How do you say goodbye when you don't want to?

I have been trying for the last 2 days to write something to post here. As you can see, I have been unsuccessful.

I am so sad, and so lost. My best friend's mom passed away on Monday (12/26). The same woman who survived pneumonia this past summer. The same woman, who against all odds, went home in October and began to reclaim her life. The same woman who defined strength and determination. The same woman who always knew when I was lying to cover up for my friend. I will miss her terribly.

How do you get past losing your mom? My own mom is so young, that it seems impossible that I will go through this one day. I know it is a fact of life, but I have lived my life in relative denial, until now. Brigitte's mom was young too, only 69. She had a whole other part of her life to look forward to, with her husband, watching her own kids with their families, spoiling her grandchildren...

One thing I am grateful for is that Brigitte's children had such wonderful and close relationships with their grandmother. That is something to be treasured.

Hola Internet!

Oh, I spoke too soon...I was not ready for Xmas! I could kick myself...last week, when I was finishing up in Toys R Us, I passed by Dora's Talking Kitchen. I told myself I was not getting it, we have a kitchen...ok, well..big mistake! That day, the kicthen was $89.99...today on Ebay, I paid $127.50 + shipping. Next time, my advice...buy it when you see it, you can always return it later.

And now for a bit of a rant....these Ebay people are worse than ticket scalpers! They buy up the season's most popular toy, turn around, sell it to the poor guilt ridden parents who don't want their kids to lose faith in Santa, for 2-3x the price! It is awful, and I know that I just exacerbated the problem, but I had to get that off my chest.

Next year I will try to do this differently...I will take that Toys R Us Big Book when it comes, and I will go to Toys R Us BEFORE Thanksgiving...and buy what I need! yea, ok...if you believe that, that and a Metro Card will get you on the subway...oh wait, no it won't...TRANSIT STRIKE! I wonder how those people are getting their Dora Kitchens?

6 more days?????

How could it be? Christmas is breathing down my neck. It is unreal...when we were kids, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed like an eternity. Now, as an adult and mother of 2, I can't seem to even recognize that Christmas comes after Thanksgiving until the calendar is in the 2nd week of December. My first attempt at Christmas shopping was last week! But somehow, I am done! Ok, almost done...Chris told me he wants a comfy chair for his dungeon (the basement, where he works on the computer at night while the rest of us are in dreamland). I don't know how exactly I am supposed to determine comfy-ness since I am about 8" shorter than him, but for him...I will try ;-)

My sweet girls

This was the reject for this year's Xmas cards. My little angels!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Hello out there! So, 3 snow storms in 1 week...I love it! Most people I work with are miserable when it snows...not me, I grin from ear to ear! See, I love to ski, and my mountains need some snow! We are planning some trips, both here in the Northeast and of course where the real skiing is...out west, and the more snow the better! Of course, my 7 year old is luckier than me...she got her first snow day for the school year and here I am, sitting at work! Figures, eh?

On my way home last night, the traffic lady on the radio station I was listning to was saying how the kids in her neighborhood all wear their pj's inside out and backwards when they want LOADS of snow. I had never in my 37 1/2 years heard of that! Then, my sitter told me that Sammy's teacher told me that their teacher told them to do the pajama thing, and throw ice cubes out the window. Amazing...because Sammy did all but the ice cubes, and with barely an inch of snow on the ground, schools across Long Island were closed! I was NEVER that lucky growing up in Brooklyn...we had them occasionally, but only when we had like a foot of the white stuff.

So come on Old Man Winter! Bring some more snow... Tahoe could use some more...that forecast is looking a little dry!