Merry Christmas!

It has been a whirlwind of a week! Things have been crazy, company, traveling and just the crazy of making sure the holiday is perfect.

I learned a lesson last week. A friend brought me a gift, one that really shows me she knows who I am. It was a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke. This is my one vice, one I'm not willing to give up. It also reminded me that giving gifts at Christmas is finding the gift that fits the person. 

We enjoyed a few days with my mom and then my dad, brother and his family joined us on Christmas day. It was a mad-house of gift opening and wrapping paper flying all over and smoke and food and well, that's for another day!

Watching the smiling faces, hearing the shrieks of joy and watching the smiles on everyone's faces made it worth the days of cleaning and shopping (and wrapping, the worst of it all).

Then it was a trip north to visit The Boss's family. My dear sweet nephew was celebrating his first Christmas and it was great fun to share that with him. He had no interest in the gifts, only in getting at the toys inside.

We made it home, although it wasn't as nice as the trip up. Now to get the food done for the retirement party for a coworker of the Boss's tomorrow and a chance to take a couple of days off for some quiet.

The kitties were happy to see us, as they did not like the temp of the house while we were gone. Bitsey curled up in my vest and rode around for an hour or so, reminding me of my pregnancy days. Mickey waited until I sat down and then snuggled up on my lap for an episode or two of the Walking Dead.

Back to work tomorrow, gonna be a cold one and I'm in the drafty Mustang, but at least I have great new socks and mittens to stay warm!

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

The Blue of Christmas

I do have my decorations up. No more lights outside, as my shrub  used to put them on is gone and no one can see them if we put lights on the deck. The winds would tear down anything on the gutters, so I keep it simple now and enjoy the beauty of the lights.

In law enforcement, there is the thin blue line that shows support of police. There is also the blue light in the window to honor fallen officers. 

My window (and tree, which is not in this picture) are done in blue and white in honor of all law enforcement officers out there, serving their communities.

It has been a tough year, saying good-bye to one of our own here in Helena, and for way too many families in the law enforcement community. There are not words I can use to describe how I feel for the officers that are accused of wrong-doing when they are just trying to do what is right.

When we have asked, we have had officers come to our scouting meetings to talk to our children, often on their own time, bringing goodies for the kiddos. I have had officers come to my classrooms when I was teaching, to share what they do with the little ones and help them see the officers as good people (to be fair, I've done the same with fire fighters).

As we celebrate this holiday season, please stop and remember that these men and women choose to take on this career, choose to give up some of their holidays with family and choose to stand up for what is right.

Merry Christmas to one and all, I promise a more light-hearted blog about Christmas later this week.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

Finally, dinner!

This week has been so crazy, today is the first day I have had the opportunity to fix a full dinner. So, lasagna (just like I made for my broken winged friend) was on the menu.  I didn't have my regular pan, so had to be a little creative to get it to work in the bigger pan.

(I added extras, Tater and Bean were not impressed.)

My biggest "help" while cooking was not much help at all, but this section of the floor is very clean.

Once it was all ready to go

I tin-foiled the pan and buttered and garliced the bread and had them both ready to go on the stove to pop in the oven while I was tutoring.

I'm pleased to report only 3 small pieces from the 9x13 pan are left and the bread has disappeared completely.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

This week at the old homestead. Boy do I love December!

Firstly, someone had the gall to turn another year older. She had a fun birthday (at another friend's birthday party) and is now experimenting with a new 9 year old attitude. Mom does not approve.

Bean had his first official concert. They had a small Jazz band concert earlier this fall, but this was the first time they were all dressed up and playing officially. Bean had a solo both with the Jazz band and with Symphonic Winds, this mom was bursting at the seams.

Finally, the trouble twins strike again, this time getting in to their Christmas presents and carrying them around the house.

Ah well, Christmas party tonight and I need to run dinner to a friend who fell victim to the ice and broke her wrist yesterday.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

(mine was harmless but fun today!)

Birthday? How?

As this long, stressful week comes to a close, I enjoyed some decorating time with Tater.

She wanted chocolate cupcakes with neon pink frosting.

Then she had to put on sprinkles.

And somehow, somewhere, she found Halloween ghoul candies. They were tossed into the mix.

So they're ready to go into the car tomorrow and end up eaten by hungry third graders. 

I put myself out there, took a risk, stepped out of my comfort zone and set myself up to be looked at differently by co-workers. I didn't get the end goal, but learned a lot about myself and my coworkers through the process and don't regret a moment of it. Now I can relax and focus on some much needed projects that need some attention.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!

At least it wasn't the tree....

I was warm and comfy this morning, enjoying some quiet and reading a good book.  I hear a thump and assume the kittens are wrestling.  I was right, sort of...

They were just wrestling with my plant. We moved the table to make it more difficult for them to get on the counter. Unfortunately, it made the spider plant on the water cooler more accessible and Bitsey has always been obsessed with the little plants dangling down from the main plant. Whether or not it was her going after it or her big brother assisting, I have no idea.

As you see, she wasn't in the least bit as innocent as the kids will try and convince me she was.

I think this one can be blamed on the both of them. There was dirt everywhere, glad I didn't sweep last night like I had planned, instead waiting until I had the dishes done this morning.  Little brats.

I'm off to work on some shopping for the kidlets for Christmas and hope the migraine (an actual one not a sinus one this time) stays away, but I'm still feeling twinges. Might be an overload of stress already this week!

Someone is trying to look cute so I forgive him...did it work for any of you?

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!
 (although the kitties have spent their mischief points for a month or so!)

Celebration

This is my celebration dinner.

The best part is my Harry Potter World pint glass! Although I dearly love grilled cheese.

I took a risk today.

I stepped way out of my comfort zone.

Regardless of how this turns out, I'm happy with what I did and how I did it. Obviously, I am hoping I met the requirements and can move into a new challenge, but if not, I feel like I did my best.

Hope you all are warm, happy and loved.

Be Happy! Be Healthy! Be sure to manage some mischief!