Christmas 2006, part 4

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3



Okay, okay I know it's been a long time coming. You know, this final part of my Christmas Story. So here it is ... 7:30am and I haven't even slept 5 full hours but my kids are up and yelling for me.




Normally they would just get up and come to my room but that would mean walking through the living room that the tree was in. I guess they wanted me to be there with them. So I went to their rooms and we walked out together. They were sooo excited when they saw all the presents. lol, then they ran upstairs to wake Josh up.



It was so funny cause Abby was opening gifts sooo fast so she had almost all her gifts open and Jordon was on like his third.


But they had a great time. By 11:30am we were on our way to my parents house. My mom hooked me up with a few sweaters and jeans from my favorite store NY&C, sneakers, and slippers. My sisters got me a gift card to get a pedi/mani (soooo excited about this!) a new purse and wristlet! Love my sistas. My brother didn't do gifts since he is jobless but he cooked us all a fabulous brunch. If he wasn't going to school to be some political big wig I'd say he should be a world renowned chef. The boy can cook! lol.

Anyway, of course they got Josh and the kids good stuff too. But hey we're gonna make that part about me.

After hanging with my family some more we headed over to Josh's parents house for dinner, an Eagles game and some more gifts. Fun fun. lol.

Usually my mother in law takes us out shopping and we just pick out our own gifts. This year I guess she thought she'd give it a shot on her own. All I can say is she got the gist of it right. I loved the two sweaters from NY&C she got me, can't go wrong in that store, but the rest? Well I wanted a robe, I got one, most uncomfortable material ever though. I wanted a track suit, got one in again the most horrible material. PJ's? To small, that's always embarrassing. lol. And to top it all off she got us a new bed set. Josh told me about it before Christmas and showed me what it looked like and I told him I didn't like it at all. He told her and she still gave it to us, which just made for some uncomfortable moments when I asked her for the receipt for it cause I didn't like it.

I know I sound like an ungrateful bitch here, but I'm not. Really. haha. I love my in laws. And my mother in law is great, she always over does it. But I don't know that she really does all that great on her own, picking gifts. We work better as a team. Although she was the ONLY one that remembered I collect Willow Tree Figurines. She got me the Wisdom one that is of a girl sitting down reading a book. Perfect for me.

And she did a ton of great outfits for the kids among other things.

Later that night we went to go home but had to swing by my parents house cause I forgot my phone there earlier. Well we ended up playing a card game called canasta from 9:30pm to 1:30am! lol, but it was lots of fun.

2:00am we unloaded all the gifts from our car and called it a night.

And a GREAT Christmas was had by all.




~ Nicole

Christmas 2006, part 3.

Read Part 1 and Part 2

Finally we pick up the kids from my In Laws and get to my aunts house for the party. Everyone else has been there for well over an hour, but of course the party doesn't start till I arrive. lol.

It was a fun time, I always enjoy getting together with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Here's a pic of me and my sisters with our girl cousins. The only one's missing are my three in Florida and the youngest (2) who is running around.

I love this picture of me and my mom. Isn't she to freaking cute and funny! I love my mom.

Okay I know this one was short, but nothing overly exciting happened. We just all hung out and had a good time with each other.

Me Josh and the kids left around 10pm and got home put the kids to bed and then I stayed up till 2:30am in the morning wrapping gifts. Only to be woken up by very excited kids at 7:30am. Uggg, but it was all worth it....but that's for part 4.

And since I'm super tired right now, that will have to wait till tomorrow.

~ Nicole

Christmas 2006, part 2.

Read Part 1

It's Christmas Eve and I have to be to work by 11am, and I only work till 5pm. Which normally I'd be overjoyed since I've never had that great of hours on Christmas Eve before. BUT....there was one last gift I needed to get my daughter so I needed to run to two Targets (in case the first didn't have it) and they closed at 6pm. Cutting it close.

But I was determined to have a great day. I wasn't going to let anyone bring my mood down. And it worked. Shoot, I need to try this positive thinking thing more often, lol.

Let me tell you one of the funniest things that happened right before I left though. It is 5:35 and I'm hoping to sneak out a little early when this Chinese guy walks in. So I greet him and see if he needs help (I don't think he understood a word I said but that's neither here nor there, lol). Well not even 3 min. later this black guy walks in (normally I don't state color and all but it plays into the story) his first question is what's our return policy? Well I can tell this is going to be promising, so I tell him. I am now trying to stay with my customer will answering this other guys questions cause for some reason I am all alone up front in the store. A few minutes later the woman I don't like comes up and I ask her to take the black guy so I can finish with my customer.

Not even 5 min. later I hear this being YELLED in our store among all the customers "Somebody get over here! I want someone else to help me. Get this woman away from me, I don't want her help. I don't want her anywhere near me."

LMAO! Yup, the woman I don't like was doing what she always does. She was judging because of color and appearance and wasn't' letting the guy hold the merchandise he was looking at. And he made a scene! I ended up helping him and all was fine. He pulled out a wad of cash so large and then the other woman was wishing she hadn't treated him the way she did.

Karma's a Bitch! She's also the one that jipped me in the polyanna. lol.

It is now 5:15pm and I am leaving, so much for getting out early. I dash over to Target and they have one pair of boots left in Abby's size....with no box and scratches on the front! Decisions decisions....I grab the boots figuring I can exchange them after Christmas but at least she can have them to open.

As luck would have it though I got to the second Target at 5:50pm and decide to check and see if I would have any better luck...they had them! Yeay! I was so excited.

I dashed home grabbed Josh and some presents and was off to my family party....

~ Nicole

Christmas 2006, part 1

The Christmas post.....lol. Well you plan and shop and cook for it and it's all over now. How was your Christmas everyone??? Mine? FUN! No fighting, or none that I remember so it couldn't have been that bad. lol...

Christmas Eve Eve (Saturday) I got my first Christmas present. Me Josh and my BIL went out together to finish up our shopping. After we were done my BIL took us out for drinks and said it was his gift to us. So we ate drank and were merry. lol.

We went to this place called Cheeseburger in Paradise. I had never been there before, anyone ever heard of it? Well it was sooooo nice. It reminded me of Margaritaville in Vegas. And that's exactly what I had. Some of the best freaking margaritas EVER! It was a layered drink with all different flavors and it was sooo yummy!

After we had some drinks and food we decided to go to the mall and shop some more. Now mind you I thought the mall closed at 11pm, but my BIL told me it was open till midnight. So we were on our way (it took all the drinks for me to get the guys to the mall). The mall is not far from where we were, maybe1/4 of a mile, not even I'm sure.

So when we were walking to the car I said that we should walk. Of course the guys looked at me like I was nuts so I said fine I'd walk alone. It is now 10:45pm. What? It was a nice night and I was hot. They obviously didn't think I'd do it and went to the car. I did do it. lol. I half ran and half walked and by the time they wasted driving next to me and trying to get me in the car and messing around, and parking I caught up to them before the mall entrance.

We get in the mall and it's now, 10:53pm and we find out it does in fact close at 11pm. But what the hell we're all a little extra happy from our drinks so we go off to our stores to be the annoying customers that walk in right before you pull the gate down. Yes I know I hate these customers. lol. 10 minutes later we are walking out with Jordon's sneakers, and my BIL bought a build a bear. lol.

Now I was going to go right through till the day after Christmas but this got kinda long so I'm just going to post it all it sections. So tune in for the rest in a bit....


~ Nicole

LOL, a weird ending to my night.

Okay real quick let me share this.

For about a year now there has been a Walgreens right on my way home from work, like a minute from my house. Usually if I need anything, milk, girl stuff, anything, I'll make a pit stop after work.

There is always the same guy at the register. He always remembers me and is very nice. Answering any questions I have etc. He has never hit on me and has always been polite.

Well tonight I go in and ask if there are any sales on wrapping paper. So he goes to find out and then shows me where it all is. While I'm looking he comments that he likes my shoes (Steve madden slipper sequined type). I said thanks and he said that he thinks they look really good when girls where them. I just said that they were really comfy and I loved them.

I still at this point didn't think it was any more than polite conversation. But just as he was saying that another guy that worked there was leaving for the night.

I went about my business and while I was getting rung up he asked if I was done my shopping and I said how I was mostly done but my son was so hard. He's all 'Oh you have a kid?' and I said 'Yup, two my daughter is three and my son five.' Then went on and on about boys being difficult to shop for.

STILL OBLIVIOUS TO ANY FLIRTATION. I must have been really tiered. lol.

Just as he's about done he says 'so are you with your boyfriend or something?' Me, all confused, 'excuse me?' him, 'are you with anyone?' me (glancing at my wedding ring and engagement ring on my LEFT ring finger) 'ummm, I'm married for 6 years now' him, 'oh your married?' me 'yup'.

Now even though right there I can tell he was interested I still wasn't annoyed with him. Yeah it was a dumb question, I was wearing a wedding set, but he was very polite and not degrading at all.

The phone rang before he could say anymore and THIS shocked me. All I could hear was his side of the convo of course. This is how it went.
"No I wasn't hitting on her."
"I was paying her a compliment"
"You got something to say about it come back here."
"You waited till you left"
"Mind your business"
"I wasn't hitting on her!"
And then he hung up the phone.

His co-worker called him back to ream him about complimenting me on my shoes! OMG I was dying. So I just said thanks Merry Christmas and left.

Ha ha. So that was a nice way to finish off my night. Too funny. Poor guy.


~ Nicole

Almost time....

My friend posted this to me on my myspace page. lol. I thought it was pretty cute.

The time is getting closer. I have today and tomorrow to finish any last minute shopping. Just a few more things for the kids and we're good.

How bout you? Are you done or are you going to be out on Christmas Eve driving yourself nuts?

My holiday kinda starts today. Josh is off of work, so I don't' have to do the kid thing all alone today. Weew, that is a break in and of itself. lol.

Well okay, I don't have much to say this morning. So everyone have a great weekend. And a Merry Christmas if I don't talk to you again by then. Which I doubt very much will happen, cause I'm addicted. lol.

~ Nicole

Happy, Mad, Happy, Mad.

You Are 32% Bipolar

Overall, you're a pretty stable person. You may be a bit moody, but nothing out of what's normal. As long as your emotions aren't severe, you're totally in control!

Are You Bipolar?

Sometimes I think I'm bi-polar. No really I'm not kidding. Either that or certain people have way to much control over my moods. Let me explain.

Yesterday I was in a perfectly fine mood. Good day with the kids and no fights with Josh. I get to work and it's like it smacked me in the face.

The woman I cannot stand was there, and just as I was clocking in I hear my boss tell her that if it's busy she can stay till 9pm. It is now 6pm and she was scheduled to leave at 7pm. Two more freaking hours. That pissed me off before I even got on the sales floor.

THEN....it wasn't even busy and she didn't leave. It is not busy if every time I go to greet a customer she jumps in before me so she is selling while I have my thumb up my ass. It is only busy if all the SCHEDUALED people are busy and there are still customers that need help.

Tell me how that is fair????

And then my boss must have seen my pissed off face so a customer of her's comes in and she has me help her. The woman was looking for a pair of $60 earrings, and was sooooooo picky and annoying. Meanwhile the woman I don't like sold a $2000 ring to a guy that walked in.

Tell me should I thank my boss for that? I sure as hell hope she doesn't hold her breath for that one.

But the minute my boss and the woman I don't' like left I was like a new person. It was me, my friend, and a new seasonal girl that I like. We delt with customers, laughed, had a good time.

So is it that one woman or am I bi-polar???

~ Nicole

Just because....

....I loved my dress, hair, and veil. And wanted to share it with you.


~ Nicole

Favorite Photos...

This is my second post of the day, make sure you read my first too. I know I'm on a roll now.

These are just random pictures through the years that I love. There are others, but these are just out of the ones on my computer. Some are posing, some are candid, some we all look put together, some we look like we just woke up. Hell some we're sleeping in. Some are just plain old funny....

Josh and the kids. 2006


The day after Josh's prom. At Sea Side Beach. 1999


Josh and Abby. To cute, and funny. 2004


Jordon's first day of school. 2006


Mini Golf. OC, Maryland. 2005


Jordon in his football gear. 2006


I was the only one REALLY asleep. lol, Abby took the picture. 2005 or 06


Halloween, Jordon and Abby. 2006


My brother, Jose, with all the kids. 2006


Josh's prom, I loved that dress. 1999


Hannah, youngest sister, and Abby. 2004 or 05


Crazy windy day. My mom, sister Sarah, and the kids. 2006


Ocean City Maryland, Vacation. Me and Abby. 2005


Christmas Eve family party. Josh, Jose, and other family members. 2005


Right before my wedding at my parents house. 2000


There are a lot more but I'll cut you all a break for now.
~ Nicole

Am I being a total Bitch?

I don't know if I am being a total bitch here, which wouldn't be out of the norm, or if I'm justified it the way I feel about this. So what do I do? Come to you lovely readers for your opinions.

Here it is. Every year at work we do a pollyanna and then we list three things on a sheet of paper in the back that we want. Our dollar amount to spend this year was $30 and if you went over you went over, but you spend the $30 at least. Personally I think it was a little high for a co-worker, but whatever, I still participated.

Okay I'll be honest I'm friends with the woman that put the pick bag together and had her rig it so I'd get my friends name that I had already planned on buying for so I didn't' have to buy for someone I didn't like. But that's besides the point. lol.

So somehow I got out of someone that the woman (little Indian Lady) I can't stand the most in the store got my name. Uggg! So I decided to be a bitch. Suprise suprise right? lol. Well on my list I put all detailed very specific things I wanted, and then wrote that I'd take a gift card to this one store for whatever the remaining amount of money was. lol.

About a week ago I was working with the woman that had my name and she took her break at 9:30 pm. When she came back she had a NY&C bag (which is where I wanted stuff from) and just hands it to me. She says "Happy early Christmas". The other woman working looked at her and said "Your just giving it to her like that? Not wrapping it, or waiting for Christmas Eve when everyone else is exchanging?" and she responded saying "Well she is such a spoiled brat I know she want now" (I do know how to type out full sentences but I'm typing exactly the way she speaks in her broken English, lol)

I just laughed, I really didn't care that I got it early. The purse I wanted was there, but the scarf I asked for was wrong. I wrote the exact name of the scarf I wanted and wrote Black or Red. I got the wrong named one in grey. But whatever, still not mad, I can exchange it.

Now here is the part that got me mad. As she was walking away she said "Store has good sale. You get all that and it worth $50." So I'm already thinking oh shit what did she spend? So I said out loud "It doesn't matter what it's worth, it matters what you spent". She didn't reply.

I went down to the store that night to exchange the scarf and looked around. Guess what she spent? $22.47! Am I being totally horrible here or do I have a right to be pissed??? Everyone else is spending $30 on the person they got and she spends $22.47 on me???? That's just not right! She could have easily gotten me a little something in that same store to make up the difference.

You know if it were a friend of mine I wouldn't really care. It's the thought that counts and all that, right? But when it's a work pollyanna and everyone is supposed to spend the same amount and a woman I don't like and doesn't like me gets me AND jips me! I think I have reason to get bitchy!

What do you think???



I just think this is totally cute. lol. Had to post it.



~ Nicole