Finally without further ado.. for your viewing pleasure a tour of the Griswold, er, T*ndal abode by the cutest little Christmas girl EVER!!!!!

A Peppermint Christmas Fairy watches over our livingroom.........

Lighted packages (the middle one opens and closes) and a life-sized Santa welcome you

The Santa Express chugs through our yard and a little blowmold Snowman says "Hiya"!!

A Jolly Ol' Gator chases Surfin' Santa while another Santa makes a getaway in his trusty Speedboat!

No yard is complete without SNOOPY and his famous doghouse!!! from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

Nascar Santa and his trusty pitcrew of Elves... we're not fans of J*mmie Johnson so Stacy tried to change the number... with whatelse? Duct Tape!!!!!

A Giant Frosty oversees the whole yard and all who enter!

This is a close-up of the lifesized Santa by the front door. I love him. Wouldn't he look GREAT in the entranceway of an old grand house! *hint* Stacy *hint*

Spongebob Santa oversees Maddie's playhouse. The spiral trees look great lit up but unfortunately they are tripping the breaker. Still it's pretty!

I hope you enjoyed your tour of our festive yard! It surprises me the people who come by to see it! I hope it makes Christmas a little merrier!

Sor-r-r-r-r! It IS Monday you know.
Without further ado.... the SANTA PANTS! I really do love them. I'd totally wear them. In fact i'm going to Dumas myself and scope out their cords. I had NO idea.

Nurse Jacki weighs and measure Madison. Will we EVER crack 40 lbs???

The incomparable Dr. Whi*tehead! We love him! He's taken care of Maddie since she was a tiny baby and done a GREAT job! He always listens and explains.

A weary........

19  

If my poor old body wouldn't curl up and die i'd do cartwheels - THAT is how happy I am that it is Friday!

I got a cute christmas card from Daisy & Man yesterday, Thank You!!!
I promise to get mine out over the week-end!

Madison went for her four year check-up yesterday. She did so good.
Had to have five shots and that almost killed me.
I will post some pics next week because I didn't get them downloaded last night.
Her doc was wearing the snazziest red corduroy pants with santa faces embroidered on them.
He got them at Dumas in Charleston. LOVED THEM!
I took a pic of him holding Madison and will be sure to do a zoom in of the pants.
I love her pediatrician. He is just the best!

Y'all have a fab-u-lous week-end. I plan to.
A little snuggling with my precious husband, taking baby girl to look at lights - can't wait!!!!!!

A suddendly energized and excited...

Stupid, stupid me climbed up on the back of the couch to put our Elf "Wink" up on the doorway after Madison went to bed (he flies back to the North Pole each night and reports on Maddie to Santa and we find him in a different spot each morning).
Well, I over-balanced and FELL on the floor ~splat~.
My leg hurts, my ankle hurts, my BACK hurts, both wrists hurt but...
Lucky I didn't break anything.
Thank God for thick carpeting (usually i'm cursing it in favor of hardwood floors).
Parenthood is NOT for the faint of heart!

I got nabbed to ride and make sure the tree didn't fall over! (it didn't)

The prettiest package on the float!

Madison and her little partner-in-crime Kaitlyn

Waiting on the action to begin!


I must say I had so much fun and saw so many people I knew! It was cold but we were bundled up well although we could have used some gloves. Madison kept her hands down in her sleeves to get them warm but I gamely waved and ended up with slightly blue tinged hands. I can't wait for next year already!!!! I need to send these pics to Stacy. He asked me to and I promptly forgot last night. Oops!
I'm slowly finding my holiday spirit. I just get so overwhelmed.. but that's another post for another day! Merry! Merry!

P.S. I already got some Christmas Cards- Thanks Casey,Dakota & Family, Bella & Ryan! Madison gets so excited when she sees them in the mailbox. Shhhh... I still do too!

To My Beloved *snort* Cow-Workers- Yes the benefits aren't as good as we had them, yes some are losing a weeks vacation (including me) but hey at least we have a steady paycheck for the unforeseeable future and we do have benefits. Sometimes you just have to look on the bright side no matter what.

To My Home Sweet Home- Look out because you are about to undergo a massive weight-loss. I am about to become clutter-free. Well, a LOT LESS cluttered. Let's not get carried away and tell a bald-faced LIE here! LOL

To Self: One cannot expect to not pay one's taxes and a magical sticker come in the mail. You have to have a current tag or you WILL get a ticket. Get thee hence to the Court House. Today!

To Boss: Do not even come stomping in here in a pissy mood because you had the past five days off and have to come back to work. I, for one am not in the mood for your shit. You have been warned.

I will have some pics of the Darlington Christmas Parade. I had THE BEST TIME!!!!!!!

I know, I know this wasn't the tree you had in mind. Actually this is where she had her picture taken with the Big Guy a.k.a. Santa!
I never saw the actual lighting of the tree. They danced very well and then we meandered over to Pitty Pat's and The Jeweler's Bench, got some free Merle Norman Make-Up, Stacy bought me some fancy over-priced bubble bath and I got a beautiful silver snowflake necklace (free from the J-Bench). We ate some delicious food, stood around and talked awhile and then headed back home. When we left the golf cart parade and tree lighting hadn't taken place. However you can only ask so much of a four year old and we had fun anyway! I made out pretty good :)

Isn't she precious in her dress coat? I know the lime ribbon doesn't match but she was in her dance costume. My girl is getting so big! Where does the time go?

Yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions, up and down - down and up.

One minute I was thankful to know i'll still be getting a steady paycheck, then i'd think of my friends, who, in a matter of months will no longer be part of my every day....... and get teary eyed.
For me, selfishly.
For them, because let's face it - this is rotten news at the holidays even though all of them will get a paycheck at least until Feb 1st and some as long as Sept 1st of next year.

I'd think "How am I going to survive the passive-aggressive monster I work for?".
Then i'd answer myself "The same way you've survived him up until now - drugs".

Is anyone else sensing a touch of the "crazy" here? hehehe.........

*** Oh the p/a monster will be out Wed-Thurs-Fri so I can BLOG! Yippee!!!!

Set the alarm for 4a.m., when it went off agreed we were still tired and re-set it for 5a.m.
We went to W*lmart in Hartsville which we "thought" would be less crowded. Ha!
It was a pure-tee mess when we got there, lines snaking throughout the store BUT I did get the B*by Alive learns to P*tty that Maddie wanted there, for the same price T*rget and K*ohls had it listed for (W-Mart didn't have it listed) so I got that. They had 500 thread count sheets for $20, those were long gone but my SIL got me a set as they were shopping in Charlotte (and did get up WAY earlier than we did). This is where net-working and cellphones come in real handy LOL

We then went to T*rget (no big deals there but we already had the doll we wanted) but we did get some Pepsi products 4/$10. Are you bored to tears yet?
We got lucky at T*ys-R-Us and got everything we wanted to there that was in the Ad. We had to stand in a hella line thought but it was very worth it.
We didn't have any serious FUG except for some little pierced/punked out EMO boys in girls pants but nothing like the knee socked/lime green guy of a few years ago.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (we did) and are gearing up for Christmas!

Someone requested I show my Thanksgiving airblown's so... without further ado here is the Turkey.
I don't know why he looks like he's praying.
Maybe he's saying "Dear Jesus please take me away from these nutty people who rival the Griswold's in their decorating enthusiasm. Amen".
I dunno.......

This is the side table in my foyer.
So much better against that red backdrop than the old peacock wallpaper!

My sparkly fall foliage wreath that looks so pretty with the sun hitting it when I come home in the afternoon!

This little guy is wishing you all a Happy Harvest!

We wish you the same and a Happy Happy Thanksgiving from

and Family!

We had a "blossom" on our porch last night.
Yep a Blossom. That is what Madison calls it.
Oh dear me & Stacy laughed and she got mad at us. How do you keep a straight face when little ones mis-pronounce something?!!!

He hissed at me here!


Pigs in the yard (twice now)... Deer.... now a Possum. I'm afraid to ask "what next?"

Okay i'm not going to post any more Maddie pics this week but I couldn't resist this one. This just captures her PERFECTLY!
She wore this last week while it was still warm. I bought her this dress, plus two other long-sleeved ones (all by J Khaki one of my fave kid brands at Belk) and three legging/top outfits all for about $35 at Belk. I hit a terrific sale there! The one in Hartsville always has stuff in Maddie's size. The one in Florence, not so much!

I can visit all of your blogs today and get caught up and that makes for one VERY happy ....

We shared a birthday cake (but only because before this when I mentioned getting us a cake together - she looked at me, hand on hip and said "Momma you need to get your own cake".)
Oh really.........
It was so good, it was a pound cake with real buttercream frosting.
You all know i'm a cake snob and do NOT do supermarket cakes.
This one came from Freeman's Bakery. Delicious!

Some days I wish I could run around with a tutu on over my jeans. Seriously!
Do you think I would get any raised eyebrows if I wore a feather boa?

I won't be able to visit today but the rest of the week will be blessed peace and quiet.
Also don't forget to keep me in your thoughts/prayers.
We should be hearing about lay-offs this/next week.
I have made peace and am ready for whatever happens.

Are any of y'all familiar with that old country song sung by ol' Possum himself - George Jones.
Stacy and I are both big fans of George and have saw him perform several times. Anyhoo....

Sorry I wasn't around yesterday it was not pretty but i'm still here and I just cannot let one person make me so doggone miserable.
Hopefully i'll know my work status in the next two weeks.
I am confident it will be right for me.. whatever it is!

In the meantime I give you the two girls who love me the best in this whole wide World (besides my husband and Daddy of course)
My Momma and Madison.......... Have a fabby week-end and by mid-Tuesday through Friday next week I should be able to blog to my hearts content. Unless someone sets up a spy-cam that is! Ha! I shouldn't laugh - it could happen! Thanks for checking up on me Lynilu!



Also want to welcome little JA to this world - he is the newly arrived (Nov 12) off-spring of Southern Fried Girl from May I Nap Now? blog! Welcome precious baby!!!!!

Well y'all are in for a treat this morning, a bunch of blathering by me more than likely!

Work has been absolute H-E-double-toothpicks (as we used to say in grade school).
My boss is a nightmare straight from Halloween.
I honestly believe the man is a combination narcissist/sociopath.
I admit on my part - to a certain "not giving a shit" mentality lately and I do need to step it up and pay attention to the details. Someone else's job might depend on it. I can get laid off and we'd still be okay, there are others who are not so fortunate. I have to remember that.

It rained the early part of the week and my Halloween is still up.
I am ready for my big air-blown turkey and scarecrow!
Stacy is going to take care of that this week-end. Yippee! Then it is only a short matter of time until we decorate for Christmas. I am slowly getting into the holiday spirit. I am off the week of Christmas and that helps a LOT.

Even if I have, um TWO dentist appointments that week. Gah. They shouldn't be too bad though.

I remember when I got my braces.
I went to the orthodontist at the beginning of November I was worried about my braces and Thanksgiving (fat girls don't let ANYTHING interfere with eating let me tell you!), so he said "Well, we can put them on today and you should be feeling okay by Thanksgiving" and I said "Do it!".
Then I went home and a shocked Stacy said I was ugly and that is another story for another day .... Ha!

Happy Friday all and may you have a fun week-end!

As for me - i'll be at the Catfish Festival on Saturday (Maddie's dancing) and a birthday party on Sunday. Good times!

One Sassy Mermaid....... my sister made her costume, she wore silver shoes with it and carried a bag made of pearl handles that matched her tail!

I didn't get any pics of her actually trick-or-treating. I was too busy watching out for other kids and vehicles. Man it got hairy there for a bit!

and one poor, pitiful, abused Lobster..........

Y'all I SWEAR this dog should get an Academy Award with his "put-upon" act. He kills me!

"Won't somebody PLEASE rescue me from this evil witch I live with?"

Ladies and Gents we have made history ..... they have approved Sunday alcohol sales in Florence County, South Carolina. (and y'all thought I was talking 'bout Obama!)

For some reason this cartoon just made me laugh - it's sort of apt isn't it? Politics is such a dirty business these days!


I am one who firmly believes who you vote for is your own private business.
I don't get into arguements about politics, I believe in everyone's right to believe and vote as they please.
I have a sister and a sister-in-law who LOVE to get in your face and push their opinions on you and they just automatically assume you agree with them.
I just let them think it and go merrily my own way.
I'm proud to be a part of history today folks, and you should be too even if you don't agree with whomever wins!