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!

Quack or Treat??

 This year on Halloween I was healthy and happy unlike last year's Halloween, so a HUGE HOORAY for that!!  I think I have mentioned the fact that I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the abundance of cheap and poor quality, imported Halloween merchandise in all of the big retail stores in the USA.  As a form of rebellion, all of us girls wore recycled costumes (i.e. costumes from Halloweens past), and Lili borrowed this fabulous little duck costume from our friends the Fitzgeralds.

 

George enhanced clothes from his own closet with a little bling and assumed the persona of "Big Daddy" for the evening.  I still giggle when I think of him greeting trick-or-treaters at our door with a festive, "Yo yo yo!  What up!?"  As treats were dropped into each waiting vessel, Big Daddy would shout, "BOOO YA!!"

So... yes, we did have a Happy Halloween.

Hope yours was happy too! 

PEACE, Yo.