You made the cut!

Welcome y'all.  You made the cut.  Glad to have you here. 

I'm even more happy that my, once, family blog will now become just that again. 

I hope it becomes FAR more exciting for most of you. 

It was really becoming rather boring there for a while.

Rob admitted yesterday that he has not even read my blog for over a month.

RUDE!  But totally understandable.  :)

3 days to private and this and that

3 days to go until T.O. will become "private"....only 3 days.  Makes me kinda bummed (sniff, sniff)....but, it's time.

Don't forget that you can still follow along with me and mi familia at Methodical Musings of an Unbalanced Woman and Adventures in Frugalness.

In the meantime, check out some of these random going ons in our household.

Roberto and I FINALLY got the coat rack up and useable.  YEAY!  It's been awesome

(I will be posting more details on AIF soon)

Little Red's Painted Lady larvae arrived

Sometime in the next 2-3 weeks we will have beautiful painted ladies flying around in this net here.  We'll keep you posted.

Uncle Caleb and Aunt Holly came to visit for a few days after the new year.  It was good fun.  We like having them around (even if Caleb did put his big foot though the side of our tub)

Here the kiddos are enjoying "quality" time with him---"G" family style.

Holly also got a shot of Roberto and I hanging out on the floor while the monkeys were otherwise occupied.

As she took this shot she said, "See....proof you guys still love each other."

Yep....we do.  We just don't always have the time to do stuff like this. 

I thought it was a super funny statement coming from a newlywed.

Give them 10 years and 4 kids.

She'll understand then that having an opportunity to even hold hands is a novelty.  :)

Anyhow...so that's how it's going with us.  How are you?

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!
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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.)

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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.

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