Southbound...

Leaving for the airport shortly - to Atlanta for a meeting tomorrow morning - back in the evening, a whirlwind trip.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a busy weekend. Decorated the house and put up the tree last night, and it was a lot more traumatic than I remember last year, but I got some cute pictures - will post later.

So far the broken ornament tally only stands at one (single color glass ball - that's all there is up to about 4 feet) and I am very scared to leave 3 boys here alone for the night. John likes to swish his arms through the branches as he walks by, and that's a big problem. After the one broke last night he said, "Uhhhh-ohhhh....saw-eeeee Mommeeee," in his usual mischievous voice.

Auction beads will mail out first thing Wednesday morning!

New Auction...

Finally! Just started this auction, and it will run through Monday afternoon. I decided to do a 5-day auction because of the holiday.

We are cooking and getting ready to head down the road for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. The boys got so hungry smelling the wild rice cooking this morning (it simmers for like 6 hours) they ate 3 times this morning before noon. Now if I could only get them to eat the rice! If tradition holds, it will only be a matter of time before they eat so much of it I'll have to make a triple batch.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US customers! I am so thankful for all of you, as well as my international friends!

Beads? Please?

Still so much going on here, and few beads to show for it.

After Sam's birthday I needed to get some beads ready for a "small wonders" show at the local gallery, so that was keeping me busy two weeks ago.

Then Tom was out of town for a week, so no beads at all while he was gone.

I have been mentoring a high school student this fall for her Senior Project - bead and jewelry making - so no beads this weekend because she was here for her "final exam."

Today, I was geared up to make lots of beads - the boys both in school for the morning - and guess what?! I got the first phone call at 9:30 (10 minutes after getting home from dropping them off)..."Sam is running a fever, please come get him." He has a cold, but he did not have a fever when he went in! Then an hour and a half after I got back with him, the next phone call..."John is running a fever, please come get him."

Can you say "Aaaarrrrggggghhhh!"

So my new goal is one set for eBay to list before Thanksgiving.

I'm Back...Barely

Sorry for the long pause...lots going on here! I'll try to get caught up, one post at a time.

The 5th Birthday Party was so much fun. Backyardigans everywhere! Sam felt good, John felt good, and we had a great day.


I had the best time making this cake. Thank goodness Wilton makes Pablo, which was the special request...it's the only Backyardigans pan they make!

The robot arm was a HUGE hit...of course...the $5.99 gift is the favorite. So popular that we had to go and get one for John so they can play robot arms together.

Cars/Geotrax was another favorite. I just love that smile.

Here they are playing with another gift...Gnip Gnop. Not to brag, but I am the Gnip Gnop champion of the household.

Oink oink

So we have finally conquered the computer virus and restored everything I lost, as of today...but as of yesterday, we have a diagnosis of H1N1 for Sam. We are trying to keep the rest of us from getting it, but given the way things usually go, that is probably next to impossible. At least John is on Tamiflu...

I am still out of O2 due to a snafu on my part, but I will be back up and running tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, here are a few new focals on Etsy!

Halloween and Flu

Halloween was fun, although very rainy. We went to a neighbor's haunted house - they had the coolest decorations and spooky food I've ever seen...


...then we went to the Carnival at the church where the kids go to preschool...



...and then we went trick-or-treating.


(It is such a nice age...they have no idea that trick-or-treating might include more than going to five houses. Blissfully unaware.)

I had no idea it was the end of daylight savings, but I noticed the clock difference from the cable box right away. That's how out of it I've been, and how much I rely on my computer to tell me what's going on in the world.

Sunday was a cold, dreary day and we noticed Sam was coughing and generally not his perky self. Then this morning, it was obvious he had a fever...102.8. Still coughing, runny nose, stomach hurts. So he is home from school today and going to the doctor this afternoon. A lot of kids at school have been sick and they said they are treating everyone for H1N1 just to be safe. We'll see what the doctor says. I hope he gets better soon because he has a big birthday coming up this Saturday...he is turning 5.

I am posting from my computer but I still haven't gotten everything loaded again, including my camera software. Off to go do that now, and then I'll add the pictures above.

Oh! and I will have new beads, promise...I hope to add 3 new focals to Etsy today, and beads for Ebay coming soon. I just ran out of O2 so I have to get more before I can finish the set I started.