A Trip Down Christmas Card Picture Lane

Alternately titled: A Trip Down Clarissa's Hair Styles Lane

2004

Mt. Charleston, NV

2005

Las Vegas, NV

2006

Wichita Falls, TX

2007

Wichita Falls, TX

2008 

San Antonio, TX

2009

Wichita Falls, TX

2010

San Antonio, TX

(to be determined)

Post Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Last Minute

1 more hour till my sister and her brood arrive

1 day till we get our gobble on

2 days till Stuart and I take an overnight date!

27 days till my birthday

31 days till Santa comes

34 days till our 8th anniversary

38 days till 2011

109 days till my littlest sister gets married

More on Tucker

After the first week that we had been in San Antonio, Tucker came home from bible class singing this song. At first I had no idea what he was saying. Then after intense scrutiny, I could make out the words "hot dog" and "God." Finally, Tyson informed us that Tucker was TRYING to sing "Our God is a great big God" but what Tucker sings is hot dog is a great big God. Ha! Plus the dancing just can't be beat. :)



Hot Dog is a Great Big God from Clarissa Doss on Vimeo.

Interview with Satan

This video was shown in our church this morning and I thought it was mighty interesting!

Taking Your Suggestions

Alright ladies, I need your vote. I'm getting my hair trimmed {maybe} on Monday night and I having been wavering on what to do with it.

Question 1: Should I get bangs cut?
Question 2: Should I get it cut short again?

Not that I even know what I want to do with my hair but a change is in order!

Good friends + train ride = happy kids

I couldn't resist this

I have to preface this article by telling you that I am a huge reality tv fan. While I don't watch Dancing With the Stars (although I did last season just so that I could watch Kate Gosselin fall on her face), I know many people do (including my parents). But this story is just downright hilarious:

TODD RICHMOND, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. -- A rural Wisconsin man apparently enraged by Bristol Palin's "Dancing with the Stars" routine blasted his television with a shotgun, leading to an all-night standoff with a SWAT team, investigators said.

Steven Cowan, 67, was arrested Tuesday morning after officers coaxed him out of his house in Vermont, a farming community near Madison. Cowan, who is accused of threatening his wife with the gun after destroying the television, appeared in a Madison courtroom Wednesday on a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment. His bail was set at $1,500.

Cowan's attorney at the hearing, Jonas Bednarek, declined to comment.

Cowan's wife, Janice Cowan, told investigators that her husband suffers from bipolar disorder and had threatened her life in the past.

According to court documents, Janice Cowan said her husband came home Monday from the bar and had a beer with dinner before they settled down to watch "Dancing with the Stars."

When Palin, the 20-year-old daughter of tea party favorite Sarah Palin, began her routine, Cowan jumped up and began swearing, saying something like "The (expletive) politics." His wife said he was upset that a political figure's daughter was dancing on TV even though he felt she didn't have talent.

Janice Cowan told investigators her husband left the living room and reappeared 20 minutes later with his shotgun, "raging" with his face bright red, and blasted the TV. She said he then pointed the gun at her and told her to go fetch his pistols, and threatened to kill himself if she brought anyone back. According to the criminal complaint, Steven Cowan's daughter recently took away his handguns for safekeeping. It did not elaborate.

"He scared the bejebees out of me," she told detectives.

Janice Cowan fled the home and went to an attorney's office, where she phoned police.

She told officers that about 15 years ago her husband had threatened her with a machete when he couldn't find some ammunition and has threatened to shoot one of their cows.

She added he was under stress because of financial reasons, saying a doctor helping him with his mental health problems had suggested he temporarily turn over control of properties he rents out to the family's attorney. Calls on Wednesday to a number listed as the Cowans' could not be connected.

The Internet has been abuzz in recent days about how Bristol Palin, who has consistently landed at the bottom of the judges' leaderboard, has been able to remain on the ABC show. Some have suggested that voters - particularly supporters of her mother - have been voting in blocs and manipulating the system.

Both Palins have denied any organized vote-getting tactics. Bristol Palin says voters support her despite lackluster performances because she started the show with no dancing experience.

Daddy Got a Hardhat

Spaghetti

TTCCC

No, this is not come code for something bizarre. It's stand for Tyson, Tucker, Ciera, Chase and Cassi.
The three C's belong to April (and the two T's to me). April and I have been friends for, wow, hmm, a REALLY  long time. I can remember doing Kid's Praise at church with April and maybe Bible Bowl? Goodness. Suffice it so say, April and I have been friends for years. Lots of them.

Shortly after I got pregnancy with Tyson, April called telling me that she was pregnant too. Woo hoo! It was so fun to think of having kiddos at the same(ish) time. Tyson was born in mid September and a mere two weeks later, Ciera was born. {I know there's a picture of April and I from her baby shower with our preggo bellies, but I can't find it}

The first T and C

{January 2008}

Low and behold, when I found out that I was pregnant again, April called me a few months later saying that she was pregnant again too!

Tucker was born February 1 and Chase was born April 2.

And now enter the 2nd T and C.

{June 2007}

A few months later, they were a bit happier to snap a photo!

{September 2007}

Now Stuart and I decided that was going to be it for the T Doss children, but April decided to add to her C's and Cassi was born!

{November 2008}

Now, five years later we have TTCCC. :)

And no, there will not be a TTTCCC.

{October 2010}

For my sister (i.e. the one about to get married)

Today

Today I am thankful for the cooler weather that finally decided to grace south Texas, for the donuts that my mother graciously gets on Sunday mornings, for the washing machine and all it's domestic glory and for storage bins.

A LONG Time Ago

Stuart and I got all "dressed up" for a party.

Yeah.

I Hate Radio Shack

I hate Radio Shack.
Just so you know.
No really, I H-A-T-E Radio Shack.

I have never, never, never had a good experience in that establishment. Now I know that I may not be the most capable person to walk into that store and purchase an item easy-peasy, but I do know that my husband is beyond capable and when he tells me exactly what I need to buy,  I feel fairly certain that I can accomplish something as simple as plucking an item off the shelf. {breath}

Yesterday was not so.

Wednesday night, Stuart broke his CPAP. I know, I know. Well, he didn't break the machine but the power supply. To be fair, Scout broke the power supply shortly after we introduced her to our family and Stuart fixed it, well, easy-peasy. But after all the moving and constant take down of the machine between our house and his work house, the chords got too twisted and finally gave up the ghost Wednesday night-right as he was going to bed. Lovely.

Being that I am now in the position to make runs to all sorts of places all day long, I offered to go pick up a new "whatever" so that he would be able to just come home from work and be done with the whole thing.

Enter the problem.

Since his CPAP is not just your run of the mill machine, is has more than your run of the mill chords. Stuart really thought that the only place that would have something so specific was Radio Shack. {Gulp}

Seriously, I have NEVER had a good experience there. Their associates are rude, treat me like I am from another planet and are utterly unhelpful in my quest to navigate the QRS system of electronics on their shelves.

But I wanted to do this for my darling husband (are you reading this hon?). So I packed up the boys and went. I should also interject here that our morning began with a scenic tour of the San Antonio International Airport or Air Force as Tucker says. After leaving that chaos with a screaming child because he didn't get to fly in the Air Force, I followed my GPS to the nearest Radio Shack location which did not exist. Great.

After some searching, I ended up at a real store.

Enter bratty, just over teenage, female associate.

Girl: Yes?
Me: I need to get another one of these. (places dismembered "whatever" on counter)
Girl: What is it?
Me: Well, it the power supply to my husband's CPAP. He uses it to breath at night.
Girl: Huh?
Me: Um, I don't really know what this is called but I...
Girl: Well we don't have that.
Me: OK. My husband said you would...
Girl: Ugh. Well you have a lot of parts inside there and you would have to completely rebuild that board.
Me: Oh! Yeah, I don't need all these components, I just need to entire mechanism. My husband just took the cover off so that he could jery-rig it for last night.
Girl: Whatever. (rolls eyes)
Me: Excuse me?
Girl: Well I guess I could sell you the individual parts.
Me: OK, do you think you can pull them for me?
Girl: No.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Rudeness, cutting me off, inability to want to help, unprofessional-ism, rolling of the eyes. Oh mylanta, I was ready to take her head off. Not only was I standing there trying to keep it together, but my children were pulling off my arm (since I was holding both of them with one hand) while simultaneously trying to call Stuart to get the exact name of what this is called. Then to top it all off, she walks away as I'm trying to talk to her. Walks away.

Stupid, stupid woman.

So I did what any tired, nerve frayed mother would do: I called the District Manager of Radio Shack.

That's right.

The manager's name and number were proudly displayed in front of the cash register and I very proudly called the number and in my nicest "I'm about to pummel your employee" voice, I explained to the woman on the other end that I was beyond frustrated with the current employee of Radio Shack. She in turn apologized several times for the associated behavior and promised me that she would call that specific store's manager to explain my concerns. Not the fireworks that I wanted, but it'll have to do.

Turns out that we ended up going to Altex* to get the part; a store that makes my husband go coo-coo for Cocao Puffs in. Seriously, it's just that awesome to him. We totally forgot about that store.

*Yet another bonus for moving to SA.

Veterans

To all those that have served, are serving and are going to serve- 

THANK YOU.

Special thanks to (I know I am leaving someone out but I'm taking a stab at remembering everyone):

Steven M Doss

Steven C Doss Family

Stuart Doss

C Hermon Chisholm

TA Hayhurst Family

HR Patton Family
Jeffrey Henderson Family

Brandon Schrenk Family

Paul Roller Family

Mark Haralson Family

Brad Burt Family

Chris Girouard Family

John Swiderski Family

Caleb Scheafnocker Family

Bill Fleetwood Family

Phil Davey Family

Bill Letsom

Juan Garza

Candace Miller Family

Chris Rangel
Colby Tiner

Christopher Ward Family

Randy Bland Family

Colin Bordner

Danny Wiggins Family

Glenn Halbert

Greg McClintic

Jason Pullido

Jeff Ingersoll

Josh Pavlik

Kristi Jordan Family

Leverett Family

Lawrence Family

Luke Richey

Tim Le Gallo Family

Micah Smith Family

Pickett Family

Callahan Family

Ron Gordon Family

Legros Family

Van Perry Family

Ruff Family

Jon Rowe Family

Ables Family

Travis Peace Family

Wesley Holbrook Family

Hump Day

Tucker has been doing marvelously with potty training. I finally had to give in and make him sit on the toilet every hour for three minutes. We've been able to scale that down to making him sit about thirty minutes after her eats, but so far so good. Tyson woke up at 3 am this morning because he had a bad dream. Poor thing was so scared. I think this was his first "real" bad dream. I let him crawl in bed with me (and Scout)...not such a great idea. I forgot how much he moves and shakes and kicks and flails about in his sleep. Then add Scout to the mix and this momma didn't get much sleep last night. My mom and I organized two more drawers last night! Woo hoo. It just makes me smile. Stuart is coming home tonight-another thing to make me smile! Oh, and don't forget to thank you favorite veteran tomorrow.

I have no idea where he learned how to talk

Tucker's Cash from Clarissa Doss on Vimeo.

It's Simple Really

Moving your clocks back does NOT in fact make you GAIN and hour.
At least not when you have kids.
Ugh.

And while we're on the subject of simple, can someone please make the weather more consistent in south Texas? Turning the heater on at night just to turn the A/C on in the afternoon is kind of ridiculous.
Just saying.

Manos de Cristo

Begin with an everyday shoe box.

Wrap bottom of box in any Christmas paper of your child's choosing (or whatever you have left since it's only November and we didn't move of gift bag/paper bin yet).

Wrap the lid separately. This is a bit tricky but it comes out looking super awesome.

Gather the gifts to be assembled into the box.

Place aforementioned gifts into box.

Do it again since you have more than one child. :)

Label boxes with gender and age of intended recipient.

Share the message of "giving" with your children.

(And then forget to take pictures of your kiddos with said boxes the morning that they take them to Bible class)

Today, We Eat Cake

No, it's not Stuart's birthday. 

It was last month.

But my mom wanted to be able to share in his birthday, so today we get to eat this marvelous Susan Perry creation.

Yummy.

And thank you honey for having another birthday.

Reconnecting

Today we did something that I have wanted to do for awhile.

Today was the first time that I have been to Jennifer's grave since her funeral.

My heart was so heavy this morning and I really needed to take the boys to "see" her.

It was a good thing.

This is so me

As I'm sure you've heard (or read), I am a bit of an organizer. I love, love, LOVE all things tucked into their proper place. And while it's perfectly acceptable for someone to have their items alphabetized or color coded in a different manner than I, it's really all about the system.

So it should come as no shock that when we moved into my parent's house almost three weeks ago, my organizing itch was bursting to be scratched. {Disclaimer: my mom is a fabulous house keeper but when you have lived in the same residence for 21 years and have three daughters who have grown up, gone to college, gotten married and have had grand babies in all those years, you amass quite a bit of "extra" stuff.

I have learned in my few but wise years that it's always healthy to alert the owners of the precious items that you are about to dump that you are, in fact about to dump them.

Stuart says it's better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. This is something we will NOT teach the boys. Ahem.

I wanted to take small bites out of this house and not try and turn my mom's world inside out. I mean, it's already upside down with the arrival of 4 humans and 2 fur-mans. Let's not upset this teetering balance too much.

With due diligence, I began with one cabinet at a time. But first was the pantry. (I wish I would have taken before pictures but let's just say that they didn't look like the after pictures.)

We didn't have to get rid of that much food, it was just a matter of organizing into a more manageable system.

This cabinet used to be a miss-mash of stuff. We turned it into the medicine cabinet primarily because medicine used to be out on the counter and with kiddos running around now, higher is safer.

Cups. Again, just shuffling around.

Plates and bowls. I did clean out a lot of extra plates so now all we have are the everyday plates/bowls and my mom's china at the top.

This was another "throw away" cabinet. I decided to make this the dog cabinet and then some extra storage for bigger items.

Hall linen closet. This was crazy! There were 9 twin sheet sets and only 1 twin size bed in the house! The top shelf is king size sheet sets, shelf two is medicine from our house, shelf two is twin size sheet sets, shelf three is queen size sheet sets, shelf four is towels and the floor is humidifier and hand towels. You might be wondering why the twin size sheets are before the queen size. Yes? Well, the perfectly plain answer is that shelf three is a little bit taller than shelf four and I couldn't donate ALL the twin size sheets so they had to be bumped up on the system. I know, it bugs me too but at least their all placed together.  

Not to bad, eh?

11 Things I Love about November

1. The smells. Oh how I adore pumpkins and spices and all things fall!
2. The weather. Although south Texas doesn't really have seasons, November is when we finally start to feel like breathing and being outside.
3. My birthday is only a month over. (On a side note, I am turning 30 this year. THIRTY.)
4. Hot chocolate. But I have to admit that I drink this all year round. :)
5. Wearing socks because I actually need to.
6. Being able to raid your child's Halloween candy. 
7. Watching the leaves turn.
8. Christmas music. I know, this is NOT a November thing but everywhere you go you see Christmas and that music might be the best sound in the musical world.
9. Orange and brown. These two colors are highly under-thought of.
10. A fire.
11. Knowing that some crazy family experience is just around the bend.

My Scary Monsters

Happy Halloween!

Of course no Halloween is complete without handing out candy in your underwear. :)

Halloween Pasts:

2005

Screaming Baby

2006

Bumble Bee

2007

Tyson: Monkey, Tucker: Dinosaur

2008

Tyson: Bat

Tucker: Skunk

2009

Tyson: Dinosaur

Tucker: Pirate