We're bringing moderately attractive back.

Well, we are.

Ok, not Maddie. She's at least freakin' cute, if not totally adorable. And Bob's a nice looking hunk of man if I do say so myself. I had a dream the other night that he'd shaved his head, though, that was interesting.

Let's see, besides quasi-quoting super-awesome Timerlake songs, what are we up to?

• Christmas is coming! YAY!
• Sent the cards out yesterday (most of them, I never order enough photo cards and then I have to order extra).
• Had time to stuff and mail 60 some cards yesterday because I was home with a sinus and ear infection. Joy. Waiting for the antibiotics to work their magic. Or for them to make me nauseous, they do that too.
  
• We're getting our tree on Saturday.
• We're also attending a marathon rehearsal for the cantata on Saturday - Meg's singing first alto, Bob's conducting the accompanying hand bell choir, and the children's choir.
• Sunday the cantata takes the "stage" at St. Paul's Pres., both services. Come one, come all.
  
• And because 1) we'll have spent most of the stinkin' weekend away from our beloved chipmunk-cheeked one and 2) Bob's got about 50 sick days that will evaporate soon...we're taking Tuesday off to do the Christmas shopping. Seriously, why do we have mere hours before Christmas off and a week afterward? I know we all need some recovery time, but help a girl out here!
• Bob is counting the seconds until he's potentially done at his current position. The milliseconds, actually. He's in on the interviews on Friday, hopefully they find someone who can free him up right after break.
  
• My concert is DONE, baby! WHOO! Except for one minor train wreck where one group decided to go off stage down the same narrow staircase that another group was going up (and none of the little darlings figured out that the laws of physics were not on their side), the concert was a nice success. The traffic jam happened at the afternoon assembly (where every boss and boss's boss I have was in attendance), and of course the night concert went beautifully...where their parents would have adored whatever stage congestion they cause.
  
• Bob's concert is Thursday, and he's got quite a zen attitude about it all. The kids have a way of finally paying attention during the concert when they're mentally absent during every rehearsal, so he's hoping it'll go better than, well, rehearsal.
  And there's (probably) only 13 days, 6 hours, and 28 minutes till he can walk out of there.
  
• Maddie is learning Christmas carols nicely and singing them all the time around the house. Jingle Bell Rock, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Christmas Bells are Ringing, etc. Don't worry, we'll try to get her to sing them for you and she'll be sure to pretend that we're totally crazy and that she's never heard of these obscure songs. A hidden camera may need to be brought out. But it's darn cute.
• She's obsessed with this poor Willow Tree angel ornament somebody gave her last year. It was on top of her tree. Then she saw it, and it then went flying all over the house and got dropped a few dozen times on the tile floor. It's holding a little golden ball, it's the "angel of wonder". Actually, now it's the angel of amputation, because it's missing its right arm for the second time in a week. Finally got her a cloth angel ornament to fly and dance around the house. No more angels missing limbs.
  
• Maddie still talks about Bounce U several times a day. Mostly the fact that Mommy screamed going down the giant slide.
  
• I got my flu shot yesterday, Bob is getting his tomorrow, in addition to his insurance physical. Maddie's getting hers next week. PS, my arm freakin' hurts.
  
• I'm trying to figure out how to add Sugar-Free Jello to my amazon wish list.