The Gift of Food

I don't know about any of you, but I enjoy getting gift baskets and food gifts; that is I would enjoy them if anyone would ever want to send me anything like that. One year my sister sent us Kim & Scott Gourmet Pretzels (which were delicious), and also several years ago she sent us Wolferman's English muffins--something the whole family could use! I loved those gifts! Ever since then, though, we haven't been sent anything like that. This year, I decided to send my siblings and grandmother Wolferman's English muffins. I carefully chose an assortment that I thought each family would enjoy, so I hope they really do! This year, have had a difficult time getting out anywhere to shop, so the internet has really been a godsend! With trying to sell the house, having sick girls every few days, and other things going on around here, there seems to be little time to drive to anyplace that I could shop. I found out that the possiblities for sending gifts using the internet are endless. Even with all the bad stuff that is surrounding us these days, I'm glad I'm living in a time when all I have to do is enter information into this little "box" and ta-da! I've sent a gift! There is nothing like the 21st century!

Wii Fit & Mario Kart Quest Begins

There are just about five weeks before Christmas, and once again, I am on quest for something that is going to be almost impossible to find. That's my kids for you! Anyway, my quest for either a Wii Fit and/or the Mario Kart game has begun. I keep looking everywhere I go, just in case there might be one lurking on a dark and dusty shelf somewhere. So far, I have come up empty. This year may be the year that the kids get a picture of the gift we will give them whenever we can get our hands on it. It could be that I will just be in the right place at the right time too; that has been known to happen once in awhile. Anyway, I'm off on my quest in earnest today!

Newest Addition: Nintendo Wii

Isn't it strange how sometimes when you go shopping you end up buying something you had no intention to buy? That happened yesterday. My husband and I decided, after playing with my nephew's Wii this summer, that a Wii would be something our family would get a lot of use out of. We told the girls that this year for Christmas, if we could get our hands on one, the big Christmas gift for all of us would be a Nintendo Wii game system. Great! I just sort of casually look for things just to determine how difficult it will be to get that item when we want it. Yesterday, on our trek to Target to get school supplies and medicine, I decided to check in the electronics area to see if they might have a Wii. Sure enough, there were two systems behind that locked cabinet. I put a call into my husband to see if he wanted me to get it since the opportunity was there. As luck would have it, he had a 10% off coupon that we frequently get from Target, so he met us at the store and the rest, as they say, is history. Of course the thing wasn't going to sit in our closet, unopened, for the next four months, so we set it up and we told the girls that it was an early Christmas gift. Hopefully, when December rolls around, they won't forget that they have already gotten the bulk of their gifts. Now, for years to come, we will have Christmas and birthday gift ideas since the accessories and games appear to be endless. Wii wants to play!

Waiting 'Til the Last Minute!

This is soooo not like me, but I have waited until the last minute to do my shopping. There's not much time for me to write about it here, but I still need to run to Kohl's, Target, American Eagle, Old Navy, and Finish Line Sports. All this to do and so little time. Most of my time is eaten up in traffic and travel time to get to the stores. Not knowing my way around very well doesn't help me much either. To top things off, my mother-in-law is here for a three week visit and I feel like I need to entertain her. I think I will leave her to her own devices today and trust that she will get my 6 year old off the bus at 11:25 this morning. I've got to get going! Have a very merry one!

I've Lost That Christmas Feeling

Perhaps you have read the children's book, "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg. It is a sweet story that the movie industry ruined when the movie version of it came out a few years ago. At any rate, the book sort of gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you read it. It has always been one of my favorite books to read to my girls, except for this year. I just can't seem to find that same "Christmasy" feeling this year. I want to have it. I want to be happy and want to make this year's Christmas a memorable one for my girls, but my heart feels heavy. Last week we took the girls to a Christmas pageant that a local private school put on. It was well done; with live animals and all the traditional Christmas hymns were sung by the choir, but still I'm just not feeling it. We had a lovely snowfall a couple of days ago, and even that didn't help lift my spirits. I am out of sorts. We are living in a new place and I don't talk to anyone other than my children and my husband (when he is speaking to me), I am far away from my family and won't be observing the traditions we started when we lived close to everyone. I keep praying every night that we get some good news, or that something good would happen in the world or just here at home so I feel like I'm not just going through the motions of life. I want to be inspired. I want to do good things. I want to be happy. I want to truly believe so that I can hear the silver bell jingle again!

Safe Toys for Christmas

I have recently been doing a little research on some of the toys and electronics my children are interested in receiving for Christmas. Let me tell you, what I have learned is that researching for information and searching for safe toys feels like an impossible task. My biggest problem is that my children are older. They range in age from 15 to 6. They still want toys and games for Christmas, but all the information out there is for infant and toddler toys. Are older children immune to the effects of lead, arsenic, and all the other heinous chemicals the Chinese are trying to poison us with? My youngest daughter wants a dollhouse. I have been hardpressed to find anything that has proof that the wooden ones don't have lead based paint and that the plastic ones are safe. My eight year old wants some Hannah Montana stuff--also a concern. My older ones want games and electronics, but who is to say that they are safe? I decided earlier this year that I would try not to purchase anything with a "made in China" stamp on it. It seems that everything is made in China or has parts that are made in China. It has been an impossible goal to set for myself. The other thing that is frustrating is that American made toys are few and very limited in scope. Not only are American toys hard to find, they are also terribly expensive! So, what am I to do? I don't have a solution yet, but if I come up with one, I'll let you know~

I Need A Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute. . .

My husband woke me up at 3:00 this morning. He couldn't sleep. We have had a lot of restless nights lately. He told me he worries every minute about money. He also said that he was sorry he moved us here. I am prone to worrying myself, and have not been happy about the way things are working out for us here, but to hear him say he regrets the move made me feel a little panicky. We have not had anything work out smoothly. For my husband, the grass certainly looked greener here than where we were, and we all know that sometimes you just have to test out the "grass" on the other side, but this is not what we had hoped for. All of 2007 has been one trouble or worry after another, so I don't know why this mess is surprising us so. We have pretty much decided that I should get a job, and he might need to get a second job as well. Just when we will squeeze these jobs in is unclear. I have not worked for pay for fifteen years, so I'm not sure I will have much to offer in the way of marketability. We also have our four kids to think about too. They are too young to do much housework and I really don't feel comfortable leaving my fifteen-year-old in charge of her three siblings. With all the worry and stress, I am reminded of that Christmas song from the Broadway musical "Mame" that goes: "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute. . ." Maybe that is what my family and I need: to worry less and think about what this Christmas is season is all about.