Ouch -

Okay, I got this gift certificate, and I thought of something I would really like, but have never considered buying it, because, you know, I don't really need it. It's an epilator. I thought this would be really cool. I get so sick and sick of shaving and the rate my hair grows - every other day. A few of my girlfriends are doing the laser hair removal, and I'm considering it, but I want to see how theirs goes - you know, like: is there going to be spotty regrowth...? So, I picked this little trinket up. First of all, I thought 'how painful can it really be? I tweeze my brows, and I have given birth, afterall'.

So, I read the directions and informational pamphlet as a good consumer should

The new epilation head comes with 40 tweezers, twice as many than before, and removes significantly more hair in one single stroke than any other epilator, combining the benefits of long lasting incredibly smooth skin with convenience and efficiency.

Let me tell you - OOOOOOUUUUUUCH!!!!! It was like getting a tatto - at first it really hurts, but after a while you sort of get used to it. Then you start on the other side and it's worse! Needless to say, I only did my legs to the knees. I let them rest for a while, and I decided to shower and exfoliate my skin - BAD IDEA!!!! BURN!!!!! I got out of the shower and my legs were literally pulsating. I have very sensitive skin afterall - I'm serious, I cannot use lotions with perfumes, alcohol, or dyes in them. Then I used this tonic I have been for several years to prevent in-grown hairs - SHEESH! Talk about massochistic!

The directions say: pain will diminish with use. I highly doubt that since it's suppose to last about 3-4 weeks. Just as you've recovered. Only to start the painful process all over again.

Waaah -

Alright, I am sending Holiday cards out - and I'm calling them "Holiday" b/c they are very late Christmas - and by the time they get out in the mail - very late New Year's cards. And hey! Could I get any tackier? No, that's a rhetorical question. I know, it's tacky b/c the envelopes are always too big and are very obvious they are not the one's to be used with the photo card. But every frickin' time (and I order from different places) I order photo cards (e.g. Ethan's birth announcements, his 1 yr b-day, and now Christmas) I get screwed on the envelopes, so I'm forced to just improvise. And, b/c I'm such a procrastinator on everything, I can't wait for them to supply me with the evenvelopes originally intended for the order. To make matters worse, after I printed all of my labels (Thanks, Ty) and placed the To: and From: and stamped them - and you know once you place a postage stamp on the envelope, it's not coming off - and stuffed them, I realized: my labels were not printed with the states!!!!! Arrrggh!

Christmas Day

We had so much fun this year. Last year, Ethan was only few months old. And even though Ethan is still only a year and 3 months, he still understands presents and toys. We drove to Elmwood Christmas Eve to be with Mom & Dad Johnson, Gramma Albers, and Rhonda (Larry's older sister), Donnie, Chelsey (6.5), and Allie (16). Matt (20 & Larry's God son) had to work but got amply paid.

Italian food is a house favorite, so tonight, we went to Maggiano's. It is certainly one of the better chain restaurants. As a little "pre-holiday" Holiday dinner. Everytime we go out we try to get Ethan to eat something new. He is a good sport, b/c he'll try any one thing at least two or three times to determine if he really likes it. No matter what it is. He'll always make the "yucky" face, but if he hates it he'll squeeze his lips tight, and say 'no'. But, if he likes it, he'll start gobbling. Tonight it was calamari. Larry and I are big fans of Calamari. Maggiano's has the big squid with light breading, and not the yucky crumbly greasy breading, it's pretty good. He also tried the lobster stuffed ravioli's and spicey baked sausage ziti. He liked it all. However, there have been times, when not so much. Here is a video clip at Chili's - he was trying ranch dressing... This video is grainey because it was taken with Larry's cell phone, and it is also about five or 6 months ago.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

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Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Ho Ho Ho

I was truly excited this year for Christmas - even though I don't like to decorate for it, or like to go out in the retail world, or like the snow. I was excited because Ethan was going to get his picture taken with Santa. Those of you with Children know how this goes: the lines are long, other children are screaming, parents are exasperated because their children are anxious and screaming. When we finally got to the front, he looked at Santa and smiled. So, I thought Hey, this is gonna work. I handed him over, and he started whining. Not screaming, not crying, not trying to get down, just whining. The "Elves" were trying to snap the pictures as quickly as possible. Then, I said, "oh forget it, it's fine", Ethan stopped fussing, and looked at Santa -

As if to say: "I got my eye on you, Jingle Jangle, you're suspect..."

Whatever, it's so... totally!

OMG! I cannot believe The Hills(http://www.thehills.mtv.com/) right now. Lauren is so bugging me.

Just teasing. But that is totally how I feel after I watch the show - like I just lost a few hundred thousand brain cells with each segment of the episode. And yet, I keep watching. I guess it's like with any addiction, it's not good, but we do it anyway. And yah, seriously, I love this show.

Where's the Beef?

Larry's parents gave him a food dehydrator quite a few years ago to make his own jerky. He has thought about it a lot and many times, but mostly it just sits on it's own shelf in the garage. How sad. This weekend, though, he finally did it. This is his first batch of homemade beef jerky - and it was really good!

Merry Christmas to me -

I love the North Face. North Face in the Midwest and East is the Columbia to the West. It's weird, but Larry keeps me stocked up on fleeces and jackets from North Face. This is my latest - it's not this purple, it's more like an eggplant color.

I love it. It is my favorite so far. I wore it to work today, and didn't want to take it off, eventually it got too hot and I had to.

Tagged...

Well, I've been tagged by my sister, Tami. And althought I am not as verbose as she, I will try.

The rules of tag:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 10 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here we go - for what it's worth, it's just as painful for me as it will be for you:

1. I have been waiting my whole life for my son. Ever since I was little - people would ask "what do you want to be when you grow up"? My answer was always the same, "a Mom".

2. I am nosey. Most know this. But I mean, really nosey. It's not that I HAVE to know, it's that I just NEED to know. Like, who is calling my husband? What are they talking about? What did your Mom say? What did you and Todd talk about? What did you just put in the glove compartment? I know, it's bad, but I am just nosey.

3. I love bubble gum, but not dubba bubba, that loses it's flavor way too fast. Mostly Bubbilicious, cause it's so delicious. I eat it up fast! Like, super fast. I cannot just have one, I eat one, then it starts to lose the sugary flavor, I spit it out and put in another.

4. I am a control freak. There's my way, and there's the wrong way.

5. I am a counter freak. And by this I mean, anything they put at the check out counter's, I will more than likely buy. I am such a sucker for cheap and gotti. I just love it, especially if it's sparkly. Banana Republic always puts jewelry at the counter, and I can't help it.

6. I have a shoe problem. I don't think that's a secret.

7. I am allergic to opiates, and one of my best friends' tried to poison me. Not really. Debbie made me a poppyseed cake, which I loved so much I ate the whole thing. Half way through I started feeling itchy, by the time I was finished - with the whole thing - I was covered in hives.

8. My older sister, Tami is my best friend. But ironically, we hated each other growing up. Well, not hated, but you know what I mean.

9. I am very sensitive to smells - I smell things before anyone else, and believe me, I'll let you and the whole building know about it.

10. I love love love to laugh!

Since, I don't know 3 others who blog, it'll just have to be Brenda. Sorry, I just don't like people :)

Todd & Andie

This weekend, younger brother, Todd (I used to call him little, but at 6'1", I don't think he's that little) and his wife Andrea, came to visit. I am so happy to have them, especially being in the middle of the holiday's, and missing the Thanksgiving Day festivities with the whole family.

Mom sent Christmas gifts with them - which, everyone knows I don't wait - so I immediately opened them. I was so excited to get a monka (sp?) pan. Monka pans are very heavy cast iron with wells to make doughnut-like pancakes. They're swedish, and since Mom's family is swedish with very strong traditions Mom used to make them. Mom had a monka pan, and Nana and Mom used to make us swedish pancakes around the holidays. I love them!

This was my first time EVER making them, and as you can see - the first batch - not so good, but getting better. I'll soon master the technique.