my room at school and my mom

My room at school is so nice. I like it a lot. I wanted to share a couple of pictures. Also, I like the picture of Emily with my mom. She is really weak right now and I am really worried about her.

My aunt and uncle were in town from New York on Friday and I got to see them for a few minutes.

The kids are watching Grease right now. That cracks me up since I watched it when I was their age, too. I guess it is timeless.

I love you my first born to the moon and back.

Emily is 10

Playing with her balloons in her new uniform. I love this photo.


Build a bears once again.


Her new Girl Scout uniform


My beautiful birthday girl.


Their new pierced ears.


Right after her shower in her mismatched jammies.

We celebrated her birthday early yesterday and today. Tomorrow she will get an ice cream cake after school. She got her ears pierced. She didn't want to do it alone so Tara got hers done, too. Then it was off to spend birthday money getting lotion, a webkinz and another build a bear. I hope it's her last build a bear. They are really expensive.

They were troopers getting their ears pierced. They picked out their own earrings. Emily wanted me to be quiet and not make a big deal out of it, yet she still wanted me near her when it was being done. Poor thing was shaking. Tara just sat there and took it. Emily also wanted her girl scout uniform since she graduated out of Brownies into Junior scouts. She looked adorable in her uniform and it was special to me, since I also got a Girl Scout uniform for my 10th b'day, too.

Vacation stuff.

Tom and Tara at my dad's house. I like this silly photo.




The tree after it came down.




My favorite gift. A set of dishes.

The tree banging on the house. It was the one in the previous picture that is no more.

Christmas with Tom and Sheri (after Christmas)

Inside the Christmas Story house. Near the bathroom.

The house and the crowds!

The fam

It's been fun. We've gone to the Christmas Story house in Cleveland. I've seen my friend, Debi and we attempted to learn to crochet. Well.... I can do it but get stuck knowing where to put the hook when I do a second row. They tell me it gets easier. I don't know. I want to be like my grandparents and mom, who could make afghans.

I've been hampered by an ear infection that just won't leave me. I am beginning to worry that it's my jaw and not just an infection. That scares me.

The Christmas house was just too fun. It was really crowded but I managed. There is the original house from the movie, which has been set up to look like a 1941 house inside, very much like the movie. There is also a museum and a gift shop in separate houses

Emily is turning 10 this Monday, Jan. 5th. She wants to get her ears pierced AND go to the toy store. She's on the precipice. Not yet a woman, not just a little girl.

One of the trees is down. It was contracting in the winter just enough that when a gust of wind came, it would slam in the house with a sound of 10 doors slamming. This happened day in and day out. One down. Yipeeee!

I have pictures from Christmas that were cute. Maybe I'll post them on another day.

Mom is home!

Mom got out early. Yipppeeee! She is home now on oxygen. She's a real trooper. My dad bought her the little ostrich and it is so cute.

Merry Christmas!

no Christmas cheer for my mom

My mom is in the hospital with pneumonia. She had been sounding bad for some time and my dad tried to get her in to the doctor. They said yesterday that they could get her in on the 15th. He knew they had a cancellation because his friend, who goes to the same doctor, couldn't make it that day. "Oh we've filled that spot with 4 other people." That's bull; no one's that busy. They told my dad if she's so bad to take her to the hospital and that's what he did. She'll be there through Christmas. Poor Mom.

I'm going there today to see her. Pneumonia is so dangerous for normally healthy people and scary for people like my mom.

Then I tried to call my dad last night and he accidentally took his phone off the hook again. Poor dad, too. He's so tired.

Christmas Tree & Exhausted Dog

I'm not sure why Millie is so sleepy, she didn't really help set up Christmas decorations.

When life is busy, I should let sleeping animals be a soothing sight. But it's not. It only creates envy. I envy how animals can sleep and not have a care in the world.

But it's an even game: they're usually envious of our meals.