Ave Maria!

Everyone keeps asking me what I’ve done while the kids are away on their grandparent sojourn. The short answer is “not much.”

Monday, we made the trip to Olney/Newton/Effingham to celebrate the baptism of my good friend Jill C.’s sweet little girl, Maria. We were excited to be there for Maria’s day, especially since we missed both of Jill’s boys’ baptisms.

Baptisms are bigger affairs in Jill’s family than in ours. At our house when someone is baptized, you come over after church for breakfast casserole that I’ve most likely overcooked. (I don’t want to give anyone salmonella.) In Jill’s family, a baptism calls for a much more organized and beautiful celebration. It was so wonderful to be a part of Maria’s dedication to her faith! Jill and Gaspare’s family is full of warm, loving people, who truly value family and it’s always a treat to be with them.

I don’t have any pictures that do Maria and her gorgeous baby blue eyes any justice whatsoever. There was a real photographer there and I didn’t want to be the annoying guest who stepped all over her shots. So, I relegated myself to shots of Maria in a poorly-lit corner while she was in a swing. Even with terrible lighting and the back and forth of a swing, there’s no denying this little one is complete perfection.
The celebration dinner was at a hotel, which made it really convenient for us. The hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and it had a great restaurant, where I took full advantage of the breakfast buffet. We left early and were home by noon so Brandon could spend the afternoon working.

Today I plan to stay put and purge our home of broken toys and scotch tape sculptures. There are some things I can do while the kids are here, but it’s much easier to toss all this stuff without Alex taking an inventory of grievances. I would also like to get three of the trees down today, but if I say it out loud it would just be setting me up for failure.

I’ve talked with my mom several times a day since the kids left. Thankfully all the calls have been to tell me how much fun their having or something funny they’ve done or said. No one seemed all that anxious to speak with me until last night.

Alex and my mom went to Staples; which is Alex’s idea of a fun shopping trip. They bought a bank that counts change.
I should tell you my parents’ house seems to ooze spare change. When I was a kid, there was always spare change lying around. I never worried about money to buy Sour Powers at The Trading Post, because I could always find some in a coffee mug, on the counter, in the cup holders of my mom’s car…Anyway, my stepfather, “Trophy” made the mistake of telling Alex he could have whatever change he found and could feed into the bank. Clearly he doesn’t spend time with Alex regularly because nothing motivates Alex more. My mom had to take water into her bedroom, which became Alex’s counting house, because The Gator refused to take a break from filling his bank. Around 7:00 p.m. last night a JUBULIANT--and I don’t use that word often to describe Alex-- but a jubilant Alex called to tell me he had stuffed $176.84 into his bank. We’re still in negotiation about how much I’m willing to let him keep. Trophy says ‘a deal’s a deal,’ but I think it’s a bit much. Maybe I’m just bitter that I didn’t have the same kind of bank as a kid.

It snuck up on me, but tonight is New Year’s Eve. Because we are w-i-l-d we are going over to Jill and Scott’s house. Our friends Angie and Jeremy will be there too. Frankly, there’s nothing I’d rather do! The boys are at Costco shopping for food right now. The always funny Sara asked me if they were wearing matching shirts and stopping for lunch on the way home. I asked Brandon and he gave me the pursed- lip expression that means he’s annoyed and Sara and I aren’t half as funny as we think we are.

Happy New Year everyone, and may 2009 be a lot less bumpy! I have the same prayer for my thighs.

It's a lot easier to use a public restroom alone.

By 8:00 a.m. yesterday, Brandon and I were child-free for the week. My parents made off with Alex and Meredith first thing in the morning and no one looked back. I even stood in the garage to wave and they all ignored me.

Before GramPam and Trophy got here on Saturday, we dug ourselves out of the Christmas mess and ran a few errands. The 65 degree weather made all of us anxious to get outside and while we were driving Alex asked about playing outside when we got home. I told him that would be great, so long as he stayed on the driveway because the yard was so wet. There are few things that aren’t catalysts for an Alex rebuttal. It started immediately.

Alex: “How do YOU know the ground is wet?!”
Mom: “It’s been raining for two days. Just ride you scooter on the driveway and be excited to be outside.”
Alex: “Fine! I’m going to build a bridge in the yard and ride my scooter to the swing set!”

Irrationality left the conversation, as it usually does.

Meredith was smart enough to realize if Alex kept up the argument, their chance at playing outside would fade fast. As she so often does, she looked for a way to end the tug of war between Alex and me.

Meredith: “You know what Ayex? I saw “waspas” on the swing set. When the bug yady sprayed for waspas, she compyetey missed our swingset.”

Alex: “I don’t care! I’ll put on a bee suit and get a can of wasp spray and I’ll spray ‘em until they’re gone. Then, I’ll swing.”

Meredith: Big Sigh. “Oh Ayex, God made you the way you are. You can’t change. You just have to stay the way you are.”

It took me about two seconds to realize Meredith interpreted a “bee suit” as something entirely different than what it was. Alex meant a sting-proof bee keeper's suit. Meredith was envisioning a bee costume, and Alex trying to transform himself into a bee thereby gaining their trust in order to wipe out their colony. Never mind we were initially discussing “waspas.”

When we got home, there was no time to play outside because Meredith needed a nap and Alex needed a haircut. Alex no longer looks like he’s growing out his hair for a Disney channel audition. As promised, my parents were here when Meredith woke up from her nap. We went out for dinner and then came home to play Rock Band with my parents.

Please take note of the fact that the "baby" in the background can't bring himself to watch.

I don’t have any pictures of my mom, who was our singer because she wouldn’t stand in one place long enough.

Brandon and I went to two malls yesterday and made all the returns and exchanges we needed to make. Alex and Meredith no longer wear the same sizes they wore at Thanksgiving when everyone asked us for clothing sizes. After trying on everything in my closet, I realized I no longer wear the same size I did at Thanksgiving. I had to do a little shopping myself. I found something to wear to a baptism we’re going to today. Once I get a really tight pair of control top panty hose it should fit just fine.

Christmas Update

All the decorating, shopping, baking, and wrapping that takes us a month to do, was unwrapped yesterday in an hour. I’m not complaining at all. In fact, I’m glad the celebration stretches out for a month. If we had to fit everything into one day, like Thanksgiving, we wouldn’t get to enjoy all that we did this Christmas season. Here's a recap...

Alex and Meredith both had programs at school that celebrated the true meaning of the season. There is little else I find sweeter than hearing tiny voices sing "Silent Night." You’d also be hard pressed to find another situation where a kid is practically guaranteed to do something to embarrass their parents. It’s waaaaay funnier when it isn’t your child.

This was also the first year that Meredith really does understand who Baby Jesus is. He isn’t just the tiny baby she isn’t supposed to swipe out of our nativity scene. Her preschool class spent all month talking about Him and I can tell she’s starting to understand. When we drive by the hospital in which she was born, Meredith says, “I’m glad I was born there and not in a manger! Poor Jesus!” It makes me stop and count my blessings too. I had fresh cookies and room service, and I wasn’t delivering our Savior.

Alex became very aware of what other boys his age are interested in and he was instantly influenced. For the first time he actually had things on his list for Christmas. It was fun to be able to deliver most of what he wanted, but he told us repeatedly all he truly wanted for Christmas was “for Grandma to get better.” Now that’s something for which I’d be willing to sit in a Target parking lot a 3:00 a.m. on Black Friday.

We also were able to share a special visit from Santa with a few close friends. In years past, we hosted a Santa party that had grown beyond the original purpose of a quiet encounter with Santa. So, when another family asked us if we’d like to join their much smaller group, we did. Meredith got to share the moment with her best little girlfriends, and while Alex was vastly outnumbered, he had fun with our little friend Eli.

My good friend Michelle also made a special Christmas time visit from Seattle. Michelle and I met fourteen years ago, which seems impossible! She was my pledge mom in our sorority and we didn’t know each other all that well when we were paired, but I know God had a hand in our friendship. Now, I don’t think God necessarily cares who your pledge mom is or anything about your sorority for that matter, but he knew Michelle and I would need each other. Michelle really helped me find my faith and for that I’m eternally (no pun intended) grateful. Michelle had a challenging year, and we off-handedly talked about her shaking up her Christmas routine with a visit to the Midwest. She thrilled our whole family, when she called to say she was really coming! We weren’t very entertaining hosts and we probably wore her to a frazzle with our constant noise and bickering, but it was so wonderful to have her with us!

Michelle even had the patience to roll out sugar cookies (hers are 10X better than mine) and decorate them with our kids. Meredith and I took Michelle to lunch at our favorite little tea room, and Meredith was slightly less mannerly than a Neanderthal. It was tough to let Michelle get back on a plane, but I don't think her family would have forgiven me if we kept her for Christmas. I really love Michelle's family so I couldn't let that happen!

Our Christmas routine was a bit different this year too. Normally, my in-laws are here for Christmas Eve dinner. As I’ve mentioned before, my mother-in-law is still fighting colon and liver cancer. One of the treatments she decided to go forward with makes her radioactive for two weeks. She had her treatment on the 19th. Our house glows as it is, so it was just our little family on Christmas Eve. We had a great dinner and it was cozy, but a little quiet.

Christmas Day we made our trek to Brandon’s grandparents’ farm for a visit with his extended family. It was eerie not having my in-laws there. It felt empty and sort of like Christmas Future. It was nice to be there with loads of little cousins running around, but it made me a little sad.

Today, we made a trip to the mall. Brandon needed a new suit and Brooks Brothers had an unbelievable sale. Everyone in Indiana must have gotten the same e-mail we did, because they were all in line to buy dress shirts. I tried to find something to stuff myself into, but everything I try on looks like a pig in a sausage casing. I’ve come to grips with the fact that the problem doesn’t lye with the clothing.

My parents are coming tomorrow to take the kids back to Nashville with them for an extended visit. It’s a toss up as to who’s more excited. I plan to sleep for five days straight. But before I do, I need to drive a bulldozer through my first floor. We’ve been pretty lazy about picking up the last two days and it’s starting to show. If someone rings our doorbell, we’ll have to hide.

Shameful over-use of gaming systems has sadly been our norm for two days. It's going to end, as soon as I get the house back in order and I'm available to parent again. I promise.

Merry Christmas!

Kelly was quick to point out, I've neglected this little blog something awful lately. I've been busy and somewhat lazy! I haven't had the camera out much at all lately, and I can't have a post without a photo. It feels incomplete, like so much of my fifth grade math homework.

So, to tide over Kelly, Merry Christmas and I'll be back early next week! For the record, this is a picture of our house last Christmas. We haven't had any measurable snow this year, but trust me, minus the snow, our house looks just the same.

I'm dreaming of a white squirrel Christmas.

Today was one of those days I always envisioned for myself. I probably shouldn’t admit that when I thought about my future and pictured what I’d be doing, it wasn’t running for office or going to law school. Secretly, I had other plans. If I had shared those plans with my parents, I am betting they wouldn’t have been willing to let me stay at Bradley. I would have done anything to stay at Bradley; even convince myself I wanted to be a lawyer.

In reality, I just wanted to be a wife and a mom. The wife part was fairly easy for me, but the mom part is sometimes a lot harder than I anticipated. To my shock and sometimes dismay, my children have minds of their own. They even talk back, in unfriendly tones more often than I care to list. It’s hard work, this mom gig, but today was a rewarding day.

I volunteer in Alex’s classroom several days a month. Last year I was much more involved with all the students on a weekly basis, mainly because the teacher needed me. Alex’s teacher this year is much more seasoned and when I work with the kids, it’s always the same group and we work on a specific task. So, I haven’t gotten to know as many kids as I did last year, but I do know my small group quite well. I wasn’t scheduled to volunteer today because I left the day open in case I had last minute Christmas shopping to do. Mrs. Hacker, who rarely asks for help, asked for my help and I cleared my calendar. I’m so glad I did.

I feel like a minor celebrity when I walk the halls at Alex’s school. I know most of teachers, but it’s the kids who know me well and often come running up to give me hugs. I am so happy they remember me from last year, even though they’ve all gone on to different classrooms. It makes my day and makes me wonder if I shouldn’t have done more than flirt with an education degree. Today, I stayed in a classroom to help with a complicated craft while the first grade classes rotated in and out of the room. I knew kids in each of the seven classes and they couldn’t wait to tell me all about their Christmas plans while conning me into cutting out their crafts. Alex even acted like we were related. Must be the Christmas spirit. I feel badly that I haven’t had an Alex pictures to post, but he hasn’t been very agreeable about the camera lately. His school party is tomorrow, so maybe I’ll have better luck.

After I left Alex’s school, I bought stocking stuffers SEVEN DAYS IN ADVANCE. I’m very proud. After I bought my last two Christmas gifts, I went to Meredith’s pre-school for her Christmas program and birthday party for Jesus. To Meredith it didn’t count as a program because they didn’t stand on rafters. It was really cute and they sang several sweet little songs. You haven’t seen energy until you’ve been in a classroom full of three-year-olds on their last day before Christmas break. Whew!

Meredith’s teachers mentioned to me last week that she and a little girl named Ava have become inseparable. They play together, eat together, and insist on napping next to each other. Today they couldn’t give each other enough hugs before they left. Meredith kept talking on the way home about how long it would be until she saw “My Ava.” I have always had such wonderful girlfriends and it’s my hope Meredith finds the same, so it really warmed my heart to see her connection to Ava.

Here is Meredith about to sneeze on her friend Ava...I hope their friendship can withstand Meredith's sneezes.

Oh good, they're still friends.

Speaking of good friends, I can’t imagine what I ever did without my friend Annie. We met through another photographer’s blog earlier this year, and I have no doubt God sent Annie my way! Not only is she an absolute peach and all around wonderful gal, she’s a huge fan of squirrels. Squirrels are weird. How many people love squirrels? At least one, Annie. Who grew up in a town devoted to squirrels? Me.

Yesterday, Meredith and I braved the ice and delivered homemade cinnamon rolls and those fabulous sugar roasted pecans to a few close friends. Annie had something under her tree for me.

Have I mentioned Annie’s an artist? An artist who loves squirrels?! Did I mention I have a room in my home dedicated to my hometown and all that I love about it? This sweet little white squirrel from Annie now has a place of honor in my laundry room and Annie definitely has a spot in my heart!

How to gain seven pounds in seven days.

I have overcome my fear of working with dry active yeast. Normally, if I read a recipe and it mentions kneading and resting, I just throw it out. If I made bread, it was in the breadmaker. Then, my breadmaker bit the dust and instead of facing my fears head on, I just stopped making bread.

I was tricked into making bread under the guise that I was making cinnamon rolls. Turns out, the base of cinnamon rolls is bread. Huh.

After I finished my Christmas shopping in the Starbucks drive-thru, which I think is ingenious of them by the way, I baked. After the cinnamon rolls, I made Sara’s Sugar Roasted Pecans. Looks like I’ll be sticking to the elastic waist pants for another month. You know those nuts you always smell roasting in a kiosk at the mall? Well, I’d almost forgotten that smell, because I do 90% of my shopping on line and the other 10% in the drive-thru. While I roasted the pecans, I remembered. I stirred the nuts dutifully just like the girl at the mall, except I don’t have a nose ring or black fingernails. I have no social statement to make.

Anyway, if you have an hour and some pecans, you should make these. Sara, hope you don’t mind I’m sharing your recipe.

Sugar Roasted Pecans
1lb. Pecans
1 egg white
1 tbsp. water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used more)

Beat egg white and water together until frothy
Toss with Pecans
Mix Sugar, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl
Add Pecan mixture and toss until coated
Spread on a Pam coated cookie sheet
Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stir occasionally (just like the girl at the mall)

We’re on a two hour delay today because of the freezing drizzle that fell all night. I was grateful for the slow paced morning, but I know it’s going to bite me a little later. I was supposed to volunteer at school this morning, helping the kids with Christmas crafts. After that, I had a To Do List a mile long. I have a feeling I should just go ahead and run the list through the shredder now.

Weekend Update

I’m a little late with the Weekend Update, but I ran behind schedule all day. I was wide awake when Brandon left around 5:00 a.m. Then I realized it was cold and rainy and very dark and I could sleep for another hour. Instead, I slept two more hours. Whoops. The same children who existed on practically no sleep all weekend, slept until 7:30 a.m.

It was another busy weekend, but it’s always busy in December. Friday night we had our annual visit with Santa. The kids had so much fun singing with Santa and pleading for new Barbies. Alex reluctantly sat on Santa’s lap, but I have a feeling our days are numbered and that makes me so, so sad.

To remember what The Season is truly about, we took the kids on a walk through Bethlehem Saturday night with several of our friends. A church very close to our house stages an elaborate journey and it’s always on the most frigid night of the year. It’s uncanny. But hey, if Mary can ride a donkey nine months pregnant, I can surely bundle up our kids and spend 20 minutes hearing The Greatest Story Ever Told. Meredith absolutely loved it and was very into the whole portrayal. Alex had to announce the baby in the manger was not actually Baby Jesus, but a plastic doll; nearly causing a riot with his sister. Thank you, Alex.

Sunday was a pretty slow day. We are thinking of tiling our backsplash and I’m thinking we’re crazy. I have an idea in my head and I have a feeling my vision far exceeds Brandon’s ability and our budget. At any rate, we went to Home Depot and Lowe’s to look at tile. I just wanted to dump all the samples of kitchen materials we brought with the design lady and go home and watch the Colts game. That’s pretty much what the lady suggested after Meredith walked into a shelf and burst into tears and Alex pulled down the blind sample.

Today, I hosted my Mom’s In Touch group, which I love doing, but had to leave them early so we could make it to ballet. Once a year, the parents are allowed to come into the classroom to watch. Normally, our views are restricted to the two way mirrors or the flat screens in the lobby. The performance was much longer last year, so I wasn’t really able to get that many shots, but here’s a quick one of Meredith “ice skating.”

The group picture was a disaster, so I won’t even bother posting it. Fluorescent lighting provides such a lovely green glow and I get easily annoyed with bad lighting.

One of the moms from our ballet class invited us to her home for lunch afterwards. Her little girl is very sweet and I hoped Meredith would leave her bossy hat at home. They played really well together and couldn’t hug each other good-bye enough. It was fun for us both to make a new friend, and it turns out we’re fairly certain our husbands played on the same hockey team.

This afternoon, I made the dough for what I’m hoping will turn out to be outstanding homemade cinnamon rolls. We’ll see…If not, I’m back to my traditional gifts of fudge. Who doesn’t want an extra five LBs as a gift?!

Meredith Cassat

For today's entry, I'll grant Meredith her gallery viewing. I can't seem to find the picture she drew of Santa and Mrs. Claus and I have a feeling it left in today’s recycling load. If that’s the case, Lord help me.

The above drawing is of our family and it was finished until Meredith noticed Alex drew apple trees on his picture. She disappeared for a couple of minutes and viola her picture had an orchard too. I guess these trees are on a windswept prairie as they all lean to the left. We don’t like anything that leans to the left in our family, and Meredith was very frustrated to learn crayons don’t erase.

In the next drawing, Meredith decided we should all be dressed. I couldn't agree more. Brandon is the patriotic figure on the far right. In this picture and always.

The final picture I’ll share with you today is one that just about broke my heart. As many of you know, Brandon’s mother, Linda, is battling metastatic colon cancer. We’re keenly aware of how precious the time is the kids get to spend with her. By chance, Meredith recently chose a book about Heaven at the library. I thought maybe God was giving me a great way to explain something difficult to a sweet little heart.
The book opened the flood gates and Meredith started to put two and two together. As you can imagine, we’ve had several discussion about Heaven lately. So, Monday afternoon, Meredith drew these roses for Linda. She wrote “a note” to go with it, which is almost always a series of “M s.” I asked Meredith what the note said, and she went on to tell me it said, “Grandma, I love you and I want you to be my grandma forever. Here. Not in Heaven.” Ah geez, just when I think I’m emotionally stable…

Weekend Update

I’ve created a monster. Meredith is really into drawing. Last Monday, she wouldn’t dare sit in a taffeta gown and use crayons; a week later she won’t put down her pencil long enough to talk to her mother. That’s not the monsterish part. I’m thrilled she is putting her thoughts into pictures. I’m even more thrilled she draws me with veeerrrrryyyyy thin thighs. The garish part of Meredith’s art craze is that she thinks she has a following. She drew a picture over the weekend, explained it all in great detail, and then asked me to “blog it.” Dutifully, I will. Tomorrow.

Aside from replenishing Merdi’s paper supply, I did manage to get a few things done around the house this weekend.

Saturday morning, I did a lot of my usual cleaning stuff, while Brandon and the kids built our gingerbread house. This is usually an event in our house and Alex gets particularly excited about it. His love of design, structure, and general contracting works well with the project. Brandon’s patience and precision results in a gingerbread house that looks like the one on the box. My total lack of patience and low tolerance for nonsense would be disastrous, so I usually just take pictures. This is our house from last year....

We bought a different kit this year...

It was a Willy Wonka kit and looked really fun. It wasn’t. It had the structural integrity of a house of straw.

We threw in the towel and went to Costco for fabric softener and came out with a cart full of stuff we may or may not need. I’ve become the money nazi at our house lately, so I was anxiety riddled for the rest of the day. We also ate hot dogs and churros, so maybe my stomach issues, were not stress related.

Sunday, the kids went with my in-laws to see The Lion King. It’s part of the Broadway series, which allows people living in Indiana to feel like we have a thriving cultural scene. They loved it! We saw it a few years ago and I worried a few scenes might be a little intense for Meredith, but they said she did fine. I didn’t need to go again, because Meredith has recounted every single detail for the last 14 hours. Alex’s review: “It was fine. I wore my coat the whole time.”

While they were out of my hair, I cleaned our bedroom. I’ve already admitted how much I don’t like to put away laundry and unpack suitcases, so I might as well come clean. I had four huge baskets of stuff to sort through and put away. Included in the pile were…gulp…swimming suits. As in the ones we took to Disney. In October. Whew. It’s all done and I’ve promised myself it will not happen again. I will put all my laundry away the minute it’s folded. Just like my weight. I will never regain all the weight I loose after a six month stint in Weight Watchers.

Something to watch Sunday night!

If you didn't already get my obnoxious mass e-mail, I wanted to make you aware of a movie you really shouldn't miss. It airs on CBS Sunday night, December 7th at 9 pm EST. The movie is called "Front of the Class," and it's the life story of Brad Cohen.

(Here's a picture of Brad that I "borrowed" from his website! I'll ask for forgiveness later.)I met Brad during our years Bradley University and can tell you he's an incredibly nice guy with a huge heart, but there's a lot more to his story....

Brad is an award winning teacher and public speaker, who happens to have Tourettes Syndrome. As you can imagine, growing up with an affliction like Tourettes made life anything but easy, and his quest to become a teacher, was even more of a challenge. Brad wrote a book about his experiences, which he shared on Oprah, and Hallmark Hall of Fame has chosen to make his story into a movie.

I'm a new junkie, but lately I've had to curtail my viewing habits. Otherwise, I want to eat another row of Oreos...or a third of a pan of Rice Krispie treats. So, Brad's movie will be a welcome break from bad news. I plan to grab a glass of wine and hit the couch Sunday night. Please don't call me. I'll be watching "Front of the Class," and you should too. The last link is a video that features the real Brad, if you want to check it out!

Alex's Christmas Program

Donning Chipmunk Teeth for "The Christmas Song."

I don’t know why, but whenever I hear children singing in a group I get really choked up. Then again, I also cry over “The Star Spangled Banner.” Always. I’m sure it’s a psychological flaw I should seek therapy over.

Last night was Alex’s first grade Christmas program. It was a little surreal because I can remember my first grade program vividly and it feels like it happened last week.

I didn’t even think about it, but I guess I should be thankful we even had a Christmas program. What a shame that we live in a world where people are forced to celebrate “Winter” so as not to offend anyone else who might not share in our beliefs. If you don’t believe, don’t participate and you won’t have to waste time being offended.

As a matter of fact, an Indian family recently moved into our neighborhood. They might be a Christian family, but judging by their very traditional dress, I’d be pleasantly surprised to learn they were. Anyway, I was really moved to see them sitting there beaming at their singing daughter--just like every other camera clutching parent at the program--while she recited her lines as part of the narration of “Silent Night.”

The program and short and sweet and Alex actually sang and even smiled throughout the entirety. When we got home, Alex was on a performance high and had a very hard time calming himself down. It was 8:45 p.m. before I wrestled both kids to bed.

Changing subjects completely, it’s so funny to see how much faster a second child picks up from their older sibling. Not all of it is good, by any means. Meredith’s attitude does not reflect that of a lady or a three year old. Something she has learned from Alex, aside from his daily phonetics lesson for her, is how to draw. Alex came home with a mathematical puzzle that the kids colored to reveal Santa Claus. He embellished his picture by adding a tree and a gingerbread house. While Meredith waited for Alex to get off the bus this afternoon, she whipped up a tree of her own.
In addition to being a moron with numbers, I’m also severely lacking in the drawing department. I was tested once, for some reason I’ll never know, to see at what age level I drew. Are you ready? I’ve apparently been saddled with the drawing ability of a 4th grader. Clip art saves me, just as I’ve embraced calculators to deliver me from my math deficiencies. So, maybe I’m easily impressed, but not bad for not-quite-four years old.

Sunday morning was a doozy. After we evicted our unwelcomed guest, Brandon and I decided cleaning the carpet upstairs was a must. Yes, the mouse was only in our house for less than eight hours, but still the thought of him walking around on our carpet….Blech. We have a carpet steamer, as we’ve discussed before, so it’s not like it was a big deal but Sunday was going to be particularly busy.

Brandon was scheduled to fly out around 11:00, and I had two families scheduled for Christmas card shoots. The first family was coming to our house. Word is out that our house looks like the North Pole. So, there was last minute cleaning, Brandon was steaming the carpet, and the kids were running around like maniacs. To top it off, it snowed and our walk needed to be shoveled. More like swept, but still. Poor Brandon left for the airport late and sweaty. When he landed in Minneapolis, he had a voice mail telling him he wasn’t needed in the office after all. I think he was secretly happy to leave after a week home with us.

The first family got here around 10:30 and bless their hearts the kids were ready to play, not sit and have their pictures taken. We took lots of breaks and I bribed with M&M’s. I always feel for moms because the Christmas card picture is so important to so many. It may be the only time of year others see pictures of their kids, so there’s a lot of pressure. I get just as crazed, unfortunately so I totally understand. These little ones are my kids age and then there’s a baby in the mix too. It was work, but we got a few great pictures.

The other family I had scheduled are our across the street neighbors. The good thing about being my neighbor is being able to call and say, “Never mind, we’re going to have to reschedule we’re having a meltdown!” Then, I can just hop across the street later in the week and hope for the best.

I promised the kids we’d play in the snow if they could keep it together while I shot the other family. They did. Sort of. So, we played outside until we were starving and cold. It didn’t take long. At least for me. They would have stayed out until Christmas. Mind you, we had about and inch and a half accumulation.

I’m feeling a little squirrely this week. I think I might have the bug Alex had last week. Not overtly sick, but just queasy. And before you get any ideas…NO. I think it may just be God telling me to watch it with all the snacking.

I may have to move.

Going into the weekend, my biggest concern was finishing all the decorations and being able to see my floors again. Who knew the weekend would end with our bonus room barricaded like Fort Knox?!

Friday was a long day. I made Thanksgiving dinner for our little family a day after the real deal. For some reason, Brandon’s family doesn’t always have turkey for Thanksgiving. Some years, they serve ham. (WTH?!) This was one of those years. You know by now, I’m something of a traditionalist, and I’m raising two people who also develop magazine-like pictures in their heads for what a holiday should and shouldn’t be. So, as soon as we got home Thursday evening, my spare turkey was out of the freezer and into a cold water bath.

I cooked most of the morning on Friday. I timed everything terribly and the kitchen was a disaster. We sat down to eat and Meredith said, “That’s it?! My teacher said my belly would stick out after eating Thanksgiving. This won’t make my belly poof out.” I refrained from wringing her neck and noticed all she actually ate was cranberry sauce.

Once I got the kitchen cleaned, Meredith and I were upstairs watching an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. I was enjoying the serenity of a clean bonus room. It’s rarely orderly. The kids have the majority of their toys there and it’s usually an eyesore. Every once in awhile, I loose it and start tossing out broken toys, gum wrappers, and errant Legos. Yesterday happened to be one of those days. I scrubbed the place down top to bottom. So, after a long day of decorating, cooking, and cleaning, it was great to plop down on the couch in the clean bonus room!

Meredith was in the bathroom, when I thought I saw something. I hoped I had a floater in my eye, and willed myself to ignore it. 30 seconds later, my firmly attached retinas confirmed my fear…a little mouse stuck its face out from under the other end of our couch. (I’m itching typing this…and shuddering!) I screamed and ran outside to tell Brandon, who was on a 26 foot ladder hanging lights. He had the nerve to tell me I should be upstairs in the bonus room making sure the mouse didn’t go anywhere. Surely he was kidding.

Here’s a little back story: Our house sits in the middle of two empty lots. When we built, basements were being dug as fast as the excavators could get here. Now, I don’t expect to be baking welcome cookies for the next five years. Anyway, we’re in a fairly rural area, (I know some of you are laughing at that statement.) we have empty lots on both sides of us, and it’s cold…so mice find their way into our garage every once in awhile. Evidently, with the prolonged opening of the doors yesterday while Brandon and Alex hung lights, one thought he smelled turkey and came in for a look see.

When Brandon came inside, he and Alex turned our bonus room into a real life version of Mouse Trap. They had tubs turned sideways, baby gates set up, and a huge piece of drywall propped up by my vacuum cleaner. I took one look at the mess and left to buy mousetraps. I bought both glue boards and traditional. Brandon tried everything to catch the mouse and two hours later, I got brave enough to go in and check on him.

Brandon was sitting on a stool watching that darn mouse go from one trap to the other nibbling peanut butter. I don’t know how he managed to do it, but he licked four traps clean without so much as a single snap. We left the barricade, closed doors, sealed openings and went to bed. We still don’t have our mouse and I’m living in fear of seeing it again. To top it off, Brandon has to leave tomorrow morning for work. Sunday departures are rare and of all weeks!

As soon as Meredith wakes up from her nap, we’re off to buy poison. If the mouse doesn’t eat it, and I see it again, I might.

Update! I am happy to report we CAUGHT the mouse. Here's hoping he was alone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not only am I thankful that Tinkerbell cooperated and landed in Meredith’s hands, I am thankful this picture turned out at all. 20 seconds earlier, Meredith was unwilling to pose for any pictures. She was getting blotchy and refused to look at the camera, much less smile. The sweet Disney woman taking the picture turned Merdi’s mood around on a dime when she asked her to hold out her hands and she would see if she could get Tinkerbell to land. It was like someone flipped a switch. Hands out. Big smile. Posing just as she was asked.

The woman snapped the picture and put a special pin in Merdi’s hand. She was so thrilled with the pin, she didn’t realize she missed Tinkerbell’s landing all together.

I had an idea Tinkerbell would make an appearance in the finished product, and I was so thankful to the woman for taking the time to fix a picture for us. Instead of screaming and blotchy, we have posed and slightly dorky, but Meredith thinks it’s “the best famiwy picsha evah!”

In the current economy and with friends and family facing health crisis and other sadness, I’m making more of an effort to count my blessings even if they are as small as a picture of a fun family memory. I’m trying to focus on what we do have. I’m complaining less about living in Indiana and rejoicing more for the life we’ve built here. Brandon has a great job, we have a wonderful home to live in, cars to drive and plenty of food to eat. Most of all we have dear friends who are much more like family. I’m keenly aware that with our economy on very shaky ground, I can’t afford to take any of this for granted. So, for now I’m thankful for what we have today.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone reading! I’m thankful for an outlet for my neurosis about the sorry state of the world, making it to soccer on time, and laundry. Thank you for checking in!

Thankful the steam cleaner stayed in the closet.

The one thing I don’t miss about having a baby in our house is sudden wake-up cries in the middle of the night. Saturday morning around 5:00 a.m. ---which I realize is no where near the middle of the night, but still it was startling—Alex called out in the voice he saves for illness. I shot out of bed like a light assuming I was in for an hour of cleaning.

I was partially right. The poor little guy did get sick, but made it to the bathroom. I think that’s a first in our house and I was half-way compelled to write it in his baby book. I would have to keep a baby book for that to actually happen. So, after a glass of water, teeth brushing, and sanitizing of the bathroom, we all went back to bed. All was well for the rest of the weekend, but Alex’s appetite was a quarter of what it is normally. He opted to stay home from school today because he’s worried about “rumbling” in his stomach. I can’t say I blame him considering I can hear it from a foot away. Something tells me he’ll be fine by tomorrow, because tomorrow is the Thanksgiving party at school. Let’s hope he doesn’t go only to watch his mother be carted away for a snack violation.

We spent our entire weekend decorating for Christmas. Five of the trees are up, and we’re arguing over the sixth. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say our sunroom is at capacity with a play kitchen, two shelving units full of toys, and a playhouse. Brandon doesn’t agree and wants to add a tree into the mix. So far I’m winning, but I’m sure my first solo trip to the grocery store will cost me my lead.

Brandon is working from home this week instead of fighting Thanksgiving fliers. The kids are completely confused and I’m going to have to keep the house orderly all week. We’ll see how this goes.

I’m not looking forward to grocery shopping today. The week of Thanksgiving is always brutal. I swear some people don’t shop for food all year until this week. The same crowd waits for a forecasted snow to buy bread, milk, and eggs.

Meredith and I are off to ballet, tap, and Hobby Lobby. I promised her we could change her tree ribbon to pink. She came unhinged over the suggestion of red and white. I also have library books to return and I need to stop by Kinko’s to enlarge a turkey for tomorrow’s rousing game of Pin the Turkey on the Feather. If I don’t loose my patience it will be a miracle.

Uh oh, here’s a bad sign. I just called the attendance line at school and it was busy…four times in a row. Either everyone left for vacation early and is calling in to say their children are “sick” or Alex picked up a little something extra at the Thanksgiving feast last Friday.

“Listen up, people, I’m goin’ rogue!”

If you talked to me about this time last year, it was probably a less-than-pleasant conversation laced with complaints about school parties. I was the Head Room Mom for our school for eight weeks. I buckled under the “stress” and quit. Seriously, it was ugly. I know that sounds ridiculous, but trust me, people mean business when it comes to celebrating holidays at school. I had no idea what I was getting into.

If you went to elementary school with me or at any time during the 80’s, you probably remember wearing your Halloween costume to school, loading up on cupcakes and drinking orange drink donated by Prairie Farms, which contained 0% fruit juice. For those of you whose kids aren't yet in school, don’t expect to see anything resembling what we knew as a party when you volunteer to serve as room mom.

See, I’ve been waiting to be a room mom since my mom laughed when I asked her to be mine. My mom has her strengths, but working in a classroom full of children isn’t one of them. Being a room mom was one of the objectives listed on my stay-at-home mom resume. I couldn’t wait. Like a moron, I jumped in feet first last year and thought I could run the whole show. How hard could it be?! I worked in HR for crying out loud, I’m used to dealing with tantrums.

Little did I know, parents take these parties very seriously and our principal takes his job even more seriously. Unfortunately for both groups, they have different goals. The parents want to throw their kids’ classrooms a P-A-R-T-Y with Cupcakes, and Games, and a Take Home Craft. Our principal wants to ensure everyone is treated with complete equality and that translates into no one having any fun. Each classroom must play the same game, make the same 25 cent craft, and eat the same peanut-free, nutrionally-sound snack. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

I don’t agree with creating some environment where all things are completely equal anymore than I like the idea of spreading the wealth, but in a sense that’s what I’m trying to do. Some of these kids are probably having a rough year. A school party may be one of their few chances for fun and joy this time of year. Our principal is so concerned about one kid getting more than the other that he prevents any of the kids from experiencing holiday fun. Welcome to the new world order.

Last year, I did adhere to the mandate I was given. I was a newbie and didn’t want to rock the boat. Our sweet kindergarten teacher was also new and I didn’t want her to get benched for going along with my shenanigans. Plus, I was tired after spending days on end fielding calls and e-mails trying to explain why Mrs. Johnson couldn’t bring in her Rudolph Rocks! CD for the Christmas limbo. I caved and went with the lame games. The kids ate their snack and then asked when we were having cupcakes…or when the party was even starting for that matter.

This year I have a new found sense of bravado and a teacher who looks like a pixie, but isn’t afraid of a bear. We discussed the Fall party and made plans. It’s a “Fall Party” instead of a Halloween party. They purposely moved our Fall Break this year to fall on Halloween so we didn’t have anyone show up to school dressed as a killer bee. We decided we’d stick with the games chosen for us, but we are bending the rules and I’m bringing frosting-covered goodness. Power to the little people!

Under the Pile and Dreaming

Today as I was sending e-mails giving instructions to other parent volunteers about what we can and cannot do and bring to the Thanksgiving party at school, I noticed this headline on Yahoo: “Lean Cuisine recalls thousands of meals after plastic found in dinners.” I knew there was a reason I’d been avoiding the dozen or so I have in the freezer and opting for a turkey sandwich with cheese and chips instead.

This has been kind of a weird week. Every once in awhile I feel like I have so much to do that I start to paralyze myself with panic. Instead of getting stuff done, I just sort of sit and stare at it. I’m at that point. I need to get out a pad of paper and start making lists and then I’ll feel much better. I just need to find a pad first. It’s probably under all the clothes stacked on my island that need to be put away. I did get some of the laundry put away today. At least that’s something.

My friend Sally called this morning and wanted to know if Meredith and I would like some company. I told her I had to stay home and stay focused on homemaking. Meredith was all for a visit from Sally and her daughter Stella, until I pointed out the current state of her room. She said, “Oh, no problem mom, I’ll just put my arms out like this (arms out to the side in a threatening pose) if anyone tries to come up to my room.” I explained to Meredith that wasn’t what a gracious hostess did, and she said, “You know what, let’s just see if they want to grab a taco? That way I don’t hafta clean my room.” So, that’s what we did. I still need to clean her room.

Alex came home from school with a new math workbook, and quietly did page after page from the book, until I picked up the phone to call Sara. Sara doesn’t yet have children and may never want to if she continues to listen to mine bicker like animals while I’m on the phone with her. When Alex took the lid off this evening, he really let loose and I’m very much looking forward to bedtime. It’s always fun to do homework and sound out words when he’s in a mood. Wait a minute, maybe my anxiety-riddled mood is affecting him??? This blog is much cheaper than therapy.

The bright spot in my day was the arrival of our Christmas cards. I have to say how much I love Shutterfly.com. I work with a professional lab that does a tremendous job with my prints, but I don’t have the ability (or focus) to upload a template and create a card with them. I find it much easier just to drop something into Shutterfly. I am a woman of the people! I ordered them Sunday and viola they arrived today via UPS. Rolly was more than happy to let me know they were here. I am thrilled with the way they turned out. Now if I can just get them addressed, stamped, and mailed before Christmas…

Weekend Notes

I need two more days of weekend and I’ll be fine.

Friday night, we had a game night with some friends. My friend Renee and I had lunch and decided we needed to get together with our husbands and do something fun. Because I’m old and socially lame, fun to me means a game night. Jill and Scott are usually up for a game night and Jill knows Renee because they both work here. I used to work there and Renee was my boss. Now I work for Meredith and Alex. Anyway, they’re all fun people and we knew it would work. It did and we had a great time. It was a little tough to get moving Saturday morning, but I managed. I just felt really old.

Saturday morning, I went over to Jill’s in an effort to get a good shot for their Christmas card. Jill’s girls are four and just over a year old. We begged, bribed, and broke a sweat, and I think Jill has at least two to choose from. I don't think this made the cut, but it's my pick.

That afternoon, I went to Annie’s house for a well-timed spa party. We exfoliated, moisturized, and ate. I bought some cream that will hopefully be a cure for my scary winter feet. Sorry, but I’ve warned you before… I’m a disclosure.

Saturday evening, Brandon and I made the kids watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I told Kelly we watched it and she told me her kids just weren’t that into Charlie Brown. Neither are ours, we just don’t give them a choice because WE are into Charlie Brown. We’re great parents.

Sunday we had a really lazy day. Jill can confirm, as she stopped by around 1:00 and I was still in my pajamas. While in my pajamas, I dressed the kids in their Christmas outfits and snapped a few pictures for our Christmas card. It is really hard to avoid fake smiles in our house and it was freezing outside. Don't they look natural and warm?! This screams "perfect Nordic Christmas."

The early start of the Colts game threw us for a loop. I showered very quickly during the start of the third quarter and felt like a human. After that incredible game, we ignored the flurries and went out for ice cream. Alex moved up a level in reading recently, and I promised him ice cream. In addition to forcing my likes on my children, I also reward with food. I should write a parenting book.

When we got home, I was finishing dinner and Alex and Brandon disappeared for awhile. They like to hang out in our junk-riddled basement and hit golf balls, paint models, and work out their Christmas light display ideas. I didn’t think too much of it, until Alex called me down to show me something he’d learned. I’m always leery.

To my shock, I found Alex sitting up straight in a chair playing a little coronet. In fact, it was the coronet on which Brandon learned to play. Alex had perfect posture and was actually holding STILL. Brandon was in the chair next to him with his trumpet and they were playing a little song. Alex was behind a beat or two as he needed to watch Brandon’s fingers on the valves, but he was doing it!

I know it sounds really corny, but I got a little choked up. For one, Alex never sits still to do anything for more than 3.7 seconds. He also doesn’t like to take direction, particularly from Brandon. So, it was really neat to see them connect over something that once was such a big part of Brandon’s life. Just for added dorkiness on my part, the first time I saw Brandon he was carrying the same plaid trumpet case that was flipped open on the table yesterday.

Alex chattered away about the trumpet throughout dinner and was genuinely excited about it, which rarely happens. Normally, you can’t get him to admit he likes anything. Except sushi. He’ll tell anyone willing to listen how much he likes sushi, mostly for the shock factor, I’m sure. The minute Alex came home from school today, he went down tot the basement to practice trumpet. It may or may not last, but it’s such a relief to know he can sit still…if he wants to.

Soggy week

Most of the leaves are gone from our trees. It’s grey, cloudy, drizzly, and starting to get colder. It might not be the most scenic time of year, but something about it is cozy. It makes me want to cook beef stew, and chili, and soup. Still I’m surprised when I put on my fat pants and they’re feeling a little snug.

Alex had a half day from school on Tuesday, so we went to see Madagascar 2. The first one is better, but I’ll sit through anything if you give me a bucket of popcorn. On the way to the theater, Alex said, “This is the best. We all have comfy clothes on, it’s raining, AND we have our popcorn bucket.” We’re definitely related.

Wednesday, Meredith and I stayed in all day. Seriously. I never once backed the car out of the garage. It might not sound like a big deal, but I get stir crazy pretty easily. I had several loads of laundry to do and no where pressing to be. I didn’t even shower until after lunch and Meredith elected to stay in her jammies all day. I let her. The only other time she asked to do that, she was really sick. I know I’m sick if I’m not hungry. I know Merdi’s sick if she doesn’t want to accessorize.

After I dropped off Meredith at school on Thursday, Annie and I went to Costco to scope out the Christmas present scene. Alex really wants a Nintendo DS, and I really don’t want him to have one. I’m sure I’ll cave, but the thought of his face glued to that screen drives me crazy.

Annie and I skipped the hotdog line at Costco and decided to go out for soup. We were too far from Panera and decided to go for Thai completely spur of the moment. It was a great change of pace. I really enjoyed talking with Annie without having to referee a fight between my kids. It’s very rare that both of us are completely kid-free!

The kids and I had my friend Megan and her daughter Catey over for dinner last night. Megan’s birthday is Monday, so we celebrated a little early. I ran out of time to make cupcakes, and decided to just stop at the grocery and pick up some. To make a long story short, they had a really cute cupcake cake that looked like flowers, with bees…wait, here’s a picture:

It's a terrible picture, with really bad white balance, but at least you can visualize what I'm rambling about.
It was way more than we needed, but it was a “Manager’s Special,” i.e., it’s going to expire relatively soon and they needed to sell it. After the bakery lady assured me it was perfectly fresh, I bought it. Of course Meredith couldn’t keep it to herself that we had birthday cupcakes for Megan. Alex couldn’t help himself from yelling out, “Yeah, it was an AWESOME deal! Five bucks! Not bad, huh?!” Alex may very well be the male version of me. Except, with a much larger brain.

The Accidental Recyler

I’m not a person who solidly believes in man-made global warming. I won’t argue that we don’t necessarily take the greatest care of our planet. I don’t disagree that we should take steps to protect earth, as it is currently our only place to live. I just don’t buy into the theory that there is some huge climate change occurring as a direct result from SUVs idling in the carpool lane. Anyone ever hear of the Ice Age? It’s part of global history that our planet goes through heating and cooling stages. Thankfully, we now have climate controlled homes and don’t have to resort to wearing mammoth pelts. All of this to say, I have become an avid recycler, unintentionally.

When we lived in our last house, we paid for recycling for years without me realizing it. Brandon stuck the bins in the attic, and never told me it was part of our garbage service. Now, I wasn’t in a rush to recycle, but if I’m paying for something I’m going to use it. Recently, our city switched garbage companies and when they dropped off our enormous can/cart, they also dropped off a 96 gallon recycling bin. I thought it would be a great place to store all the balls that roll out of our garage every time one of the doors is opened.

Alex saw the new bin and said, “Hey Mom, at school we talked about the rainforest. And I think we’re supposed to recycle to save the rainforest.” A bit misguided, but I couldn’t argue with Alex over recycling when the city was making it so convenient. I read the information and it turned out I didn’t have to sort the recyclables and they accepted a lot of the junk I normally toss. I’m not even required to rinse the jars/cans/milk jugs, but I do because I want to be liked. Even by the recycling people who don't have time to notice my efforts.

It’s recycling for the lazy and apathetic.

Once I got started I couldn’t stop. I’m boarder-line obsessive about recycling. I will jerk the sale ads away from Brandon just to put them in the bin. I know what type of plastic specific bottles are made from and whether or not they can be recycled. My daily routine includes flipping over empties to see if they have a “1” or a “2”. Sometimes “5” looks like “2” and I realize my eyes are getting bad. I worry because I don’t want to buck the system. Some neighbors are annoyed because apparently the old company accepted “5s” and “7s” and it makes them very mad that the new company doesn’t. I don’t know, but I do know the company only picks up the recycling every other week and lately we’ve had more recyclables than garbage.

Prior to our trash compactor I insisted on installing, Brandon dumping our lawn clippings on the empty lot next door, and my neurotic recycling habit, we needed two large carts for all our garbage. The garbage man even left us a nasty-gram. Twice. Now, most of the time our main garbage been in ¾ empty. I’m not naïve enough to believe all the stuff I put in the recycling bin is made into stationery and purses, but it gets me off the hook with Alex.

After all the complaining about unpacking last week, I set myself up for more. This trip was planned the minute Baby Maria made her appearance on October 19th. Maria and her family live about 20 minutes north of my hometown. Whenever we head “home,” we always over-schedule ourselves and we never leave on time. This weekend was no different.

We left a full hour and a half later than I initially planned. I have no idea why. So, we got to Jill C.’s house an hour or so after I told her to expect us. It’s as though we run on island time. At any rate, Jill forgave us and even let me scoop her sweet, sleeping, pink bundle of a baby out of her bassinet. It’s not that I forget what newborns smell like, it’s just that I forget how positively intoxicating the scent of baby powder is. It’s dangerous.

Maria is precious! While she looks a great deal like her brothers, Maria has these dainty little features that unmistakably scream GIRL! Her hands…Her tiny little fingers. Meredith could not get enough of Maria’s delicate hands.
Meredith was very excited to hold Baby Maria. I was a little surprised because Alex is very much our resident Baby Whisperer. Meredith usually peeks at the baby, comments on his/her outfit, and runs off to play with the older siblings. Before we even left our house, Meredith asked if I thought Jill might let her hold Maria. Jill obliged and Meredith did great. Of course, Jill and I were secretly cradling Maria’s head, but Meredith either didn’t notice or was too proud to care.

Alex loves to play in Jill’s sprawling yard with her boys Giuseppe and Frank. It was cold, but the boys didn’t seem to notice. When they came inside they were all wearing safety goggles, carrying plastic rifles, and bragging about knocking down wasps nests. Evidently, Jill’s husband Gaspare sprayed wasps’ nests months ago, but the boys felt it was their duty to take care of the abandoned homes. This all went on largely unsupervised as Jill and I were taking pictures of Maria and Brandon and Gaspare were at their restaurant making pizzas. (Gaspare’s and Jill’s restaurant, not Brandon’s. He doesn’t have a restaurant. At least not that I know of. Maybe that’s what he does all week.)

After gorging ourselves, we left Jill’s and went to Olney to visit my grandparents. That’s usually a fairly short visit. We sit with them and talk until we can’t hear ourselves over the din of my children arguing and then we excuse ourselves. It’s always good to see them and they’re always reminded how glad they are their four are grown.

Because we were so far behind in schedule, we got to Jennifer’s house later than we planned. I think Caroline had about given up on us. That little cutie came running to the door and immediately jumped up to give me a hug. I don’t get to see Caroline anywhere near enough, and she never seems to need time to warm up to us. Oh, I could kiss her adorable cheeks all day! Caroline’s little brother Reese and I made a deal last time I saw him that he wouldn’t grow. He didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. We couldn’t believe what a big boy Reese is. He’s eating cereal and scooting all over the place. He is so cute and it’s so funny to watch him in constant motion. I remember another little chubby cheeked boy who was always in a perpetual state of movement. In fact, now he’s a tall, skinny boy who still cannot remain motionless. Ever.

After all our Olney visiting, we headed an hour south to my grandma Roger’s. Bless her soul, she expected us two hours earlier…at least I called, and she was dying for us to get there. We had dinner and my aunt stopped by for a little bit. The kids played with many of the same toys I played with as a kid and then finally fell into bed. Alex and Meredith share a bed at Nana’s and the last time there was a quarrel, Meredith was bitten by Alex, and there were tears all around. This time, they were too tired to fight for space and were asleep the minute I tucked them into bed.

We drove home yesterday in time for the Colts game. Thankfully, they made it worth the drive! Now, I’m unpacking, doing laundry, and getting read for ballet. The cycle continues.

I hate suitcases.

It feels redundant to say, “It’s been a busy week.” When has it not been a busy week? Does anyone have a week that isn’t busy anymore? Even my grandma has an insane schedule with trips to the “beauty shop,” lunch with friends, and activities with her joy group, which is basically a youth group for seasoned citizens. Wouldn’t it be great to have a week without a to-do list?

I always have a hard time getting caught up with laundry after we’ve been away. It takes me days to unpack suitcases. Brandon is usually done within an hour of arriving home. I drag out the process until it’s painful. My goal for yesterday was simply to get the suitcases out of the kitchen. I like to reach for the stars. I really need three, uninterrupted days to restore order. I’m also a dreamer.

If I had to do laundry, unpack, change sheets, clean bathrooms, clean floors, and dust without any distractions, I would implode. I had three photo shoots this week, and I’m eternally grateful for the escape!

Sunday morning, I met two families at the park in an effort to get Christmas card pictures taken while central Indiana still has fall leaves on the trees. It was a nice break from unpacking and storing all the shorts for winter.

This is my friend Emersyn, who is every bit as sweet as she looks. She's such a peaceful, calm little soul.

And this is the family of Penny Pickles Art fame. What a fun bunch! I'll have more to share of them next week.

Wednesday was such a great day, that my friend Dawn and I decided we would take the kids to the park after school. Then I remembered I owed Dawn a photo session. So, we dressed up her kids and headed back to the same park. I brought along Christmas card-worthy clothes for Alex and Meredith too. It quickly became apparent that a park and their friends weren’t going to make for two kids willing to sit in front of the camera, especially mine. We may try again today. Or, I may send out Snoopy Christmas cards from Hallmark.

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned, Joe and Annie used to live two doors down from us. Our kids are very close in age and have literally grown up together. I’m overjoyed that their family is growing by one person and they’re going to bring the baby home to their new house in our neighborhood. I can’t wait to have them back as neighbors!

Since the unpacking is nearly finished and the laundry is becoming more of a manageable beast, we’re leaving again tomorrow. We’re going on a tour of Southern Illinois. The first stop is to meet Baby Maria! I couldn’t be more excited. Check back Monday for a blog full of pictures. After that, it’s onto Olney to see Caroline, Reese, and my grandparents. I also might have to pick up a few treats for my squirrel loving friend, Annie. From Olney, we’ll drive an hour south to visit my other grandma. She’s making homemade vegetable soup and I can already taste it. I have my fingers crossed that she’s made extra for my freezer. That I don’t mind unpacking.

We’ll head home Sunday so Brandon can pack for the week ahead and I can spend the week ahead unpacking.