A Ro Who? Hodgepodge

Yes, it is I, the mysterious and elusive A Ro back to participate in Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge.   I write this before I actually look at the questions so I am also brave.

Here goes nothing:

1. Do you send Christmas cards? If so about how many will you send this year? How do you display the cards you receive? Or don't you? (gasp!)

Yikes!! I have to get on this...

Yes I send Christmas cards and I do the picture cards.  I am very excited because this year my family is much larger, and I get to include all of us in some way or another on that card.  I'll be sure to post it when it is finished.

I have a garland on my banister that I put the cards on.  I usually leave the picture ones up all year, in some way or another.  They make me happy all year 'round. 

2. When do kids become adults? 

Well my son, when he was younger, told my sister that she wasn't an adult until she got married.  When she got married he didn't think she was an adult until she had a baby...now that she has a baby maybe he will finally admit that his cool Aunt Kate is an adult.  

It is all relative.

3. Does your 'beauty regimen' change with the seasons?

Nah...wash face in shower, sometimes moisturize, only wear make-up when I absolutely have to.  My climate is really the same all yearlong (living in CA) so I just keep it the same...and very simple!!

4. What's something you like to eat that might cause another person to turn up their nose?

I love raw sushi??  Other than that I am usually the one turning up my nose at crazy delicacies.

5. Gloves or mittens?

I love mittens...everything about them, but mostly I love them because when I wear them more than likely I am in Iowa.

6. What's the longest queue you've ever been in? Was it worth it? Queue=line but doesn't queue sound nicer?

Rich and I did Black Friday, once (and that was one time too many).  The queue was long, but the problem was that the queue we were in was the wrong queue.  Yeah that sucks.  We did get an i pod touch very cheap with a gift card bonus, so I guess it was worth it.  And yes the word queue is very sophisticated!!

7. Besides Christmas, what is one thing you are looking forward to in the month of December?

hmmmm  Going to Iowa to see my family is sorta related to Christmas but I am SO looking forward to it too.  We all just love being at my mom's house.

8. In Summary:  

OK...gotta get going on that Christmas card so...Shutterfly here I come.  I hope that I never become an adult because I  will have to stop turning my nose up at yucky food, start worrying about my beauty regimen, and start looking forward to Black Friday.  But most of all I better hunt down those mittens because, IOWA HERE I COME!!!

More Later

- A Ro

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of the year.  Really from Halloween through New Year's Day makes me oh so very happy.  I love everything about it.  With the exception of having a horrible cold a few weeks ago the past weeks have not let me down. 

I have had many beverages from the Starbucks holiday cups

Got to work with some wonderful kids (especially Woodstock) in our Middle School musical.

Got to watch Bella serve bread to needy people at Manna house.

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Complete with everyone's favorite...Scalloped Pineapple.

And shared it with two very special girls (and a few camera shy guys).

And to top it off I got a very sweet card from Sarah and it really brought a tear to my eye.  Especially thinking back to the Thanksgivings without her in our lives.  I really took it all in and was very thankful of all my blessings this year.

My Thanksgiving weekend ended with an ink pen in the dryer and a very special accidentally adorned pancake...

...I choose to dwell on the pancake.

More Later

- A Ro 

A Purge

OK people....this isn't going to be pretty.  I have been knee deep in middle schoolers due to tech week for our middle school musical.  However, that doesn't mean that life in the A Ro household has stood still, oh no, life keeps on trucking with or with sleep or sanity.

So this is just a purge of some of the hot topics around here lately.  No wit, no nonsense, no glamour just the facts ma'am.

Sarah wanted to go to the haunted house down the street.  As you know, unless Chevy Chase  is running a haunted house I am not going in.  BUT I love a good family outing so decided that I would just walk down with them and wait outside.  Little did I know that a guy with a chainsaw would come out to "warm the crowd up" before they went inside.  Well I made the big mistake of looking completely freaked out, which I was, and started to walk, very quickly, away.  Yeah, you all know what happened next...he started following me.  I am telling you people the rage grew within me and I almost punched his lights out. 

note to self...it is just pretend.

My daughter is Woodstock in the aforementioned middle school musical.  She is second from the left in the front with all of her Beagle Scout birds, oh my stinkin' heart.

Andrew met a girl last summer at summer camp and, unfortunately, she lives about 10 hours away.  However, her mom and I love our kids and we arranged for her to fly down for a weekend.  She is lovely, smart, kind, funny, athletic, mature, and absolutely wonderful.  They both are just so perfect together.  He also passed his driving test the morning she came, so it was an all around great weekend.

Yes, Halloween came last night in the midst of it all, but look at these cute girls.  They crack me up!!

My first, failed, attempt at taking our picture during trick or treating...

Much better...look how handsome he is!!

Nerds in action.

The loot.  We had so much fun. 

And finally....

My favorite time of the year has arrived.

smile.

More Later

A Ro