Comments Moderation

Comments moderation has been removed. That was the only way I thought I would know if there were comments left by people and I wanted to know what people thought. It turns out that you can have new comments sent to your e-mail as they are left. Doh!

Getting to Know You: Christmas Edition

(Kim, I'm copying your intro, too, in case anyone sees this and wants to participate.)

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your blogging friends. I'm not going to tag anyone specific but consider yourself tagged if you feel like posting something frivilous and fluffy!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags.
2. Real tree or fake: Real.
3. When do you put up the tree? There isn’t a set day or date for us. It’s whatever works best that year.
4. When do you take the tree down? The same, there isn’t a set day or date for us. It’s whatever works best that year.
5. Do you like eggnog? I don’t know. I have never tried it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? This would require too much thought.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother.
8. Christmas eve midnight mass/service or Christmas Day: No.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Always mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift ever received? This would require too much thought.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever I see something that I think someone will like.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I don’t have any particular favorite.
16. Lights on the tree? Of course. We take turns between white lights and colored lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I don’t have a favorite.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Can‘t everyone?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Christmas Day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The pressure some people feel to have everything perfect.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Ornaments made by those I love.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I don’t have a specific favorite.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Santa knows. I can’t tell you or he won’t bring it.

Cat Chronicles - Detente

The battle between Baby and First cat continues. I've been out of town and apparently the felines have missed me. In fact, they missed me so much that the warring females brought themselves to sit on opposite sides of me on a chair upon my return. For only a moment, though, and while giving each other the stink eye. Then they started giving each other their backs until one of them relented and jumped off the chair. She missed me, but not that much after all. :)

My Cheer Went Poof

I was in such a good mood. Despite going to the dentist for a routine visit, I was full of holiday cheer and all that. Yet how quickly that disappeared.

The hygienist cleaned my teeth and began to floss them. She was quite rough with the floss and it was painful, to the point where I exclaimed in pain. Apparently she either didn't hear it at all or hears it so much it didn't make an impression on her because she proceeded to say, "Your gums are bleeding. Do you not floss regularly?"

WTH? Could she not tell the answer by the condition of my teeth? Or had the hair bleach permeated her brain and left her completely senseless? Gone was my good mood, immediately squashed by the pain from her overzealous efforts. Her stupid question was merely icing on that rotten cake.

"Not only do I floss regularly, I floss even twice a day or three times a day depending on what I eat. What I do NOT do is assault my gums like you have! Are you finished yet?"

I guess I won't be getting a Christmas card from her, but the feeling was mutual. Next time I will ask for any hygienist but her.

My Babies Are Growing Up

My work has involved a lot of travel this year. At first I had illusions of continuing to direct the household from a distance but I quickly realized that that was not realistic. So I turned over the list and duties to my husband, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

Mainly I was worried about the kids. I don't talk about them here a lot for different reasons. They aren't so young that they need mommy all the time, but of course there are certain times and events when I am the one they turn to. Much to my surprise (and maybe just a little dismay), everyone has done fine without me. In fact, the tears I anticipated didn't happen. Maybe we tried too hard to make it seem like an upbeat thing and maybe I've tried too hard to foster self-reliance, lol. They have made more of a fuss before when I've gone to the store without them! They knew they could call me on my phone, text me or e-mail me so I was always reachable, even if I couldn't talk to them immediately. I made sure we spoke at least once a day. I sent them pictures of the hotel room, etc so they could actually "see" where I was. So I did everything I could think of to make it not a disruption in their schedule or a source of worry for them. Clearly my goal was to make my absence easier on them.

Yet for some reason I'm torn between wondering if they "shouldn't" (there's one of those bad words) have missed me a little more and feeling like it was a good thing that life stayed on an even keel for them despite my absence. (Okay, my husband was miserable and admitted it, shockingly enough. I thought he of all people would be leading the party with junk food, staying up late, etc. It's the children I thought might have a problem with it.)

I think I'm going to color it a good thing. They are growing up to be separate individuals and it really was a relief they weren't clingy. My husband remembered to feed them and everyone got to their intended destinations every day. Maybe the house wasn't as clean as I would have liked but it isn't necessarily as clean as I would like even when I am here. So overall this is a good thing. It makes my life a lot easier when they aren't so dependent upon me. It also reminds me that my babies are growing up.

Thankful Sentiments

I try not to let moments of thanksgiving pass me by just because it isn't that one day a year called "Thanksgiving Day" so here is an except of what I am thankful for:

-I am thankful for my spouse and children. I am blessed and know it. I try to remember to tell them regularly.

- I am thankful for my job. It has been gruelling and difficult at times, but I am grateful to have a job at all in these uncertain times.

-I am thankful for a lot of things in my life, a lot of people in my life. There are too many to go into here. When I have "down" days I remind myself of all the things I should be thankful for. It does help.

On the Subject of Bathrooms.....

I had forgotten about this practical gem:



From the ever-practical Dutch perspective, this can be a useful sign. Yes, for those of you who may not have been there or may not have seen such an event, it is not uncommon for pedestrians, bicyclers, etc to stop, take a whiz against the nearest building, zip up and continue along on their way. As a woman, I am jealous because it would be so much easier to be able to be able to do that.