Those slippers do look toasty.

Until I started decorating the tree, my mother insisted on putting on every ornament that I or a sibling had ever made, no matter how misshapen or decrepit they were. There are still some ones that she makes me put on because they have sentimental value, but I've made to get rid of the cotton bat snowmen and the santa made from a toilet paper roll.

I am Sue's mother. Except my own always overrules me.

My mother still has and uses the yarn and mini-lifesaver roll ornament that my sister made in 2nd grade.

My sister is 45.

My mother still has the bell that my bro made when he was 3. He's 38 now. It's very cute, faded blue egg carton with a few pieces of glitter clinging tenaciously to the cardboard.

When we got married, DH's mom had saved EVERY SINGLE ornament he had ever made. Including a pantyhose egg with some glitter, hanging from a piece of yarn. Our first Christmas together, she asked us if we wanted all of these ornaments for our tree.

DH is decidedly NOT sentimental about such stuff and I had to do some mother in-law diplomacy and explain that they probably meant more to her and we'd hate to take those memories away from her.

So, these are the cutest twin shirts ever: [link]

jeeezus, kat! I already got the twins in my life an xmas present (family pass to Port Discovery kids museum!) but how can I resist getting those??? I'm going to have to though if anybody else on my list is going to get a christmas present.

When am I going to go get the pinata i've been tasked with getting for my sister-in-law's baby shower? During the planning it seemed like I'd have sooo much time but it turns out I really don't!

*sigh* We still have no heat. The house is 59 degrees, which is still tolerable. The fireplace is still going. The second furnace dude is trying one last part to see if it works.

I have another contractor coming around 11:30 or so but this sorta sucks ass. I can't take the kids anywhere as long as I have to be here for the service tech.

I've got them bundled up in their footie pj's, which are the warmest clothes they have.

Political quote of the day?

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone." - Mitt Romney

Salon had this to say:

In the speech, Romney is attempting to pull off the "have it both ways" shuffle. He is aligning himself with those conservatives advocating more religion in the public sphere while simultaneously arguing that the doctrines of Mormonism should be off-limits in the campaign. In my judgment, Romney is half-right here -- no one should quiz him about his religious beliefs or vote against him because of his church. (For those who crave more on my views read today's piece.) But this back-and-forth is all part of the standard political debate that has been going on since, at least, the Supreme Court banned school prayer in 1963.

But anyway, he's still a wanker.

[link]

My mom still puts up ornaments that each of us three kids painted back in elementary school, as well as the fun old instrument ornaments, one or two of which still make noise when you blow into them (the French horn and the trumpet).

I managed to get my tree assembled in a few hours last night, but didn't bother trying to pull out the lights yet. They're somewhere in my closet, but since I have to work at the bookstore tonight, they won't start going up until almost midnight. I have to put the ornaments on, drape the ribbon around for garland, and then see if I have some wire so I can make up two big bows to top the tree tomorrow night.

Right now, the majority of my ornaments are cheapo glass balls that I got when my grandma passed away, but I'm slowly replacing them with keepsake and pretty ornaments that I'm accumulating over time. The nonbreakables get placed at cat-range, and the prettier ones go on top on the side facing the room (the cheapo ornaments go on the side facing the balcony door).

I miss President Bartlett.