Santa list ornaments.

Check 'em out over on the Ormolu blog today! 

(Sorry for the MIA-ness...blog's just gonna have to take a backseat this month...well, this week and next in particular, as I try to get a grip on all things holiday. :) After that, the hope is that I'll have enough out of the way that I can enjoy the season and share here more, lol. Don't worry. I'm keeping track of things that have been going on here...will update when I can.)

Quote #49.

Happy Monday...

Work to become, not to acquire. – Confucius

Just a good reminder. :)

Update.

Just so ya know...

Thanks for all the thoughts and notes about my dad...truly appreciated.

I ended up getting out of my funk by buying a birthday cake for my dad and sharing it with the boys. ;) I tried to think of what his favorite type of cake was, but ultimately decided that I couldn't remember a dessert he didn't like, lol. He didn't like peanut butter or coconut...he'd still eat them, of course...he just didn't like them. ;) 

Micah was doing so well...until he threw up in the local Target, where we were getting the cake. Yup. Lovely. The coughing spasm got the best of him and we had to flag down two gals to do the official clean up. (Sidenote: They used this stuff they were calling "Absorb" which they sprinkled on the mess before sweeping it up. Got me thinking. Is there something like that that I can use at home but then vacuum up instead of sweep?) Anyhow, I felt horrible and apologized profusely as Noah took Micah to the water fountains and bathroom. (He was fine after that, of course.) Before we left, I did give both employees some of my Three Musketeer "Papa bars" to say thanks. I think it made us all feel better. :)

Time out.

I need one. Having a rough day today. My dad would have been 62 today.

He's been gone a little over four years now but today is apparently just one of those random moments when it hits me how very much I miss him. Finding it hard to focus. :(

For the record, I think part of it, too, is just that I'm worn out. This has been a tough week. Micah's been sick the entire week...such that many of my plans have had to be rearranged (including a "date" with Nathan that I'd been looking forward to)...and such that I'm seriously working on buying some sort of steam vac system because I'm sick of cleaning up vomit off of already disgusting carpet (taking recommendations! right now, the front runner is this Hoover model on a friend's recommendation)...and such that my week "off" from homeschooling hasn't been overly productive at all, which leaves me miffed. Also, I managed to rip my favorite/only pair of jeans, the snow and temperatures are keeping me from running/escaping, and I'm feeling guilty because of the sad faces that met me this morning upon realizing that Elfie didn't move to a new place last night like he's supposed to (because I just plain forgot and needed sleep). Bleh. 

On the plus side, though, because I'm ever the optimist:

• I know and am supremely thankful for the fact that my boys are generally pretty darn healthy and this is an anomaly.
• Also very happy that the croup stuck with just Micah, though that has left the other two healthy and without enough outlets for their energies, as Micah's usually their partner in crime, so to speak (and because it's meant that we've stayed home rather than getting out and about).
• And I did manage a run on Tuesday before the snow, so that's something.
• And Micah says he's feeling better today (though, to be fair, he's said that every morning this week except for Monday and Tuesday)...but he slept A LOT yesterday and last night, so I'm hopeful that's done the trick.
• And I know I'm truly blessed to have known my dad...however short that time may have been. I'm thankful every day for the many ways he touched my life.

Sigh. So. Back to Friday then. Off to figure out what I'm doing...

And so it begins...

Despite the fact that Micah still woke me in the middle of the night with his coughing (we slept the rest of the night on the couch), we've been managing to make a bit of progress here. So, today, on December first, we were ready to go...

Our Elfie reappeared and is apparently filling Santa Yoda in on how things work here. (Santa Yoda's new here this year and is living on the fireplace to keep watch over these boys of mine, lol.)...

Our new countdown calendar is started. (I ran out of Ormolu number tags and just printed these, but still used the lovely file tabs. Now that the recipients of these gifts have received them, it's okay to share.)...

Our December books are wrapped and ready to be opened as bedtime books...

My Candy for Strangers (which I'm officially renaming as Papa bars) are ready to be given out...and,

Our Lego advent calendar is begun...with a Star Wars theme this year, of course.

(Here's a bit more about the history behind each of these things in our home. I'm still unpacking decorations and hope to actually find that flippable countdown calendar soon, lol.)

How's your December starting off?