Merry Christmas!

Hey, Santa!

 

We're ready and waiting!

Wordless Wednesday: Park Fun Edition

   

  

 

a pretty nice little Saturday

A while back, I gave Sara the choice between having a birthday party with friends or having a special day with just the family.  She chose a special day with the family, and decided she wanted to go to the science museum.  I was thrilled for two main reasons: 1) I didn't have to plan and host a birthday party, and 2) we hadn't yet visited the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and here was the perfect opportunity.

Yesterday morning we headed first to the girls' school for their Winter Festival, which involved a short show, games, cookie decorating, and visits with Santa.  Unfortunately, on the way out the door, I had a major mishap.  Everyone was in the car and I ran back in the house to get drinks for the girls.  I grabbed cups from the cabinet, and didn't shut it, but rather let it shut behind me.  As I was at the fridge filling a cup with water, I heard a crash.  A decorative platter that was on top of the cabinets fell ... right onto our glass stove cook top.  Both were in about a million pieces.  I cried.  A lot.  We need to replace the cook top sooner than later, but two of the burners still work, and I've used both today.  What a pain.

Anyway, we had lots of fun at the Winter Festival.  

Decorating cookies ...

 

  And visiting with Santa (Sara visited, Emma just wanted out) ...

 And then we headed downtown.  The Perot Museum was so awesome.  Both girls loved the kids' area, and Sara also enjoyed racing a cheetah, learning about the planets and stars, and seeing the dinosaurs.  

 

 

 

Afterwards, we walked across the street to eat at El Fenix ... delish.  Then we headed home with two very tired girls.  And, upon walking into the house, I was reminded of my shattered stove.  But we had a great family day, which ended with a viewing of "White Christmas" by the fire.  With the exception of our kitchen debacle, it was a pretty nice little Saturday.

She's FIVE

"Slipping through my fingers all the time ...

 ... I try to capture every minute, the feeling in it ...

 ... Slipping through my fingers all the time ...

 ... Do I really see what's in her mind ...

 ... Each time I think I'm close to knowing ...

... She keeps on growing ...

  

...Slipping through my fingers all the time."

ABBA 

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, smart, funny, challenging, artistic, thoughtful, five-year-old, Sara Noel.  You are everything I never knew I needed.  You make my life complete.

Ice Day(s), cont.

Well, our ice day turned into a 4-day ice weekend, and we continued to make the most of our time at home together.  I know it doesn't look like it, but Emma really enjoyed her time outside in the wagon.  In fact, right before we went outside this particular time, when Emma saw Sara putting on her coat, she grabbed her own and brought it to me to put on her.  She wanted to play, too!

 Emma only slipped on the ice a couple of times and was, of course, well-padded.

 Silly faces ...

 

 And sad face ... this is what happened when, with runny noses and rosy cheeks, we had to take a break and come inside ...

We were all ready to head out and about today when the roads were better.  Sara got a haircut, we made a Target run, and stopped for some much-needed Mexican food.  Later in the day, when I remembered that Sara needed new ballet shoes (class is tomorrow), she and I made a quick trip to pick some up, and then I surprised her by driving to the movie theatre to see "Frozen".  I had heard good things about it and had been wanting to take her; she was THRILLED!  It was a wonderful movie, and a fun way to spend some special time with my big girl.  There were so many good messages in the movie, including the fact that an act of true love isn't always a kiss from a prince - so important for my princess-obsessed girl.  There was also strong emphasis on the power of sisterly love, which of course strikes a chord.  And it just felt fitting to see "Frozen" while, for the first time in twenty-something years in Dallas, are frozen in December!

We'll be headed back to work and school tomorrow, and we're really looking forward to the next few days.  It's Birthday Week in our house, and Sara just can't wait to be five!

Ice Day

Despite learning that all of our weekend events - breakfast with Santa, dance recital, and marathon - would be cancelled, we really enjoyed our ice day yesterday.  We we watched movies in a nest by the fire, made gingerbread cookies, danced along with the musical ornaments on the tree, did projects, drank hot chocolate, and played outside.

We had to go out first thing this morning, still in jammies, to see what the white was all about ...

 Sara said, "I wish this ice was snow."  It sure would have been more fun, but she loved looking at the ice-enclosed leaves and blades of grass.  And of course we had to taste some icicles.

 Later in the day we went out again, and because we don't own sleds, we improvised.  The laundry basket worked perfectly, and unlike sledding in thick snow where you can sometimes get stuck in a groove, the ice was the perfectly slick surface for a fast ride!

 We had to "skate" down the street to the park to check out the ice on the playground. 

 When we say "ice day" rather than "snow day", it's no joke.  Every surface is covered; the park was like a big rink.

 It's white like snow, but don't be deceived, Northern friends.  I was this close to getting my skates out of the attic.  Steve actually used the hammer on the driveway in an attempt to break up some of the ice.  It reminded me of living in KC, where we literally had to chisel our way into our cars on icy mornings.

 During our inside time today, Sara worked on decorating her room ...

 ... and the coat closet.

Obviously we didn't push Emma down the icy hill in a laundry basket, but she did enjoy hanging out in it inside.  It's the little things.

 And as an aside, do you remember in a recent post when I said that Emma started throwing a fit over having to wear pants?  Well, her big accomplishment today was learning to take them off by herself.  How guilty does she look in this picture (taken immediately after I glanced over and noticed she was sans-britches)?

The rest of our weekend will be a lot more low-key than originally planned due to all the cancellations around the metroplex.  We're stocked up on groceries and beverages, and - as you saw - equipped with a "sled", so we should be good to go until the roads are car-friendly again (or until we leave for work Monday morning, whichever comes first).  Stay warm, my friends.

reflection

I consider myself a pretty reflective person, and isn't reflection what this time of year is all about?  This post actually isn't about the season, though; now that I'm nearly a semester into my first year at elementary, I thought it would be a good time to reflect, and share about all that I'm learning.

When I left middle school, I was ready for a big change.  There was a (large) part of me that was scared that I might be making the wrong decision, one I could regret.  But I took the leap anyway, feeling like I was at a "now or never" crossroads.  What I've found over the last seven months is that I got the big change I wanted ... and I don't regret it at all.  I am getting an education, that's for sure, and regardless of where I end up down the road, I think the decision to make a change will forever have positive career impact for me.  New perspective is always a bonus.

Here are my big "aha's", in no particular order ...

• Elementary teachers are more different from middle school teachers than elementary kids are from middle school kids.  With the exception of kids' ages, kids are kids are kids.
• On the other hand, considering kids' ages, I found out quickly that the sense of humor that made middle school kids laugh makes the little ones look at me like I have seven heads.  Don't worry, I've made some adjustments.
• I get a lot more hugs at elementary school, and I don't have to worry about them being borderline-inappropriate.  When a little one needs a big hug, my brain doesn't immediately jump to "let's just go with a high-five".  It's comical, and also so sweet.
• The camaraderie that exists (or has the potential to exist) in an elementary school is so awesome.  The size of the staff lends itself to this, as does the generally more nurturing (with students and among colleagues) nature of the teachers. 
• I use a lot more hand sanitizer these days.  And I used A LOT of it at middle school.  So that's saying something.
• I have long believed that teachers are the most amazing, hard working people on the planet.  Elementary teachers have solidified my belief.
• Discipline at elementary might actually be harder than it was at middle school ... which I hadn't considered.  The offenses are generally less serious (i.e. haven't found any drugs or knifes yet this year - knock on wood (kidding ... sort of)), but the impulsive nature of the little ones and/or their inability to appropriately express their feelings often leaves them completely unsure of (or unable to articulate) why they made a wrong choice.  Whenever I have to spend some time with a special friend, I picture my Sara sitting there, and that shapes my whole approach.
• I'm learning so much about SPED referrals and testing.  Although we did some of this in middle school, it was minimal as most identification and testing happens before 6th grade.  One motivation for moving to elementary, for me, was to learn about the beginning of this type of process, so this piece has been very valuable.
• There are so many things that happen in elementary school of which, as a middle school teacher and administrator, I never really considered the value.  I've learned that everything we do, beginning day one of kindergarten, counts.  It all matters.

I've had many people ask me whether I like middle school or elementary school better.  I feel like that's an unfair question: how can I possibly compare ten years of middle school to one semester of elementary school?  I can't.  I will say that I miss so many things about middle school, starting with the students.  I went into education with a desire to teach middle school.  I love those funny, awkward, moody kids who think they know everything but who are actually totally lacking a developed frontal lobe.  Middle schoolers are the best (and sometimes the worst).  I miss that.  But I also feel like elementary has revitalized me, and I'd certainly like to stay for a while.  There's no telling where my career will take me, but what I've learned is that it's okay to make a change, even when it's a little scary, and new learning always ignites a spark.  I feel like I'm breathing fresher air this year, and I absolutely love it.

Emma's World

I really believe that, if she could articulate as much, Emma would let us know that it's her world ... and we're just living in it.  Don't get me wrong: we love Emma's world; it's a  very special place.  Anyway, I realized that I went an entire year giving monthly updates on Emma, and I haven't done any posts like that since she turned one.  Figured I would take a few minutes to jot down where she's at now.

Although she was 15 months a few days ago, we don't go back to the doctor for her well-child visit until after the first of the new year.  Sometimes scheduling convenience for mom wins.  But aside from doctor stats, there's plenty more to share about Emma.  Still a little thing, she is full of personality and opinions.  For example, she doesn't like the fact that she has to watch Sara at gymnastics but can't participate herself.  A few weeks ago, we had to watch from outside ...

 Emma is playing with new toys, and likes looking at books.  While we try to steer her toward the more age-appropriate board books, she's fascinated by the ones in Sara's room.  Surprisingly, she's gentle with them and hasn't torn up one yet.  She is also attached to the red rocking chair.  She'll take a book, a snack, a drink ... or whatever, and go sit in it.  If Sara nabs it first, Emma is pretty persistent in trying to crawl on Sara's lap until Sara just gives up and lets her sister have the seat (Sara's patience with Emma continues to amaze me ... she's the best big sister).

 While G & G were here over Thanksgiving, Emma enjoyed wearing Grandpa's hat.  She also started getting angry about having to wear pants.  I don't know why, but she suddenly started throwing a huge fit whenever I tried to put pants on her.  I really just think that was the battle she chose to pick ... as long as she's not still picking it in about 15 years, we should be okay.

 Emma loves to empty her spoons and forks out of the drawer.  Sometimes she'll place piles of them in her red rocking chair, and sometimes, like below, she'll just throw them all over the floor.  She flings them with gusto and supreme concentration.

I've been growing increasingly concerned about Emma's lack of language development.  Aside from "dada", "tata", "baba", and other similar sounds, she doesn't use words.  She does depend on her sign language, and will make a "roof, roof" sound when asked what a dog says.  I know Emma understands a lot because she'll respond with the appropriate actions to requests such as "go get your shoes", "put that in the trash", and "please put that back where you found it" (i.e. the spoons and forks!).  We'll see what happens over the next couple of months.  It's hard to know whether her lack of talking is by choice; based on her personality, it wouldn't surprise me.  I'll be interested to hear what our pediatrician has to say.

I love thinking about who Emma will become based on her behaviors now.  She is so feisty yet so loving.  She pushes boundaries just to see how far we'll let her go, and she wants to do anything and everything her sister does.  And she's pretty sure she rules the roost (which is mostly partly true).

Wordless Wednesday: Turkey Project Edition

finally

It finally feels like winter in North Texas!  It's like we skipped fall and went from temps in the 70s for most of last week to temps in the 30s starting on Friday.  What's more, the forecast calls for snow in the coming days.  Snow in November would be a first for me in Texas.  I think we're supposed to be back in the 50s next weekend, so maybe we'll still get a little fall after all.

Thanksgiving is late this year, and I can feel it, can't you?  I am ready for the break, and the Christmas prep and excitement that follows.  I've already seen lots of Christmas lights and decorations up at homes in the neighborhood, but we always wait until after Thanksgiving.  Our outdoor lights will present a new challenge this year since we're in a new house with a different roof line.  Good thing Steve has a little Clark Griswold in his blood.  We'll have help setting up this year since my parents will be in town.

They will be driving down, arriving here on Tuesday.  When they made the plans originally, it was contingent on weather up north -- as long as the roads were supposed to remain pretty clear, they would head our way.  None of us anticipated that the bad roads may be here instead of there.  Regardless, we plan to see them Tuesday evening.  Sara has been counting down the days!

She and I finished (I think) our Thanksgiving grocery shopping today.  Tar-jay was PACKED.  I guess I knew it would be, but ... geez.  Anyway, on the menu: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans, rolls, and pumpkin pie.  As always, I hoping for plenty of leftovers, too.

I have no plans for Black Friday shopping.  It just doesn't interest me, and I'm not willing to get up in the middle of the night to fight over a handful of the available "hot" items.  I'm looking forward to a quiet day around the house, decorating for Christmas, and hopefully a nice walk or trip to the park.  In fact, except for a grocery and/or Target trip, I don't anticipate doing any shopping next weekend. 

A couple nights ago I was able to get out for a couple of hours to enjoy dinner and some drinks with my friend, Erica.  I tend to give myself a hard time about being away from home on evenings and weekends, but I felt so refreshed after my short break the other night.  A little grown-up time was just what I needed.

The next few weeks should be a whirlwind; I'm sure you can relate.  Steve and I both have holiday gatherings for work, I have cooking to do for a couple of potlucks, and I have to go searching for an ugly sweater (Goodwill?).  Also, Steve will be running his second marathon, Sara has a dance recital, a school program, and - of course - we'll be celebrating her *big* birthday. 

For tonight, though, we're enjoying sitting by the fire watching the big prime time match up between the Cyclones and the Jayhawks (in case you aren't familiar with either team's season, this game is a total joke all the way around).  In kid news, Sara is sleeping on the top bunk for the first time, and Emma slept til 8:00 this morning so I'm totally hoping for a repeat tomorrow (and she is now sleeping soundly without a bedtime bottle ... hurray!). 

Hope your holiday season is off to a great start.  We're upon my very favorite time of the year!

Wordless Wednesday

on my mind

• I'm considering ending my Facebook tenure.  I've been a member for a little over two years, and its novelty is wearing off.  Although it's a good way to keep in touch with people, I find myself spending too much time scrolling through and reading about people/events/etc. that have no meaning to me.  I'm just pretty over it.  I'm not totally ready to press "delete" on my account, but I'm thinking about it.
• Every morning when we hop in the car, I hold my breath as I wait to hear whether the Christmas carols have started on 103.7.  As of this morning, they hadn't.  I sure hope tomorrow's the big day.  The station keeps it a secret and changes up the start date every year ... c'mon, already.
• I'm getting a little anxious about Christmas shopping.  I've done a tiny bit online, but I really need to get out and do some looking.  I don't have many good ideas yet, so I need some time to shop around before I find myself with only a couple of weeks to spare.  The biggest obstacle I'm facing this is the fact that we don't need one more toy in this house ... can Santa just bring clothes and shoes this year?
• I did get our Christmas cards ordered today, and it felt good to cross that off my list.  I'm excited for them to arrive in the orange Shutterfly box.  
• My parents have decided to make a road trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving.  It will be fun to have them here for a few days, and I'm excited that we'll be together for our annual Thanksgiving night viewing of "Clark" aka "Christmas Vacation".  Gosh, I'm ready to watch that again!
• There is currently a very large pile of clean laundry sitting in my bedroom.  I'm saving it to fold while I watch "Parenthood" tonight if I can stay up that late (yep, it's on a 9:00).  I used to just do laundry on the weekends, but those days have passed.
• I had to stop by our old house today because a package somehow arrived there instead of here.  The house looked good and the new owner had some cute fall pumpkins out front, which made me happy.
• We had a big election in our city this week.  The school board was asking for a tax rate increase to help keep programing in our schools.  I'm happy to say that it passed; if it hadn't, we would have lost 350+ teachers, counseling staff, nursing staff, special education and ESL staffing, GT programs, fine arts programs, etc.  It would have been detrimental to our schools and our kids.  I'm so glad to live in a city that makes public school a priority.  Even residents without kids in the schools understand the impact of strong schools on a community.
• Tomorrow is Friday.  Hallelujah.

Book Talk

After hearing intriguing feedback, I picked up Orange is the New Black at Half Price Books not long ago.  Maybe you're familiar with the Netflix version (I'm not, but apparently it's a hit).  In this memoir, Piper Kerman recounts her year+ in a federal prison, a sentence she's serving for being convicted of drug trafficking a decade after the actual events occurred.  Her story is so fascinating because she's so ... normal.  She could be anyone you or I know, and here she is in a prison jumpsuit, befriending women from all walks of life who have somehow or another ended up behind bars for varying lengths of time.  Her story is funny, sad, endearing, and totally worth reading.

 The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters was a random selection from my mom's bookshelf when I was in MN last month.  The story is written in letters, all from Olivia, a Hollywood film producer, to various people in her life - from friends to family to Hollywood execs to her on-again-off-again-ex.  Olivia's letters tell the story of her little sister's final days as she battles cancer.  Although I really enjoyed this book, I didn't really care much for Olivia ... it didn't turn out to be a huge issue other than I think I would have been a bigger fan of the story if I had found a way to really like the main character.

When we were in MN last summer, my aunt, Jane, recommended Forever Ours: Real Stories of Immortality and Living from a Forensic Pathologist. It sounded interesting, so I gave it a try ... and then read the whole thing in a weekend.  The stories of encounters with death, as well as the experiences of loved ones left behind, were fascinating.  This book, from the forensic pathologist's point of view, explores the visions, synchronicities (aka signs), and communications to those and from those who are on the brink of death or who have passed.  I absolutely believe the stories that were relayed in the book because, to some degree, such experiences have been part of my own life.  Incredibly interesting and heartfelt, I absolutely recommend this book.

"That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit."

Amos Bronson Alcott

Halloween, cont.

Ready for Halloween parties at school on Thursday ...

 Sara enjoyed the fact that her costume lit up and played "Under the Sea".  I love how it made her do this little mermaid sway every time she turned it on!

Sara was thrilled that she was finally able to talk me into inflatable decor for the front yard. 

 

And the haul (with peanut items pulled out) ...

Steve took today off of work, and it worked out perfectly that Sara was able to stay home with him and sleep in after all of the excitement of last night.  They had a special day together complete with lunch at BWW, a trip to the mall, and some R&R.  Now that it's November, I'm ready for Christmas carols to start playing on the radio.  But first, I'm especially ready to "fall back" and add an extra hour to this weekend!

Halloween Prep

Truth: I am a sucker for tradition.  And Halloween prep deserves tradition.  After we tucked Emma into bed tonight, Steve, Sara, and I had fun together getting ready for Halloween.

We turned on a Halloween play list with hits such as "Monster Mash", "Thriller", "Purple People Eater", "Ghostbusters", and "Time Warp", and then carved pumpkins ...

 

 

Ariel and Scary Face ...

We roasted and enjoyed some pumpkin seeds ...

 

And then we watched (for the millionth time but it never gets old) "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".  Tomorrow is the *big night*, but tonight made my heart happy.  Here's to family traditions.