Yes, I am still alive!   😉

Life here in Minnesota is COLD, but unlike my buddies in IL and WI, we have little to no snow in the metro area.  Again, not sure how I ended up living in the tundra.  I HATE WINTER! (Except the part where you can snuggle inside and it’s easier to relax at night when you get home from work and it’s dark out already!)

Thanksgiving was great.  We headed to IL to be with my family.   Three hours after our arrival, I proceeded to lose my voice for the next three days.   Ironic, eh?  So, there I sat at my grandma’s house wanting to talk to my family most of whom I haven’t seen since July, and I couldn’t talk!

We went on our annual trip up to the Williams Tree Farm on Friday.   Punky is deathly afraid of Santa.  He couldn’t even stand on his own two feet in the same room as the man.  We’ll have to work on this.  🙂

My nephew is adorable.  He’s so little!  Punky was born 11 lbs 4 oz, so holding an 8 pounder is amazing to me since mine was never that small in the real world!

I can’t believe Christmas is coming!   I hate when Thanksgiving is so late.  I feel like we’re just thrown right into December and poof, it’s Christmas!

I love cyber-Monday!   I did almost 1/2 of my shopping on that day!   Wow!   The deals!

Punky has ben enjoying the Christmas specials on TV this week: The Grinch, Rudolph, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.   I have to say his Mommy is enjoying them too!

Punky and I enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate last night during Rudolph.  He was so excited to have it out of his own “real” mug!  He was beaming!

Punky is loving the advent calenders from Grandma and Grandpa!  Especially the chocolate one!  😉

Bedtime routines are getting tough again.   I have been in Punky’s room each night and I lie in there until he falls asleep……usually I get a little nap, too.  😉  He’s been waking up and coming into our room in the middle of the night.  I am so tired, I’ve given in and let him jump in with us.  I know it’s not good practice, but my God, some mornings I feel like we have an infant again!   I. am. so. sleep. deprived.

That leads me to another thought.  This past week, I cannot settle down enough to fall asleep.  I know I have to just physically get into bed sooner…..and then at least read so my eyes will tire.  I’ve been online on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglines, wordpress (updating my blog header), etc.   I NEED TO GO TO BED!   That’s my goal for tonight.  So, if you see me online, shoo me off!!!!!   😉  Please.

A conversation in Punky’s room the other night while I was putting him to bed….

Punky: Mama, tell me when you little in ‘cago (Punky-nese for Chicago) and it Christmas time.

Me:  Ok, buddy, Mommy and Auntie Tabby used to share a room.   We would go to the tree farm and get a little tree for our bedroom. (We had just put up Punky’s tree in his room that night).  Grandma and Grandpa would help us put lights on it and then we’d put our special ornaments on it, just like we did to your tree tonight with all of your special ornaments.

Punky:  How come you don’t live wif Grandma and Grandpa anymore?

Me: Well, when you are are little, you live with your mommy and daddy. Then when you get bigger and grow up, you can move out of the house.   Mommy grew up and moved out.  Then she met Daddy and she lives with him now.   Tabby grew up and moved out.  Then she met Geoff and she lives with him now.   Uncle Mikey grew up and stayed at home…. and stayed at home some more…. then he got married to Jeanne and then moved out.   (I was chuckling at this point, sorry Uncle Mikey!)  So, someday, you’ll get big and then you’ll move out too.  Maybe you’ll meet someone and live with them too!

Punky:  ok.

Several minutes pass.

Punky:  visibly shaken……. Mama.  I don’t want to meet anybody.  I gonna live wif you and Dada always.

Ok, so I traumatized my kid.  I get Mother of the Year for having this discussion as we’re suposed to be going to bed!  So, then  I told him he could live with us forever if he wanted to.   (That’s going to come back and bite me in the ass some day, I just know it!)

So now each night, we go up to bed,and before he falls asleep he assures me he is not going to meet anyone and leave our house.

Any other great bedtime topics I could use to “help” him go to sleep?!?!?   Ugh.