"Change always comes bearing gifts."  ~Price Pritchett

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I'd like to say that I have discovered a new "gift that keeps on giving".  It's called BRONCHITIS.  We thought Jacob was on the mend, but he has continued with the cough and just being worn out.  We took him back to the doc today and basically he said "Oh, bronchitis can go on for WEEKS and still not be completely resolved.  Here, take some more steroids."  WHAT?  My poor kid, dark circles under his eyes, sudden hacking jags and sleepless nights. It's just ain't fair, y'all.  Oh, how a mama just wants to make her baby all better!  So, it's down the hatch with the 'roids, I reckon.

And speaking of my Jacob, can I brag just a minute?  How are you going to stop me, really.  My baby boy, my first born, is about to become, dare I say it?  A teenager.  He celebrates the big 1-3 on Valentine's Day.  (Yes, it is sweet.  No, we didn't consider calling him Cupid.)  I am completely blown away by the thought of it.  I think my child may be entering that beautiful phase of adolescence called puberty.  SHHHH!  Don't say it too loud!  For Pete's sake!!! 

I mentioned his (divinely inspired) growth spurt in a previous blog the other day.  And I'm noticing some other changes as well.  Let's just suffice it to say that I have seen some growth in other areas, okay?  Yeah, we'll just leave it at that.  (He would so totally die if he knew I was writing this, but hey, it's a mama's prerogative, right? Shh.)  A sample conversation from a few weeks back:

Me: "Hey Jacob, lemme see your pits." 

Jacob: "Why?" 

Me: "Just lemme see ' em." 

Jacob: "MOOOOM!!!! Don't look at my pits.  They're MY pits!  There's nothing growing there!!"

Me:  "Well, I think I see something."

I know it's wrong, but I can't help myself.  Watching your child develop acne and armpit hair is oddly fascinating as a mother.  I would SWEAR that I saw some peach fuzz on his upper lip just tonight.  Hey, at least I wasn't asking him that in pubic, er, I mean, public.  Give me some credit, will ya?  Seriously, though, we've had some really interesting conversations lately, and I'm sure they will only get moreso.  Bring it!  I'm ready.

Oh, but I digress, I was going to brag on my boy...I mean for something else besides entering puberty. The kids got their report cards last week and Jacob made the A/B Honor Roll.  I am so proud!!  <Let me ALSO say that Emma made the A Honor Roll and I am EQUALLY proud of her...she is awesome, however she doesn't have the additional entering teenager-land/armpit hair development thing going on. I'm sure I'll get to blog about that soon enough!  I already see it coming...like a Mac Truck barreling down I-95!> 

When we moved here to SC, A)Jacob had never been in a Jr High/Middle School situation and B) the kids had never gotten "grades" per se in their previous school experience.  In their school in Iowa, they received end of the year progress reports and we had 2 parent-teacher conferences during the year to find out how they were doing in their studies.  Understandably, I was very concerned with how Jacob would handle this new situation because as most of you know, Jacob has Asperger's Syndrome.  Asperger's (AS) is an autism spectrum disorder, one of the characteristics of which is difficulty with transitions.  Change can be very unsettling for him, to say the least, but he has handled this move INCREDIBLY well and I really well up when I think about it.  Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been all smooth sailing, but it has gone better than I had dared to imagine.  Thank you, Lord!  With his tendency toward perfectionism, I was concerned about how "getting grades" would go over.  He has gotten some really exceptional grades and a few not so exceptional.  And he has managed to handle that as well.  The good ones have far outweighed the not-so-good ones and that has really had a very positive effect on his self-image, which has needed some work <gross understatement>.  I give a lot of credit to his "shadow"...the one-on-one assistant who is with him throughout the day.  She has really gotten to know him and understand him and that makes things go a lot smoother.  She is a God-send!  But I give more credit to Jacob and the really cool kid he is and how hard he tries to make things work.  He has come so far.  I am both terrified and thrilled to see what's ahead for him.  Mostly, I'm very hopeful.  But isn't that true for most mom's of adolescent sons and daughters? 

I guess bronchitis isn't the ONLY gift that keeps on giving...

"Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons."  ~Ruth Ann Schabacker

"Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it."  ~Soren Kierkegaard

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I wish I had taken a picture of all the crap in the back of Big Red just a minute ago.  I have sent the boys on a male bonding trip to the DUMP.  Woohoo.  The whole back of the van was full!  Had to fold down the middle seats to get it all in there.  Scary.  That's right, I'm filling the landfill. 

It is great to be getting rid of some clutter.  There is now a walkable path in the garage.  I was starting to worry that someone might hurt themselves while trying to get their bike or roller blades out of there.  It's like those pictures you see of a person with one hand shoving all the contents of the closet in the closet while the other hand closes the door.  Then when you open the door everything comes tumbling out on your head.  That's how I felt when I looked in there (or when I looked in most places in my home, for that matter)...like something baaaad was about to happen.  It's the old, unscrew-the-jar-and-the-crazy-squiggly-thing-comes-springing-out-at-your-face-and-scares-the-fool-out-of-you, gag.  It's definitely a work in progress. 

I am excited about my new bedding!  I love it!  My friend Lisa helped me pick it out last week. ------> 

My walls are sort of green and my bathroom is blue and so I wanted something that would incorporate both colors.  We found these really cool pillows (the three matching ones) at TJMaxx (aka "TJ's").  And we used those to find the duvet cover and bedskirt.  Then I came upon the center pillow at Pier 1...on the clearance table, no less!  Score!  I love when I get a bargain!!  We got the curtains at Lowe's.  That's right, Lowe's, your friendly neighborhood home improvement store.  And it all looks really great together.  It makes me feel happy when I stand in the doorway.  I am excited to get the rest of the bedroom clutter (which, because of the strategically taken photo, you are unable to see ) cleared out so I can really make it pretty.  I want it to be a place where Hubby and I can feel calm, peaceful, relaxed, not overwhelmed by the clutter.  Hubby was happy with the ensemble because it wasn't too girly.  It's pretty without being too "foofy".  So, yay, everyone's happy.  I'm hoping to get back in there this afternoon and work at it some more while the spirit is moving me, so to speak. 

I'm also needing to get in Emma's room and sort through her clothes.  She's in a major growth spurt right now and there are so many things in her drawers right now that don't fit her.  It's so bad that when all her clothes are clean, she can't get them in her chest of drawers!  Does this happen to anyone else?  So that's another project on the horizon. I'm trying to be on the "one box a day" plan and hopefully I'll be unpacked by the end of 2008.  

I've noticed that some of Jacob's pants are looking a bit highwater-ish lately too.  I think God is finally answering my prayer.  Seriously.  I've been praying for a growth spurt.  He'll be 13 in less than a month and he weighs about 76 lbs and he's about 4' 9".  Bless his heart.  I never say anything to him about it, but he is always saying, "I'm short" and I'm doing the thing that moms do and I am always saying, "No you aren't.  You are just fine and one thing I can promise you--you WILL grow."  And, you know what?  I think he is!  <inner happy dance> Truth is, it just isn't in his DNA to be a 6' 9" center on the basketball team, or anywhere else, for that matter!  Just not gonna happen.  I've tried to explain this to him.  Hubby is about 5' 8" or so.  I'm about 5" 7 1/2" or thereabouts.  No one on either side of our families is extraordinarily tall.  Bada-Bing!  You're gonna be an average size dude.  So far, he's not really going for it.  Unfortunately, I'm afraid he's reaching the age where all of a sudden, maybe mom DOESN'T know everything.  Oy.  I'm not ready for this.

So here I go...SuperMom, master of clutter and pre-teens everywhere!  Off to defeat another villain...this time, the evil lurks somewhere in her closet.  Will she be able to contain the monster?  Or will she be crushed under its sheer weight?  Tune in next time to see.  Up, up and awaaaaaaaaay.

"Eliminate physical clutter.  More importantly, eliminate spiritual clutter."  ~D.H. Mondfleur

"The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination."  ~Elbert Hubbard

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Post-pox report:  Emma went back to school today.  Looking adorable as always.  Secretly, I think she was happy to be going back.  She would never say so, but a mother can tell these things.  She only ever developed pox on her trunk and two on her leg.  So that's pretty darn mild, if you ask me.  She was very happy to NOT be itchy anymore!  YAY!  Mom is happy for her.  Now we wait about another week or two to see if Jacob will break out!  (Here's me singing the old ketchup commercial...."ANTI-CI-PAAAATION.  Is making me wait.")  Looking forward to the day when we will be sickness and disease free for a bit!  Say a prayer, y'all!

Let me preface this next paragraph by saying that I have not completely unpacked/organized stuff in my new house. Don't be shocked, y'all!  Frankly, I find the whole thing rather overwhelming.  I have a history of procrastination.  SHOCKER.  Don't know if anyone else can relate to that.  Some of my OCD friends probably can't...I have always wished to be a little OCD so I could counteract the procrastination, but alas, it is not meant to be.  The only thing that is going to counteract the procrastination gene is hard work, plain and simple.  So, for the most part, I have spent a good bit of time over the last four months, sitting here at the computer looking around saying, "When is all this crap going to unpack itself and find itself a new spot to live in my house??  Because I sure don't know where it should go!"  <Insert big SIGH here>  Then there's the vicious cycle of beating yourself up for not having tackled these things because you KNOW that if you just DID IT, that it really wouldn't take that long and you'd be a much happier camper.   Why oh why. 

So before we spiral down into the vortex of negativity, here's the time in the blog where I have to give a MAJOR shout out to my friend, Lisa.  HOLLA! 

Now, I don't want to embarrass her or anything, but...she deserves her props!  She came to see me last Thursday and stayed until yesterday.  The house was in its usual state of disarray.  Only much worse because of the pox, among other things.  I wouldn't let just ANYone in my house in such a state.  But there are certain folks who love you anyway in spite of your crap.  Thank God I have a few!  Y'all know who you are.  Long story short...I have made major progress!  Thanks to her help.  Sometimes you need someone to say to you, "Do you REALLY love that??"  "That" being the Elmo VHS tape that no one has watched in at least 7 years.  OR the textbooks you saved from college.  OR the unused 100 pieces of Tupperware cluttering your cabinets.  I could go on.  It's a lot easier to let go of stuff when there is someone there saying that to you.  Lesson learned:  Surround yourself with things you love--Things that make you smile.  It feels good to let go of the clutter that has been weighing me down.  I am sitting here at my clutter-free computer desk.  With my flowers and the framed picture of my favorite quote that Kristi gave me looking back at me and making me feel happy.  To my left are boxes that have stuff in them that still doesn't have a "home", but they will.  Soon.  Progress, one step at a time!

I also happen to know that when you begin to eliminate the physical clutter, you begin to eliminate the mental clutter.  And by physical clutter I do mean the crap that fills your home, but I also mean your physical body.  I know I feel better mentally when I exercise consistently.  I feel better mentally when I make better food choices.  I feel better mentally when the laundry is caught up and my bed is made.  I just do.  They go hand in hand.  One directly effects the other.  Is it too late to make a New Year's resolution?  I suppose mine would have to be this:  Eliminate the mental and physical clutter a little bit each day.  In a year's time, I'll be a much happier person.  And a lot lighter in more ways than one.

"A pox on the phony king of England! Oo-de-lally!" ~Robin Hood

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I just can't stop thinking about the Disney animated movie, Robin Hood.  You know, where they sing that song..."a pox on the phony King of England"...oh, you don't know?  Well, maybe someone out there will know what I'm talking about, but if not, just know that it is running a constant loop in my brain.

Thanks to all for your sympathetic comments.  They are much appreciated.  And truly, as always, I see the humor in it all.  No, we can't seem to catch a break, but DANG...To be sure we have to soon.  Ever the optimist.

I dropped Jacob off at school today and then stopped over at the elementary school to pick up Emma's schoolwork...much to her dismay!   So after I'm loaded down with 4th grade work, I head home.  Emma is up when I return and looks like she feels better today, but, of course we've added a few more pox.  The original 5 are quite itchy though.  I think we're off for an oatmeal bath in a few.

___________________

As I was typing the previous sentence, Emma came in here and asked me what I was doing.  She said the "fake itching" wasn't working.  She said, "I just want to RAKE RAKE RAKE over my whole body!!!"  ( I confess that I chuckled as she demonstrated what the "rake rake rake" would look like.)  Poor kid.  So I took a break, and Emma took the oatmeal plunge.  She said it was nasty.  Who am I to disagree?  It looked nasty.  In my most convincing "mom voice", I assured her it would help.   She said she was cold.  I told her we'd snuggle after.  No dice.  I even tried singing a little Hannah Montana "Best of Both Worlds" to her...I rocked it, baby.  C'mon.  Who can resist a crazy mom singing Hannah Montana??  She did crack a smile, but the complaints continued.  Frankly, I can't blame her.  Now she's all hopped up on benadryl and "Tom and Jerry".  And hopefully the benadryl will kick in soon, so she won't have to RAKE RAKE RAKE...at least for a couple of hours anyway.

It's funny, I find myself quite itchy too.  It's kinda like the lice where my head was itching like crazy and I was sure that I had contracted the little critters myself.  Sympathetic itching or something like that.  Akin to sympathetic pregnancy weight gain, phantom pains and the like.  At least with the pox, I know I can't catch it.  I've decided I'd rather have the pox than head lice any day.

(I'm suddenly hearing a "Mama, I'm itchy" call from the other room.)

She doesn't look too miserable, eh?  Here she is in her cozy spot on the couch.  No pox on the face or arms yet, so she's looking pretty good.  I warned her it will probably get worse before it gets better.  She has pulled Jiffy up on the couch with her.  "Mom, can dogs get the chicken pox?"  Hmm.  I guess we'll find out.

A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul: a sick body is a prison. ~Francis Bacon

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Has somebody out there got voodoo dolls with the faces of my family on them?  I mean, really.  Enough is enough.

I sleep like the dead and so I might carry on a whole conversation with you in the middle of the night and not have the faintest idea the next day of what we had talked about.   But last night, at some point after I had crashed out, Emma comes into our room and says, "Mommy, I'm thirsty and I have a bug bite on my back that itches really bad."  In my fogginess, I say, "Isn't there some water on your bedside table?"  She says there is and goes back to bed.  Now, in my mind, even in my sleepy state, I knew that was no bug bite.  I knew it was "the pox".  How did you know this, you ask?  I know this because over the Christmas holidays amidst all the family fun and jocularity, my nephew had "the pox".  Then on New Year's Day, my other nephew (first nephew's younger bro) "broke the Guinness Record for chicken pops" (his words).  I was lulled into a false sense of security by a varicella vaccination my kids received, oh, about 7 years ago.  Yes, the very thing which is meant to prevent a chicken pox outbreak--but yet it only works 85% of the time.  What's more, you are now apparently supposed to get a booster for your varicella vaccine, unbeknownst to me.  Hello??  I did not get the memo.  SIGH.

So I get up this I morning and Emma looks flushed and a little feverish.  She says she has a headache.  She has 2 pox on her chest/stomach, one pock on her back and one on her knee.  She isn't feeling so great.  Again, I said, "it's chicken pox".  A few hours later a doctor confirms what I already know.  The thing is, he says, because she was vaccinated, it's hard to tell how it will run its course.  He assured me she wouldn't "go POOF" (his words) and I took that to mean she wouldn't turn into one giant pock.  He felt certain it would be a mild outbreak.  Give acetaminophen for fever and headache, caladryl lotion for itching, blah blah blah...and we were out of there.  After we got home, we found another one on her scalp on the side of her head.  Ew.  I gave her some more acetaminophen, some benadryl, slathered on some caladryl, propped her up on the couch in front of cartoon network and there ya go.  She's all good.  For now.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.   Hopefully it won't bring "the pox" to Jacob.  Doc said he might break out tomorrow, in two weeks or never.  Really.  Well, thanks Sherlock.  I think I coulda figured that one out on my own.

The other fun part of this whole scenario is contacting all the folks we've infected.  Now, a huge plus on this front is that the kids had teacher workdays this Monday and Tuesday, so the kids at school have not been infected.  (You are apparently contagious for a couple of days before you break out.)  BUT, Emma had a friend spend the night Monday night and she had that same girl and three more girls over to play yesterday.  SO, I spent some time today calling those moms and sharing the good news with them.   All of a sudden, I had a flash back from when I got That Call about the head lice from that mom last spring.  I was suddenly the mom making "the call" and, I must confess it was not a warm and fuzzy feeling.  But yet, I felt compelled to do it.  Keep in mind, these are people I do not know well at all.  If they were people I knew fairly well, maybe it would be a little less awkward.  But hey, what can ya do?  You suck it up and make the call.  The first two moms were very nice and the first thing they both said, was "do you need anything?" Which was pretty surprising, but sweet and very much appreciated.  The third mom was in shock, I think.  Not unkind, but not real thrilled either.  I felt so bad, but oh well.  I'm just glad the calls are made.  I also emailed Emma's teacher, who replied saying she has never had the chicken pox.  What??!  How can you be an elementary school teacher and not get such a common childhood disease?  I'm gonna suggest she make a bee-line to the nearest varicella vaccine dispenser!  I wouldn't want to be a 28 year old woman with the chicken pox.  I'm just sayin'.

I'm off to check on the contaminated one.  We are now officially on house arrest.  It could be worse.

"Sometimes I have to stand on my head to see things as they are, when the world seems so upside-down that this is the only position in which anything makes sense."  ~Author Unknown

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Oh coffee, would you please kick in already?!!

Hmm, what to write, what to write.  Not feeling very funny today...or lately.  Guess it's just that dreaded Post-Holiday Distress Syndrome (PHDS) still lingering. 

The sickness still lingers as well.  It's like this fog of crud has just settled in over my house.  I thought Jacob was improving and then yesterday evening he puked--twice.  Oh yeah.  No fever.  Hack remains.  It's just the most bizarre thing.  I just say, "What the heck??"  He said he felt better after he puked though.  So I'm hoping it was just a fluke.  He's at school today though (I know, call the bad mother police, I dare you) and he hasn't puked there--yet.  I did have to take him some cough medicine and his inhaler to school earlier because he was hacking up his liver.  Poor kid.  He must have abs of steel by now.   

On a better note, Hubby seems to be improving, which is good.  And both Emma and I remain mostly healthy.  <Keeping fingers crossed>

Seems like there's bacteria in every corner, though.  Just lying it wait to jump on me. "Ha ha ha...I'm going to get her when she least expects it." I think I need some sort of fumigation device.  You know those pest control bombs?  That's what I need.  I feel like I just need to fumigate the whole house and then we can start clean. 

We have a long weekend coming up, and for the first time in months, it seems, we are not going away somewhere.  Don't get me wrong I really LOVE that we can go see our folks for the weekend, but then it seems we don't get those "weekend chores" done and we don't spend that family time taking a bike ride or doing something fun together.  And trust me, it's really starting to show.  The long weekend will hopefully also provide some much needed recuperation/fumigation time as well.  Oh, and maybe I can "de-Christmas" this weekend.  OY.  Fortunately we aren't the only ones on the street who still have wreaths on the windows.  But you start feeling like such a slacker.  You look around, hoping that there is some other slacker who is still pretending like they don't have their Christmas decorations up in mid-January.  Kinda crazy, ain't it?!

Here's to fumigation, health and un-decorating.  Family time and recovering from PHDS.  The only way out is through, right? Cheers!

"Now I know, a refuge never grows
from a chin in the hand and a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose." ~Lyrics from "Hammer and a Nail" by the Indigo Girls

Here are a few words which come to mind at the moment:

Bronchitis (Jacob).

Nasty antibiotics.

Pneumonia (Hubby).

Dishes.

Lingering Christmas decor.

Laundry.

Stinking dog.

Tight clothes.

Unmotivated.

Yeah.  That's right.

SIGH.  Now I suppose I'm gonna get up off this here computer and try to go do something about the stuff I can do something about.  Chin up and get down to business and all that, right?!  Right.

Here I go.

Yep.  I'm going.

Right........now.

For real this time.

Really.

Aaaand I'm gone.

"It's been such a long time, I think I should be goin', yeah

And time doesn't wait for me, it keeps on rollin'

Sail on, on a distant highway

I've got to keep on chasin' a dream, I've gotta be on my way

Wish there was something I could say..." ~ Lyrics from "Long Time" by Boston.

This song came to mind today.  I was thinking, "oh man, I haven't blogged since before Christmas and I haven't posted any pics"...And my LCD just took over. 

"It's been such a looooong tiiiiime..." I just burst into song. I was like...I've gotta get bloggin!

First things first though. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! Hope y'all had a fun safe happy holiday.

Now, second things...

BIG RED

Thank you to all who have expressed your good wishes about her.  She was still having some trouble over the holidays and so my Dad took her to his mechanic and mechanic seems to think he has fixed the "problem"--let's just say there were some very burnt up spark plugs involved and I believe the words "I can't believe this thing would crank AT ALL" were involved.  In the meantime, my very generous 87 year old Grandma let me borrow her car until we can head back this weekend and retrieve "my Precious"...think Smeagol/Golem here.  Wringing hands and all.  So, let's all hope she can hang on a while longer!!

THE CRUD

We've all had it.  Emma and I are well.  Hubby and Jacob are still recovering.  Man that stuff is B.A.D.  The HACK just seems to hang on and on.  Hopefully we haven't infected TOO many family and friends in the wake of our visits!

REUNION

Three words...SO. MUCH. FUN.  And if you are one of my classmates and you are reading this and you didn't have as much fun as I did, I am so sorry. 

It is so fun to see folks you haven't seen in for.ever.  It's weird, though.  Suddenly, you revert back to your high school self.  My hubby was not able to come with me and that was too bad because he is my (reluctant) dance partner.  I always drag his booty onto the dance floor and make him shake a leg.  Did I mention I love to dance?  I think he actually likes it more than he lets on, but whatever.  Thanks to all the nice ladies who shared their (hot) hubbys/men with me so I didn't have to be the crazy girl dancing alone...but I would have done it.  That's right.  In fact, Kristi and I had the ENTIRE dance floor to ourselves when Mr. DJ (aka Maurice) played some random Madonna for us. (NOTE:  Kristi is/was an insano Madonna fan!)  It was the 80s for Pete's sake...you can't play 80s music and NOT play "Holiday", okay??

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Such fun visits with all of our family and friends.  It's such a blessing to be so close to them now and the kids and I commented on our short 5 hour drive to my mother-in-law's house that we were VERY thankful that we did NOT have to fly home this year for the holidays!!

Here's a visual...My Emma's "Hannah Montana" wig on my 41 year old (newly bald) brother.  I'm sorry, John (and I warned you that it was going up on the blog!).  But it WAS the pic of the holidays.  I thought I would wet my pants.  As did we all.  Well, except for Jacob. The laughter got a little too rowdy for him and he decided to leave the room. John was so hilarious, though.  He sported the wig, and posed with a guitar.  He was totally rockin' the hair.  Someone (I think my 9 year old niece, Victoria) mentioned Bucky Covington (Rockingham, NC native, formerly of American Idol)...I thought he was more Greg Allman, myself.  So fun and funny.  He has always had a great sense of humor though...Actually, he got funnier when he shaved his head.  I think the hair was sucking his humor away.  And now it's gone, so there's nothing between him and the funny.  I love you bro...you crack me up.  Funny and a great sport...a great combination.  Did I mention he's a pastor?

But wait...I can't let John suffer alone...there were others who sported the look as well...

(Me and my 3 yr old nephew, Joseph...what a cutie--of course I mean HIM.)

(My dad, AKA "the biggest dork ever", Emma and my 14 yr old niece Jordan, after they had given him a "make over"...makeup and all. He could be the ugliest woman ever.)

(My Mom who will just die if she finds this is here...but I just can't help myself.)

Notice it's just the "adults" wearing the wig??    Hmm, what does this say about us?  Ha. 

We also spent time with my hubby's folks and enjoyed them too...but I don't think I almost laughed till I peed there.

ANTM

I must here confess my newfound addiction to America's Next Top Model.  It's so sad, isn't it?  But they have been running an ANTM marathon on VH1 all week of every season to date--1-9.  I have been obsessed, I tell you!  Hubby is saying, "Um, honey...what has happened to you??"  What is so crazy is that I have only ever watched about 4 total episodes up until this week.  Never really paid any attention to it.  But now, by golly, I can watch it 24/7.  I mean, why would I watch anything else??  OY.  (Hubby would not like to admit that he's watched a few episodes with me.)  That Jade from cycle 6...SCAARRRY.  And crazy.

HAPPY 2008

We rang in the New Year with Dick Clark (bless his heart) and Ryan Secreast...and Miley Cyrus (AKA Hannah Montana) and the Jonas Brothers.  Woohoo.  For me, it just isn't quite as magical watching the ball drop anymore--100th anniversary or not.  But, FYI, they did go green this year using over 9000 fancy new light bulbs that only used the energy of 10 toasters.  Bet you didn't know that, now did ya!  As I've said before, I do not make this stuff up.  I think it was the first time we let the kids stay up till midnight.  Emma thought she was hot stuff.

We're back in the school routine full swing.  It's been a bit of a challenge this week trying to get ourselves back into it though.  Tired kids and tired Mama.  Plus, Hubby has been working like a maniac on a huge project at work and we've hardly seen his face all week.  So, I'll be glad for the ride tomorrow so we can actually catch up...and th-th-th-that's all folks!

Here's some more Boston for your listening pleasure...

Rock And Roll Band  and who can forget Peace of Mind  and more lyrics I enjoy from More Than a Feeling:

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away
Its more than a feeling, when I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling)
I begin dreaming (more than a feeling)
till I see marianne walk away
I see my marianne walkin away