Not Me Monday

First and foremost, I didn't neglect to blog for an entire week so that my last blog was actually a Not Me Monday blog!

That said I would have lots of excuses for doing so as DH was not at home all week and didn't take plenty of time off to play with the boys.

My children, including the tall one that pays the bills, are not now Wii obsessed. Not my family, and I would certainly not allow them to play for hours on end. I insist on reading, writing, and beneficial activities for my kids.

Our poor little doggy is not feeling neglected for that Wii the boys are not obsessed with.

I did not have 3 glasses of wine New Years Eve and ask DH if I acted silly. First, I never drink (okay that one is almost true) and if I did, I would know that 3 drinks in 4 hours with food would not make me silly. I am NOT overly concerned with how people perceive me. Not at all, especially at a party where I knew all of 3 people and that includes DH.

I have not fallen in love with my Latin Fusion exercise class and I certainly did not ask the instructor if she does it more than once a week. I am not considering asking DH to put the kids to bed on Mondays so I can take the 8 PM class too.

I am also not secretly intrigued because she throws in a few belly dancing moves because I have always thought it would be fun to learn to belly dance--for the exercise of course!

I did not fail yet again to make enchiladas tonight. I am also not really regretting not letting my mother teach me to make Mexican food so I'd know how to get those darn corn tortillas not to tear every time! I did not tell DH that at least my chili is good because that would be admitting I can cook SOMETHING right.

I am not dreading bedtime because Connor took a nap so will be impossible to get to sleep tonight.

And no, I did not just admit I keep my child up some days so bedtime will go easy and be early because I want some "me time".

Not Me Monday

I did not pretty much ignore my blog all week!

I did not ignore, so far, the recipe exchange email from my cousin because I don't have 20 people I feel I can forward the email to.

I did not get sad over the holiday because I saw no one from my family at all.

I did not think it really did not feel like Christmas because not only did I not see anyone from my side of the family, we did not even make it to our church's Christmas Eve service for the first time in 5 years.

My house is not a complete mess and I haven't pretty much ignored that fact for the last 7 days.

I'm not still feeling lazy and typing this blog instead of cleaning like a madwoman.

I didn't laze around doing nothing most of the holiday because DH is home and will entertain the kids while I do nothing. I joined in on all the family fun because that is what a good Mommy would do rather than lounge on the couch watching the Naked Archaeologist (he's not really naked BTW!)

I did not finally list a bunch of books on Paperback Swap and actually get enough credits for 2 new books. That said I certainly picked serious literary classics rather than Christian Chick Lit. I'm an intelligent well-read Mommy who wants to expand her intellect not waste precious time on fluff--albeit Christian fluff.

I did not despite my lazy ways do at least 1 to 2 loads of laundry every day of the last week. A family of 4 could NOT possibly generate that many dirty clothes. That said I certainly am not wearing the same sweats I wore yesterday because I have a tendency to dry my hands on my pants when I'm cooking because I'm in a hurry(I am also certainly not phobic about cooking meat and don't wash my hands constantly for fear of giving the kids some horrible bacteria). Of course I only dry my clean hands but still...

I'm not now typing my Not Me's when I told DH I was answering Craigslist emails for the couch and chairs we are selling.

Of course I just love selling on Craigslist, answering all the emails, especially the one's that come in after I've gone to the trouble to update the ad as PICKUP PENDING (notice the all caps? No one else ever does!) I also love dealing with people who think I am a retail business with nothing better to do than sit here all day and wait until it is convenient for them to wander by and pickup the items I'm selling way below what they are worth anyway. And I especially LOVE the people who are desperate to buy my items than drop off the face of the earth leaving me to move through the list of other people desperate to buy my underpriced things.

I'm not using Craigslist because DH refuses to let me have a garage sale. I certainly don't agree with him somewhat as people at garage sales seem to want me to give them my furniture and whatnot so cheap I might as well pay them for the privilege. Not to mention the people who pile half the stuff up and ask if they can have it for $10, "for Mexico", then I find out they don't give it away they sell it for 3 times what it's worth and 5 times what I had it priced at to begin with!

I didn't tell my friend I was giving up bread, pasta, rice, etc until New Years Eve because we have a party to go to that night and I know it will help me lose a few pounds. After not saying that I certainly did not eat 7 slices (small slices, but) of pizza DH brought home after church yesterday. That pizza is not calling to me now as I type this with it's delicious crust...

Finally, DH did not go against what I told him about no gifts (because our Property Tax is due next month and we need to SAVE) and buy me the most amazing COACH purse. He did not, thank goodness, go to the outlet and get it for $300 UNDER retail which was only $50 more than I told him he could spend if he didn't follow my instructions. He didn't, again thank goodness, ask for advice from the salespeople and NOT get me the patchwork style I liked LAST YEAR, and instead buy a huge (I can't believe it was only $150!!!!!!) classic brown one from this years line!!! AND I did not seriously think about taking a picture and posting it because I really really love it. It SOOO did not make up for that hideous fake croc, horsehair, silver buckled thing he bought me for my 40th birthday!

Drat, okay I"m not sad that MckMama is not doing Not Me Monday this week because I had So many Not Me's! Darn!!!

Merry Christmas--I think this Hobby Lobby ad says it all!

Not Me Monday

I didn't forget it was Not Me Monday until just now, no not me.

I didn't sleep during Connor's nap today. No not me I've got lots to do before Christmas.

I haven't wrapped a total of 0 Christmas gifts for under my tree yet wrapped all 18 of Sean's teachers gifts for the students (it is my month as classroom helper).

I didn't take on a way to complicated project for Sean's class instead of just handing out candy for Christmas.

I am not trying to overcompensate for my less than average domestic skills by trying to impress the other parents with my creativity. No not me!

I'm not yet again doing Not Me's while leaving DH to entertain the kids when he really does need to be working.

I didn't keep Connor up more days then let him nap hoping he would end the cycle of waking up at 3 AM.

I'm not still unmotivated even though it's been over a week of solid sleep for me!

Christmas isn't next week and I still don't have anything for my in-laws, no not me, I always plan ahead.

I'm not done because I still have to put away the laundry I did last night and just folded tonight. Not me, I always fold and put clothes away promptly.

Goodnight all, Happy Not Me Monday!

Christmas Card

Yay! My scanner is working so I can scan my Christmas Card. The photo is on another post but I'm putting the actual card on here. I have to admit I think I like the casual photos. Good thing too since I'm too unorganized to get it done early enough for a studio shot!

3 Full Nights of Sleep!

Connor has slept for the last 3 nights. He has not napped on those day, however, and today he napped for almost 2 hours. I suspect he will wake at some point but we will see. If he does not wake up then maybe it was street noise that was waking him as I have moved his bed to an inside wall.

I'm so happy because Mike's company has decided to halt all travel until the end of the year. We had him home for 2 weeks at Thanksgiving (home meaning no overnight travel) and now the rest of the month. We aren't going to know what to do with ourselves! I'm especially happy because next week is Sean's last week before Winter Break. It will be nice having Mike home in the evening after being home with both boys all day. I'm going to have to find lots to entertain them!

I do finally have the tree up. I can't say it's a thing of beauty since I only used child-friendly ornaments. Most of them are Sean made so it's definately not a fancy tree! Connor likes to put as many as possible on one branch so I'm constantly trying to even them out but I suspect they will go right back as soon as he is near the tree again. I'm not sure what to do with the presents. I bought plain brown paper and ink so I plan to decorate it myself and today I thought perhaps I'd just glue the wrap down so Connor can't tear it off before Christmas. Of course, Connor being Connor he just might anyway!

Okay, so awhile back I was contemplating a post telling all sorts of things about myself that most people wouldn't know. Since then I've gotten more sleep so I might not be as forthcoming as I would have but why not right!?!

The first thing I was going to say is that deep down and not so deep down I really want to get a tattoo. However, after watching a newscast of women having them removed I'm not as interested. I should note that I don't think I will get one. Obviously, it's not even something I would have ever contemplated if my mother was still alive. When I was 21, yes 21, I had 1 ear double pierced and she completely freaked out. Kept talking about rebellion and where was it going. It was really funny considering most of the girls in my high-school had both double pierced and I'm talking about the preppy rich girls. It was no big deal but to my mother it was. Strangely enough she's the one who talked my father into letting me get my ears pierced in third grade in the first place.

Okay back to the subject. I'm so rebellious that the tattoo I'd like is an ICTHUS ("Jesus fish") on my inner ankle. I just like the idea of having it with me always. On the other hand I'm not sure I'm a good enough witness to sport that permanently! I really don't think I will ever follow up on this because at my age I can't pretend it was something I did in my wild college days as none if the girls I went to school with did that. It really wasn't done much when I was in school except by some of the Sig Ep's I knew and then it was usually frat related so I thought it was cool.

On that note, yes, I was a Sig Ep Little Sister. They called them Golden Hearts and they got discontinued so no one knows what they are anymore. The first few years were fun. Sig Ep's are conservative for a fraternity so it wasn't THAT wild. It was, however, wilder then a good Christian girl should have been. On that note I'm conflicted. I deeply regret the years I wasn't living the way I should have been as a Christian. I truly wonder what God had in store for me if I would have followed his path rather than my own. On the other hand I do have some good friends and some fun memories if I allow myself to look past the shame of some of the other times.

I love to dance and I was out several times a week dancing. The places I went didn't lend themselves to good behavior and that is where my downfall was. But I do miss the dancing. I have danced on table. I was at all times fully clothed when I did so but I had a blast doing it. I have NEVER been in a wet T-shirt contest or any such thing. I did the Hawaiian Tropic thing at South Padre (the one time I went) just because I was annoyed that my friend assumed she would be the only one of us to enter. It was hilarious because even when I have a tan people tell me I need to get some sun! On the other hand people regularly think I'm about 10 years younger than I am so not tanning is always a good thing in the end. The fun thing about the contest is there were a bunch of guys from UTSA that recognized me as a Golden Heart and yelled their heads off. What an ego boost when you feel like fool.

Lets see. Hmmm...I am very frustrated as a SAHM. I'm just not domestic. Probably because my mother was so good at it and did spoil me some. I hate to clean but I like a clean house. I'm hoping Connor will keep sleeping and eventully I'll get enough energy to streamline our lives. Really, we have way too much junk. Mike and the boys are packrats and I tend to get a little panicked sometimes that I will need something I'm throwing away. I'm fighting it though and I know we will all be happier without chaos and with structure in our lives. I'm just praying I can find the energy to do it.

Okay, deep dark secret-or maybe not, I'm vain. That one is hard to believe because I'm also very insecure. The truth is I hate getting older. Hate, hate, hate it! If I had the money I'm afraid I'd do something about it. I see every wrinkle and line on my face and neck. If I lived in a cooler climate I'd probably wear turtlenecks because I have alot of sun damage on my chest and lines on my neck. I'm ashamed that it takes up so much of my thinking because I don't think how you look makes a person but I guess I'm not sure what else I have to offer. Wow, that's really sad and now you know why it's hard to admit.

I feel like I haven't accomplished enough in life. Since I'm not good at the SAHM thing and I didn't exactly have a fulfilling career I have this desperate need to do something more. I think I really need a creative outlet but I have a hard time pushing myself to start. I have ideas for cute kids shirts but I don't do it because I figure it won't go anywhere. However, one day at Target Connor an I schlepped out wearing shirts that were errors in the trial and error. The lady behind me liked them and asked me if I'd do a craft day at her MOPS. I haven't called her because they really were bad and I don't know what I'd do. I'm hoping when I get the energy that I need to clean I'll also get started on some creative outlet.

Okay, I still miss my mother so much sometimes it takes my breath away. It worries me that it's been over 3 years and I still feel that way. I also completely feel like I let her down. If I had had cancer she would have forced me to fight and exhausted everything in her to make me better. I feel like I just gave up on her because it was so hard to see her like that and with Mike in Iraq and Sean's ADHD I just didn't know what to do. I think at one time I really thought to myself, okay she will be out of pain and then we'll see what to do. I think I really couldn't believe it was happening and she wouldn't really be dead. I'm not sure what that says about my sanity at that point. I know now after having Connor, the Staph infection and the last 3 years without her to fall back on I'm a much stronger person. Most of the time at least. I wish I'd had more strength then!

Okay, well not too amazing revelations and now I'm trying to talk to DH as he drives home through the hill country so I guess I'm done for now. Maybe I'll reveal more later...

Not Me Monday

I did not eat almost 2 pecan pies by myself Thanksgiving weekend.

I did not act like a total jerk to my husband because I was missing my family so much and I was "mad" that my parents are dead and his are not. No, not that I wish them dead just that I'm annoyed he has 2 and I have none. I'm also not sure he knows that's why I was a total jerk or if he just figures it was normal for me.

I have not been making my children listen to Christmas music while they watch their DVD's so I can try and get in the spirit.

I am not, as usual, having a hard time getting in the spirit because temps are in the 70s still, it is dry and dead (everything this year) and it's just not Christmasy looking in S. Texas. I couldn't possibly have a hard time considering I was born here and have lived more of my life here than anywhere else and never outside TX anyway.

I am NOT complaining about living in TX because that would mean I am not one of those annoyingly proud Texans who can tell you exactly how long her family has been there (except on the Comanche side because that really all depends on how you feel about carbon dating!). I love every moment I live in TX (okay, except at Christmas time because it's so darn not Christmasy!)

I did not actually mail almost all of my Christmas cards TODAY because I never mail them until the week before Christmas.

On the same note I did not wait until the last minute, last night!, to actually take the picture for the card. If I had, I would have had to spend hours making the card on the Kodak Gallery and then find out the one I picked couldn't be picked up at Target. Of course I started way in advance so I would have had time to get the cards I picked in the mail.

That said, I certainly did not check out 4 other sites to see if I liked any of their cards but realize I liked the one at Target best because it actually worked with the non-Christmasy bible verse I picked. I am also certainly NOT annoyed that the "religious" cards are on the lame side and I had to for the second year in a row (or third) take a generic Christmas card and add Christ to it! I did not go back to the Target site and find out I could make the card if I made it glossy instead of matte and didn't pick it up bright and early this morning!

I am not very proud of my card which I can't scan because DH won't fix the scanner, but I'm using James 1:17 because I love the verse. I am not kind of tickled at the way I made it fit Christmas.

I do not love Mondays because I get to do this post and visit others.

I did not totally LOVE SITmas last Tuesday and get 30 comments on my blog. Since I never visit all my commenters, I of course did not get to read lots of fun SITSmas posts and find some new blogs to stalk.

I did not spend many nights in the last week up with Connor yet again and conclude the child does not have Pinworms again. I did not secretly wish he did because at least I could fix it with a little pill.

I did not move his room around and turn his crib back into a crib from a toddler bed because I just can't deal with it until I get more consistant sleep. I also did not move the rocking chair away from the bed hoping he will no longer be able to escape so easily.

I most certainly DID NOT keep my poor child up all day because he slept all night last night after not napping so I'm seeing if it works again. Only an evil Mommy would deprive her child of a nap just so they could both sleep through the night.

I did not DVR the Alan Jackson Special on CMT and get chocked up because I really do like him and Denise so much. That would make me a scary fan and I am soooo not a scary fan.

I have not decided I love love love my DVR because I can actually watch shows that come on in the evening now by waiting until after the kids are asleep. I don't love even more that I can watch an hour show so fast by skipping the commercials.

Finally, because my dinner is getting cold and my nap-free little boy needs to get to bed soon, I did not actually utter the words, "thank you, Jesus" when I saw NATIVITIES for sale at my fave store TARGET. After being told 2 years ago they didn't carry them at all I've felt guilty shopping there (about 3 times a week every week). I feel so much better about it now!