Ann's Christmas Party

Last night I got to be Ann's date at her work Christmas party. This is the third time I've gotten to go and it's always a fun event. It's fun because it's not your typical party where you eat dinner and then stand around socializing.

When you first arrive it's drinks and appetizers, then dinner and dessert. After dinner they give away door prizes to the employees (Ann didn't win). After that is when the real fun began. This year they had a Wii and an Xbox set up. On the Wii you got to play Mario Kart and on the Xbox you got to play Rock Band. You play with three other people and the top two finishers win gift cards. It's really good odds. I did ok on Mario Kart but HORRIBLE on Rock Band. I played the drums and only got a 28% - really bad.

Throughout the evening they also gave away two Wii's to the employees in a random drawing. Last year Ann won one of the Wii's. This year she didn't win one but that's ok. I think people would have been a bit annoyed with her if she did, especially since the year before at her Christmas Party I won a 26" flat screen tv.

They also had two caricature artists and a photo booth to take your picture. I didn't get my picture taken this year - just wasn't feeling it.

Off to work

It's now 10pm and I'm just getting ready to go to work. I hate that it's 10pm and I'm just now starting my work. It was 8pm before I got both of the kids into bed. Then I had to watch tonight's Survivor episode (glad Shambo is gone but Russell should have been voted off a LONG time ago!). Then I had to clean out my inbox. It drives me crazy when I have work to do and my inbox is full. I just finished that and decided to post a quick blog entry.

I meant to post one last night and tell about my day yesterday. Brett had his Christmas program and was completely adorable. He had been telling us for quite a while that he was going to sing super duper loud and he did. You could tell he was singing as loud as his little body would let him. All the kids were very cute. That was the most important part of my day yesterday.

But another interesting part of my day yesterday was when I met the 2008 HGTV Design Star winner - Jennifer Bertrand. I was at Home Goods/Marshall's and she was right behind me in line. I thought for a minute about whether or not I wanted to say anything to her but I decided that I wanted to let her know that I supported her and wish her show would have taken off. So I talked to her and she was so nice and friendly. She took the time to tell me about her son and what's going on with him and thanked me for recognizing her. Very nice woman.

Hopefully I'll post some new pictures soon. I've still got several presents I need to buy and wrap!!!! I also need to get started on my cinnamon rolls - ackkk!!! So it's going to be a busy week. Hopefully I won't be up too late working. Wish me luck!

Stupid Christmas Song

I just put Claire down for her nap and thought I'd write a quick blog entry. I was going to write a blog entry yesterday but never got around to it. I wanted to comment on this awful Christmas song (if that's what you'd call it) I heard on the radio. It was a version of The 12 Days of Christmas but was so mixed up with other songs it was very painful to listen to. Normally I would have changed the station but I wanted to hear who sang the song. It's by a group called Straight, No Chaser. Apparently they're a college band and have become quite popular with this stupid song. The DJ on the radio said it's the most requested song this year. I have NO IDEA why. I just sat there thinking how awful it was - for example, it starts out with the First Day of Christmas, then jumps to the 5th day, then to the 8th, then adds in some other Christmas songs, then the dreidel song, then a pop song (I can't remember the song's name sorry!). Anyway, it's pretty bad. Just amazing that people would like that junk.

And all this after yesterday I was finally in the Christmas spirit. I watched a little bit of "Holiday Inn" and "White Christmas" the night before (two of my favorite Christmas movies) and was all geared up for the season. I got a TON of shopping done at Target while Brett was at school and then that stupid song. But, it didn't ruin my mood. Just made me shake my head.

Now I'm off to frost and decorate cookies with Brett for his Christmas program tomorrow night. This should be interesting.

Laundry, Ugh!

Laundry isn't really that bad. But when you wait until you have practically EVERY piece of laundry in your house to wash, it becomes a nightmare. I just spent time in my laundry room - folding a batch of towels, putting in Brett's second load of laundry (which included pretreating practically every shirt and pair of pants!) and then I walked upstairs and saw the SECOND BASKET of his dirty clothes still to wash! UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Part of my problem with Brett's clothes is that I have a matching pair of pants for each shirt he has. So that means that every day he puts on a new pair of pants and a shirt. I know this is a lot, but I buy his clothes at consignment sales and garage sales. And, it makes matching his outfits a lot easier for everyone in our family. He just picks out an outfit in the morning and puts it on. No need to figure out if the shirt matches the pants or if the jeans are clean, etc. So that's part of the problem. But, I'm not changing that. At least not now. Although it does take me a while to put his clothes on hangars and match up outfits. But in the long run I think it's worth it.

The biggest problem with my laundry situation is just finding the time to do the laundry. It's hard to put a load in when Claire's awake. But why I can't do it when she's napping or at night? That's a good question. I'll have to think about that one.

Last night as I was just finishing up Lance and I's laundry, he came into the bedroom and magically conjured up an ENTIRE BASKET worth of dirty clothes for me to wash! I just looked at him as he put them into the hamper. I had just finished folding the clothes and thought I was done for the night. He knew I wasn't happy.

I think I need to make doing the laundry more often, or coming up with a better system my New Year's Resolution. Because right now I'm really tired of all the piles of laundry in my house. Off to fold some clothes.