getting my ooooohhhh la la back

The YMCA staff are kind of starting to recognize me...I think.  I'm sure it helps that my name is on my card, but, well, I think they are recognizing me.  I've been a regular the last two weeks.  Loving myself.  Learning how to make myself love myself.  I've been really good about not stress eating...and cut out alcohol.  Cutting it out for this entire month.  Will probably enjoy a Stella on Christmas, and will definitely celebrate New Year's Eve, but otherwise, taking a break.  Lost 4 pounds already.  I'm telling you, wine has a lot of calories.........

Got pedis this morning with my bestie and another friend...girl time is good.  Beyond great, actually.  It's so nice to have my dead skin shaved off with a cheese grater in front of my friends, whose pedi technicians only have to use the buffer thing.  I get the cheese grater, the bandsaw, the drill, then a buffer thing.  Hope it didn't gross them out too much.  If I wind up getting pedis alone from now on, I'll know why.

Rachel is having a little party here tonight.  Having fun listening to teenage girls watch "Glee: The Movie" and sing along.  To be young.......they just don't know, you know?  You know?  I love it...they're beautiful and amazing and precious.  And fun.  There are also huge bowls of white chocolate covered pretzels, M&M's, chips, and a big tray of cuban sandwiches...Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper.  Having fun listening to it.

Four days till we leave for our trip to North Carolina for Christmas - getting wicked excited...drive will be about 10 hours.  Hope to see snow.  Hope my Florida blood doesn't put out a hit on me.  I can't wait...North Carolina with my husband, all of our kids, and my in-laws.  Will miss my mom and sissy and family, but am really looking forward to this vacation.  It's been a tough year, with a lot of blessings, too, and it will be nice to relax in a cabin and look at mountains.  If it snows, you know I'll be outside playing in it.

feeling a little bah humbug

Why does Christmas have to be so commercialized?  There is so much stress on parents to provide gifts gifts gifts to children, and most can't afford to do it.  Well, me, I internalize it.  I'm a failure, I couldn't provide enough, they're going to be disappointed.  Not to mention extended family and friends, and other ornament exchanges.  All the stress of buying gifts takes the spirit out a little bit.  I want a little of that back...well, I want a lot of that back.

We are rich...we are rich in family and love.  But we certainly aren't rich in money.  This makes it difficult to meet expectations that society places on us for Christmas.  Thankfully, our children understand that we're just not in a position to give them all that their friends will likely get.  I hope they know they're getting every ounce of love that we have.  Every bit.

Bottom line, I hope we always hold on to what Christmas is really about.

no alarm clocks

The wretched device we call an "alarm clock" could, quite frankly, kiss my ass this week.  "Alarm" is a fitting word.  Asshole clock would be better.

My husband kept his as quiet as he could, and kept the television off, so that I could sleep in for five glorious weekdays AND we'll sleep in this weekend!  A happy Mandy indeed.

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, along with most of America and even friends I have in other countries who are American.  For the first time in three years, my mom is looking forward to the holidays, so I was quite looking forward to Thanksgiving, too, in large part due to seeing her back in the holiday spirit.  That has definitely lifted my spirits.  So, get-together time was 4:00 p.m., but we went around 1:00 p.m., as Stephen was going to putz around with her computers...some technology needs, and he's happy to help.  So, we go early, three kids in tow (missed Brendan so so much) and Megan, Stephen's sister, in tow, too.  Weren't there a minute when my cousin, Bobby, arrived.   A few hours later, Jeanne, Kevin, and Jack...and my sissy, Andie, my brother-in-law, Andy, and William (missed Jocelyn, Sean, and Ethan so so much).

Wound up gorging ourselves on delicious food and company...football on television, of course, and kids running around.  It was a great day.

Today - turkey sandwiches, movies, and naps.  Playdates and Publix.  Dishes and laundry.  Back at it, folks.

BUT.................the alarm clock remains silents.  A very happy Mandy.

the holidays begin

So the holidays begin..........Thanksgiving this week, and Christmas will be here before we know it.  Got Brendan this weekend, won't have him at all for Thanksgiving...makes me thank a little more, for time with him.  Drove him back tonight, and had a nice talk with him.  Sometimes he's "talky", sometimes he's not.....enjoy spending time with him either way.

So, we'll have turkey, family, and love, and hopefully no drunken binges.........we'll see.  Giggles.
And right after that, let's get ready for Christmas!  Deposit is made on cabin, we're going on a vacation for Christmas!  So excited...

In the meantime, it's fall in west central Florida........some days beautiful, some days 80 degrees.  Hoping for sweatshirt weather on vacation.   Till then, keep it comfortable.  Parks, hanging out outside...the benefit of living here.  Woot.  ;)

boob job......not

In need, desperately, of an eyebrow wax (and lip, I'm not going to lie), I thought today, as I have many times, if I had the money, you would not find me getting a boob job or any other kind of job...not that I think it's a bad thing that people do.  Hey, if you can afford it and it's something you want, no judgement.  However, if I could pay somebody money to alter my beautiful body in any way, it would be this:  hair removal.

This whole part German thing, Eastern European, and all that implies, is getting a little old.  I've been having my eyebrows waxed for 22 years, and my lip for about 10.  Stephen tells me he can't see it.  I love him for saying so...but I can see it.  And let me backtrack just a little...I got my period last week.  I'm sure you love that I shared that information, but my segue is leading to the fact that at 38 years old I still get a couple of pimples when I get my period.  Now, I get pimples, have dealt with eyebrows & lip stuff for years, and now have a patch of whiskers.  Yes, whiskers.  Over it.  There are only a few, but really?

So, you won't find me getting a boob job, or Botox, or the newest trend in facial and body surgery.  You'll find me getting hair removal.

Donations would be LOVEd and accepted.

total eclipse

We were watching X-Factor, or one of those shows, last night, and one of the contestants sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart".  Rachel reminded me that I used to sing that to her when she was getting out of the bath.  We're talking like over 10 years ago...she's 16 now.  So, from 1 year old to probably 6 years old, I gave her baths, and I would sing that to her.  It made me stop, eyes open a little, and smile.  Yes, I did.  Turn around, bright eyes.....as I toweled her cute little butt.  Time it does fly.

Talked to Bug today about her regular license and driving to school......surreal to mommy.  All this while driving David to 6th grade and Chloe to 4th grade...and texting Brendan while he does his thing in New Port Richey with his mom, enjoying 10th grade.  

I look over at my husband sometimes, usually when he isn't looking, and am so happy with my life, with us, and our kids...they make us so happy and proud.  I look forward to our time together putzing around doing what we want, but sure am enjoying this time.  

double digits

Well, all of our kids are double digits...wow!  Rachel - 16.  Brendan - 15.  David - 11.  Chloe - 10.  Today.  Wow.  The time does fly...everybody tells you that, but it does...all our babies, getting so big.

Doing the "30 days of thanks" on facebook...really, we have so much to be thankful for that it would take more than 30 days to thank.  I've done well so far, I think...my husband and kids on day one...living in America day two...the movies day three...birthdays, Little Caesar's $5 pizzas, & Jonalynn's cake day four...but really, there's so much more.  So much.  I'm sure my month will be full of thanks before the end of November, and I'll have more to thank.

Had a blast this weekend celebrating Baby Girl's birthday...movies, sleepovers, and family birthday party.  Makes a mommy so happy, and I'm sure makes a Turner Clan so happy.

Thank you, Jesus.