Tradition!

Holiday traditions old and new:

Opening a pair of new pajamas on Christmas Eve

Opening presents one at a time so everyone can see what everyone else got (this quickly disintegrates every year into everyone simply opening presents willy-nilly.)

Chinese for Christmas Day dinner (This one has nothing to do with A Christmas Story, it's just a delightful, and rather delicious, coincidence.)

Watching Greg in the New Year's Eve show at Hale

Life Savers Books in the stockings

New Year's breakfast of Belgian Waffles and omelets

Christmas breakfast casserole

The cousins gift exchange

Jumping on Mom and Dad's bed on Christmas morning - though in recent years they've been getting up earlier than us due to their extreme old age ;)

In other news, at one of the holiday get-togethers this year (which were rather plentiful) I had an old moment.  I was watching all of the little kids playing and remembered being that age at the family parties, and it felt weird to be a grown-up at the Christmas parties.  Life marches on.

Holiday Travel Tips

Here are a few things I've picked up over the years while traveling to and fro to various festive locations:

Don't get in a wreck.  First of all, this can be a royal pain for you as your travel plans will be abruptly interrupted, and possibly for an indefinite period of time.  I don't recommend crashing.  Along with being a total downer for you, it slows traffic to an aggravating pace for everyone else.  Road rage will rise and other people, in their frustration, may cause other wrecks.  So really, for the love of humanity, pay attention on the road, use common sense, and don't be stupid.

Unless you're going faster than everyone else, stay out of the fast lane.  I don't think anything is as annoying as some Clueless Morgan going 5 under the speed limit in the far left lane.  Seriously people!

When in the car, put your phone away.  I'm as guilty as the next person, but phones are a major cause of the above mentioned mobile mishaps.  If you have to have your phone out, at least refrain from texting.  There's a reason they invented hands-free sets, and I'm pretty sure no one has invented hands-free texting.  As a concerned citizen, and one who values his own life more than your less-than-important textual flirtations, keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel.  He/she will wait, I promise.  The human race wouldn't have gotten as far as it has if people were that impatient.

Now, even the most seasoned and observant driver can't predict everything, so for those hapless happenings that we can't foresee, make sure your car contains:

A first aid kit

A blanket

A flashlight/flare

Window scraper

Battery cables

And probably a small supply of non-perishable foods like granola bars and gummy snacks.

Remember to obey the speed limit...within reason...don't mouth off to police officers, and that it's better to take a short nap than to die.

Be safe, and Happy Holiday Travels!

Where do they come from?

Journal entry from a 3rd grader:

"Yesterday I watched the scaryest movie ever it was about a guy Who loved this girl and killed her mom and friends and her boyfriend so he rewened her prom night the end the movie was called, 'prom night."

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

More from School

One of our 3rd graders has a shirt that says: " Jesus has skills."  I find it slightly inappropriate, but still funny.

We wrote a Christmas poem as a class today.  Ok, so we actually wrote a Kinishmas poem.  I don't get my kids sometimes.

I was reading "The Polar Express" with some kids and asked them what they'd ask for if they could ask Santa for anything.  I didn't get any responses as poetic as a sleigh bell, and certainly nothing practical.  Most kids wanted a Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS, or ipod.  One kid wanted cowboy boots.  That restored my faith.

Some of my kids have never tasted eggnog.  In fact, some of them have never even heard of it.  I think that may need to be remedied before the Kinishmas break.

Aggravation

Today was an aggravating day.

My alarm clock went off too early.  This isn't necessarily different from any other day, but it's still aggravating.

My refrigerator is making an aggravating vibrational noise. (Yes I made that word up.  Deal.)

At the beginning of the school year I had somewhere around 40 individual white boards for students to use.  Today I have 22.  Double aggravating.

Because of the missing white boards, my kids now get boring pencil and paper math.  This means less/harder engagement.  Aggravating.

For rehearsal this evening I was scheduled to be there from 7:45 to 8:30.  I was there from 7:40 to 9:40.  I said three lines a total of about six times.  I hate aggravating wastes of time.

As a result of the extended rehearsal, I didn't make it to the gym, and I didn't get any studying in.  Aggravating.

On my drive home one of the stop lights turned red, but no one was driving in the direction the lights allowed for.  Aggravating.

When I finally got home I discovered that my HOA fees had been increased by $7 a month for next year.  Aggravating.

I might just consider getting a roommate if the financial situation of things doesn't improve.  I find roommates generally aggravating.

It's been an aggravating day.

Hippies

Sometimes I feel like Sir Bedivere with my kids:

I got big plans.

I've been sitting at my computer for the last few days trying to come up with something to write about.  Here are a few starters I've had:

"I'm a Mormon, ya know?"

"I started a tradition of posting a list of 100 things that make me happy..."

"My life seems to have lost some of its mystique."

"I like pie." (This was inspired by one of my kids.  I looked at his white board where he was supposed to be breaking the word "eventually" into syllables, and saw "I like pie!" instead.)

I also mentioned rhubarb, faulty Christmas tree lighting, a friend who - unbeknownst to me - cleaned my kitchen whilst I was away, my job, and Jane Austen. 

I will now mention that one of my favorite sweaters shrunk in the wash because I failed to realize that it was wool, and this is apparently the first time I've washed it.  But now it's the perfect size for my nephew, so he gets an unexpected bonus Christmas gift. :)

I will mention further that I enjoy all kinds of sweaters, nearly all kinds of brownies, musical performances by people who know what they're doing, and most people named Steve.

After rereading this post I think the preceding could somehow come together in a rather intriguing and entertaining story.  I'll put it on my list of books to write.  After I'm a famous author it'll be my contribution to holiday literature - a story about the life of a pudgy Mormon who works at Utah Woolen Mills, feels stagnant in life, and reads too much, but discovers the true meaning of Christmas and somehow ends up dancing in the snow while wearing a red-plaid scarf and a tan trenchcoat.  It'll be the next big Christmas movie to be made by Haelstorm entertainment, and I'll be in the days of '47 parade.  Isn't it nice to have dreams?

P to the S,

I just ignored a call from my EQP.  Does that make me a bad person?