This might be what I want to do. For real.

Jodi nudged me in this direction and I had thought of it before, but had never fully considered how much I would probably LOVE IT.

I'm talking about Head Start. Becoming a Head Start teacher.

Here's the logic: It's with the age group I love, the population I am passionate about serving, and I really love to teach. One, two, three, just like that. I think it would be SO MUCH FUN.

Hm. Hmmmm, hmmmm, hmmmmm. I like this possibility.

Oh Dear. Another Christmas Empire Catastrophe

Adam is dying.

He needs to make it til Christmas, but will he?

I am giving him the attention and care that I thought he needed, but will it be enough? WHY IS HE DYING SO QUICKLY?

Dang

I was sleeping peacefully last night and then semi-woke up because my face itched. When I went to scratch it, I didn't realize that my entire arm was asleep.

I hit myself in the face so hard I woke myself up completely. And there was a red mark on my cheek. Because I hit myself. In the face.

Redonk.

Creating the Christmas Empire Phase 5: Present Wrapping

I have many presents to wrap. Here is a sampling of the wrapping I have done:

Ricky thinks that it is his duty as my cat to help me wrap presents by trying to bite/claw at the wrapping paper and ribbon as I wrap. It is exceptionally annoying.

There are more funny stories about that but I can't blog about them because they are about presents and some of the present receivers are blog-readers. So you'll have to wait for those stories.

Phase 4B Window Update: I am avoiding the window.

Christmas Empire Issues

Okay, so Phase 4A really ruffled my feathers. I have had a hard time recovering from the Window Decorating Disaster. I kept trying to start Phase 4B, but I think I was so discouraged by the outcome of 4A that I was too depressed to try again.

So the window stands. It looks stupid.

And to make matters worse, my apartment neighbors on either side of me have BOTH put up their OWN Christmas windows. And of course, they are beautiful. Stupid beautiful window decorators.

I need to just move on to Phase 5. I have been stuck with this 4B problem for too long! It's time to overcome the obstacles! Spread my wings and fly!

Another option instead of trying to get a job

There was a poster outside for a lost dog and it was sad. But only for a second, because then I was like

MAYBE I could find that lost animal and get the reward! It was like for $250!

And WHAT if I just started finding lost animals and collecting rewards and lived off that? People are always losing their pets.

Good idea, Nicole, good idea.

New Career: Toy Shopper

I am very excited about the Community Toy Store.

I requested this year to be the official shopper when money donations came in. I was granted my request. I wish that I was a Toy Shopper ALL YEAR LONG.

Here are some toys I like:

• Cabbage Patch Dolls
• Fisher Price Little People
• Brio Trains
• Playmobil people
• My Little Pony
• All toys in the world

(except Bratz dolls)

If you've never clicked on anything on your life, CLICK ON THIS.

Creating the Christmas Empire Phase 4A: The Window

I decided to decorate our front window.

It was much harder than I had anticipated.

First of all, my window cling "Believe" is much smaller compared to my window than it looked in the store. So it couldn't go across the middle because the window pane is all thick and it would look chopped in half. So I had to put it on one side. But then it looks lopsided.

And if THAT wasn't stressful enough, when I put up the lights I made them droopy - thinking that it'd be Christmas Empire-y - and it just made it look DUMB-O.

I don't like it so far.

More work needs to be done on this window. That is why this is just Phase 4A.

I don't know why...

but I've been having super bizarre dreams lately.

For example, I dreamed the other day that I was a teenage mouse living in a WW2 internment camp. We were trying to steal food by switching nametags. I don't know how that worked, but it made sense in the dream.

And last night, I dreamed that I had accidentally brushed my teeth with Chuck Diesel's toothbrush and I was SO GROSSED OUT. I almost lost my mind.

Creating the Christmas Empire Phase 3: The Tree

Rachel and I decided to get our tree today. This is the first time I have purchased a live tree on my own. THE FIRST TIME!

It's like this tree is my first born. I'm going to name him Adam.

So we went to purchase Adam tonight at a special farm where it is rumored that they pass out full-size candy canes (instead of the puny ones that you normally get at tree farms.) But this special farm was closed.

So we went to another special farm called Haggen and we found Adam.

Then we decorated Adam and made him beautiful. Here he is beautiful:

To finish off the evening of Christmas Empire Enjoyment, we put Ricky in a Santa hat.