okay, so you've gotta read this......

first of all, yesterday was just magical. the first snowfall usually changes everything for me.


i found myself sportin' a real smile.....and not just faking it. i've gotten pretty good at putting on a game face and smiling through the pain lately. i should go knock on wood, quick, eh?


i've been in somewhat of a funk lately.....happens every year around the holidays.

the lack of sunshine really affects me. that, coupled with missing my mom, and just having the feeling that i'm misunderstood in so many ways. God knows my heart though. i have great intentions, but i just can't be all things to all people right now ever. something about the holidays makes me feel like i should. does every body feel this way? i wonder.

i spent the last few days lamenting to a friend saying "i 'hate' Christmas."

hate is such a strong word....maybe it's not the word i'm looking for. anywho. it's not the reason behind Christmas that i dislike, obviously.

it's all the commercialism involved with it.

the being bombarded to spend.spend.spend. and reminded constantly about all the things the kids want (but we can't afford). the knowing that there are so many reasons why they'll be disappointed. knowing that i can't please everyone.

i'm trying to teach them that we have each other and a God who loves us more fiercely than we can ever comprehend....that's all we need. this post on I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar really hit home with me yesterday.

another reason is that our society barely gives thankfulness a full day before it's 'all things Christmas' full swing ahead.

i may also be in this funk because the pain has been incredibly intense lately due to a heavy workload with CHA coming up. for me, scrapbooking is my saving grace and keeps me sane, but sometimes also puts me in more intense pain. so i'm taking lots of breaks from the studio.

it goes a little something like this: take some painkillers, make a layout, get up and move, play a game with the kids, sit on the heating pad, make a layout, take more painkillers, do some laundry, make a layout.....you get the idea. i have about 30 more projects to go! (did i mention they are all due by dec 10th!?) *insert just a wee bit of freaking out*

i can't wait to start sharing them! the products are GORGEOUS.

okay, so i kinda got off on a little tangent. the real reason you've gotta read this post is below. :)

first a little backstory: (lots of tangents today, LOL)

our current cell phones are 3 years old and it was way past the time for us to consider an upgrade or change in service plan.

if you know me at all, you know that i loathe cell phones with every ounce of my being. but my husband on the other hand thinks that i shouldn't be without one.

so i reluctantly carried it around---when i'd remember to take it, which annoyed him to no end---and mainly used it for communication with doctors and nurses and to call home when i forgot what was on the grocery list.

i seriously think my minutes in one year might have totaled my husband's minutes for one month, LOL. i didn't even have texting--but i didn't really want it either.

but that all changed two days ago!

my husband surprised me with a Droid and i've fallen head over heels in LOVE with it!

because he works for a large company, he was able to negotiate a sweeeeet deal with two FREE phones (valued at $400 each). so now i have texting and internet and video and.......i'm in love. oh wait, i think i said that already. LOL.

i feel like one of the cool kids now, LOL. i see myself taking lots and lots of pictures with it too. heeee.

okay. so now that you know all that, here's the point of the entire blog today:

the only problem is, now my oldest is super jealous and wants one SO badly. so she devised a plan and yesterday when i walked in the door from work she grabbed me, walked me into the kitchen and handed me this paper.



here, this is better. i scanned it in so you can read it. just click on the image below to open it larger in a new window.



oh.my.gosh. is she seriously kidding me!?!

before i could read it, she snatched it out of my hands and started doing chores like nobody's business, LOL. doug and i just looked at each other and he said "just milk it for what it's worth."

there were lots of meltdowns last night. crying because she wants one RIGHT NOW and can't stand it that she has to wait and we keep telling her she isn't old enough. and because i'm SO mean that i can't just say she woke up right when i asked her to this morning. (she never does).

through a meltdown of tears with disgust in her voice, she said "it's just great.....mom hates me! i'm NEVER gonna get a cell phone because mommy will never say i get up on time. she's so mean!"

*sigh* parenting her is so hard sometimes. she how no idea how much i love her.

anywho. she keeps telling us everyone in third grade has one. hahahaha.

everyone = her best friend.

after she went to bed and i was downloading these pictures i had a chance to read it and i seriously could not stop laughing.

what makes it even more funny is that she typed this up on the TYPEWRITER because our printer is out of ink.

she's one determined little girl. (and apparently i'm gonna be one thirsty momma!)

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this is day one of my December Daily 2010.

coming up next: details on how i'm doing myDecember daily.