A laundry list of ramblings from the Zaleski abode...
1* Trying to remember to take lots of pictures while we have Killian here. It never fails, the time I look forward to, the time time we enjoy so much - Killian being here and us ALL being together - is the time I have my camera out the least. I am always just trying to have fun and relax and enjoy the time with him and not make him feel...you know...under a camerascope. But I would also like MORE pictures of ALL of my kids. So I have been making a conscious effort to take more pictures since we DO have him here. And here is one I got the other day. I was up early(gasp!!! I know!!!), looking out the window and saw fog, and had an idea for a picture....and here is what I got. Leave it to Colby! But I still LOVE IT!! It's SOOO telling of the dynamics of my children right now! I think I'm actually going to blow it up big. These were taken at the park that is across the street from us...that I can see out my computer room window...nice view. A little later after a bowl of cereal and some tickles, I was able to get a nice little "photo shoot" in, and Colby even joined in. (I'll post throughout so you have something to look at while I ramble. I'm in the mood to ramble.)
2* I am going along with Ali Edwards and her idea to choose a word for the year. Want to join in? If you live close, you'll be getting an invite within the next week because I'll be hosting a New Years Party, of sorts, where we'll be making something fun with our "words". If you don't live close, still choose a word and have fun with it. Basically, it's a word that you want to represent your year. A word you can take with you, go back to, and use to remind you of what your intentions for the year are. My word for the year is Purpose. I chose this word because I want to be more intentional. I want to make better choices, and make them with purpose, on purpose, with a purpose in mind. I want to read my bible every day, learn to crochet (again), learn to play the piano, work on my Spanish, Scrapbook more, Graduate from School and cook more home cooked healthy meals. I want to eat out less, play more board games, read more books- by that I mean novels, not text books. I want to walk my dog more, sit in silence once a day, pray the rosary more often, finish my commitments with the PTO with vigor, and gusto, and success and then move on. I want to read more to my children, and have more date nights with my husband, and watch more movies, I NEED to watch more movies, it's part of being American to know movie lines...Delphine, Jamie, Janna - I'm working on it just SO you can have a conversation and not have to stop mid laughter and look at the clueless look on my face and fill me in. I even want to watch more KID movies (I know, huge!), I want to call my sisters more, email my far away friends more, and keep in touch better with my cousins and aunts. I want to send presents on time, study while the kids are at school instead of while they're in bed, and I want to have more evenings while my husband is on the computer playing with his DJ music and we're all in this kitchen/computer room(s) of our house, listening to music and dancing and laughing and having fun. I want to journal more, walk more, and go to the gym more. I want to talk to my husband more. And I want to do it ALL with Purpose. I want to live in the moment and appreciate it. And make good choices. And this sounds alot like a list of, ummmn, New Year's resolutions. But you see, they're not. Because Resolutions are made to be broken, and this, my friends, is a list of goals that I will achieve, on purpose! Maybe not ALL of them will be done in 2008, but they WILL be done!
3* We have been playing alot of games lately. Every day we've been fitting in a few board games, the last few days it's been: Blokus, Cranium Conga, Yahtzee, Mad Gab...and a few fun outside games that we had a blast with...Cosmic Catch (thanks Aunt Kimmie!) and Hyper Dash. Games, but not necessarily "board" games, unless you count your driveway as the board. We've been loving it! Love Christmas break for this! We're actually going to incorporate our Family Game Night back into our week after the break now that my classes will all be online and I'll be here in the evenings.
4* It's actually been getting cold here lately. Really...for Alabama, anyways. My kids have been jumping on their trampoline like crazy, and it's funny, they get all dressed up in hats and gloves. So NOT what we're used to here. Our lows have been in the 20's. I'm LOVING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5* Daziel has been Frog Sitting. Yes, one of his best friends in school, Tre, went out of town for the holiday. And Tre has a little frog, Frogger, that he's raised from a tadpole. So he asked Daziel to frog sit while he was away so Frogger wouldn't croak. (te he he...get it?) So, Daz, being the kid that he is, said he would be glad to frog sit. Since the last day of school we've had a frog here. It's been sitting on the boys' dresser, and I forget about it most of the time. But Daz has dutifully fed it daily and taken care of it. Well, what else do you do for a frog besides feed it? Stare at it, maybe? Talk to it? I dunno. We say goodbye to Frogger in the morning. And I think Daz is such a good friend to frog sit for Tre for so long!!! I think it's so cute that they're at the age where they do these kinds of things for each other!
6* I have been watching ALOT of movies at home lately. Some I've seen before, many I have not. I'm not a huge movie goer, watcher. Ok all of you who ask "how do you do it all?" It's because I never take the time to read a book, or watch a movie. And I always wonder "how does she have the time to read a book, or watch that movie". Balance I suppose. And don't forget, the grass is always greener... So I fill my breaks with lots of movies. Over the break I've watched Legally Blonde, Legally Blonde 2, Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget Jone's the Edge of Reason, Love Actually, Monster's Ball (hadn't seen this one, didn't care for it, but now I've "seen it"), The Nannie Diaries (read this book a year or so ago, loved the book. Good movie too. Read the book, first, though.) I think that's it. Besides the ones we've seen in the theater. But I DO intend to watch a few more. The next on my list are Spanglish, Memoirs of a Geisha, Dirty Dancing, The Notebook and Stepmom.
7* Our high for tomorrow is 53, the low 31, and Craig is taking my kids camping. Yes, I know for years you've thought he was a bit on the crazy side, and that has just been affirmed. But the kids are ecstatic! Even though it's going to be cold. They keep telling me that "we'll have lots of layers and socks and blankets...and a campfire". Go forth and freeze have fun, I've told them. I plan to stay snug and cozy in my bed and watch a few of the above mentioned movies, and maybe even read a few chapters out of a book, thank you very much.
8* I start my online classes Monday, the 7th, Craig's Birthday! Really NOT looking forward to that, I've REALLY been enjoying my break SO much! But I guess I am looking forward to knocking a few more classes out, and getting closer to the goal. Killian starts back on the 7th too, so Craig will be driving him home on Sunday. Daz, Allyssa and Colby start back on the 8th. Actually wishing we all had a longer break. I've really been enjoying my kiddos. Can't wait for summer break and more time with them!
9* I just looked online at my grade point average with last terms classes added to it. Well first, let me explain a few things. You see, I've had a few terms where my grades have not been all that hot. My first one, when Daz was a baby, and I was so young, and...not so pretty. Last fall, when I was over committed, overstressed, and overtired...not that great either. So, those couple of of "not so hot" grades on my transcript dropped my GPA down a bit, and I've really been trying to pull it back up so I can graduate with honors. And I'm happy to announce that as of now, my GPA is back to a 3.44. And as of now, I will be graduating With Honors (Cum Laude). Wish I could be walking with Magna or Suma, but Cum Laude it will be for me. (How you walk at graduation = what your GPA is at a semester prior to graduation; which was the end of this semester for me.) But, considering all that I have going on, I think this is a HUGE accomplishment! Oooohhh, and talking about "walking" and "graduation" gets me kind of giddy!!!
10* Have you been watching Project Runway? I caught a marathon yesterday on Bravo. Wowza, lovin' it!!! Can't wait for all the shows to be back from break; Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and can't wait for Lost to be back on. It's been a while. I was starting to think that Lost got Lost. How about the show with Carrie Ann Inaba, the female judge off of Dancing With the Stars, and Drew Lachey (former winner of that show - and one of my favs)...Dance War? Not so sure what I think about it, but I'll try it out to see. ER came back on tonight, have been a fan of it for years! And I am really loving Samantha Who?
11* Craig was super motivated and on the ball and took down all of our outside Christmas decorations on the 1st. I still have not taken the indoor stuff down yet. Not in the mood. It's a chore. Still enjoying it. It's so much work for so little time. But I think I'll do it tomorrow.
12*Our "Family Christmas Pictures" got taken today, so Zaleski New Year's Cards (yes, with letters and pictures) and gifts should be out the door by Monday. Yippee!!!!!!!
13* Mom, I think Killian may be as tall as you by the time you get here in May.
14* I actually scrapbooked a page the other night. A Christmas 2000 page. I'll be doing more and more. Thankful to have a space, and supplies, and pictures... Glad to have this form of keeping track of our memories.
15* So...this is kind of what we've been up to. Pretty much. In a nutshell. Through my eyes. In my words. You get to witness a little bit of my Crazy, Beautiful Life...and oh how beautiful it is!