He’s Making a List, He’s Checking it Twice

…and he doesn’t care if he’s naughty or nice…

Scamp came home from school today and immediately announced that he HAD to have an XBOX 360 for Christmas. Had to.

He wants to get one so he can play Halo3. Where did he learn this, you ask? His older brother? No. Neighbors? No.

He learned it from this.
(watch the reruns during the holidays. Don’t watch it online, the writers receive no residuals when you do that…yet. I gotta support the writers!)

*Going to check prices on the XBOX now*

The Day Before the End of NaBloPoMo Deserves A Meme

So Daisy tagged me for a meme….

Here’s the rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I haven’t even started my Holiday Cards yet. Usually I’m done by now.
2. I’m almost done with the shopping of the gifts. Yes, feel free to hate me.
3. I get kind of upset when I have people tell me that Hanukkah isn’t really a holiday, and shouldn’t be lumped into the season. ANY holiday that promotes spending time with family, sharing a meal, and potato latkes should be celebrated, AND shared. With everyone. Tis the season, after all!
4. My kids light the Menorah, but we do not open our gifts, one each night. Actually, we GIVE gifts during this time to our friends, our neighbors, people in our community.
5. We open our gifts on Christmas Day, because that is what happens when a nice Jewish girl marries a nice Episcopalian boy; also when religion doesn’t play a huge role in your decision to marry, this is what happens. I think it is a lovely tradition that has served our family well.
6. We also have a tree. It even has ornaments. We call it a Hanukkah Bush. It is a tradition my mother started, and you just don’t mess with Mamma. Or her traditions. Besides, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think she’d be proud.
7. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Tuesday night. Latkes at my house!!!

So there it is. Now, the next seven people who read this have to go and do the meme on their blog and post back in the comments so we can all go see what your 7 facts are. Easy Peasy!

Hey!!! It’s almost December 1st!!!

Because Fresh Breath is SO Important to a Teenager

The lovely Holly from Culture Captioning asked me if I’d like to try some products out and then tell ya’all about it. I immediately thought, free stuff? and I get to talk about it? and free stuff?

So of course I said yes. Mamma didn’t raise no fool.

Then the boxes started arriving. And then I got sick. But TODAY! Today, I opened one of the items because I was forced by a teenager I wanted to.

So. VerMints.

Lots of yummy things come from Vermont. Maple Syrup is one of them.

Another one is now VerMints.

Let me explain. I’m a mints junkie. I’ve done the usual suspects, the Altoids and the other various mints, some I’ve paid for and some thankfully have been free. I have mints tins in every car I own, some super swanky and some I probably need to throw away. Suffice it to say, I loves me some mints.

I LOVE me some VerMints. More specifically, I love the VerMints Cinnamint and the Chai, forever and ever, AMEN!

Another thing I love? These mints are gluten-free, organic, no artificial sweeteners, and nut free. If my teenaged son liked mints, these would be perfect for him! (He will, just wait!)

So, instead, I enlisted SoccerDude to help me out. Luckily for me, he does like mints. He liked each and every one of the mints except for one. GingerMint. That one, he said was a little spicy. However, he liked the taste, just not the spicy. I liked it just fine, and as an added bonus to my current stuffy head, it actually helped clear things up for a few seconds so I could breathe.

Which made me realize I need to take the trash out.

Each and every one of the flavors has a great taste sensation from beginning to end. I found myself working through half of the CinnaMint tin on my own before I had to set it down and walk away. They’re THAT good.

They’re so good, I’m ordering more. They will make great gifts for co-workers and stocking stuffers. Provided I don’t eat them all first.

Thanksgiving Travel Tips of the Non-Variety

So, the trip to Boston. Here’s the breakdown:

We woke up at 3am. No, that is not a typo. I, in my infinite wisdom, booked us a flight that left at 6:45am. When I went to see if it could be changed to a later time, the website just laughed at me. Heartily. But in retrospect, this was a bit of genius thinking on my part, because the airport? was quiet. peaceful even. The TSA staff were smiling, and friendly. It was like a wonderful dream.

In the parking garage, we parked right near the elevator. I have never had that privilege, The Hubby has, and he brags about it all the time. I didn’t even get that when I went to Chicago. It was so nice, because Scamp wanted to “help”. It was very cute. It also lasted until we got to the other elevator, which was not long after this photo was taken. Oh well, fun while it lasted!

The flight? Uneventful. All of us slept through most of it. The arrival in Providence? Just fine, and made even better by the new underground walkway to baggage claim and the cherry-red Ford Escape we got to drive, for free, thanks to The Hubby’s work/travel gig. Scamp really liked it, so much so that he may have shed a tear when we had to turn it back in on Friday.

The mood changed dramatically once we got on the road, however. What was excitement about being back up in New England and seeing some fall foliage (since palm trees don’t really turn, if you know what I mean…) quickly turned to horror when we saw this:

Ummmm, wha? This is not Fall, this is Winter! I didn’t sign up for snow, and cold, and yuck. This was why I left New England!

But I was in a warm car, and we were headed to the Holy Land. The land of winners and patriotism, and razors:

Was It Worth It?

I went to the doctor today, and the diagnosis is strep throat, sinus infection, and an ear infection; caused by the wildly changing weather here and in Boston, as well as the air pressure due to flying.

But then I look at this:

and this:

and I realize it was very much worth it.

39 Degrees + 60 Degrees + Air Pressure = MIGRAINE!

I know, I could back post this to yesterday, but that would be cheating, so we’ll just pick up from here, okay?

I have been in bed since coming home Friday night. My husband (who should be knighted for sainthood) has had to endure caring for the kids, waiting on me hand and foot, and generally doing everything while I try, rather unsuccessfully, to recover.

I’ve been tagged for a meme, but I’ll have to do it later.

I have so much to tell you and share with you about my trip, but it too, will have to wait.

I’m currently trying not to throw up my dinner, and the room is kinda spinning.

Ugh.

What Black Friday Means to Me

That I will be leaving this:

and this:

and this:

But I’ll be going home to this:

and this:

as soon as I unpack our suitcases.

Thank you Boston, for your gracious hospitality, delicious food, and crazy weather. You’re fantastic. Let’s do it again soon, ‘kay?

But it will be GREAT to be home.

Thankful Thoughts

In the spirit of last year’s post, I’d like to expand on the things that I am thankful for this year:

• I am thankful for the job I get to do each day; working with children that amaze me and a teacher that inspires me to become the person I know I can be.

• I am thankful for my family; the one I was born into, the one that I married into, and the one I have created, either biologically or through lifelong friendship and love.
• I am thankful that there were too many desserts already made, so all I am responsible for is wine this Thanksgiving.
• A BIG THANK YOU goes out to the Coolidge Corner/Brookline Trader Joe’s for helping me select and purchase said wine.
• An even quieter thank you goes out to all those people who bought out the rice pudding at the Brookline Trader Joe’s. Whew, that was close!
• I’m thankful for Margot, at Peet’s Coffee and Tea, for providing me with the most amazing cup of coffee yesterday. Your customer service was top-notch.
• I’m thankful for you, who read this and commiserate, or read this and laugh. Thank you for getting it, and me.
• I’m thankful for the ability to be with several of my loved ones today; still knowing that many others cannot, and wishing they could be.
• In closing, I’m thankful for the air that I breathe, the life that I live, and everyone who has entered my life, by whatever means necessary. I thank you for your wisdom, your kindness, and your strength; however it manifested itself. I thank you for your honesty, even when I might not have wanted to hear it.
• Now, I’m thankful that the Ny-Quil finally kicked in.

Let me know in the comments what you are thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Boston,

Boston Bound

We’re headed to Boston today for the Thanksgiving holiday. Once I get there, and get settled, I’ll tell you all about the ungodly hour we had to get up to catch our plane, and whether or not we got lost in the Big Dig. Deets to come!

Shash