Wow! Times sure have changed, especially when it comes to flying. I'm typing this entry on the plane en route to my hometown, Atlanta, Ga.

I've heard so many complaints about travel, but I am loving this. 

Mo is sitting quietly (relatively speaking) watching Harry Potter. He should be content for the next 2.5 hours. That's $6 well spent.

And me? I'm on my laptop tapping away while listening to my stripper music playlist (R. Kelly if you're wondering). So, the in air wifi cost $13. I paid it, but will be searching for an online coupon for my return flight internet connectioon. 

We just helped boost Delta's economy by purchasing every snack available from the mobile food cart: hummus, fruit, Pringles, Peanut M & Ms, cheese plate, PB&J, turkey crossaiant. They even threw in a deck of playing cards. I wonder if anyone on board is up for a game of Spades. 

Yeah, everything comes at a price, but with entertainment options limited in the friendly skies, I'll gladly pay.

Ok, back to facebook. Air travel gets 2 thumbs up from me. For today.

It seems that everyone is really excited to put 2009 behind us. But, don't we say that every year? Is there ever a time someone says "Oh, I'm not looking forward to the new year? Let's stay in this year?" I don't think so.

But, I do think many people actually mean it this time. 2009 was a tough year for the economy which had a huge residual effect on many people's lives.

2009 was an interesting year for me. I'm the type of person that doesn't like to mope around and dwell on the negative. I try and learn something from all experiences, no matter how much they test my sanity or patience. So, after the roller coaster ride I was on in '09 I should be smarter than a Harvard grad.

Here's what I learned:

1.  Trust myself

2.  Go with my gut

3.  Don't try and change people

4.  My kids don't see the imperfections I see in myself

5.  My kids inspire me and give me strength to inspire them

6.  Don't wait too long to go to the dentist if one of your crowns crack

7.  I will never remember to take the reusable shopping bags to the grocery store

8.  Mariah Carey is the greatest female singer of all time

9.  Brett Favre wants me

10. You can't make someone happy who isn't happy with themselves

11. Be my true self, those that really love me and matter will accept me no matter what

12.  Do what makes you happy and everything else will fall into place

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE IN 2010

Merry Christmas!

I always stress out around the Holiday Season as to what to get for Mo's teachers. Luckily, the class did a money collection and purchased gift certificates. Problem solved. I love the parents that take initiative. It enables me to be a slacker.

They also did a class photo of the kids and gave it to the teachers as well.

It turned out pretty good. I had absolutely nothing to do with the construction of it, so please don't ask me any "how to" questions. I just followed instructions and sent Mo to school wearing all black.  (In case you're looking, Mo is the left part of the "O")

I am a sucker for: shopping and supporting a good cause.

Mo's school had a fundraiser selling lunchskins.

I had no idea what they were, but bought quite a few just to support the school.

Boy, did I get lucky! These things are amazing. They are reusable cloth pouches designed for sandwhiches and snacks. They are made in the USA, dishwasher safe, kid and adult friendly designs, and help to replace the use of plastic baggies.

But, my favorite thing about lunchskins is that they are designed by a team of 3 Hot Mamas. These moms are beautiful, smart, and making money off of me.

They have other great environment conscious items and do fundraisers for schools. Check them out.

WOW! Salma Hayek really rocked the red carpet at a charity event in Berlin. Hard to believe the bombshell 42 year old actress has a 2 year old daughter. I love her sleek bob. And how did she get her cleavage to look so good? Go Salma!!!!

Morris and Bronson have 2 more boys to compete with for the chics out here in La La land. Kourtney Kardashian and Kendra Wilkinson both gave birth to baby boys.

Kourtney, best known for her role on Keeping Up With the Kardashians gave birth December 14, 2008 to Mason Dash Disick -- who weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz., and 19.5 inches.

Kendra, from The Girls Next Door, gave birth December 11, 2009 to Hank Baskett IV, who weighed 9 lbs 5 oz. Dang Kendra!!!! The baby was due on Christmas. Good thing he came early.

Congratulaitions to them both. We have 2 more Hot Mamas to welcome to the gang!!!!

When Mo said he wanted a Lego Death Starfor Christmas, I almost fainted. $400 for legos and almost 4,000 pieces!? No thanks, I'll pass.

Then, I heard about the gold plated Playstation 3. It a PSP unit plated in 24K for the bargain price of $5,000. Please note, this does not include the blinged out hand controllers. That's extra. 

I guess it could be worse, Mo could be asking for one of these pimped out gaming units.

Thank goodness we're a wii family. Looks like Mo could possibly be getting his Lego Death Star afterall. 4.000 lego pieces should keep my little guy busy for a couple of hours. Santa, hope you're listening.

Mo was out and about and ran into Joe Jackson, the father of Michael, Jermaine, Tito, Randy, Janet, Latoya, etc...

Give me your best photo caption:

Recently I talked to a mom that said she wasn't sure if she was gonna continue to do the whole "Santa thing" with her kids. She was a little down about the economy and said she didn't think it was right that Santa get the credit for her hard earned money and gift giving.

For me, it's just the whole essence of giving my kids something to believe in.

I can remember how excited I got around the holidays and the magical feeling of waking up Christmas morning to see the tree lit and filled with presents underneath. (I won't mention the one Christmas where I complained about the gifts and called them "crap" only to be sent back to bed until I was a little more appreciative for Santa's efforts).

Anyway, I realize what that mom was saying, but once you grow up and have kids, you really appreciate the efforts your parents make to help you feel special. And I'm sure your kids will feel the same way.

Whether it's giving "Santa" credit for the gift giving or the Tooth Fairy credit for the money. Just as adults need distractions from things such as the economy, relationships, job situations, etc, children need the same. They too get frustrated with life's little curveballs: making friends, doing well in school, excelling in sports, fitting in, etc.

So, I choose to let the holiday season be a happy time for me and the boys. It's a time to celebrate togetherness and c

reate traditions and happiness to remember for years to come. I can only hope that when they get older they will look back and appreciate the efforts just as I do now with my own folks and them giving me the gift of something to hope for and believe in.

Here are a couple of cool sites I found the kids might enjoy:

Claus.com: The coolest thing about this site is the "Naughty and Nice Rating". You type in your name and get a report from what Santa has concluded about your behavior. Here's what Santa thinks about me:

Overall, niceness outweighs naughtiness. Was good a lot last month! Politeness often good, but has room for improvement. Could help around house more instead of watching so much TV. Expected to move even higher up "nice" list.

Hmm...Guess I better get my butt in gear if I want to get that new Chole!

SantaClaus.com: For $9.95 you can get a personalized letter from Santa with a stamp "Mailed from the North Pole". For $6.95 your child can get a phone call the big guy personalized with their name. This sounds like a Flip worthy moment for when your kid is on his way to the Senior Prom. I'm sure his date will get a kick out of his excitement in the years to come.

NoradSanta.org: Wanna know Santa's exact location right now? This site can pinpoint Santa's location as well as a detailed countdown til the thrilling day. There is an amazing FAQ's section that answers your kid's most common questions that we seem to make up the dumbest answers for:

How does Santa get down chimneys?, How old is Santa?, When will Santa arrive at my house, etc.

So in between your holiday shopping and baking, hop on over to these sites. I've gotta go work on raising my niceness quotient!