Ronan's Take on Christmas

"If you aren't good, Santa puts you on the naughty wist. And his wain-deers give you poop."

Yep, pretty much sums up Christmas.

Be Nice, Pretty Please?

Why is it that during the holidays, people's rudeness either heightens or is more prevalent? While I'm trying to teach my children about having good manners and treating others as they would want to be treated, I find myself being talked to like an idiot and the general friendly cheer you would hope to see at local retailers or even in the parking lots has completely disappeared.

Case in point: I'm standing in line at Target. Finally gets to me. I look at cashier. I smile. I say in my overly cheery voice, "how are you?!" Said cashier reponds, "oh, not so good. People are so rude."

My issue is that in her disgust with the customers prior to me, she treated me with the same bah-humbug she just complained about. Nip it in the bud, I think to myself. I kill her with kindness and attempt to make her laugh with the next phrase: "Oh, well, you never know, maybe those people just saw some extra cellulite this morning and are just pissed about it."

She laughed and the mood changed, but this is such a huge lesson for all of us.

If you look in the mirror and find new cellulite, don't take it out on the Target cashier.

Kidding. Seriously though.

BE NICE. Please.

Check out this blog...

This is a friend's blog that just makes me laugh or gag, everytime I read it...

Check it out! Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate Covered Grins

Some Funny Convos/Phrases from the Kids

After we bought Ronan his first tiny tree (for his room), I decorated it and he shouted with glee:

"Momma! I love all my pornaments."

Conversation Ronan was having with Riley while they were playing 'Go Fish':

Ronan: You are a genius, Why-wee!

Riley: I know.

(This one conversation, I just shook my head over, but this is why I love my Riley.)

Riley: When is Hanukkah?

Me: Uh, I think it's over now, Riley.

Riley: So, it's not on the first day of the new year?

Me: No, that's called New Years Day.

Riley: Ooooohhhhhh, so is the day before that called New Years Eve?

Me: Yes, Riley.

Riley: Oh, I get it now. So wait, we missed Hanukkah?

Me: (shaking my head secretly) Yes, we missed Hanukkah.

Happy Golden Birthday to Ronan

Not the best pictures, I know...but being that I get so overwhelmed at parties, this was all I had...

My little dude is 4. I know, crazy. Feels like just four years ago that I was holding onto this little chubba bub that weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. Now, he'll tell you:

"Momma, I'm 4. I'm gonna be 5 soon." Boy, does time go by fast.

If you couldn't tell from the picture above, we had a bowling party for him. I don't know what his scores were, but I can tell you he had a great time with his friends and next year, we'll forget the party and give the man a DS. :)

Christmas Card 2010

Since I have had Riley, we've always done a photo Christmas card. With how crazy this month has been, I almost decided to NOT do a Christmas card. But then I knew better. I would have regret it and Ryan would hear me complain about it for the next 35 years. So, the other night, I quickly decided to take pictures of the kids with the usual red back-drop and although this isn't the final photo I chose (only those that get my cards will see the final product!), this happens to be one of my favorites of my nuggets. Took forever to get them to look at me and not the TV. Took even longer to convince Ronan to not put his foot in the picture.

Love my babies.

The Squinkie Debacle.

If you don't know what Squinkies are, you aren't alone. Most of the time, if I mention the word, people shoot me this odd look and then I have to go into this long dialogue about what they are and why in the world that one would want them. Well, I'll tell you why one would want them...Christmas. Well, at least we thought one would want them.

If you have read my previous posts, you'll know that Riley found out this year the truth about Santa. Although a loss of innocence, it has become a tiny blessing in disguise. I've been able to use this new-found knowledge she's acquired as a learning tool about the value of a dollar -- which leads me to the subject of this post, the Squinkie Debacle.

Two months ago, she asked her Pa for some Christmas presents. On that list, was a set of Squinkies. And two months ago, they were virtually impossible to find. After searching high and far, my dad was able to find one set. In the meantime, I was able to purchase EVERY. SINGLE. SET. out there. When I say every set. I mean it. A couple hundred dollars worth of darn Squinkies.

Then, it happened. As I was cleaning, I asked Riley about another toy. I said:

"Either take it into your room, or I can throw it away."

Thinking that she would take the toy, she said, "Oh, just throw it away."

I went ballistic. I lost it. A $30 toy my dad had bought her, she asked me to throw away! So there I went into my long and loud lecture about the value of a dollar, how hard Pa, Mommy and Daddy have to work to get her those types of toys and if she doesn't play with them, she shouldn't ask for them.

That was then my opportunity to ask her about her Christmas presents. Knowing she is now aware of where they came from, I asked her point blank: "If mommy and daddy bought you Squinkies for Christmas, would you play with them?"

The 5-second pause was long enough for me to know that she wouldn't and when she said reluctantly, "Yeah, I guess I would..." - well, it was my cue to grab all the Squinkies, retrieve all receipts and prepare to return all that is Squinkie.

When we asked her what she REALLY wanted...she told us books, clothes and few of those Zoobles. Well, guess what...that's what she's getting this year. So even though it saddens us that she doesn't believe in Santa, it has made us so much smarter with our spending, knowing that what we are getting her is exactly what she wants...

(And if you purchased those Squinkies for your little ones this year...there is really nothing to them, I was quite disappointed, if you ask me. They don't do anything...but maybe collect dust after sitting on a shelf for a long time...)

Shout out to Riley

I know I don't often post funny things about Riley...mostly because she's much more serious these days (being a 3rd grader can do that...)

So, I wanted to just say how proud I am of Riley for making HIGH honor roll and being told today by her teacher that she is one of the top two students (grade-wise) in her class! Must be the Asian in her.

Ronan-isms of DECEMBER...and it's only Day 3.

Ronan cracks me up. Since pre-school started, he just talks and talks and talks...and I can't complain because he didn't talk for so long. Two days ago, as we are driving home from school, he says:

I'm Wo-nan, Wo-nan Wino. R-O-N-A-N, wino.

(I know he's saying Rhino, but it's just so funny to hear him call himself a wino.)

Then yesterday, my mom bought him a tiny Christmas tree for his room. In his excitement, he screams, "Mommy! I love my PORN-aments."

15 years ago...

I graduated from high school. 15 years ago, I had very little responsibility compared to what I have now. 15 years ago, I definitely wasn't thinking about my 15-year-freakin-reunion.

I didn't go to the 10-year. Not that I didn't want to. We lived 3000 miles away at the time and so it just didn't happen for me. I didn't want to let the 15-year slip by and not go...so this time, I helped to plan it.

I don't think the actual planning part was hard, or even that trying to get a hold of people was difficult. It was deciding on what I was going to wear. Life or death? No. But man, was the choice exhausting. Looking back at pictures, I don't think I did too bad...

Yes, I graduated with Joe Manganiello...and I have to say, it was very cool to have him come back...happy to have the chance to catch up with him and definitely stoked to have gotten my picture taken with him. This is where the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing could really be true...LOL.
And here are Emily, Laura and I, after all the craziness of setting it all up and getting everyone signed in...
Such a great experience to have been a part of, and I'm so proud that it was success. Looking forward to the next one in 5 years....