December Instagram

Swim season started again!  Maddie’s been training hard and it’s paid off:   she’s really been dropping seconds from her times (she’s wearing the orange cap in the photo above).  The first meet of the year, however, was TORTURE.  The temperature in the pool area is always set high, and the humidity is up there too, but there was something wrong at this meet.  I think the temperature inside that room was easily 100 degrees.  When someone opened the outside door (can you see it in the photo above…right across the pool?) the cool air streamed in and steam immediately rose from the pool.  And check out the sweat dripping off of these two kiddos:

We’re hoping they’ve got that fixed for this Saturday’s meet.

We did all of our usual Christmas traditions:  cookie baking/decorating, gingerbread house decorating, tree trimming, stocking hanging, etc.  But apparently I only took a few (instagram) pictures of all of it.  I’m losing my touch, people.

I did take pictures of our trip to pick out a Christmas tree:

Although it’s less about the tree and more about my children.  Sorry about that.  We did pick out a good one, you’re just going to have to trust me on that.

We attended three Christmas concerts:  Maddie’s band and orchestra concerts and Ben’s band concert.

We loved both band concerts, but I have to admit I’m so glad none of my kids have wanted to take up a string instrument.  That orchestra concert was a long hour and a half, I tell you. 

It snowed!  I love the first snow, and I especially love it now that the kids can get themselves dressed to go out in the snow.

Doesn’t this guy look cozy?  I’d like to say Jack sits and reads all the time, but that is not the case.  He was reading his baggie book (homework reading), and the minute he finished, he snapped that book shut and headed for his Playmobil. 

My poor mother-in-law celebrates both of her major life events in one week.  Her birthday is New Year’s Eve and her wedding anniversary is Dec. 28.  (Also, Dave tells me that Mother’s Day was always the weekend they moved back home from college so it largely got ignored for many years).  Anyway, the whole family usually gets together to celebrate their anniversary, and this year they celebrated their 49th!

                                                                 Aren’t they cute?

My sister-in-law Sue hosted the celebration, so we got to spend the evening with their giant dog, Rocco.  I don’t know what kind of dog he is, but GARGANTUAN  is the word that comes to mind.  Rocco seemed to fall in love with my brother-in-law’s fiance the night we were there.  Whenever a chair opened up next to her, he tried to climb onto it! Seriously, it happened at least 7-8 times!

Can you see how big his head is compared to Nicole’s?  She was such a good sport, too.  I’d have been way less gracious.

Maddie and I went to see this movie:

It was EXCELLENT.  My only advice…take your kleenex, people. It’s a sad one. Now, I cry at movies all the time, but Maddie, whose heart is apparently made of stone, never does.  And then she usually makes fun of me.  However, this one made her cry.  A lot.  The end was so darn emotional that my face was screwed up all funny and my body shook as I tried to control the sob that wanted to escape from me. Thank goodness movies theatres are dark, because I’m sure I was quite a sight.  Seriously, you need to see this movie (not for children though…too long for the little ones, and there is a tad bit of sex).

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Are you ready?  If not, shame on you for cutting it this close!  I would NEVER do that! 

This guy made it a little difficult this year:

He was sick on Thursday with a fever and a bad cough.  He cried when I announced the Stay Home Today Verdict because he knew he’d be missing his Gingerbread House Making Party at school.   I reassured him that at least he’d make school the next day for Polar Express Pajama Party Day.

Only he didn’t. 

Oh, he was sad.  We watched The Polar Express at home and ate popcorn with ginger ale and he made a gingerbread house out of the supplies his teacher had sent home the previous day with Ben.  But he missed the best two days of school so far this year and he knew it.

On Saturday, Ben and I had a date!  He asked if I would take him to Bath and Bodyworks for a gift for Maddie, and further suggested we go to Chocolate World and Wendy’s.  I have to tell you that the last thing I wanted to do on the Saturday before Christmas was head to the outlets and Chocolate World, but I also wondered how long Ben would actually still want to spend time with me, so I agreed.

We actually ended up at Starbucks instead of Wendy’s and had a fabulous time.  I’m so glad we braved the crowds and hung out together.  He even went into The Loft with me without complaining so I could check out their sale, though I didn’t torture him by trying anything on.

Friday was Ugly Sweater Day at the middle school.  I was only a little offended when Maddie asked to check out my closet for something to wear.

So here it is almost Christmas Eve and I still haven’t finished wrapping.  But that’s okay, because only overachievers and fancy-pants show-offs are all wrapped by Christmas Eve.  

Also, as previously promised, here are my two Christmas card pictures this year:

Best wishes to you for a happy, HEALTHY Christmas, filled with ugly sweaters, and Starbucks, and no antibiotics, and very little fighting, and full stockings, and even fuller bellies, and love and good cheer and maybe even a guinea pig under your tree!

Job and More

I’m excited to share with you that as soon as a certain someone’s water breaks (not mine, thank you God), I will be employed as a long-term substitute teaching fifth grade in our local school district.  This position is for the rest of the year, so my days of eating bon bons in my jammies while watching Days of Our Lives and receiving hourly foot rubs from my hubby are numbered.

I’ve been super busy trying to get everything bought and wrapped and baked and decorated and delivered just in case my teacher (who’s due on the 27th) goes into labor early, but just today I realized, “Piano Teacher!  Mailman!  Scout Leaders! Swim Coaches!” and my heart lurched a little at all the loose ends still out there.  Also, the only things I’ve actually wrapped are the things that have already been given out. 

But today I have nothing on the calendar except Ben’s school band concert around 2:00 this afternoon, so I will be wrapping the kids’ stuff and doing some last minute shopping.  I ordered two last minute things online, one on Sunday night and one last night, and because I’m too cheap to pay for the extra shipping, I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will arrive in time.  Join me in sending happy, positive, speedy thoughts to the Crocs company and Shutterfly that my items will be delivered on time, will you please?

Hanging over me, however, is a dull, thudding feeling of despair after the events of last Friday.  I haven’t watched a single news report, and I can’t read any of the articles that I see, but people are posting things on Facebook and of course I see the headlines.   I know that sticking my head in the sand isn’t a good way to deal with things, but in this case, I think that’s what I need to do.  Horrible people live in this world, and they always have.  We need to get them help, we need to keep things normal for our children, we need to silently up security in our schools, and we have to tell ourselves that for every lunatic out there, there are many many many more wonderful people.  Our world is still a good place. 

One thing I read on Facebook was a quote from Mr. Rogers.  I love Mr.  Rogers, so this quote really spoke to me.  “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

I will be a helper.  I will be kind.  I will love and care and do my best.  Wouldn’t the world be an amazing place if most of us tried our best to just be kind to others, even the ones who drive us the craziest?

I will be writing less in the coming weeks, as I adjust to a full time job, but am still hoping for at least once a week, so I hope you’ll stick with me as my posts become fewer. 

Merry Christmas to all of you, and if I’m ever not kind to you when you see me, give me a good kick in the shins and remind me, okay?

November Instagram

Halfway through December’s not too late for my November Instagram is it?  Don’t answer that.

On November 9, we celebrated this guy’s birthday…

…by taking him to the Texas Roadhouse where he (almost willingly) climbed on the Birthday Horse for a round of singing from the waitstaff.  Maddie and I thought it was hilarious, but Ben and Jack were embarrassed and would have crawled under the table had we let them. 
~

Jack’s Scout troop took a field trip to the North Londonderry Township Municipal garage where they got to check out all of the big trucks/snow plows/giant tractors that help maintain our city streets.  We even got a very interesting lecture on our local sewer pipes, which the boys thought was extremely awesome, but I thought was pretty yucky.


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Jack and I attended the piano recital of one of his best buddies and the best buddy’s sister.  Kreider and his sister Katie are on the two ends in the picture below, along with Jack and his “twin” Olivia.  These four kids love to get together, and do so most frequently at Kreider and Katie’s house, which is situated on a farmette in the woods.  They are allowed to run wild while there, climbing trees, playing with goats and chickens, and splashing in the creek, and I know it’s been a good day when I pick up Jack and Olivia and they are both filthy!

P.S.  Kreider and Katie’s recitals were amazing!  They are both learning piano using the Suzuki method and their many hours of practice were evident!

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Here’s a nice picture of my friend Mindy, doing an imitation of Squidward (of Spongebob fame).  Usually at our monthly bunko games, the person who just rolled bunko wears a hat to signify that they are the current bunko queen, but at this one we had stick-on mustaches to wear. 

                            Introducing “Squindy”, Squidward’s redneck cousin.

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The night before Thanksgiving, Maddie and I made pumpkin pies, and Maddie took a picture so she could Instagram them.  Meanwhile, I took a picture of her Instagramming the pumpkin pies:

Interesting fact:  we forgot to put eggs in the second pumpkin pie, so I beat them separately and slowly mixed them into the (already filled) pie.  That particular pie had yellow egg streaks in it after it was baked.  So don’t ever do that if you want a pretty pie.

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In a related note, Jack’s second grade class made and ate an entire Thanksgiving feast! 

His teacher dressed as a Pilgrim.  I love it when teachers have spirit.

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Posted outside of Jack’s classroom were a bunch of disguised turkeys.  This was actually an assignment that was sent home, and after I gave Jack lame suggestions like having his turkey be Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, Maddie suggested he make him into Napolean Dynamite, and that’s what he did!

I loved this assignment!  Those turkeys were so cool.  Do you see the Ninja one and the peacock?  I think those were among my favorites.

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I love this picture of Bailey and Ozzie, Uncle Mike and Aunt Nicole’s two dogs, patiently waiting for my father-in-law to accidentally drop some turkey while he was carving.


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And last, but not least, you know it’s getting colder when Ben actually puts on a winter coat, because he hates winter coats.

He was watching the holiday parade, which was on December 2, so it should not officially be in my November Instagram, but I realized I didn’t take a single phone picture of Ben this month, so I’m sliding it in.

Also, I mentioned last post that I got a job, but since this is an Instagram post, I can’t tell you about it yet.  This is called a Cliffhanger, people.  Tune in next time!

Christmas Card Fail

Here they are…

This is maybe one of my favorites of the year.  I didn’t say “Be silly” or anything, yet Jack’s got his hand up the troll’s nose, Ben’s giving a hearty thumbs up, and Maddie is…doing a Norwegian rain dance?  Whatevs, I love it, but not on a Christmas card.

Fist bump, eyes closed, grimace face:

Dirty lens + Bad Acting = No Christmas Card:

Open your eyes and look at the camera, people!

“Merry Christmas and a Slightly Blurry New Year from the Bat Cave!”:

Got wind??

Choking one’s brothers always adds a little personality to the picture:

Well.  The Hulk doesn’t actually scream “blessed holiday season”, does he?

Santa is boring. Can we go home now?

Luckily, I did get two pictures I really liked at the beach, though I’m not publishing them now, too bad for you.  Stick around ‘til Christmas Eve, or look back at my beach pictures in August and see if you can find them. 

Or maybe I’ll just go with that first picture, which I think is totally hilarious and shows the true personality of each of my nutty children!

P.S.  I got a job!  More on that later!

Santa! We Know Him!

Sorry, I’ve been absent, I’ve been so busy.  (You did notice, didn’t you?  Please tell me you noticed.)  We did take time for this, however:

Santa took a break from his busy schedule to visit the children in his summer neighborhood.  How lucky are we that we don’t need to wait in line at the mall?  Jack brought his list and some coupons he cut for Santa from the Target catalog, then Santa asked Maddie and Ben what they wanted, even though they have “moved on”, so to speak, and they obligingly told him what they wanted. 

Also, Saturday was Herbie’s birthday!  He was a little miffed that he didn’t get any fan mail, so I’m just mentioning it in case you felt like sending him a birthday card.  Not that you have to or anything.  Though it would be nice.  Your decision.

Our house is mostly decorated, although we can’t find the lighted garland we bought last year to decorate the front porch or our light-up snowman, or the wreath I put on the mirror over the fireplace!  Hopefully we’ll find it before I stop caring, but for now, it’s a fun little mystery.

Today I bought that little tape dispenser you wear on your wrist to make wrapping presents easier.  I’m so excited to wrap, now!  It’s the little things in life, I guess.  Although big things are nice too.  Like big underwear.  One year I bought all three kids giant underwear for Christmas after we watched this video and laughed so hard we all almost peed ourselves.  Well, I almost peed myself, but that happens when you’ve had three children, you know.  I also can’t jump on trampolines anymore.  True story.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year on Thanksgiving we head to Dave’s parents’ house.  I feel very lucky that all I need to do on Thanksgiving is show up with a couple of side dishes (I’m going to post the recipe for one of them later this week), with my mother-in-law in charge of most of the meal. 

Tom and Julie

Here’s the menu:  turkey (duh), mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, broccoli, mushrooms in sour cream, squash, and cranberry relish.  Everything is DElicious.

Here is Dave’s dad carving the guest of honor. 

 

The only ones missing this year were Dave’s sister Sue’s family.  Sue hosted her husband’s family at their house and joined us later for supper leftovers.  Can you see in the photo above that Maddie is already dishing out the cranberry relish, it is her favorite!  Ben’s favorite is the turkey or the sweet potato casserole, and Jack’s favorite is the stuffing or possibly the olives (I’m not kidding, he loads his plate with those things).

No one was ready for dessert after that meal, so after we cleaned up, we headed down to the Quittie for a walk.  Click here and here to see some of our past Quittie walks.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous on Thanksgiving.  We needed jackets, but the sun was shining, and the ground was dry.


After our walk, we had some dessert (pecan pie, pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie, pumpkin dump cake, pumpkin cookies...do you think we had enough pumpkin in there?), football was watched, ping pong and wall ball was played in the basement, and the waiting game for the cousins began.  We also looked at old photos:

Here is Dave’s dad and Dave with their dog, Cleo.  Several people said they could really see Jack in Dave in this picture.  Can you?  I have a hard time seeing it.

Finally the cousins arrived and the party really started!  Appetizers and then Thanksgiving leftovers were laid out and we eventually said goodbye to everyone and waddled ourselves out to the car. 
That’s a lot to be thankful for.