If you don't think it's worth waking up...

For all those critics of the early morning shoppers the day after thanksgiving, I just want to tell you the great deals that i found so maybe you'll consider getting up at 4:45 or earlier next "Black Friday"! So, I woke up bright and early, although there was nothing bright about the sky, it was pitch black, hence the "Black" Friday! As I was driving, the temperature in my car kept reading lower and lower and lower. I thought, when i first looked at it, it had said 43...not too bad, but that was b/c it was parked in the garage all night. While driving, at first I thought to myself, what am i doing up? Then, I thought, no, this is exciting and I couldn't wait to get to the stores! By the time I rolled into the Old Navy parking lot, the temp. now read 23...aah, a little colder! I decided to park in the Dick's Sporting goods parking lot instead, as that would be my 2nd stop and then I'd be closer to my car to get to the 3rd destination. So, I ran across to Old Navy, grabbed fleeces, jeans, snow pants for Aja and headed to the check out...which was pretty much half way back in the store. No problem, I knew it would be like this, so i still have patience! Finally, checking out, i felt good about my purchases for family members for this christmas. As I walked out, still in zombie mode, i hear my name and it's my neighbor. She tells me that they found out they are having a little boy, their second! How exciting! And to find out at 5:15A.M. in Old Navy. Next, I was on my way to capture my running shoes that were advertised at $35 off the original price!! They still had them when I got there! Yippee! While at the check out, my total came to $85...and the manager told the cashier, "close enough" and he handed me a $20 gift card!! I found out later that you needed to spend $100 to get it, so i felt pretty lucky! Now to Kohl's. People galore! When I finally got in line around 7:30A.M., i waited in a line that wrapped around the entire store on the inside! So, by 8:15, I was on my way home! Aja had just woken up and was eating breakfast with Aaron. Then, later that afternoon, we quickly had my friend Kim take our picture for our Christmas greeting card. If you got the order in by that day, it was a pack of 20 for $5...normally a pack of 20 is $15...so we saved $30 bucks!! Hurray! Ok, so it was a good day! Definitely worth it in my opinion!

"What time of day person are you?" Theory

Hey there! I've always thought about this since college, but for some reason I was re-thinking it today. See, I am not a middle of the afternoon person. My roommates in college thought it was crazy how i could be a morning person and a night person. However, I told them that around 3-5, that is not my best time...at least to be inside trying to concentrate on something...whether that be school work in college or teaching/trying to plan lessons, etc. So, that is why it worked out perfect for me to have soccer everyday in the afternoon, playing or coaching! I just had to be outside doing something to feel better physically. Ok, so...where does the theory come in? I was born at 4:09 in the afternoon...hence, coming into this crazy world from a peaceful state in my mom's belly. That calmness was interrupted by childbirth...which to this day, that time is not my best time! Why was i thinking about this again? Aja's bad time, coincidentally, is around 5ish, unfortunately right when "dada" gets home. She was born at 5:40P.M.!! Do you think i have something here? She's fine all day and then aaron asks why she's so crabby when he gets home. Makes perfect sense to me! So, with all of this that i was thinking this morning, i figured aja would turn out about like me. It brought a smile to my face that maybe she too, would need a sport, say soccer perhaps, to get her through that rough 4-6ish time of day for her! Let me know when you were born and if it goes along w/ what i am saying! Example? If you were born in the morning, are you a morning person or not? Same for born in the evening? I am curious!

Barney...what lessons you'll learn!

Everyday at 11:45 or so, Aja and I sit down to eat lunch. It's best to start a little before noon, b/c that is when Barney comes on the TV. She sits patiently, eating her food and watching Curious George, until all of a sudden, the credits roll from C.G. and she stops everything. The food waits on her tray, she almost stops breathing, as she can hardly wait to see that big purple dinosaur start to walk across the screen. Then the moment comes and the song plays on as Aja dances excitedly in her highchair and then it ends "if you just make believe him." Now lunch can continue on and she can breathe again. So, as she watches and eats, that is my chance to finally sit for the first time all day and eat lunch and watch Barney as well. You know, I have to say, while listening to the messages that Barney and Friends (let's not forget Baby Bob, BJ and Riff) have to teach, I am proud to know that my daughter is paying such close attention to things like sharing, the importance of exercise, eating your fruits and vegetables, how to be a good friend to others, recycling, why naps are good, and why we shouldn't be afraid to go to the dentist. Sometimes I wonder if we all need to cover our basic lessons every so often to remind us about life. Just the other day, a man in the car ahead of us opened up his window to throw out his bag of chips wrapper. I mean come on, it's 2007 and we still have people littering? It's not like Aja probably even saw it, but I was so mad that the man was modeling such a bad behavior. Maybe he should go catch an episode of Barney or rent the DVD from blockbuster!?! Oh well, there will always be people that just think of themselves in this world, but I hope to teach Aja the importance of caring for your "neighbor" and for your world! Thanks for shows like Barney that can help me teach this!