Busy Busy

Ok, so since Christmas we have worked, been to Cincinnati for a baptism, and worked some more. I'll get on here, hopefully, Saturday when I have a day off and post photos from all of it. I have some really cute ones of JMS. Hope all is well with everyone. I'd love to hear what everyone got for Christmas, what your new year's resolutions are...and stories of your attempts to return unwanted Christmas gifts to your local retailer. :)

Quickly....JMS got a car/train table...remote control car...and some other goodies; hubby got a recliner from Lazboy; the dog got a new bed; and, I got a ROOMBA!!!

Resolutions...I still have a few days to think about these. :)

And, retail returns...I'll dig through and give you my best on Saturday....the suspense...I know!

Merry Christmas

Some of Santa's beauties! Merry Christmas everyone.

3 Days Until Christmas

And they're off....the last minute shoppers have entered the race. And, let me say, they are the rudest of all customers. Let me remind everyone, we are open 12 months out of the year. You do not have the right to get mad at me because I don't have the (enter your sought after item) that you could have purchased on any other day of the year. Oh, and if your mother's didn't teach you...it is rude to interrupt. I don't care if you are in a rush....are late for another engagement....or have a bunch of other places to go to before the big day...but if I am helping someone else, recognize and step back and wait your turn!

OK...so, now that I have vented about the customers...let me just say, if you are in charge of anyone...make it a New Year's Resolution to not assume the worst of your employees. (enough on that topic)

And for the family...hubby is working "60's" as he likes to call it. But really, it is more like 90 hours when you are there 6 days a week, from 5:30am until 7:30pm. I get it...his company (retail too) does not miss Christmas. I get it. He isn't really in the Christmas spirit...or really any kind of spirit...he works, eats (when he gets super hungry) and sleeps. If we are lucky, he might get a little play time with JMS.

And...speaking of JMS...we are due for some funny pictures:

Two fisting already...(orange juice is one, milk in the other....orange cream?)

Reconnecting with the "hood"

I'm so excited. Susan from our old neighborhood in Olympia shared her blog with us, through her Christmas Card. We, of course, checked it out...and found out that most of our old neighbors...ladies I played bunko with...or walked with...or sought for baby advice...are bloggers too!!!! We all are in different parts of the country now...for the most part, thanks to the military, but we all caught on to blogging. HOW COOL! As you can see...I'm really happy about this. Since we moved to Kentucky I haven't really had the chance to make the same close friendships. Our neighborhood is still under construction...there aren't any houses across the street from us yet, and our direct next door neighbor went under foreclosure in May. This mixed with the amount of time we both work has really dampened our ability to socialize. So, I have been friend depressed. OK...so I'm excited. You get this.

On with other news...I finally settled on my husband's Christmas gift....so my shopping is officially complete!!! Christmas cards are out....out of town gifts should arrive for those folks today...(well except for those on the west coast)...outside decor is up...all that we have left to do it get a tree...(which we do the week before Xmas anyhow).

Snowy Day in Kentucky

I'm not sure which one is more excited about the white stuff. Last night we received about two inches of wet snow. JMS decided that he wanted to help his mommy shovel snow. Hey kid...knock yourself out!

Still really excited to be outside playing in the snow...until dad straps him in his car seat...

And then...we get the biggest pouty lip ever in the history of our two families... (see for yourself)

Retail Rant

OK...I'm going to climb back up on my soap box to lecture all of you holiday shoppers who cannot "not touch" as our mothers used to say. Do not touch! Do not pick up! Do not move merchandise from its home location if you are not going to buy it!!!!! I was the closing manager last night. The store closed its front doors at 11pm. My team was still putting stuff away at 3:30am!!!! Oh, and we still had 24 more shopping carts of abandoned merchandise at the customer service desk. Maybe dot(.)com is the way to go....(as I ponder in my tired stuper) ....

Only 10 days until Christmas! (pep talk to self) "you can do this..."

Lost my voice

So, I lost my voice two days ago and I still sound "froggy." It makes work interesting when guests are arguing with you and you can't get loud back at them. :) They look at you funny and it quickly diffuses the situation.

Toys is our heaviest sales department right now. Yesterday I had to find some interesting toys: Martian Matter Alien Maker, Moon Shoes, Color Me Jewelry Box, Bakugan (huge hit), Remote Control Dinosaur....Roboraptor, Paperdolls, Spongebob plush figures, Guess Who Extra....and it really makes me sad when a grown adult (my age) comes up and says, "I don't have kids...where and what is Kung Fu Panda?"

Come on people...are we so grown up that we aren't still kids at heart? I challenge each of you to take an afternoon and go peruse the toy department on your lunch hour/after work...really look at every box and read how to play every game. There are some really fun ones out there! Who cares if it says Age 6+....you can play it too.