Buy more headbands.

Buy more headbands.

This is my favorite new accessory. In an instant, I can go from looking like I was lazy and only threw my hair into a ponytail-- to looking totally put together.

I have two and need more for every day of the week because in reality, every day, I am lazy and do only throw my hair into a ponytail.

I have also seen this style overused on both The Bachelor and Desperate Housewives so it must be cute.

Decorate Christmas tree.

Decorate Christmas tree.

Jake got a killer deal on our 12-foot Christmas tree last year. He was up at the crack of dawn the day after Christmas, knocking down the door of Tai Pan Trading when it opened.

His keen eye spotted this gianormous pre-lit tree and after a couple of cat-fights with some serious lady shoppers, this beaut was his for under $100.

There was a catch. Turns out the 3000+ lights adorning it didn't actually work. So began the task of putting up our Christmas tree.

It took me 8 hours to cut off the existing lights. It then took us twice that long to string another 30 strands of 100 lights back on it. Then the rest should have been easy, right?

Not so much. I spent the entire day yesterday posed precariously on a wobbly 8 foot ladder trying to drape ribbon and hang ornaments. It turned out nothing like I'd planned but it's done and and until next year, so am I.

We had a group of friends over for dinner last night and the Christmas decor was up and totally worth it. Now I can relax and enjoy the season (besides all the present shopping, baking and card-making I have left to tackle).

Read instruction manuals for appliances.

Read instruction manuals for appliances.

I got some great new appliances in my new house. I can't pick a favorite, but I certainly love my double convection ovens.

Problem is, my cooking has been way off since we moved. I have been adjusting the temperature in my ovens for convection but things have been cooking with unpredictable results.

This includes the Thanksgiving turkey. My mother-in-law came over and did all the real work, and my job was basically to watch it. It cooked for five hours on regular heat, which shoud have been plenty of time since convection cooks about 30% faster. This should even have compensated for my hubby turning off the oven (my little helper thought he was turning off the oven light) for an hour before I discovered it.
But when it was time to serve the beast, it wasn't yet done. I considered calling and having my oven checked.

But first I thought it prudent to take a glance at the oven's instruction manual. Good thing I did. Turns out there is a different button I push to use the convection. All this time, I had been using the ovens without the convection. Brilliant!

Between this, and the fact I couldn't for the life of me spell potpourri in the family game after the big meal, I am pretty sure I am getting progressively dumber, Flowers for Algernon-style, in my old age.

Drink more hot chocolate.

Drink more hot chocolate.

I escaped the house and kids tonight (while my hubby was delighted to stay home and play his new XBOX 360 and watch basketball) and went to Starbucks for hot chocolate with a friend.

Hot chocolate is one of the few redeeming quailties of the cold winter.

We sprung for the peppermint flavor and it was delish. It reminded me of something and it didn't hit me until I got home that is was this. This stuff is heaven. It tastes like liquid chocolate. My mom buys it for us for Christmas and my husband literally hides it so he can have it to himself. I can eat this stuff right of the can, which is quite endearing itself (the can, that is, not me eating out of it).

Start a Christmas List.

Start a Christmas List.

I have no right to have a Christmas list. Our new house is my Christmas gift for the rest of my life. But if I did have a list, first up would be a basketball hoop. Now, my hubby made me call it a hoop; he made fun of me when I called it a basketball goal, is it not called that? I played b-ball all my life (albeit not all that well) and I swear this isn't that weird sounding, am I wrong?

Anyway, if I was allowed to want things, and I didn't have to worry about the construction workers working on the homes all around me and making fun of my shot, I would definitely ask Santa for this. He wouldn't even have to fit it down my chimney.

Visit Clark Planetarium.

Visit Clark Planetarium.
I saw on our property tax statement this year that we pay a yearly fee to support the Clark Planetarium. I don't need much more of a reason to go visit, but this picture of a Foucault Pendulum demonstration might seal the deal. It reminds me of my Junior High Science Olympiad team glory days. Not only did our mouse trap car rock the competition, but we went to state finals in the "crime busters" division. Don't doubt our coolness. We knew forensics was cool before CSI made forensics cool.

Get iPod.

Get iPod.

OK I know I am the last person in the world to get one of these, but seeing as my day has been consumed with the tunes of Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes -- and the fact that when i get the chance I opt for silence over noise--I haven't really felt the need. Until now.

My only opportunity to listen to music, really, is in the car-- but my CD player in there doesn't work. I've been feeling the need to re-connect with the Southern me lately and my argument is this: A new iPod (that I can get a radio tuner for and use in the car) would allow me to absorb myself with country music and tap in to those southern roots ...and would cost far less then plane tickets for the family to Nashville. Sounds like a deal to me.

Relax!

Relax!

I have had the most stressful week. The emergency room was just the beginning. I must say, though, I think the new missing tooth look is adorable on my little girl.

It reminds me of Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire.

To top it off, I took on two freelance stories this week for this publication. I love writing, but this job is beginning to feel like homework, which is never good.

That was all in addition to filling orders from my own website and doing an additional 10 hours of work for this company.

I have to make a soup for a church gathering tomorrow and organize the new nursery class on Sunday but THEN, then I am going to relax ... before it all starts over again Monday.

Take kids to dentist.

Take kids to dentist.

I took this picture of my four-year old, Taylor, playing on the park playground today.

It is the last toothy smile from her for several years.

Within ten minutes of taking this picture, I witnessed her trip, fall forward on one of the metal platforms, her mouth hit first, and a tooth fly through the air. I scooped her up as blood started gushing and found the most absorbant thing I had on-hand (a diaper--a clean one to clarify), and put it to her mouth. I pulled it away to find another tooth had fallen out as well. The two front teeth. Poor thing.

I rushed her to the emergency room because there was so much blood--I didn't know if there were any other lacerations in there. They cleaned her up (after I explained the blood on my hand was from looking in her mouth and not from punching her in the face), then they sent her to a pediatric dentist (this had been on my list anyway so, this saved me a trip).

The dentist x-rayed for bone fragments, etc. and found she has another loose tooth in the front that may or may not make it. She's already next door playing at a friend's house so if I had to bet, I would give it less than a week. We'll see. And we never did find the flying tooth. We're hoping the tooth fairy finds it tonight on her route.

Prepare nursery lesson.

Prepare nursery lesson.

My new job at church is babysitting--I mean teaching of Jesus to-- the 18 month to 3-year olds nursery class. I substituted the class of 17 crying, fighting babies the week before and knew what this entailed so I cried all the way home after I was asked to do it and said yes. But after a few days of healing, I've managed to get excited about it.

This Sunday is my first week and the lesson I am supposed to teach is "The Sacrament Teaches Me About Jesus". But who am I kidding? The day will be a success if no one goes home serously injured.

Buy Digital Photo Album.

Buy Digital Photo Album.

I have thousands of digital photos from the past few years that are completely unorganized. There has to be some sort of photo album out there for the computer that I can just throw them all in, give them a few lame captions (see captions below), and feel like they're in order, right? I'm going to check around today. In the meantime, here are a few of the hundreds of photos I took of the kids yesterday during our "Halloween-Day Extravoganza" (that's a fancy way of saying "cramming all the Halloween activities I hadn't gotten around to doing yet into one day") . . .





















Drunk with visions of candy, the kids are dressed to visit Dad at his office




The kids refuse to get into the car until they have eaten a piece of candy they were given at Dad's office



Buzz Lightyear, Commander of the Pumpkin Patch



JoJo the Clown, Clowning around at the Pumpkin Patch





One benefit of procrastinating getting your pumpkin until Halloween day: Free Pumpkins!


Out for a night of trick-or-treating. Now Gimme some candy!