Yesterday was my last day of work until January 3rd.  Mark is also off until then too.  AND he will be going back to work!  They have work for him to do!  So it will be hopefully a short layoff for him this season.  We will be ok because of unemployment, but it's the him staying home all day that drives both of us nutty!  He's worked most of his life and he needs to do that to stay out of trouble! 

We spent today finishing up our Christmas gift shopping.  It wasn't painful at all.  This evening we went to my daughter in law Brandy's basketball game.  She is the one that got married last summer to Matt.  She is a math teacher at Oswego East and the assistant coach for the Varsity girls team.  Liz came too, some of her friends are on the team also.  It was weird to be at a game and not get paid to sit and watch!  Sorry bus driver in me coming out!  Speaking of that, I now know why people that deal with children all day get time off, because we have EARN IT!  I really am going to appreciate the break.

Last Saturday Dakota had his 1st birthday party.

He received every noisy toy you could think of.  We gave him a savings bond and a toy bus (of course!).  The boys get so many toys so we are going to purchase a group of bonds and then give them as birthday gifts so they all mature at the same time.  If they decided to go to college they will have something to help them out.

Then on Sunday Tracey dropped the boys off to make Christmas cookies (I have to develop the film, pictures will be displayed later).  Jacob had a great time.  The kid has finally figured out how to very clearly express himself.  He kept saying LIZZZZZZZZZZ come here we're making Christmas Ookies!  Dakota was his usual busy self only now the kid can walk very very well, he only took 2 tumbles, once into the kitchen cabinet and another time he came inches from the Christmas tree!

The next day on Monday, my phone rings and I hear breathing, I see it's my stepson's phone number on the caller ID.  I hear, "ama? I come to your house??  Where's ampa?, I want Aunt Lizzzzzzzzz!".  Seems the little stinker had such a good time with us he refused to go to his other grandma's house to be babysat while Tracey worked!  Gotta love that boy! 

We decided today that since we will be off next week we are going to head on down to Florida to see my father and stepmother.  They live in St Petersburg.  Gas is finally cheap enough so I won't feel guilty.  Plus we both need a break from the blasted cold, it's been below freezing for forever!  Most days below zero with a high of like 6!  We plan on leaving Christmas night and be back the next Saturday.  Mark was an over the road truckdriver in the past so he knows how to do a road trip.  I plan on sitting by the pool and/or beach and doing absolutely nothing but relax!  AND I think I've earned it, I haven't had a real vacation since 2002! As my hubby Mark said just this evening it's so nice to feel like everything is right in the world....