I love my husband, heart and soul. He's been on vacation for a week now and it's been wonderful...until now. I find myself getting irritated very easily (of course, PMS could have something to do with it too!). I'm so used to having the house to myself and doing things my way, so it's a bit of an adjustment. He goes back to work on Monday, and then things will feel a little more normal. This has me a little worried about when he retires. Do any of you have retired husbands? How is it working out? Are there any tips or tricks you can share with us?

Well, Christmas has come and gone and now it's time to start thinking about the New Year and the changes we might like to make in our lives. I have the usual resolutions:

SAVE MONEY (or at least try to be more careful with spending). It's so hard to save in this economic crisis we are currently in, but I am really going to try to be thrifty and creative. Do you have any good tips? Feel free to post them here...I think we can all use some fresh ideas on saving/spending less!

EXERCISE/EAT HEALTHIER This is always my goal, but life gets hectic and I tend to set new dates to start this. For instance, I was going to try to drop 10 pounds before my my sister and brother in-law came to visit in September...ummmm...the date came and went and that didn't quite happen. Oh well, I thought, I will do it by Thanksgiving. Yep - you guessed it - nothing, zilch, nada - not one pound! The same thing happened with my Christmas goals.

So here we are, it's almost January, and I'm feeling inspired. My birthday is in February and I think I'll ask for a Wii fit. It SOUNDS like something I can stick with. We shall see!

So what are your goals and hopes for 2009?

Well, the big day we've been waiting for is finally here. There is excitement in the house and just that general warm-all-over feeling that comes along with Christmas in our household. Everywhere you look, there is color and smiling faces. I smile because Christmas brings back so many happy childhood memories. I hope my children will have good holiday memories as well. My children are getting older and that makes me sad in a way. They love this time of year, but there isn't quite the anticipation that there once was.

Am I the only mom who is up before everyone else Christmas morning? I wait and wait for everyone to rise, and I get excited when I think I hear stirring upstairs...nope, it was just the cats chasing each other. I have another cup of coffee, and arrange the presents again. I want everything to look magical as they stroll down the stairs as they rub their eyes. Last year I even heard "Mom, can't we sleep just a little bit longer?". I never thought I would hear that.

As the kids are looking through their stockings (which, I believe, is their favorite part of the whole day!), I start cooking a special Christmas breakfast. Now THAT is when I really get that warm, fuzzy feeling - the family gathered, the smell of bacon and coffee wafting through the air and just sheer happiness.

Maybe if I go to sleep early, tomorrow will come quicker.

Good night my friends, sleep well and have a wonderful tomorrow!

If you just need to let it all out, or if you have something else to share, feel free to do that right here. Sometimes it helps to blow off steam. Comment away!

Do you have toilet paper struggles? I have shown my husband and kids how I think the toilet paper should go (over the top, right?). I think from a woman's perspective it's just easier it rolls right down and it's easy to find the end. Men don't use toilet paper as often, so maybe it's not a big deal how easy it is to find that elusive end piece. He even asked me a couple of weeks ago to show him the way I like it so he can put it on properly. I showed him and explained why the over-the-top way works best. So yesterday I go in the bathroom and sure enough...it had been "installed" underneath...ARGHHHHHH. Bless his heart, he tries so hard. Thanks...just had to vent!

It was really nice to see my son over the Thanksgiving break...five days was nice. I was sad to see him go.
I love my child, I really do, but it's amazing how fast you can get used to the quiet in the house with only one child here. He's home again for Christmas break, and it has taken some getting used to. I had forgotten how messy he is (bless his heart). I find wet towels all over the bathroom floor, little hairs from shaving coat the bathroom sink and countertop. Yesterday I walked through the kitchen and my feet stuck to the floor! Hmmmm, looked like dried orange juice. I've been wiping it ever since.
Can I talk about the energy he uses? Our gas/electric bills were so high when he lived at home....the 2nd bill we got after he left was $200 less!!! Unbelievable. I knew it might be a little cheaper, but that was a huge amount. Now I realize why it used to be so high. I'm reminded daily as I'm doing load after load of laundry. He's also got a computer running most of the day, takes really long hot showers (sometimes 2 a day if he goes to the gym). Wow. I'm assuming our bills will go down again sometime in February. I love my boy, I love my boy. I thought he might be a little tidier since he's got his own dorm, but no such luck. He's here for about 2 more weeks and I'm not sure how I'll feel when he leaves.
My daughter is also home for winter break. My husband is on vacation from work. I've got a full house. Is anyone else going through this too? It's really wonderful (for about 4 days), then I'm ready to kick everyone out. I'm used to doing my thing in my quiet house.
I love my family, really I do...anybody else care to fess up?