A big Thank you

To everyone who responded to my Skipping Christmas Rant.

Everyone had great ideas and some of them will be implemented this year.

I feel much better (less Grinch like) knowing that most people feel the same way.

It just seems that Christmas lost the "joyous" feeling.

I really do feel less stressed already about it.

I have most of my family members on board with me, limiting the gifts to just the kids in the family.
As my Mom put it, "if I want something, I will buy it for myself, if I can't afford it, neither can anyone else". That is how I feel too.
We are going to get back to the basics of time well spent with each other.

I have few ideas of some small, meaningful gifts that girls can handmake for their grandparents and then I just need to shop for my girls and my niece and nefews.

It will be a much brighter year around here with me not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. ;)

We can focus on some charity too....

I am acutally looking forward to Christmas this year and I think it will just be splendid.
What a difference a few days make.

She said WHAT????

I want to preface this post saying that I hope it in no way offends anyone. That is not my intention. It is just another funny story from my funny 12 year old. Seriously, I could write a book alone on all the funny things my girls have said over the years….

A bit of background. Where we have lived for the past 11 years is a lovely town. It is however lacking in cultural diversity.
The elementary school the girls both attended was predominantly Caucasian, with Hispanic being next then African American.
No matter to my kids, they love everyone. They have been raised very open minded in our house and they don’t see color, culture, orientation as factors to judge a person.

When Lindsay was about 5 we were watching the news one day.
A story came on about something to do with racism.
This brought up yet another discussion on why in the world are there so many mean people out there.....

I wish the innocence of a child could get through to the most ignorant of people...the world would be a much better place.

She was so concerned as to why someone would not like someone else because they looked different.
I agreed with her and from there she stated clearly and matter of fact that her very best friend in the world was African American.

I told her how wonderful that was.
And then I thought about it and realized she did not have any kids in her class that were African American.
I asked her for her bff’s name. She said: “Carly.”

I chuckled a bit and told her in the kindest way I could that Carly was not actually African American, she is Italian.

You see, Carly has been blessed with the most beautiful tan skin tone in the world.
(seriously jealous here)
Lindsay said, well I don’t care, I love her even if she looks different than Me.

Fast forward to present day.

Since then both the girls have changed schools and are exposed to many different ethnicities these days.
They both love it. They have friends of every color.
I love that they embrace everyone and don’t have preconceived notions about different cultures.
Although, I think they favor gay people over everyone else, but that is another post for another time.

This week Lindsay came home from school and said to me:

“I just realized today that Barack Obama is the first African American president. EVER.”

I had quite a surprised look on my face thinking that I had kept her under a rock for part of her life....
and I said “really?”

She said: “yes. I don’t want to sound stupid or mean at all, but I really thought that President Andrew Jackson was also of African American descent.“

I laughed so hard. That was the end of the discussion.

Today, as I was going about my day I pondered this again. I was wondering why she thought that Andrew Jackson could have been black.
The only thing I can come up with is the only folks she knows of with the last name Jackson is Michael and Janet.
I love Janet's music and I sing her quite well in the car....
Seeing Michael Jackson on TV always perplexed the kids.....

The resemblence is uncanny.

Skipping Christmas

I hope this does not make me sound like a total moron.

But what would happen if I skipped Christmas.

I mean, I love Christmas. I love the meaning of Christmas.

It is a joyous day to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

I love getting together with family and friends for Christmas.

I even enjoy the decorating part. I love the cooking and eating part.

The sending and receiving of Christmas cards part.

I just don't like the shopping part. The good lord and my family know that I am a gung ho shopper in general.

I just find Christmas shopping to be such a stress inducing part of life. I started worrying about it last month. It is not even the money part, it is the "finding the right gift for everyone" part.

I know I am going out on a limb here, but why do we need to exchange gifts????

I heard a rumour it started with The Three Wise men....but I bet they were not stressed.

They were overjoyed to bring the gifts and Baby Jesus was happy just to be.

The three gifts he received....gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Two of those are not for sale at the mall.

Why does there have to be gifts at all?

I would be fine if I never got another Christmas gift in my life. really.

Perhaps I am just being a curmudgeon. I don't know...my dad used to complain about Christmas too and then run out and spend tons of money last minute. But of course he was manic.

That was how he rolled. He would be in debt the rest of the year.

I know my girls don't feel the same way, but even the last few years they realize how much they already have and are only given a few gifts from Mom and Dad.

Grandparents, they are another story all together....I can't control them. ;)

I suppose what I really want to do is skip the gift exchange...not Christmas in itself.

I know way back when, Christmas was not celebrated by running out to Macy's for some last minute items to fill a list, all the while stressing in traffic and worrying if you can pay off your credit card this month, when will you have time to wrap the gifts, did I spend enough on so and so, did I buy equally for all the kids, what am I going to make for dinner, why can't these kids stop arguing, who took out the dog, how did I not get to exercise today, did I even take a shower today, who is calling me now.....etc....

Do you think I could start a new movement?

Are you willing to join in and make a stand? You can sit if you are tired.

Or are you already standing in line at Target for the newest toy/gadget/camera/etc...

On a side note, I enjoy buying for charity, giving to the needy (next year, the needy may be ME)

That has always been fun.

I suppose I figure needy people are needy and will enjoy the little gifts I can offer....

any advise???? Am I the Grinch for 2008?

My three girls 2007

(unaware that their Mom is turning into the grinch)

Nothing quite gets under my skin like loose change banging around in the dryer. Soooo annoying. It takes forever to pull everything out and look for the culprits...then only to have to do it again and again, Because they hide when you open the door.

Now, what I would like to find in the dryer is some crisp green bills.

Those are a pleasure to find....silent and needed.

But are they ever there???? Not so much.

then again, I should be thankful for my dryer and the bits of change I find in there...oh it is hard to be thankful sometimes!!! arrgghhh.