12/7 - Terrific Tuesday!

Tuesdays have come to be a family day. Sarah goes to school, we have lunch together, she goes to Karate, We go out for dinner - using one of our many gift cards.

Today was the same...after Karate, for dinner we went to one of the "Food Fight" restaurants - Monty's Blue Plate Diner.

My throat was killing me and I figured a chicken soup kind of thing would be good - but alas, no chicken soup. I ended up with their version of a chicken pot pie, Andy had the meatloaf and Saran had dinosaur bites with fresh fruit.

I couldn't eat my dinner so I got a chocolate shake...which felt great on my sore throat.
=)

We got home about 7PM and they watched a Charlie Brown Christmas while I went right to bed and stayed there for about 12 hours...

12/6 - Monday Monday...

A pretty typical Monday...Sarah went to school and came home. We had a family lunch around the kitchen table. We listened to music and relaxed in the family room. Then I had to get ready to teach my first coupon class...

Two months ago, we put this into the works - a coupon 101 class where the basics would be taught to help other people save moneh. Where to find coupons, how to organize them, how to use them and a few tips & tricks.

Tonight, was my first coupon class at the local library. I've worked with Carol, the head of adult education, and we organized everything from passouts to firguring out how to the their power point projector to like my laptop.

We were pleasantly surprised at over sixty people attending...and the overall response from people.
=)
It was fun to read the survey sheets - they seemed to really get a lot out of the class and even said I was "entertaining", LOL! It was also fun figuring out where people found out about the class - newlsetters, signs, facebook, etc.

More classes are in the future, as well as a stockpile swap...
How fun!

12/5 - a migraine...

The day started out nice: more snow gently falling, quiet family time in the living room - around the lit christmas tree and music playing on my husband's vintage juikebox. Seriously, it was a Normal Rockwell momment!

The hubster had to get ready for work...I had my vehicle already packed for a vendor event...soon we all left, and he dropped Ms Sarah off to my Mom's for a few hours until I was able to pick her up.

I set up at the church...right by a Mary Kay lady. The people spraying the colognes got to me and I had to leave. I ended up at the urgent care and got a migraine shot. Mom and Jim picked me up (with Sarah) and we had an impromptu sleepover at their house.

Sarah and I snuggled on an oversized leather recliner infront of a lit fireplace. It was a great ending to the day!

12/4 - the nutcracker

We had a VERY busy Saturday!

It started early with me getting Ms Sarah ready for her dance class, right before I had to leave as I had a Holiday vendor event in another town. I left her with Daddy in charge who got her to dance, fed her and then took her to my Mom's for a few hours so he could go to work.


She helped Grumpie (Grammie's husband) shovel several inches of the freshly fallen snow, then they went out for lunch and got back just as I got there to pick her up.

From there we got ready to pick up MY Grandma (Sarah's Great Grandma) and treat her to dinner at one of her favorite places: Olive Garden. I LOVE their pasta e fagoli soup and haven't been able to recreate it at home successfully yet (darn it)!

Before you even ask...I used gift cards!

Dinner was our treat as she had gotten tickets for the three of us to see the Nutcracker ballet...one of our cousins was dancing in it - she is about 2 years older than my Sarah.

The kids all did a super job, the costumes were great and the live orchestra never hit a bad note...even the high school chorus kids were amazing.

Just as the newly unfrozen Sugar Plum Fairy was starting to dance...I heard Sarah say "Mommy, It's so beautiful, I could cry..."

Then, she climbed up into my lap and fell asleep.

For a four year old, she did pretty well - it was a VERY long day for her and she had glued her eyes to the stage for over an hour and a half. I can't wait to talk to her about it tomorrow and see what her favorite part was. My guess? The dancing bear.

Simply another reason that I love the holidays --

12/3 - Do I have to beat up a Chinese lady?

Yesterday was the big snafu with the Chinese food. Today, I went back to them and got my money back for the food we didn't' get...she wasn't going down easy but the look on her face, when I told her that this made my little girl cry, not to mention that there were other customers there, hearing my story - I got the $3.70 back.
(And I didn't have to beat up a Chinese Lady...)

Sarah and I zipped over to the theaters and saw Meggamind...a cute movie! I used one of our gift cards..it was fun "girl time".

We had a snuggly evening, dinner and couch time as we watched a classic holiday special on TV. She helped me get things laid out for the next day -- where Daddy was in charge of getting her to ballet in one piece. We wanted to make it as easy as possible for him, LOL!

12/2 - orange belt!

Today was a family day...

Ms Sarah went to school and then I went to my grandma's. Grandma is pretty cool - she is over 90 years old and still going strong!

While we were drinking coffee and munching morning buns, I gave her a run through on the coupon class that I will be teaching through the public library system. She learned a few new things right off the bat and was excited to try a different strategy!

I left after 1PM and zipped over to pick up Sarah at my friend Kelley's house. We zipped to Karate!



My little Sarah earned her orange belt in Karate...this was HUGE! The munchkins are presented their belts in front of the bigger kids and the bigger kids clap for them to cheer them on. You should have seen her little face!
=)
So, we were going to celebrate with her favorite Chinese food - chicken fried rice. (I know, not exactly exotic but she loves it). We walk over to the place that is close to the karate studio and get our order.

When we get home, I grab a muscle relaxer - I was really starting to hurt from the snow storm was was coming...then we rip into the dinner.

They put white rice in the bag instead of the fried rice.

(sigh)

I now had a crying little girl on what was supposed to be a happy little celebration...

So I called and they won't deliver, they offer a credit. Try explaining a credit to a 4 year old...

So, I get creative and make a butterfly shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fairy chips.
=)
That did the trick and everything was bliss again!

12/1 - perfect momments

I was driving home from a Multi Vendor holiday open house that we did at an assisted living facility this afternoon...and thinking of all the neat octogenarians that I got to visit with in that four hour window.

The radio station that proudly plays holiday music 24/7 from about a week before thanksgiving right up until New Years was on...with good old Bing belting out White Christmas.

I fresh air coming through the vents of the TupperMobile and I can tell a skunk had fairly recently given his best as he lost his attack on a moving four wheel target. Strangely, I have always loved that musky smell. It goes back to being a young kid and having my pet Westie get nailed squarely but a striped critter when we were up north at a cabin. I loved that dog...

I'll Be Home For Christmas started up - and I realized that I would be.
A three day festival between my Mom & Pops, then my In-laws, then my Dad & Stepmother's all becomes a fantastic opportunity to watch the joy and magic of the season through the eyes of one of the coolest four year old kids I know. (Yes, the dinosaur meat eater...)

I hope you take time this crazy month to find a few of your own perfect moments - get that warm fuzzy glow deep inside you that radiates out and simply makes it all better.

Let it put a smile on your face...blessings to you!