I can't believe Christmas is over. I couldn't wait to have the time off work and POOF! it's gone - just plain gone! We had a great Christmas. Lots and Lots of nice presents and lots of good food. I ate like a pig! Time to get back to normal. Piper's favorite gift was her play tent. Well, the one I bought her to start with isn't very sturdy. It's adorable - Disney Princess but she is just tent tarded!!! She tries to lean on the walls like they are sturdy and has trouble getting out of the one end. So on one of our many Target trips we have had after Christmas I found one that has sturdier post. So we got it with the intention of taking back the other one. Well, the box got ruined so looks like we are keeping both and one is going to Grandma's! Ashley loves her cell phone. She was alittle pissy about the cell phone joke we played on her when she opened her gift but she got over it when she heard it ringing in her stocking. Riley got Heely's shoes. He fell on his butt quite a few times and kept taking out the wheels. I asked him how he ever expected to learn if he didn't keep trying and POOF before you knew it - he could ride on his Heelys. Wow!

Ashley got this cool Wii game. It's called My Sims. You build your character and then work on building your town. We are all addicted. Just crazy. Steve and I are sharing his town. It's called Smellyville. Go figure - he named his town Smellyville. Its a great game if anybody is looking to get a cool game for a Wii owner.

Of course like always I got spolied at Christmas. Not only did I get the camcorder(which I didn't need) I got a digital picture frame, a cool Twin Six Shirt, a sd card for my cell phone(my husband is such a geek) some scrapbooking stuff, and some Everest movies and a Macy's card to go shopping yet. Holy Shit. My husband needs to just chill out. But then again - that is why I married him.... oh yeah - the real reason I married him was so he could mow the yard......
Needless to say we all had a very nice Christmas.

We watch the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. Man I did not do well with this show. I was really upset (crying) at the end. I can't imagine going thru all that with your child. Dragging your child to the shelter house and sleeping in the subway bathroom. It all really upset me. Each major life experience for me (i.e. divorce, finding my new love, having a baby) makes me even more softer and emotional. I just can't help it anymore. Oh well. I give up. I just cry!

Piper is turning in to an eating machine. She just wants to eat all day long! Tonight we went to Wendy's - I am tired of all the shit we have been eating at home. And she ate the whole kids meal - 4 nuggets and all the mandrin oranges. And also some of my fries! In addition to that she ate really good at lunch. I think she is going thru that growth spurt again.

Well, back to work tomorrow. I was in on Friday for a 1/2 day and then I went in today for 4 hours. I got so much stuff to do. Since I am new to my position and haven't done alot of the stuff going on right now I am still learning about year end and new year stuff. I can tell you I will be better prepared next year. I will, I will!! Go back to work tomorrow only to be confused again with having Tuesday off. Plus what a week - it's a payroll week for me (and a short week for that) but I have to get my month end done before I can do the payroll. So I will be hitting it hard.

Piper is really going to miss the big kids especially Ashley. She plays with Piper all the time. Thank goodness Piper goes back to the sitter on Wednesday so she will only have a couple of days without kids. I really can't say enough good things about Ashley with Piper. Today she changed her diaper for the first time and she(Ashley) informed "I know how to change diapers" I know she does - I don't like for her to do it because I don't want her to feel like I expect her to do it. But I will miss her too. She also entertains my monster while I try to get household stuff done.

Everybody please be safe over the New Year's holiday. We are going to whoop it up! Have chili for supper and watch movies (hopefully this really ends up being the plan) Happy New Year! And we might be new car owners by later this week. My husband is going to drive a Volks Rabbit. It's a pretty cool car.

Happy New Year!

We got up early today. Steve's back has really been bothering him. And mine has been alittle touchy too. We are kinda wondering if it isn't our bed. But man, we bought it right after we got married - I would hope a nice king size bed would last longer than 5 years. Piper got up around 7. I decided when I woke up this morning that I wanted to go get something else for my mom today. We ate breakfast and got cleaned up. We were at the mall by 10:20! We got what I needed and we were out of there by 11:00. The mall was nice. There were people there but not many. It wasn't bad at all. I also needed to return something to Target. I got that done in like 10 seconds! I am glad I didn't wait. I am sure it will be a mad house for a while after Christmas. That is what I get for trying to buy a bra without trying it on. I just don't have time!!! We just walked around Target for awhile.

Our Christmas Eve family get together is not till early evening. So alittle after 4 we headed to Warren. What a great time. Good food - Good family. Just always a great time. I always look forward to this family Christmas. We have a white elephant exchange which is always fun.

Oh and on my "so proud of us for using the camcorder we ALREADY have" bit.... well, this morning when it was just Steve and I he gave me a Christmas present. He said I had to open it today. That stinker bought me a dvd camcorder..... I told him the one I had was fine. He said no because you have to fast forward and rewind the tape.... WOW! that sounds like a good reason to spend 350.00 on me..... I can rewind and fast forward. I am from the cassette tape era. But no... not for me he said. Only the best for me. I love it. I can't believe how much smaller it is from what we have! I told him he is getting the short end of the stick because I in no way spent that much on him!!! And kinda a funny note - yesterday Piper pulled the old camcorder off the table and Steve says she broke it. Well, I used it after word and it recorded just fine. So, a piece broke off it that covered some area but its fine. I am trying to be cheap and my husband just won't let me!!!

Merry Christmas to all. I hope you all have a great time with your families and friends. Ashley gets her cell phone tomorrow. I can't wait.

We had a great day! Got up around 8 - well, really up at 5 with Piper rocked her for 30 minutes put her back down and headed back to bed! I am not getting up on Saturday the same time I have to get up all week!!!! I got started on some cleaning and laundry. We all got our showers and then headed to get Donny for lunch. He was ready when we got there alittle early. We took him to McDonalds. It was nice to visit with him and hear about all his plans for Christmas with his family. He also told us about all the cookies and stuff all the other neighbors have brought him. He is pretty special to our neighborhood!

We got home from lunch and I put Piper down for her nap and my wonderful husband took the big kids and headed for the grocery store...... yuck. But really for me it wasn't much better(other than no having to listening to the big kids fight) I started wrapping presents and watching White Christmas when they left and I was still wrapping when they got home and then some! I think I have gotten it all done now. But wait I just remembered one of Riley's that Steve has some where that I will need to wrap.

We then ran to Target to get some stuff I needed. WOW! Was that stupid. I needed normal things and the weekend before Christmas is not the time to go get that stuff. But we made better time than I expected. We came home and had homemade ravoli and breadsticks for supper. Either I was hungry or that just tasted good. Steve spent a small fortune at the grocery so we have some good stuff to eat!

After supper we went downtown to see the lights! What a great night for that. It was alittle cold but for Indiana night in December - this late in December it was perfect. We took Piper's walking stroller and walked all around downtown. Check out the pictures! You can click on the picture to enlarge it! It was a great time and we all enjoyed seeing the lights. We also made it to that house that had the elves in the window. The house and the decorations were so cool. The guy has an old house that he has re-done. It's beautiful! Steve hates those big blow up things (for those of you who read his blog you know his distaste...) we found this one house that 11 in one yard. I am sure his blog will have all the info on it. It was so funny... I let Piper get out of her stroller for alittle bit and walk around downtown. She loved it. I tell you its just not the pickle eating that she is like her father - its also the fact that she has to be moving.... don't think you can keep her down.

Piper was sure tired tonight. I hope she sleeps well tonight. Last night she coughed early one but stopped for the rest of the night. I don't think she has the croup. I think she is just having some drainage. All her snot is clear!

Ahhhhhh....... made it thru the week! And no work for a week!!! I have to go in next Friday at least for a 1/2 day because that is all the vacation time I have. I tell you having a kid drains your vacation time! I guess I should've expected as much.

We went to Mancino's for supper tonight. We had 2 free grinders so by time we paid for drinks and Piper's meal it only cost $6! You can't beat that. The last time we were there they messed up our order so they gave us some free grinders for the next time! Worked out great. Then we did what I have been waiting to do all Christmas season. We went thru the drive thru light up display at Franke Park. Piper really liked it. She was babblin' thru the whole thing. Ashley got her out of her seat and let her sit on her lap so she could see better. Finally by the end she got that you had to look from side to side to see all the displays. Tomorrow night we hope to go downtown and see the big Santa and the Wolf and Dessauer elfs are in a guys front window downtown. It's suppose to be 51 here tomorrow so hopefully tomorrow evening will be warmer too! But the lights tonight were pretty cool and Piper thought so too! (and I think the big kids liked it too!!!)

Tomorrow we are taking our neighbor - his name is Donny - to McDonalds for a Christmas lunch. He is so funny. He is probably about a 12 year old living in a 51 year old man's body. He lives by himself and does a very good job with it. He has a job and takes good care of his house. Well, over the last year or so we have become friends with him. Over the summer he came down when we tore out all the bushes out front and cut some down and helped Steve and my dad with all the brush. He worked hard because Steve told him we would take him to McDonalds for supper and even let him super size it!!! I told Steve the other night to stop and tell Donny that we want to take him to lunch Saturday for Christmas. See, the last time we went the big kids weren't at our house that weekend so they didn't get to eat with Donny. He was nothing but a pure gentleman while he was with us. He got the highchair for Piper and he ate all his meal! We had a pretty good time - so it's time to take him out again.

I tell you at work we have the coolest new thing. It's a switchplate cover that tells you the temperature and the humidity level. Is that cool or what. The only thing is it's a single switch. But I bought one for our room. I love it! This time of year I an obessed with the humidity level in our house. I never thought much about it till I had a baby last year. Now, I check it all the time. I know, I know I am crazy.

You know me these days with my "green" obession. Well, for Christmas my really good friend got me the coolest things. I got a book on all the uses for baking soda, a big box of baking soda and a book on 1001 little ways to save the planet. I love it all! She said it wasn't very personal but useful - bull crap that is very personal for me right now with my obession I got going on!

Christmas is getting closer. I realized last night that I have more presents then I thought to wrap..... oh and when I haven't figured out yet.....

have all of you been watching Everest Beyond The Limit??????? It's almost over.... you better be checking for the repeats! Its the BEST! And now they have a show called After The Climb. It's really good too about the climbers and Everest. Check it out - it's way better than Desperate Housewives..... Click on the link off to the side of my blog to check out the website!

Last night was haircut night... our appointment wasn't till 7:30(Piper's chill out and jammie time) but the plan was for her to go first and then Steve would take her home and put her to bed. Well, sometimes things never go as planned. She was none to happy to be having her haircut. She cried the whole time and wouldn't sit still - but she sat still enough to at least get her bangs cut!! That was what needed cut the most so we are good. I let her leave and daddy took her home and put her to bed. I think it was too late in the evening. Plus I think she is getting a cold. Of course she is - its the holidays and we have to run every in the world so why not get sick! I just hope its not the croup. I am scared to death of that. I am scared that I will not know she has it. I know what i am to do if she wakes up breathing hard but I am just scared. I was reading my baby book last night on croup and of course the dad who says "What makes you think she has the croup" with that you are a crazy mommy look... I said I don't know that I am just concerned with the sound of the cough! She coughed early in the night but pretty much after 10:30 I didn't hear a word from her. I went in to check on her a couple of times and she was breathing normal and sleeping peacefully. Babies are so pretty when they are sleeping.

Not much exciting went on this week. Things have been really busy for me at work. Wrapping up many year end things because this week is the last payroll of the year and getting ready for the first payroll of 2008 since that will be here before I know it with being gone much of next week due to the holidays and vacation.

I have the normal mommy things left to do for Christmas. Wrapping presents and shopping for food. I like we have all our gift shopping done. So this weekend it will be hitting the grocery! My favorite place! I hate the grocery! Always have - always will. Lucky for me my husband doesn't mind it at all! I love him. Not only does he spoil me with nice gifts - he likes to go to the grocery! I think I will keep him around.....

Steve got our relief bands in the mail the other day. They are pretty cool looking. If you don't read his blog(which somedays I don't blame you!) Here is the website to the relief bands. http://www.reliefbeads.org/ You all should check it out and hey - buy a couple!

You know I was thinking the other day about Christmas gifts... do people like homemade gifts just as much as store bought gifts? Does it mean more that it was made by the one you love verse just getting something from Macy's or does it just not matter - its the thought that counts?

Check out this fun game - and it's for a good cause!
http://www.freerice.com/index.php

I got this email one day and I LOVE it so I thought I would share it....

Paul Harvey writes....

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you will let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother tha you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flag pole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at the Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you -tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen, sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

I can't believe it..... we actually go the snow they predicted! They say we have 7 inches but man I think it looks like more than that. Steve ate some breakfast and outside he went. He blew out all the snow in our drive and the 2 neighbors on each side of us. I love that he does that for our neighbors. One - because when I was little my dad would go out and clear out the whole neighborhood. Two- because when I was single and had to worry about this myself it was always nice when my best friends husband would plow my drive when I lived in the country and in February when we had all the snow and Steve was gone the neighbor man cleaned our driveway out!

We just chilled out around the house today. I bought Steve a shirt for Christmas yesterday and when we got home it really didn't fit right around the neck so Steve and Riley went out to the mall and returned it and picked out another one. What a great time to hit the mall. Steve said nobody was there - well hell no! Riley was also able to pick out a Christmas present for Ashley while they were there. Then Steve comes home and takes Ashley out to pick out something for Riley - all this going on while Piper is napping! I did my checkbook, paperwork and ironed Steve's shirts. I love nap time......

Last week during the kids Christmas programs we actually video taped them. So, of course Ashley wanted to watch them today... So we did. We also watched the old footage of what little we had recorded. It was fun. We actually had Christmas on there from 2002. The kids looked so little and they were so nice.... that is what we told them!! I told them today that we are going to start recording stuff throughout the year and then have a family video night like next December and watch what we all did all year long. They seemed to think that sounded really cool. Now we just have to get taken some pictures too.

Piper's favorite cartoon is Noddy. It's on Sprout TV - which is the coolest kids channel. If you don't know who Noddy is check him out! http://www.noddy.com/index_us.php

We survived the flu! It was bad. Steve didn't feel good last Friday night and Saturday night-Sunday early morning I was blessed with tossin' my cookies. Man it was bad. So bad I couldn't get out of bed all day on Sunday. And Piper still had the diarrhea all day on Sunday so Steve had to deal with that by himself. I felt bad for him but there was nothing I could do! Then on Monday came the sittin' on the toilet. So I decided to stay home and keep Piper home with me for another day. It was a wise choice - we both just took it easy. Before lunch she grabbed her shoes and brought them to me. Then she went to the kitchen to the chair I put her in to put them on and I put them on her - then she grabbed her coat and started dragging it around the house and crying because she wanted to go somewhere! She is a true Weber. Can't stay home - has to be on the go. So I gave her lunch and then a nap. Then we went over to Jefferson Pointe to check out the little playland area. She played for about 30 minutes and then we took a ride. I guess that was good enough for her!

Then the rest of the week was busy! Busy at work - busy at home. Wednesday night Ashley had her choir concert. So we went to Albion and watched 6-7-8 choirs perform. Then Thursday night it was Riley's school program. So, Steve took the kids out for supper(our visitation night) and then went to Riley's program. Riley was Raggedy Andy in the play..... boy we won't forget to tell his girlfriend that!!! Then before we knew it the week was over and it was Friday. The boys went to get their haircut last night and we ate supper at home and watched the new Harry Potter movie. Well, we didn't get all of it watched.

We are suppose to get a bunch of snow today and tomorrow. I guess I get sick of the outrageous predictions and then we don't get much. I guess I just get to where I don't worry because I don't believe them!!! We went out to the mall again. We ate lunch at Applebee's - it cost 60.00 for our family to eat there. That is crazy. I told Steve that is also why we are eating supper at home tonight!!! We are hoping to go over the Franke Park and do the drive thru lights tonight. Piper has never seen them. I think she will like them.

Piper did something really smart the other night. Now, I am not saying she is smart (hence some of the things she does do) but I have Rudolph the Red Noise Reindeer stuffed animals that she plays with and she was watching the movie. She got the most puzzled look on her face while Sam the Snowman was on the screen - went around the back of the sofa - found the stuffed Sam the Snowman and came back and watched the rest of the movie with "stuffed" Sam the Snowman with her. I was impressed! She made the connection - that hey - I have seen him with the stuffed animals.... I just hope she is so smart - she can take care of me and I can quit my job!!!

Well, slowly Piper is getting better. She hasn't tossed her cookies only that one night but the diarrhea is hanging on. And boy you should see her bottom. Its really bad. Today though she hasn't had 1 bad diaper yet - YET I say. Not much going on around here lately. I think her sickness is going to work its way thru the house though. Steve started feeling sick last night. And he really hasn't been himself today either. We have lots of running to do this weekend and I don't think we will get it done. But that is ok. With everybody(I have my normal headache) not feeling well - we are just going to take our time getting it done. And here I sit doing this blog when I have laundry to do, house to clean and many more other things. But I am my normal "I will do it later" self today.

This is a picture of the Mrs. Claus that lives in our house. Piper loves her santa hat. She will even wear it out - she wore it to the store last weekend. Boy did that draw lots of attention!

I am happy to report that we have been using our camcorder. The one that we already had. It works great. Well, as long as I am not running it. I don't do so well with it. I am pretty jerky. I guess I will leave it up to daddy to do it! I think we should record all year long then sit down and have family film night and have whoever is crazy enough to come over and watch it with us. Its fun to see how much they change over the year. Some of the footage on the old tape that we did record on before is cute. I don't even remember Ashley and Riley being that little. I was happy too that we didn't spend the money and get a new recorder. I am just going thru something lately that we should really use the stuff we have before we get new. That really isn't like us. We always just go buy what we want and when we want it. Not that we have the money we are just good at spending it. Like for instance scrapbook stuff - I have so much shit. Its unreal. And usually I just go get more to use and do "sometime" I have actually been going thru what I have and thinking holy crap I have some nice stuff.

Also, I think I am scrooge this year. I just don't want the kids to get alot of stuff that they really don't need. If they need it - great - get it. But just buying stuff so they have stuff isn't going to happen this year. Our kids have lots of stuff and they should be happy with what they have. Plus the more stuff we get (all of us) the more my clutter anixety kicks in. You wouldn't believe what that is like!!

I have to tell you on Thursday when Steve stayed home with Piper - I got to pick up the big kids for visitation. They were so funny. Ashley is getting so big. And the way she talks and the stories she tells from the day are just funny. Oh to be 13 again! And Riley - his are just as funny. It really makes me wish they lived with us and we had a housefull of kids all the time. Yes, I know that they get on my nerves and I get peeved off at them. But the house with all of us here is wonderful. I always wanted a big family. I know now that I could've never handled it. But I always thought it would be fun when they were adults and they all come home for Christmas.

This time of year is really hard for me to work. I just want to be home and be that stay at home mom who has time to bake(which I don't do well anyway - but I could try) and doing crafts, puzzles and just being with my kids. But its not that way. Its just run here, run there and sometimes I feel like we don't even enjoy the holiday. But I do feel that Steve are I are both on the same wavelength about over doing it with the kids. We do stop often and say - hey we got invited to go do this but no we don't want to go - we want to just chill and we do it.

Last night was horrible! At 11:45 Piper tossed her cookies all over her bed and herself! She was so scared and upset. She just screamed. It was in her hair - all over her face. She just has never had anything happen to her like this so she didn't know what to do. And for that fact neither did MOM! But we got her settled down, bathed, and back in clean jammies only in time for her to toss them again! But this time was pretty much nothing but snot. She had alot of drainage going on. Finally got her changed again and she was so tired. I got her back to sleep, put down and didn't hear another thing from her. Well, now what to do.... take her to the sitters or not??? Well, mom and dad are getting low on vacation time especially with the time we have to take off over Christmas because the sitter is closed. And mom had some people coming in the office today that she had to go in. So we got her up to see how she was. Seemed fine - just tired which I suspected she would be. Loaded her up in the car - got almost to the sitters and my cell phone rings. It's the baby sitter letting me know she was going to be able to do daycare today because she has been tossing her cookies since 4 this morning - and she thought she could do. She is alot braver than I would be! But as the morning went on - she is feeling worse and can't watch kids today. So, Steve and I meet in our work parking lot and load Piper and her movie in Steve's car and he heads home. (He has alittle more time off left then I do!)

Piper has diarrhea. When I called Steve he said she has had alot of poopy diapers. So, I took my lunch hour and ran home to get him some Pedialyte and wipes of all things (we were about out!) When I got home she was sleeping. So I didn't disturb her. I think that is the best thing for her at this point!

Wow! This is the time when I really hate being a working mother.... I know every mother feels like this at one point or another. But to come to work when you know your baby is sick - is really hard.