30 Days

Well, I made it.  I can't say that any of the posts were literary masterpieces, but it was fun and I'm glad I did it.  My old blog used to be a really important part of my life. When I was struggling to get pregnant, there were many days when my blog was the only place I could go for some understanding.  Now that I've moved to my new space, I realize that I still don't feel as comfortable here.  Perhaps posting more often will help that.

I appreciate my blogging and Twitter friends so much, and if you aren't on Twitter, I highly recommend it.  It is my go to place to vent or get support when I need it.  It's also good when you need a few opinions, or 100.  In some ways, I think that blogging has become a bit too serious.  I see some bloggers who write about their families and agonize over every decision and every negative comment until the drama spills over into other social networks.  I am the first to admit that I do my share of agonizing, but to do it for a living would be exhausting.  Some people love that drama and intensity and I guess that's why their blogs have so many readers.  I prefer to stay in my corner and enjoy the outlet it provides.

So, thank you for sticking around for the last 30 days.  I hope you enjoyed it!  I poured you a glass of wine to celebrate........

That Time of Year

When I was growing up my mother had a strict rule that no Christmas decorations would go up until December 1st.  We would wake up in the morning and the whole house would be decorated with advent calendars and we knew that getting a tree wasn't far behind.  Christmas was a time of year when everything was right. My mom was in a better mood, we had time off from school, and our normally strict diets were relaxed a little and we got treats.  As a result, I am one of those people that loves Christmas, but I don't adhere to the December 1st rule.  We had our tree up on Saturday and there's been a lot of "don't touch" and we already have one broken ornament, but the kids have to learn how to be around a Christmas tree at some point. 

The last two years have been fun, but the kids were too young to really understand what was going on.  My company has a Christmas party and one of our employees plays Santa.  This is great because not only is his beard real, but this means I don't have to stand in line at the mall.

L's first meeting with Santa went ok, although he was a bit suspicious

The next year, he was not at all happy to see his old friend, Santa.  E was a little confused as to why we dressed her like that if we knew he would be wearing the same thing.

We're hoping that L will understand a little better this year, although I think it might be E's turn to freak out.  This Saturday is the children's Christmas party, so we'll see how it goes.  We've been playing Christmas music and I plan on showing the kids all of the usual TV specials. I want them to love this holiday as much as I do and to gain a sense of what is really important. We don't do a lot of presents, but we'll be together and I know that the love and security we all feel is much better than a gift certificate. 

(I wouldn't turn down a gift certificate to Starbuck's, though, if Santa happens to be reading this.) 

Back to Work

Well, it's back to the real world tomorrow. The break was really nice, despite the Saturday we lost to M's stomach bug. I can't decide how I feel about going back. On one hand, I know that the kids need school and their normal routine. I need to work and, well, I also need a little peace and quiet. On the other hand, I'm going to miss being at home, being lazy, and getting extra time with L and E. The choice is made by economic need, so off to work and school we all go.

We went to the zoo today and I managed to take some photos that weren't of the kids. I am as shocked as you are.

Some big Texas sky:



A sculpture that I managed to catch without any kids in it:

Two Against One

When E was born a lot of people joked that we no longer outnumbered the kids. It was now a one-on-one defense. Not having more adults than kids does make it more hectic, but it's when only one adult is around that things get crazy.

M was laid out by a stomach bug today and my parents left this morning, so it was just me and the kids. The thing is, I find it really hard to take them to the park or to run errands when I'm solo parenting. L is almost 3 and E is just about 18 months. I live in fear of L making a run for it or getting lost in a store. He wants to be out of the cart, which makes E want out, as well. There's no way I can keep track of them both. At the park, L has been known to run off and leave you with no choice but to leave E and run after him. When we are together as parents, they both behave. It's like they test the weakness when we're alone.

I know that they are both still very young, but when only one of us is around, it really limits what we can do and it makes me feel like I'm a bad disciplinarian, which I am not. We ventured out briefly today to make a shopping trip to Fry's, and both kids were very good, but I didn't push my luck by going to a second store. I feel guilty for the TV watching and having to turn to TV so I can get just a few things done.

Things are looking up. M is better, poor guy, and we are annoying on going to the zoo tomorrow. Hopefully the kids will have more fun tomorrow. Also, we got the tree up and my Father Christmas collection displayed!

Black Friday

When I lived in Boston I decided I would go to Filene's Basement, the one downtown, the day after Thanksgiving. I didn't buy anything because I immediately became fearful for my life when I saw the crazed shoppers going through the clothes piled high on the tables. I decided that it wasn't worth it. After seeing the Target flyer yesterday, my mom and I decided to give it a shot, but we went just before 7, not 4am. We got the two things we wanted and it was actually a pretty fun time! I kind of wish Target was open that early all the time. I could get a lot done that way.

We spent the rest of the day eating leftovers, watching football, and even managed another trip to see the Saturn V rocket.



Since my parents are still here, I was able to have a nice dinner with M in the city. It was another great day!

Thanksgiving

Today was a good day. We cleared enough boxes to actually eat in the dining room and even the kids ate some mashed potatoes and turkey. We talked, ate, and laughed through the meal. We even managed to take a quick trip to the park.

My brother and his girlfriend are fantastic with the kids and I can't wait to see him with his own kids, someday.



I have a lot to be thankful for today and every day. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

This Is Not OK

I grew up n Texas, but my heart has always been in a colder climate.  I love cold weather.  I know that people will say, "Well, you've never lived in cold weather. Snow is a pain in the ass and the months of dreariness gets to you."  I have lived in cold climates, but family and other forces brought me back to Texas.  Otherwise, I would be living in a snowy place, trust me. 

We sent L to school with shorts on this morning.  Shorts on the day before Thanksgiving.  It is so hard to get into the holiday spirit when you have to run the AC and put on bug spray.  It's just depressing.  I am so tired of being miserable all summer and then still sweating in the humidity in the "winter" months, or should I say "month".  No matter how much you hate winter, you would not want this weather.  It's humid, your hair always, always looks bad and summer lasts for 8 months.  It's not a pleasant, Midwestern summer, either.  It's omygodi'mgoingtodie summer.  There are no seasons.  You don't really think about it until you go somewhere that actually has a fall.  Trust me, you would miss seasons.

If we were less practical, I think we would move just to escape the heat and occasional hurricane.  However, I think we're stuck here for the time being.  I resent it, though.  Shorts on Thanksgiving is just wrong.

What about you? Do you wish you lived in a different climate?