Hey Xanga, long time no speak. 

Middle Guy  seems to be stretching like elastic-man every day.  All his jeans, which I bought new in spring, display at least 2 inches of ankle now.  I had a nostalgic Mummy moment last night.  I was watching TV last night and MG came in to tell me goodnight.  I knew it was him because I could see his whole head and upper torso as he walked past the loveseat.  I suddenly realised that I used to know it was him because I would see the top two or three inches of his head go by the top of the sofa.  I used to recognise him by the scruffy waves of his dark hair, the curve of his ridiculouly cute ears, the shuffle of his feet in footie PJ's.  It really brought it home to me just how much he has grown.  He is only nine, and relatively small for his age, but already I am seeing less and less of the little boy he was and more and more of the teenager he is soon to become.  He seems to be practicing the sardonic looks and withering gazes already, which surely can't be right yet?!  He fell asleep snuggled up to me watching a movie the other day.  I remember thinking that in a couple of years he won't even want to hang out with me, let alone snuggle,and took time to relish the moment.  I have always known that children grow too fast.  Just seems like MG is on fast-forward recently.

Random Stuff.

- My Mum was here for Christmas.  We went shopping, gossiped, watched the boys destroy hours worth of wrapping paper in about 20 minutes and were generally lazy.  She was here for 2 weeks that seemed to go by in about 2 days.  Hopefully she'll come visit again soon.

- I drove to New Mexico right after dropping Mum off at the airport and spent New Year with Connie and two of my kids that didn't give me stretch marks.  Okay,they are technically hers, but  I claim at least a one tenth share on the basis of all the dirty nappies I changed, noses I wiped and dreadful kids movies I watched with them.  Again we had a lovely, lazy, gossipy time with a little shopping and New Years boozing thrown in for good measure.  Big Guy was thrilled to learn that I had driven all the way to New Mexico by the way.  He worries about me driving long distances and had told me that I was not going to drive all that way.  I had told him that  I was, and as he's in Kuwait right now, I won the argument this time.

- Middle Guy turned 9 on the 14th.  He is really growing a lot right now and seems to be all long arms and legs.  He had a good day.  BG got to speak to him on the phone as he opened his present.  BG had sent him Lego Indiana Jones for the wii which he has been playing just about every chance he can get.

- MG had a buddy over for a sleepover the Friday after his birthday, so he waited a couple ofdays for his birthday cake.  He insisted on a cat litter cake.  Here it is in all its disgusting glory.  And no, the cat didn't really "help" to make it, although he was definitely curious.

- I'm planning a Crazy Ladies Kitchen Pass party for next Saturday.  I'm just getting all my friends together to catch up.  Mostly so I can spend some time with grown-ups and not have to talk about hotwheels and wii games for a while.  It will be good to catch up again, plus hopefully introduce some new friends to my old friends.

- I'm fed up with military DSN lines cutting me off when I'm talking to BG.  The last 3 phone calls we've had have been cut short.  Not good when you only get about 15 minutes a week.  Very upset with the USAF ...or at least their phone system.

- My hair has shrunk in the wash.  Once again BG is thrilled!   Even Little Guy asked me yesteday when I was going to get my long hair back.  However, I am loving it short right now, so the answer to that one is, not any time soon.