One more thing

Wes and I being completely kid free and tired of eating left overs decided to treat ourselves to dinner out last night. There is a tiny Mexican restaurant near us that he's had lunch at a couple times. They (according to him) have an outstanding lunch buffet. Now, I'm a little picky about Mexican food. I'm a bit spoiled there thanks to my extended family from south of the border. I don't do Tex Mex, and I will pick apart most mexican restaurants for how unauthentic they are. There by spoiling the experience for myself and anyone with me. But, we took the chance and went to El Rosarito. I felt very at home. The servers spoke with the familar accent and even told us what it was we'd like best. The only thing missing was telling me I needed to eat more. The carne asada was perfect and I already know what I'll get the next time. Its not quite the home cooked tacos and enchiladas I'm used to, but its pretty close. It even came with screaming in Spanish in the kitchen. Come visit me and I'll take you. I'm just sorry we didn't think about it when mom and dad were here.

Memories

Maybe its the Holidays, I don't know, but little memories have been coming back to me lately. So I thought I'd share one every now and then. Mostly I look at it as good blog material. So today I'm going with one of mine and Tarrah's favorite things from back when...
Tin Roof Sundae Ice Cream.


We must have gone through a ton of this stuff over the years. Man I miss that young metabolism!
We would eat right out of the carton, usually in front of a great classic movie like Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, or Footloose.
Ah....memories

Christmas and other stuff

So first off, for Christmas, Santa (ok, me) ordered cable and internet for the house. This all got installed Saturday. After a couple glitches, we are all up and running. Oh wait, I still have to exchange the DVR, ours is defective, but they will exchange it, I just have to take it to the local office. But, the internet is up and running and the idea of getting online no longer makes my head hurt or back ache. What? You mean I don't have to sit the lap top on the back of the couch anymore? Crazy!
So, Christmas. My mom and dad drove up from Florida after spending a week cruising the Bahamas. They got in early evening the Saturday before Christmas. We met for dinner and gave the tour of the house before my parents fled to their hotel room and I had to go off to work. While I was trying to sleep off work Sunday afternoon, Wes took my parents and the kids to downtown Charleston to see the Battery and the old Slave Market. I had Monday and Tuesday off. Monday my mom and I went shopping mostly for Christmas Eve Dinner supplies. Then I napped (I hadn't slept since working all night) while my mom genourously made dinner for all 9 of us, as she did every night she was here. Tuesday my dad and I took the kids (minus Russell who wasn't feeling well) to the aquarium while my mom stayed behind to get a jump on Christmas eve dinner.
Christmas eve my mom commandeered a feast for 13. We had Wes' mom and sister and brother in law and their daughter for dinner and gift exchange. There was more than enough food, and thanks to thinking of letting the kids eat first, we managed to sit everyone at the table in shifts.
I worked Christmas eve and got home about 7:30 Christmas morning. The kids started getting up not long after I got home, but we had to wait for mom and dad to arrive and for Wes to drag himself out of bed. The kids stayed up until 2 am, making it hard for Santa to arrive and for Wes to go to bed at a decent hour.
The biggest hits this year were the Twilight poster for Mackenzie, the Mario pajamas for Joel, Russell got an Xbox 360 from his mom, and a Dora blanket for Briana. Oh yes, and Guitar Hero World tour for Joey.
On opening the poster, Mackenzie after seeing what it was, dropped the poster, fell to the floor, and started to make crying noises. I was a bit put off. So my mom asked here what was wrong. She said, I'm just so happy, I love it so much! If I'd have known that, I could have spent a lot less money on Christmas!
Mom and dad had to head out right after present opening to drive down to Orlando and catch their flight home. It was only a little late. I think they were trekking throught the snow from tho top of their driveway by midnight. Teri & Ernie picked them up form the airport, but didn't dare drive into their LONG drive way, so everyone walked from the top of the drive to the house in about 2 feet of snow. I should also mention that my mom had no jacket and was wearing sandals.
I have pictures, but in the interest of saving time, I'm going to just say, check them out on my facebook. If you aren't on my facebook, then its time you were!

Sorry about the weather...

Really I am. Is it my fault that some weird front has been holding off all those storm systems the rest of US has had to deal with the last couple days? And can I further help it that the same system has the temp holding at about 80* here? Nope, not my fault.

Rachel's idea...should get me of the hook for a few days at least!

So, I got this from Rachel's blog. Since I've been absent for a while, I thought I'd copy cat as well. So, things I've done will be in italics
1. Started your own blog Pretty sure that's what this is
2. Slept under the stars All the time at camp, and wihtout the aid of a tent
3. Played in a band Highschool band counts, right?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower Again, camp. The San Juans are a great place to watch these....if its clear out.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis It was on my tire in Clarksville, I wasn't gonna run over it, so I had to move it.
10. Sang a solo Well, not sang, but I fugured palying one in band was close enough
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - close once, been to the base, but they'd already sold the allowed number of tickets that day.
18. Grown your own vegetables I'm counting the bean plant we had at the preschool I worked at.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - sick of work is sick, right?(I agree with Rachel on this one)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - But I stole home once. That was pretty cool.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors Incidentally, we were stationed in Germany in the region where some of my family is from.
35. Seen an Amish community Thanks to in laws from Amish country
36. Taught yourself a new language I'm counting Turkish and German since I didn't take formal lessons. Yes, I'm not fluent, but I learned enough to get around.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke Very badly
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - I'm counting this since I was in African waters for about 20 minutes once.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted I'm counting this because my cousin did transpose photos into a painting for my mom.
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud I'm from Washington, is there anything but?
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie Does my car being in a movie count? We were paid for it.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business I'm counting Avon and Stampin' Up darn it!
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason Just this week Wes brought me a rose
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy It's hard to a call Buppy a a toy, but close enough
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt Not a traditional quilt, but Tarrah and I once pieced together cut up pices of jeans and made a quilt. I wonder what happened to that?
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - But my kids have
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - excuse my language, but HELL NO!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper A german newspaper, but still
85. Read the entire Bible A constant work in progress. I think that if you take the different bible studies I've done, I've come close, but never cover to cover.
86. Visited the White House You can't get inside anymore, but I've been at the gate
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating Do fish count?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous Waylon Jennings, Cuba Gooding Jr, Keifer Sutherland, President Clinton
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby Only a couple
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit Does my divorce count?
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
So, I'd love to see YOUR answers, email them to me if you don't have a blog!

Work really sucks it out of you

I've noticed its been a while. Time flies when you sleep all day. In my defense, I work all night. I had a pretty good schedule going at first. I was up and alert by the time everyone was home from work/school. That gave me time to get things done around the house, cook dinner and spend some quality time with the kids and Wes before heaing off to work again. Not so much this past week or so. I've just been exhausted. I get up to make dinner, trudge through that and fall asleep on the couch again until the kids go to bed. Pathetic I know.
I've been working a brutal schedule though. 4 days on, 1 day off for the past 2 weeks and I think its caught up to me. My schedule revolves on a 28 day calendar. The first 2 weeks are pretty well spaced, but the last 2 are rough. So, I'm hoping as the new period starts this week, I'll adjust better to the last 2 weeks this month.
Nothing too alarming is going on. Joey graduated from a cast to a brace last week. He's in that for about another month. But, he can take it off when he's just sitting around (not often, as outside is still the place to be around here) and most important, he can take it off to shower. And while he showers, I can spray the brace with Febreeze. Man those things stink up fast!
Mackenzie has her first chorus concert tomorrow. She's looking forward to it, but she isn't sure she wants to continue after this. Her chorus teacher seems to think that chorus is life and that a bunch of 8-10 year olds should want nothing more than to practice twice a week, in spite of everything else. She may give it a go as a class option once she's in middle school thought.
Joey's first band concert is also coming up soon. Oddly, they chose to wait until after Christmas to do that. My highschool band teacher would have loved that. He hated the need for Christmas concerts, almost as much as pep band.
Wes is almost done with his probabtion period at work. He's looking forward to a possible raise and benefits kicking in by the end of the month. He's also given notice at his 2nd job. With Christmas shopping almost done, he figures the tiny amount he gets from there can be given up. I quite agree.
We will have a full house for Christmas. Russell and Briana will be with us the first part of their school break, going back to their mom's Christmas afternoon. My kids will be with us until then as well, going to Mike's at the same time. My parents are leaving on a cruise tonight, and when they return, they're driving up here from Florida to spend Christmas with us. With the big crowd we're already having, we're going to host Christmas Eve dinner here for Wes' family. I think I may have gone a little insane with that thought. But, with tv trays and folding chairs borowed from here and there, it should work out alright.
One more announcement for those that aren't related to me and don't know...my beautiful niece Brittany is getting married! Since this is no small event, The kids and I and perhaps even Wes will be trekking back across the country this summer for the wedding. I'm not sure which was scarier, wedding invites from the kids I used to babysit, or this. Man I'm getting old!