Yeah....we've got culture

21 month Mr. Golden Locks has been walking around the house for days singing,

"Hallelujah. Hallelujah.  (Pause) Mama Mia (in an Italian accent, of course)"

The first, courtesy of a month worth of Christmas music, and the latter....from the scintillating tunes of Super Mario Brothers. 

It's hilarious!
Just one easy click!

Better late than never...

Yeah...we did have Christmas at our house this year.  You would think we didn't...because I haven't blogged about it yet...but, yeah....we did.

Here's the proof.

But first....our visit to see the reindeer.

BTW, did you know Santa's reindeer like raisins?  I had no idea.  

G-McBabe informed me before we left...so we brought 

some along and...sure enough....

I'll have to remember that for next years "reindeer food".

Now for the main event...

  
Christmas Eve Photo's

(my parents used to make us take these on Christmas morning...

pure torture if you ask me.)

"Hey...what are you guys smiling at?"

"Come on [Mr. Golden Locks]...smile!"

Pretty typical going ons at our house.

"Okay....FINE.  I'll do the monkey face."

Christmas Morning

Notice how tired they are?...yeah...cuz it's 6:30AM

G-Mcbabe came into our room twice in the middle of the night.  "Is it time yet?" he would ask.  "NO!....go back to bed!!!!!!" 

Oogling over Pokemon cards...

and...my "supers" in their "CTR guy" capes

(that I spent hours and HOURS and lot of

in-the-head swear words on)

yeah...that's the best on I got.  Don't they look ecstatic?

(and they've barely worn them since....sniff, sniff)

I didn't take many pictures.  But...lucky for me the kids got a camera of their own and took plenty (mostly Little Red....over 250.)

Mr. Golden Locks "playing" with the angry birds

Little Red's feet...Mr. GL's new baby doll. A baby doll?  Yeah...what of it?

our breakfast...SO YUMMY!

Our new game....angry birds

Mini Rob's new "Batman" (Super Hero Squad) movie

We played it pretty low key this year.  We forgo-ed our annual "invite a few neighbors/friends over for Christmas Eve soup night" and ate pizza instead---just the 6 of us.  We stayed home all Christmas day (besides the 1.5 hours spent at church services) and made Christmas dinner all on our lonesome--just the 6 of us and then Skype-d with our Utah family that evening. 

Was I sad?  Lonesome?  Not really.  Not as much as I thought I would be.  In fact, it was quiet and relaxing and just plain nice.  We left for Spokane the next day to spend time with our Washington family (and friends) and that was really nice too. 

I'm kinda sad it's over.  :( 

However...there is ONE thing I am not sad about.  Saying "goodbye" to "Homer Clause" for one more year. 

 (although I can't complain too much this year...Roberto took him to work and left him there for the "season".  I only had to endure him for one day.  The kids were bummed but I was VERY happy.)

Just one easy click!

T.O.'s gOiNG PriVaTE...the winds of change.

I suppose this has been a long time coming (for all you ol' timers, remember about 9 months ago when I announced this...ha ha).  Still....it's been a really hard decision.

4 years ago I started this blog.  Wow...so much can happen in 4 years.  And it has.

Let me tell you, they have been the hardest years of my life.  Plenty of ups but mostly downs.  Depression will do that to you.  This blog became my outlet, my life line, and at times...my best friend.  I vented...sometimes with humor, sometimes despondency, or sometimes downright anger.  The archives will tell you as much.

Or, at least they would have, if I had any.  For "security" reasons, I deleted about 250 posts a few weeks ago.  It was hard....like erasing a period of my life (no worries, I backed it up first).

Why would I do that? Well...

As this blog has evolved over the last several month and become more "open to the public", I have become increasingly interested in wiping away the past and starting "clean".  I tried changing names, deleting some pictures and posts, and writing a little less personal (and subsequently, boring to my poor family and close friends).  And yet...I still didn't feel like it was enough.

What to do?

After some thought....okay...A LOT OF THOUGHT....I made a decision.

I have been making subtle changes here on T.O. in light of that decision but wanted to wait until after Christmas to really implement them.  So what did I do, already?

I started a new blog.

Testosterone Overload (featuring Adventures in Frugalness) has now become Adventures in Frugalness (featuring Testosterone Overload).

T.O. will soon become "private" for the viewing pleasure of adoring grand (and great grand) parents, aunts and uncles, siblings, cousins and close friends (you know who you are).  I will soon be adding back all of the archived posts and be filling it's pages with boring pictures and uninteresting things the kids have said that no one, but those who actually know them, will care about.  ha ha ha!

I really hate to do it (cuz like I need ANOTHER blog to keep up with)....but...it is what it is.

But...NO FEAR!  All is not lost.  Adventures in Frugalness will still be featuring some of T.O.'s greats from the past and sharing funny and/or very interesting "mommy blogger type" things in the future (I just wanted a clean and protected slate).  I will also continue to share frugal tips, helpful household hints, great deals, cheap (or just plain tasty) recipes, affiliate sales, etc.

I hope you understand.

Please come on over and take a look.  It's bright and cheery and very Super!!! Just excuse the dust...it's still under self-design construction (and I'm trying to fix all of the cross over formatting issues...ugh).  Tell me what you think.  I mean...honestly! Oh...and if you are a follower on GFC, I've already transferred your following over there.  If not...sign up.  :)

Now....for those of you who would like an invitation to the private blog please either e-mail me at testosteroneoverloadXY at gmail dot com or leave a comment here with your address.  Although I consider so many of you friends, I am only extending these invitations to those of you who I have actually met in person.  I mean no offense to anyone.  I promise.  It's just how it has to be.

Thanks for your understanding.

P.S. If you want to follow my depression/HOPE blog...come on over to Methodical Musings of an Unbalanced Woman.  I'd love to have you.

Just one easy click!

So Close...Yet So Far Away--project update.

Well...it's crunch time.  Who's DONE?  With EVERYTHING?  ANYONE?

Not me.  I still have so much to do.

But...good news... 

I did finish ONE project today.  YEAY FOR ME!

I know you are dying for a peek.

okay...just a little one (disguised...of course.)

used North Pole Express Pack by Connie Prince

This project has been a lot of fun to do (and I'm getting better at learning to accessorize using the My Memories digital scrapbooking software) but...I'm glad it's done.  SO GLAD!  I can take ONE thing off my "to do list".  

(don't forget...if you want the software for yourself, or someone on your list, you can use my code STMMMS10850 and save $10!)

Now I just have to finish this one....

Well...I guess technically it's done.

  I just can't seem to get it hung,

and therefore it is still quite useless.

My entry way still looks like this...

(actually even worse right now...bummer!)

 

and what about this one...

remember this one?

here's how it's coming along...

(It's a cape...with a vest, in case you can't tell)

I'm about 90% done with one, 

70% done with another two, 

and 50% done with the last one.  

Sigh!

But they are coming together.

(I promise I wont forget to share the story behind them either)

AND...I still have to bake goodies, finish shopping for Roberto, plan and shop for Christmas dinner,

and pass these out...

oh...and maybe get a few minutes of sleep in there.

I'm not complaining...just....freaking out!

And yet...I'm on the computer....

hmmmmm....

A girl needs a little time to de-stress and connect with her online buddies...

Right?

Just one easy click!

Remedy for Homesickness...the Weepies

Let's go back a few years.

It was my first Christmas away from "home".  We had just moved away (for graduate school) 4 months earlier, I had just had baby #3 (Mini Rob) and I was homesick....terribly homesick.

That's when I heard THE song.  It played over and over again on TV (I think it was on a JC Penney commercial) and it was so bittersweet for me.  I fell in love with it instantly....it reminded me of "home" (who knows why)...but it made me excruciatingly sad at the same time (let's not forget the fact that I was severely chemically imbalanced (PPD) at the time).

I decided I had to have it...I don't remember how I discovered the name of it...but I searched and searched until I found it....and I did...on I-Tunes.

I cried as I wrote my sisters (I have four) an e-mail introducing them to my newest musical find and why it meant so much to me (it reminded me of them).

They all fell in love with it too.

Two days after Christmas, Roberto and I flew our little family "home" to Utah for a visit.  I was so glad to be home.  The warmth, love, and familiarity were just what I needed.  And I soaked it up.

Fast forward a few more days to New Years Eve.  The family is all gathered, enjoying one another's company, exchanging gifts, exchanging laughter (amidst a whole lot of noise).  An announcements is made...my sisters have a special gift for me.

Nat pulls out the guitar...the others gather close...and then she begins to play.

It's THE song.....MY song.  I was completely shocked...but not surprised...my sisters are just the BEST like that (not to mention, incredibly musically talented).  They had learned it....in such a short time....just for me.  To remind me of "home".  To remind me of how much I am loved and missed.  I cried.

I still cry, thinking about it.

My sisters are the BEST.  My family is the BEST.  I am truly blessed to come from such good folks.


This year...I'm not going "home" for the holidays....at all.  We were supposed to go for Thanksgiving.  But we didn't. 

I wish we had. 

I wish we could be there for Christmas, too.  But we can't.

So...to my family (all 37 of you (+2 on the way))....I say...

I LOVE YOU!  I MISS YOU!  THIS YEAR JUST WON'T FEEL THE SAME WITHOUT SEEING YOU!  

But....

for now....

At least we have The Weepies.

(can't tell you how many times I've listened to it already today...sniff, sniff).

Just one easy click!