A New Year!!

What a way to start a new year than to be with your family and start it off right!! This past weekend we did just that. My sister, her husband and boys came and then we celebrated another Christmas with my dad's side of the family. All of the kids got to play with their new toys together and we laughed, mostly at my sister, but you know (just kidding). I enjoyed being able to spend time with my sister again and her husband and boys. My kids enjoyed it too. They LOVE playing with their cousins. Then we had the Moore Christmas. When we all get together, we always have so much food that even eating a small spoonful of everything will cause you to explode. One of my uncle's said that we don't do that often enough. I don't know if he meant that we don't get together often enough for the sake of getting together or for the wonderful food we always get to eat when everyone is together!! I'm assuming both!

I have decided also this year that 2010 will be a great year. Keep all of the negativity on the back burner. You don't realize until another year has gone and you get caught up in some things, what an impact it has on you. Seeing and being reminded of death through friends who have gone before me, makes me stop and realize all the bad things and negative things in this world are not worth all the time that we spend dwelling on it. We have one life to live, so why dwell and give Satan the benefit of ruining another day?

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year filled with many blessings, much love and beautiful hope for a better tomorrow.

Best Part of My Day

The most favorite part of my day....hearing my two favorite people telling me "I love you Mom." This melts my heart every time, especially if I haven't seen them and am talking to them on the phone. I love hearing those words from those two. Makes my day shine a little bit brighter and my step a little bit lighter!! Love you two!!!

Tis the Season

I love this time of year!! Sitting here typing this, I am getting more and more anxious about Christmas. I'm ready for the kids to open presents and see what they got from Santa!!

However, I was ready to throw it all out the window last night. The kids came home wound up. I'm not meaning wound up, laughing giggling, wound up. I mean wound up wrestlin' moves wound up!! Ella was literally hanging off of her brother's neck. Tanner didn't do much to help keep his sister off though! About every 5 minutes I was telling Tanner to sit down and leave Ella alone or telling Ella to quit screaming at her brother or quit dropping her elbow into him as she was falling on top of him!! This is how I know Christmas is just around the corner, the kids start doing wilder things just to see if Santa is truly watching and just to see how much they can get away with. About the time I finally get them settled down, the tree starts crashing down!! So, as everyone is running to save the tree, the kids start hanging on each other and jumping on top of one another. I'm holding the tree, dad is trying to see where the base is broken and mom is trying to pull all 50 million presents from under the tree so they don't get crushed. Mom had to pull out her Christmas tree and assemble it while I'm holding the broken one. Then one by one we move the ornaments from the broken tree to the not broken tree. Ella realizes that we don't have lights on the not broken tree and has a complete melt down. I told her to get over it and help move ornaments (I know,I'm a terrible mother!!) Anyway, about an hour later, we got everything put back together and the broken tree to the dumpster. The kids finally went to bed around 10, but Ella didn't stay there long! Oh what a night!! I've got to come up with some ideas for the kids over the next two weeks.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! May you find peace, joy and love this holiday season!!!

Talks

I LOVE MY TALKS WITH TANNER!! I cannot say that enough. I have been meaning to post this and haven't had a chance. It seems like there has been a lot going on and I haven't had time, but I am making time to put this down.

A couple of nights ago, maybe Sunday night, I was folding clothes and Tanner was laying on the bed while I was folding. He looks up to me and says "Mom, will you let me do my deal that I talked about earlier this summer?" My mind starts racing and this is where I'm thinking what did I say he could do? Oh no, what is it? Think fast, he's waiting for an answer. I say "What deal exactly are your talking about?" He says, you know my food stand. We are going to split the money at the end of the day three ways. I asked him where he was planning on putting his food stand? He said "Outside, of course!" I'm thinking no doubt outside but exactly where outside? He then clarifies and says that he wants to put it on that empty parking lot behind my parents house. He says that night time would be a good time to do his dine out stand, since it is too hot during the day! He says it is a good way for him to make money and save it for his trip to Disney World. I agree and tell him we will have to talk more about it. He wants to advertise and start small and as he gets bigger add more things. He said he needed a loan to get started and maybe talk to the editor of the newspaper to find out about advertising prices ;) So if you see advertisement for a DINE OUT cafe, it's probably Tanner and his friends.

Quick Funny

I had to post this about the kids, it is a quick funny story about a brother and his little sister.

Last night, Tanner was trying hard to concentrate on writing a story for his ready writing practice. Ella, who LOVES to pester her brother, was running off at the mouth. He would ask her to hush so he could concentrate. I would take Ella out of the room to read a book and she would "go put the book up" via telling her brother what he needed to write and I would have to go retrieve her so she would leave Tanner alone. Finally Tanner put his pencil down and started talking and playing with her. Ella went and got two of her many play cell phones so her and Tanner could talk on them. Tanner with his quick wit, flipped one of the cell phones open and says "Hello Santa. Yes, this is Tanner. Oh yes Santa you know I have been good, but my sister..." Ella immediately tries to take the phone from him and tells him to close it so he can't tell Santa that his sister has been pestering him. I was laughing so hard, because she was so quick to tell her brother to close that phone and give it to her. Tanner started laughing and told her that if she wasn't nice Santa wouldn't come see her. Ella's reply "I'm always nice to Santa."

Kudos

Ok, I have to brag on 5 amazing kids!! They did an amazing job tonight and it's wonderful to see what these kids are doing!

Let me back up some. Tonight, 5 kids from Mrs. Long's third grade class did a computer project about planets and were able to do a presentation for the school board tonight. There were four boys and a girl who were all very nervous but very well prepared to demonstrate their power point presentation about planets. The kids were given resources to find out 9 facts about their planet. Each one of the kids knew more about their planet than I could have ever known in my lifetime. I was amazed at the information they had and impressed with how they presented the information. I feel that my kids are very lucky to be in a school system where the administration is willing to help our kids. Our educators are willing to help our kids. And our kids are willing, ready and able to take on new tasks with a little guidance. My hat is off to you all who are preparing my kids with as much knowledge, guidance and support to be the best they can be.

(By the way~don't tell Tanner I was bragging tonight....he gets embarrased and told me earlier they were just doing their project and having fun.)

Best Conversation

Last night after the kids and I said our prayers, well actually Tanner and I (Ella likes to pretend she can't!), we laid in bed and talked for a minute. I love laying in bed talking to the kids. You never know what really to expect from Ella and with Tanner, it is usually what ever is on his mind. For us, this is the best time to talk.
Tanner is ever so thoughtful and wants to know what to get everyone for Christmas. We have had this conversation before and he wants to buy something for everyone. Then he asks when my birthday is and what I want for my birthday. I tell him I just want him and his sister to make me a card and that is all I need. He says, "Oh come on mom, everyone wants to get a present for their birthday to unwrap." I told him that I unwrap the best present every morning when I wake him and his sister up to get ready for the day. He is very adamant that he and his sister get me something. I told him we would worry about that another day. Today is not that day. Then we start talking about how he has been good all year and Ella decides to chime in. She has finally figured it out that when she is good all year, Santa will come see her. He says that he has ideas for everyone that he has on his list. I said on your list? He said yea. Tanner started telling me what he is going to get for his dad, his sister, his friends, his teacher, his grandparents, his cousins, and even the cat!! He said, "You know mom, I really like giving gifts to people to see how happy they are!" Ella then told me she had a list and it sounded like everyone on her list was going to get some lick stick for Christmas!! Tanner also said that one day he will cook the meal at Christmas when his restaurant is big enough to hold everyone!! I'm wondering how big his restaurant will be and how many people he is inviting? Knowing him, he will feed the whole town and never bat an eye!!