Catching up on last year's news and Happy New Year!!!

We rang in the New Year at my dad's house. We enjoyed Chinese food, a New Year's tradition in my family that dates back as long as I can remember. My dad made his famous Baked Alaska dessert, and then he lit off some fireworks to usher in the New Year. We got to visit a bit with my cousin Nick and his wife Shannon and see their cute little boy Jack who is a little over a year now.

Ben's job search keeps being put on pause by the holidays. He had some good quality interviews with a company he would enjoy working for. He also is in the interview process with another wonderful job prospect. His last interview was the day before Christmas Eve. We were hoping he would receive an offer before Christmas. Unfortunately for us, everyone was in holiday mode their and ducked out early Christmas Eve and didn't do a full day the day after Christmas either, and then both of the companies he is interested in gave their employees the entire week of New Years off (a perk I will truly enjoy next year, if one of them hires him), thus we are in a waiting limbo to hear back from them.

Our camera charger cord vanished for much of the holiday break and only resurfaced a few days ago. So, we don't have any pictures of our kids on Christmas. We do have some home movies. We had a wonderful Christmas, despite our extended families both being away from us over Christmas this year.

Lately, Zack keeps losing his voice. He likes to pretend to be a vampire. He does a very fabulous Vampire hiss, which I need to capture on video, that I am sure is taking a toll on his vocal cords. He usually does the hiss while wearing some sort of blanket or towel cape and raising his arms and staring directly into his "victim's" eyes.

In other news, Santa thought he was doing my kids a favor this year when along with their usual stocking stuffer of a toothbrush, he brought them some pre-brushing solutions that show you where you need to brush by dying it blue. Santa must have thought my kids would love to brush away the blue and have fabulously dazzling smiles afterward. Santa must not have any children, because if he did, wouldn't he have known better? Zack popped a hole in Maddie's blue mouthrinse. He successfully managed to drain the large bottle of blue dye all over his bathroom. Zack was in big trouble and spent a good deal of time with Ben cleaning up the bathroom. The next day Zack found Andrew's blue pre-brush toothpaste and squeezed it all over himself and pasted the bathroom walls. That blue dye is AWFUL. Once again, Ben and Zack spent some quality clean up time together. I am debating having Zack tethered to me, perhaps in some sort of straight jacket carrier. The next day, he found the HIDDEN final blue pre-brush toothpaste and squirted 75% of the tube into my favorite Bath & Bodyworks 3/4 filled soap dispenser. The other 25% went on to his body, the walls, and the floor. I want to say that Zack just isn't learning his lesson, but the fact it happened once a day for three days must mean that I am not learning my lesson...

Maddie and I got into a disagreement about her inability to share with her siblings, despite her tyranical enforcement that they share with her. Then she ran away from home. A short while later Ben went to retrieve her from the little neighborhood hideout that she and her friends have. I was very impressed with her packing skills. In a small bag, she had managed to pack two outfits, two pairs of pajamas, two pairs of socks, and four pairs of underwear (she must have envisioned trouble finding a toilet in the wilderness). Ben brought her home and, even though she is still very selfish, we are glad to have her home.

I had a funny conversation with Andrew as he, Maddie, and I were finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping last week. We were walking through a strip mall back to our car and we passed a music store. This was our conversation:

Me: Why don't you two ever ask for something like violins for Christmas?
Andrew: WHAT?!?!?! Mom, what did you just say?
Me: I said why don't you ask for something like a violin for Christmas?
Andrew: Oh...... I thought you said we should ask for violence for Christmas......

There was a bit of disappointment in his voice when he learned that I was more of a Peace on Earth wisher than an ask for violence kind of mom.

Ben and I have been trying to get as many jobs around the house done while he is around. Mylie's room has been repainted and is very fun. She loves it. Her brothers love it too and keep invading her room to just be in it. Maddie's room also got a makeover and I am happy with how it is turning out.

Next on the agenda is our room, which will involve painting over our children's primitive cave art that they have so generously graced our walls with. Do you think it would be unmotherly to booby trap my room to keep my kids out of it?

We really need to replace our carpet. Have you seen those commercials when the lady is so embarassed about her carpet that when her friend comes to visit one rainy evening, she steps out into the rain with the friend rather than inviting her in? I am soooo that lady! Here are the sorts of stains that have found their final resting place in my carpet over the years that vanish for perhaps a week after Stanley Steemer comes but then resurface like the blood stains in Macbeth: Bubble solution (1 entire bottle), Blue windex (half a bottle), one RED single service crystal lite packet (note to self, never use a liquid carpet cleaner on anything that needs liquid to transform itself into a dye, such as red crystal lite, even if you can't get all the powder out with a vacuum), white paint primer (enough drips to look like Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds' was filmed in our home), strawberry milkshake that a child smuggled to their room, a big red "X" drawn with permanent marker in a child's bedroom (because, of course, X marks the spot), etc, etc, etc. Oh, Carpet Gods, I will not sacrifice my children to you, even though I know that is the only way I can be blessed with clean carpets....

I have great hopes for 2009, like potty training the last of my non-potty trained offspring, taking a trip with Ben, writing more often, replacing my flooring with something more forgiving than low-grade carpet, having an employed husband, and creating some fun family memories.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Andrew came running up the stairs on the morning of Christmas Eve to say, and I quote, "GREAT NEWS!!! I gave myself a haircut!!!" All of his bangs were gone. I have a video of him telling me about his haircut and even a great shot of him going to see how it looked in the mirror. My favorite line from when he sees himself: "Oh, wow, I cut it in a rectangle. I thought I was cutting it in a circle!" If you are wondering what inspired a six year old to cut his own hair, he explained that he wanted to more easily be able to see and touch his forehead. Ahhhh, mystery solved.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!