Remember when you were little and the elusive SNOW DAY was called, giving you and all of your friends a wonderful break from the every day drudgery of school? It never occured to me back then, of course, how such a cherished event could completely upset the time-space continuum of each affected parent.

We are exactly 1 hour into another "snow day" although to call it a snow day is not accurate at all. Yes, we have snow on the ground, some 40 inches I think, but it's not the impressive snow depth that has cancelled pretty much every school in the state...it's the frigid cold. It's so cold that, well I can't think of a metaphor that even comes close to describing what it feels like. I'm afraid to let my dog outside for fear his thin little ears or his poorly insulated weenie will freeze off before he can get his business done and scramble back inside.

I've already made the official Snow Day Breakfast of waffles and bacon (very yummy and oh so warm) and am doing my best to avoid the cleanup because it's too cold to stand in front of the sink for that long. Now I have to figure out what to do with the monsters for the next 6 hours. UGH. I really needed to immerse myself in the KT bag today. I finished the prototype (well, the second generation prototype) yesterday and it's good, but it is nagging at me for some minor changes and I SO BADLY want to do that.

Right now it seems like both boys are content to be lounging in PJs and unbrushed teeth, staring into various monitors/tv screens with expressions close to those seen on a good ol' fashioned zombie movie. Now the big moral question of the day...do I quietly just let that continue until one of them starts to grow mold, or do I corral them into some sort of Snow Day Extravaganza of Fun and Merriment that doesn't involve venturing out into the frozen tundra? Or maybe, in their minds, playing games on the internet & xbox all day qualifies as the perfect snow day activity, especially when still in your PJs with unbrushed teeth. That's probably close to what I would have done when I was their age.

So, I've found the perfect win/win situation. They can be zombies and I can be the crazy handbag lady all day long! I am going to come up with a marketable KT handbag today if it kills me. I'll even take a picture for you when it's done!!!!

Don't stop me now

It's possible that I'm slowly getting the hang of this, or it could just be that weird short-lived phenomena that happens to us Resolution Makers during January, but today I sewed a bit AND I worked out! Ok, I admit, today it was Housework's turn to take a back seat, but nowhere on my resolution list did I include anything about being a better cleaner upper, so I think I'm good (and also smart for knowing better than to include cleaning on my list).

Today I finished a bag for a very special friend - shhhhhhhh - I can't say anything more about it right now. She might be listening. And I took my kids to the pool this evening and Aaron & I each swam TWENTY FIVE lengths of the pool! Hooray for us! While Aaron & I were doing our best MP impersonations, Evan played and went up and down the slide so many times that he probably burned more calories than I did in my 25 laps, but who's counting. It felt good, darn good. Aaron was happy, had very pink cheeks and an expression that only comes with the feeling of accomplishment. It was a pretty great day. Made all the better because I was able to resist the remnants of the Whiteys butterfinger malt that is left in the freezer (thanks, Merd). I am STRONG!!!

I was going to make the trip to my new favorite fabric store (in the only Waunakee in the world) tomorrow but we're supposed to be getting a butt-load of snow. Hmmmm. Perhaps I'll just get what I need from etsy and make the drive on another day.

Now I'm off to bed but I'm starting a new library book tonight so I might be up Late. I hope it's a good one. I love my library, almost as much as I'm going to love the new Target.

But will I be in pain tomorrow?

HA! I've done it! I've broken the cycle of un-fitness. I dragged my sorry jiggly butt to the club today, got on a machine and made my legs go up/down for 3 miles. Hooray for me! And Hooray for Mary, my partner in pain who has a much more exciting carrot dangling for her at the end of our fitness quest - a cruise to Cozumel. Lucky Lucky Lucky!!!

Even Cruise-less, I'm happy to have started something. Part II of my fitness resolution will be to get my kids involved. I have activity and pool schedules in hand and will work some sort of routine out by the weeks end. Promise.

Now I just need to find a way to make fitness and sewing play nice together and not steal time from each other. Today they didn't even make it to the same play date. Maybe tomorrow. I have four orders to fill. Somehow I will figure this out.

New Year's Resolutions

I can't remember ever being this happy to turn the page to another year.

Many of the worries I have are not going to be resolved in the coming 365 days, I know that. But the idea of a clean slate, fictional as it is, gives me such a sense of relief and hope. I'm also feeling especially optimistic this year as we say B'bye to W and welcome a new President who will rescue us from 8 years of complete embarassment and tragic disappointment.

In keeping with this fresh good spirit, for the very first time ever I'm going to make an actual LIST of New Year's Resolutions. I've never been bold enough to put these aspirations to paper because that might mean someone would hold me to them! Or I'd have to admit complete defeat by March 20th. I'll be honest, both are very likely to occur with my official list in hand, but I'm going to give it my best effort. One day at a time...here we go

1. Devote as much time as mentally and physically possible, without jeopardizing my relationship with family members, to my handbag business.

2. Yell less. (this one's for my kids)

3. Smile more. (this one's for Steve)

4. Eat and cook more healthfully. (this is for ALL of us)

5. Love the age I am. And everything that comes (and goes) with it.

6. Live my life, not someone else's idea of a life.

It's possible that my resolutions seem simple and too "SAHM-ish" to some. My list should not be read as a document of complacency but something more close to a petition for an emotionally healthy life. Personally, I can't believe that a good life has anything to do with things like obsessing over our bmi, how many degrees we have hanging on our walls or how many stamps we have in our passport. It's great to have ambitions, just don't let your ambitions ruin your life and the lives of those around you.

Piece of cake, right? Maybe I'll add more resolutions as they come to me. In the meantime,

Happy New Year!!!!

Is Santa Claus Coming to Town?

In the middle of Handbag Frenzy, I took a long moment to slow down and enjoy my kids and an old favorite, Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I'm sure they both have seen it before but neither remembered it. Aaron was suprised to see that it was created using "stop action photography", nothing in his world is made that way anymore, except for his "cousin's" cool home-made Lego movies. I was worried the boys would think the movie was lame, not enough action and excitement for the "in your face world" in which they live. Surprisingly, they both sat relatively still and watched the entire show and we had some good holiday-ish family time together.

Even though I've been a card carrying Scrooge for a number of years, I am officially excited to watch more of my favorite shows from the good ol' days with my kids. Oh, I love the Grinch, always have (the OLD one, NOT the dumb one with Jim Carrey - an american travesty!!!) and Rudolph is fun, I especially love Hermie who wants to be a Dentist. But my All Time Favorite Christmas show is The Year Without a Santa Claus. It's not as widely known as the others but it's awesome - a true "can't miss". I can sing along with every song, including the catchy "I'm Mr. Heat Miser". I'm sure it's incredibly annoying to be in the same room with me!

Now I'm wondering what happened to The Little Drummer Boy. Does anyone remember that one? I think it was a good one but it's been a hundred years since I've seen it. My husband was especially fond of the part where the Ox and Lamb keep time.

Could it by that my renewed affection for these old shows is a sign that my Scrooge-y ways are coming to an end? I have already realized that I am much happier this year because I have less shopping to do (I know what all the women on my list are getting!! I'll give you a hint, it starts with an "H"! No shopping required for all of those gifts!)

Maybe I'll even go caroleing this year! I'll start us off with an oldie but a goodie..."I'm Mr. Heat Miser, I'm Mr. Sun. I'm Mr. Green Christmas, I'm Mr. Hundred and One. Friends call me Heat Miser, whatever I touch starts to melt in my clutch. I'm too much!" Second verse, Everyone!

No Rest for the Wicked

Suddenly I find myself knee-deep in the "crazy busy" season and I don't know how I got here. There are so many things to keep track of, so many decisions to make and so many obligations to fulfill.

For example, even though I haven't written much about it, I am very much trying to get Sunshine Handbags off the ground. I've been spending a lot of time during recent months trying to learn the ins and outs of Etsy, the on-line location of my shop, and I still haven't figured out the magic yet. Sales are elusive in my shop and they are for many other Etsians according to the frustrated comments I read. Some blame the economy, some say Etsy is over-saturated with shops, others suggest we're just not out there promoting ourselves enough. I'm sure all reasons can be applied to me.

On a much more positive note, two of my dear friends have placed orders for a total of FIVE handbags!! This is super exciting for me because the more bags I have out in the world, the more people will see how much fun they are to own and carry and soon everyone will want one (or several!). Three of my bags will be going international to Portugal to live with Sergio's family! So very cosmopolitan, I can hardly stand it!!

In between the times that I'm sewing my fingers to the bones, I've been busy preparing for the coming holidays. Our Thanksgiving will be quiet this year with just the four of us. The Chicago side of our family will stay home to spend time with my brother-in-law who is recovering from very successful brain surgery. Hooray for Tom! Christmas won't be nearly as quiet as we'll travel to Chicago for a day or two and then will come home to welcome my sister and her family and my father, stepmother and the rest of that gang for a rowdy New Year celebration. Things should get back to normal here by mid January, if we're lucky.

As always, I have Evan here to bring levity to the chaos. Last night at dinner we were discussing his new career path as a "camera operator" (I wasn't aware that he even knew that was an actual occupation, but he's mentioned it several times at school and at home-go figure). He stated that when he grows up and becomes a camera operator he's going to change his name to Eric The Camera Operator. To which I replied, "why wouldn't you be Flynn The Camera Operator?" (confused? see my entry "If it's wednesday I must be Flynn"). Then Aaron, my twelve year old sometimes voice of reason, gives both of us an exasperated look and says, "why can't he just be EVAN the camera operator?
Well, that just makes too much sense and isn't any fun at all, that's why.