Still birthdaying

We're still celebrating birthday, but this Christmas image is too precious not to share.

Merry Love

It takes a long time to grow young...

Happy 40th to the man I love the most.

And also to you...

And you, too.

Smell you later

Milwaukee's in our rear-view mirror. We'll catch you on the other side.

Salt water countdown

Most people right now are counting down until Christmas or Hanukkah. Either with worry because they aren't ready, or glee because they know Santa's coming. I, however, am throwing all that Christmas stuff to the wayside for a moment, because I'm counting down the hours until we get on that jet plane bound for Fort Myers. That's because tomorrow the three of us will be in beautiful, sunny, deliciously 80 degree, shell-covered Sanibel Island for the long weekend to celebrate Beerman's 40th. And I can.not.wait.

I injected myself with the rat poison this morning, so it should kick in tomorrow sometime, giving me a little extra pep. (Is it wrong that every other Wednesday I sing, "Injection day, injection day, time to get my injection today to the tune of Picture Pages and then make the computer noises the pen used to make when I inject it?)

24 hours, people. 24 hours until we're on our way. Whoot!

Fa la la la la-ing

The befuddlement in my brain continues with some work changes and all that is going on personally. But I'm making some significant progress navigating through the obscurity. Last night I managed to pull out Florida clothes for both C-man and me, so that piece is improving. (And the fact that the forecast for Sanibel Island is in the upper 70s and low 80s this week doesn't hurt the mood either!) And I'm down to only 2 gifts that need to be gotten, which is a relief. (Now if the elves would just wrap them all for me!) I'm feeling much more "together" about it all than I have in past years.

However, this is the time of year to practice some gentle parenting techniques, as it is also baseball trade time. I still don't know how we're going to address the Ryan Braun scandal with C-man, as there were actual tears and "I hate the Diamondbacks!" shouts about the Saito trade.(Casey McGehee, not so much) But since the official ruling won't come out on Braun for a bit, maybe we can just avoid it for now. (And don't think I don't realize how ridiculous it is that these things are so important at our house.)

C-man is missing a day and a half of school this week with our little celebratory foray south. I notified his teachers out of courtesy. They responded with the assignments that he has due. Can I just say for the record that he's in 1st grade and has absolutely no academic troubles in school?

Anyhow, have I mentioned we'll be in the sun in 2 days? Whoot!

Befuddledly busy

For a weekend with little on the schedule, it suddenly became so jam-packed I couldn't think straight. It doesn't help that we have a short one in the house with whom we are beginning to need an appointment just to see. But the weekend was all screwy. I got my dates mixed up on a birthday party that C-man was supposed to go to, and that about explains how the rest went - totally un-according to plan. We are leaving for a long weekend getaway on Thursday, and I haven't even made a single list yet. In other words, I'm TOTALLY behind. Then again, a few pairs of shorts in the suitcase and we should be good to go, right? Say right. I am just too befuddled to think of it any other way right now.

Friday's Fifteen Favorite Things

I'm not so much with the raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but I thought it was an appropriate time of year to talk about a few of my own favorite things. You know, because Oprah's done and all.

So in no particular order, here are 15 of my favorite things:

1. Reading through the Harry Potter series at night with C-man and discussing the differences between the books and the movies
2. A fresh latte in the morning
3. Harry's fuzzy belly
4. Swiss chocolates direct from Sprungli
5. Sunrises
6. White twinkle lights
7. Hot chocolate with marshmallows bobbing in it
8. Long showers
9. Photo Christmas cards
10. Fuzzy slippers
11. Soft, chunky blue yarn
12. Days off work
13. French onion soup with a giant crouton on top
14. Going to see a movie matinee by myself
15. Dave Brubeck music. I can't help but smile when I hear it

Day in the Life of First Grade

C-man got a cheapy camera from St. Nick. He wasn't all that excited about getting a non-Lego gift when he opened it. But then he realized he could use it as his spy tool, and now doesn't want to stop snapping pictures. He took it to school with him. And I've got to say, the pictures crack me up. I usually hate the time/date stamp, but on these, it just adds to the story.

Wordless Wednesday

A bunch of stuff

• I had my one-month exam at the acupuncturist last night. Absolutely nothing has changed. So I left with 10 "tacks" (aka - needles on the end of band-aids) stuck in my back. I'm supposed to leave them there until my appointment on Thursday. Here goes nothing.
• The problem with hosting a party at the house is that we bought food for the party, but forgot about the rest of the week. I broiled a half of a stale bagel this morning for breakfast and forgot about it. Not even I am hungry enough to eat burned bagel.
• St. Nick brought me a recycled beer bottle glass necklace and earrings. Apparently St. Nick shops at the brewery over lunch.
• Beerman had ladder envy of one of our friends' fancy 26' fold-up in all sorts of configurations ladders. So I bought it for him for his birthday. It arrived yesterday. The ONE day he got home before me. Happy birthday, honey.
• At least I didn't have to haul that sucker into the back yard by myself to hide it.
• I bought a Barry Manilow Christmas CD, because it was $5, and I couldn't stomach getting Mariah Carey. Surprisingly, I'm digging it.

About family

It's hard to take a photo of yourself when your dog can't mind his own business. And so, this week, Harry gets a piece of the action, too. But it seems fitting as he's an important part of our family. And while I was spending my weekend, happily enjoying a great time with my sisters and parents and nephews and niece and too much food (What in the hell am I going to do with an entire pan of tiramisu you people left me with?!?), a colleague was losing her 7 year old child to leukemia. It shouldn't take a slap in the face like that to give you some perspective, but sometimes it does. I unfortunately can't change her situation, but I feel like I can take the time to appreciate mine a bit more. Appreciate the love and stability, the giggles, the time spent reading chapters of Harry Potter, the hours of Lego building, the beautiful meals we share, the hugs and snuggles, and even the oppressive licks. Because really, that's all that ever matters.

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Merry Thirdmas!

We celebrated Christmas with my extended family this weekend. Good food. Good family. Good presents. Now it's time to have a quiet afternoon.

Day off

We had the day off to get ready for tomorrow's Christmas shenanigans with the family. I can't wait to see everybody. I just hope I survive my stint as Den Leader tonight!

Random Thursday Thirteen

1. I knitted an owl hat last night for a coworker's shower this morning. The nursery is all owls, so I thought it appropriate. I remembered to take a picture as I was wrapping it up. I think it turned out pretty well for a mostly made up pattern in my head.
2. It made me remember why I like knitting baby stuff so much. Instant gratification of starting and finishing a project in one night!
3. Tonight is the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker. I'm so excited. Yea for girl stuff!
4. The official Advent calendar was opened today. He has the Lego Star Wars one, which means he'll be building a Lego each morning. Or as Beerman put it, "Breakfast is going to be delayed for the next 25 days."
5. While Beerman is getting ready Friday night, I'll be taking on the Cub Scout den leader duties. Lord help me, but I'm going to do make your own instrument night.
6. I keep looking for a good volunteer activity to do with C-man. He's a pretty sensitive kid who I know would appreciate helping others. The problem is most places that need the help don't allow kids. And picking a name off a tree somewhere just doesn't cut it.
7. My Christmas cards are out, which means most people should be getting them today and tomorrow. I really love Christmas cards. It might be my favorite thing of the season.
8. I finally saw the Breaking Dawn movie. I thought the book was weak, but the movie did a good job of it. I still don't think it needs to be 2 movies, though.
9. I was so excited to see Bella's wedding dress. Maybe between Princess Kate's dress and Bella's, the strapless craze that has been around forever and shouldn't be worn by most will finally see a welcome end.
10. Harry has finally stopped exploding everywhere. Oh my, am I tired of cleaning the floors. I think the farm was just too much for him this year.
11. I've finally stopped coughing. I'm still a little snot-headed, but it's tolerable. Thank God.
12. I am drying some herbs from my garden above some other houseplants, because there's room there. Beerman noticed them hanging and said, "Is this some kind of lesson to the other plants in the house?" Makes me giggle every time I think about it.
13. I have tomorrow off to get ready for family Christmas on Saturday. Yippee!

Wordless Wednesday: Farming

Weathered

I'm feeling a bit haggard today. And not the Merle kind. So I could talk about how Harry's been sick. (I'll spare you the poo all over the dining room carpet and the accompanying stench story. It seems his fever is gone, at least.) I could talk about the fact that I don't know whether it's the acupuncture or the Humira, but I've been feeling peppier in spite of the shoulder that still hurts so much (2 full months now) I can barely dress myself and the back that doesn't let me sit longer than an hour at a time without tear-inducing pain. But all that is kind of lame.

What's not lame? Thursday night, I'm heading to the Moscow Ballet's version of the Nutcracker, and I.Can.Not.Wait. My child goes to plays with me and enjoys it. He will not go to a ballet. And since it's not something I like to do on my own, I've been ballet-less for quite some time. (It's not Beerman's thing either.) And to say I love the ballet doesn't even begin to describe it. The Nutcracker isn't my favorite, but I've been so ballet-deprived, that I think there wouldn't even need to be music and I'd be happy about it. But there is music. And there will be little girls to go with . And a dinner with little girl talk ahead of time. I really hope there's a gift shop so we can buy pink tutu-laden stuff.

Can.Not.Wait.

Adventaliscious

The Christmas decorations are up. We went to see Junie B. in Jingle Bells Batman Smells at First Stage yesterday. I'm heading to the Moscow Ballet's version of the Nutcracker on Thursday with my semi-adopted daughters. The extended family is coming on Saturday for the Christmas festivities for which the fridge can barely close, it's so full of food. The Advent wreath is out. The countdown to the Advent calendar is made and being consumed daily. The Christmas cards are written, addressed, stamped and embossed. And I've turned all the calendars to their very last page. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas doesn't even begin to explain it. And it's not even December! How the heck has this happened?!?

I've always resisted the push for the holidays to move up. Heavily resisted the overall consumerism of it all. I don't do Black Friday. I don't do Cyber Monday. I don't typically even shop until December 1st. But I'm not feeling like that this year. Since everything we've been doing has been with family and friends, or getting ready to spend time with family and friends, (Well, except for the lengthy conversations with C-man about whether he wants the Ninjago Fire Temple or the Lightning Dragon since he knows he can't get both because they are ridiculously expensive) it doesn't feel very overwhelming. Then again, maybe it's because Beerman is taking on Saturday's dinner.

Regardless, I'm kind of liking this slide into December. Let's just hope I can keep this calm for the next month!

I love long weekends

It's been a long-long weekend. And I mean that in an excellent way. I'm still exhaustingly sick - on to the up all night coughing stage now. But we've had such a nice 5 days off, sleeping in until 8 each morning and playing during the day. I've been crafting up a little Christmas cheer, while Beerman has been tirelessly testing out recipes in his newly built sous-vide machine for next weekend's Pelot family Christmas dinner and breakfast. (Well, in between searching through all the Lego pieces to recreate a dragon that he built and broke down ages ago.) C-man has been playing with friends and Harry is exhausted from all the running he's been doing. The tree is up and decorated, the stockings are hung, and the pickle is hung. We added 2 new ornaments this year from our travels to New Mexico and Japan, which are always so fun to put up. And, I've even managed to almost finish Explosive Eighteen. (Which I'm enjoying way more than the 17th book.) Overall, a pretty nice 5 days.

Recoup day

And so the Christmas season begins. I drove home last night with Harry so I could sleep in my own bed. I'm not a good driver, so by the end of the 2.5 hours, I was fairly punchy. Beerman and C-man are at the farm playing today, which means that after I Lysol down this monkey house, I'm not going to do a whole lot (read Explosive Eighteen and visit the dog park). Harry is super tired. And despite both having slept in until 8:30, I am too. Time to warm up the espresso machine and get this day started.