The Final Word: Believe it: Santa Claus is coming to town

From Craig Wilson a columnist with the USA Today:

"With Christmas Eve a mere week away, it might be a good time to talk about Santa. In a good way, of course. We didn't toe the line all year to offend the old man now.
I still believe in Santa. If you don't, I have no desire to spend time with you. Especially this week. I mean, really. I'll admit I've always had my doubts about the Easter Bunny. But Santa? Never.
Santa was the topic of conversation at a dinner with friends the other night. Believe me, I have had far worse dinner conversations, and it was certainly refreshing not to be talking about our evaporating 401(k)s.
We got on the Santa topic because our host's daughter, who is about to go off to college, admitted she believed in Santa much longer than she thought she should because of one thing: her father.

To say this girl's father is somewhat fastidious is to say Richard Nixon was mildly paranoid. Everything is in its place in this man's house. Even I sit up a bit straighter when I'm there.
So, come Christmas morning a decade or so ago, when sooty footprints were found making their way across the white carpeting, his daughter could only believe one thing. Santa had been there.
She said she believed that, without a doubt, because she knew her father would never, ever have done that to the living room carpet. Never. She didn't realize then that some very strange things are really done in the name of love.
It reminded me of a story from my childhood. A family friend almost died one Christmas Eve for his children. He was up on his roof, making marks in the snow, marks that would look as if a sleigh had landed there, along with a few reindeer.
But he slipped and went flying into the bushes below. Lucky for him he was in western New York state, where there's always enough snow to break your fall.
Not learning his lesson, he went back up on the roof later that night to make what he thought was the sound Santa and reindeer would make if they landed on your roof.
To this day his daughter, now a grandmother, refuses to believe the story of her dad almost dying for her on Christmas Eve. Santa was there, she says. She heard him on the roof as she was falling asleep. Case closed.
Her father, bless his soul, died years later under far less exotic circumstances, of old age in a nursing home.
But both men did what millions of parents will do Christmas Eve. They will do most anything to keep the magic alive. Merry Christmas to them all."

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door where they're serving fudge.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. Quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-oholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Holiday cookies, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Amazing Jakes

So Sunday started off good, CSP got up and mowed the lawn (as he promised :)), then he put up the Christmas lights (which need to be redone but oh well at least we have something up), and then after a little *frustration* we decided to take Travis to Amazing Jakes. Travis calls it the fun place with bowling. CSP has never been so I was glad he went with us.

The sad part is it’s a fat persons paradise and a fat moms nightmare... it’s a buffet style place (paradise), but if you are a fat mom you can not ride the rides with your child.

I don’t know if all of you know but as of yesterday a very dear friend of mine and I started a life style change. We are determined to not be the *big* girls at work anymore. The plan that we decided would work best for us is to limit our caloric intake, so we are giving ourselves 1500 a day and will be walking for an hour. Over the holiday weekend i was very very tempted to call KLH and say "can we start this later, because I have a coupon for McDonalds Big Mac", but I didn’t and mostly because of Amazing Jakes.

CSP and Travis went on what looked like a mini roller coaster and Travis absolutely loved it, all I could do was stand by and watch. I won’t turn this into a pity party for me, that’s what the other blog is for, haha, because Sunday was about Travis. He got to play and be a kid and do all the things that he loves, even if it means that I have to watch from the sidelines for now. He even almost beat his daddy, CSP, in bowling. Too bad the place is so expensive...

Here are some pics from our fun family day:

This is the mini coaster that they boys went on

This coaster was FAST!!!

Travis on the Frog Hopper, I thought he was going to scream but he loved it.

Travis even holds the ball the right way

CSP and Travis watch as the ball slowly goes down the lane

CSP and Travis

Travis's Dream (he loves bowling)

Travis on the Chocolate Cups

Black Friday should be banned

Getting up at 330am is a little extreme to go shopping for me, but I did get some steals. I got Travis and CSP some of their gifts at an awesome price, but I dont know if my sanity is worth a savings of a hundred bucks. This isnt what Christmas is supposed to be about. I heard over the weekend that someone was trampled to death at a Walmart, are you kidding me? Was that TV or Video Console worth someone dying for? I think not!

I honestly dont thinkI will ever be partaking in black friday again unless Target has another 32 inch TV on sale for less than 300 bucks. I did good, I am pretty much done but I was beat. My feet were sore from standing in line at Kohls for about an hour, for 8 dollar jeans for my son, thats not even a bargain. The only place that was not a mad house was Target (now I know why I love them), but CURSES Walmart for letting your store become a zoo. I even got in an altercation with a Walmart employee for making me stand in a ridiculous line for a video game, guess for a moment I lost my Christmas Spirit.

Maybe next year I will spend my time off sleeping in with my son and bf, and stuffing my face with leftovers, and shop online... because I honestly dont think I will ever forget my christmas spirit and shop at 330 in the morning...

Plus people are grouchy that early and will do whatever it takes to get the best "deals".

Thanksgiving...

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Arizona with CSP's mom and dad. Here is Travis with his Ben 10 watch, that he wants to wear everywhere we go.

Travis being a ham...

Alan, CSP's dad broke out all the old school video game systems... Travis was in heaven...


Travis and CSP doing what they do best... play video games

What are Rainbows?

Last week, we had some very nice cold and rainy weather, which brought some beautiful rainbows. Travis and I were driving and saw them, and he asked me what they were. I told him Rainbows, and he asked how they got there, so I told him God put them there. He then turned to me and asked if God painted them for us, and to make things simple, I told him yes.
(Travis is in a big painting phase)
So here are some of the pics we got of the rainbows that God painted for us...

There were actually 2 rainbows