To borrow a little from my old friend William Shakespeare, "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark South Carolina."

Recently, our good friend, Randy Scott, was arrested on drunk driving charges.  Randy also happens to be a SC State Senator.  I do not believe that he was drunk, and I'd like to tell you why.  I'd also like to tell you that I do not take drunk-driving lightly.  It is a stupid, selfish thing to do.  If I thought for a second that Randy was guilty, I would not be writing this, no matter how sentimental I feel about him and his wife.

(Oh, and just so you know, I've never called Randy anything but "Randy."  It would seem odd to refer to him as Mr. Scott or Senator Scott.  Just don't want you to think I'm being disrespectful.)

First of all, please, if you're interested, read the story for yourself as printed in Charleston's paper, The Post & Courier....

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/22/sheriff_scott_was_belligerent38146/

Also watch the video clips of his taped field sobriety test and his data master test at the police station.

And, here's what I think about all of it...

• Randy appears to stumble at one point during the balancing portion of the test.  Randy had his leg amputated as a teenager.  In all the times I have ever been around him, he stands crookedly, if you will, because he cannot distribute his weight evenly on his prosthetic leg.  It would be impossible for him to walk heel-to-toe or stand in the way the officer required him to without stumbling.
• The officer claims he failed the counting backward portion of the test, but if you listen carefully he counts correctly from 59 to 39.  It's just that the officer asked him to count to 33.  That to me seems like an honest mistake.
• The officer also claims he failed saying the alphabet.  I think I hear an extra R in there, but he says it quickly and clearly.  If I was stopped under suspicion of DUI I would be so nervous that I would faint, let alone be able to say my alphabet without stuttering.
• The article says Randy was belligerent, but he seems cooperative to me.
• He was apparently stopped for driving erractically.  He says he was out checking on his political signs, which is something he is known to do.  It makes sense to me that he was swerving and driving slowly throughout the neighborhood streets in order to shine his lights on his signs.
• I'm not sure I can even talk about the police station footage without seething, so please just watch the clip.  It's ridiculous.
• Randy scored zero on the breathalyzer test and was denied a blood alcohol test.
• I have interacted with Randy many, many times, and what you see in that room is just Randy, not a drunken man.  He actually reads aloud the paper work much better than the attending officer did.
• The only regrettable moment for Randy was his comment about the officers losing their jobs under another sheriff.  However, I would like to point out that by this time, he was rightfully very angry and was being treated unfairly.
• Randy states on the field test that his highest level of education is a GED, which has garnered some shock and criticism.  Randy lost his leg in a hunting accident in the latter part of his high school career, which caused him to not be able to graduate.  I think it admirable that he pursued his GED when he was healthy again.
• We know Randy more personally than politically and have never known him to be a drinker, let alone a heavy one.
• Randy has been criticized before for being "a rich hick with a good ol' boy mentality."  I have no idea what Randy's yearly income is.  What I do know, because I've been there many times, is that Randy lives in a modestly furnished, three-bedroom, ranch style home that was built in the 50s or 60s.  His main source of income is a pest extermination business of which he is the owner and sole laborer.  Randy IS a good ol' boy, but since when is that a bad thing?  That is one thing that, in my opinion, has made him a worthy politician.  He is moral and honest and cares about people.  He is real.  It is why, over a decade ago, Big D and I helped him with his campaign for county council.  It is why he won.  It is why he is now a state senator.
• OK....so I totally know that not all of the above have to do with his drunk-driving charge.  But they are things that have and will come up in the media because of it, and I want to throw in my two cents.

I do not know why Randy was arrested.  The timing seems fishy...just a couple of weeks before a key primary.  The political atmosphere seems fishy too.  It's a known fact in Summerville and the surrounding area that Randy and the Dorchester officials have butted heads on some issues before, dating back to when he was the County Council Chairman.  I can't make an opinionated comment on these things except to just list them as facts.  Well, I guess it is my opinion that it's fishy, and that's all I'm saying about that.

OK, now for the sentimental part.....My family really loves Randy and his wife, Amanda.  Randy donated a generous sum to our youth group as a thank-you for holding campaign signs on election day.  It was an unexpected and appreciated gift.  Randy and Amanda left the comfort of their own home to bring Christmas gifts to my children on Christmas morning several years in a row.  (Annaleigh, to this day, still enjoys the Mary Kate & Ashely video that they bought her and the praying bear brought many smiles to the then-baby Harrison.)  They took time out of a very busy schedule to visit  and comfort my family when my grandmother passed away.  Randy single-handedly rid my home of large Palmetto bugs, for which I'm eternally grateful.

If you are a resident of South Carolina and you're reading this, I just ask that you consider these things before you vote in a few weeks.  If you were already going to vote for Mike Rose for other reasons, then I encourage you to continue to do so.  However, if this media-hyped incident has caused you to change your mind, then I just ask you to see another side of this story and encourage your friends and family to do the same.  I believe that much of this will begin to come out in the media over the next few days and weeks. 

And thanks for reading my non-funny, out-of-character ramblings.  I felt it was the least I could do for, in my humble opinion, an innocent friend.

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1.  This is my least favorite season since Season 3, which I hated.  The producers keep adding the phrase "the most talented top 12 ever" to the scripts every 15 minutes or so on the show, but I strongly disagree.

2.  But I still watch it every Tuesday and Wednesday night.

3.  My favorite this year was Amanda Overmeyer, who was sort of a Janis Joplin type.  She came in 11th place, which really bites, since she was, by far, the most interesting contestant they had.  She really destroyed...not in a good way...a classic Kansas song one week, but I quickly forgave her for that when she performed the Joan Jett song featured below.  That was one entertaining performance!

4.  She performed that for 80s week, and I would have been willing to eat live squid if she had picked anyone else but Joan Jett.  It just had to happen.

5.  Now that Amanda's gone back to singing in smoky bars, I am sort of half-heartedly rooting for David Cook and/or Jason Castro.

6.  David Cook is easily the best performer and only rocker left.  I like the funky arrangements that he does, like the below rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," but he's a bit too sure of himself for my taste.

7.  Jason Castro has this endearing, quirky personality that makes me smile.  He also reminds me of John Travolta with dread locks, which is entertaining in and of itself.  The following performance is not from "American Idol" but his church in Texas, pre-Idol.

8.  That's the last youtube clip for today.  I promise.  Ever since I've learned how to do that, it's hard to stop.

9.  Randy continues to be inconsistent and nonsensical in his critiques, but he always wears the coolest shoes.

10.  Paula continues to sound like she's not drinking Coca-cola products from her cup.  Often her critiques are the most entertaining moments of the entire show.  And she always wears the coolest earrings.

11.  Simon continues to mostly say what I was thinking, only in a meaner way than I was thinking it.  I think I just sounded like Paula.  He doesn't wear anything that's cool, but then he really doesn't have to.

12.  Ryan Seacrest is making a lot of money by doing i-phone commercials in the middle of the programs.

13.  David Archuletta is going to win, and like I promised, I will not show you a clip because, while he seems like a sweet kid with a good voice, he bores me to wet, salty tears.  I would rather watch Amanda totally kill a Kansas song than watch David hit every note of Phil Collins.  But, mark my words, he will win.

14.  This post is totally and completely irrelevant, but I'll bet you already knew that.

15. In my next post, coming in the next couple of days, I will attempt to answer all of your pregnancy questions, both real and imagined, so stay tuned....

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(***I am sorry to the rock band, Dire Straits, for borrowing and altering a line from one of your songs.  I also apologize to my readers who are familiar with this tune because now you will undoubtedly be singing "I want my MTV" for the next 16 hours...give or take a few.)

Hold onto your hats, people!  If you came here for your weekly dose of silly or your daily shot of ludicrous, you had best move on.  I have decided to do a humanitarian post of sorts where I generously pass onto you some life wisdom, some advice, some tips.  Lots and lots of tips.  Here we go...

1.  First I wanted to share a recent on-line little gem that I discovered.  It is called Shelfari, and you can see an example of their genius over on my sidebar.  They allow you (for free!) to create a customizable bookshelf of titles that you are reading, have read or are planning on reading.  The idea is to meet and chat with people who have similar reading interests, but I mainly just thought it would look cool on my blog.  I placed titles that I am currently reading personally or aloud to my kids.  If you mouse over any of the books, they will give you more info on the title and even a link to purchase it for yourself.  I thought it was one of the coolest things ever.  So check out my reading list, and let me know what you're reading too.  Well, unless you're reading something like these....

then you might want to keep that to yourselves.  (I promise those are NOT my books. Not even the pirate one.  I  borrowed that image from someone else's Photobucket account.)

2.  Another feature I just discovered on my blog is the e-mail feature.  Now call me unobservant, but I had NO IDEA that someone could e-mail me from my sidebar until someone recently did it.  How cool!  So, please, if you are bored, have a question or want to forward me some annoying chain letter with cheesy graphics, just click the link, and you'll arrive right in my inbox. 

3.  Are you being overrun by your DVD collection?  We were...sort of.  They were always falling out of our entertainment center and just looking messy.  But this weekend I was perusing the aisles of Wal-mart when I had sort of an epiphany.  There was a light from heaven the fluorescent bulbs, and then this jumped into my cart...

I then came home (after I paid for the binder, of course) and began transferring our entire collection of movies into the page pockets.  Now all of this....

and this...

and this...

are all neatly and systematically contained like this...

(Hi Jack!!)

...in the above binder.  Nifty, eh?  By the way, the one I bought holds 208 discs and cost less than $20.  I don't know why I didn't think of it before.  And I had no problems throwing out all the cases and paperwork that came with the discs.  Who ever reads that stuff anyway?

4.  Did you know that if your 11 year-old decides to leave her nearly brand new iPod shuffle in the pocket of her jeans, and it goes through the washer AND the dryer, that there's a pretty good chance it will still work?  I didn't either, but now I do.  The jury is still out on her hot pink ear buds, though.  But, just an FYI, if she leaves a cranberry parfait Lip Smacker lip gloss in there, and it goes through the washer AND the dryer, it will melt and ruin an entire load of laundry.  Interesting.

5.  If your children own or are thinking about owning a Webkinz stuffed animal with an on-line identity, use caution in logging into their account and browsing around.  I would particularly stay away from a game in the arcade called, "Home Before Dark."  It is highly addicting.  For instance, I had a free moment the other day while Harrison was finishing up some seat work, so I sat down at the computer to play this game.  I only made it to level 6 when Harrison was finished, but I was so sure that I could make it to level 7, that I thought I would try one more time.  The next thing I knew Big D was home from work, the laundry was unfolded, school was not complete, we had missed taekwondo classes,  and the kids were eating ice cream sundaes for dinner.  I don't know what happened. "Cash Cow" has a similar effect.  Just be careful with that Webkinz site, ok?

6.  Last week I had to miss Tuesday's episode of "American Idol," which is cataclysmic for me, especially since I do not own a working VCR on which to record it.  But, lo and behold, the next day I found out that I could watch each performance on YouTube, and that my life could go on.  YouTube....it's the thrifty person's TiVo.

And there you have it folks....my tips.  For free, of course.  Now, I must go.  I still have not made it to level 7 on that Webkinz game, the night is still young, and I've had too much coffee.

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Pop quiz:  Raise your hand if you remember this movie?

OK, I am in NO WAY endorsing this movie because #1 what entertains you when you're 15, will offend you when you're..well, quite a bit older, #2 I wouldn't want my kids to see this movie...ever...because a lot of the themes and language are terrible and #3 even despite the themes and language, it's just not that great of a movie.  There's a reason that we don't see much of Molly Ringwold and Judd Nelson anymore.

However, there is one theme, the pervading theme as a matter of fact, that is good.  In the midst of all the other 80s Brat Pack movies that actually seemed to promote stereotypes and cliques, this one actually demoralized them.  The film takes all the high school stereotypes:  the jock, the brainy nerd, the rich princess, the freak and the rebel, and mixes them altogether in an all-day Saturday detention where they find out they are not really who they thought they were behind their carefully built facades.

I'm writing this entry to let you know we didn't need The Breakfast Club to tell us this, did we?  I think not.  Nowadays, we can get this info from the much cleaner High School Musical.  Or we can just take cues from our own kids...

I have two very highly genderized (yes, I just made up that word, I think) kids, meaning I have an ultra-girly girl and all-boy boy.  Yet even they, completely uninfluenced from the public school scene, make choices and have preferences outside of what you might think would be their comfort zones.

Carefully, examine specimen #1:

Beautiful.  Serene.  Graceful.  Feminine.  Quiet.

Same girl.  Even dressed in the same color.  Yet totally different demeanor.  She's totally scary here.

OK, now for specimen #2:

This is obviously a very mean dude.  I mean, look...!  He has every sharp-pointed plastic weapon know to man strapped to his being.  Yet...

The very same mean dude doing a latchhook rug while surrounded by his favorite stuffed animals.  The first picture makes me want to run and hide, and the second makes me want to go brew a cup of Darjeeling tea.  Interesting.

So, I encourage you to dig deep.  Find the inner you.  Embrace your idiosyncrasies. Learn to knit, even if you've always been afraid of large needles. Take a public speaking course, even if just the thought makes you want to throw up. Sign up for karate....unless you're me.  And always, ALWAYS choose High School Musical over The Breakfast Club.

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We just arrived home last night from a major American city, and frankly, I am a bit overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to capture the essence of our trip without trying to share all 300+ photos and boring you to death.  So how relieved I was to find that my sister tagged me!  Now I can wait a few days to tackle the difficult entry and just answer these few questions.....  (Also, I must say I am flattered that Debbie tagged me at all, because she of all people, knows that I cannot just answer the question, and that I always have to be a smart aleck about it.  Thanks, Deb, for still letting me play!)  So here we go...

Rules: You must answer the questions accurately, and no wimping out!  You must tag 5 other people.  Easy! Ok! Here are the questions:

1. What is your favorite bible verse?

I've always been fond of this one, Judges 4:21...

"But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died."

I wish I could see the look on all of your faces now.  I'm totally kidding (although I do admit a fascination with that story).  I have to pick the same one as my sister, Jeremiah 29:11...

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

2. What season of the year is your favorite? Why?

Fall.  I just love the color, the coolness, the crispness...basically anything that starts with a C.  Growing up, I had an affinity for fall because it's the season of my birthday, but now, well into my 30s, I'm trying totally to ignore my birthday and pretend it doesn't exist.  I also love football and Thanksgiving and sweaters and pumpkins.

3. Do you think homeschooling will continue to grow?

Yes.  Mostly because of me and my blog.  Surely after reading about the pee in the shampoo bottle everyone will want to homeschool.

4. List 4 people that have most influenced your life.

Obviously my family (mom, husband, kids, siblings, etc.) have the most influence on me, but of course, I'm going to go the non-traditional route...

• the inventor of the crock pot....whoever you are, I love you.  I truly do.  Without you, my family would have to eat frozen pizza and hamburger helper.
• Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks....need I say more?
• John and Sarita Holzmann, the founders of Sonlight curriculum.  Without them, I either wouldn't still be homeschooling or it wouldn't be as fun
• Sam Walton, founder of Wal-mart and whoever started Target.   I would be a ton richer and my home would be a ton less crowded and cluttered if it had not been for you.

5. What is your favorite non-biblical quote?

"Hello, Beastie." ~Capt. Jack Sparrow

To me, that just about sums up....well...life.

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My newly acquired blogging friend Crossview tagged me with this:

1. All right, here are the rules.
2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight
things and post these rules.
5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged
and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re
tagged, and to read your blog

Oh boy!  This would have been easy if I hadn't just posted the "100 Random and Ridiculous Things About Me", but I will try to come up with 8 more....

1.  I am a scrapbooker.  I love scrapbooking, but I think I read about and shop for scrapbooking things more than I actually make pages.  Just yesterday I spent almost $40 at Hobby Lobby, and only time will tell when I will actually sit down and use the things I bought.

2.  I still have my wisdom teeth.  I was just at the dentist yesterday, and they always marvel that I still have them, that they don't give me any trouble, that my teeth are straight, and that I have never had braces.

3.  I like to peel stuff.....skin after a sunburn, old paint, vegetables, etc.  I've never understood it, but I'm really compulsive about it.

4.  I am very squeamish about bodily fluids in general....blood, vomit, spit.......gross.

5.  I once said I would never buy a pair of Crocs, that I thought they were ugly, and I didn't care how popular they were.  I now own a pair of brown Mary Jane Crocs, and I love them.

6.  I am allergic to tons of antibiotics....all of the "cillin" group, sulfa, and many others.  The docs just love it when I'm sick.  They have to get so creative.

7.  The last movie I saw in the theater was Nancy Drew.  It was surprisingly good.  Now I really want to see Hairspray!

8.  I am terrible about cleaning out my refridgerator.  I just can't remember to do it regularly.  I often throw out containers with unidentifiable, slimy stuff in it.

Whew...I did it!  Now I'm tagging Debbles 107 (my sister), Lori, proverbsmomof3, reelmomof4, lilred (my daughter), OhPumkinshellz, Addiegirl, and jengresak .

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I am not a fan of the popular mantra, "It's all about me," but that's exactly what this post is all about....me!  Trust me, I'm not doing this for self-centered reasons, but rather it is more of a challenge. I love a good challenge! (Shoot...I should have saved that for my list!)  I saw a list like this on someone else's site (I'm sorry...I can't remember where or who,  or I'd give you props!....but thanks whoever you are!)  And I thought it would be fun to try to think of 100 interesting things I could say about myself.  I love a good challenge....and so must you if you are going to try to read all 100 items.  If you do, you definitely deserve a consolation prize.  I'm not offering one, but you definitely deserve one!

Alright... here we go!

1.  My favorite colors are green, brown and black...in that order.

2.  I have played Mary in three Christmas pageants at ages 10, 19 and 27....well the one at 27 I just sang as her.  I wasn't in costume.

3.  I like word puzzles and games.  I play a really mean Scrabble game.

4.  I often like and root for the bad guys/villains in movies and books.  I love the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  I have a soft spot for Darth Vadar.  I think Davy Jones is a genius.   I am fascinated by the emperor (played by Joaquin Phoenix) in Gladiator.  I want to start a fan club for Black Donald, a great villain in a book I read recently, The Hidden Hand.

5.  I don't like to clean, but I like to organize.

6.  I love Mexican food.

7.  My favorite people in the Bible (besides Jesus, of course) are Joseph and Peter.

8.  I like silver, sort of vintage-looking jewelry.  This is my favorite source:  www.jeepcollins.com .

9.  I have met George W. Bush (before he was Prez), the Newsboys, Toby Mac, Barlow Girl (all 3 of them), Plumb, Third Day and various other Christian artists.  I walked by and stared at Wynona Judd who was sitting on a park bench, but I couldn't work up the nerve to say hi.

10.  I love all animals, except snakes, spiders, mosquitos and other pesky bugs.

11.  I like rainy days better than sunny ones.

12.  I have never been out of the US.

13.  I was an English/Sec. Ed major and I taught 7-10 grades for 2  years before I had kids.

14.  I have been working on the same cross stitch piece since I was pregnant with my first child who is about to turn 11....and I'm still not finished.

15.  I love to drink Diet Coke and carbonated flavored water.

16.  I love to shop for clothes (but I hate trying them on), shoes, scrapbook stuff, curriculum, books and household items.  I hate grocery shopping.

17.  I have kept journals since I was in 4th grade.

18.  I am fascinated by what people buy.  My dream job is to be the person who checks the receipts at Costco or Sam's just so I could look into everyone's cart.

19.  I wear contacts, and I sleep in them.  I sometimes forget to take them out for a week at a time.

20.  I like a lot of different kinds of music, but my favorite is hard rock.  I love Evanescence, 80s hair band music, and Christian bands like Skillet or POD.

21.  I played softball for 8 years.  I was a pitcher.

22.  I am the spittin' image of my uncle Larry (my mom's brother) who died when I was 3 months old.

23.  I want a bigger kitchen...badly.

24.  When I was 15, I loved Michael J. Fox.  I had posters of him all over my room.  I knew his favorite color was khaki and always wore that color on Thursdays in honor of "Family Ties" coming on that night.  Did I really just say that?!

25.  I love to get mail.  My favorites are catalogues.

*********I'm a quarter done.....and so are you!******************

26.  I have stolen a pen from the library, earrings from JC Penney and beer from the back of a pick-up truck.  All of this was before I turned 16.

27.  I was the president of my 4th grade class.  I think they tried to impeach me once that February because I was unable to implement my "no homework on Fridays" policy that got me voted in.

28.  I was 18 when I got married....and we're celebrating our 16th anniversary this Friday!

29.  I am a children's Sunday school teacher.

30.  I grew up a Navy brat.

31.  I love to read my Bible, but I really struggle with prayer.

32.   I slow-danced my first song in 7th grade with a kid named Allen to the song "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie.  I remember it being kind of awkard because there is a fast tempo part in the middle.  I also had a Tootsie Roll Pop in my mouth the whole time.  Classy, huh?

33.  I once took a picture framing course and went on to purchase over $500 of supplies, and I have since never framed anything.  Some of it was never even taken out of the box.  I recently sold most of it.

34.  I am a coffee junkie.  I get headaches if I miss my morning cup.

35.  I like war, man-type movies, but I can't watch the violent parts.  I have seen Braveheart probably 10-15 times, and there is still about 45 minutes of the movie that I have never watched.  I shut my eyes.

36.  Jane Austen is my favorite author.

37.  I am afraid of door-to-door solicitors.  I will rarely answer my door even though there might be 3 cars in my drive-way, my dog is barking to high heaven, and they caught me peeking through the blinds.

38.  I love to go to yard sales and antique stores.

39.  I used to be able to remember lots and lots of phone numbers, but nowadays I don't even know my husband's cell phone number because everything is on speed dial.

40.  I have taken 5 years worth of Spanish, but I am not in the least bit fluent.

41.  I like to watch old 80s music videos on www.youtube.com .

42.  I don't really like to cook, but I like to bake.

43.  I have green eyes.

44.  My clothes have to match.  My childrens' clothes have to match.  I am truly bothered by other people who are wearing clothes that do not match.

45.  My daughter was born naturally (I originally had another word here, but HSB blocked it out)...no epidural.  My son was born emergency c-section.

46.  I hate to touch raw meat.

47.  I always wear a watch....even to bed.

48.  I like to go on road trips, and I like to drive unless my husband's with me, which makes me nervous.

49.  I like to color in coloring books, but I have to have a lot of color options, like the big 96 Crayola box.

50.  I can type over 40 words minute.

*******We're halfway there.  Hang in there you crazy people!!!*********

51.  I'm not a huge fan of comedy, but my favorite funny people are Bill Murray, Will Ferrel and Chevy Chase.

52.  The colors of my wedding were mauve and teal, which I really hate now.  My bridesmaids wore mauve Sam & Libby shoes.

53.  I have double-jointed fingers, wrists and toes.

54.  I used to sing with a 4-girl Southern Gospel group (like my least favorite type of music...but it was fun to sing).  We once won 1st place for groups in a talent show.....there were only about 6 groups entered.

55.  I once snuck up on and attempted to spy on some Mennonite teenagers who were having a get-together at their one-room schoolhouse on a Friday night with my 2 sister-in-laws.  It's kind of a long story, but we sort of chickened out and then were caught.  I was 24 at the time and a mother.

56.  I got into a car accident and received 2 traffic tickets at the age of 15 before I ever had my drivers license.  The tickets were for driving without a license and an improper turn.  The fact that I hit an on-coming car head-on made it improper I guess.

57.  I love missionary stories.

58.  My dream vacation is to visit England, Ireland and Scotland.

59.  Some of my favorite Disney characters are the crab, Sebastian, from Little Mermaid, Captain Hook, the Beast, the 3 fairies from Sleeping Beauty and King Louie from Jungle Book and of course, Jack Sparrow.

60.  I love flip-flops.  I have about 8 pairs.

61.  The Christmas season is my favorite time of year.

62.  One of the best things about my family is that they make me laugh daily.

63.  The first thing I ever noticed about my husband was his tatoos....not a bad thing in my book.

64.  My favorite place to shop is Target.

65.  I was awarded "Citizen of the Year" in 2nd grade.  The students all called this the "Teacher's Pet" Award.

66.  I was baptized when I was 7, and when I was dunked under my feet kept floating to the top.

67.  I like to read-aloud to my kids, and I do all of the voices and some sound-effects.

68.  I wrote, directed and co-starred in an Easter musical for my church when I was 21.  It was called "The Great Adventure," and it was pretty cheesy.

69.  I was regularly mistaken as a student when I did my student teaching in college.  I taught 11th grade and was only about 4 years older than most of my students.

70.  I was having fun about 40 minutes ago when I started this list, but now I'm pretty much hating it.

71.  I like to listen to loud music in the car, but I like it soft at home.

72.  Speaking of 72, I was born in 1972.

73.  I am typically a glass-half-full person.

74.  I am NOT a morning person.  I am a night owl through and through.

75.  My ears are pierced twice.  I was 4 for the first piercing and 21 for the 2nd.  I would love to get my upper left ear pierced but I am afraid of the pain of piercing through cartilidge.

********We're in the home stretch....yay!************

76.  I am a big Chicago Cubs and Bears fan.

77.  I go to a really small church.

78.  During my senior year of high school, I kept a clothes journal where I wrote down what I wore everyday down to the accessories.  Did I really just say that?!

79.  I love pajamas....but they have to match, so I own an obscene amount of sets.

80.  My favorite candies are peanut M&Ms and red licorice.

81.  I hate beets.  I shudder...literally...just thinking about them.

82.  My favorite thing to play as a child was school and Barbies.  I didn't really play with the Barbies, but I just dressed them, and then me and my sister would have beauty pageants.

83.  I do not like Tom Cruise or Richard Gere.  They make me shudder like the beets.

84.  I have been a Christian since I was 7, but I rededicated my life to Christ at age 16.

85.  They would not let me give blood when I was a senior in high school because I did not weigh 110 lbs.  Me and a little Asian girl were the only ones in my English class that were sent back.  I was embarrassed and mad then, but oh how I love to tell that story now!

86.  I got into a fist fight after school with one of my best friends when I was in 5th grade.  I started it, but she was totally kickin' my butt when a teacher broke it up and sent us home.

87.  I had shortish hair in 9th grade, and a lot of people thought I looked like Rizzo from Grease.  Towards the end of high school, when my hair was long, people thought I looked like Kirstie Allie on "Cheers."

88.  I really can't wait to be done with this list.

89.  I really wish I had never started this list.  This was stupid.

90.  I read www.thepioneerwoman.com everyday.

91.  My mom once caught my hair on fire with a blow dryer.

92.  In middle school I wanted to wear a white glove like Michael Jackson to a dance and dress like Boy George for Halloween.  My dad said, "No daughter of mine is going to leave this house dressed like a ...."  Well, never mind what he said.

93.  My best friend in high school and I used to borrow one another's toothbrushes sometimes.  Did I really just say that?!  I'm getting desperate...

94.  I will go years without bowling, but everytime I go I break well over a 100.  I think it's all those years of pitching in softball.

95.  I hate it when a cat licks me.  It makes me shudder like beets, Tom Cruise and Richard Gere.

96.  I like to take tests.

97.  I hardly ever buy anything full-price.

98.  I am foaming up at the mouth right now because I'm almost done.

99.  I sleep on my side or stomache...never my back.

100.  If there was someway to actually do it, I would buy you an ice cream cone for making it all the way to 100 with me.  You rock!

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My sister tagged me with one of these survey things, and since I haven't blogged in a while (for me anyway) I thought I'd bite.  So here goes...

1.  WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  No

2.  WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  a few days ago when I had to spank Harrison

3.  DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  yes...especially  with a black inky pen

4.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?  not a huge fan of lunch meat, but probably non-bloody roast beef or lemon pepper chicken breast from Publix

5.  DO YOU HAVE KIDS?  yes....10 yo girl & 7 yo boy

6.  IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?  not when I have PMS

7.  DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?  hourly

8.  DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  Who cares?...but yes

9.  WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?  I'd rather have my tonsils removed.

10.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?  I think in my heart of hearts it's Count Chocola, but I haven't had that in years.  I settle with Special K with strawberries.

11.  DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?  I have not untied a shoe since about 3rd grade.

12.  DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  Well, I cannot sometimes get the pickle jar open, if that's what you mean.  In other areas, I rely soley on God.

13.  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?  Ben and Jerry's Coffee cofeee buzz buzz buzz

14.  WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?  hair probably and with women, I also notice their clothes.

15.  RED OR PINK?  Red or pink what?!  If we're talking steaks, definitely light pink.  Decor or clothes, definitely red.

16.  WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?  My salary, which is nothing.

17.  WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?  My grandma

18.  WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?  I could scare you by saying that I'm not wearing pants.  However, I'm in my PJs, which are black knee-length shorts, with blacy terry slipper flip-flops.

19.  WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?  Well, since I was making an Oreo cheesecake and potato salad for a picnic tomorrow, I think it was a mouthful of the potato salad and half an Oreo.

20.  WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?  Daughtry cd

21.  IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?  evergreen

22.  FAVORITE SMELLS?  lavendar, cinnamon, coffee, rain

23.  WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?  my mom

24.  DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?  yes

25.  FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?  football

26.  HAIR COLOR? Loreal's dark golden brown....but it's pretty close to my actual shade...just have to cover some grays.

27.  EYE COLOR?  green

28.  DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?  yes

29.  FAVORITE FOOD?  chile rellenos, chips and salsa

30.  SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?  How about a scary movie with a happy ending?  Actually, I never watch really scary movies anymore.

31.  LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  Pirates of the CaribbeanIII:  At World's End

32.  WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  Why wasn't this asked with #18?  A black tank

33.  SUMMER OR WINTER?  Fall

34.  HUG OR KISSES?  High-fives

35.  FAVORITE DESSERT?  Anything that is less than 4 Weight Watcher points, which narrows it down to about half an Oreo or a reduced fat graham craker.

36.  WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  Well, actually I'm blogging right now, but earlier today I finished Showdown by Ted Dekker.  I'm also reading Seven Daughters and Seven Sons to Annaleigh and House at Pooh Corner to Harrison.

37.  WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD?  The mouse, of course!  The pad has the Dell logo.

38.  WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?  nothing...my family watched something on the Food Network

39.  FAVORITE SOUND?  rain, birds, windchimes

40.  ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?  Def Leppard & Guns & Roses

41.  WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME?  New Jersey....?

42.  DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?  I can bend my left thumb all the way back to touch my wrist, and I can tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue if the stem is long enough.  And you wonder why I have no salary?

43.  WHERE WERE YOU BORN?  Marion, Indiana

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I read somewhere that you can learn a lot about a woman from the contents of her purse.  I am not about to blog about the contents of my purse.  Let's just say the other day I was paying for something at Target and out rolled a melted lipgloss, a plastic Ninja turtle and a sanitary pad.  'Nuff said!

So, I thought instead I would analyze my less scary bedside table.

Fake Tiffany lamp..... Hmmm....I like classy stuff.  I like inexpensive classy stuff.  I try very hard to buy as much home decor things at Target.  I don't care if half of America has the same lamp.  They are pretty, match my room, give off light and cost $30 on sale (Damon has one too).

Enormous stack of books.....Quite obviously I'm a reader.  The bottom book is a financial book by Dave Ramsey.  I...ahem...need help in that area, so I am s-l-o-w-l-y making my way through it.  A few of the books are ones I'm reading to the kids:  Wonderful Wizard of Oz (which is great and so different from the movie) and Shadow Spinner ( a tale about how the Arabian Night stories came to be...so, so good).  The three beautiful books are Lamplighter ones by E.D.E.N Southworth, Ishmael, its sequel Self-Raised and The Hidden Hand.  I'm reading these for not one, but two, on-line book clubs.  One here at homeschoolblogger (see sidebar) and one that I'm in with mostly family members, Francesca's Book Club.

Half-empty can of cherry Diet Coke.....  It's one of my vices, right up there with my Starbucks.  I try not to buy them to keep them at home, but every now and then I will get a 12 pack.  The fact that it is half empty goes back to this weekend.  Damon wasn't here, if you will recall.  The kids were watching a movie and I locked myself in my room to read and sip.  I fell asleep.  The fact that it's still on my bedside table says that I'm housework-challenged.

Bird tea-light holders.....I love bird decorations, and I love candles.  I used to collect birdhouses until they got too trendy.  Now I occassionally pick up an unusual bird decoration if it strikes my fancy.  These came from Target...surprise!

Granny Smith apple Yankee candle.....Yankees are my absolute favorite.  I have tried other, cheaper brands, and they just don't compare.  My favorite color is green, thus the candle and the walls.  I used to have the apple shade in my kitchen, but when I redecorated in there I moved it.

My cell phone.....We don't have a home phone, so this is my connection to the rest of the world.  It's also my alarm clock.

So, while I don't know if you know or understand me better, I did dust the table for the picture and eventually throw away the Coke can, so it was worth it!  If you decide to let me see your bedside table (or your purse...if you dare!), please let me know in the comments....

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The truth of the matter is that I don't watch all that much tv.  In fact I only regularly watch two shows, and up until recently I watched one of those on DVD.  So, I guess all of that said, my television reviews are probably pretty pathetic in the grand scheme of things since I've never seen an episode of  "Desperate Housewives" , "Grey's Anatomy" or even "The Simpson's".  But what I do watch, I'm somewhat obsessive about, so I thought I would give you a low-down on my favorite shows.

Ahhh...'24'...should anyone be allowed to have so much fun watching an ulra-violent show?  Almost 2 years ago, I bought Damon Season 1 for Father's Day.  I think we watched it in about a week's time.  Since then we've joined Netflix and have gobbled up the season's like nacho chips in a Mexican restaurant.  Here's what I like about '24' in a nutshell....

Jack Baur................Duh!  It wouldn't be '24' without Jack.  I've always been a Kiefer fan, even before Keifer was cool, but his Jack Baur role is the role of a lifetime for him.  Over the seasons, Jack does have his cheesy moments, but he always makes up for it by slinging a can't be beat one-liner ("The only reason you're still conscious is that I don't feel like carrying you." is my all-time favorite.) or by entering a building alone that's full of terrorists armed only with a pistol when he could have easily grabbed 2 machine guns off the dead terrorists that were guarding the doors (he always kills the other terrorists armed with machine guns by the way).  I think what I like about Jack the most is that he is just all-American.  It is what fuels everything he does.  He has killed his enemies.  He has killed his friends.  He has threatened Presidents and high-ranking officials.  He has taken heroin.  He has gotten tattoos.  He has lost woman after woman.  He has been killed at least 2 times...and lived to tell the tale.  All of this to save Americans and this country's reputation.  The only lack of judgment he ever has involves the saving of his stupid daughter, Kim, who they should have killed off the show 5 seasons ago.  But again, he does so much else that is good, I can forgive him that.  Last Sunday we were watching the Bears in their playoff game, and someone in the crowd was holding up a sign that said, "Play like Jack Baur!!!"  I think Rex Grossman must have read that sign, because they won.  Thanks, Jack!

Chloe O'Brien......If they ever kill this fast-talking, sarcastic computer/satellite queen off the show, I won't watch anymore.  We just love Chloe!  The show can be so tense, and she will deliver one of her scathing, dripping remarks, and we will nearly fall off the sofa.  We also like the addition of her ex-husband, now-boyfriend, Morris.  He's basically Chloe, with a British accent, wearing pants.  No wonder they got divorced.  If you watch Chloe closely, you'll realize that she is the only one who completely, unquestioningly trusts Jack.  She will do whatever he needs, regardless of the consequences.  Chloe has been arrested and put in holding more times than Jack has died!  I am wondering when Jack is ever going to realize that Chloe is madly in love with him, and that she is obviously the only woman for him.  They are the only 2 characters who are apparently immortal.

Aaron Pierce.....He is/was a secret service agent.  He's the only character (besides Jack) that was in season 1-5.  So far, he's a no-show for season 6, but I'm still hoping that this loyal southerner makes his appearance again.

Gray characters.....No, I'm not talking ghosts here.  I'm talking you can never tell who is good and who is bad.  The writers seamlessly keep you guessing, and I think that's quite a feat after 5 seasons.

All in all, this show is the bomb (literally and figuratively)!  And I'm desperately hoping that Jack goes on to have many, many more bad days!

I have watched American Idol every season except its first Kelly Clarkson season.  I have to admit I'm a little freaky about this show.  I have this thing about remembering names and music, so I basically can remember everything that's ever happened on this show.  There is an American Idol board game out, which at first I thought might be fun, but after a second thought, I realized that I'd slaughter almost anyone I ever played.  I mean, a song can be playing on the radio, and I will say, "Ooooh, remember when Anthony Fedorav sang this?", and undoubtably my mom, or Damon, or the kids will say, "Who is Anthony Fedorav?"  I will then be able to spout off his age, the fact that he had a foreign accent, and that he was told he could never be a singer because he had to have a tracheotomy when he was younger.  Sick, isn't it?  And I'm not even a big fan of his!  Don't even get me started on Bo Bice, Mandisa or Chris Daughtry!

Here's what I really like about American Idol...

Simon.........Now, c'mon!  You know you love him!  He's sort of a Jack Baur (in that there wouldn't be a show without him) and Chloe (because he tells it like it is) wrapped together.  I love the fact that he always says what I'm thinking.  The only thing that bugs me is how he occasionally harps on female contestant's weight, when he never said one word about it to Rueben Studdard, who was BY FAR the largest contestant they ever had.  Other than that, Simon rocks!!!

Paula......I don't particularly agree with hardly anything Paula says.  Actually, I don't particularly understand anything Paula ever says.  But I do find her very entertaining!  The more she sips out of her "Coke" cup, the loopier she becomes.  Plus she does try to be genuinely nice most of the time....even if she is lying through her teeth.

Ryan....In the beginning, I didn't care for him, but he's grown on me somehow.  I think he probably has the hardest job because I think he generally likes and cares about most of the contestants, but week after week has to put them through torture before they're ultimately eliminated.  I like his banter with the judges.

True Talent.....I'm not a big fan of the first few weeks of Idol where the weirdest people on the planet go for auditions.   I watch only to try to spot the forerunners early on.  Once they have the people who can really sing filtered down, I just love every minute of it.  I love the themes and the contestant interviews and their live performances.

This is just an intriguing fun show!  Long live AI!!!

So, what it all boils down to is this:  Please don't call me on the phone on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night for the next four to five months....I'm busy!

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If I had categories for my blog entries (which I would try to do if I was more web savvy!), this one would have to go under my gripe column.  Normally, I'm not a big griper.  It actually takes something pretty raw to get me as angry as I was about a week ago at the Photo Lab personnel, a random assisstant manager, and the Wal-mart franchise in general.  I waited a week to blog about this experience just to let my blood simmer a bit before I spewed the venom I felt all over cyber-space.  I'm now calm, cool and collected about this issue and only have a little urge to scream, but I feel in-control enough to share my tale...

I don't think it's any big secret that Wal-mart's customer service has gone rapidly downhill since Sam Walton's death.  Everyone knows that the elderly "greeters" are not standing there to actually welcome you to the facility but to put little pink stickers on the merchandise that you are about to return and to hand you baggies when it's raining to put your umbrellas in so that they won't get sued by someone slipping on a wet floor.  They stopped handing out their yellow smiley stickers to children years ago.  I have found the item I was searching for before I found a floor associate to help me many, many times.  If you dare to try to shop after around 10pm, it is quite probable you will be mowed down by the huge, noisy floor buffers.  It's just a fact of life that most in America have come to live with.  But most like me continue to shop there because where else are you going to be able to pick up a prescription, your 1 hour photos, a birthday gift, a new bra and a gallon of milk in less than 30 minutes...all of this for less than $60?  This past Friday however was a completely different story....one for me went way beyond the offense of a cashier that barely grunts at you and shoves your receipt in your face, while at the same time telling you to have a good evening.

At 12:10, I placed an order for 1 hour photos on-line at Wal-mart.com.  I paid for them and printed out my receipt, which gave me a pick-up time of 1:10.  I live about 20 minutes from the Wal-mart and wasn't quite ready to head out the door yet.  By the time I got there, I did a little bit of shopping first, and finally made it to the back of the store where the Photo Lab is.  It was now 2:20...an hour and 10 minutes past the time my photos should have been ready.  There was no line and one associate working.  She was near the back and didn't notice me standing there at first.  When I got her attention I told her my name and that I had a one hour order to pick up.  She searched through several drawers, not finding my order.  After several repeated searches, she looked at a pile of envelopes on top of some file drawers.  My order was there and was not ready.  Here is a pretty close retelling of our conversation that followed...

Me:  "Well, ok.  When will they be ready?"

Her:  "I'm not sure ma'am.  I have to change the paper out for these enlargements."  She made sure I knew by her facial expressions that this was a pain in her rear.  How dare I order enlargements?!

Me:  "Well, I'm assuming then I won't have to pay for the 1 hour service, since this has gone way past an hour."

Her:  Rolls her eyes first.  "You've already paid ma'am.  There's nothing I can do."

Me:  "But I didn't receive the 1 hour service.  I can't be refunded the difference?"

Her:  "You people have no idea what is going on here in the lab when you put your orders on the internet."

Me:  "So there's nothing you can do?"

Her:  "You'll have to take it up with walmart.com."

I leave then for about 15 minutes and come back to get my photos.  When I'm paying for my groceries up front.  I ask the cashier (who was nice, by the way) to speak to a manager.  She flags down one, and I relay the photo lab scene to her.  She seems flabbergasted at the way I was treated.  She takes my order, tells me to wait there, and that she'll take care of it back in the photo lab.  I wait for over ten minutes, thinking I"m glad I don't have anything frozen in my buggy.  She returns with a totally different attitude.  Here's our conversation:

Her:  "Ma'am, come to find out there's no guarantee on our 1 hour service.  Make sure you read the fine print.  They've offered to give you your 8x10 free.  Let's see that is about $2.80.  Hmmmm...what's in your buggy that I can refund at customer service?"  She is actually pawing through my bagged groceries at this point.  "How about these?"  She comes up with a box of Triscuits.  She finds my receipt.  "Yep.  These were $2.87.  I'll just refund these.  How does that sound?"

Me:  "Uhhh...welll..."  The whole time I'm thinking it was not the 8x10 I was worried about.  I had 12 5x7 enlargements that cost $1 extra each for 1 hour.

Her:  "Just step right up to customer service here, and they'll take care of you."

So, I walked out of the store at 3:15, paying about $15 extra for a service that I didn't receive, and $3.12 as a cash "refund", after being told that I was ignorant for not understanding how over-worked the photo lab was and how stupid I was for not reading the fine print on walmart.com.  I was absolutely dazed.

I took the rude photo associate's advice and e-mailed walmart.com's customer service, but it has not helped at all so far.  I've exchanged 2 e-mails with people named Alletha and Terrika.  Both have apologized for my inconvenience and have let me know that I can call them at their 1-800 number if I have any more questions or concerns.  Neither has mentioned a refund, even though I have mentioned this both times.  I have also e-mailed walmartstores.com, but I haven't heard from them at all.

In the scheme of things, the $15 is not that big of a deal.  The big deal to me is the lack of respect this multi-million dollar company seems to have for their customers.  I can understand an associate having a bad day or a bad attitude or just simply being a bad person.  I cannot understand an assisstant manager supporting that behavior and then patronizing the customer.  I cannot understand sending form e-mails to complaining customers.  I cannot understand a corporation simply ignoring a legitimate complaint/concern of a customer when they have clearly set up the means on their website for communication.

So, the question looms, will I continue to shop at Wal-mart?  Of course.  Like I said, where else can I buy shampoo, dog food, scrapbook adhesive, a pair of panty hose and a dozen eggs at midnight for less than $50?  I will, however ,not be paying for 1 hour photo services on-line....or perhaps I won't use these services at all anymore since, afterall there is no guarantee, according to the elusive fine print.

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The other day I was doing a google search for Christmas movies so that I could put an "order" into Netflix for the holidays.  It was funny to see so many similiar lists.  Probably the same 5-6 movies made most of the lists that I viewed.  I got to thinking about my very favorite Christmas movies, and I humbly think I have some very different offerings on my top 10, so like any good blogger, thought I would share them with you.  

1.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever   This is my absolute, all-time favorite Christmas movie. It stars Loretta Switt (from "MASH"), who attempts to direct a Christmas pageant with a bunch of hoodlum kids.  It came on tv when I was about 10 or so, and my Mom taped it,and my sister and I watched it over and over and over.  It is such a funny, yet meaningful flick of the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  I, so far, haven't found it on dvd, and unfortunately, a few Christmases ago, Mom sat up, drinking a latte, and accidentally recorded over the ancient tape that had this little gem on it.  The good news is that between Debbie and I, we have it memorized, so can recount our favorite scenes for our own entertainment.  Perhaps someday we'll go on the road with it...

2.  The House without a Christmas Tree  This is another little-known masterpiece, starring a very effective Jason Robards, as a bitter, disinterested dad.  The acting in this one is priceless and the scenes of 1940 small town life are quaint and interesting. Also, the little girl, Addie, is just a hoot!   We also illegally taped this one off tv in the early 80s, but I've since found a VHS, but so far no dvd.  It is well-worth the hunt for it.

3.  The Year without a Santa Claus  This is an old one in Rudolph style (little animatronic puppets?  clay?  does anyone know?).  They stopped showing this on tv annually a long time ago, but while I didn't remember the name, I was always on the look-out for the movie with the Heat Miser and Cold Miser.  I finally found the VHS a few years ago, and now my kids like this just as much as I did.  Very, very cute!

4.  While You Were Sleeping  OK...so I know this is not traditional Christmas, but the whole plot takes place between Christmas and New Year's, so in my book it counts.  This is my favorite "wrapping presents" movie because I know it by heart, and I don't have to keep my eyes glued to the screen.

5.  Little Women  Another not all together Christmas movie, but it starts at Christmas and has snow throughout, so it's definitely seasonal.  And don't they drink wassail at one point?  I know there are older versions, but I love the Wynona Ryder/Susan Sarandon one.

6.  Elf  This is a fairly new addition to my list, but I looooove this movie.  Will Ferrel is just hysterical in his unassuming elf role.  To me, it was very reminiscent of Tom Hanks in Big.  My kids and I have all started quoting this movie since adding it to our collection.  ("Call me 'elf' one more time...."  "I like to whisper too!"  "I'm singing!  I'm in a store and I'm singing!"  "Awww, Buddy.  You're not a cotton-headed ninnymuggins."  I could go on and on....)

  7.  A Christmas Carol  There are as many versions of this as there are nutcrackers in my living room.  I'd have to say my favorites are the George C. Scott version and the Muppet one, one is traditional and one is zany...equally good, and I watch them both every year.

8.  Miracle on 34th Street  You have to see the black and white one, or you just haven't seen this.  Natalie Wood and Maureen O'hara just can't be beat.  I don't know who played the Santa, but if I believed, I'd pick him.  I have fond memories of watching this after the Macy's Thanksgiving parade.

9.  Christmas Eve on Sesame Street  This was another childhood favorite that we taped.  This is also pre-Elmo and centers on Big Bird, so is far less irritating than the modern show.  Also this film was made before Mr. Hooper died, so he's in it, which is always a treat.  We still have our illegal version, so I'm not sure if you can find a copy of this or not.  It'd be worth a try...The Bert and Ernie gift of the Magi clip and Cookie Monster trying to call Santa on the phone are priceless!!!

10.  Veggie Tale's The Toy that Saved Christmas  I know they have a newer one, but I still love this story about Buzz Saw Louie.  There is a lot of classic Veggie humor in this one.  I love the silly song, "Dear Santa...".

and just one more...

11.  The Christmas Toy  This was a Muppet movie that came on tv when I was in middle school (again, taped).  It's sort of a Christmas Toy Story with puppets...very entertaining with traditional Muppet quirkiness.

oh...and I have to add...

12.  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation  Although I have to say this is NOT A KIDS' MOVIE....especially if you get the dvd.  I think I'd only seen this on tv until last year when we got the dvd from Netflix.  I was shocked at how bad the language was.  Still, if you're looking for a mindless holiday laugh...this is the movie for it...especially if it comes on tv.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I also love the animated Grinch, Charlie Brown and It's a Wonderful Life....but they were on everyone's list!    I loved one unique list that I found on someone's blog that included Diehard because at one point Bruce Willis puts a Santa hat on a dead guy's head.  I think that makes some of my more questionable entries very valid!

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