I didn’t get much done yesterday. I finally got to the post office to mail a package I’ve been trying to get mailed for over a week. I went to the bank and deposited the kids’ money that they got for Christmas. They got so many toys and things that I thought it would be better to just put their money in their savings accounts. I tried to get a music stand yesterday, with some of the money I was given for Christmas, but I didn’t realize that the guitar store was closed on Mondays. Maybe I can get out again today, after Chris wakes up. I’m really glad he’s taking Wednesday night off, because I’m tired of him working. I want to spend some time with him. Mom told Kyra she could spend the night with her Friday. I was thinking she would let Elijah stay for a few hours with her, too, and Chris and I could go to Knoxville by ourselves. That would be nice.

Well, I better get off my butt and get started. Here it is already noon, and I’ve not got anything done today except for bathing the kids.

I talked to my brother tonight. Jason, that is. Who would have ever thought, a few years ago, that I would end up liking my brother? Not me, that’s for sure. I guess that’s the difference between being fifteen and twelve, and being twenty-one and eighteen. I guess. I don’t know for sure. Maybe it’s just that he’s on the other side of the country. What do you think, Jase?

Another day down. Good for me.

Sometimes it feels like I’ve got a lifetime of days laid out in front of me, and each one finished is just ticked off of a big calandar. When it’s through, it’s over, and that’s that.

Don’t think I’m depressed. I’m not really. That’s just kind of what I was thinking. Sometimes finishing the day just seems like an accomplishment. Of course, if you look very closely at what I’ve done in my day, then it doesn’t seem like I’ve accomplished much at all.

Do you think it’s healthy to view life as a big to-do list? Probably not. I guess it’s a good thing that i don’t always think that way.

Well, we’re fixing to be off to church, and Kyra looks beautiful. She looks like a princess, and Eli’s my little handsome prince. He looks adorable. He has on khaki pants, a button-up denim shirt, and a Christmas sweater-vest with a pickup truck with a dog and a pine tree in the bed of it. It’s cute as can be. Kyra’s dress is burgandy velvet on top (the bodice), flowers where the skirt and the bodice meet, and the skirt is cream colored with a over-skirt that has burgandy roses and green vines embroidered on it. It’s much prettier than I can describe it. She looks so pretty. I gotta go take some pictures. They’re playing with Christmas toys at the moment.

Well, it’s over. Christmas, that is. It was hectic, and it was fun…for the most part. Today, we went to my grandmother’s for dinner. We had a little family drama, as usual, but that’s par for the course. Other than that, it was fun. Then, we went by Chris’ step-dad’s, and saw him for a little while. It was fun. We hadn’t seen him in a while, and Kyra liked seeing Papaw Roy.

After that, we just came home and brought in all the thousands of toys the kids got. Kyra has so many new toys that she doesn’t know which one to play with first. Elijah had fun playing with them tonight, too. I had fun playing with some of them, and fulfilled a bit of a childhood dream…playing with all of Kyra’s My Little Ponies that she got for Christmas. It’s so weird how all the toys that I played with (or wanted to play with,,,since we were poor), are back now, and my daughter is playing with Care Bears and My Little Ponies. Anyway, they got a lot, and we are going to have to go through their old toys to make room. I don’t know if I’m going to put them up to sell in a yard sale next summer or what. We’ve got way more than they will ever play with, though.

I got a mother’s bracelet from my parents last night. I was so excited. I’ve wanted one for a while, and it is really pretty. It has two strands. One strand has Elijah’s name on it, and the other has Kyra’s. Their birthstones are by their names, and it has pearls in the strands…which are Kyra’s real birthstone. It’s really lovely, and I love it so much. They also got me some pajamas, which are another thing that I was hoping someone would get me. My brother and sister-in-law got me a food pampering thing from Bath and Body Works…you know, the pumice stone, special foot scrubs, lotions, etc. It’s really neat. I like stuff like that. Chris and I got gift cards to both Cracker Barrell and Outback. We really liked those. We eat out a lot. My brother, Luke, got behind in his Christmas present manufacturing, but has promised that we get twice as much deer jerkey since we had to wait for it. Seth, my youngest brother who is ten, got me a candle. It smells really good. We also got some other things that I failed to mention, but that we liked just as much. My mother-in-law sent us a hundred bucks. That’s a gift you can’t beat. Thanks, Velvet! All in all, it was a good Christmas. I’ve found the key to a good Christmas is just to not build it up and expect perfection, and then to just be happy with the way it plays out. Family dramas, and all.

Poor Chris had to work today, and I forgot to even bring him a plate of food. I was all out of sorts over the family drama which was afore-mentioned. He’s conked out on the couch right now. He was watching football, but he fell asleep as soon as he laid down. Kyra is going from one toy to the next. She’s playing with one of Eli’s right now. They got some really cool toys. Elijah is sleeping. He has had three very busy days.

I can’t wait to see Kyra in her Christmas dress in the morning. She will look so pretty for church. She’s wearing a diaper tomorrow. I’m not risking any accidents in her dress. Elijah has a cute outfit as well. I’m going to wear my new sweater I bought. I can’t wait to go shopping the next day that Chris has off. Out to eat with our gift cards, too!

What else?

It snowed in Corpus Christi, where my mother-in-law and beloved aunt-in-law live. Pretty neat, seeing as how it hadn’t snowed there in like fifty years. They had a white Christmas!

Well, enough is enough, huh?

Goodnight.

Yeah! It’s Christmas! Well, technically, it’s December 23rd, but it’s Christmas at our house. Chris has to work tomorrow and Christmas Day, so we opened presents today, so that the kids could open them first thing in the morning, and spend the day playing with the gifts and their daddy. It’s less rushed and hectic this way, and I think it’s a lot more special.

Kyra loved all her presents. Chris loved his XBox, too. He’s playing it right now. I think that today is the first time that I’ve got him something that he really, really wanted and liked.
Elijah was more interested in the paper and the bows, than the gifts themselves. He did like Kyra’s baby doll, though. I think he’ll like the fire truck that we got him in a month or two, if he doesn’t start liking it right away. He’s still little. He will be nine months old in two days. Still little, but, oh my, he’s getting big fast.

I have to go to the store in a while. I forgot to get batteries for the Leap Pad that we got the kids. Why can’t things just come with all the things that they need to operate? I’m also going to ask Chris if I can buy a new outfit to wear tomorrow. Maybe he’ll feel generous since it’s Christmas.

I got what I wanted for Christmas. I got it early, today, because Chris needed help carrying it in. It’s an elliptical machine. Yay. Now I can run without ever leaving the house. Cool, cool, cool.

More to come later.

I feel sorry for Baby Woof Woof. He doesn’t get played with nearly enough, now that it has gotten so cold. He needs a friend. I’m afraid to let him in the kitchen to play with Kyra anymore, because of the temperature difference in the house and outside. I’m afraid it will make him sick. Poor little puppy.

Well, I spent the evening at my parents house. It was fun. I took my guitar with me. I taught Luke and Seth how to play “Amazing Grace”, and me and Luke played a little. I’m getting a little better, but no where near good. I really love the guitar, though.

My brothers crack me up. They can be really funny.

People won’t email me back. I hate waiting for people to email me. I send someone an email, and then I check mine like five thousand times looking for their response. I’m such a loser sometimes.

I’m really sleepy. I need to go to bed. Both of the kids are asleep. I should take advantage, eh? I think I will.

Goodnight.

It’s cold in my house today. It’s cold outside. I’m wearing Chris’ sweatpants and my fuzzy slippers, and it’s still cold. I’m going to have to buy Kyra some new house-shoes. She outgrew hers. I should have got her a pair for Christmas. I thought about it.

Anyway, I’m cold.

I didn’t sleep well last night. I had a very hard time going to sleep. I was so nervous. I woke up around two from some noise I heard. I was so creeped out. My heart was racing, my arms and legs hurt, and I felt like I was going to throw up. Over nothing. I had to call Chris at work to calm me down. I don’t like being at home with the kids at night when Chris is working midnights. It makes me so nervous and on edge. So, I was tired this morning.

I’ve not done anything much all morning. I haven’t felt like it. I need to take a shower, but am kind of waiting for Chris to get up, so I don’t have to worry about what the kids are doing. I like to take a shower in peace. To do so, I have to lock the door, to keep Kyra out. I can only do that if Chris is up to watch them. I look forward to the day when I can go to the bathroom alone, and take a shower without any company. Ya know?

I need to run out to the store. I forgot to buy eyeliner last time I went. I guess I make myself look respectable so little, that I can’t remember to buy make-up when I run out. I’m a slob, since having kids. Well, not a total slob, but I rarely wear make-up anymore. I need to get some new clothes, and start wearing make-up again. I shouldn’t let myself feel like a slob all the time. Sure I’m busy with the kids, but maybe Chris would like for me to fix myself up a little more.

Well, this is beyond pointless. I’m going to quit for now. Peace out.