Purely hypothetical question to the blogosphere:

If you have been tagged for a meme, but were REALLY lame and did not know about it for, oh, say, MONTHS…is it too late? Should you pretend you never knew or should you fess up and do it? (With an apology attached?)

I am, you now, only curious. (Really, Liz!)

–Me

Today was just a mess. Well, not really. I guess.  I had a lot of things to do, some got done, some did not.

I dropped Phoebe off at preschool this morning and drove straight over to the Secretary of State. I got there about ten minutes before they opened. One lady was already standing at the door. Another was in her car until I pulled up next to her, and then she high-tailed it over to the door forming a line. Oooooo. I figured that since it was cold out, that I would wait inside my nice warm car until the next person showed up. Two minutes before they opened, FOUR vehicles pulled up, so I made my move to be number 3 in line. Outside. In the cold. For the Secretary of State (or DMV in other places).

Finally, the doors opened and we were allowed inside only to be informed that the computers were down and they had no idea how long that would last. Great. I decided to wait and I am glad I did. It turned out to be about a fifteen minute wait. Not bad, considering I have waited much longer before. I took care of my “business” and left.

I went over to TJ Maxx to check it out, since I had not been there since they opened. I cruised through, looking and some things and touching somethings. (VERY nice without a smallish child along!) Then I stopped into Office Max to buy Dixon Ticonderoga pencils (as if there is any other acceptable pencils!). Alex specifically likes the tri-write ones and so far, this is the only place that I have found them recently (locally).

Then, I stopped into the market to pick up some milk, veggies, and eggs. Afterwards, I headed over to pick up Phoebe from preschool, then we went home, unloaded the car, and had lunch.

The rest of the day involved Phoebe making a mess with paint-by-number paints. She wanted to just paint…not by the numbers. Or the lines. It turns out that she was really in a finger painting mood today. Once that was cleaned up, I did some reading, cleaned out the corn stove, filled it up with corn, filled up our “buckets” with corn and put them in the mud room, tried hard to maintain the “cleaned up” status of the house from yesterday’s visit from Ray’s folks (hi there!).

Now, it is almost 8 pm and I really want to go to bed. Now. I think, instead, I will get Phoebe ready for bed and let her watch the Red Wings game with me…in bed. Hopefully, she will fall asleep before me.

The tree? Oh yes. We did not do anything with the tree today, other than top off the water in the tree stand. TOMORROW evening, the girls will try and do most of the decorating. Tomorrow night, I will likely rearrange many of the items on the tree. It has to be balanced and pretty. Right?

Wednesday, Phoebe has preschool and Alex has science club. Thursday is Alex’s band concert. Friday, Phoebe has preschool and Alex has basketball practice (she’s missing the one Thursday due to the concert).

This weekend will be fun. For me. I have a bridal shower on Saturday to go to and then a Christmas party on Sunday (that only Phoebe will go with me to).

Wondering about the robot? If you are, Ray has updated his page to indicate the receipt of the wheels. They have actually finished it (I think) except for the programming.

We went hunting for a Christmas tree today! It really was a nice day out, but really COLD!!! We found the perfect tree. That is, until it got into our house and we realized that it was indeed the perfect tree, IF our ceiling was about a foot higher and the room was slightly bigger!

This photo was, of course, taken before they realized I was taking photos!!!

I have a lot of housework to finish up. However, let’s face it: I have a lot of housework to even begin, nevermind the finish part.

Christmas is rapidly approaching. Have you noticed? Anyhow, to decorate, I’ve done barely more than get all the boxes out of the attic. Sure, both girls have their trees up in their rooms and decorated. Although, Alex’s isn’t lighting anymore which means removing all the trimmings and putting on new lights. Eventually. Oh, I have the lights. That isn’t the problem.

We haven’t gone and gotten our tree yet. That would be tomorrow. I really hope we get somewhat cooperative weather as it is the ONLY day we can go do it. I have at least cleared out the space in the middle room where the tree goes.

On Wednesday, I finally added a hanging sleeve to the Santa is Coming! Advent quilt that I made last year (and finished it the day after Christmas). Yesterday, I went and got the dowel rod to put through the hanging sleeve and hung it above my desk. I decided I really like it there. It fits the space really well, being just the right size. I guess that means I’ll have to make more for different months or seasons or something.

Today is all about the cleaning and organizing just so that I can decorate.

Tomorrow is about getting the tree (and hoping it isn’t wet)….yes, we go walking around a tree farm with a hand saw in hand…at least we get a hay ride out of it. Oh! and a photo op with Santa, if we want! We did this last year and had the best time and had the best real tree we’ve ever EVER had. Ever!

Sunday, Ray’s folks are coming over to visit (and it’s Ray’s birthday) AND Phoebe has been invited to her first ever “invited by a friend” birthday party. She will be going, it IS her first and she is SO excited.

Right now, I need to get cleaning….

Repercussions are afoot.

Alex is doing much better, though unable to escape that gucky, ucky cough. Now, though, she is drowning in all the homework and project work that she missed while she was home (vomiting and all)! (That and she had perfect attendance until she got the vomit bug!) (That and the fact she had perfect attendance until bitten by the vomit bug!)

It makes her miserable. It makes us miserable. AND, it makes for some unbelievably late nights for a girl who needs to be out of bed by 5:45 am for school (unless she needs to shower, then its 5:30 am at the latest).

I know.

Not to mention that she brought home her sax in eager anticipation of the new music due to arrive today (it did). She hopes to play it for their concert next week. I let her fondle it and check it out for ten minutes, then snapped the reins and got her to her homework. She worked pretty steadily until it was time to go to basketball practice, then she got back to it shortly after returning home.

Her sax never left its case tonight. *sigh*

Last Friday, Phoebe came down with a stomach bug. She vomited. A lot. After an hour or two, she was hungry and thirsty. We started her off with saltines and water, doling them out slowly. After four hours, and that she was acting like she had never been sick, I took her out with me on an errand.

Everything was fine the entire time we were gone. When we got home, however, she complained of a sore throat. I offered her something to drink, no. A spoon of honey? (more…)