How Sweet and Unexpected

We have been planning on putting our Christmas tree up for a few weeks, but just did it tonight. Norm is at work (he was supposed to set it up and we'd decorate) but the kids wanted to put the tree up tonight. So I tild them to clean the living room... and they did. I said we had to vacuum..so Lilli did. I said I didn't feel like dragging the box for the tree out...so they did it. And so we put it up and went through and got enough lights working. We put up the ornaments we had hooks for. We just put up whatever was out here in the one Christmas box, but it turned out pretty well.

So then we do the grand lighting and...they get up on a stool and sing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and then "Jingle Bells". First of all, I have never taught them a carol, any carol that I can remember, so I didn't know they knew  "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" . Also they sang the real version of jingle bells, not the "batman smells " version.

I wish I had a video camera to record them swaying and singing together out of the blue.

Things I Should Have Done

1. Updated my blog more: I'm trying right now, geez.

2.  Posted this picture for Kasey to see. 

2a.  Also I should have painted the frames. Dad doesn't know what color or how he wants them. When I finish doing my craft corner, and moving the pictures from that wall elsewhere, then I will be able to format his picture wall into a beautiful, multi-inclusive, viewing area. I think these frames will be black with blue scroll thingies.

3. Cleaned off my dresser. It is really tall with crap. The top of the dresser is maybe three feet tall, and there is easily another foot and a half of stuff. It weighs on me daily, but it doesn't weigh enough yet; obviously, or I would have done it by now.
 
4. Made Lilli go to the Belleview Tree Lighting with her Girl Scout Troop. The reason is because Sage and I went and we took the cutest picture and she should have been there. Let me show you:

He thinks he was dressed like Santa. He asks to dress in his Santa costume all the time now. But that is not his best costume this year. Here are a few pictures of my kids in costume leading to...
 
5. Posted Halloween pictures: My kids were soooo cute this year and after Halloween Sage got another costume that is AWESOME. You'll see.



Lilli at School, she took the camera.



Sage and Lilli doing this thing (jousting kinda).
 They were told they were too small to do it, but Sage cried and the lady let them try. Lilli won.





Sage the Clone Trooper





Lilli the Gothic Cheerleader



 

Sage is Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. He wore this costume everywhere for two days. Playing , grocery store, almost to school but they have rules. Lilli got the Astrid costume but is saving it for next year.

That's all for now.

The ending of an Era sort of

Last August (2009) I was watching The O.C. on the Soap Network because we had it free for a month on a promotional basis. Well I had gotten to a point somewhere near when I stopped watching it originally, like when it had been New, on weekly (or whatever airing schedule it had) and I was really interested to find out how it all came out. I knew from tabloids that Misha Barton left the show (why? I don't have a clue) Anyway the promotion ended. I looked everywhere for this stinkin show. I found it on a Japanese website with Japanese subtitles and English spoken dialog, All the little episode captions were in Japanese. I thought it was funny how much trouble I went through to follow through with these guys.

SPOILER ALERT IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT BUT WANT TO

So it's like the third season. Marissa and Ryan were dating I think, yeah I don't remember what happened in what season. At the end of the third season Marissa dies in a car accident in Ryans arms. The fourth season starts and everyone in the family, but the show for that matter is split up in some way. Ryan doesn't live with his family, Summer is at college and all tree-hugger, Seth is at home or something but not in college, Marissa's sister, Kaitlin, is back from prep school, Taylor Townsend is back from "abroad" Paris, I think....

Ok well I watch this very awesome season, like the best of the four and I got so attached and involved in all their fake lives. By the end I am so happy that Taylor and Ryan decide to work it out, and the Cohens get their house in Berkley, and have the baby (Sandy and Kirsten)and the wedding there (Julie and Ryan's dad Frank's wedding) and it's all so happy and wrapped up. And then nothing. I mean it was the series finale. For days or maybe even weeks I pined over these fake characters who have been off the air for like 5 years or more by then.

Oh, I was so sad and pathetic, you have no idea. Who gets all emotionally involved with their tv shows? I still think about them from time to time. I may even buy the 4th season (only because I liked the others, but loved the 4th). I just worry that ending the show repeatedly will have a negative effect on me. I can't express in words how heartbroken I was, or what it felt like. SoooSooo sad, but dreary-er. Anyway. I just thought about it again and decided to share my heartbreak at the ending of my favorite season of a show I cared about kind of for around 8-ish years I think. I know it may seem like just another show, and honestly it was for the other seasons, but I miss Ryan and Taylor adn the Cohens and happy endings.  How silly that I care, but I still do.

No more Rainbow

Yesterday I pretty much quit my job at Rainbow (a clothing store). There is absolutely nothing wrong with them as far as I am concerned. I got the job because we needed a little extra income and they needed someone they could depend on. My previous neighbor had seen me rush out to go to work at my previous job to cover a shift or fill in or pick up slack on a  busy night and was impressed. So when she needed someone and I needed a flexible part-time job we met each others needs. Now Normand has a new job and since his schedule comes out 2 days before it starts it is hard for me to work around. (my schedules are 2 weeks in advance and he can't adjust his to mine). So its just easier for me and for my soon-to-be-previous boss if we don't have to guess at my availability. I will work 3 more shifts I think. There was the option of me just getting a shift every 2 weeks just to keep me active with my discount and as an emergency fill in, but that still keeps me in rotation for Sundays. Sunday is the hardest day for me to get childcare, so I decided to just cut all ties. But I am leaving on good terms so I can still shop there if I choose.

So now I have to get another job, fulller time and regular daylight weekday hours. That way I can utilize extended day and daycare programs. Sage is getting better about going to babysitters although he insists that he's not a baby, they are just "watching" him. There is a medical research place here in Ocala that I have never applied to and there is some openings at the hospital near by for a phlebotomist. I am going to shoot for those first. In my spare time, I guess I have time to go back to college to prepare for medical school if I so desire.

Rock on Jobless Ones

Maybe Medical School

Among other life-changing choices I am considering, going to medical school has come up. Admittedly, this is because Kasey mentioned Garrett is considering that, but I could go to medical school maybe. I am a smart girl. (ironically, I just misspelled almost every word in that last sentence, but not for lack or intelligence, more lack of typing ability). Naturally when considerring medical school I would check into my alma mater, the University of Florida, Go Gators.

I am not arrogant enough to believe that I am prepared to go to medical school at this time, having been out of the education lifestyle for 6-ish years. I just figured I could hop on the UF website, click medical school, see admissions requirements, and get started sending junk in. UMMM NO.  I started looking into it today (having decided yesterday, so [yay!]  for enthusiasm).  First of all finding a website, or link, or hint toward where to begin was really hard. I am sure it wasn't really, but I don't think today was the day for me to start looking. I am in a cranky, give-uppy kind of mood; like stressed and lazy. So eventually I found something, but the more I looked the more frustrated and discouraged I got.

When I was in college, I made a decision not to try for medical school. I didn't really want to be a doctor. I like lab work, and not dealing with people, only microscopes and microscopic organisms. It is not like I never considered so the opportunity passed me by, but I intentionally decided against it. I don't know what has changed my mind exactly, but I think being a doctor would be cool. I like sciences and medicine and problem solving. I am a good student; Specifically that is what I am good at: studying and testing, and from time to time applying my skills and knowlege. These websites and links suggest that I should have been taking classes and workshops and making a portfolio since my second year of college. Well, needless to say, I do not have even a tenth of what I need.  I figured I could present my transcripts, take the MCAT, work on financial aid and be ready for the 2011 class year. No, No, No not even close. I need letter of recommendation (ok, didn't think of it, but expected), maybe a higher GPA would be good, like 3.5 (sure, but not a lot I can do about it) atleast 3 more crazy hard classes: organic chem, biochem, and molecular biology (should have expected, but didn't). That's just the beginning. It  looks like if I really wnat to try for Med School it will be a little while and I have to go back for a few classes and prepare. We'll just have to see how much I want this and how for I will go to get it.

So maybe if I get in, it will be when Garrett starts and he can go to UF too and the Strongs can be my neighbors. But I am doing it for me, (if I do it I mean)  to be a doctor for me, not just to live by my sister, but it would be nice.

Since it's been a while..

You know, I just don't have anything interesting to write about right now. I figure if I start writing more often again, maybe I will start coming up with things to say.

How about I tell you about Lilli's first Kindergarten performance. It was February 17, 2009.

We left extra early, so we decided to have dinner at Denny's first. It was good food. I mean normally, I don't love my Denny's meals. They are usually fine, but this one was good. Here are some pictures.

So as you may have suspected we arrived at the school late. Leave early=arrive late, that's our motto. I didn't know, but it was a Groundhog's Day Production. All the Kindergarten classes sang songs as individual classes and together as an entire kindergarten entity.
I don't think Lilli is in that picture,but that is some of her class. She is the first child covered by that large adult. See the kid with green and yellow on his shirt (Logan) she's just to the left of him.


This is during the song all the classes did together.

There were a million parents there and it was hard to get good pictures. Here's what I got. This is the back of Lilli's teacher, Mrs. Steinman. Lilli is off to her left in a brown shirt next to the kid with the green picture on his shirt.

In this picture from top left clockwise, Emma, Steven, Peyton, Logan, Lilli.

I think Peyton is so cute, but Lilli said she's really bad. But she's so cute and pretty.

Let's talk about Christmas.

It was good.
That's it.
End of post.



This is Lilli jumping in Pepere's truck. that was part of the Christmas evening entertainment.


OK I will tell you about it.
Dec 24th: Christmas Eve: Normand thought it would be cool to cut his hand open so he'd need to get stitches. He was in the ER (waiting room mostly) for 6 hours. Right through dinner. We didn't have a really special dinner plan, but we probably would have eaten at a table and on plates. It's cool, the kids ate what they love (Lilli-PBJ; Sage -Mac and Chz; both from the Target cafe) and Norm had Fried chicken from Popeye's and a sub from Subway. I had a soft pretzel with nacho cheese dip and I love that, but usually not as a holiday dinner substitution. We went home, and went right to bed.

Santa came

Dec 25th: At 4am both children woke up. Luckily, I had put in the DVD "Space chimps" before I went to bed, so we just started that, and the kids stayed in bed and watched the movie until they fell back to sleep. I guess we got up around 8, but it was by Normand's doing to the best of my recollection. Just to be clear, I was not the first one up or the one to wake everyone. I think I was the 2nd to last up and out of bed (G-dad was last). Lilli sped through her presents. I kept telling her to slow down, but she got them all open in the time it took Sage to open 1/2 of his. Sage "made out like a bandit" to put it in Norm's words. Mainly he just got a bunch of trucks and trains (and later Airplanes and Helicopters). But he lines them all up and takes them all everywhere he goes. Today, for example, I had to bring them to work with me. I was thinking we'd bring a truck 2 planes a book and a few movies. We ended up bringing 7 large trucks, 1 train, 4 tiny cars, 3 helicopters, and 2 airplanes. Plus the 4 movies and 2 books, and Lilli's stuff.

Though we planned to have a lovely Christmas breakfast, Normand was anxious to get going (out to his parents'). So dad made some cinnamon rolls and bacon (and possibly the rest of breakfast but I didn't see) and the kids ate bacon and I had a roll, then we left. Then we went there, and had some lunch, which was really good. Then we went to Norm's grandma's for a little while, then come back to his parents' and had dinner. We ate lasagna for
Christmas dinner.
Above is Sage playing the drums, really well for a 2 year old.
Left: This is Lilli in a tree, like a partridge, but not, and I don't know if it's a pear tree, but maybe...


All day, neither child took a nap, so around 8 Sage got too restless and we went home. The kids played a lot and it was an enjoyable day. I have a few cute pictures, but NO FAMILY PICTURES still. Here's one I like. I mean it could be better, but it could be way worse.