A good night's sleep goes a long way...at least for my morning.

I was dressed at the bus stop this morning.  Usually, if I am even just wearing jeans I get asked "wow, why are you all dressed up?  Where are you going?" Which is very sad for several reasons.  First of all, I end up getting dressed at least 5 out of the 7 days during the week, silly people.  And secondly. there is no secondly.  I just wanted to let y'all know that I DO eventually get dressed.  Besides, it's cold in the morning and if I have to chose between walking and waiting in 30 degree weather in jeans or sweats, I choose sweats.
But I got a good night sleep last night, which  means I only woke up once and it was to go to the bathroom.  I typically get one good night sleep for every two weeks or so.  It is coveted and much appreciated.  Much.  It means that I will have the ambition and drive to not only get dressed before 8 in the morning, but I will also have the energy to clean up breakfast and get a few things done by noon.
We have done a fun thing or two lately that I just haven't documented.  We have a new printer and thus I have no easy way to upload pictures anymore.  I used to be able to just stick my memory stick in there and upload.  Now I actually have to plug something in, which means finding the right cord. Having to plug the camera into the USB instead of just removing the memory card poses another inconvenience since I have to remove the athletic tape holding the little compartment door on....Santa, I know I said I didn't want anything for Christmas.  That was a lie, a big fat lie but I understand that there is nothing I really need.  However, a new camera would be nice, you know, before we have a baby and everything.  I know that as it is a fifth born I am not obligated to take any pictures or document anything at all.  But all the same, it would be nice.  Aren't you glad I went into that?

Lest you think that Clark and I are just horrible, mean parents, we aren't, in my opinion.  The girls have struggled, I mean struggled BIG time to be nice for a long time.  I just can't get a handle on why or what has caused such tumult (hormones? emotional spikes? a moody mother?...the possibilities are endless really.) In any case I realized, why do I feel obligated to give them Christmas presents if they have been so rotten?  They don't just deserve them because they exist and we celebrate Christmas.  I decided that lots needed to change but that is an entirely different post.  Right now we have settled on the fact that they have less than one week to earn 100 points to get their Christmas back.  6 days and I ain't playin' around.  It will break my heart to follow through but I am prepared.  It may be a Christmas they never forget...which would be unfortunate seeing as how my faith in them has caused me to actually have all of Christmas already purchased and ready to either be given, or hidden away until further notice.  The board looks so empty.  I suppose I could award them one or two points for this morning, since they were able to get ready for school and out the door without anyone getting hurt or grounded.  That's something.

In other news, December has been full and going by very fast.

 The girls like to go running with Clark.  This is fun, especially the part where I get to help Hazel who is crying and looking out the window because she wants to go too.  We usually console ourselves with something yummy to eat while they are gone.

 Something I forgot to include in the Christmas brag post is how ambitious Hazel is getting with her letter writing! Yeah! now if she could remember, for the billionth time in one week, that we write on paper.  Not the walls, not on books and not on our bodies.

 I took the girls to the DC Scandinavian Society's annual Lucia concert.  Regretfully we did not stay for dancing around the tree this year...I just wasn't quite up for that.  But the concert was beautiful and brought nostalgic tears to my eyes with an appreciation for my ancestry (and my parents who are missed dearly this time of year.)

 We did our own rendition of Lucia...the only part of the song they could remember was the chorus, which they sang over, and over, and over again.  I may be glad Lucia comes but once a year.   We have an entire 12 months to learn the rest of the words.  The real dresses and crowns were a gift from my Mom and Dad this year...such a treat!!!  Aren't they pretty?

 Hazel and I met Clark downtown for his work Christmas lunch.  We ate lots of meat which was perfect because I have been craving red meat for weeks.  We gorged ourselves silly and then took a walk down the street to see "the occupiers" and educate ourselves on their cause.  It turns out, they don't really have one except to sit there and do nothing about what they are fighting for.  Oops! Did I just get political?  Didn't mean to.

 Clark and I were just having a hard time remembering any instance in the history of our amazing country where something was accomplished from doing nothing, on purpose.

 In any case, we found their sense of humor refreshing and enjoyed watching some choice youth practice their rhythmic gymnastics outside their tents.

And now on to Christmas class parties and the to do list.  There aren't many things on there but I am gearing up.  One or two big things a week tend to put me into a pregnancy exhaustion coma for days so I am pacing myself and eating plenty of dark chocolate covered pomegranate.

Have a wonderful week leading up to Christmas and hopefully my next post will be full of a wonderful Christmas morning exhibiting happy children, and happy parents!!