The Drum Roll Please...

Stay tuned today for the winner of the Petty Request Contest...

I have decided that it is time to make some lists. Yesterday I made the following lists...

Homework list (much too long!)
Cleaning list (looking for someone to give this list to!)
Christmas gift giving list (nothing but smiles on my part)
Christmas card list (a work in progress)
Remaining bills to pay list (this list is also up for grabs!)

And the final list...what Christmas cookies to bake list (hope to pour over recipes today and finish that one up.)

With only, yes ONLY 3 paychecks til Christmas (is that crazy hard to believe or what?) and a trip beginning the day after Christmas I am feeling the need for serious organization and budgeting on my part. Neither is my strong suit but I'm willing to give it a go. What lists are you making?

I am up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday waiting for my baby Aubrey to arrive. It is still dark out and yes snowing here which I think is wrong on many levels. Later today when I get my photos downloaded I can share with you Brennan's bowling experience yesterday with his play group and Stephanie's play last night. It was a super super busy week that finally caught up to me Friday. I left work at 9AM and came straight home and went to bed. I though an hour of sleep might help. An hour turned into 6 hours and I felt a bit better when I got up. The lists also helped put into perspective the overwhelming to do's that sometimes overtake my life.

My children have desperately needed clothes. I swear if I see them in the same 5 shirts one more day I'll have to disown them...kidding of course. Yesterday I finally took Brennan shopping. I gave him $100 for which he bought 6 pair of socks, a pair of jeans, two hoodies, a pair of pajama pants and 5 shirts. Pretty darn good huh? He's a shopper after my own heart. He also is too much like his Dad. I told him that winter is here and he needed some long sleeve shirts. Nope, not a chance. Instead he opted for short sleeve shirts and hoodies (or sweaters as he calls them) -- We struggled over the million shirts with skulls on them which I don't really appreciate, until finally he picked out a hoodie with little skulls on it, to which I gave in. I really don't appreciate it and his dad appreciates it even less. I'm looking for opinions here. Does the 'skull wear' grace your teenage boys (and sometimes your girls) or is it banned in your house? I clearly told him he couldn't wear it to church and his sisters were mortified that I let him buy it at all. So...time will tell I guess on the skull hoodie. Looks like it's the only skull item he'll own. Psychologically speaking I know you are supposed to let kids express themselves in their teen years as part of their experimental who am I phase, to enable them to grow into well adjusted adults. I have been able to do this much easier with my daughters which I think is a bit odd. They've picked out most of their clothes for some time, yet this is the first time I've actually taken Brennan shopping. Of course the only way they learn is by doing and the boy has to learn some fashion sense while he's still under my roof. He has new clothes, now if I can just get him to shower and change his clothes!

Today it's the girls' turn. We're heading to church this morning, then to lunch. After baby Aubrey goes home, we'll head to the mall where I am certain my girls will get fewer items even though they have larger budgets. My precious one yesterday said...she is going to buy accessories. Um, No. Your. Not. You are going to buy clothes, because really the accessories don't do much if you have no clothes to wear with them!

Those are my random blatherings for this morning. I'm off to catch up on my blog reading, read the newspaper and snuggle up that sweet baby girl!