I'm getting a little excited...about Christmas.

I know! I hate to be one of those people that just skips ahead and doesn't enjoy the upcoming holiday (though I am thankful for many things) but I've been buying Christmas presents here and there and I have to admit, I'm getting excited.

I haven't broken down and started listening to the Christmas music yet, but I'll tell you, the day after Thanksgiving, I'm there.

My only problem with shopping early is that I have to make myself a list of what I've done so that I don't forget the gifts I've gotten for people and hidden all over the house.

I just need a safe place to hide my list.

Lend a hand.

This is the time of year when the worries start. The holidays are stressful for people that aren't as fortunate - is there enough money for gifts, for food...heck, even for just things like electricity.

There are a lot of good causes out there if you're looking for something that you can help with. I know that just at my son's school, there is a food drive going on right now. As it gets closer to Christmas, there are angel trees, where you can pick names for kids and get them a gift for Christmas (they don't actually have the kids' names, just "Girl, Age 8" or something like that).

I actually pay attention to the things I buy for food drives now. Would I want to eat it? Would my kids? Instead of "hmmm, that's cheap, I'll get that."

I stumbled across a blog yesterday of author/illustrator named Adam Rex. Every year he tries to raise money for teachers that need help, and this apparently involves growing out a crazy mustache to raise money for teachers that need it. This year, the teachers are in Tucson, Arizona. Their needs are serious, even if the mustache may not be.

Since I help in my son's class a lot, I know how important it is for a teacher to have the right supplies to be able to help with their kids. How much easier it is for them and how it helps to get the kids excited about things, when you just have a few little extras. With the way things are right now, it's hard for everyone, but it's especially hard for teachers. They spend so much of their own money paying for things that they really should have.

Here's the link to Adam's page, in hopes that maybe you or someone you know would be interested in helping out. Also, I really just encourage you to try to make a difference, however small, where you live. Find a cause that means something to you, and just do what you can. Every little bit helps, and at this time of year, you'll really make someone thankful.

Semantics.

Dear Foreigner:

If it "feels like the first time", then obviously it is not the first time, as you have the first time to make that comparison with.

However, it would be incorrect for you to say "like it never will again", as your previously mentioned rather cliched simile implies; as it is very apt and possible, with you all being in a band and such, for it to happen literally any hour.

Thanks, though. I do very much like your song.

image from Wikipedia. And yes, I'm sure my grammar needs some work.

Calling Planet Earth.

Is it just me...or are all these haircuts (except maybe Katie Holmes') pretty much just hideous? What real person is going to look good without a personal hairdresser around to try to wrangle that mess every day?

(and Posh, gosh, that's just not good no matter how you style it).

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I'm burned out.

It's getting to the time of year where too much is going on. Maybe not today, or maybe not tomorrow...but "now" in general.

And, the little guy is sick again with a cold and pretty much channeling Scrooge. He's good when he gets up but it's pretty much downhill from about 9AM.

I feel like eating an entire pizza by myself (I'm not sure why for that part) and sleeping for the entire afternoon (that part is pretty easy to figure out) but that just isn't going to happen.

November in Arizona.

I took Seven to the nursery yesterday, here are a few things we saw:

The crusty, dead toad was kind of cool, but it was so bright I used the viewfinder and sort of cut him off.

Careful what you wish for.

Yesterday I had a crap afternoon with one of my kids. We're both strong willed and stubborn and everything just fell apart.

I was feeling pretty lousy about things, and wishing that I could be a better parent, so I said a prayer and asked for patience to be a better mom today.

Of course, you know what this means, don't you?

The two year old is now sick, was up most of the night and I am a human snot rag right now.

Yeah, patience! Thank the good Lord for coffee, it helps.