Gimme Some Pudding!!!!

Okay, so have you ever really listened to the words to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"? Yeah, here's what they are:

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We won't go until we get some?!?!?!!? What the crap? Basically, this is a really annoying way of saying, give us some pudding or we ain't leaving! We'll keep singing til you bring us some. But Merry Christmas!

Upon further research....

We wish you a Merry Christmas History reverts back to the 16th century. We wish you a Merry Christmas History has its roots in England. However the author and the composer of the song still remains unknown to the whole world. Therefore the date of the publication of the song is not known. This song We wish you a Merry Christmas actually reflects the Christmas tradition of showering gifts on the people who wandered from house to house, singing these Christmas songs to please the wealthy people of the community. The name given to these singers were carollers as Christmas songs are also known as Christmas Carols. The song mentions the name of a dessert, which is figgy pudding. This desert, which is mentioned in the song, was once an integral part of the Christmas celebrations but now it seems that it has lost its importance.

Which makes me wonder....what would the words to this song be in modern times.....

So bring us some friggin money?

Thursday Thirteen

13 Songs I Could Hear Over and Over Again at Christmas

1. Mary Did You Know

2. I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

3. White Christmas performed by Bing Crosby

4. Mele Kalikimaka performed by Bing Crosby

5. The Christmas Song performed by Nat King Cole

6. Little Saint Nick performed by the Beach Boys

7. Winter Wonderland

8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

9. Carol of the Bells performed by the Transiberian Orchestra

10. Sleigh Ride (instrumental only versions)

11. Jingle Bells performed by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters

12. Deck the Halls performed by Mannheim Steamroller

13. Away in a Manger

Black Friday and Beyond

So we headed out on Black Friday to catch a couple of deals and ended up seeing and hearing some crazy things. I'm really mad that I didn't remember to bring my camera to Cleveland because I would have had some classic shots.

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What we saw:

My mom and I went to HH Gregg so I could get 100 dollars off of a Dyson. I wasn't too worried that they run out of them considering the CRAZY deals everyone was offering on flat screen tvs. When we arrived at 5am there was a mob of people surrounding the door and then a short, single file line of less rabid people. Of course, when they opened the doors the mob attacked the man who was writing up slips for the 10 fifty inch Panasonic plasmas that they were offering for 1500 bucks, pretty much half price. People were screaming and trying to vye for this man's attention. We headed to the back of the store, got our vaccuum reciept and headed for line immediately. Even being the 13th person in line it still took us over an hour to get rung out. RIDICULOUS. While I was waiting for them to bring out my Dyson, the young couple next to me was on their cell phone trying to get a big enough car for their new television. When I asked them why they didn't bring a car, they told me this story:

They had only planned on looking and never thought there was a possibility they'd even get one of the big TVs. When they showed up at 5 (same time as us) they headed after the mob of people and quietly snuck into the middle of the group. While everyone else was screaming at the sales associate, the girl smiled at him and quitely and politely said, "We'll take one please." He immediately wrote them the last ticket. Of course this set everyone else into a rage.

Now they had no way to get the TV home. While they were still waiting for a ride, we watched the HH Gregg people load up another big screen TV into the back of a man's convertible. Not that great, until you hear....it was snowing. Heavily. And he was wearing one of those knitted hats with the ball on top and ear flaps. Yeah. I totally wished I had a camera. It was hilarious.

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What we heard:

Kendall made friends with the lady behind him while standing in line at Staples. She told him that Value City Department Store opened at midnight. Everyone was standing in a nice neat line waiting for it to open. The manager mistakenly opened the wrong door and the people at the back of the line decided to cut to the front. This caused a riot. No, a real riot. The manager panicked and locked a group of people in between the two sets of doors. They started to get angry and were beating on the glass trying to break it. He had to call the cops. What were the fighting over? Not the 32 inch flat screens for 400 dollars. They were fighting over the 10 dollars off a purchase of 20 dollars or more coupons. Yeah. Ghetto.

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What we bought:

A Dyson- which I'm returning because the girl who cleans my house can get it for me for half price. Yes, you read correctly, I have a girl who comes and cleans three rooms in my house. For 30 bucks. It's awesome. She's awesome. My house feels so much cleaner. Or at least the three rooms she cleans. :)

A Wii- we were getting it for our neighbor but her dad was able to get one too. Then we offered it to Dathan and Natalie. We were hoping they wouldn't take it because we can sell it on Ebay right now for almost double.

Just wanted to share a few pictures that we took over the weekend too. We cleaned up the yard from all of the leaves, mowed the lawn one last time, and hung our Christmas lights outside. I'll try to get a picture of them later. Plus I also want to show you a picture of the house down the street from us. Their lights are amazing!

Tuesday

I learned how to use the scoreboard at the middle school tonight. There was an 8th grade scrimmage and they needed someone to run the board so I sat with the assistant principal and we both figured out how to use it together. We had a great time. At one point we were both laughing so hard we had difficulty keeping score and stopping and starting the clock. I think I might have actually started to tear up. It was GREAT. And it was a really nice start to my 5 days off.

I just spent the past two days taking tours with 8th graders at the Miami Valley Career Tech Center (MVCTC). I can't believe that my high school never offered this crap! Some of it is so cool! I would have loved to go into the vet tech program or the graphic design or culinary arts or even horticulture and floral design. The thing is, even if they had offered this stuff I don't know that I would have taken it. I was so focused on going to college that I think I wouldn't have believed that I could still go to college and go to the CTC. That's what they tell the kids. I wouldn't have felt like I had that competitive edge that I'd need. Opinions? Would any of you taken the chance on a sweet vocational program?

We're heading to Cleveland tomorrow for Thanksgiving. We have to make a short trip of it because Kendall has to work on Saturday morning. I'm trying to set up a trip to hit the outlet malls with my next door neighbor that day. Any other takers? Just let me know.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and I'll make sure to get on here and give any juicy stories that occur. I'm sure I'll observe something crazy on Black Friday!

Stay safe!

Big Haired Blondes

So Kendall and I spent a large portion of our morning watching VH1 Classic. They had an 80's marathon of videos and then Metal Mania, all videos of big hair bands. My latest theory? The only big hair bands that were successful and well known...all had lead singers that were blonde.


Think about it....


Warrant
Bon Jovi
Motley Crue
Twisted Sister
Guns and Roses


All had big haired blondes. Coincidence? Or secret conspiracy of the 80's???????

Thursday Thirteen

13 Thoughts on My Brain...

1. I used to think that the bad kids were the worst part of being a teacher. Conferences remind me on a bi-annual basis that it's the bad kids' parents that are the worst part of being a teacher.

2. I do not like the dark coming this early this year. I usually do. This year I don't.

3. I'm having a "down" school year. The kids are draining me. They're really high maintenance this year. I feel like I'm running constantly.

4. I'm mad at the tv writers for striking. I get that they want more money. They might deserve it even. But damn it, my TV is what gets me through the week. I'm going to be pissed if it goes off the air.

5. I have done ZERO Christmas shopping. I have no desire to even START shopping.

6. It does not feel like Thanksgiving is coming next week. I think it's the weather.

7. I want to quit my job and stay home all day. Yeah, that's how tiring work feels this year. I don't want to clean or cook or organize. I just want to sit home and do nothing. All day long. How many more days til summer vacation?

8. I haven't spoken to most of my friends in weeks. I feel so tired at the end of the day that all I want to do is come home, lay down, read a book, eat, and watch TV with Kendall. Sometimes we don't even talk that much. We just exist together. In a good way.

9. I have two ten dollar GAP cards burning a hole in my wallet. I need to hit the outlet malls on Sunday.

10. We made some new friends at of all places, Sake Japanese Steak House in Vandalia. We met them a few weeks back when we were out with our next door neighbors. We just had dinner with them again this week and had a great time. It's always refreshing to meet new people. They don't know any of your old stories. Esp the funny ones. So you get to be the interesting, funny person for a while. Does that sound weird?

11. I'm having a bad baby month. I feel like I'm surrounded by women who are pregnant or just had a baby. Could I please hang out with some people who don't have kids? Oh wait, we're the last people we know that don't. I think it's the holidays. I kept saying to myself last year at this time, "No more holidays without a baby." And I failed. It sucks. Oh wait, it could also be the 50 mgs of Clomid I took this morning. *sigh* Stupid hormones.

12. I'm frustrated with the invisible dog fence. I thought the dogs would have picked up on it sooner. It's been a month and I still don't trust them to not run through the fence into the street. I hope they get it soon. I'm tired of having those little flags all over my yard!

13. Don't count on me to post or read your blogs right now. I suck. I'm busy and tired and a crappy friend. I didn't even know Buster died. It made me cry. Why? Because I felt bad that I didn't know. It would be like Morrie dying and nobody noticing. Which is another thing I can't stop thinking about. He's getting old. He trips up the stairs a lot now and sometimes at night when he breaths funny, I have to get up to make sure he's okay because I'm afraid he'll die while we're sleeping and be all alone.

Okay, I have to go now. The combination of fatigue and hormones is getting to me.

A few questions answered...And a question for you!

Karen- No we didn't see the dresses this year. They're in the American History Museum which is currently closed for renovation.

Anne- Yes, I do get a stipend actually....wait for it....wait for it....wait for it...25 bucks. Yeah, you read that right. They figure our stipend is getting to go on the trip for free. Yeeeeeaaaaahh, I "get" to go.

Sarah W- I did dye my hair again, but not until after this picture was taken. I also got another super sweet haircut right after the trip. I wait too long between my haircuts. I've decided to go more often so that I love my hair more. I'm thinking I really may stick to their 6 to 8 week rule. I usually wait until 12 or 14 weeks, but by that point I'm pulling my hair back in ponytails and that's no fun!

Here's my question for you guys: Has anyone else seen the new shopping bags at Meijer made out of cloth? I bought one for 99 cents the other day and was suprised at how roomy it was! It was able to carry three bags of various produce section lettuce, a family size bag of Doritos, hamburger buns, a loaf of bread, sliced ham, and cereal. More than your average plastic bag.

I'm trying to decide if Meijer is really trying to be earth friendly or if they're just posers. They had a very small rack of these bags and they weren't even by the checkout where they should be. But for 99 cents I also feel like they're practically begging you to buy one. Hmmmm...any thoughts? Anyone else seen these?

DC

Here's a brief recap of my trip to DC this year.


Day 1- Gettysburg- we did tons of walking. I didn't really see anything new. We ate at the same buffet we always eat at. The food was gross, as usual. We did however get a compliment from the staff there. They said that we were the best chaperones they had seen. We kept all of our kids under control and didn't leave a huge mess. That's always nice to hear. We did the trip a little differently this year because we left on Tuesday morning instead of Tuesday night. It was a lot nicer sleeping in a hotel bed that night rather than the bus. It also helped our energy level over the next several days.


Day 2- Tour of 8 million museums. Okay, not really 8 million. We hit up the National Archives and then THREE Smithsonians. We went to the Art Museum this year, which we've never been to before. It was amazing. If you've never been to this museum, you should go. I stood within inches of Monet and Da Vinci and Renoir. It was incredible. I can't wait to take Kendall back to see them. We also went to the Air and Space Museum which I never walk through. And finally the Natural History Museum where I got my standard dinosaur picture. This year it was with T-Rex. I also got to see a pair of diamond earrings that Marie Antoinette once wore. They were HUGE! How did those not make her ears hurt? We finished the day with the National Holocaust Museum. Always the most sobering part of the trip for the kids. We had one girl walk out bawling. I found two very interesting books to read. We ended the night with a pizza party and dance. The pizza was GROSS. It was reheated Papa Johns that the hotel tried to pass off as fresh. You know how Papa Johns has that different taste when it's been reheated? Yeah. GROSS. The kids made us get out on the dance floor and boogey with them. It was fun.



Day 3- A cemetery, a church, and a row of politicians. We spent the entire morning at Arlington National Cemetery. It's always a long walk up hill and then an enjoyable 10 minutes of oogling men in uniform. I swear, the guys that guard the Tomb of Unknown soldiers are always the hottest guys I've ever seen in uniform. We ate lunch in the Regan Building where they have this amazing cookie shop. Then we headed to the National Cathedral for the crappiest tour I've ever had there. All the other teachers agreed. We didn't even get to go into the basement and see Helen Keller's tomb. No, seriously, she's buried there. I'm not pulling a Pee Wee on you. We fininished the day with a drive through Embassy Row and dinner at the ESPN Zone. Decent food compared to some of the other buffets we eat at on the trip. The kids got to wind down by playing a couple of hours of video games.


Day 4- A dead President. We went to Mt Vernon, which I've never been to before. If you've never been there it's the house of George Washington. It's been preserved to look just like it did the year he died. It's freaking AWESOME. I don't know why, but I loved it. I just couldn't believe that I was walking on the same floor that the original GW did. I even got to see the bed that he died in. And his tomb. And his last set of fake teeth! They were disgusting! But I got to see them. I highly recommend a stop to Mt Vernon. It had more to do than we had time for. The only thing I didn't like was that they were super anal about kids staying with chaperones. No where else was this anal. Including the Art Museum where kids could have reached out and touched the paintings. The drive home to Dayton was rough. I got pretty bus sick. And I was burping up banana pudding the whole way home from our lunch buffet.


I'm really glad to be home now. I'm also glad to be back into the swing of school routine. The kids weren't, but I am. :)

Rumor Has It....

It might snow Tuesday night.....How FABULOUS is that!!?!?!?!?!

I've been MIA because I just got back from a week in Washington DC with the kids. When my energy is back I'll try to blog about it a little bit.