So it's been almost a month.

I can't believe I haven't updated this thing in this long.

*sigh* and of course I can't remember a month ago to fill in the details.

So I'll hit the highlights of what I remember- there was a holiday that involved eating Turkey. We made a turkey and ate it with stuffing, yams, and cannoli's. Oh, yes.. I should share the Cannoli's- because they're a treat that we haven't been able to get with any consistency since we've left CT. And while shopping in Costco, I saw this kit of about $10 that makes 24 Cannolis. And I thought 'well, can't be worse than the awful one I bought at little Italy here or the ones from Stop and Shop in CT...' so I bought it. And it was devoured in minutes. The kids each ate 4. I went out the following week and got another one and that one was eaten in a week as well. Yummm...

OK back to the update that doesn't involve food..

I passed my sailing class. I ended up sicker than a dog for the test, but Larry encouraged me to take it, so that I hadn't wasted the time and money on the class. So I went coughing and sharing my germs with the class and the entire water basin. We did our capsize the boat drill in 55 degree water in 50 degree air. I was trying to get myself a mini vacation in the hospital with pneumonia. It was so windy that the boats were leaning so far to the side that about 1/2 of the class fell or slid out of the boat on the sailing practical portion. It was pouring rain, and incredibly windy and well.. if I wasn't there to share my germs, I'm pretty sure the rest of the class was working on finding their way to pneumonia as well. I'd been sicker than a dog the better part of the week leading up to it- the kids, Larry and I all took turns being miserable. Larry started it and after putting himself on 2 antibiotics as well as trial and error on his patients, he deemed it viral and bought home the Robitussin. We're finally all better and waiting for the next round of plague to come to our home.

In other news- our van has been fixed. And the first whole day I was driving it and dropping the kids off at school, I was in a fender bender. Can I say my luck hasn't been great this year? Anyway- the insurance companies are still hammering out who is at fault. I thought it was me initially, thinking I hit a parked car but when she got out of her car cursing at me about how she was driving, I realized it may not have been me after all. Anyway. As long as I don't bother to fix the scratch on my side, I'm not out the money for our deductible. However.. if they find her at fault I might consider it. I could even get a new car seat out of the deal. She's been a peach to deal with. The day after the incident, she was at the school stalking me. As I pull up to let the kids out, she's rushing there to take pictures with her camera phone and use her body language.... anyway her new nickname is crazy psycho chick. So if you hear me refer to that, she's who I'm talking about. I wish I listened to the little voice in my head that morning that said 'take the Excursion' then she'd have been waiting all morning.... j

In seasonal news- we went to San Diego Navy Base's Christmas party. To see Santa. Because he was giving out Legoland tickets. Of course my kids weren't at all interested in seeing Santa or telling him what they wanted for Chrsitmas and as we were waiting in line, they figured out that the Santa on stage singing and dancing can't be the same Santa that kids are seeing and infact to get all the kids through the line, there were 6 Santas seeing kids, each in their own little tent.. Which Joey also figured out. But they had blow up slides and bounce houses and carnival rides, horse drawn "hay" rides, bowling, arts and crafts and... snow. of sorts. I'm not sure exactly how they did it but they had a hill of somewhat frozen wet stuff. (it was 65 degrees, so snow wasn't going to stick around for long...) They made a hill of hay bales and then covered the front of it with snow, put snow on the ground, fenced it in and put foam pads on the fence and handing the kids sleds to ride down the hill. Our kids thought it was fun. Mostly, although they complained that it was so cold it burned their hands and they weren't all that fond of getting wet when they slid off the sled coming down the hill.

But the few hours we spend worked out well, so I have 4 kid Legoland tickets I can use sometime between now and April. I was a little concerned they'd run out before we got through the line, but was happy they hadn't. And the kids got to have fun.

We also put up a Christmas tree. We initially planned on driving up to the mountains where it would have snow to find a tree farm, but there was a tree farm 3 miles away and we were getting off to a late start to get to the mountain tree farm. And the trees here are all the same, even the the mountains. And nothing like what we were used to as New England kids. They have long needles and are bushy or are like flat needle bushes that are grown and trimmed into tree shape. Anyway.. we went hiking up and down the hill looking at trees until we found one that was not too lopsided and they cut it down for us. They had a 'tree shaker' there - so in theory all the dead needles fall on the ground there. In theory. In actuality, there's an awful lot in the Excursion, in the driveway and in the vacuum. And our house smells like pine. And I realize I'm not a huge fan of the pine smell. And trees you go and cut from a tree farm here cost what a decent fake tree would cost. So we've done it once. Can't say we'll be doing it again anytime soon. At least not here.

Remember the Charlie Brown Christmas show where he goes to a tree lot to buy a tree? That's the norm here- they put up fences and lights and sell trees from a lot that they have shipped down from somewhere that real Christmas trees grow... somewhere like Canada, I think.

We also realized that somewhere between VA and house #2 in CA our outside lights have disappeared. So we bought more and put them up. We have plans to turn our flagpole into a enormous Christmas tree and vie for #1 on the more outlandish Christmas decorations on the street. I might have to post a picture when we're done. Sadly the icile lights we bought are the flashing kind, so all the pictures I took only have some of them lit because those were the ones flashing off. Next year we'll replace the bulbs so they don't flash. This year we've already put the ladder away.

We've done the majority of our Christmas shopping. I think. I hope. We haven't yet started making Christmas cookies, mostly because Larry and I don't need to be eating them. I made Fudge that he brought to his BAS (Battalion Aide Station in civilian English that would mean clinic or office) this week.

I have my apt for Lasik this week. I'm about as nervous as I could be. The re-check is Thurs and the actual procedure is Friday. In theory by Friday night I'll be seeing normally. I still want to chicken out but much like going to the Sailing test, I think my other half will get me there come hell or highwater with me hyperventilating in a paper bag.

Other than that... things are good. Bought Christmas cards (again, since I can't find the ones I bought and didn't send from the past 2 years..) and plan on actually mailing some this year.

But if I don't make it back to this blog between now and then.. I wish you a Marry Christmas and joy, peace and love this holiday season

XOXOX

~G