Hi, everyone! We survived two days of shopping in Big City! The second half of the drive down was in heavy snow, but it was warm (32-33 degrees) and the road was fabulous (we made it to the interstate.) Our hotel was inexpensive but clean, and the employees were awesome. The night we got there we took a cab to the fancy-schmancy mall-two blocks away because ICE and SLUSH. Our cabbie was great and the shopping was fun. Dinner was pizza on the bed in Nana's room (DD's idea of the coolest.meal.ever. [We did that one time when we got snowed in after a flight into Big City when she was 9. She's never forgotten it.]) Then we got up and shopped most of the next day. I cannot tell you how much more fun that was when I did not have to drive two hours before the shopping even started-Yay me! Now we're safely home, and God answered our prayers for a white Christmas with a resounding YES. We probably have a good 18 inches on the ground and more is falling (I think I'll take the yardstick outside with me. ) (Hopefully, DH followed directions and hayed the ponies heavily last night in preparation of last night's/this morning's snow, because breakfast is super late.) Catch-up time: Safe travels, Susan. :grouphug: for Gymnast. Poor baby! Merry Christmas, Ellie! And many well-wishes for your poor computer! The rest of y'all: You got pretty gross there for a while! :lol: #nonetipotevereverever

Sigh. Nope. No time. Trying desperately to get caught up on choring so I can go shopping. :001_wub: Are you the Hula Queen of Middle Texas yet, Your Majesty? I liked it, but had to unlike it. One does not hug Raiders. I don't know what it it, but it sounds serious. I think you need to go to bed with books, magazines, and chocolate, and Mr. Mallard and the Duckies should slavishly tend to your every whim need for 48 hours. That should fix it. I can't believe Slash chose to spend her 3oth birthday with her family and not us. anyway. Because I'm forgiving and good. (Are you watching, Santa?) Good morning, ITT! Have a blessed two days! I must go last-minute chore, and then we shall trek to Big City for 2 days of shopping and girl time. Umm, what does it say about me that getting caught up on this thread and posting made it to my "Must Get Done Before We Leave list? (BTW, if anyone has spare prayers, we could use some for safe travel. The roads are pretty snowy and slushy here.)

No, I say, NO ONE can booya like Miss Susan!

Chocolate. Duh. And duct tape for the offenders. (Duct tape. It's always the answer.)

Go, Pack, go!! Now stop posting about this, Krissi! We're recording it for later! :laugh:

I :001_wub: Sister Wendy.

BTW, I just finished outside choring. I am starved. Off to make a grilled bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. I don't need the calories, but I'm still gonna do it. :auto:

Wake up, Tex!! You're having a night terror. I hope.

Thanks, Jean! Right back atcha!

Shoot! We're leaving tomorrow for Two-Day Shopping Trip. I guess that counts, right? Party?

Good morning, all! DD and DDBFF are at Nana's house following a "dress up the nekkid gingerbread people" party. I had many chores to accomplish last night. I read a novel and went to bed. Bad me. I've been up since 5:30. I had many chores to accomplish. I laid in bed for an hour hoping to go back to sleep, and I have wasted time on the Internet since. Bad me. Since the ponies cannot feed themselves, I shall now suit up and go outside and chore. But not with a happy heart. Still bad me. Oh, and we're playing hooky from church. More bad me. I want a vacation. :wacko:

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: for Gymnast. Poor baby. :crying:

Go away, Matt. You're interrupting.

We go by symptoms here, too. DD may be feverish at 100-ish and not feverish at 101. I go by glazed eyes, hot to touch but feeling cold, and general malaise. (Oh, and Ivy, we follow the fever-free for 24 hours rule here. FWIW. :001_smile: ) ETA: Hyphen. Allow we don't charge for fevers, we do try not to share.

:seeya: Happy birthday to all to whom it applies! :party:

DD is online in her last Prob/Counting class. She will need to work on some of the problems this weekend but we will DO NO SCHOOL next week! Yay! Monday we'll be headed to the Really Big City and Staying in a Hotel and Shopping, just us girls: Dd, Nana, and Me! :party:

Thank you for sharing this. ETA: I think I'm grateful. This makes me :willy_nilly: :banghead:

iCivics.org Lots of ideas/curriculum/games. And it's free!

Good morning. Your talk last night about dating has filled me with dread. See, I pattern most of my parenting in that regard on my dad. And his approach to the situation mentioned was, "If you really like that boy, you don't want him to be dead." DH is kind of squishy on things like this and I would need his help to dispose of the remains. #thefuturelooksdark

:grouphug: Advice, if you want it. If not, feel free to ignore. Stop arguing back. Say what you need to say and walk away. (Both DD and I will debate each other to death; it's in our natures. I'm really working on this right now. And have been for a while. It's hard, but it does get better.) :grouphug:

Ha! My sword can take your popcorn!

She's just being contentious and trying to start a kerfuffle, Susan. Just ignore her. Especially if she tries to continue the fight by saying Nutter Butters don't count either.

It's not fair, AMJ. It's just not fair. :grouphug:

SlashabooYA, you were ON FIRE last night, girlie! Sorry I missed it! How's my pseudograndbaby John this morning?