Gingerbread, Gingerbread, Gingerbread Rocks!

With Mimi here at Christmastime, we took advantage of her crafty, artistic skills and made some gingerbread sleighs complete with jelly St. Nicks.

Mimi even knows how to make clean up fun.

This is Lili's idea of helping.  "Another Kit-kat over here, please!!"

 Gingerbread crafting brings out the little elf in all of us.

 The finished product... a sweet masterpiece!

These Wonderful Things are the Things We Remember All Through Our Lives...

If it can be believed, we had enough of card games and banana pudding yesterday.  So we headed out to the big hill for some old fashioned fun.  Mimi had an old fashioned diet Coke in the chalet and cheered us on from inside.

 

I was feeling genuinely hopeful that running up the hill with Lili literally en tow would help to burn off some of that banana pudding and apple pie as well as those mashed potatoes and Christmas cookies.  It was worth a shot.

 

Up and down the hill we went over and over again, and I only complained a little when my glove somehow got filled with snow and I lost all feeling below the right wrist.  Eventually I took Uncle David's advice and "quit being a baby."

Now we all feel like we've embraced winter at least for now.  Ask me how I'm feeling at the end of March when it's still snowing up here.  For now these chilly sights are warming my heart.

A Picture Perfect Christmas Eve...

A baby and a blue spruce...

 

Lili's "Poochy Face" has been captured for your holiday pleasure.

 

Lili enjoys our traditional Christmas eve spaghetti...

Silverware is COMPLETELY optional!

"Lord help the Mister who comes between me and my sister!"

Another one of our Christmas Eve traditions

 

Whoop!  Look out!  Miss Griswold is off to do some last minute Christmas shopping!!

Snakes and snails and puppy dog's tails

GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE.

Love, Meredith

Santa's House

 

How cool is it that we live in a town that has its very own Santa House?  Midland, MI is where Santa likes to hang out from the end of November until Dec. 23rd.  He even has a house right on Main Street.

Today we visited our bigger girls at school (where Lili allowed herself to be admired by a slew of first and third graders), then we took them out of school a few minutes early and headed down town to visit Santa at his house!  Lili was completely impressed.  There was so much to look at in Santa's house.

"I want that!"

Sophia had decided there were a few questions for which she needed answers: 

1) Why do they call you "Santa"? 

2) How many elves do you have?

3) How do reindeer fly?

 

By the time she actually got on his lap, however, she was so star struck, she forgot to ask any of her questions.  The big guy did most of the talking and Sophie asked for the usual: surprises.  Emma and Sophie both had a turn on Santa's lap and spent some quality time discussing important Christmas issues.  Whether they had been naughty or nice was obviously a topic of conversation which invoked some serious consideration.  After a bit of soul searching both assured Santa that they have been pretty nice.

 "I don't mean to sound greedy, but I actually would like a Nintendo DS this Christmas."

And of course in the end ALL of the little girls had to pile onto Santa's lap for a photo op, and he didn't seem to mind that a bit.

"Whenever you give someone a present or sing a holiday song, you're helping Santa Claus. To me, that's what Christmas is all about. Helping Santa Claus!"  ~ Louis Sachar

It's a Wonderful Life!

Why don't I have any time?  Why is having three children so much more demanding that having two?  How much harder could it be, right? 

I think I have solved the mystery this weekend.  Here goes...  Lili wakes up at around 6 am.  Sometimes I can convince her to catnap off an on in our bed until about 7:30.  Then for the rest of the day, she is my constant companion.  She showers with me, accompanies me on all of my errands and climbs onto the open door of the dishwasher and stomps her little feet as I load and unload it.  She begs for bites of my breakfast, lunch and dinner and chats to me while I'm in the bathroom.  If there is ever a moment when she is not by my side, it can be counted on that she is up to something naughty.  She enjoys removing lights and ornaments from the Christmas tree, "cleaning" the toilet and filling it with tissue AND she also likes to empty all of the drawers in my bedroom.  If she takes a nap, it usually happens en route to wherever we happen to be going on any given day.  She will also occasionally nap in the baby backpack while I do the grocery shopping.  All of this is wonderful and exhausting, but there are also two other little people that live in this house...

Emma and Sophia are superstars about getting up and getting dressed completely on their own in the morning.  I know what a lucky mom I am in this regard.  Sophie usually comes and wakes ME up at around 7:15 am at which point I roll out of bed (with Lili) and make something exceptionally wonderful for breakfast (like toast with jam or oatmeal with fruit).  I help the big girls into their coats, snow pants and boots, send them out the door with lovingly packed lunch boxes, and watch from the warmth of the living room as they wait for their school bus at the end of the driveway in the frigid Michigan early morning.  And then I proceed with the sorting of the mountain of laundry in my closet.  Lili helps by throwing everything out of the basket and rolling in it or playing peek a boo with it.  Eventually a basket of white towels and one rogue red sock makes its way into the wash, and then we continue our day with the remaining activities listed in paragraph one.

Later in the afternoon, the big yellow bus rolls back down the street and I am greeted by two chatty and ravenous little ladies.  I make snacks.  Check that.  I make "Dinner Number One".  Two hot dogs or a large plate of pasta is not a snack.  Then we are off to swimming, gymnastics or church.  Lili gets to ride along and I get to entertain her while the big girls practice their activities.  The entertainment of Lili often involves a little box of raisins and a cup of juice followed by a game of "You Come Back Here; I'm Going to Get You, You Little Monster".  Then we return home for dinner number two, homework, baths and quality time.  Quality time involves me being asked questions like, "Hey mom, so like do you think you're a pretty good mom?  I'm just asking."  or "If I were a badger living in a land called Pillow World, what do you think my favorite hobbies would be?"

At some point I will shuffle Lili off to bed (her own bed, Glory Hallelujah!),  and then I begin the bedtime rituals for the other two girls.  (There is usually a wonderful Dad around who helps with this routine, but our kids are experts at stretching out the bedtime hour.)  By the time it is all said and done, I am usually finishing reading and chatting with Emma by 9:30 or 10.  I love reading with my kids and am a huge fan of children's literature, so I am not complaining, but WOW there isn't much "Me Time" happening here these days.  No wonder I often stay up past midnight reading or emailing or simply dish-washing without my tap dancing little pally.

I sincerely hope that none of this sounds like I am grumbling.  I really love my busy life, but until I sat still for a moment (a rare occurrence) and thought about a typical day in my life, I really couldn't figure out why it is now so much harder to find time to bake, or hang those pictures that have been collecting dust behind the couch for months, to play board games with my older kids or to blog about how fabulous we all are.  I also used to love to entertain guests, but now the thought of it gives me hives.  Here is a photos of something that does NOT give me hives...

 

These three little girls, ages 8, 6 and 1 do keep me extremely busy.  My house never looks perfect.  There is always laundry to be done, a dirty dish or seven in the sink, and something unidentified and sticky somewhere on the kitchen counter.  There is toothpaste on the bathroom mirror, a little girl's sock in between the sofa cushions and a handful of crushed cheerios on the kitchen floor.  But there is also love and a lot of laughter, and we wouldn't have it any other way.  It truly is a wonderful, hectic, busy, meaningful life, and those little girls won't be little forever.  Merry Christmas!  Love, Meredith

Freezing My Grits Off, Y'all

 

We made it through the church Christmas pageant on Sunday evening.  It was really lovely.  Emma played a wonder-filled, humble shepherd while Sophie sparkled as a cherubic angel.  The pageant really was fantastic, but the most awe-inspiring part of it to me was the fact that it happened at all.  I mean there were five inches of snow on the ground.  There were howling winds and even more snow was on the way, and all of these crazy Michiganders trundled off to church (in frilly dresses even) as if it were no big deal.  The North Carolinian in me cried out, "This is so wrong!!  We should all be at home, in our pajamas watching the weather channel... in other words, being sensible... after we clear the super marker shelves of bread and milk, of course."  But that is not what happens here.

After the Christmas pageant, we all piled into the big family vehicle and headed for our local Meijer.  With all of the snow, we obviously needed to buy a few gallons of milk and some Chapstick.  I was shocked to find that at Meijer, it was all "business as usual."  I didn't even have to wrestle an old lady to the ground for the last loaf of bread nor did I need to take off my earrings and start swinging my pocketbook wildly to get near the dairy case.  It was oddly calm.  Shoppers went about their business as usual, and I was left feeling that my wintry shopping experience was a bit anticlimactic.

Midland Public Schools had canceled school for today before our kids even went to bed last night, but we didn't tell them.  We thought it might be more fun for them to wake up and have a morning surprise.  This is a view from our front door today.  Quite beautiful, really...

 

Of course a snow day means hot chocolate, and if you're lucky, your mom might add whipped cream and a little candy cane.  That's when you smile like this... 

Yum!  Happy Snow Day!

(On another occasion I will have a nice rant about how cold it is... 9 degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon!  I really don't know if I'm up for this.  I see fashionable, decorative ski masks in my future.  "Honestly, I'm not here to rob you.  I'm just from down South.")

The Family Ham

This weekend involved all sorts of seasonal festiveness. On Friday evening, we (nearly) finished decorating our tree with well-loved ornaments from Christmases past and a few new ones.  We are unfortunately no longer feeling enamored with the blue spruce which bleeds sap, drops needles like crazy and has to be handled with gardening gloves unless one doesn't mind being stabbed bloody.  But Happy Christmas anyway.  The tree still looks pretty and provides endless temptation for little Lili.

Last night we all went Christmas shopping and didn't get home until WAY past bedtime.  As I tucked a very sleepy Sophie into bed, she was half mumbling, half singing, "Mary had a baby. Yes, Lord.  Mary had a baby. Yes, my lord..."

And this morning we all woke up (a little later than usual) and found a wonderfully sparkly blanket of snow covering the outside world.  This afternoon we are looking forward to the children's Christmas pageant at church.  The North Carolinian in me is still baffled by the fact that life here continues to go on when there are about five inches of snow on the ground and the white stuff is still falling.  I'm guessing I will embrace the Michigan mindset eventually.

The weekend event that most impressed the little girls at this house was yesterday's Christmas cookie making.  Christmas cookies, in case you weren't aware, are not healthy.  Yesterday I learned to simply accept this fact.  Our attempt at healthy whole wheat gingerbread bears resulted in somewhat disgusting hilarity.  In the end it was nothing a little partially hydrogenated, rocket propelled spray frosting couldn't remedy.

Lesson learned, we opted for the considerably less healthy and more delicious traditional sugar cookies.  I suppose the sugar rush affected me.  I became so wrapped up in the Christmas cookie excitement that I decided to deliciously decorate Sophia a little bit...

It looks like fun, doesn't it?  Emma thought so... so I had to decorate her a little as well...

 

Of course I should have realized that The Family Ham was closely scrutinizing all of this fun.  The Family Ham cannot stand to be left out of any sort of fun.  The Family Ham took matters into her own hands...

 

Happy Christmas from our Family's Ham.

I'll Have a Blue (Spruce) Christmas!

Hey Y'all.  Winter is arriving in Michigan, and it is COLD!  I opened the door this morning at ten minutes to eight to send my little darlings out the door and down to the end of the driveway to wait for the bus, and it felt as I though I had opened the door to an enormous freezer.  "Goodbye, my babies!  I love you!!" I shouted and quickly closed the door to block out the arctic weather.  Sending my kids to school in snow pants and snow boots is new territory for me.

I suppose all of this winter weather nicely accompanies our preparations for Christmas.  On Sunday evening after nursing my ruined "toddler back" all day, we decided to head out to a local tree farm and find the Carson family Christmas tree.  (Incidentally "toddler back" involves literally crippling back pain that results from hoisting on to one's hip and carrying a 20+ pound toddler all day every day.  It takes its toll after a while.  I had a brilliant case of it for at least a year starting around the time Sophie was Lili's age.)

When we left home, it was just beginning to snow.  By the time we carried our new tree out to our car, everything in sight was winter white.  We enjoyed perusing all of the trees at the farm.  Compared to North Carolina, Michigan has a much larger variety of trees from which to choose.  Emma nearly lost her mind with excitement and announced that she had found the PERFECT tree at least eight times.

My gang exploring the NC favorites, Frasier Firs

In the end, we decided to try out a new kind of tree, and an almost-perfect Blue Spruce came home with us.  In hind sight we may not have made the best choice considering the fact that its needles are ridiculously sharp and the fact that we currently have an E.T.-like toddler who has absolutely no sense wandering around our house licking everything.  Live and learn.  We didn't notice how sharp those needles were until we got home and put the tree in its stand.  It is awfully pretty and will likely be even prettier if we ever get around to decorating the thing.  Happy Christmas!!

Our first blue spruce.  Think we'll name him Elvis.

Oh Happy Day!

This happy little girl was baptized at our new church yesterday.  I really wish that our faraway friends and extended family had been able to attend since it was rather special.  George and I were a little worried that Lili might turn into a wriggly monster up in front of the church.  She was starting to get antsy and was lunging toward the table behind me that was set with hand bells as we responded to the baptismal vows, but when I handed her to the minister, Dr. McCummons, her two favorite fingers went into her mouth and she watched his face intently as he spoke about why it was such a special day for her.  Before she was "sprinkled" she reached out her little hand and had a good splash in the baptismal font.  Emma and Sophie who stood right by our sides were delighted.

Finally she took a walk down the aisle and back in Dr. McCummons's arms and didn't make a peep.  She seemed to be impressed with the fact that she had so many admiring faces watching her.  And as she took that trip down the aisle, I couldn't help but notice that a beautiful silent snow had begun to fall outside the enormous windows on either side of the sanctuary.  Emma noticed as well.  Later she remarked that it was nice of God to send that sign during Lil's baptism.

"Let the little children come unto Me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -- Luke 18:16

Happy December!

This morning when George's alarm went off (far too early), the song that played on his clock radio was  "Winter Wonderland."  When I finally managed to pry my eyes open, I noticed that it actually looked a bit like a winter wonderland in our back woods.  I failed to become excited about this until a little later in the day. Lili has been making a nasty habit of waking us up in the middle of the night in hopes that we will play peek-a-boo with her for an hour or two.  The end result of those shenanigans is a not-so-chipper mama in the morning, one who snarls things like, "Don't forget your lunch box!!  I love you.  Grrr!"

After I got up and showered and got myself out and about in the aforementioned winter wonderland, I noticed that it was indeed quite lovely.  Lili and I managed to finish our charity Christmas shopping, pick up a little Christmas something for George AND stock up on some new festive Christmas lights.  The variety of lights out there is absolutely glee-inducing!  (Candy cane rope lighting is super cute for the record.)

Sophie was disappointed that the snow didn't stick much to the ground, but it really looked beautiful falling throughout the day... and I have a feeling she will get her fill of snow as the winter arrives and lingers here in Michigan.

On a completely different note, over the Thanksgiving holidays while I was in the kitchen doing dishes (one of my most frequent chores), Sophie and Emma sat at the kitchen table drawing and I couldn't help but overhear this conversation...

E: OK, Sophie, truth or dare?
S: Uhhhhmmm... Truth!!
E: Hmmm.  Ok, well, the truth is Sophie, sometimes when you wake up in the morning, your hair looks really crazy.  I'm sorry, but that IS the truth.

Sophie was not at all bothered by this news and has been known to mess up her hair intentionally for a laugh, and I was certainly amused by their misunderstanding of the "Truth or Dare" rules.  I'm not even sure where they learned about the game anyway...somewhere out there in the big bad world.  Later on Emma dared Sophie to give her all the money she had in her piggy bank, and Sophie decided that she didn't want to play "Truth or Dare" any more.

Lili is also doing her part to keep me entertained.  She has learned the word, "uh-oh!"  That tiny lilting voice calling out "Uh Oh!" is one of the sweetest things ever...even if it follows a box full of raisins being dumped in the floor. Uh oh.

Happy December All!

Thank You For the Poets (as well as those who inspire the poetry in my heart)!

Emma and Sophie were so very excited about Thanksgiving this year.  It was the first Thanksgiving that they remember having in the States and it brought with it a four day weekend!!  Before I was even out of bed this morning, Sophie was up and had composed this little 'poem' on the computer, which she printed and brought to me:

 Thanksgiving is here!

Thanksgiving has taken so long!

But now it is here.

Let's all give a cheer!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We all got up this morning, cooked a big breakfast while the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade paraded in the background, and then we just relaxed.  I let Lili take a really long, lovely nap on my chest while George and I chatted and listened to old music.  We were engaged in some serious R&R.  Eventually it occurred to us all that we were really hungry, and that Thanksgiving dinner takes a while to cook.  Who was the fool who told me that giant double turkey breast in my fridge would only require an hour of cook time?  (It was more like three hours.  Oops.)

We did successfully get turkey and fixings on the table, but by the time we did, we were all ravenous and maybe even a little grouchy.  In the end the meal was very nice and while waiting for that turkey to cook, Emma had time to write a Thanksgiving poem of her own... an acrostic at that:

Thanksgiving is here!

Humming gracefully as you pray.

At last time for turkey!

Never forget to count your blessings.

Kindness is all about this day,

So remember to give and not just ask.

God is the One who made our hearts.

I say we thank Him for this

Very special day.

It's such a special holiday, so everyone's invited.

Now is the time to be thankful, so let's

Give thanks for all!

~ By Emma Carson

November 25, 2010

Lili, of course, did not compose any poetry today, but she demonstrated her excitement in other ways (like by crawling onto the table to investigate our turkey a bit more closely).

Everyone is thankful for me!

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."  ~Thornton Wilder 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Love,

Meredith

Santa Claus Came to Town

I know it seems a tad early, but today was the day for the annual Midland Santa Parade, and Santa himself (along with Mrs. Claus and the reindeer) came to town at the very end of the parade.  After a week at home with a very sick Lili (yes, again!!), it was good to get everyone all bundled up and out in the fresh air.  The girls got to try out their long underwear, and I gave my new "ridiculously warm" coat a go.

The kids came home with way more candy than they got on Halloween.  We chuckled as some of the parade participants passed.  "The Weed Man" drove past and threw out all sorts of candy.  Somehow Emma also ended up with a "Weed Man" sticker on her new winter coat.  The Midland Republicans sped by in a red SUV with snowflakes painted on the windows.  They didn't have any candy to share, but a middle aged woman wearing a fur coat did smile at us and wave a leather-gloved hand from behind the closed passenger side window.  Even the Midland Unitarian Universalists made a fancy float that played classical music and declared that they were celebrating "Just Winter."  It was so festive!

Finally we could see that Santa's sleigh with its eight tiny reindeer was approaching.  I did my best to scream, "SANTA!!!" a la Buddy the Elf in an attempt to embarrass Sophia, but she is apparently immune to embarrassment.

Ho HO Ho, Y'all.

Not to Be Out Done...

Emma was concerned when Sophie was getting so much attention on Tuesday evening when she lost her tooth.  Emma needed to make a video as well.  This is what happened when I pointed the camera at her and said, "Okay, Go!"  And yes, there is a banana involved.  Hold on to your underpants.

Sophia Carson IS a Toothless Wonder!!

 

BEFORE

AND AFTER...

 

Tonight was a big night.  During parent teacher conferences (where Sophia's teacher absolutely raved about her), her front tooth almost came completely dislodged.  We waited until we got home and managed to get one last photo of that sweet smile with the baby teeth before George helped that toothy rascal find its way out for good.  The new permanent tooth is already visible, so we may not have a cute little snaggle-toothed six year old for very long.

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."  ~Phyllis Diller

I Caved...

I grew so weary of hearing George call Lili "Joe Dirt" and could no longer tolerate his making fun of her "baby mullet" that I ended up here tonight...

 We joined the Fitzgeralds for a completely innocent birthday celebration, and the mockery finally got to me.  "Alright, Kasey!  Get your scissors," I exclaimed knowing that I had been tragically worn down and defeated.  Then we sat in the kitchen and I put Lili's little curls in the very capable hands of our hairdressing friend...

Goodbye, Curls!!

I don't know why baby's first haircut is so hard for us mamas.  I know I'm not the only one.  Lili now looks cute as can be, and her hair looks much tidier.  George can no longer call her Joe Dirt, but it's still a little sad.

  

My Little "Pick Me Up"

Yes, my last post was a bit dismal.  I think we can attribute that largely to the fact that George has been out of town all week.  (But he will return tonight!)  George is often the foil to my inner worrier.  When I grumble and fret, he reminds me about all of the good things about any given situation.  He reminds me about scientific and social progress.  He argues that something good can come out of everything, and he is an excellent arguer.

Without George here this week to lift me out of my fretful funk, I have figuratively leaned on the little munchkin who is literally leaning on my chest right at this moment.  For my gorgeous little Lili, life really is a bowlful of cherries... or perhaps a bowlful of Cheerios in her case.  The worst thing that happens in her life is that Mama occasionally leaves the room for a few seconds while she throws herself down on the floor and has a right proper strop about that.  (Yes, my clingy infant has now blossomed into a fabulous, clingy toddler.) 

The first human interaction I had today was the feeling of her little arms wrapped so tightly around my neck followed by her dainty lips planting an exquisite kiss on my cheek.  Then her dimpled hands caressed my face as she purred with delight, "Mama!"  So today I am beyond complaining.  Instead I am filled with warm and fuzzy gratitude and mushy gushy love.  From the beginning, life with Lili has not been easy peasy lemon squeezy, but I would do it all again a hundred times because she has become the most loving little person I have ever known.  Her Dad and her sisters will vouch for that.  (By the way, I love all of them just as much!  How blessed am I??)

Sweets for the sweet

On another note, since George has been away, Lilianna Gwyneth has just taken off!  That girl is practically running all over my house.  Last night I looked away for a moment while I was talking to Sophia, and when I looked back, Lili was standing on the open door of the dishwasher pulling glasses out of the dishwasher's top rack!  Welcome to toddlerhood!  It's on!

"Father asked us, 'What was God's noblest work?' Anna said, 'Men', but I said 'Babies'. Men are often bad, but babies never are." -Louisa May Alcott

Living in America

America is seeping into my veins.  It is starting to feel like home again.  I vacillate between excitement over all of the American-ness that is around me and the desire to hold a lot of that American-ness at arms length and ponder it with a bit of skepticism.  While in the UK, I thought I missed all of the cheerful, sparkly American goodies and doo-dahs.  Now that I'm back, I examine said goodies with a very critical eye and ask ridiculously serious questions like:

• "How many calories/ artificial ingredients/ saturated, partially hydrogenated fats are in this thing?" 
• "Was this cute-as-can-be dingleberry painted in a horrible third world sweatshop with toxic led paint?"  
• "Is there anything in this store that was not made in China?" 
• "Is this packaging recyclable?" or "Is this entire thing going to end up in a landfill when I'm finished with it?"

These questions tend to take the fun out of a shopping experience.  Ignorance is indeed bliss.  Shopping without asking any of these questions is an entirely different affair.  Have I become my own worst killjoy?

Thankfully I live with three delightful children who prevent the killing of too much joy and provide scads of their own homemade joy.  The older girls are very excited about spending the first Thanksgiving that they can recall in America.  They are also both a little annoyed that the local stores seem to be "skipping Thanksgiving" since all of the retailers have Christmas displays twinkling and jingling at full force, but I doubt they will hold a grudge. 

I'm sure I will achieve a balance at some point.  I will discover how to be both a happy and ethical shopper.  Is that possible?  I appreciate the perspective that I gained during my five years across the pond.  Consumption is such a huge part of our American culture.  I was immersed in it for most of my life and didn't even it know it.  Consumption was my "normal," but it has gotten crazy, hasn't it?  It's not fun to think about, because buying and "consuming" new sparkly, shiny, happy things is great fun, but there is a price.

Too many material things in my space makes me feel empty and shallow.  Sometimes I think things like, "How can I pay $20 for a poorly made, imported Halloween costume when we have a trunk full of dress up clothes and home... especially since I could donate that $20 to starving children in Sri Lanka instead?"  This is my personal, internal dialogue.  I promise not to tut-tut if I see you in Target with an inflatable Charlie Brown Christmas lawn ornament in your trolley, but I am having a hard time re-inserting myself into the consumer-driven American scene.

Then the other side of my brain chimes in and says, "You know this really is a luxurious problem to have!  Only someone with a comfortable income can bother to agonize over whether the more expensive organic, ethically sourced thingamajiggy is really better to buy than the store brand."  I think it's time to give my brain a little rest...

"I love to go shopping.  I love to freak out  salespeople.  They ask me if they can help me, and I say, "Have you got anything I'd like?"  Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, "Extra medium."  -Stephen Wright

Peekaboo and Pancakes

It is nice to have hobbies.

It's Still Fall, You Know!!

Someone needs to tell my local super center and radio station that it was Halloween less than a week ago.  You all know that I love Christmas and Christmas music, but with the non-stop Christmas music already playing on the radio and Christmas products lining every inch of available store space, I will be downright sick of Christmas before December even gets here.  As D'andre Cole would say, "What Up With That?"  Be where you are, people, and right now we are in the midst of a beautiful autumn.  There is still Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie to look forward to before the fat man thinks about coming down your chimney or the plastic baby Jesus gets placed tenderly in the manger in your front yard.

So here is a reminder: instead of hearing those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too, THIS is what you should  be doing right about now...

Making Progess

Wow.  I am busy.  Constantly doing very boring and mundane tasks like laundry, dishes, baby chasing and food preparation.  Some tasks are more mundane than others.  That being said, I am generally very happy with my life.  Sitting down at the computer to compose a blog post that makes sense does not happen as easily as it used to.  See the above photo which was taken the last time I tried to post pics and anecdotes about Halloween.  Where did she find that peanut butter?  How did she get the lid off?  These are questions I didn't have time to ponder.  I just let her have a little fun and then managed to wash her hand/ arm/ shirt before she spread that peanut butter all over our office.  Just another day.

On another note, Lili's separation anxiety has gotten a little better.  She used to cry anytime I was gone for the entire time I was gone.  That is improving.  I have been consistently leaving her in the Jazzercise nursery three times a week, and the screaming has decreased significantly.  I also keep the babies in our church nursery on Thursday evening, and Lili is now mostly tolerant when I hold, cuddle and play with the other babies.  It may not sound like much, but for her it's a pretty big deal.  Maybe one of these days, George and I will actually have a night out... before she's a teenager.

Happy weekend to all!