Last Day of Thanks - just for November anyway

1.  Although Simon woke up way, way too early, both his nap and bedtime went off without a hitch.

2.  The beginning of Christmas time at our house.  We got the tree tonight.  I need to get lights tomorrow.  I think the kids will have a fun time decorating it tomorrow.  I even boiled some cinnamon with nutmeg and cloves which gave the house that holiday scent.

3.  The prospects of some fun trips in the next six months.

4.  Nutella on toast.

5.  My brother-in-law hooked me up with the info on how to access some MS Office-like programs for our new Mac.  Best part is they're free.

Thanks for Monday

1.  We're weaning Simon from his pacifier.  Today was the first day without it at nap time and bedtime.  Nap time was a no-go after an hour and a half crying.  But I'm grateful that he took no time at all to go to sleep at bedtime.  And he went to sleep 20 minutes early too!

2.  Central heating.

3.  Rick taped a House Hunters International for me that took place in Brittany, France.  Ah, it made me homesick for France.  I miss it!

4.  A day without plans.  I was anticipating Simon crying a lot without his pacifier so we just laid low.  The day was spent in jammies and TV-watching but I did happen to do dishes and laundry.

5.  Some light at the end of the tunnel regarding Simon's eczema.  I read something that short, daily baths can be beneficial.  I plan to grease him up with Aquaphor before the bath, no soap in the bath, and then grease him up again after the bath.

Gratitude on the Sabbath

1.  A safe, if long, road trip home.  Mom, thanks for entertaining and tending to the kids in the backseat.

2.  Portable DVD players.  We don't have one but my mom is smart and thought to bring it with her.  Two movies for Piper makes the time in the car go much faster.

3.  Thanksgiving leftovers to come home to.  A good, no-fuss dinner is always appreciated.

4.  I heard Simon say "baby" which I hadn't been around to hear yet and he played peek-a-boo on his own for the first time.

5.  My sister and her family.  They sent us home with a bunch of toys and books for the trip home.

Saturday Thanks

1. Sleeping in. I'm thankful for my mom and nieces/nephew who watched Piper and Simon this morning so I could sleep.

2. Modern manufacturing techniques (shout out to Musso). We toured the Jelly Belly factory today and it was just crazy to see all the work, research, and money that go into just making jelly beans.

3. Hilarious times playing games with family which create memories.

4. Jayhawks dominated yesterday and won tonight.

5. My health.

Post-Thanksgiving Post

1. Despite a flat tire at the beginning of our road trip on Friday, we got to my sister's house safe and sound.

2. I'm grateful that my mom has AAA road-side assistance. And that the tire salesman didn't gouge me.

3. I learned a new recipe for stuffing that rocks. Thanks Nan!

4. Pumpkin crisp. I haven't had it in years so it was a nice walk down memory lane.

5. I've missed seeing my brother-in-law Chad. It's been almost three years sibce I've seen him last. Too, too long.

Full of Thanksgiving

1.  I'm grateful that my first solo Thanksgiving was delicious and hot.  I was worried about getting everything hot on the table at the same time.  Rick's surprise pumpkin pie from Le Pain Quotidien was wonderful.

2.  I'm grateful for my family.  'Nuff said.

3.  I'm grateful that I didn't have to do dishes after dinner.  Our guests took over while Rick and I cleared.

4.  I'm grateful for a yard.  It's not big, but with the driveway included it gives the kids some bigger space to play and be loud.

5.  I'm grateful that I am not a born shopper and that Black Friday has NO appeal for me.  It's the crowds, jostling, lines, cut-throat people, and hassle that would drive me crazy.  It's online shopping for me, mostly.

Pre-Thanksgiving Thanks

1. I'm thankful for PBSKids.org and NickJr.  The PBSKids website helps Piper learn fun stuff and I love that NickJr. doesn't have any commercials so I don't have to worry about what she's watching as much.

2. Rick didn't get a ticket today even though he was parked in his spot for two hours over when he should have been.

3. I got some Christmas shopping done today which felt great.

4. Piper loves playing with Simon.  She was luring him into her room with toys so that he would come with her.

5. I'm thankful for my brother, Mark.  It's his birthday tomorrow and I wanted him to know how important he is to me.  He is such a great brother and I love watching him with his family.  I couldn't have picked a better match for him than Kristen; they were made for each other.  Mark introduced me to a lot of great music.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and it was always a point of pride if I could get him to laugh.  Mark is very patient and is also brilliant.  It was also a point of pride if I could beat him in any game (he's very competitive too, so you know he plays to win).  I love you Mark.  I'm glad you're my brother.

Today's Thanks

I'm thankful for...

1. A home.  Yes, we're renting but I'm grateful for a home which gives me the opportunity to keep it clean, make good food, snuggle and read to the kids, play games, watch the occasional TV show with Rick, and to make a home.

2. A productive day.  Today I was able to vacuum and detail my car while the kids played outside.  Piper and I dusted the house and then I proceeded to sweep, mop, and vacuum.  Tonight I cleaned one bathroom, with only Piper's small bathroom to do tomorrow.  I also did dishes, and swept and mopped the kitchen floor, which had looked atrocious.  We did prodigious amounts of laundry too.  Whew!

3. The faith of little ones.  I couldn't find the garage door opener and, of course Piper decided, on her own, to say a prayer.  It worked.  I love that girl!

4. Simon's growing vocabulary.  Yesterday he learned to say "whee!"  Today it was, "no, no, no" and "eat."  Such a sweetheart!

5. Our things.  I'm not by nature a materialistic person but someone once told me that "home is where your stuff is."  I thought that a little shallow when I heard it, but it can feel all to true when you come home after being away for a while.

Day #22

1.  My friend Mindy sent me the cutest card for my birthday and a very appropriate gift card to Outback.  She's always good for a laugh.

2.  We got everything for Thursday's dinner today.  I'm excited to get cooking.

3.  Simon went on the kiddie slide by himself for the first time today.  He also learned to say "Wee!"

4.  Piper has a great ear for music and instruments.  She got that talent from her two grandmothers and Rick.  She told me today when we were listening to the radio that she heard a keyboard and drums.  Her version of Feliz Navidad is pretty funny too, mispronunciations and all.

5.  Like Scarlett O'Hara, tomorrow is another day.  I didn't get a whole lot done today besides grocery shopping.  On the docket for tomorrow is laundry, tidying the house, and cleaning bathrooms and floors.

Pumpkin Patch

I'm almost caught up on my posts.  Stay with me here.

Before Halloween, the kids and I joined a bunch of other moms from church for a trip to the pumpkin patch.  It was sure crowded.  I couldn't believe how much stuff there was to do and how many people there were, and on a weekday.  We got a fabulous wagon ride too!

The spacious pumpkin fields

Piper is getting so tall.

I love the look on Simon's face here.  He had just been freed from his stroller and loved exploring the hay.

Hometown Fair

Manhattan Beach hosts a Hometown Fair every year.  I believe it even coincides with Homecoming at my Alma Mater.  Unfortunately, it's held in October so I haven't been able to go in fifteen years.  Well, this year we got to go.  They almost cancelled it at the last minute but thankfully it went off without a hitch.   

I ran into a few friends from high school and church.  The food stands brought back lots of memories for me.  The kid's section had long lines but it was all free.  Piper had a ball! 

Roadtrip and Lawrence

Rather than taking I-80 across country to our new home, Rick opted for the OH-IN-IL-MO-KS-CO-UT-NV-CA route.  It was nice because we got to go through Lawrence, Kansas - KU Jayhawk Mecca.  Rick hadn't been in years and I had never been.  In short, it rocked.  We did some serious shopping at the bookstore and even saw some basketball players outside the fieldhouse.


In the course of our trip Rick got to see his best friend from elementary school (KS) and his best friend from high school (CO).


The kids were great on the trip.  Simon only cried if he was hungry.  He was completely content with a few toys.  We had lots of toys, treats, books, and movies stashed for Piper.  Rick got unexpectedly sick overnight in KS but it was just a 24-hour bug and I drove that day.  Five days was a long trip in the car but hey, we made it.

So Long, Farewell...

We had ten days between Rick got the news about his new job and when we left Cleveland.  Thankfully we had been operating under the assumption that he would get it.  But with such a small window of time, our good friends put together a little shindig for us.  Here are some pictures of our dear friends.  WE MISS YOU!

Lexi, Jenean, and Anna

Sarah and Sara (we did a co-op preschool together last year)

Matt, Jud, and JP (Piper wanted to marry JP but she's switched her affections now to his brother Wes)

Tara and Kari

Maria holding Moses with Joanna and Chris

David and Luke

What's a party without a game of corn hole?!

Piper with her friends (she's in the white dress and pink sweater)

Terri, Sarah, and Jef

Emily holding Amelia

Em and me

Bath Time

Happy Birthday Simon!

For Simon's 1st birthday, we went to Toys R Us to get him his free balloon.  I think that that balloon was his favorite present of all.  We opened presents and went to dinner with friends.  After dinner we had cake, with Simon having his own mini-cake.

Piper got him this ball from the dollar store.  I think that between this ball and the balloon, his birthday was complete.

We got Simon this walking/riding dinosaur.  Before this he had been pushing around everything not nailed down anyway.  He was thrilled to be able to push this dinosaur which also made music when you pushed it.

Mmm, cake.

Cleaning him up was the easy part.  The high chair - not so easy.

I love the rock & roll look on his face.  Very Billy Idol.