I LOVE BLOGGING. AND THIS IS A MONSTER POST.

I LOVE blogging. I really do! But for some reason, I just have a really hard time finding the time for it like I used to. When I do actually get on the computer, I usually start by checking out other blogs I like...then we all know how that goes...click a link, another link, everywhere a link link! All of a sudden it's been 4 hours and I haven't updated my blog or even checked my email! lol! But I've seen a LOT of great things!
(Hmmm...it's just occured to me that I should keep notes so I can add links here to all of those great things....)

What ends up happening is that I just have a big "catch up" post every once in a while, which is not what I want! I want to blog every day, take and post pictures every day, blah, blah, blah. I keep thinking life is going to slow down but it never does. And it's not just the blog that gets neglected...I rarely even get to return phone calls, IF (and that really is a BIG IF) I get the message in the first place. I need a routine. I just realized that when I used to blog just about every day (over at BlogSmith ) I had more of a routine.

Plus, I keep thinking I will take pictures of everything first, so I can blog them. We've been making a lot of interior decortating type changes to the house and I want to have pictures of those. I know my mom wants to see them! But, being the good Manipulative Child that I am (because I am WAY BETTER than you are, Brian!) (oh, not to mention 'Competitive') I think, "Hey, if she doesn't get pictures then she will come and visit to see it in person!" Yet, somehow, it hasn't worked yet. I didn't think Virgo's were supposed to be so damn stubborn! Oh well, I am a Certified Dyed in the Wool LEO...I can hold out longer than she can. (Nope, not competitive at all.)

But then I think "Well, before I update and start 'anew', I am going to figure out how to customize my header. THEN I can start my blog again." But I can NEVER figure that out! No matter how hard I try, it just won't work. I'm just lucky I haven't lost everything at some point in those little experiments! lol! IF ANYONE HAS ANY VERY SIMPLE TIPS FOR THIS, FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN!

And then, get ready y'all and take a seat...I start to try and organize stuff. For real. I think I'm organizing, anyway, as long as that means just moving one thing from one spot to another spot and then very possibly moving it right back again, YET I've made an even BIGGER MESS than I started out with because I 'found' a whole bunch of 'new' stuff along the way! lol! I have been working on this since the week before Christmas and mostly the only thing that has gotten accomplished is that I have moved all of my sewing patterns from my office to the sewing room then back to my office THEN BACK TO THE SEWING ROOM AGAIN. I think I've finally decided that they belong in the sewing room. Not that I can follow a pattern, mind you! I just use them to get the general idea of how to make what I want.

Don't even get me started on how I've been trying to organize my Books! I'll just say that pretty much everywhere I go in the house there is a book for me to read within arm's length. It's not a perfect system though...sometimes if I'm sitting on the couch, I actually have to lean and reach for a book on the coffee table, BUT, there is usually a child running by that I can call back and get them to handle that for me, and sometimes I can even talk him/her into getting me a Dr Pepper out of the fridge, too! Kind of like how my Dad used me as a 'remote control' for the TV and the 'beer getter' when I was a kid. But that's what kids are for, right?

WAIT! I don't want to give the wrong impression about my dad! Really...he was not a big drinker or lush or anything...he only sent me for a beer after he finished cutting the grass. Moving on...

ANYWAY..........I haven't even done a Christmas post, have I? Well, if I did, just to summarize: the best thing about Christmas was the little Vespa Scooter thing Claire got. Well, she claims it is her's but, there was no label or tag from Santa that specifically stated it was for Claire. I wanted one, too, but she says that it was sitting next to all of her other presents, so it's her's. I finally let it go because, frankly, it is a little small for me, so I'll just wait for an adult sized one. Here's the Tough Girl up close and personal:


Usually she is only allowed to ride it when I am out there with her, but, sometimes I actually try to do other Mom Type things, like laundry, and I'm going in and out of the house and she will be alone in the cul-de-sac for a few seconds. So, during one of the Really Very Few Instances In Which She Was Alone, she ran up to the garage, grabbed a couple of 2 x 4's and was setting them up in the street to make a ramp! A ramp that would be used to launch her AND the Vespa into the air, and, probably, over the cliff. Good thing that right at that point Steven turns the corner and gets home from work!

One more quick thing...somehow or other, Allison has gotten the Hula Hoop Bug. She got one at Target a few days ago, and has been hula-hooping ever since. Last night, she was playing Tennis on the Wii AND Hula Hooping at the SAME TIME for 30 minutes! This must be video taped!!! If you need me, I'll be the one playing the new Millenium Version of "Harriet the Spy: Got CamCorder Will Travel"!

To summarize: It may be too late for New Year's Resolutions, which is OK because I hate them anyway, I really should just start blogging more already!