Whew!

This has been a super, super busy month. Which, of course, is my sorry excuse for not posting in forever, but it is true nonetheless. What have I been up to, you ask?

First and foremost, we have the Christmas preparations. We decided not to go "nuts" with buying this year, in an effort to bring back some old time charm a'la Little House on the Prairie. You know, making rather than buying, keeping things simple. In the process, I learned two valuable lessons:

1. As much as I yearn for a simpler life, a life free of TiVoed shows, long lines at the supermarket, and malls, I would not last a week in the Frontier days. Those women were tough.
2. If your aim is to keep things simple, and you are a bit obsessive about projects, just buy the damn presents. Sell your soul to the credit card companies and get it over with already!

So, what am I talking about, you ask? Well, we decided to make the following gifts for my loved ones:

1. Photo books for my parents, aunt, and grandparents
2. An armoire for Emily's dolls
3. Doll clothes for Emily
4. Six of those Cookie mix in a jar things for random recipients
5. Nine "I Spy" bags for each of the kiddos in the family
6. Seven personalized suitcases for those to whom eI am "Aunt Natalie"
7. Stained wooden cars and dinos for Ethan
8. A basket of random goodies for my grandparents
9. Cookies for neighbors and family
10. Candy for neighbors and family

I have to finish the I Spy Bags, cookies, and candy, but other than that, I am pretty well on track. I will post pics of all my creations in the ner future.

So what else is new? I have a new job, that's what! (Can you tell I have been reading an awful lot of Junie B. Jones?) I am the new "Instructional Coordinator" for a cyber charter school. My job will be to pester people, which I am pretty wonderful at, if I do say so myself. The best part is, I can pester them in my PJs since I get to work at home. WooHoo! I start January 2nd. Let the pestering begin!

Well that's about all I have to say for tonight....my sewing machine is calling me. More later!