hello!

So apparently I can't work and blog at the same time.

It's impossible.

 

Ok.  Not really, but sitting down at another computer after being at a computer all day really is about the last thing I want to do.

 

And I only have, like, 4 hours between school pick up and bedtime to:

do homework

cook dinner (more on that in a minute)

tidy up

bath time

actually play with her

read books for school

etc...

Don't even get me started on art and gymnastics nights.

 

The only reason it is happening now is because we have a snow day and I have taken the day to stay home with her.

And loving every single second.

It is 6 degrees right now.

6.

 

There.  Am I forgiven for not blogging?

Ok.  Good.

Let's move on.

 

 

Cooking.

 

I have been lately. 

Really good stuff.

Like:

 

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/prosciutto_shrimp.html

 

and

 

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mozzarella_stuffed_turkey_burgers.html

 

and

 

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wok_seared_chicken_tenders_with_asparagus_pistachios.html

 

I don't know who has jumped into my body and started meal planning and cooking, but I really like her.

She is the bomb diggidty.

 

 

Exercising

 

I'm doing that too.

I signed up for my second half marathon.

I really don't know what I was thinking.

Except that maybe I need to move my body more, and this will guarantee that.

Or maybe it is the fact that it is in Canada and ends at a winery?

You be the judge.

 

 

Reading

 

I am not doing that very much.

And that makes me sad.

 

So there.

You are mostly caught up.

 

And where did this tiny little thing go?

I miss her.

 

 

 

2012 in randomness

I thought I would try something different.

 

I didn't look at what photos I was choosing and thought I would recap our year in whichever photos came up.

Fun, right?

 

Januray:  Baby Polar Bear at breakfast.

Just one of our many weekend family breakfasts. 

He is always present.

He likes bacon.

 February:  A quick trip.

We took a quicky trip to Columbus to Cosi.

Ellie's favorite part, was, by far, the pool.

It wreaked havoc on her hair and eyes.

It was soooooo chlorinated.

 March:  Sock Hop

She is cute all the time.

But she was especially cute this day.

 April:  Her 6th birthday.

A fun tea party indeed.

Then she fell down the stairs and we had to go to the hospital for a ct scan.

Yay.

 May:  Her beloved monkey bars arrived.

You should see this kid on the monkey bars.

She is like a, well, a monkey!

And Chris and I nearly got divorced putting that sucker together.

 June:  A cookout.

One of the many fun cookouts we went on this year.
And I thought Chris was thin then.

Have you seen my incredible shrinking husband?

He is HOT!

 July:  A walk in the woods.

We take lots of walks in the woods and hikes.

We loves it.

Yes.  Loves.

 August: A playground.

With the amount of playgrounds we frequent, I am surprised all the pictures weren't of playgrounds.

 September: Hoosier Kitty.

We lost our girl this year.

She wasn't a lover.

But she was still ours.

 October: Pumpkin stuff.

I love October.

Every little thing about it.

November:  Emerson.

We met our baby cousin!

I have decided to call her Sunny.

Mostly cause Mark hates it.

She is the sweetest thing!

 December: Family photo on Christmas Eve.

It's blurry.

I look hideous.

But is sums us up pretty well.

I love these two to the moon and back.

It was a great year.

Full of love and new adventures and health and happiness.

I can only hope that 2013 is just as great!

 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I am all done.

All ready for Santa and family time.

 

From our house to yours...

Merry Christmas!!

too close

I like to know what's going on.

I like to hear things.

I even like to gossip.

 

But this.

I don't want to know about this.

Not any of it.

 

I don't want to know why or when or where.

I especially don't want to know how many.

 

I don't want to think about unopened Christmas presents.

Or left-behind sisters and brothers.

I don't want to fathom a mother's arms who are holding special stuffed animals,

trying to smell a familiar smell,  

instead of tiny little warm bodies.

 

It's too much.

Too close.

 

They were 6.

She is 6.

 

I have stayed away from the news.

Stayed away from Facebook

I don't want to hear the childen's accounts of what happened.

The sensationalism of it all.

It makes me so very sad.

 

So instead I do what every other fortunate mother is doing.

I hug her tighter.

And relish her smell and giggles.

And even her whinyness.

Cause she is still here.

I still have her.

No random act of awfulness has stolen her from me.

 

Today we are in our matching jammies.

Baking cookies and finishing up our homemade Christmas presents.

I am so lucky.

So very, very, very lucky.

 

God bless those affected.

God bless those families.

God bless those mothers.

And God bless those sweet little boys and girls.

the bare essentials

My poor kid.

I am doing the bare essentials this Christmas.

Think she notices?

Of course she doesn't.

But I do.

And it bothers the heck outta me.

Here it is, halfway through December and we have read nary a Christmas book.

It's shameful really.

This weekend though, we are HOLIDAZING it UP!

Christmas light looking.

Christmas cookie baking.

Present buying and wrapping.

Carols.

I am gonna cram the whole holiday in this one teeny tiny little weekend.

So there.

On a side note:

Benjamin has been a huge hit this year.

Sneaky little elf.

Some people think he is creepy looking.

I think he is mischievous looking.

Thoughts?

read any good books lately?

I am not reading.

 

This is like saying the sky is green.

or

The grass is red.

 

It's just not true.

Usually.

 

I usually devour books.

Can't read them fast enough.

 

I blame the job.

Stupid job.

 

However, for the last 6 or so months, I haven't read more than 2 books.

This is not ok.

 

Not even a little.

 

I have tried.

I pick a book up at night,

and two seconds later, my eyes slam shut.

 

And on weekends, I really feel like I should maybe clean my house

or spend some time with my kid.

 

Then,

this week I picked up a James Patterson at the library.

Cause he is SO EASY to read.

 

It's about animals that start to attack people and take over the world.

Weird.

and Good!

 

Mayby my dry spell is over??

 

Here's hoping.

 

I have a few queued on my ipad.

One is for book club.

Next week.

Better get on it!

thankful

Ever since mom died, I struggle with the holidays.

They just aren't the same.

So I always made sure to keep myself insanely busy.

So I wouldn't notice what was missing.



 Then.

Last year.

The unthinkable happened.

We had no plans for Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve.

My favorite and hardest day of the year.

 But then something miraculous happened.

It was just us.

And we rocked Christmas Eve.

We rocked it like a hurricane.

I don't want it to be any other way now.

 

It happened again last night.

We had no plans, the night before Thanksgiving.

So we opened a bottle of red.

Played gin.

And laughed.  A lot.

 So while there might be a huge hole where she should be.

It healed just a little when I realized when I have everything I need right here.

 

I love how much he adores her.

And what a good example he is for her.

And how he makes her life silly and fun.

I am Thankful.

 I love our traditions.

And our inside jokes.

And the things we don't tell anyone else about.

I am Thankful.

 I love how she makes me laugh.

And how she has my hair color.

And how she looks just like my mama.

I am Thankful.

 I love how he loves me.

He is so very good at it.

For that, I am eternally Thankful.

I have it good.

Better than most even.

Thankful.