Flying my flag of yule tide surrender.

I was so prepared.  Clark and I replaced our archaic computer this summer with something faster, sleeker and oh-so-much-prettier.  However, it meant that I lost my favorite desktop publishing software.  After some research I found myself a new one, one that would be compatible with our shiny new computer...however, I have come to find this week that it is not so compatible with our printer.  Aye, there's the rub.  My Christmas cards were finished.  They just needed to be printed and shipped off.  My goal was to finish them before Thanksgiving because time to do them later just does not exist.  The last of our Thanksgiving guests have left and I am on to the next BIG thing (which will be all revealed in a week and a half...no time now, but it involves me, no kids and one trans Atlantic flight.)  I don't have time to figure out this printing problem so I am throwing my hands up in Yule Tide surrender.  Here is the cop out, I am simply posting my Christmas card on my blog.  Most of the people who would get it read my blog anyway, plus it saves me on postage, isn't that nice?
I am so sorry that I won't be sending you something jolly to open in the mail.  It would have come in a happy looking envelope.  If you feel so inclined, print it out yourself, then run it out to your mailbox.  That would make me happy.

(You see, it continues to be so frustrating that I have to re-post what it actually says on it...) 

As the ebb and flow of our family's life goes, we have had a relatively quiet 2009.  We have had no moves, no births, not even a broken bone to report.  Clark's deployment schedule has been very busy this year so we have spent every moment we can together.  And as our year is drawing to a close, and the activities are picking up speed we thought we would take a moment to slow down, reflect and share what each of us has been most grateful for in 2009.

HALEY - 8 years old

Getting my own room.  Turning 8 and getting baptized.  School (and the library!) Being in a play this summer with my sister.  Earning money for my own Nintendo DS.

ABIGAIL - 6 years old

Being in 1st grade.  Losing my first (and second) tooth.  Playing with Aunts and Uncles.  Going on trips with my family.  Reading.

MIA - 4 years old

Going to preschool at the same school as my sisters.  Learning my ABC's and how to read.  My sisters.  Going on my Dad's boat.  Swim lessons.

HAZEL - 19  months old

Being an awesome sleeper.  My fuzzy, pink blanket.  Turning 1.  Getting lots and lots of teeth.  Being adored by three older sisters.

EMILY - one year older than last year

A healthy family.  Happy kids.  Time together. Living in a beautiful place.  Finishing Christmas cards before December 25.

CLARK - one year older than Emily

Four adorable and funny girls. One incredibly talented and supportive wife.  Many good friends. Every homecoming.  My sanity.

Enjoy friends, and Happy Holidays!!

Please pass the narcotics.

I buy Dole's Orange Peach Mango regularly.  My kids like it and it's 100% juice, how can you go wrong? Today Abby decided that she was going to give it a nickname so she started calling it O P M.  By this evening the nickname had caught on and they were casually throwing into sentences, saying things like, Mom, can I have more OPM? I love OPM, it's delicious.
Go ahead, say OPM faster and faster.
You might laugh too.

We got a dog!!

OK, we didn't really get a dog but we could have just made one from all the hair Clark pulled out of every upstairs drain in the sinks and bathtubs...it could have been a great dane.
My gag reflex is in overdrive.
'shudder'
This is one post in which I will spare you a picture.  I may not have scruples when it comes to sharing things about bowel movements but by golly, this would cross a line.
The worst part about the whole process that we are trying not to think about? This is a rental, which means all that junk doesn't just belong to us.
Again,
'shudder'.
I'm not even the one doing it and I feel like I need to wash my hands, gargle with Listerine, and maybe wash my retinas with bleach...I may never be able to get these images out of my head.
Thanks goodness for husbands and their iron stomachs.

*And just for the record, though I adore dogs from a distance, we won't be getting one anytime soon.  Not until I no longer clean up any part of those bowel movements that I mentioned up above.

[cue long pubescent boy crackling-like sigh here...]

My daughter has a new friend.  And it's a boy.  Haley has had lots of friends that are boys but this one has been dropping by our house to play this week.  He rides his bike from down the street.  They sit together on the bus.  He is in her class at school too.  They are completely alike.  (I made them practice their spelling words today before I sent them away to play...they are both smart too.)  Good thing he is absolutely darling and sweet, otherwise I might stand on the front porch with my broom and a menacing glare as his bike approaches the driveway as if to say "that's right buddy, keep movin'".
This is new territory for us.  I don't like my kids to go to friends' houses to play that I don't know.  It makes me extremely uncomfortable.  Occasionally they do, but it is rare.  I have decided to allow myself to be protective like that.  We don't do sleepovers either, and never will.  That fight is easier to win, but the playing thing, that's a tough one to convince them of.  I would much rather kids play here.
I'm sure this is just the beginning of years of "gentleman callers".  I mean, I know they are completely just friends, but it puts me on my guard nonetheless...these are my babies, my daughters, my littles.  I may never get used to it.
However, I do promise that as they get older I will stop sneaking up on them with the camera to capture the moment...

I mean, she is riding on his pegs, how adorable is that?  I let the moment of discomfort that my daughter is friends with a boy, and she's 8, pass.  After all, I had better enjoy it now, it won't be so cute when they're driving away in a an actual car.

The End.

Here is what I love:

My hands free telemarketer headset that was bought for the express purpose of being productive while talking for excessive amounts of time in the evening with friends, sisters and sisters in law that are simultaneously without their hard-working husbands.

See? That's me folding my laundry and being entertained by someone without causing permanent damage to my neck by holding the phone in place...and in case you were wondering, I always look pleasant and engaged while talking on the phone like that.

The most awesomest ever.

(My pride and joy of which this post is about. The fruit of my loins, ladies and gentlemen.)

I had a really funny conversation with my Megan in law the other day.  (We usually think we are pretty funny.) She was quoting a wonderful book about how to raise wonderful children and have a lovely family and all that good stuff.  We were laughing about the Christmas cards that come from time to time, you know the ones I mean.  Now don't get me wrong, I like a good brag every once in a while.  And if Christmas isn't a time of year when we can only highlight the positive, when else is?  I mean, who doesn't like to point out that their kid is smart (which they are) or adorable (which they totally are) or funny (yes, again).  But I decided that this year I was going to go a different route.  Plus, it means that I don't have to sit and think too hard while composing our letter.  In fact, the miracle of the season is, my cards are nearly finished.  Now ask me what my kids are getting for Christmas and I'll answer "nothing at the moment".  But by golly, the cards will be out by Thansgiving.
So instead of preparing for real Christmas, or even Thanksgiving for the matter, tonight I give you "What I'd really like to say in our Christmas letter".

Haley has grown about a foot this year.  She is excellent at getting new teeth but not so good at losing the baby ones first.  She has spent much of the year looking like Nanny McPhee and avoiding any actual wiggling of the teeth (probably an issue of trust dating back to early in the summer when Mom yanked one so hard she bled for an hour, oops.) She adores reading, loves school but doesn't care for math so much (I wonder where she gets that?)  Haley has also learned to tell jokes that are actually funny.  A great relief to us all.
Abigail has finally grown out the mulletish bangs that she gave herself two years ago.  She still hoards like a 90 year old cat woman and has had an unidentifiable odor on her breath for several weeks now.  We are still investigating that one.  Probably her greatest accomplishment is that Abby has finally come to a place where she remembers that she must wear pants when going outside.
Our sweet Mia has probably changed the most.  We are celebrating the fact that she has finally perfected the wipe, flush, wash sequence when using the restroom.  Now if I could just mark her underwear with some distinguishing sign that there is a front and a back...I don't know, something like, a tag maybe.  I'll have to look into that.  Mia has also decided to add Fruity Cheerios to her repertoire of "I will eat without acting like I am going to die" diet.  We are so proud of her.
At 19 months and change, Hazel still takes two naps a day, however she has not committed to a regular bowel movement cycle.  She prefers grunting/screeching/screaming still to actual words, and thanks to Mia's willingness to participate verbally, Hazel may never see a need to use words at all.
Clark and I are fine.  Clark finally threw away all of his old t shirts from high school and I have begun flossing every night for the first time in my life (ssh, don't tell my dentist.) We tell funny jokes (to each other) and we always remember to put on deodorant and wear pants when leaving the house.
Our biggest family news this year of course is that we actually ate things out of our own garden (without dying) and the girls all had a great night at the dinner table one night back in July when none of them got out of their seats during the entire meal.  We even got in a couple of family vacations and still liked each other at the end.
Wishing you all very Happy Holidays!
[Then this is where I would probably put a whole sequence of pictures, because I can never decide on just one, so I would pick all of the very best where they looked the most adorable...but more up to date, naturally.]

 

And while I'm at it, I might as well change my profile picture to something a little more...me.   What do you think?

a plethora of pictures

So I heckled my brother and his wife to stay up way past their bedtime to load pictures here so that I could stare at my own family and then share them with you here (no, like, really here, on this blog.)
But if wanted you could also go HERE for their blog or see them all official-like HERE.
Now bring yourself back to here, right here again.
These are more shots from our trip to DC in October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Velour and jersey knits.

I decided today that what my wardrobe needs is more leisure suits.
Yes, I'm sure that's what it needs.
(I was reminded of this level of comfort while thinking about this today...would it be wrong to wear something from my maternity bin while not pregnant?)

In other news: we are down to the last three pieces of Halloween candy...make that two, I ate one after I took this picture.  I mean, for reals? We had so much...how fleeting sugar can be, but how lovely and scrumptious. Good times.  Good times. I will have to go back to sneaking the Lindt truffles from my nightstand after the kids are in bed.
Last weekend we decided we needed to get out of the house so after flying through chores (enter only slight sarcasm about "flying through anything" on Saturday mornings...) we headed out out and about to find some fun.  We ended up about 45 minutes away from home at what promised to be a rip-roarin' family fun time.  I won't say that I would have rather sat at home and poked my eyes out with a fork, but it sure wasn't the place I saw advertised.  Nevertheless, we mini golfed out in the cold (I rather like their first experience with something to be totally Crappy (with a capital "C") then every time after that has the potential to be better.) They didn't pick up on how crappy a place it really was (oblivious to the fact that the batting cages were shut down, the playground a law suit waiting to happen, and the go-karts shockingly...missing.) We had fun. 
Clark was seriously committed to the game.

Hazel really got into the course (enter a courtesy bang on a symbol here.)

And by the end everyone's hands were so chilled to the bone that we were "racing the holes" where we all went at it at the same time to see who could get their ball in the hole first...knocking other people's balls out of the course may or may not have taken place ('cough' Clark, what's the matter? You afraid you were gonna get beat by a six year old and her sticky, old golf club?..actually, he was.)

So although we won't be making that drive again anytime soon, we had a delicious lunch at a local joint and then found and absolute treasure on our way home.  This is only 15 minutes away.  I love running water.  I need to live near running water.  Beautiful.

Then today we went to the school for Abby's Veterans Day flag ceremony.  There were songs, solos, speaking parts and gushing.  The kids all got to say the name, branch of service and relation to someone they knew in the military.  When she said Clark's name, Navy and "My Dad" I teared up.  Moms get that way sometimes, especially proud, patriotic Moms.

Here is what I love:
Saying "Gag me with a spoon"

Soo-eeee!

 I am staring into the face of two pot luck meals this weekend.  Those of you that know me at all know that "pot" is my least favorite kind of lucky.  I don't like eating food from kitchens that I have never seen, people who may or may not wipe their nose while cooking or wash their hands after using the "you know".  So in light of this little "flu" that is making its way through all of humanity, I am less than enthusiastic to partake.  And although the pandemic like characteristics of this rapidly spreading disease may be frightening, I say, bring it.  I eat swine like you for breakfast...no really, bacon is totally my favorite.
Now imagine me giving my best karate "come hither" glare...oink, oink.  I ain't afraid of you.

 Yeah, that's right.  This is a picture of a pig in a Gi. Take that.

*Disclaimer: If, or rather, when my family is down for the count with this nastiness, I totally take back everything I just said.

Post edit: This post was written last week...the pot lucks are over and we are still as healthy as ever.  What gives?

The Obligatory Halloween Post

It's not that I don't want to write about Halloween, I just don't really feel like writing about Halloween.  I love Halloween, I am just over it now and happy that is it November.  I like November. (November is when I have a steady supply of Wassail in my fridge for whenever the mood may strike.)  I also like candy.  So I guess I do want to talk about Halloween.  We got so much candy that we started handing out their loot towards the end of the trick or treaters, by the fistfuls....they will never even notice.  The girls looked adorable, they had fun and the weather was surprisingly mild, albeit very, very windy.  I only made two of their costumes this year, the patterns of which moved me from "what the heck am I doing and what does that mean?" to the next seamstressing level of "what the heck am I doing and what does that symbol mean...ooh, look, it's a dress!"  We did a church party, a neighborhood party, trick or treating and three "non Halloween" class parties.  They were all fun.  And did I mention the candy? There was candy.  I revived the old, faithful sailor costume, comfy, warm, easy.  Clark was George Washington (I swear we'll return it someday, Carrie.) He spent the evening chatting up a storm with them wooden teeth.  Yadda yadda yadda, candy.  The End.

 (Hazel vehemently refused to wear any of the furry Halloween costumes I already had in her size...so I had Clark pick up the cheerleader when his boat was docked in Annapolis, MD last week...fooled her, she thought she was in regular clothes.  And don't you think Mia looks nice next to Abe? She kept backing up to people to sting them.)

 Abby couldn't keep her Rapenzel wig in place (and you can see her hot pink sweat pants under her skirt) but Haley got a trophy for best costume at our neighborhood party.  I think she impressed the judges during the costume parade - she was totally workin' it.  It absolutely made her day. (PS She was Alice, from Wonderland.)

Today I mostly feel like laying my  head on my Mom's lap and saying "Tell me a story.  Tell me what it's like to live with one other adult who puts his clothes somewhere other than the floor when he takes them off.  Tell me what it's like to live in a house where I am not throwing mis-fired wads of toilet paper from the floor into the toilet, or crumbs off of everywhere and smelling underwear (from a fair distance) to see where it belongs."  And then I will clothes my eyes and drift off into a delightful slumber, dreaming of cleaner days.  I concede that the daydream may or may not make me miss the days when my children were small. It's just one of those days.  I am going to pretend that I am really bored and want nothing more than to complete the items on my endless list of things to do.  I may have to wear my cute apron, and whistle.  Yes, I can do that.

Also, pennies really shouldn't be used anywhere near metal night lights. Ever.  A safety message brought to you by the daughter with blackened fingertips.
Also, the last tenants need to hire a painter that owns painter's tape.