Thanks for my dog

 OK, OK, fine! I complain about this lil rascal all the time, but I'll admit I'm still thankful for him.

*The rascal in question btw is my dog Raffi. Not my daughter Polly. 

She is an angel. Not a rascal.

Hope that clarifies things.

Thanks for the vote

That’s right! I voted! She voted! Matt voted! We voted!

Now Ida and Matt are downstairs watching the results and I am going to bed. I’ll see what changes await us in the morning.

Thanks for the goals

I've been joking about how running marathons is my midlife crisis. (Well, I'm like 50% joking.)

I've run 4 marathons since I turned 40, with tentative plans for a 5th in the spring. (If that one doesn't happen, I have solid plans for a 5th next fall.) I thrive with a goal. I'm grateful for the opportunity to reach this one, over and over. So far, so good!

Thanks for the seasons

It's November first, and you know what that means! 

(Thanksblogging!)

We had the elders over for dinner tonight, and they shared Ecclesiastes 3 with us, which is a lovely poetic ode to the variety of feelings and experiences we go through. 

Side note, I remember the first time I really thought about that famous chapter, which was when the song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds was featured on my video yearbook in seventh grade. (Shoutout Clifton Cubs)

I have been thinking about seasons this year in particular, because summer went by WAY too fast. I was grumpy about fall coming, but it's been a spectacular fall so far. The trees are brilliant orange, yellow, red, purple. The skies are bright blue, and the sun has that pale, fall-specific tint.

Ida is working furiously on college applications. Theo is working hard on his mission. Lars is dropping seconds off his 5K time. Polly is surprising me every day with new skills she's learned. This is a season of big changes for the trees and for our family.

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

A psalm

I have too much to say. I sent my kids to school this morning and I’m sad about summer ending but happy that they are happy about school.

Yesterday morning before church Polly came in and asked for help understanding some of the Psalms (what they would be learning about in primary that day). We found a simplified Bible translation and she chose some to print off. 

We had an extended chat about Psalm 23 in particular and how it’s chock full of gems. (I even played her the first line of “Gangsta’s Paradise”… millennials will know…)

This morning after everyone had left for school, I found this taped next to her light switch in her room:

I’m so thankful for her and for the conversation we had yesterday about the psalms; thankful that this one touched her heart enough for her to hang it up where she’ll see it every day.

My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. 😭  

Thanks for the swim teams

 

Aren't they cute? lol. I made my kids pose for the professional swim team photos last summer because it was the last time they'd all be on the team together.

I've been reading the nonfiction book Young Woman and the Sea for book club (recommend!) about Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, and her experience growing up in a world where women weren't allowed to swim competitively. It's made me extra grateful for the opportunity all of my kids have had to learn to swim and to be part of a team doing it. 

Polly in particular has taken to swimming, and she has continued to swim year round this year for the first time. It's a sacrifice, but she loves it, and happily goes to practice twice a week, and she's keeping her skills up, and I think it will pay dividends next summer when she ages up and has to swim 50s in butterfly instead of 25s (something she's been nervous about).

Plus lifeguarding has been a great summer job for my older kids.

So thankful for the swim team and for all my kids' swim instructors who have made swimming such a big and rewarding part of our family life.

Thanks for Polly

 

Oh this little thief of my heart. I am so grateful for our caboose who came to complete our family and fill up the house with giggles. Polly is funny, silly, affectionate, and kind; she swims a mean butterfly; she makes friends wherever she goes; and she made the sweet potato casserole all by herself for Thanksgiving. Hooray for Polly!

Thanks for Lars

 

Matt's description of Lars as a "loose nerve ending" (I think he first said this when Lars was like 3 or 4) has continued to be accurate. He's full of energy and sometimes literally bounces off the walls. He gets his energy out by talking, asking questions, running around, running up and down stairs, wrestling, hiding and scaring people. Oddly enough, he is also super-focused when it comes to household chores and he is my most dependable worker around the house. He is a whirlwind and I couldn't be more grateful.

Thanks for Ida

 

Ida has worn the same shirt, same hairstyle and same facial expression every year in her high school yearbook photo. It's not that this explains her personality exactly, but it is classic Ida. She is funny, silly, generous, observant, extremely clever, extremely intelligent, extremely independent, a voracious reader, a solid wing-woman. I'm so thankful for my Ida.

Thanks for Theo

 

This cute boy is home for Thanksgiving. I love him SO much. When I saw him on Saturday morning he gave me the biggest strongest hug--he's definitely the best hugger out of all my kids! I am so thankful for everything Theo has taught me, everything he continues to teach me, I'm thankful for his goofy sense of humor and his love for sports and for BYU, and I'm especially thankful that he's having such a great start to his freshman year. What a guy. 

Thanks for Harry

 

That's my brother Harry next to me at our nephew's wedding. Do you know what it's like to have a brother who's 10+ years older than you? In my eyes, Harry was always the coolest guy, who had things like a boa constrictor in a glass tank in his room, and purple suede Doc Martens. He left for college when I was only 7. Then he lived with us again briefly when I was in high school before he got married, and I used to raid his CDs for my mixtapes (thanks to him for my love of funk in particular, but also Harry Connick Jr., Madonna, Depeche Mode, and George Michael) and spray his cKone cologne on myself when he wasn't home.

He taught me how to drive uphill in his stick-shift truck. He made a sign for the window that said "SHAQ FOR PRESIDENT" when the Lakers were in the finals. When I was a senior in college he came to BYU for one semester to finish his degree and we took 2 classes together. I am so thankful for this cool older brother who I know loves me and who still teaches me stuff.

Thanks for Noah

 

My "little brother" is obviously bigger than me now and has been for some time. I am thankful for Noah's insights, the connections he makes, the things he notices that no one else notices. He has always been sensitive and funny and musical and super smart. Thankful for Noah!

Thanks for Hannah

 

Sister number three!

This lady is my BFF, my roommate for more years than anyone but Matt, my queen of inside jokes, my confidant and my fashion icon. Love Hannah and so thankful for her.

Thanks for Matt

 I'm not sure how this photo ended up on my computer but I am here for it!

Today on Matt's birthday I am so thankful for the man I married. 22 years later, best decision I ever made. and I'm not afraid to say it's the best decision he ever made too...

Thanks for Phoebe

 

This is a much older picture but I just like it!

My sister Phoebe knows exactly how to make things more beautiful, more fun, more of whatever they need to be. And this is also a good picture for this post because she always makes me laugh. I'm thankful for Phoebe!

Thanks for Bonny

 

Swiping through my photos and I found this darling one of my sister Bonny. I'm so thankful for Bonny. She is the ultimate oldest sister, always making sure everyone is comfortable, always setting an example, always offering a warm welcome to newcomers. I want to be like Bonny when I grow up.

Thanks for the fire

 

OK I figured out how to post photos from my computer... so maybe I'll start doing that again!

This fall I am super grateful for my fireplace. (No, it's not a pizza oven, despite its appearance) We tried using it the first year we lived here and the house got smoky inside so that was a no-go. We had a couple of inspections and realized we needed to completely re-line it and also do exterior work on the chimney. Saved up for that and two years later, voila, we have a working fireplace! I love building fires and I love the smell of woodsmoke and I love the snap-crackle-pop of an active fire. I think this guy will get a lot of use from our family.

Thanks for sleep

Sleep is harder for me than it used to be. I can still sleep like a rock if given the opportunity, but I rarely get the opportunity. Dog barking, kids' alarms going off, my air purifier going on the fritz and beeping like it's lost its mind... then there's all that middle-age hormone stuff that sometimes pops in completely uninvited and wakes me up when it has no business to. 

BUT last night, the fates converged and I slept until almost 9 am. Whew! 

To be very fair, it's also thanks in part to Polly and Matt, who were both already up and dealing with the dog. And it's Saturday, so no alarms. Ida and Lars are both still fast asleep, bless them and their teenage brains.

Thanks for the teachers

I chaperoned Polly’s field trip today and I am ex-haus-ted. It was fun to chat with other parents though as well as her delightful teachers. Gosh, how many teachers have taken care of my kids over the years? I’m going to do some math and figure that out. Thank you, teachers!!!

Edit:

This is not counting church, seminary, piano, voice etc. teachers. That would probably be another 50+…

They each went to 2 years of preschool with about 4 teachers each = 8

3 of them went to 7 years of elementary school with 2 teachers each year (I’m counting IAs, but many classes did have 2 fully licensed teachers) plus PE, music, band, art, and STEAM teachers; and Polly has been there 6 years.

3 of them went to 2 years of middle school with 6-10 teachers each year (10 for Theo, 6 for the others)

High school, 6-10 teachers each year (10 for Theo, 6 for the others); 4 years for Theo, 3 for Ida, 1 for Lars

It’s been a minute since I had to do real math but that is APPROXIMATELY 100 unique teachers who have helped my kids in school since we started Theo in preschool in ~2010.

That’s allowing for some repeats. It might be more like 60, if I really sit down and figure out which teachers had more than one of my kids. (I adjusted for this with the elementary specials teachers.) Approximately 60-100 unique teachers plus a whole bunch of the church and music variety. BLESS THEM ALL.

Thanks for the plumber

 Our hot water started acting weird back in like August. It would sometimes get hot and sometimes stay lukewarm. An appliance guy looked at the water heater, then a plumber, then another plumber, then my dad when he was here visiting. It seemed to stump everyone and so we got a couple of quotes to replace the entire heater (not cheap) but then something the second plumber had said about a shower cartridge stuck in the back of my mind. I experimented a little with the flow of the hot water and reached out to that second plumber (who had given me his cell phone number in case I had questions) to see if he could come back and investigate some more. This is becoming an unreasonably long story but suffice it to say that he did come back (twice actually), and he did solve the problem, and he did save us over 5 grand in the process. Bless you, Mike the Plumber!

Thanks for the veterans

Always always. I will never forget.

This article in the Post (gift article) about a gathering of WWII veterans was really nice.

And this one about Barack Obama greeting an Honor Flight was nice too. I used to bring my kids to Honor Flights on Veterans Day when they were little. There weren’t any scheduled for today this year, unfortunately. We’ll do something else to honor veterans today. Grateful for their sacrifices every day.

Thanks for the day off

Am I sensing a theme? Whew, I am grateful the kids have the day off school tomorrow and I have the day off work. I am really relishing the opportunity to have a slow morning and get some tasks done in the afternoon. I am planning to enjoy it.

Thanks for the day of rest

I was so tired today. I went to bed way too late and woke up too early. But this afternoon after church, I changed into sweats and hung out at home, took an accidental nap, played a game with my family. Most Sundays are actually a tiny bit busy, but I was able to take a rest today, and I really needed it.

Thanks for November weather

Sunny blue November skies and pinky orange purple November sunsets can’t be beat… and the weather has been extra nice this November. Throw in the supermoon this week and you’ve got yourself a stew!

Thanks for the TVs

I am going to set an alarm in my phone to write these because otherwise I will keep forgetting!

Ok today’s thanks is for something kind of funny. (To me.) I grew up in a house with one TV that was rarely on. I have never been a big TV-watcher and don’t get excited about it. However, over the years I have somehow been convinced that having more TVs would be a good idea. So we currently have 3 TVs in the house plus a projector on the back porch. 😂 

And guess what? I kind of love it. I still rarely watch them, but when I do, it’s almost always with Matt or with the kids or with the whole family and we’re doing that together instead of being on separate screens. So yes! I am thankful for all the TVs!

(And when you read that in your head, please pronounce it TEE-vees instead of tee-VEES… just for fun)

Thanks for the life

Busy day today, lots going on at work and at home and at school and at church and anywhere we are involved there’s lots going on. I complain sometimes when everything collides at once but you know what… most of the time, I love it. So satisfying to fill up our lives with good things and I’m grateful for every opportunity to learn something, earn something, do something.

Thanks for the vote

 I wonder if I am extra thankful for my vote because every November I write about how thankful I am for it? 🤔 Regardless… there is something soothing about the changes that come around each fall that are ideally reflective of the will of the people. From the state senator to the county comptroller: however they got to the ballot, they made it across the finish line because enough people decided that’s what they wanted. May it ever be so.

Thanks for the quilts

Of all the posts not to have a photo! I really need to figure that out.

I saw my SIL Deb yesterday and she gave me a gorgeous quilt she had made just for me with an autumnal theme in honor of Thanksblogging. I told her that would be my post for the day! Of course then I didn’t post yesterday so here’s the makeup post.

I will add photos if I figure out how, but for now you will have to imagine the beautiful quilts that I have in my home, many made by Deb, and several made by my mom, and a few others made by friends. And two (!) made by me. :)

Quilts are such a rad form of functional and cozy art. So thankful for them and for the quilters who quilt them!

Thanks for the love

Welcome back to Thanksblogging!!

I’ve been taking a human development class (long story short, I am trying to get a teaching certificate) and the most recent lessons have been about attachment theory in young children and how secure attachments to a loving caregiver have a lifelong impact on kids. One longitudinal study even showed a 50% difference in heart problems among adults who had once been securely versus insecurely attached kids.

I’m so grateful for early strong attachments to my parents and for the gift of providing that to my own kids. Honestly probably the best gift of my life, other than the gift of life itself, that my parents offered freely to me and that I was able to give to my kids. I feel so so grateful.

#3 in the bag

Did I mention the blogging app I used doesn’t work anymore? Rude. I have to use a regular browser and that’s annoying.

I ran my third marathon yesterday, and I feel good about it. I’d feel better if it had been a PR (it was 1 minute longer than my fastest marathon time) but that just gives me something to shoot for next time.. right?

This quote from a WTOP article about the race made me laugh… because it’s so true…

Tyler Stratton was running with Federico and said they decided to cut holes in trash bags and wear them to keep warm. They’re both active duty Marines.

“We woke up at four in the morning to run 26 miles in trash bags so we’re feeling good,” he said.

Stayin’ alive (BeeGees voice)

 I remember when my newborns were learning how to live life on the outside, and I’d have a small window of time during the day where I decided whether sleeping or eating was more important. More often than not I’d stare into the fridge, grab whatever I could see and choke it down (a handful of deli meat? a couple squirts of whipped cream straight from the can? the only standard was “fast”), then go collapse on my bed, crashing hard into REM, until the baby woke up. 

I had similar experiences in early pregnancy when food sounded like the worst option but I knew I had to eat, so I’d force-feed myself a hard-boiled egg before falling asleep sitting up at the table.

I was remembering this today as I blearily decided whether to get up sooner and cook a full breakfast, or stay dozing until my alarm urged me up and then grab some string cheese and granola bars on my way out the door to work.

And that is just one of many ways that training for a marathon while working and taking a class and raising teenagers is bringing me back to those early days of pregnancy and newborns. Always tired, always hungry, often a little bit nauseated, and hoping it would all be worth it.

September morn

 (SpongeBob voice) Three - months - later…

Don’t worry, I’m an elder millennial librarian who only knows that reference from social media context clues, so I googled it, and now I know that the voice is technically Frenchy, aka SpongeBob’s French Narrator who lives in a submarine.

Anywho, it’s September now. Theo went to college, Lars and Ida are both in high school, Polly is in fifth grade and somehow now has homework every night. It’s strange and lovely to witness them grow up like this.

Raffi is on the naughty list, so don’t ask.

I feel called to write more and post less, and yet am I actually writing more? Not really. Posting less, yes. Maybe I’ll sit down and write something one of these days. But life keeps life-ing, so I’m sometimes posting, rarely writing, always moving, always thinking.

Busy getting dizzy

I’ve had a busy month. Went to California twice 🤩🤩 to celebrate a wedding (my niece), a birthday (my mom), and a high school reunion (me)! 

Welcomed my parents and in-laws as houseguests.

Got our little boy graduated from HS and registered for college. 

I’ll casually mention the end-of-year field trips, field days, concerts, recitals, meets, and banquets, the May and June birthday parties, the transition from spring to summer sports, the chores that never end, all on top of the normal school, work, and family things, and how we’re treading water the best we can. 

Time is flying like it’s never flown before. Soaking in this season, trying not to drown in it but just to get through it and even enjoy it! 

I had a moment of vertigo yesterday (I get episodes once in a while, pretty sure it’s genetic) but on the upside, I followed that by sleeping 14 hours (a common side effect of these episodes, in my experience) so I want to say it was kinda worth it??

We have more visitors next month, and then we are going to California (and Utah) AGAIN a few weeks after that.

My cup runneth over.

Polly quotes

Polly quotes are coming fewer and farther between 😭 but I have a few from the past few months.

(Noticing “Mariah Carey” on the car dashboard) “What?! I thought Marie Curie was a scientist, not a singer.”

*** 

“What is today? I mean I know it’s Friday but what ‘the’ is it?”

 (It was “the” tenth of January)

***

Polly: “I don’t like casseroles.”

Me: “You like some casseroles! What about baked ziti?”

Polly: “I don’t like other casseroles, like apple casseroles.”

Me: “Apple casseroles?” 🤔 

Polly: “I don’t know, I feel like that’s a thing.”

To the left, to the right

I feel that it is important for each generation to pass its knowledge down to the next, and it’s easiest to do in a natural and low-pressure setting. And that is why today in the car on the way to piano lessons, I taught my children the names and ages of the Hanson brothers at the time of MMMBop, and then later during Family Home Evening I taught them how to dance the Tootsee Roll. Not just the basic move mind you but they also learned to slide and dip. Just don’t pay too close attention to the lyrics.

You keep using that word

Image by Micah Player

Today I have been thinking about two of my most memorable college classes: Communications Theory and History of Civilizations.

Comms theory was particularly memorable because I had to retake it after getting a D the first time (my freshman year was rough, OK! I had to retake a few classes...). 

I specifically remember learning about semiotics, or the study of signs/symbols and their interpretations. An American flag, a Star of David, a traffic light, a dove, a thermometer... etc. etc., they are at once an image and a multilayered statement. Anyway. That class was also when I learned the word "paradigm." 

(I remember asking the TA, "You keep using that word... what in the world does it mean??")

History of Civ was a two-parter, and I really loved part two (1500-present), where the professor used various novels, films, and nonfiction books as our texts. One of the texts was the book Imagined Communities, a book by Benedict Anderson that explores nationalism as a... you guessed it... community that exists in our imagination, a social construct.

I saw the above image today posted by one of my favorite illustrators, Micah Player, and immediately my thoughts turned back to those two classes. Ever since I was very young, and certainly when I was my most fresh-faced and optimistic as a college-age kid, the Statue of Liberty has communicated layers of meaning to me about justice, bravery, opportunity, First Amendment freedoms... maybe even our friends the French. ;) And another layer I learned about in college: Emma Lazarus’s poem that’s engraved inside the statue’s pedestal, “The New Colossus.” 

Ultimately all of those concepts together form a three-dimensional image that, perhaps next to the American flag and maybe fireworks (runner up: bald eagle), is the most iconic, most recognizable symbol of modern democracy modern democratic constitutional republic that I can think of. 

It hadn't particularly occurred to me that it might mean something else to other Americans, something more exclusive, something more narrow... like, concentrated presidential power or white Christian nationalism or isolationism or the prosperity gospel or “curated” opinion sections in a national newspaper. 

But “America” can mean whatever anyone wants it to mean. 

I just really don't think it means what those people think it means.

News

Big news, that I haven’t put on social media yet because of reasons, but I feel like if you’re here on my blog, you genuinely want to know the good, the bad and the ugly: 

Theo got in to BYU. Like, sleeping in the dorms, taking the classes he wants to take, living his life 2,000 miles away making his own choices.

Wow it was a long road, a winding road, a red dirt road, the broken road that led me straight to you…  pick your country song about roads, that’s what it was. (Is?)

It’s not over, hard work is always ahead, but 10 years ago, 5 years ago, 1 year ago, I would not have foreseen this huge achievement. Not sure he would have either.

I am so proud of that kid. Who is legally an adult now btw. Whew…

Still sick

Well, I’m still sick. I have bronchitis. Boooo

That’s it. Just wanted to complain for a second.

But here’s a picture, unrelated

Wellness

Starting a week or two before Christmas 2024, I took “wellness tablets” several times per day: generally two pills, three to four times a day. If you’re unfamiliar, this legendary concoction is part of the T——— family lore which I believe has its origin story in one of my brothers’ partners from work.

If you choke down these terrible-tasting tablets, also known colloquially as “garlic pills” (I actually prefer the capsules, they don’t taste quite as bad as the tabs) especially in conjunction with a few other delights like zinc and vitamin C, your immune system gets an extra shield, and it has been anecdotally known within the family for years now to ward off even the most contagious bugs.

Anywho, so I pounded these babies for like 3 weeks and felt great. I resisted the pull of whatever terrible cough was plaguing my own kids, including a franken-virus Polly had, as well as my dad’s pneumonia. We got back from California and I got sucked into the vortex of fire news, generally neglecting the wellness tablets other than once a day or so. And then a week later, the sore throat began. And the progression continues.

I’m pretty sure it’s just a cold, but it’s been so long since I got sick (Covid last August) that I am quite unaccustomed to the sensation and not at all pleased.

Photo unrelated, except to document that this was my Disneyland souvenir this year (usually I get a magnet 🤷🏼‍♀️) and now I’m going to force myself to get out of bed and drink some tea out of it.

You know what’s weird

You know what’s weird, is visiting LA and then trying to get out quickly before the biggest snowstorm of the decade hits DC and THEN before any of the DC snow has even thought about melting, the biggest fire of the decade hits LA.

I spent most of today glued to my phone texting with family, tracking their evacuations, and reading the news updates of the fires, while also supervising Polly sledding. Most of the texting had to happen with voice to text because it was too cold to take my mittens off.

Life is wild. My family is OK. ❤️  LA is not. 💔

To all who come to this happy place… welcome.

Whew!

We spent 17 hours at Disneyland yesterday. That is not including the ~2 hours of drive time but it is including the parking and rope drop.

I have pictures but my phone, iCloud, and Google account are all so full of GBs and MBs I can’t download upload crossload or frontload anything.

(Please imagine me saying that last sentence like Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive says “warehouse farmhouse henhouse outhouse or doghouse”)

I’m a Disney adult and I don’t care who knows it ✨

Thanks for Ida

I missed several days in November (although not as many as last year!) so we’ll just keep the fun going for a little bit.

Ida is a joy and a light, and frankly she is also a machine. I don’t remember ever being a fraction as busy in high school as she is… but that’s because she is just interested in so many things, she always wants to learn and try and experience everything. I’m so thankful for her.

Thanks for the doll hospital

Samantha (born circa… 1992?) has seen better days. I had been meaning to take her in for a “refresh,” and then her leg came off, so that was the impetus we needed. Carlene at the AG store was SO lovely. I wish I had asked her to be in the picture too. She got Samantha all dressed in her hospital gown so that she could be shipped off to the hospital in Wisconsin. We might see Samantha back before Christmas or maybe not until January, but she’ll be all fixed up. Don’t worry, we’re keeping her original Pleasant Company head! 😍

Thanks for the sleep

I’ve been a little behind on sleep lately. 

Yesterday I took a late nap after dinner. 

Then last night I wasn’t feeling great (likely the result of so much sugar plus low on my sleep stash), so I went to bed around 10 pm and slept until 10 am. 

Then this afternoon I went to see “Wicked” with Ida and Polly and promptly slept through about half of it. 

Now I’m going to bed at a fairly reasonable time again. Whew, my body really needs sleep, and I’m so grateful to have caught up on some over this holiday.

Thanks for Theo

Ah Theo, my firstborn son: most likely to make me laugh, most likely to make me cry, most likely to surprise me again and again.

Thanks for the road trips

In the last 10 years, we’ve been across the country and back 4 times now in our van. From sea to shining sea to shining sea x 8.

(If you need route tips we’ve taken the northern route and the southern route and the straight-through-the-middle route and they’re all pretty long but some are more interesting than others…)

We’ve been up to Canada and back, down to Louisiana and back, up to Maine and back, down to the Outer Banks and back… in our van.

Maybe this post should be thanks for our van??

Road trips are so much work and so much fighting and so much crying but I would never ever trade the happy memories that float up to the top.

Thanks for Polly

Polly… what a gift to us and to the world. I can’t even express it. 

Thanks for the little things

Behold, my current collection of Christmas wrapping paper. Is it over the top? perhaps, but I just really like Christmas wrapping paper, and I have a hard time resisting when I see some that I love. It doesn’t look like much when it’s all shoved in my storage room, but it makes me happy to think of it wrapped around boxes under the tree. 

This collection is half last year, half this year, and I can see some consistency… muted greens, dark reds, some pinks thrown in. I usually get wrapping paper at HomeGoods, but Target and IKEA came through with some winners this year. The funny thing is of course that we are not doing a lot of gifts this year, because we’re going to Disneyland… but wrapping paper doesn’t expire, so there.

Thanks for Lars

I feel like Lars must be what Matt was like when he was 13. He’s just so funny and smart and goofy and gets the job done. Like ordering Instant Underpants as his gift for Matt’s birthday. Just add water!

Lars truly drives me insane sometimes… like daily… with his teasing and his nervous energy. But he is also so great. Just a little loose nerve ending (as Matt calls him) who channels that power into doing stuff like running the fastest mile in the school. 

Or, the most recent example of the Power of Lars: yesterday afternoon (Friday) he was musing out loud that baked ziti sounded good for dinner. He asked if he could go get the ingredients for it and make it. I pointed him to my recipe book, and he found the recipe. Then he…

Made a grocery list. Got Theo to take him to Wegmans (he asked me if he could borrow my credit card, which I was happy to contribute to the cause). Came home, cooked up the onions and garlic and beef,  chopped some spinach, boiled some pasta, and mixed it all together with cheese and sauce and what have you. Baked it. Cleaned up the kitchen and set the table for four, because Matt and I were going out to dinner.

I am not kidding or exaggerating. Lucky for him he’s so cute and so efficient, due to the aforementioned bouncing off the walls. Obviously we’ll keep him. That’s the Power of Lars! 🎶 🎸 

 

Thanks for November

I’ve written posts about November before. It’s sort of a magical month. Leaves on the ground and snow in the sky today. I actually read something recently that the sky looks bluer in the fall: it’s due to drier air and the angle of the sun. That wasn’t true today… overcast and big fat snowflakes… but it is overall true. Anyway I love November 💙

Thanks for my job

I’ve been working on a project at work that requires the use of these little “Not Ready” signs. It feels very relevant to my life in general. 😆

Overall, even with its ups and downs, I have loved my job and have been very thankful for it for the past 18(!!) years.

Thanks for my dog

I opened my heart up to this dog a little over a year ago, and he drives me loco crazy 80% of the time, but I would absolutely do it again. Thanks, Raffi!