I Love Socks

Yes, I do! I wear socks with just about everything I can wear them with and even some things I probably shouldn't wear them with....like yesterday. I had on a pair of black cuffed slacks and a gray striped sweater AND my pink, gray and black argyle knee socks from the Gap!

I will dig deep into my messy sock drawer daily until I find a pair of socks that works with what I am wearing that day, and I don't like nylon knee highs. They feel awful in your shoes. I want socks!


I have solid socks, striped socks, tweedy socks and argyle socks, Santa socks, Halloween socks, knee socks, boot socks, white socks, black socks, green socks.....you get the picture.

I am a bit distraught right now because 1) last spring I tossed a couple pairs of my favorite shoes because they were literally falling apart and they felt so good with socks and I haven't replaced them yet and 2) I have a number of pairs of socks that are getting very thin in the heel and a pair that has holes and darn it....they don't feel good when you try to sew them up!

So, here is the plan:

Dear Santa,

I have been a really, really good girl this year. Pleeeeeease, leave me some new socks this Christmas!

Love,

Kathy

Ho-Ho-Holy Terrified Toddlers

I remember making plans every Christmas to get my kids to the mall to visit with Santa and get that oh so special picture with Santa. There was a time when the photos were complimentary, or you could take your own, but those days are long gone. I've seen some malls where you almost need to take a loan to pay for the picture with Santa!

When Tresa was little there was a wonderful looking Santa at one of the malls. He had the real beard. I do think he was tired of the Ho-Ho-Whole thing though, because his personality wasn't quite as jolly as one might expect of a jolly old elf! Then there were some really bad looking Santas, the ones where you could see the elastic that held the curly beard in place!

Looking at my picture with Santa collection that I display every year, I laugh at the pictures of my kids crying hysterically, and trying desperately to get away from the guy in red. What's really funny is that I have one of those for each of my three kids, and that always occurred around the same age.

Tresa's screaming with Santa photo came when she was 15.5 months old. The boys were both 19 months old. The one with Michael crying is great! Tresa is 7 years old and at that age, she could just ignore her screaming little brother and smile for the camera.

Then there is the one where Matt is screaming and Tresa is highly embarrassed! She was 10 years old and that's an age where you really don't want the attention to be on you. After all, you already think you might be too old to be sitting on Santa's lap, and then your little brother starts screaming and everyone is staring at you and laughing at the little spectacle on Santa's lap!

Oh, those were the days. When I look at the pictures now, and see the terror on their little faces, I actually feel kind of guilty. Then again, if it really harmed them psychologically, they would all be in therapy. Right?

When the kids got a little older and started asking questions about Santa, the ones that most parents don't like to answer.... I told them this, "When you stop believing in Santa, that's when Santa stops coming."

My kids are 25, 28 and 34, and Santa still stops at our house every Christmas!

What's The Buzz?

I feel excited, psyched and hyper. I have that strange little feeling in my stomache, and that can only mean one thing...THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! I always tell myself that I need to chill out a bit, but I don't know, the closer the holidays get the more giddy I get!

I always thought it was going to be strange when our kids grew up, that the holidays just wouldn't be the same....what I have found is that it's just as exciting, just in a different way. We don't have grandchildren yet, so there are no little ones watching and waiting for Santa but the spirit of Santa lives on!

I am not one of those people that freak out over the holidays. In fact, there is very little that rattles me. Not sure why that is, but it's a really good thing especially at this time of year.

I see other people running around, stressing over everything...upset because this needs to be like this and that can't be like that, and why can't so and so be here on this day and how come they are coming on that day, and hurry, hurry, hurry, gotta get it all done!

Then there are the "Bah Humbug" people. They dread the holidays. Everything about the holidays is a tedious chore. I just really don't get that. Sure there are things that need to be done...but none of it is a chore. It's a wonderful time of year.

One of our sons is married and our daughter in engaged. Our youngest son will be driving in from Colorado for Christmas. Last weekend we sat down and tried to figure out where everyone needed to be and when they needed to be there for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. It can be difficult when you are dealing with muliple families that all have their own special traditions.

As it turns out, to make it easier on our kids...we will celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday at our house. We did that last year and it was great. We had all day Thursday to prepare and they were able to spend time with their other families and then we had all day Friday to be together.

Christmas is a bit hectic, but we got that all figured out too. It's all a matter of being flexible. It takes a lot of the stress out of the holidays when you can sit together and work it out so everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.

So anyway...I am buzzin'! I am going to pick a photo to use for my Christmas cards tonight and get those made over this next week or so, and I am actually ready to go chop down that tree, get the lights up in the windows, order some new holiday candles (from someone at etsy of course) and get the holidays going!

There is no "Bah Humbug" in my holiday world!