There are no stupid questions......

You have heard the saying "there are no stupid questions...".


Who said that? and who is spreading it around?

If you are a parent, teacher, boss....anybody that gets asked questions....
YOU have experienced the stupid questions!!

The number one stupid question in my house..
"where is _________ (fill in the blank with jack/max/dad) ?"

This might not be that stupid of a question if we had more than one level to search.
This might not be that stupid of a question if we had trap doors, spinning bookcases, or even easy access to an attic....

BUT
 when I can't even lie down in the kitchen because it isn't wide enough..
(what? you don't lie down while waiting on the oven to preheat?)
when I get a glimpse of death every time I pull down the attic ladder.....
when I am 4 steps from any room in the house.....

It is not EVEN a "search" to find another member of the family!!

There ARE stupid questions AND lazy asses!

2 new hobbies and Max drops his jaw

I am a dancing machine!! 

If music is playing, it is all I can do to not start dancing.

I finally found a video game to which I am becoming addicted!!

Max (having a high score) begged me  to "play" him in Just Dance 3.

We attempted a Brittany Spears song.

I was completely lost with the.....weird moves...

BUT THEN...

we played the Apache Jump On It by Sugar Hill Gang..

I have done that dance many times!!

Max's jaw dropped to the ground!

I blew him away with my moves (and score)...

"well, you were a cheerleader...right?"

"NO!!!!"  (I was not the cheerleader type!)

"well, you did twirl the flag"  (I was in the color guard for a year)

For those of you not familiar with the dance game...

You dance exactly like the dude on the game...

Kinect "sees" your every move.

Doing the EXACT moves, keeping rhythm, and keeping up with the dude earns you points!! 

We also did Boogie Wonderland...

I got all my stars on that one!!!

I wasn't that great on the last few songs...

I kept going the wrong way and I was always a few steps behind.

When I accidently slapped Max (while dancing), he said..

"now you are dancing like you twirled the flag!"

You see...I was only in the color guard one year because I drove the band director crazy. 

I don't know my right from my left....

the group would be twirling one way and I was always twirling the opposite!!

So if you haven't guessed...Just Dance 3 has become my new  #1 hobby...

Hobby #2 (as in the title of my blog)???

WELLLLL

let me start by telling you how much I love puzzles!

I love finding the pieces and putting them in the correct space.

I love figuring out the word to answer a clue...and putting it in the correct space.

I also love tetris!! putting the different block patterns in the correct space.

So hobby #2...

spreadsheets...

I KNOW!!!

you people that are stuck behind a computer all day....doing spreadsheets..

I envy you!!

There is nothing like the feeling of taking info and putting it in the correct space and then looking at all the GREAT ORGANIZATION!!!

HEY!!! I wonder if I could organize my dance moves and songs into a spreadsheet??

or chores

or dinner ideas

or arguments with Jeff

or grocery list

or.....

A Christmas Visit....

We were so excited to take a non traditional Christmas vacation!!

We have counted down the days til we could go to Nashville to see......

NO....not Cooter's Dukes of Hazard Museum

...although it was free....and weird! I was intrigued!!

so was Jeff.....

(kidding...the pic was my idea)

YES....we were there for a Ziegenhorn family reunion....

cousin (not a brother), brother, Jeff, brother

Jack and Max are growing their hair long....while they can!

HOWEVER....even though we have a blast with all the cousins and their kids...

...that STILL wasn't OUR most exciting reason...

Around 30 of us gathered at the Wild Horse Saloon for dinner, dancing, pool, air hockey, etc...

Since we are obviously the best line dancers in the world...and I have the best fashion sense,

I believe we will be asked to go professional!!

I had a blast singing "I wanna be sedated" (Ramones) at the original Grand Ole Opry....

but even THAT wasn't the most exciting reason for our visit....

Spending a ton of money to see colorful Disney Ice sculptures IN NASHVILLE and sliding down a 20 foot ice slide was a once in a lifetime experience......

BUT...still not the most exciting reason for our visit...

We loved our 3 fun filled days in Nashville...and love each of the reunited family members...

THE MOST EXCITING???

....we were thrilled to be able to finally meet and hold our new nephew...

Kidd Ziegenhorn!!

Kidd was so much fun!! and so cute!! He loved his Tennessee cousins!!!

I thought I might be forming an AUNT MARGARET bond, but then he opened our Christmas gift

With this look he was able to communicate:

"....really?...clothes for Christmas?....did they even win a game this year?"

I whispered to him that it was Uncle Jeff that insisted on the Memphis jersey....I would have bought him a drum set...or pony....

He forgave me and shot me a smile!

As I settled down to sleep in my in-laws attic...(not in Nashville anymore)

I thought about Christmas. 

I looked out of my sleeping bag...

WOW! A visit from the Christmas Angel!!....

THEN I heard a sudden noise and looked to my left....

Adam Sandler?

You never know what you will find in someone's attic...

Adam Sandler....Waterboy...

Then I drifted off to sleep with quotes from Adam Sandler movies dancing in my head.....

again, Merry Christmas....

This is for my family....

Thank you for putting up with me.....especially during the holidays!

I found a way to show you the joy that I just can't seem to express during the holiday season!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Watch out for the driver taking pics!

(some of you have not figured it out yet: click on pics to see better)

Last week, I added some more excitement to my life. Jeff and my closest friends are starting to think I have a real problem.....

needing to rearrange my house and tear down walls or tear up floors.

Since I couldn't keep myself busy enough with teaching.....

I started "working". 

I don't have a permanent job..... yet. I am just doing contract work. 

Last week was SOOOO exciting and fun!!

I want to share a little of my adventure with you!!

As you all know, Jeff and I have had one car for about a year.

It has not really been a problem...with him traveling and me home schooling...

We plan to get another car once I am permanently working.....

Jeff wants a truck. I would rather have a smart car....boys can run along behind us..

Since Jeff will probably win this argument.....I found a truck I would love.....

(please click on music below for awesome viewing of the above pic)

We had a few EARLY mornings last week....taking Jeff to work before the city woke....

We got behind a construction worker and I was amused by his license plate "ZZZZZ".

He was warning me "when you are out and driving around town at 6am......you will be in a sleep state by 6:30pm!"

On one adventure, I saw this next item and instantly thought of my sister, Polly!

I might have offered the man some money so that I could give her this for Christmas....

BUT she doesn't find "gas" as humorous as I do....

I love it when I pass buses and all the kids look "thrilled".  They are staring out the windows like they are in jail....

After seeing the message on the back of the bus, I was confused at how sad they looked. They were headed to college! I thought I was young when I started college at 17yrs.....

They must have not realized that they would be through before they turned 12!

I was not able to get a pic of the last thing that interested me this week...

A boy of about the age of 8 or 9 was shopping with his parents in Target.

He was dressed as an elf.

The overly grown young boy looked exactly like this!.......poor kid!

Sometimes I worry about my kids.....I don't want people to look at my boys and say

"poor kids"...

Now that I plan to work AND home school.....I worried that two working parents could not pull off home schooling...

We went to see one of Max's doctors this week. Both her and her husband work...AND home school their kids!

If doctors can do it...so can we...

Then I worried that my kids would be "neglected" without "momma" nagging them through every moment of life (ha ha).....

 I took a pic of my FABULOUS kids before church this morning....

They are definitely independent individuals and are gonna be FINE!

This is my last post until after Christmas!!
Merry Christmas and if I don't come back soon...

Happy New Year!!

say WHAT??

Reader's Digest posted "12 Funny Things Your Christmas Tree Says About You" HERE


I included the link to give credit where it is due...but I am also stealing it to make the following post easier on my readers...

Reader's Digest has given us information to find what our Christmas tree says about us....

#1  White lights say "you ask your guests to take their shoes off"

(and..."I consider my tree to be a lamp")

My yellow lights on my kitchen Christmas tree say "I love butter" 

 #2  Multicolored lights say "you are an extrovert"

(the fake snow says "ridiculous!")

My VERY FEW mulitcolored star lights on my living room Christmas tree...
say "I am an outgoing person...as long as there aren't any other people around!"

(yes, that is the camel from our nativity...there was no room for him at the stable...)

#3  Blinking lights say "you have attention deficit disorder"

um...no it doesn't!! blinking lights say "I don't want guests to stay too long or get comfortable"

#4  Homemade ornaments say "you have lots of kids"

HA! well....compared to the PERFECT ornament above...

mine say "I have two kids that may have issues....and are against the colors of the rainbow..."

#5  Strung popcorn say "you have too much time on your hands"

REALLY? then what does this say?

 #6  Red balls only say "you wish you lived in a department store"

(and I bet your decorations have a theme...HA)

Mine say "dance when the sun hits just right!"

 #7   Yellow star on top says "you are traditional"

and you live in Hollywood...

My yellow star says "Hey shepherds, follow me!" 

#8  Glowing Santa on top says "you shop at Kitsch R Us"

I want one of these!!

Two fabulous sculptures on top say "one-of-a-kind"

The last 4 don't really apply to me.....(we can't have a live tree)
#9  Cutoff top says "you didn't measure the tree"

(this should never matter....haven't you see Christmas Vacation?)

#10  Vague evergreen smell says "you bought a healthy tree"

(animal spray smell says "you bought something's property"

#11   Strong evergreen smell says "you sprayed your tree with Pine Sol"

( and it says you are old and the Pine Sol doesn't mix well with the moth balls)

#12  Just plain smelly says "there is a dead bird in your tree"

more likely...."you tracked something in from the yard"

The one on the top:

I call "quaint, primitive look"

Jack calls it "the burnt tree"

The one on the bottom:

Kids say "bigger circumference to pile presents" 

I say "I can't see the TV!"

Classic MAZ vs. Elf on the Shelf

I had never heard of Elf On The Shelf until about 2 years ago. 

My friends were talking about this ELF that does something every night from December 1st until Christmas. Some people even talked about their ELF leaving gifts for the children.

Well, I immediately was relieved that we didn't know about this "Christmas Tradition".

We definitely did not need another gift giving tradition or another "something" that does something for the kids to find when they wake up!!

The boys were "old" enough that I did not need to worry if I should start this tradition to keep up with other families.....NOT GONNA DO IT...

BUT....

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine was telling about her kid being slightly disturbed about an ELF moving around the house at night.

"BING"   "BING"   "BING"  "BING"

A creepy ELF!!??!!

Now THAT is a Christmas tradition that I could enjoy!!!

When I got home I went straight to my elf sitting in my tree. He has been in my tree or packed in the attic my entire life! I think he is about 40 years old....or more!

I stared at him and said aloud "you look like those other elves...I wonder why you were never a tradition in my house...."

"HA HA....I HAVE BEEN A PART OF YOUR CHRISTMAS YOUR WHOLE LIFE"

I was shocked!

"listen here ELF..."

"My name is Elwood....ruler of all the elves."

He told me exactly how he had been a part of my Christmas traditions....

"I am the reason Max is out of candy before Jack is. I eat some of Max's stash at night."

"I get help when I need to hide the remote at night so I can silently laugh at you trying to find it the next day!"

"I was so happy this season when I realized you had bought new socks for Max. I was running out of socks to steal!"

"My favorite days are when you are nagging the boys to rinse the toothpaste out of the sink that I squirted in there the night before."

"When I am tired and can't be that creative, I can always be sure you will fuss at the boys for leaving the cereal box open!"

"It can be dangerous, but if you guys go to bed early enough....I can open a couple of cabinet doors!"

"Last year was great! You were trying to drink one glass of sweet tea per day. You really enjoyed sipping on that one glass...ha ha....I would sneak and drink half of it to leave you wondering how you drank your tea so fast without realizing!"

I could not believe it! I had the ruler of all the Elves on the Shelves!!

I told Elwood that he was welcome to do whatever he wanted to Jack and Max....

the creepier the better!

I had one rule:

Don't mess with me!

He agreed. Over the next few days, I enjoyed his work!

Jack found him in his bed....with a prize

One night, Jack found him playing poker....

he must have moved the party to the pantry...Max found him the next morning!

I found him stealing Jack's pop gun that Jack won at his Christmas party.

I had to get on to Elwood for messing up our advent boxes...I worked hard on those tiny surprises!

I found Elwood making a list last night.

I was thrilled to have a creepy elf in my home. This was going to be so much fun!!

BUT THEN.....

ELWOOD!!!

my hair doesn't need anymore help looking crazy!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS.......watch out for Elwood's friends!