Who Shot J.R.? Or the Can of Soda?

It's late in the afternoon, in Dallas, TX.  I'm headed through my kitchen, when I see it.  A red puddle on the floor...

I gasp!  What is it?  Who did this?!  These are the thoughts that run quickly through my mind.

Then I realize what has happened.

Somehow a Big Red sprung a leak and is now blazing a trail that leads under our fridge.  Maybe it is trying to get to a place where the temperatures are cooler? Or to a place where everybody knows its name? 

And do not think that Big Red does not leave a mark wherever it goes.  It's kind of scary to think about, since we (well, maybe not you, but some folks) drink it.

Just one more weird thing to add to the list of weird things I find around here.

Everyone's "Having Fun!"

A sweet couple from our church took our kids out to dinner tonight.  I got to load the dishwasher early without worrying if I was making too much noise, or without hearing an incessant,"I want to hold you!"  That might not sound like a big deal, but it truly was a great thing.

Maybe I need to get out more.

Mike forwarded me an email from them that had this picture attached, along with the message,"Having fun!"

Well, of course they're having fun...if you stick the kids in a cage you are free to have as much fun as you can stand!

I'll have to remember that trick...

Not in Your Mouth or in Your Hand...

This is what happens when you try to sneak a handful of M&M's in the middle of the day by tipping the bag that is in the cabinet so that the candies fall into your hand, but instead a couple fall to the counter and you quickly move to grab them, but by moving your hands to grab the two M&M's that are rolling away the bag falls forward and the M&M's pour out all over the place, making an unmerciful amount of noise as they hit the counter, just because your baby (a two-year-old can still be called a baby, right?) is sleeping in the other room, and also making a colorful mess that you now have to clean up. 

And by "you", I mean "me".  (Or "I".  Whatever.)

The splash of color amidst all the white is nice, no?

I really am that smart.  I amaze even myself.

Squeezing It In

I could be talking about getting into my pants these days...but I'm not.  I know you are so glad.

My mom and dad have been here for four days, and are here for the remainder of this week.  Nine days total.  And so far we have celebrated New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Christmas (a little late), Michaela's birthday, watched Julie and Julia, and gone grocery shopping. 

You might not think that last one fits...but when we're all together, it's an event.  There are coupons involved.

As usual, we are trying to squeeze in all that we can.  Michaela has yet to have her birthday party with a couple of friends (that's coming up later this week).  And we toyed with the idea of traveling to Houston for the Narnia exhibit at the science museum...but an eight hour drive (that's an optimistic time) didn't sound appealing to anyone after all, especially in light of my parents' recent adventure in an automobile. 

We have just been enjoying one another.  We laugh a lot when we're together.  I have to confess, there is some potty humor.  But we try to control ourselves until the kids are in bed.  We don't want to be bad examples. 

We need to play Scrabble.  We need to go to Ikea.  We need to do the dishes.

Hey!  Who said that?!

I suppose I do have to go and take care of that...I'll be sorry tomorrow if I don't.  I hope that everyone is having a good start to a new year.  Remember to fill in the year blank with 2010!  I always have such a hard time with that transition. 

A Christmas Letter to an Old Friend

Dear Laundry, my good, old friend,

I just wanted you to know, in light of the Christmas season and all of the wonderful things that are wrapped up in it (no pun intended), I am giving you a vacation!  There are so many gifts bestowed upon me, not only at Christmastime but all year, both tangible and untangible, and I just want to give back a little.  I am releasing you from all of your regular duties for a while...there will be no need to pile up in every room of the house, clean or dirty!  You won't have to worry about lurking here, there, and everywhere so that every time I turn around I see some new article of clothing or other thing that I have to wash (blankets, towels, or sheets).  You can relax and have fun doing things that you really want to do these next few days.  Maybe you can get some of your own shopping done (or mine, for that matter!).  You could check out the giant washers at the laundromats.  Or maybe you could just tuck in with a good book that you've been wanting to read.  Whatever you do, feel free to make yourself scarce.  No, really.  Totally scarce.  It will be great for the both of us!

Sincerely wishing you a Merry Christmas,

Christina