A Gift for Kristen!

Sometimes we all need a "Wave of the Magic Wand!" I hope it helps!

Black Friday

So my first question for you is... Where were you at 4 a.m. on Friday morning? Were you sleeping off that second piece of pumpkin pie? or possibly dreaming of the football games that were to come? Or were you among the "Crazy People" that woke up at four to go find the deal of a lifetime? There are only a few people that read this blog that I know I could have called at four to say, "We are nuts!"
Yes, at four a.m. you would have found me standing in line at the mall waiting for the doors to open at GameStop. I know I am crazy, but my adrenalin was pumping and I had a blast! I opened two stores Friday morning and got everything I wanted. I was a smart shopper that had the ads ready and knew where to start and what direction to go to get the items I needed and get out. I understand that my overseas friend might not understand the insanity to which I am referring to! I think this frenzy which is now referred to as Black Friday has gotten much more intense over the past few years. Stores around here opened as early as 4:00 a.m. People crowded around to get deals on flat screens, laptops, game systems, and various other forms of technology. Being the shopper by trade that I now claim to be this day is my "Super Bowl." I love nothing more than getting a good deal on something! Trust me you will know about it if I have gotten a good deal, have I told you about my $5.00 fresh turkey? Ok, Bill told me I could not Blog about that, everyone already knew. (not everyone...) Back to the point...Friday was a day that true bargain shoppers have grown to anticipate. No matter how early I need to wake up or how alone I might be in line, I will be there next year. Anybody want to join me??

Thanksgiving Lessons

Thanksgiving has been a great break from the business of life. We began our celebrations on Wednesday. Bill and I decided that the only problem with going somewhere else for Turkey dinner was missing out on the leftovers. So as you can tell we went all out and made green beans, sweet potatoes, and Bill fried a turkey. YUM YUM! As we sat down to eat we all thanked God for the ability to have such a nice meal with our family. The boys told us all of the "things" they were thankful for, we have not gotten to the deep abstract meaning of the holidays quite yet. It does bring joy to my heart to hear their little prayers thanking God for their webkins and dogs. To think of how innocent we begin! Lesson #1... We can survive a Thanksgiving away from family if needed! Good to know!

Thursday brought us a wave of cold winter weather, finally. We woke up and got bundled up for a family bike ride, opting out of the Trot with 35,000 other North Texans trying to justify the 5000 calories they are about to consume. It was a very nice ride, luckily the snow held off until later in the afternoon. Yes, you read correctly SNOW on Thanksgiving. Only 5-6 flakes, but snow nonetheless. (As I write this El Paso has 4 inches on the ground!) We watched plenty of football and headed over to Bill's Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner. We were scheduled to eat at half time of the Cowboy game. (I wonder how many other people base their meal time around the GAME. I was in one and then married into one so I know it is not just me.) Anyway, Bill left early for his family's house so that he would not have to miss any of the game and Travis decided to go with him. When Tyler and I got there at halftime Travis walked up to me and said "Mom, my eye itches!" Keep in mind that I have not even set my purse down. I look down at Travis to see a swollen version of what seems to be my child. His entire left side of his face is red and puffy! My first thought is "How long have you been like this?" and my second thought is "Where is your father?" Don't forget the game!! Nancy and I quickly jump into MomMode and run to 7-11 to pay twice as much for benadryll and eye drops. As we return to the festivities we learn that Bill's Aunt has 9 cats! 8 of which I assume Travis is allergic to! We quickly eat and watch Travis carefully, he is getting better, very tired but better. Only to look at Tyler and see his eye swelling up! Great! Dessert is gobbled up and we say our goodbyes! Lesson #2 learned...boys are allergic to cats! Good to know! Positive...boys fell asleep (thanks to benadryll) at 7:00 and Bill and I had the evening to ourselves.

I'll Take Thanksgiving!

I can not take credit for this, but I thought it was worthy of posting!

I'll take Thanksgiving!
You can have Halloween, New Year's, Christmas, the Fourth of July, Easter, Hanukkah and any day dedicated to presidents. You can stack them all up on one side, and the turkey and I will stand on the other.

I'll take Thanksgiving!

It is, to me, exactly what a holiday should be. For one thing, there are no gifts. You never have to worry about what to get someone for Thanksgiving or how much to spend. There are no lectures about "greed" or "commercialization" or how we're "forgetting the spirit" of Thanksgiving. No way. The spirit of Thanksgiving is eating. Who could forget that?
Secondly, it comes with football. What other holiday does that, New Year's Day, but at least with Thanksgiving, you don't have a hangover.

There is no "right" place to go on Thanksgiving except home. There is no church or synagogue. No graves that must be visited. No trekking out to watch fireworks.
You just sit on the couch, or sit at the table, and you laugh and eat and laugh and burp and ta-da you are credited with knowing the "true meaning" of the holiday.

Also, it comes with a parade. Did I mention the dressing? Not the turkey dressing; the human dressing. There isn't any! Oh, sure, maybe you put on a nice pair of pants. Maybe. But who really dresses up for Thanksgiving? You can celebrate in a sweatshirt. Can you say that about New Year's Eve? Not unless you're a lonely, pathetic loser.

And Thanksgiving doesn't require some smarty-pants history known only by your geeky cousin from Baltimore. Uh-uh. There's no quoting Lincoln or Washington. No reading from the Declaration of Independence. What do you need to know about Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims and the Indians had dinner. Pass the gravy!

Thanksgiving never moves. It is always on a Thursday, strategically placed so that you might as well take off Friday also, since Saturday and Sunday are next, and, while you're at it, maybe half of Wednesday just to pick up everyone from the airport. Thanksgiving gets you half a week off. What's Labor Day get you, Monday?

And there is no shopping on Thanksgiving, unlike Memorial Day or Presidents Day. Sure, there are Thanksgiving sales, but you do them on FRIDAY! How cool is that?

Also, there are no masks. You don't beg for candy from strangers. And nobody eggs your house.
Have I mentioned stuffing? There is no more celebratory food short of dessert than stuffing. Be honest. When you were young, you couldn't get enough of it, right? Maybe you hated cranberry sauce, but all kids loved stuffing. It was everything great about bread and pudding and hot, mushy food wrapped into one. Tell me you don't still feel that.

Tell me there's anything better than a meal that goes all night, that doesn't have an event tied to it, that doesn't come with a bill at the end.

Tell me there's anything better than only having to catch up with your aunts, uncles and cousins to feel like you did the holiday proud.

Tell me there's anything easier than passing plates.

Tell me there's any better place to appreciate what you have than in a kitchen filled with good smells. Especially Sylvia's "homemade" yeast rolls! or Pat's fruit bowl!

Tell me there's a better invention than "the kids' table."

And what holiday not only condones but pretty much expects you to fall asleep on the couch?
So let's sum up. No costumes, no presents, no services, no tuxedoes, no time limit, no guilt trips, and all the food, naps and football you want.

I'll take Thanksgiving! After all, no one tries to sit on the turkey's lap and ask for an X-box!

Yes, I'll take Thanksgiving!

My Elf Family

We are gearing up for Christmas!
hee hee
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9548696393

My New Toy

This is a picture of my new toy. I am now the proud owner of a Red Pacifica, as the boys are calling it "Mommy's Hot Rod." So funny to think that anything not a minivan is considered a "Hot Rod!" I am glad Tyler likes it, because it might be his first car. Yes, this is really what we were considering. I can not believe the fact that I might have bought my son's first car. CRAZY!

On a completely other note...I am an Houston this week on my own. I am attending the TAGT, Texas Association of Gifted Teachers. I am learning some really neat things. Right now we are talking about avatars and Second Life. I feel so dumb because I am just not into the virtual world, but this is really what are kids are into and we need to stay ahead of them. Can you imagine my posting in a virtual world? What would I look like? HMMMM!

Farewell Old Friend!

Well, it is with deep sadness that the Lamberts say goodbye to Hardy Soccer Ball Lambert. Hardy was a great friend that spent his days in a fishbowl! I must say that washing dishes tonight was not the same without his bubbly grin looking back at me. Hardy lived a nice long life that started out swimming among the roots of a plant in a pre-k classroom. Two summers ago we adopted him and made him our own. He loved his Grandma LeeLee and thanked her for fish sitting him one summer. The boys knew it was coming after we watched Hardy suffer these last few weeks. We can only hope that he has arrived at the fish bowl in the sky. Farewell my friend, you are missed!!

Halloween Fun!

As you can see Halloween was quite a family affair. Our neighborhood goes all out and everyone participates. It is a blast! I am always reminded of the scene in ET where the whole block is out together, well that is us. Bill and I look forward to it every year. This year we were Rock Star Groupies! FUN TIMES!!