Snow!

It's going to snow tomorrow! We won't get a lot, and people are saying maybe it won't stick, but still, snow nonetheless.

Jamie's Yesterday Morning

Wednesday morning for Jamie:

I woke up with a *really bad* migraine at around 5am which is about an hour earlier than we usually get up. But Jamie got up, brought me the pharmacy number and I called in a refill of the stuff I take for migraines. While I was doing that, Jamie went to take the dog out and realized the dog has a certain digestive illness and the carpet needed attention. So he took the dog out, cleaned the carpet as best he could, went out in the rain to the pharmacy, came home, drove Claudia to school, embarrassed Claudia with the "Keep Abortion Legal" bumper sticker on his car, dropped Claudia at school, rented a steam cleaner, came home, got the little girls ready and packed lunches and got snacks ready for after school, took Jordan to the bus stop, drove Sammy into Indianapolis to school in rush hour traffic, came home, cleaned the carpet, got ready for work and then, finally, went to work.

Thanksgiving photos

Leaving at 5am.



Good travelers.

El Chilito:





Bailey and Grant:



Ginny and Bailey:



Jana and Jamie:



Grandma Esther:



Bridge over the Mississippi:

Thanksgiving

We're back from Texas and resting comfortably.

The drive:

Aside from the aforementioned speed trap and kid-vomiting-in-the-car event, it was uneventful and as far as travel disasters go, I'll take it. 2400 miles is one long car trip but another way to look at it is 40 something hours of togetherness and how often do you get that? And it was especially nice because Claudia and Jordan are seasoned road trippers so they're really good travelers. Troopers and adventurers is what they are. (Special thanks to Beverly and Walter for loaning us their dvd player!!) The only downside to the trip is that Sammy was very much missed. It felt odd without her, but she spent the holiday happily playing with some of her cousins.

Jamie and I reinforced our idea that we travel *really* well together. We do! I'm a morning person and he's a night person so trading off driving worked really well. One of the best moments of the drive was our Pocket Marriage Counseling Moment (tm). We lost his cell phone and could hear it was somewhere in the car because the alarm kept going off. I was *certain* it was somewhere on his side and he was *certain* it was somewhere on mine. So he pulled over and was over on my side of the car to investigate before I could even get my door open. I marched directly over to his side, confident I would find his phone *right there!*. We were both wrong--it was in the center console. So then we stood there beside the road clinging to each other laughing our heads off.

The visit:

Claudia and Jordan spent Thanksgiving day with their dad and his family and we spent the day with my parents. We had a spiral ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans with bacon and onion, fried apples, and there was peach cobbler, pecan pie and pumpkin pie. We watched home movies and the Cowboys game. Jamie explained to me that he was going to be the Bigger Person and root for the Cowboys, even though they just BEAT THE COLTS!! Wooo! But he wasn't very successful in hiding his Big Smirky Smirk (because he didn't even try) when we went to Walmart and saw a big stupid Peyton Manning poster at the entrance.

While we were there, some of my cool friends (Jana, Melissa and Jim) met my cool husband for the first time and we also got to see Ginny (another cool friend who already met Jamie) and her two littles, Bailey and Grant. So cute!! We didn't get to see a few other really cool friends we *really* wanted to see because time there was just too short and I was *really* bummed about that, but hopefully we'll see them when we go back in December.

On Friday morning, Jamie and I drove into Austin to go to Whole Foods Market and while we were there we found a really *good* taco stand (El Chilito!) that had the best carne guisada-in- corn-tortillas tacos, maybe ever.

Saturday on the way out of town we stopped in Waco to see Grandma Esther. She'll be 99 in February and is awesomely healthy. We took her out to lunch and then hit the road but it took us a while to get out of the Waco area because we stopped in West Station, a czech community near there, for kolaches.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We made it safely to Texas early this morning (around 1:30 am cst). We are tired! Trip was uneventful except a speeding ticket and some vomiting.

Hey! How 'bout those Cowboys?!?

Yes, this *is* mine *and* Jamie's blog, but I got here first! Heh!


WOOOOOOOO!!!

I believe the final score was:

America's Team - 21
Don't Have What It Takes to Make it to the Super Bowl (Again) - 14






<----------------- crybaby

Christmas Lists

December is, for me, a month of lists. Christmas card lists, guest lists, lists of things I want to do, make, places to be and things I want to buy for teachers, coworkers, brownie leaders, day care workers, friends, family, decorating and meals.

And then I take it a step further and break down the childrens' gift lists into what goes under the tree, into the stockings and what is from Santa. Because gifts have to be equal and Christmas has to be, in my mind, magical like it was when I was a kid. And by that I don't mean spending a million dollars, but being thoughtful and creative. I start mulling this part of it around mid-November every year and admittedly, make myself a little crazy every year and promise myself every year that I'll tone it down next year, but I don't because I love it.

Another list is for the Christmas chain that Claudia, Jordan and I have done every year since Claudia was around two. We make a paper chain and each link has a holiday activity written on it and we tear off a link every day from the first of December to around the 23rd. Jamie and I have already planned the chain for this year and there will be gingerbread houses, trips to look at lights, cutting down our tree, treasure hunts, taking something to a nursing home, sending a christmas box to a soldier in Iraq, forming our Christmas Carol band, making ornaments and about 15 other things.

So, anyway, lots of lists. Every year I and my mom ask the girls to make us a list of things they would like to have and here are the lists for this year. I'm posting them because I think they're so funny and charming. I love the lists because I always learn something new. And in case you're wondering, I don't know why two of the three children have various foods listed. We do feed them!


Claudia:

1. Roller Skates
2. Tater tots
3. Candy
4. Ethnics gym shoes (black with red tartan)
5. Dallas Cowboys shirt
6. Refried beans

Sammy:

1. barbies
2. stuffed animals
3. a new raggedy ann
4. makeup
5. jewelry
6. my very own ornament with my name on it
7. pocket pals/little guys
8. books (lots and lots)
9. slippers
10. bathrobe
11. video now
12. tea set
13. robo reptile
14. electro
15. airhank storm launcher
16. straw hat
17. blush
18. sponge bob official pillow, blanket and sheet set
19. let's dance genevieve
20. skates
21. crocs in a new color
22. dress up clothes

Jordan:

1. makeup, nail polish, lip gloss, blush
2. jewelry
3. barbies
4. stuffed animals
5. x-box
6. skates
7. journal
8. little guys
9. mp3 player
10. cell phone
11. tv
12. video now/video blue green
13. pocket pals
14. clothes
15. bath robe
16. slippers
17. candy
18. hair bows
19. k'nex
20. leggos
21. basket ball
22. guitar (flamingo pink)
23. tea set
24. electro
25. robo reptile
26. strawberries
27. blueberries
28. fur real pets (horse)
29. dry erase board and markers
30. soda
31. official krusty krab doll set
32. books
33. gong
34. blue man piano
35. doodle bear
36. r-dog
37. air hockey storm launcher
38. chic-fil-a
39. sponge bob stuffed animal
40. sponge bob blanket
41. blankey
42. robot
43. Texas flag
44. highlighters
45. folders
46. barbie dream house
47. follow me genevieve
48. massive mini media
49. nintendo ds (pink)
50. door slammers
51. camera
52. picture frames
53. crocs in a new color
54. play shoes (heels) and dress up clothes
55. bacon
56. monkey
57. be-jewel your hair
58. University of Texas shirt
59. Dallas Cowboys shirt
60. littlest pet shop
61. light saber (pink)
62. 8 note handbell
63. wee bonnie harp package
64. musical shirts and dresses
65. amazing magz
66. accordion
67. bubble gum kit
68. puppets

Speaking of dogs...

We took Bo to the vet today for a special vaccination so we can board him next week for our trip to Texas. We discovered Bo has two ear infections. Sorry, little doggy! We didn't know. Also, according to the vet, Bo's collar was on too tight. Sorry, little doggy! We didn't know. Also, according to the vet, Bo is a little on the portly side. Okay, that part we kinda knew. Bo clocks in at 35.5 lbs and his fighting weight is apparently 27 lbs. So he needs to lose a modest 20% of his body weight and he's good to go! Sorry, little doggy! Big doggy. Big fat fatty.

(You should have seen the vet's face when I told her we were feeding Bo Gravy Train dog food. Man, that was funny. Next time I'm gonna tell her he eats our leftover Crisco containers.)

Related note: The vet discovered Bo has some paw sensitivity, so she was asking me questions about that. Did he walk up and down stairs okay? We don't have stairs. When he gets up on the couch, does he hesitate? No, he gets right on up. Did he jump up into the car today when you left for the vet? Well, he can't really so much jump. We sorta have to haul him up.

(Uh-huh. Look, there's that face again.)

So the doctor adjusted his diet and gave him a shot and then I held Bo down while total strangers filled his ears full of cold medicinal gunk. Poor guy. That's a lot of indignities for one morning. He's sleeping off the trauma as we speak. I hope he's having himself some good doggy dreams.

-jamie

Memos from the doghouse

Note to self: Even if wife says "I'm not going to get a haircut today" when she leaves the house to run errands, be on the lookout for possible haircut related activity when she gets home.

A look of pleased surprise is appropriate, like this:

: o

-jamie

No rest for the wicked?!?

We're tired. Most nights lately, we crash like clockwork, right around 11. But there are still chores to do. Yesterday morning around 6:30, I woke up Jamie up with, "Laundry's done. I woke up at 3 and finished it". He replied, "That's good. I got up at 5 and cleaned the kitchen".

Some nights, like tonight, though, we play through. Which is probably way better for our health, or, at least, the lesser of two evils. Around midnight tonight we got around to getting a loaf of cranberry tangerine bread in the oven for breakfast tomorrow. And here's Jamie ironing patches onto Sammy's and Jordan's Brownie uniforms around 12:30.







He looks happy enough, there, but for whatever reason, the patches on the second uniform wouldn't stick so now we have to sew them. Yay. Have I mentioned that sometimes, I hate the Girl Scouts. I'll be saying that again, a lot, around cookie time. Oh, wait! The iron shuts off automatically after 30 minutes. Heh! Wooo! It's bedtime!

Winter

Art Museum and Miscellaneous Stuff

Tonight we took the chicklets to the art museum. We saw Rembrandts (Rembrandt, Jamie and I both agreed, at one point looked like a hipster doofus and felt that as with all hipster dufii, he probably should have been slapped) and we saw the Gees Bend quilts. You should have seen Jordan's and Sammy's faces light up when the volunteer told them there was a section of wedding dresses (so many wedding dresses!). I could show you lots of great photos of our excursion, except for the fact that, as usual, I spent a lot of my time getting fussed at by the art museum volunteer fascists for doing "wrong things". Oh, they have rules for everything! No using the flash. No photographing traveling exhibits. Blah, blah y blah. FINE!





Aren't those nice?!?

Today Sammy wore a very cute Mexican-ish outfit to school for cultural day. I meant to get a photo this morning before school, but I ran out of time. I'll have to get her to re-create it for me.

Tomorrow Claudia and Jordan's schools are having Veteran's Day programs at which "real veterans" will be in attendance. Jordan's class is singing the Schoolhouse Rock version of the preamble to the constitution (which I taught her years ago because I'm just a good mother) but it's during the day so most parents can't attend. :( Jordan's school asked us to fill out a form with the names of all our family members that had been in the armed services so I'm curious to see what they're going to do with that.

Saturday we're going to Ft. Wayne to have an early Thanksgiving with Walter, Beverly, Jason, Leah Grandma and Grandpa and the girls are spending the night there.

It must be said............

even though I'm two days late....


Woo Hooo!!!

Ah HA! HA!

Wooooooo!

House *and* the Senate and oh, all the lovely democrat governors!

Jamie forwarded this to me today:

Continuing on a theme

Here's a poem I wrote a few years ago.

-jamie


My Daughter Runs Backwards

My daughter runs backwards in time.

Isn’t it amazing, I say,
how just the other day
you were walking?
That old trick? She says.
Talking.

My mind wanders.
Impatient girl, that.
She interrupts me.

Dad, I'm talking.
Yes, you were.
Now I'm singing.
Now you are.
Now I'm twirling.
Now you are.
Now I'm running.
Now you are.

My daughter runs backwards in time.
Impatient girl, that.
She interrupts me.

Thursday

We were at the dinner table last weekend and Jordan proposed a new "thing". She wanted to go around the table and each of us share a joy and a concern. Interesting thing for an 8-year-old to suggest, but we did it and continue to every night. It's become a favorite part of my day because it's a really good way to connect with the girls and it forces me to focus on things that are important to me all across the spectrum. And hearing the joys of everyone else often makes me notice and appreciate things I hadn't before.

Autumn has been a weirdly emotional experience. The trees turned unspeakably beautiful for several weeks and then one very cold morning as I was standing alone in the parking lot at work, surrounded by trees and almost perfect silence, I could see and hear hundreds, maybe thousands, of leaves hitting the ground like rain. Now, several days later, the wet leaves on the ground smell spicy, like the things people traditionally bake at this time of year and I never knew why before now. Autumn happens at home, too, but it's not as in-your-face as it is here. I like the in-your-face. Aside from being really aesthetically satisfying, autumn is one of the few visceral reminders of the passage of time, like watching our children grow or the calendar change.

Autumn is orienting me to the fact that the days where we have these girls with us are going to be gone in a seeming instant. We only have six more autumns before Claudia goes away to college. In the last several days I've stepped back and made myself quiet and watched. I'm coming to realize no day is going to be all good or all bad and that's encapsulated in small moments at our house. After work, Jamie is greeted at the door by three ecstatic girls and a small beagle who greets him with a hale and hearty asthma attack. Claudia has taken to very enthusiastically playing the recorder, a shrill Mary Had a Little Lamb (or is it Hot Cross Buns?) played with gusto over and over and over and it's both heartbreakingly charming and, you know, shrill recorder music. Along with our blueberry pie and ice cream desert shared around our dinner table, Sammy says "buh" and Jordan says "arf" Buh. Arf. Buh. Arf. Buh. Arf. “Claudia say something gross!” Claudia complies. Buh. Arf. The ceiling leaks, there are all "a's" on the report cards, the dog's sick, we laugh a lot, there are candy wrappers and coats and shoes *everywhere* and they don’t seem to belong to *anyone*, milestones of bonding are reached, feelings are hurt. It's like the grandmother character in the major motion picture, "Parenthood" starring Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen noted-- life's a roller coaster. And I'm wanting to relish every moment of it, every twist and turn, because unlike the roller coasters at King's Island, this one's track isn't on a finite loop, allowing us to ride it over and over again.

Miscellaneous

So annoyed. I posted to blogger today and they lost two of my posts!

Anyway.

You should all check out my friend Jana's new blog! Jana lives near Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is one of the funnest and most interesting people I know. And we are exactly the same age. We were both born on March 11 (mark your calendars!), 1967 at almost the same hour.

Jamie and I had our afternoon babysitter come back last night and we went out! At first we planned dinner and a movie but there was nothing we wanted to see. So then we thought about dinner and the art museum, especially since the Gees Bend Quilt exhibit is there right now and we've been dying to see it. But the museum was closed. So then we settled on dinner and the book store. But we ended up spending the entire three hours eating and talking. It was really nice and we've decided we should do that at least once a month from now on.

Sammy and Jordan are participating in nanowrimo's Young Writer's Project until the last day of November. They've signed up, set their goals, have new notebooks and pens and are trying to write every day. So be sure and throw some encouragement their way next time you talk to them!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my aunt's *and* uncle's birthday. Happy Birthday Aunt Sandy and Uncle Charlie!



Ponies are scary!!



How cute were they?!? My mom is their older sister and they all also have two older brothers.

My mom's family is pretty neat and even though we didn't see them that often (because we lived in Texas when I was growing up and they were almost all in Tennessee) they still always felt like family (and still do!).

Here are their parents sometime in the 1920's, I think:

Photos

I took this in a wanna-be funky (there's a lot of wanna-be funky/cool in Indianapolis, I'm finding) cafe' near where I work this week.



It's cold! It was in the low 20's this week. OMG cold.

Happy Halloween!

Well, the children are all nestled, all snug in their beds and I'm up at midnight eating Halloween candy (shhhh! that'll be our little secret!) and uploading photos. We had a blast and the kids got loads of candy but it was cold! I think this is the first time Claudia and Jordan had to wear coats over their costumes (it was so cold I realized my actual eyeballs were cold when we got in the car after trick or treating and that's a very gross realization to have).

Ew.

Anyway, here are just a bunch of photos. Tomorrow night we'll have trick or treating videos up (Jamie very sensibly went to bed already--perhaps not considering it's much harder to take candy from small children during waking hours--and he's our person with the video know how).

Claudia as Kenny from South Park:





Sammy the Witch with purple hair:





And regular hair:



Jordan as Audrey Hepburn:





All three girls:




Out trick or treating: