Target--My New Gym

Is it just me, or do other people get the holiday stress this early? It's so silly, but I've been feeling it already. I'm such a Virgo...I just feel this burning desire to get all of my shopping done ASAP. Like if I don't it's all going to go away, or I'm going to forget what it was I wanted to get, or something. Maybe it's just the fact that I grew up with my mother, the woman who sent our box of Christmas presents to us back in August and probably bought them all the day after the previous Christmas.

Today, during Sullivan's school time--which is a pretty small window, I might add--I decided to throw all of my holiday rush aside and go to the gym. Ah, the gym. I've gotten to that point where it gets harder and harder to go. Not that I don't still enjoy it, and I still feel great when I'm done. But it just seems harder and harder to get there--just not enough hours in the day. So today, I thought, I am getting to that gym! After a quick run to Target, of course, to get more Christmas gifts checked off my list. So I get changed in the locker room and am on my way to the fitness area, when I realize that my iPod is completely dead. I was so irritated that I turned around, threw my jeans back on and huffed out the door. I've worked out without music before, but today was just not the day! So now I am feeling guilty. Maybe tomorrow I'll get there. After I do a quick run to Costco....

Play Dates and Henry the VIII

We woke up to a dreary, rainy day--yes, rainy, even at the end of November. Weird! (can you say, Global Warming?!) I'm so glad Sullivan and I had a play date planned! It's so nice when you have a friend that you enjoy and that friend has a child that your child enjoys. These are the things that make being a stay-at-home-mommy so pleasurable. If all things between the kids are going well, these are the times when we actually can sit around and eat bon-bons (or, donut holes) drink coffee, and gab. Could life be any better?

Another good thing about the day--The King has arrived! No, not Elvis, not the Burger King, and certainly not Christ the King. (if he came and went I'm in trouble, cuz I had no clue) I'm talking about King Henry the VIII. On the way back from my Jezebel weekend, my friend Ann and I stopped in some more antique stores for some last-minute shopping. It was there that I first saw the King...although I just have this weird feeling that I must have seen him someplace before. It's actually an old Peggy Nisbet doll, and he's in great shape. I didn't want to buy him for the steep price of $24.00, but I have to say that he haunted me. I decided to see if he was on ebay, and, sure enough! I got him for a mere $9.99!! So he came today, and he really is cute. I try to forget that as a human being he was really a tyrant, chopping off his wives heads and basically making his own religion. So why am I drawn to such a thing? I asked my mom if we had one around the house as a child--she was an antique collector, as well--but she said no. Hmmm. It's a mystery. I guess now I just have to keep him away from Barbie so he doesn't chop off her head.

Like It Or Not

Okay. I have decided to be more regular with my posts. Maybe even almost a daily blog. Gasp! Now I'm warning you all, because you'll have to sit through my boring daily life. I haven't wanted to post an entry unless I felt like I had something witty or poignant to write about, but you know, I guess I'd just rather run at the mouth. Or at least, the keyboard. Thanks to Nephew Dan, who has inspired me. So if you really have a problem, you can take it up with him. ;-)

Another Thanksgiving, over and done. Of course these days, Thanksgiving is merely an afterthought. A holiday to help pass the time between Halloween and Christmas. A person can't even find chocolate turkeys anymore, which is a downright shame. Growing up, it was a tradition at our house to have chocolate turkeys on our plates every year, when my mom set the grand Thanksgiving table. I didn't get around to even looking for them this year, but Cory surprised me and brought something up to Mom Shubert's to put at our plates. They weren't turkeys, mind you, they were chocolate icicles...but it's the thought that counts.

So now we are in Christmas Mode. We brought a tree back with us from Park Rapids, so as soon as we were in the door, we were setting it up. That's our tradition--don't even let the paper turkeys relax before they are down and being replaced by Christmas decorations. No Christmas movies or music is allowed until the day after Thanksgiving. This year I cheated a bit, I was baking X-mas cookies a couple of days before and just HAD to have the music to go along with it. I guess I'm just going along with the rest of the world. So now it's Christmas around here, big time. The tree is up and decorated, music is playing, decorations are up in full force. We've even already had the Santa photos done. I have to say, this was the first year that I got everything set up and thought to myself, "Oy, the clutter...!" That's not a good sign. Usually I don't feel overwhelmed by the clutter until the season is over. Maybe it's the Jew in me? But that's for another post...:-)

The End of an Era

I swear, having your kid find out the truth about Santa has to be one of the saddest moments. It happened to Vivian last night. I was with her as she was getting ready for bed and she says to me, "All the kids at school are saying that Santa is the parents..." I'm playing the coy Mom, saying, "ALL the kids? Did you speak to ALL of them?" But soon she was at my feet and looking me right in the eye. "Is Santa the parents, Mom? I want to know the truth..." How can a parent lie to that? I knew she was ready. It's funny how with things like that, before they happen, you worry about how you are going to handle it. Then when it comes up it's amazing how obvious it is that it's the right time. Of course the realization about Santa also brought out the truth about the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny as well. She just kept asking me questions, slow tears running down her cheeks. It almost was worse than a sob. She kept nodding and couldn't help but smile a bit as it all came together for her. My little girl is growing up, and that's a scary thing for both of us, I think! Oh, to still believe in Santa Claus. It's a sad day indeed when you realize there is no magic. Thank goodness for Harry Potter!

A Classic Gem

Or maybe I should say, Classic Jewel?? Sullivan really shows his love and appreciation for classical music. Whenever he is naked lately, he loves to hold his arms straight out to his side, wiggle up and down and hum Mozart's Serenade No. 13, or "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", whilst proudly exclaiming, "Look at my penis!" as it flaps to the beat. I know it's yet another one of those moments where, as a mother, I am supposed to keep my face stern and tell him that is not appropriate, or probably better, to just ignore the action. But on man, is it funny. That, of course, just eggs him on. Then he wants to do it for anyone who happens by the Shubert household--which can be a problem. So be forewarned...if you come to my house, please don't be humming that famous Mozart tune or you may be in for an eyefull!!

Smell My Feet

No, this isn't ANOTHER blog about my boots...although my friend Stephanie is threatening to possibly buy a brown pair...but, another Halloween, come and gone! Vivian had been waiting for months for this fleeting holiday, and it finally came. Her friends Emily and Nathan came over, along with their moms Kim and Stephanie, and with Sullivan we all hit the streets for the unabashed begging for candy. I think us moms probably had more fun than the kids, gossiping and laughing, and Kim having some sort of strange love-affair with her flashlight. :-) Sullivan was so cute, hanging in there with the big kids, running from house to house without a break. Of course they all got way too much candy of which 3/4 of it will probably become stale and get thrown out in a few months. But it is definitely the thrill of the hunt.

Halloween sure has changed since I was a kid. I mean, the concept and act of trick-or-treating is still the same, but it sure is much more quiet. It seems like a lot of people go to malls and don't even bother hitting the streets. I just can't imagine! Isn't the fun of Halloween being out in the dark, freezing your tukus off because you refused to wear a coat over your costume?? I don't know if it's this generation's constant and ever-growing fear, or just more conservatism taking over and brandashing Halloween as an evil holiday. Ug. Those people need to get over it and get a little fantasy in their lives! I know here at our house, Cory passed out candy to probably a grand total of 9 goblins. Every year we buy more candy than we need in hopes that "this year will be different". Hasn't happened yet! And the amount of candy people give out now is amazing. I think we adults are so sad to see Halloween die that we buy more candy than we need to and then realize we have to get rid of it or we'll have way too much leftover... that and probably yet another example of our generation's tendancy to over-indulge our kids. Sigh. Just where in the world are we headed?? It's a scary thought.