Phantom!

A while back, probably before Thanksgiving, Mark has told me that he wanted to take me to see Phantom of the Opera for Christmas but that it wasn't going to happen. She show ended on December 20 and the tickets were too expensive. So although I still really wanted to go, it was not meant to be.

So on December 6th, I came home from church to a package, wrapped in birthday paper, sitting inside the door. I could tell from the shape of it that it was a DVD. So...

Me: Honey, what's this?

Mark: It's a birthday present. (His birthday was December 9th)

Me: For who?

Mark: You. It's a month early.

Me: Who's it from?

Mark: Me. You can open it.

So I did. It was Phantom of the Opera, the movie, which I thought was a really sweet consolation. I turned it over, and there, taped to the back, what a piece of paper that read "This is not a ticket." Upon further observation...let me just preface this by saying that I cannot think of many other times that I have thrown my arms around my husband...I realized what it was, and I THREW my arms around my husband! (It was the internet receipt from the tickets that he had purchased.) I was crying and hugging him. I just couldn't believe it!

We had a babysitter and a back-up, but at the last minute, we had to arrange another one. We decided to meet Stacy at Manchester's, where Danny works, and that she would take the kids back to our house. Dinner was okay, but we enjoyed the time with Danny and Heidi (who also met us for dinner). The DPAC was really easy to find. The golf cart ride from the parking deck in 40 degree weather, however, was really cold!!

Anyway, we had seats in the 6th row, every time there was a pop or explosion both Mark and I jumped, the music was amazing, the main character darker than I expected. It was incredible! I have the most wonderful husband in the world!!

Not Me! Monday

I did not get so annoyed with all of the noise that the boys were making that I turned the stereo up sky-high just so I could have some "peace and quiet" while I was reading a magazine and taking a Mommy time-out. Nope, not me!

I did not enjoy leaving my children with my niece while the husband and I enjoyed dinner with my dinner and an old friend. I did not forget about calling home to check on the boys (who were "ornary," according to Stacy). I did not thoroughly enjoy going to see The Phantom of the Opera with my husband (who, have I mentioned, is the most wonderful man in the world). Nope, not me!

I did not have fun with the song Santa Baby, and I do not think of that fun every time I hear the song at work (which is not four or five times a night). Oh, and I do not share secrets about our intimate encounters on my blog. Nope, not me!

I did not realize just this morning (four days before Christmas) that I didn't have a single picture a certain Christmas present. I did not call other family members frantically to remedy this. Nope, not me, I wouldn't forget.

Want to join the fun? Just head over to her site and see what other people are not doing.

Silliness and Being like Daddy

I'm in blog withdrawal!!! I haven't been putting anything up lately, but I think I've just been lazy about it. So here's a few (or more than a few) pictures for you...

Zack opening his present from Ms. Cheryl, our neighbor.

Xander with the snow globes that Ms. Cheryl got for the boys. Unfortunately, about a second after this picture was taken, one of those snowglobes was shattered and there was snowy water all over the floor.

Daddy actually eats fruit!!!! And plays with it too!

Yup, just like Daddy, maybe a bigger mouth, though.

Zack's Keepsake ornament, which doesn't have a picture in it yet. I have to print one from his first day at school.

Xander's "Keepsake" ornament

Our tree...

From our wedding...

Daddy was cutting some branches off the pear tree, and Zack wanted to help. Zack was pulling the string on the pole saw, but here, he was helping Daddy to saw a bigger branch. He was also trying to break one of the little trees.

Updates

Zack~Last week he had his (possibly) first whole week of smiley face days at school!! He told us last night, when we told him that Mommy and Daddy had a date tonight, that he didn't know what a date was but that you kiss at the end.

Xander~is growing a little bit of defiance (Mommy: Xander, go get your shoes. Xander: NO!). He also told Santa Claus that he wanted a giraffe for Christmas and that his brother wanted an elephant.

Mommy and Daddy~trying to get better at parenting, put up the Christmas tree, though the lights outside are still dangling from when the wind knocked them down, celebrated Mark's birthday with dinner at Zaxby's and a bike birthday cake. Beware if you ever want to use candy canes or peppermints to decorate a cake--the colors tend to bleed and run all over the cake. Oh yeah, and we're going to see Phantom of the Opera tonight at DPAC!!! I'm so excited about it!! It's a my early Christmas and birthday present for this year.

There are no words

Last Friday, a terrible accident happened, involving a school bus! Today, this. I don't think something like this would touch me, but I had Flip's older daughter in my class 3 years ago. Please pray for strength for his wife Jill and their two daughters as they face this terrible time. As they face Christmas without their Daddy. And in the wise words of a fellow facebooker, Live everyday like it is your last and never leave without saying I Love You, because you are not promised tomorrow! I'm going to go hug my husband now.

MckGiveaways

Head over to MckGiveaways to find your chance to win an HP TouchSmart 600 computer!! Yup, that's all I have to say about that.

Sigh

I tried to do it, but failed. I moved the ladder off the porch, and, with much difficulty, managed to get it extended. I climbed it four or five times. And I was thrilled when I was able to plug in the extension cord and see the icicle lights hanging from our roof. Then, I tried to put the extension cord through the railing so it could be out of the way and easily plug-in-able, the first part of the light string and two hooks came down. So there it sits, well, hangs, because of my work schedule and Mark's meetings this week, we can't get back to it until Friday. Sigh.