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.