Scrapperdee's Ramblings as a SAHM

I can hardly believe that this year is done already - must be a sign of old age when the years go whipping by.

I've been thinking that I'm losing my mind (well, I don't really need to think about it, I know that my memory is crap) so I got a DS Nintendo with brain age on it (from my parents for Christmas - both my brother and father have been working on their brains for awhile and I'm left behind). I took the quizzes and surprise, surprise, my brain was functioning as well as a 65 yr old...great. I've been working on it for about 3 days and I've managed to get down to age 43 ish (for one of them I'm 43, the other 2 are age 32 & 35)...phew. Its even sucking me into doing (and almost enjoying) Sudoku.

The things I will remember the most about 2009 are:

• My cousin Brian dying
• Visiting with Sheila for the 1st time since she moved in 1972
• PJ's lack of speech etc.
• PJ starting school
• Trip to Toronto

New Year's Resolutions? Well - I typically don't do those because I never bother to keep them. Last years was easy and pathetic and I didn't make it 1 day (ha ha) - it was to drink more water - how pathetic is that resolution...and the fact that I didn't even DO it is well, sad.

So, I think I'll pass on the resolutions, why set myself up for a fall?

Happy New Year! See you in 2010!

Here we are in 2006

I haven't been able to get into my e-mail since Dec 25 (yes, I was in there that day). It gets 1/2 way to the page and then spins...very VERY annoying.

The message at the bottom of the screen says that there are 2 items remaining and that its waiting for the website to do something...which never happens.

I went to their on-line help and they thought I should use a different browser...what? If it worked on every day for the last 15 years with this browsers, why would it just stop working now...BS!

AARRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we are at Christmas Eve - isn't Patrick's little tree great with the blue lights?!


Santa has come and filled our stockings! I made GJA & Lee's stocking this year. Mine was made by my grandmother.

I took this first one when I was done with the lights. This is the 1st year that Patrick would actually stand still at the tree...and actually LOOK at the camera. Now its his new thing to do. After his nap, he takes me to the tree, turns it on, and the ceiling light, as poses for a photo...ha ha.


Here is the tree when it was done being decorated. I didn't put on all the ornaments...all the glass ones are in the basement and I hope to be able to use them again some day (when Patrick learns to leave the tree alone). I'm terrible at taking photos of lights...pisses me off every year that I can't take a good one.

My cards went out December 13. I couldn't wait any longer for that purchase so I cut out these small-ish circles by hand (50 of them) so I could complete the cards.

Here they are:



The circle cutters that I ordered back in September and were 'supposed' to be mailed around November 8 arrived today (December 22)....with a Dec 15 postmark on it. So...did she mail another one and the original one from November is still lost, or did she just mail this one...hard to know.



I wonder in another package will arrive at some point?

This is so cute!

http://santa.sympatico.ca/watch/c64484013914d61f8c2b04726055295c

Actually, he's here. I believe he arrived in November. We took PJ to see him yesterday and got yet another classic photo! I think that he's way more upset this year than the prior year....but you be the judge!

2009

2008

I changed my design a bit and finished the cards on Saturday...and mailed them on December 13. Today (December 15) I STILL haven't received my order from NJ...crazy!

They are still sitting here, not ready to be sent. I decided on my design to make the cards this year and needed a tool, that I ordered on-line at the end of September. Part of it arrived in the middle to late October, but not the entire order. Apparently part of it was on back-order and should have been sent out in a week or 2 after that (so, late October).

By the middle of November, I'm wondering what's going on...so I get a response that the seller's been dealing with a bunch of kids with the flu and that it would be sent out that week (Nov 8th ish). By the 1st week of December, I'm still waiting...so I contact the seller and get the comment that most of her packages sent to Canada take about a month to arrive...hmmmm...I thought this was 1st class mailing level....whatever.

So, in the mean time, I have already received items I've purchased in Wisconsin and Florida at the end of November....but not this one...and a month has passed since the mailing date of Nov 8. It takes 6-8 weeks to get a parcel sent to Perth Australia by boat (i.e. NOT air -mail)...yet a small, flat bubble wrap envelope from Medford, NY is taking longer than 1 month by 1st class air-mail. I have received large boxes sent regular mail from Phoenix to here and they only took 7 days!

I have now MISSED the mailing deadline for letters to Australia and I also want to pop them into some parcels I'm mailing...so now I have to re-think my design and do something else because I can't wait any more for this item. I'm disappointed because I was so excited about the card and had everything ready to go when the MIA tool arrived.

I'm interested in what the postmark is on this item when (IF) it finally arrives.

GRRRR

...as much as they will be decked....I could put more up, but Mr. Disaster-Zone would break all my Swarowski crystal. I may still put up the banister garland with lights...we shall see. I wish I could get a photo of it without using my flash...but it makes it so yellow. I'm obviously doing something wrong.

Yes, its cold outside...but I guess, compared to what it'll be, its not that cold out. It was nice (not - 15C) and relatively snow free until we woke up on Friday Dec 4 to a blizzard. I think it snowed the entire day...about 15 - 20 cm. I shoveled a bit in the morning before I went to get PJ from school....but by the time we got back home, you couldn't tell I shoveled.

GJA used the snow-blower that night and by morning, you couldn't tell it had been done. The road outside our house was a mess of thick, nasty snow and people were getting their vehicles stuck. We decided to stay inside, even though there was lots of Christmas errands to do. GJA used the snow-blower again because there were huge drifts of snow. He did a bit of the street too, but as soon as someone drives on it, its a pile of snowy mess. It sounds really cold out with the wind whistling...ick. I know that winter arrived late, but did it have to come with a vengeance? I don't mind snow to look at - as long as its not on the roads - when will mother nature figure out how to do that?

I'm also tired of this COLD I have. PJ had a cold/flu/ear infection for 3 weeks...GJA had his for about 3 weeks and I guess I'm just about to start my 3rd week...and it better be the final week. Today I feel worse than all the other days because the coughing just won't stop and nothing I do will make it stop. I feel like I'm going to break a rib coughing and its given me a headache. I sure hope PJ doesn't catch this one again (or also...depending on whether its what he had already) because I have too much to do....he has to go to school for the next 2 weeks! My nose has been dripping all day too...driving me nuts and medication isn't doing anything.

whine whine whine

I normally start setting up the Christmas tree during the CFL Grey Cup game. This was on Sunday, but I only just had a chance to start today.

Our tree comes with about 64 individual branches to setup. Each is labeled with a color and letter so that they can be "easily" setup. Well - its not that easy because the large (bottom) branches are at the bottom of the box (otherwise I can't get everything back into the box). SO...its a pain to get all the branches out and try to find the matching branches.

I also start putting on the lights (there are at least 2000 mini lights) as each level of branches is put on the pole. This year I thought I'd put up 2 levels of branches and then do the lights...in the hopes that I don't run out of lights by the top of the tree [which is normally what I end up doing and then have to add another string ;)].

I got the bottom 2 levels on...with lights and then went down to get the next two sets (H & I). I find that I only have H & J...which means that I have one row on too early - should be K J I H...but I now have K I J H!

Do you think anyone will notice the over-hanging row and then the short looking row? I really don't want to take down that 2nd row (with lights) if no one will notice....hmmm.

I really enjoyed this show this season...well...every season, I guess. Last night I just loved to watch Kelly Osbourne's face in her final dance, she was having such a good time.




I also really enjoyed Donny Osmond's free style.



This group dance was really good too - they are supposed to be doing the exact same steps...yet for the guys, Donny Osmond was being compared to the professional dancers and did a great job keeping up with them. Poor Kelly Osborne was having some technical difficulties.

You know how you hear that guys start dressing better when they are living with a female? Well - I'm here to tell you that its NOT TRUE. It only works IF you are able to see what they are wearing before they leave the house.