Let the ball drop without me...

Well, it's only 9:15 and I'm starting to realize that I'm not going to make it to see the ball drop. My eyelids are dropping instead. I guess it was too many New Year's Eve snacks...I should have waited and set the food out after 11 p.m.

This year has been quite a doozy and I have to say one that I certainly wouldn't want to re-live. I do, however, want to give God the glory for getting us through and I know that no matter where my path leads this next year He will be right there beside of us every step of the way. We have many exciting things in store for this year. Dylan graduates from Riverside High in May. Carly is going to All State Choir at Morgantown in March. I'm so excited! I get to go too. I will be subbing this semester so that I can take the time off when I need too.

I hope that everyone makes realistic resolutions and starts 2009 out in the most focused manner possible. My goals for the New Year are (in random order):

1. be focused on my children and help them to have the best school year possible
2. focus on being healthier, ie. losing weight and getting more exercise
3. expand my blogging empire... :-)
4. spend more quiet time with the Lord in prayer and studying the bible
5. set aside more time for reading for myself
6. make a quilt
7. practice my writing more
8. give God glory, glory, glory!
9. start a home business
10. make my kids feel my love every single day

Stores Open on Christmas Day

I hope that we don't realize something is missing from Christmas dinner and have to run out to the grocery story. Nothing is open - unless of course you want to go to 7-Eleven or GoMart. I'm glad, though, that the store employees have the day off so that they can go spend it with their families. There are so many families that will do without this year, either because of the economic situation or just because that has always been the way of life for them. I'm asking a special prayer for these people and for the homeless. I feel very blessed to have my family with me at Christmas and to be in a loving home with plenty to eat. God is good all the time. Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa

Christmas break is not looking good for my sanity. The nine year old is already coming to me with the "I'm so bored" problem and this is only the first day of break. Wonder what I will feel like in two weeks? I try to get her involved in journaling or drawing or some other pursuit but I think she mainly wants to make my life miserable. Her problem is that she is very social and she likes to go out and shop and visit friends and all of that. I'm trying to stay at home and save some money, while getting some writing done. Well, she's just not buying that!

I've been posting some articles on EHow. It's kind of fun and I'm earning a few pennies. I know of some people who earn over $1500 each month with their articles. It's all residual income, meaning you don't get paid anything up front, but if someone comes to read your article and clicks on one of the adsense ads then you get a portion of the money that is made. I have written a few articles about making Christmas presents, like Russian Friendship Tea and Sea Salt Shower Scrub. These have made the most money because people are looking for stuff like that right now. I just posted one last night on how to save money and trees by making your own ecard to send via email. If I could stay focused and not get distracted by the "bored kid" so much I could post much more and potentially have a better residual income from this site. Well, it all sounds good in theory. Go ahead and try your luck at him. Who knows? You might have something to add that will make you a little extra money.

I'm officially finished...

With Christmas shopping, that is. I got the last few presents and the kid's stocking stuffers today. Hooray! I didn't do a whole lot anyway because I have cut way back and this year cut even further. Hey! I might get away with not having to shop at all next year. That's a laugh. Kids always want bigger and better stuff every year. I've got one that is 17 so he asks for expensive stuff anyway and the other one is only 9, but it seems like she is catching on with him, too, and asking for more expensive stuff. Well, guess what? You don't always get what you want!

I was reading People Magazine in the doctor's office the other day while I was waiting on my mom and I came across something that Reese Witherspoon had said that really impressed me. She said that she doesn't allow her children to become prey to Christmas gluttony (as she calls it). They get one big thing and few smaller presents even though she has the money to buy them whatever they want. I think they appreciate the presents more if they don't get a lot of stuff on Christmas morning. We've had years where you couldn't hardly cross the living room floor because of the presents and they were just so overwhelmed with everything that they didn't seem to enjoy any of it.

They are sharing a big present this year and I've never done that before so we'll see how it goes. They each got a big gift separately too, plus several smaller gifts. I don't want to share what the big gift is yet, because I don't know for sure that they won't come across this and figure it out. They're sneaky too!

I'm having difficulty finding time to do any freelance writing or blogging with all of the Christmas excitement in the air. We've had Christmas programs during the day this week. My daughter's class sang in front of Macy's at the mall on Monday and of course I couldn't miss that. I've had to try to finish up shopping and wrapping while they are in school this week because Monday will be the last day before Christmas break. I also had to go do orientation and a physical to be a professional substitute teacher in another county. I won't be getting calls to sub there until after January 5th, so I had really better force myself to focus and get some writing done in the next few weeks. It looks like January is going to be slim pickings! Okay, I'll go now. I'm starting to ramble. I hope that everyone can stay as stress free this next week as possible and enjoy your families, which is what the Christmas spirit is all about, right?

Merry Christmas from the Eagles...

Our local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles threw their annual Christmas party at the local high school today. We went and had pizza, drinks and free presents. It was really nice. Every child under the age of 12 got a present and they gave away six bikes. Carly was one of the last in line for her age group and they ran out of presents so she got money instead. She was just as happy because she can buy what she wants. Her class chorus sings at the mall in Charleston tomorrow so she can shop with her money afterwards. I have to go and show my support, of course... :) . We also have a dress to take back to JCPenneys that is just a tad too tight. She needs a cream cardigan to wear with her Christmas dress so we are hoping to find one of those too. I forgot to mention, she also made All State Chorus, so I am very proud of her for that.

Florida Governor orders investigation into abuse allegations...

I hope they are able to find some answers on who these graves belong to and that the abusers can be found (if they're still living) and made to pay for their sick deeds. It's hard to believe that children could be treated in such a horrific manner. The survivors that have reunited call themselves "the white house boys" after the building which they were taken in and severely beaten. They allege that some boys didn't make it out alive.

life in prison...

I found out that I was passed my test for the prison job that I was interested in. As luck would have it the same week I was issued a teaching permit for long term substitute. So, should I deal with convicts or future convicts? That's a joke! I will choose to sub because it pays much better and I can work when I want to.

I used to work at the prison in question way back when as a dental assistant. I have to say it was the best job I ever had in my life. It was one of the lowest paying positions but it was so much fun. You probably think that I'm weird, but that's just the way that it worked out. I think it was so much fun because of the dentist that I worked with. He was like a grown up Bart Simpson and I loved him. I quit there when I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter. They replaced me. Had I not quit I would probably still be there.

I've felt that teaching is more rewarding than working with inmates, though. Like students, some of the inmates really appreciated the service they were given and some didn't. Of course all of the inmates were there because they had to be and many students that I've had in the past have that same attitude of "I'm only here because it's the law."

Grab Those Bratz!!!

If you're a bratz doll fan you had better grab 'em while you can. Apparently Mattel has won a big lawsuit forcing MGA Entertainment, the current marketers of the Bratz, to discontinue sales. I'm not sure how all of this played out, but Mattel claims that they owned the copyright to the Bratz because the designer, Carter Bryant, was employed by them when he secretly created the Bratz model and left to take it to MGA. Mattel's sales of the iconic Barbie have fallen significantly over the past few years.

I have to admit, though, our household was never a fan of Bratz anyway. I mean do 8 year old girls need to be playing with dolls that look they are dressed for clubbing and that have botox injections in their lips? They don't here. Move over Bratz because Barbie is going to be top dog once again.