.
1) The kids are all asleep! (Some with a favorite present, but nevermind that!)
2) I really don't feel like cleaning, organizing, folding laundry or... you get the picture... (Though I will before I go to bed, I promise...)
3) Dan and my brothers are out quadding on this frigid night, and... I am not there. I am here. On one level I would loved to be out there, (how fun is night quadding?!?!)  but on another.... *shiver*. I am happy to be here, inside, warm and... just chilling.

Relaxing by the fire, poking around the web, laughing at YouTube vids. I haven't done this in ages!!!
It helps that we finally have DSL. And Airport. Ahh... yes, it is good to be back in the twenty-first century once again.

And on that note, here you have it: this year's family picture.

Back to front, left to right:
Andrew (23), Jon (21), Dad, Dan (30)
Hallie (2), Anna (16),  Will (4), Emily (19), Mom, Nathan (4), me (26), Tristan (1)
Abby (11) with Ace, Mariah (9), Katie (7)

So what will be your answer?
Oh will you hear the call,
Of him who did not spare his son,
But gave him for us all?

On earth there is no power,
there is no depth or height
that could ever separate us
from the love of God in Christ.

Immanuel... Our God is With Us
(m.c.)

Have a totally smashing Christmas, everyone!!

Usually by this time of year, I am so ready for Christmas to be here. I am completely sick of the endless cheesy Christmas radio music, the traffic jams, the baking, the "can we open our presents yet?" and just... everything. I love New Years' and the clean start it represents.

However, this year, I am so not ready for Christmas to be over! I am making chocolate chip cookies* and caramels as I write, and carols are playing in the background. (Josh Groban's album Noel is a new fave.) The younger two are napping, and Will is happily occupying himself. I love the tree and presents and decorations, and for pete's sake, I am just not ready to get rid of it all yet!!! Can we just... postpone this all for another week or so? It's going so fast, and I don't want it to end.

* For several years, I have been on a quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and while many have been good, none have been great. However, this recipe looks promising! We shall see.

**Funny side note** I recently heard noises upstairs, and upon investigating, Hallie wasn't napping as I thought, but was lying in bed giving her baby a bottle.  When I told her it was time to sleep, she replied, "No, I wanna wake up, like forty hundred and oh-eight" When I reafirrmed the need to sleep, she flopped down on the bed, wailing, "forty-hundred and oh-eiiiiiiiight!!!" My best explanation is that Will frequently uses large, nonsensical numbers to express large amounts of something, (like "Mommy, I rode fifty thousand hundred and fifty forty nine miles on my horse",) so she must've picked up on it as a stellar concept to be adapted for her own use. How hilarious.

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging
a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able
to give in return; but rejoices in giving
to those who cannot.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

--Author Unknown