Merry Christmas 2008

We have warmth! After I finished posting my complaint about the heater-fixer guys not showing up the phone rang and they were on their way. Obviously, they read my blog. Because, yes, I am the world's most famous blogger and HVAC people especially love me. Also, they left me a present in the basement. It's a pile of fuel soaked rags. Merry Christmas to ME! I'm scared to touch them.

Our main source of heat comes from fuel oil, which is very rare in this part of the country. It seems our fuel tank froze and so their won't be any fuel coming through the line until it thaws. Good thing we have a heat pump for back up, so the guys rewired our heat pump and it's heating the house just fine. Hooray!

Yesterday, I spent the morning yelling at my children to help me clean up the house. I swear they think I'm speaking a foreign language. Here's a perfect example...

Me- Seth, I want you to go down and put the clothes that are in the washer into the dryer.

Seth- Where?

My daughter is so preoccupied by her social agenda that it's hard to get her to focus on anything inside our home for more that a few seconds. And of course the two little boys are so excited for Christmas that they can't think straight.

By the time Clay came home in the afternoon I was ready to bash some skulls. Thankfully, we had plans to get out of the house and have some fun as a family. Although, I did have a moment where I stood in my room having a mommy melt down and wanted Clay to take all the kids so I could have the opportunity to carry on a perfectly coherent conversation with myself. I mean, if I told myself to wash the dishes that were in the sink by hand, I think I would understand that that DOES NOT mean shove them all on top of each other in the dishwasher. Wouldn't I? Yes, I would because I tested it today. You know what? Those dished got washed .....with MY HANDS! I understood every word I said. I'm a very good listener and I think I explain things quite well and I'm very easy to get along with as long as PEOPLE DO EXACTLY AS I SAY!! I got along with myself splendidly today. I am my new best friend.

Anywaaaaaay.

Our biggest gift to the kids this year was a trip to Crown Center in Kansas City to go ice skating. We also took them to Kaleidescope and then to The Cheese Cake Factory for some yummy dessert. It was a very fun day. Oh, and Levi had so much fun he peed his pants. So, I ran into the Gap and bought him a new pair on sale for $16, not bad. I might pee my pants next time so I can get some new clothes. That kid's no dummy.

The kids want to make the ice skating/Cheese Factory an annual tradition and I hope we can. The lights were beautiful and the weather was grand. We didn't tell them we were doing anything until the day before, so they were surprised.

We bought all the kids three small gifts each and some stocking stuffers. I think it's just the right amount.

This year I've tried to make gifts that people can use or will appreciate. I've enjoyed not rushing from store to store to find the right 'thing' for everyone. Next year I need to get an earlier start because these last couple weeks have been nutty and that's the reason my house was such a disaster.....and it's not easy getting people to help me when I don't speak their language. Yes, I will now be calling my children, the four foreigners in my house.

From Coal Creek Farm, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. The Four Foreigners are waving their hands and making a lot of noise, whatever that means...... dumb foreigners.