Apparently the kids still haven't recovered from the number of pictures I snapped last year during The Challenge. They seem to be suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress. I thought that maybe the first big snowfall of the year would put them in the mood, or at least distract them enough to not notice my camera.
Not so.
My attempts at taking photographs were greeted with looks of barely-there tolerance...
...looks of disgust (I think the trauma gave her a bloody nose!)...
... sobbing, tearful, 'no's....
... and begging screams of 'no'...
They blocked my lens, treating me like they think I'm paparazzi slime.
It really hurt my feelings.
I think we may all need therapy.
A couple of weeks ago, Pen performed in two different productions within a few days. First came a two night run of the Nutcracker. I was happy that there was one fewer showing than last year, and having it done before Thanksgiving was fabulous.
Pen did just great. In fact, the only sketchy part of the whole thing was my application of her false eyelashes. Hey, I absolutely rocked the application of the second eye. You probably can't tell which I did first...
Then, the day after Nutcracker ended, Big and I got to go watch Pen as she performed her part in the play she'd been working on in her musical theater class. It was a 'Peanuts' production (I don't remember the exact title) and Pen played the part of Lucy. She was super.
Considering the fact that their Musical Theater teacher had surprisingly given birth a few days before (I mean the baby was born early, not that she should have been featured on an episode of 'I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant'...) so the kids were performing completely director-less, I think they did really well. I am so happy that Pen has found some things she enjoys doing so much. Good job, Pen!
This hasn't been so bad, the whole being thankful thing. It has been nice to sit and reflect each day on the things I'm thankful for, especially when the day wasn't going so well. It looks like maybe I'll have to keep it up on fridays with 'Friday Favorites'. It will be good for me.
1. I am thankful that we got to spend Thanksgiving as just our little (not so little?) family today. We love our extended family, but it was nice to celebrate the holiday with a bit less chaos. It allowed us to really just enjoy being together without distractions.
2. I love that when we went around the table saying what we're thankful for, the kids didn't struggle to come up with things. I wasn't sure how successful we were until tonight, but I'm thankful Rophone and I have been able to raise kids who are grateful for what they have. I even loved how Big was thankful for things he doesn't have, but is obviously hoping he'll get for Christmas. I guess he's being grateful ahead of time (it's nice to know I'm raising an optimist).
3. I am thankful that we have 3 more days together as a family before the work/school grind starts again.
4. Rophone knows me so well, and I'm thankful that he still likes me anyway. It's really nice to have someone who understands the way I tick.
5. I am thankful for when the kids are unhelpful (believe it or not), because it reminds me to show appreciation for the times when they are helpful. (Not that I really wouldn't mind a little more equity between the two...) It's the whole 'pain helps us appreciate joy' thing.
We had a great Thanksgiving and we hope that all our loved ones did, too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Okay, here we go again...
1. I am thankful that I managed to get most of the Thanksgiving cooking and prep done today, so tomorrow should be quite leisurely. Well, as much as Thanksgiving can be without a dishwasher.
2. I am thankful that my pregnancy brain seemed to take a break today so all of the dishes turned out as intended. I think. I'll let you know for sure tomorrow after I actually eat them.
3. I am thankful that Ginger is so good at wrangling and playing with her brothers when I need her to, and is usually very willing to do so. She made it possible for me to accomplish all I did today. She even got them to clean the family room. Happily! Thanks Ginger!
4. I am thankful that Big has relatives who are willing to become a part of his construction business (tonight he gained a crane operator and two surveyors). It was so nice to have a night off.
5. I am thankful that the cold weather makes me not feel so hot. So, yeah, I wore flip flops today-- 18 degrees seems positively balmy.
See you tomorrow for the finale!
I just picked up Bud from Kindergarten and was informed that during their Thanksgiving feast the boy sitting next to him barfed. I'm not very thankful for that (and I'll keep my fingers crossed that we can avoid the barfs here), so I'll try to think of some other things.
1. I am thankful that I don't have to do the get-the-kids-ready-and-out-the-door-to-school routine for the rest of the week.
2. I am thankful for red curry from my favorite Thai place. It makes my tummy happy. And the egg rolls are good, too.
3. I am thankful that my husband is such a good shopper since I'm not. It comes in handy around the holidays.
4. Even though I don't generally like sweets, I am thankful for frozen Twix. A mini frozen Twix (I could never eat a whole one!) after a spicy meal is just about perfect.
5. I am thankful for a husband who thinks I'm smokin' hot, even while I'm pregnant.
Wow! I've made it through 3 days already. Who woulda thunk?
After a rough afternoon (gotta love those one hour tantrums), I think I really need this. Let's see if I can think of anything...
1. I am thankful that my belly is not yet big enough to prevent me pulling on my boots (admittedly with a little grunt) to go help the 5 year old stack the balls of snow he'd made for his snowman. (I guess this should also make me thankful for the finger loops on the back of the boots which made it all possible...)
2. I am thankful that outdoor-boy smell washes off. There is nothing like snuggling my freshly bathed boys and taking a big sniff.
3. I am thankful my husband left the iron out yesterday-- walking past it several times today served as the catalyst for me to do the ironing. Now I have one less thing to feel guilty about.
4. I am thankful we're getting more snow to cover up some of the brown.
5. I am thankful for a working washer and dryer, and hope to have a working dishwasher again soon. (refer to #5 from yesterday's list)
Okay. I'm pooped.
I have been thinking for a while that I need to change my perspective on life-- to focus more on the positive and less on the negative. So, for the next 5 days until Thanksgiving I will list some things I'm thankful for.
I kind of stole this idea from a friend. I say 'kind of' because she is doing it for ten days and lists 10 things a day, but I'm just doing it for five days, listing 5 things each day. Clearly, I'm an underachiever.
Baby steps, people.
1. I am thankful that I have a husband who works so hard.
2. I am thankful that the kids have played mostly-well together for most of the day, thus allowing me to recoup from overdoing it working in the yard yesterday (3 hours for an old pregnant lady took its toll).
3. I am thankful for Big's obsession with worker trucks-- it provides endless amusement for all. Did you know that Big has promoted Rophone to cement truck driver in his future construction company? Obviously, he loves his daddy.
4. I am thankful for this new baby we're having.
5. I am thankful for hopes and dreams.
Every friday, this same friend lists her 'Friday Favorites' so she can remember what has been great about her week. Maybe if the next 5 days go well, I'll copy her in that, too.
I just want to make sure this poor holiday isn't overlooked, so I'll try to be better at celebrating it year round. That ought to do the trick.
Bud had his first piano lesson yesterday. To say he was excited is just a wee bit of an understatement. Kind of like saying I'm just a little bit pregnant. He nagged me and nagged me last week until I contacted the piano teacher to see if we could add him on, not wanting to miss his chance for another week.
Waiting for yesterday's lesson was, for Bud, like waiting for Christmas. He kept saying things like, "I can't wait for Tuesday!" and "Do you know what I get to do in 2 days? It starts with a 'P'..." I kept my fingers crossed that he would enjoy the piano lesson experience as much as he was expecting to.
I really shouldn't have worried, I guess. What with his love of (okay, obsession with) music and everything. He sat at the piano and practiced as soon as lessons were over yesterday and made sure to get his time in today, too. He loves it and can't wait until next time. I'm excited to see how he progresses and how it will influence the music he writes.
I love having kids that have something they're passionate about. It really makes me want to find what I'm passionate about, too. At this point in my life I know it should be my kids, but to be truthful I'm struggling a bit. I need to work on that. Maybe if I had an outside passion to make me feel a little more well rounded it would come. I need to work on that, too.
What I do know is that I love my kids, and that's a great place to start.
Big has been nagging me this morning to take him to Japan. Apparently an excavator he really wants is manufactured there.
Big: "Mom. We need to go to Japan so I can get that excavator. Will it take us a long time to drive there?"
Bud: "You can't drive there, Big. Japan is waaay across the Pacific Ocean." (It's so nice having a 5 year old who knows geography)
Big: "Well, then, we'll just have to take Grandpa's boat. It might sink, but I'm willing to risk it."
If you could have seen how close his Grandpa's boat was to sinking when they took it up on the reservoir, the thought of Big attempting to sail it to Japan would alarm you. Big, however, seems to think that getting a good excavator for his construction business is worth taking the chance.
I don't know that I've ever mentioned it here before, but Bud is quite the clothes horse. He gets really tired of wearing the same old stuff in his drawers, and usually has his outfits for the entire week ahead planned out. I'm sure that when he's older he'll make a monthly calendar like my brother did. Just about nothing makes Bud happier than buying him a new article of clothing.
Today, I was listening to him sing some songs he is writing (a constant around here-- he is always writing songs. It drives his siblings quite nuts) when I heard him sing the following line--
"Don't you know that outfit you're wearin'
Won't be in fashion in two thousand eleven?"
Bud's lyrics for all his songs are so awesome. One of these days I need to try to type up his lyrics as he sings them. I definitely need to put Rophone's skills to use and have him record Bud as he performs. How else would you be able to hear his rock sensibilities displayed with the "baby"s and "oh yeah"s that are interspersed into his lyrics?
I think it's awesome that Bud loves music so much. Hopefully one day he'll make enough money doing it to pay for his burgeoning shopping addiction. A few arena shows should do it.
Maybe.
I realize that my daughters are terribly under represented on this blog of mine. It's not that I love them any less, it's just that I see them so much less! I can't believe how quickly they seem to be growing-- I'm afraid they'll be out of the house before I know it.
I finally broke my camera out again yesterday and tried to snap a few shots of Pen and Ginger to document how they're looking these days. Pen mostly looked perturbed with me, but I still managed to get a few shots.
Ginger was just a tad excited, so capturing a good shot of her was a challenge. When I asked her to settle down a smidge I got a bit of a look.
She quickly regained her bubbly personality, however.
I love you, Pen and Ginger!
I have really been wanting to post on my blog, but I'm having a problem with my head. It isn't fatal, just rather annoying.
You see, there's nothing in it.
