Happy New Year!

I had all intentions of leaving a nice "Wishing You a Merry Christmas" post last week, but I got caught up in work and preparations for having a full house of family for Christmas. So, with that in mind I hope you all had a great Christmas.

Since I basically busted ass at work last week I don't have to go in this week, in fact I'm off work until January 6th--yeah me! Today I took the kids to daycare and am currently working on packing up the Christmas stuff. We leave on Thursday morning for the drive to Miami. It will be a good test for us all to see how the boys do for two days in the car. We are stocked up on DVDs and toys that travel well, so hopefully it won't be too bad. It looks like the weather will be decent for the drive down and I hope it stays that way for the return trip as well.

I more than likely will not be posting again until I'm back from Florida. I hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year. Personally, I hate New Year's Eve, but at least this year mine should be decent. Don't forget to watch the Orange Bowl next Tuesday night. [smile] I'll be the one in the Penn State t-shirt.

GO PENN STATE!!!!!!!

Today I'm Confused

I drove by the young girl again today. She was wearing only the black sweatshirt. She was sitting on a cement block with the sweatshirt pulled down over her knees and her hands tucked into the sleeves. The coat, gloves, scarf, and hat were no where to be seen. I'm at a loss. Did someone take them from her? Her problems are obviously deeper than not having a warm coat. My friend's co-worker is the one who took the coat, etc. outside to her. The girl doesn't know that I had anything to do with the coat, etc. Should I pull over and try to talk to her? Would that freak her out? Do I call the school system and hope that they know who gets a bus on that corner? We still don't know for sure that she comes from the shelter. Do I call social services? Should I just let it go? I ask you, my cyber friends, for your thoughts.

Today She Was Wearing a Down Coat

I thought I would update you on Tuesday's post. My friend and her co-workers across the street, have been keeping an eye on the young girl at the bus stop. One of the co-workers has a 13-year-old daughter for which she had bought a down coat. The daughter didn't like the coat, so the co-worker brought the coat to work for the young girl. Each day the co-worker attempted to take the coat to the girl, but just as she got outside the school bus came. She did not want to embarrass the girl in front of the other kids on the bus, so she turned back inside.

This morning the roads were icy, so I didn't rush to get to work and therefore missed seeing the girl at the bus stop. When I finally made it in to work, I had an e-mail waiting from my friend saying that they had given her a new coat. I called her and she told me that this morning the girl was back to just the black sweatshirt, but that they had taken the down coat out to her before the bus came. She accepted the coat and immediately put on the coat. The girl thanked them and was very appreciative.

Today, after lunch, I bought her a hat, scarf and gloves to match the coat. My husband had lunch with me so on his way home he dropped the gloves etc., at my friends office and hopefully they will be able to see her coming off the bus this afternoon and get them to her before the weekend.

I don't know why this girl has struck such a chord with me--and continues to do so--but at least she'll be warm now.

A Proud Parent Moment

Boy, I am tearing up with posts this week. This might be the most I've posted in one week ever. Anyway...

Tonight my darling 4-1/2 year-old son sang in his first Christmas show. The preschool that he attends put on a fantastic little show. My brother even battled rush-hour traffic and came down from Baltimore to see his nephew's show. The kids have been practicing for weeks and he has been singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" constantly. It was cute to hear him singing the songs around the house. It was overwhelmingly emotional to see him stand on stage with his classmates while they sang their little hearts out at the top of their lungs. This mom is all choked up with pride tonight.

Today She Was Wearing a Coat

Every day for the last couple of weeks while driving to work, I have passed a young girl waiting for a school bus. She has only been wearing a black sweatshirt. Yesterday, when I came around the corner I saw her as usual and she again only had on this black sweatshirt. It was 32 degrees. I resolved to do something. I talked to a co-worker and also called a friend who works in the building across the street from where this girl waits for the bus. My friend said that she had not noticed the girl before, but that she would watch for the bus to return in the afternoon. There is a community shelter around the corner, which might be where she is staying. The bus stop isn't in a residential area. We talked about the right way to go about getting this girl a coat.

Today when I came around the corner, she was sitting there as usual, but today she was wearing a coat. Granted it wasn't zipped up and she still had the sweatshirt on under the coat, but at least she was wearing a coat. It was 24 degrees this morning. She didn't have a hat, scarf or gloves. I called my friend when I arrived at my office thinking that she called social services or the school system.

My friend hadn't called anyone, but she and some of her co-workers will be keeping an eye on her. She said that the girl wasn't there when she arrived at work at 7:35, but at 7:45 she noticed the girl outside. I drive through between 8 and 8:15, so we've determined that she's waiting a long time for her bus. My friend will watch more closely tomorrow morning to see if she is coming from the shelter.

Anyway, I was awake at 11:30 last night thinking about the girl without a coat. If she hadn't had a coat on this morning, I was headed to Target at lunch time to get her a coat. I might still go to the store and get her some gloves, scarf and a hat.

Last night awake in my warm bed, I wondered if she was in the shelter down the street. What is her story? Where is her mother? Why is she waiting outside so long? Why doesn't she have a coat? Why didn't I go buy a coat for her yesterday? I prayed for God to take care of her. Today she was wearing a coat.

What She Said

Read it. Learn it. Live it. For the safety of the rest of us on the road.

P.S. Watch the freaking pedestrians while you are at it. I walked a mere two blocks to get a sandwich and almost got taken out by a car in two separate instances.

Working list of What Needs to Happen Before Dec. 24th.

Christmas photo of the boys √
Order photo cards √
Order stamps by mail √
Address and mail cards
Buy Christmas tree √
Decorate tree
Finish Shopping
Wrap gifts
Make cookies
Clean House
Sleep (yeah right!)

Thank you God for Wal-Mart! I took the Christmas photo of my sons on Wednesday and uploaded it to Wal-Mart.com that night. My cards were ready for pick-up on Saturday morning. My stamps-by-mail should come in today’s mail. Now I just need to find time to address the envelopes.

My husband has been studying for his final exam for the last two weeks. I cannot wait for him to be done. This is hopefully his last grad school class and he will have his Master’s from Johns Hopkins completed. Woohoo! He started grad school when I was pregnant with Blue Dog Pup #1 who is now 4-1/2 years old. He has aced all his classes, but this last class has been his toughest. As long as he pulls this one out, he’s done. If not he has to take two more to complete his Masters. He stumbled a bit with his mid-term but has really turned the class around and I know he’ll kick ass on his final.

I still have a fair amount of shopping to complete, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. For Christmas we will have at least my mom coming from PA and my brother will come down from Baltimore. My in-laws will make an appearance too, but they aren’t sure when they are coming.

Blue Dog Pup#1 has a Christmas show at his school tomorrow night, which we are looking forward to seeing. He’s been walking around for weeks singing “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” My brother might even make it down for the show. Blue Dog Pup #2 has a party for which I need to remember to wrap his gift exchange and buy chips.

Oh yeah and work. I have a magazine and a poster to get to the printer and I need to start designing a conference registration brochure before Christmas.

The jewelry designing and glass fusing is on hiatus until things settle down after the holidays. I still have not used gift certificates for beads that I received for my birthday back in August.

Alright, I just won some new glass for fusing on E-Bay. I’ve never actually purchased anything on E-Bay so now I have to figure out how to pay for it.

I hope your Christmas preparations are coming along. I know this is a stressful time for varying reasons for people. I hope you can all take a minute or two during the season to enjoy it at least a little. I know that even as busy as I am, I am blessed to have the pleasure of seeing Christmas through the eyes of my little boys and I can’t begin to tell you the warmth, peace and love it gives me.

NEWS FLASH !! We Are Going to the Orange Bowl

We've got our tickets! We are going to Miami to see JoePa and the rest of the Penn State Nittany Lions pound Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Can you say margaritas on the beach for New Year's Eve? Nah, I'm not excited or anything.

I'm slammed again this week. I started a new post, but haven't finished it. Christmas is creeping up on me. Blue Dog Pup #1 needs new dress shoes before his Christmas show next week and I have yet to even take the photo for our Christmas cards. Hopefully I'll get a decent photo tonight and be able to upload it to Wal-Mart.com and order the cards. Crap! I need stamps too...I gotta go...

Something for the Eyes

Since I have been a bit M.I.A. this week, I thought that I would provide you with something to look at while I compose my next post.

Work has been a bit busy and my husband has been out of town this week, which means I’ve been on my own with the kids. Rest assured that I have not forgotten you, I have just not had a moment to myself this week.