<p>I am working most of the week, probably until 8 or so Thursday night. H and S have gone to visit H’s elderly dad for a few days in another town. Also, DS worked into this trip a 2 day visit with GF and her family. He was home a week and has been on the road since.</p>
<p>Oh well, he was downright chatty on the phone last night. Perhaps this GF thing has been good for his communication skills.</p>
<p>Only small gifts (pajamas, a CD) to wrap for son. We have agreed to contribute $$ to his dream purchase: electric guitar. He has saved gift money for years and finally wants to make a major purchase. I think he will spend around $800.</p>
<p>khstitches, I hope things improve soon. I really think that what goes around comes around and that you have earned goodness ahead (and I definitely mean in THIS lifetime!). It will be there for you – hang in there!</p>
<p>I hear ya!!! I truly pray I never come down with anything that I need to be nursed through because I am positive I will die of neglect…I’ve learned to keep my cell phone beside me when I am sick so I can call my husband (yes, in the other room) if I need something. Hope your H recovers soon for everyone’s sake!</p>
<p>On my way up to the office I stopped at Starbucks for a Caramel Apple Spice - I think it’s my first Starbucks visit all year. I even let them put the whipped cream on it. Our sweet associate left me a little box of cookies. Life is good!</p>
<p>KH hope things improve!! I can’t complain. I had a badly broken leg - bone graf needed etc and H was FANTASTIC. I can’t say enough about him. I couldn’t even touch my toe to the floor for 14 weeks. They couldn’t cast because of where the break was - just below the knee joint and there are possible issues with the joint freezing if they cast so had to very careful. My H is a keeper He did everything. At the time S was a senior in HS and D was in 9th grade. He even went to all the events at school to make sure that they had a parent there including all D’s ball games. I’m not sure how he did it. Didn’t have anytime for himself that was for sure but we knew that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>Broke it skiing and yes I didn’t learn my lesson. I still ski… ;)</p>
<p>Missy and I could have joint funerals as I would certainly die if injured or very sick. H is one of those who feels if he is in the same room, he’ll get whatever the patient has - and that includes the time his father had a hip replacement. Just saying… </p>
<p>I woke up early realizing I didn’t have a list for shopping! I think I will go now since I was just recently informed Son needs a ride to play basketball with his dad by noon. Yeah, sure, I’ve got nothing else to do. So if I go shopping now, I can let him take my car and be done with it. And oh… both S and D16 have requested haircuts. I tried to get them both to make appts last week and neither could be bothered. What kind of hairdresser is going to have an open time slot today?</p>
<p>Congrats to Cornell! How fabulous. I cannot fathom how we’d help pay for grad school/Med School/Law School… and not sure what S expects here either. However, not sure this is a conversation we need to have over Christmas. But at some point, I’d really like to take a little piece of the pie to enjoy for H & I. I had my oldest at 23 years old and frankly, I am over the kids taking center stage, but I don’t have the nerve to get the hook!</p>
<p>Moda, we put a penny in every wallet or purse we give! Oregon, glad the boy is recovering well! Rochestermom, I was so distracted by the bison I almost missed the law school announcement–congrats! KHstitches, (ironic screen name now) hope your husband behaves himself and recovers FAST!! Whine away–that’s a lot to add to an already-hectic time.</p>
<p>Today I have a few gifts to deliver, bread to bake, the market, and a dermatologist appointment for S3. Pretty manageable, IF the 3 boys will just pick up after themselves as they eat their way through my kitchen…</p>
<p>I’ll be back here after Christmas–best, peaceful, happy holidays to everyone!!! xxxooo</p>
<p>Okay, I’m a horrible Scrooge I guess. My secretary has been avoiding me all morning. I finally took a big stack of work to her. She gave me such a look as I approached!</p>
<p>dashing out the door and will enjoy catching up later. Made the mistake of deciding to wrap some gifts way too late and now am so bleary. Did realize I do not have near enough wrapping paper as none left from previous years. No menu yet for the big Day as a few years ago I decided that everyone has to make one dish…and so far no one knows what they want to do. S is going to rally big time today as there is a party he really want to go to so we shall see a homespun miracle ;).
CF --thanks for the info on the game. My family needs short and fast but it sounds great.</p>
<p>Odessagirl is “home” from college. But not really “home”. I believe she is just sleeping here. Catching up will hometown friends takes up most of her time, it seems.</p>
<p>Received her grades. 4 “A’s”, and 1 “B”. She’s doing great. I was concerned because I see that she is on Facebook lots, but I guess she is scheduling her time okay. That is such a lesson to learn.</p>
<p>Merry Christmas! Drive safely to wherever you are going. I believe we are getting freezing rain here in Maryland on Christmas Day - which might delay our 3 night trip to in-laws in WV. I guess I will buy food for Chrisltmas dinner at my own house, just in case. Need to think about what I want to cook, but can stick it in the freezer if we end up being able to travel over the mountains. Maybe a chicken or roast…</p>
<p>KH, just remember when the sultan is being a baby that if he were alone he’d manage somehow ; )
Fortunately, though my h. CAN be cranky at times (and for peculiar reasons), he did have the experience of living alone for two decades before we married and as such, seems to prefer I just stay the freak out of his way when he is ill – not that he ever actually admits to being ill, or stops working when ill, or sees a doctor when ill, or takes anything when ill…you get the idea…then sez to everyone “I never get sick.” In truth, he does get sick, but he just keeps on ticking…The man will die with his boots on.</p>
<p>Given your h’s track record with power tools, I hope that Santa is not giving him any more. I mean, you have the power tool gene or you don’t. My first H had a form of learned helplessness with power tools, was essentially something of a klutz, which I always suspected flowed from macho-daddy issues. I can remember feeling (perhaps irrationally) that he would injure himself and/or screw up whatever he was working on for both the attention/woe-reveling and the release of the responsibility to fix whatever he was working on. So even though I am left-handed and not especially methodical, or for that matter, clever with a level, it always turned out that I was viewed to be the one with the power-tool gene.
(My present-day h. has uncovered this to be a gross fallacy, btw. Everything I do, he re-does “the right way.” So, to HIS standard I figure I am valuable as a CATALYTIC influence, kind of a project IGNITER as opposed to FINISHER ; )</p>
<p>At any rate, a happy, healthy and safe holiday to you all. McSon arrived via delayed bus late last night and is happily burning “Freshman 15” CDs for his pals as we speak (yes, he managed to compose, record and master 15 songs and soundscapes in a single term…amazing!)
Cheers,
K</p>
<p>Son seems to have caught a bug… And right now he is sleeping (and snoring) in OUR bed! He’s reverted to a four year old. Even pulled out his blankie and has it wrapped like a scarf around his neck.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the positive comments. Truly sorry to whine but it made me feel better, really. Surgery went well per the surgeon. The good drugs are still in effect so he feels <em>fine</em>. Once they wear off…well, we’ll see!
No power toold will EVER be purchased by this gal. No way, no how. Then again he has many more that can cause problems…the table saw hasn’t been used in awhile…sigh.</p>
<p>Ah, what a depressing day. As I was baking cookies my mind kept wandering to friends who have lost loved ones this year. The “your GPA is low” letter arrived from Son’s school. My largest client let me know that they can’t pay their outstanding balance by the end of the year (and it’s huge) so that seals the deal on the January pay cut. I really (sincerely) wish I was more of a drinker…this would be a good time to drown my sorrows but alcohol just makes me sleepy.</p>
<p>But I did get two batches of cookies are made. More cooking to be done tonight. D is at her BF’s birthday party. Son is taking his GF out to dinner. That leaves me with the 14 year old and she’s a happy little thing, so that’s good.</p>
<p>hugs to kh and missypie and anyone else that needs them. I always think it’s particularly hard this time of year. We’re “supposed to be happy and cheerful,” so when we don’t it almost seems worse than at other times. I hope that makes sense. </p>
<p>DD went out to meet a friend. I’m hoping it’s just regular rain and not freezing. It’s been nice not worrying about her driving at night for the last few months. The 16 yo is upstairs. I think he’s cleaning his room??? I told him it HAD to be done sometime over his break. D made him watch a movie with subtitles last night. He played games on his phone </p>
<p>I just finished the last round of cookies. A couple of gifts left to wrap and a kitchen to clean, but I’m almost there. I may not be back until after the holiday. I’m sending perfectly wrapped good wishes to each of you and your families. Merry Christmas!</p>
He did everything. At the time S was a senior in HS and D was in 9th grade. He even went to all the events at school to make sure that they had a parent there including all D’s ball games. I’m not sure how he did it. Didn’t have anytime for himself that was for sure but we knew that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>