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After a long wait, we got to sit on Santa’s lap today.  It’s always so fun…the kids love it.  Jacob asked for a Hover-Copter and Caleb wants a pirate ship (I didn’t mention to him the reports about pirates being the newest terror threat). 

I have a very talented and generous friend who agreed to take pictures of our family for our Christmas card.  I am ecstatic with the result…and I’ve only seen a small fraction of the outcome!  Here are two of my favorites…but there are lots more.  There is one that will remain a secret for now…but you can find it in your mailbox sometime in December!  Thank you, thank you, Shelley.  You have given us a great gift.

Jacob and I had the time of our lives in a hot air balloon ride yesterday.  This was my b’day present from Derek.  We’ll remember it for a very long time.  It would have been fun no matter what the circumstances, but having Jacob there, and seeing it through his eyes…it was priceless.  Derek and Caleb followed the chase van and had fun watching where the wind would take us. 

And it’s all about me being happy, right?!

1.  The CD to Wicked (the Musical).  I have no idea what’s going on, since I haven’t seen it, but I’m lovin’ the music.

2.  A kitchen device called the Lid Persuader.  Grandma Kake gave it to us.  I can’t find it anywhere on-line, so you’ll just have to come use mine if you want to try it.  It gets any lid open (big bottle or small jar) and mounts under the cabinets…but doesn’t require screws because it has an ultra-sticky mounting tape.  That is a quality product!

(ADDENDUM: Kay (a.k.a. Grandma Kake) found a version of the Lid Persuader (or maybe they changed the name…anyhoo, take a look! http://www.jaropener.com/)

3.  Market Street.  A very pleasant grocery shopping experience.  It’s not your typical Tom Thumb, or Kroger, although nothing against those stores.  Imagine lots of beautifully displayed fresh seafood, any cheese you could ever want, quick lines, comparable prices but no shopping cards, and "baggers" who never ask if you want them to take it to your car…they’re required to do it.  I love that place!  It’s in McKinney, by the way, not too far from our house.

Honorable Mentions…cool fall weather (maybe without the hurricane force winds), leaves in different shades of orange and yellow, and seeing my 6-year old dressed up in a paper bag Indian vest and headdress that he made at school.

Here are a few of the pics from my trip to New York (all 5 hours of it), and my scrapbooking rendezvous in Stamford, Connecticut.  Me and the girls (Dana and Shelley) had so much fun…we laughed, and cried, and laughed so hard we cried!  And the picture of me and the "other man", well that’s my favorite!  He’s one of the hosts of QVC!

The top of the World!  The Empire State Building.  Picture taken by a Korean man who didn’t speak English.  I spent 2 and a half hours waiting in line (with my luggage) to get to the top of this thing.  And it was freezing cold and crowded at the top…but who’s complaining!  Far left side of the picture…Central Park!

The very famous, David Venable (QVC).  He loved me!  Did I mention that he’s very famous?!

My scrappin’ buddies, Shelley and Dana.

Look for more pics under my Photo Albums section.

Let me set the scene…

Jacob had an end-of-season soccer party last night at CiCi’s Pizza (can I mention how much I loathe that filthy place?!).  The coaches said a little about each player and gave each a participation trophy (no scores at this age).

Jacob was so excited…here are some of his comments about the trophy.

"This is going to look awesome in my room!"

"Caleb – look – my very first trophy EVER!"

"Mom, can I keep this trophy for forever?"

"This is sweet!" (one of our babysitter’s taught him that)

Afterwards, I had a church meeting and took the kids with me.  Jacob told at least 6 people about his new trophy.

Ok…so, we get home.  "Jacob I’ll take the trophy in and you go get dressed for bed."  No sooner had I turned the corner into the kitchen, when I dropped the trophy!  Jacob was behind me and turned the corner to see me on the ground saying, "Oh no, Oh no!" and picking up fallen trophy debris.  Needless to say, hysterical crying ensued.

A call to the coach reassured me that I can probably get a new one next week.  In the meantime I have a child who tells me every chance he gets, "I really loved that trophy."

Just put a knife through my heart, why don’t ya?! 🙂

I had an interesting, but funny, experience on the airplane headed to New York last week.  I sat by two nice women and we struck up a conversation about their jobs, kids, hobbies, etc..we had a nice chat during takeoff.  The pilot turned off the seat belt light after getting in the air, which meant, as it always does, you can push your seat back now and relax.  All three of us proceeded to do so at the same time.  But as I did so, the man behind me pushed his knees as hard as he could into my seat to keep me from coming back.  I tried again.  He pushed again, and this time called out "There’s no leg room…you can’t come back."  I was stunned!  The women beside me were too.  And they kept telling me how rude he was.  But they got busy with their magazines and I enviously looked on from my VERY upright position!

Over the next 10 minutes, I had some decisions to make.  Was I going to take this lying down?  Was I going to be threatened by his actions?  Was I going to allow him to take away my power and decide my fate for the next 3 hours of the flight?  Was I going to sit there demurely and keep my mouth shut or was I going to fight for myself?  Was I going to be my own captain or allow someone else to steer my ship?  Believe it or not, all of these questions came in to my mind.  (I know, I know…some of you will think this is silly because for you it would have been automatic.  But for me, confrontation is not always something that comes naturally…at least usually). 

Thankfully, I decided to stand up for myself.  I turned where he could see me and I said (nervously…he had a NY accent, a white undershirt and uncombed hair and all of the people around us were looking on in anticipation),

"I’m going to lean my seat back now, because when I bought this airplane ticket it gave me certain rights and one of those is that I can lean my seat back, just like you can."

He replied loudly, "Well, I only have two inches and that’s not enough leg room!" 

"Yes sir, I understand that, but so do I and I’m now going to lean my seat back." 

He fought me on it, but I persisted and was able to have a relaxed nap for part of the flight.  He even leaned forward about 5 minutes later and patted me on the arm and said, "OK – it’s fine now" (I think that’s the only apology he could muster).

Are you allowing another person to captain your ship or decide your fate?  Are you resisting confrontation, but suffering as a result?  Sometimes, I’ve decided, it’s not worth it.

…Florence, Clara, Brooke…What do these names have in common, you ask?  Well, you know the first two…famous nurses.  The third is also a nurse…one that is becoming famous in our house! 

Jacob has been to see the school nurse three times in the last week.  The first two were for head bumps and today’s was because he said he was "feeling warm".  I wasn’t convinced though, so I decided to press him on it.  Upon further review and discussion, it was concluded that he went to the nurse because "she is nice".  From the looks of it, he just enjoys her company, her clinic, and according to his teacher, her strikingly good looks!  I haven’t met her yet, but will for sure make an extra effort at the next Open House!  Needless to say, we’ve imposed a new policy regarding nurse visits which requires him to rest at home in his bed after school on the days when he sees the nurse.  I’m hoping that will be enough incentive to keep his clinic visits legit!

THE DISGUISES

THE LOOT

I had a cute little girl come to the door tonight.  Her brother instantly dug his head in my candy basket looking for his favorites.  Meanwhile, she was awe struck by the stairs and the entry way of the house.  She said, "Wow, your house is big and not very messy. (we have no furniture in this part of the house so it is deceivingly clean) My house is messy.  Thanks for the candy!"

What would we do without kids in our lives?  I love their honesty, their candidness and their thought processes.  I love watching their excitement over candy and costumes and parties and presents.  Caleb asked me tonight if we can have Halloween all the time.  "5 times" he said.  I told him he could do it every year and he replied, "No, momma, I want it everyday." 

Goodbye 20s!

by Meredith Smith

The time has come to say goodbye.

I’m older now

I don’t know how.

Goodbye to the twenties,

I’ll miss you so.

The time has come for you to go.

Goodbye to the twenties,

Your charm and your whimsy

Goodbye to size 6, hello flimsy!

Goodbye to the twenties,

And all that you hold.

Here come complaints about being old.

Goodbye to the learning that college brought.

Goodbye to apartments and the first home we bought.

Goodbye to new motherhood

And the fears that came with it.

Goodbye to new marriage

Oh how I loved it.

Goodbye to the working, TV news, and the rest.

Goodbye to the striving to be the best.

Hello to the future, the wrinkles, the sags.

Hello to the thirties with all of its bags.

Hello to the thirties

I’ll be comfortable in my skin.

Goodbye to the twenties,

And the need to win.

And if I ever look back and say,

Boy, I miss those carefree days.

Remind me that things are better here.

Hello thirties…I have no fear.