I can't believe Christmas will be here in 10 days. Where did the time go?? Erin has been back since Friday and the house is hopping again. She has a way of making everyone laugh.

She has grown up a lot since she left for college. The reason I know this is what happened on Sunday night. She was sitting on the hearth holding my large hand mirror plucking her eyebrows when Ryan decided it would be fun to run at her full speed ahead with a pillow and knock the mirror into her face as she plucked her eyebrows. She screamed at him and asked him why he would be such a jerk but the old Erin would have immediately dropped the mirror and pinned the small boy to the ground and pummeled him to death.

Maggie has her school play tomorrow, she is playing the part of Mary. She is a little upset because she saw her costume yesterday at school. She said that the costume isn't even pretty and the veil doesn't match the robe. I don't know what she was expecting, but I doubt the Holy Family stopped by Nordstroms on the way to the manger??

I am almost finished shopping, I have a few more things to buy for my oldest two then I am finished. Yeah hooray. Dave bought himself an early Christmas present AKA midlife crisis present. He bought an electric guitar for himself Tuesday night. He found it on Craigs List and went and picked it up around 9:30 pm. He got home around 10:30 acting like a kid on Christmas morning. He plugged it in and soon realized that he has no idea how to play the guitar. He couldn't wait to get home from work yesterday to play with his new toy. Last night he was a sight for sore eyes sitting in bed in his underwear with a lap top on his lap with guitar playing instructions while he desperately tried to learn a "D" cord. I decided to go upstairs and hang with Erin, Lauren Shannon ,Kelsey and Erin's friend Allie. I sat with them for a while and learned that I could no longer bear the silly girls giddy conversations and that I had no other choice to return to my bedroom and deal with "guitar hero." Finally at around midnight I stated that I think this little mid life crisis was getting the best of me, I would prefer sharing my bed with another woman, she might be a little quieter than the fricken guitar. I think he responded with some idiot comment like "OK, you really don't mind, you are awesome" Funny honey!!

In case anyone was wondering ...I am still alive, life has been very busy. I am back at Macy's working part time for Christmas. Dave drops me off and picks me up every day. He asked me "Is this my part time job or yours?" I said mine, would you rather buy me a new car that isn't the size of a small country that warms up a little faster? He hasn't complained since. I guess Santa won't be leaving me a shiny Lexus with a bow in the driveway this year.

Lauren and Mike broke up a while ago, she spent a few weeks in the fetal position and I ate her pain away while she got even skinnier. We went to lunch for her birthday in October, she cried through the whole meal while I ate my meal as well as hers. The sacrifices I do for my children. Sam broke up with her boyfriend too. It looks like I will never get grandchildren.

Sam and Lauren have been having the time of their lives, they even have run into each other a few times at a few popular bars. Funny how they don't seem to run into each other at church. (They have wine there)

Lauren sent me her Christmas list by email, it stated, "Mom, remember this is my first Christmas without a boyfriend, sad I know : ( here is my list;" underwear (no granny panties) a ridiculously expensive watch and a ridiculously expensive pair of shoes. Kelsey's list was even more ridiculous, she wanted her own room an ipod touch and a bunch of other stuff. She has a better chance of getting her own room than she does an ipod touch and I don't see Maggie planning on moving out anytime soon. I have news for all of them, this year they are getting bibles and turtlenecks!!!

Erin is on her way home for Christmas break. When she came home for Thanksgiving break Dave told her, "Lauren has already stated that her closet is off limits Erin." Erin laughed and said, "I already outsmarted her dad, I have been having Shannon mail me her clothes all semester." I never said my kids were stupid.

When I Christmas shop it is sometimes hard deciding who gets what, four of them are close to the same size. If something is really cute I decide to give it to anyone but Erin. She will most likely end up with it anyway.

Her job for Christmas break has fallen through, so she told me she would do anything that was legal for money. She asked if I knew of any place where she could sell her blood?? She fills out online surveys every week at college so she can get a free pizza. Pizza Hut knows her by name. She scares me!!

Sunday night my Lauren, Shannon, Kelsey and Maggie all crawled in bed with me to watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. I haven't been home much with working an extra job and they all wanted to be close to me. They drove me nuts because I couldn't hear a thing and they can't sit still but it was nice to feel loved. It was just like the old days when they were all little and would crawl in bed with me in the morning to snuggle. Usually Maggie is the only one who wants to cuddle with Mommy. They do love me : )