What Did We Have For Dinner Tonight?

Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet. ~~Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby is right. Parents are interested in peace and quiet; we relish it, in fact. It truly is a valuable commodity when you have children.

And, like other parents, we love our children but we also truly appreciate the peace and quiet that temporarily resumes in our lives when the children are away for a few days. While driving home from getting groceries this past weekend, it was very noticeable at how quiet it was in our van with just the two of us. Usually, the girls are in the back with non-stop chatter going at all times.

I arrived home from work tonight and Jeff greeted me at the door with a big hug and a kiss. Of course, my first question was, "What do you want?" To which he replied, "Nothing, just welcoming you home." The normal "welcome home" entails him heading for the nearest peaceful exit when I enter because he's been alone busily entertaining the girls since they got home from school. It's not that he's not happy to see me (at least I don't think that's it); it's just that there is only so much a sane person can take of non-stop activity. And, by the time I walk in, he's ready for a break. Let me just say....my hat is off to the full time stay-at-home parents of little ones. Whatever patience gene you inherited was not passed on to me by my parents. There's only so much I can take of, "She's looking at me." And, "She's breathing too loudly." And, on and on and on........

And, then there was dinner time tonight. There was no debate and no complaints. Jeff and I had pecan crusted tilapia, steamed veggies and cheese grits. And, a slice of homemade bread that I made last night. If Anna were home, she would've eaten the homemade bread and that would've been it. For her, if it's not chicken fingers, pizza, french fries, hot dogs, or chocolate, she's not interested for the most part. And, today's favorite food is tomorrow's hated food. There's just no pleasin' everyone all the time it seems. I used to love to cook and I've found my interest in cooking the past few years to dwindle more and more as it is just so draining to plan a meal that makes everyone happy.

Life is definitely different when you have children. Not necessarily better or worse; just different. I've often forgotten what it was like when it was just the two of us but I do remember it was so much simpler back then. And, while there are some days we both feel like running and screaming into the night; I would not trade our life for anything. Well, maybe a few more days of peace and quiet, a daily massage at a local spa...... Just kidding......we miss our little munchkins. Besides, I'd swear Jeff was "breathing loudly" while we ate dinner tonight and I could've sworn he was "looking at me." :-)

Christmas Cards 2008

Last year, I started the tradition of sharing the photos we received in Christmas cards here. Here are the photos of family and friends that we received this year.

Christmas 2008

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart. ~~ Marjorie Holmes

Like many families, we have a few family traditions each Christmas. I don't recall doing many of the items below as a child. What I remember is going to mass on Christmas Eve and then returning home and being able to pick one gift to open. I remember my Mom and Grandma making Italian cookies for the family prior to Christmas. I guess each family has its idea of what makes Christmas special and below are the things we do to make it special for our children.

1. The making of the gingerbread house.

2. And, for Christmas Eve, there are quite a few items on the agenda. Up first, is making cookies for Santa. Mary Grace and her friends, Paige & Riley, normally join us for this event. Usually, the kids watch Santa's progress from the Norad internet website.3. Throwing their Christmas list into the fire place. It is the final message to Santa of what they want for Christmas.3. Putting reindeer food on the lawn.

4. Watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and/or The Christmas Story.

5. Last, but not least, the reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas right before bedtime. Of course, the big change this year was that both girls were helping Daddy read it for the first time. Rachel can pretty much read it independently and Anna is just mastering reading but I suspect she'll be reading at the same level as Rachel this time next year.


Christmas Day

There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.~~Erma Bombeck

The big item that both girls asked for were electric scooters this year. I wasn't too worried about Rachel riding on one but I was a bit concerned about Anna getting one. Anna, let's just say, has never developed that "maybe I should not do this" response that humans have for survival. Some day, she would make a great fighter pilot. But, until then, I have to figure out how to help her safely make it to adulthood.

Luckily, there were no accidents and no broken bones after their first day on the scooters. And, as predicted, Rachel was careful with riding her scooter whereas Anna was flying down the cul-de-sac. At one point, she almost ran into my neighbor's mailbox. I suspect we are going to age quite a bit watching her ride. Although, Jeff is already having visions of Anna riding a sport bike on a track. Gee, I wonder where she gets it from?

Gail took Anna and Rachel to see the movie Kit Kittredge; An American Girl this past summer. Gail and Harold gave Rachel the Kit American Girl doll for her birthday in September. And, Anna has been wanting an American Girl doll of her own since. Gail and Harold gave Anna Ruthie for Christmas. I have to say that I enjoy the American Girl things more than the Hannah Montana and High School Musical stuff that seems to be everywhere these days. I'm glad our daughters really aren't interested in either.

Anna, Jeff and I are all nursing some version of a head cold but overall, we had a wonderful Christmas. And, while we are always early in putting decorations up; We are also early in taking them down. Jeff has been hard at work taking care of that. And, I've been busy cleaning the house. The girls left this morning to go to West Virginia with Harold and Gail to visit family. They will return home next Saturday. So, I'm taking the time to go through their rooms and remove some items to make room for their new toys....this is something I can't do with them here as they are both pack rats. And, Rachel claims every item has some significant meaning in her life; even the toy from a McDonalds Happy Meal. Jeff and I will be working Monday and Tuesday and we leave in the RV on Wednesday for Savannah. It'll be the first RV trip that he and I have taken alone in a while. I'm looking forward to the down time and I made reservations for us to take a Riverboat dinner cruise next Friday night. I can't wait.

And, for anyone wondering, our new cat has settled into home life with us just fine. Cocoa (that's what we named him) has fattened up a bit and has had a few tiffs with our neighbor's male cat while establishing his turf. But, other than that, he has become one of the family. He's not going to be happy with us though as we'll be bringing him to the vet soon to get him neutered. We don't want to contribute to the unwanted pet population so it's something that needs to be done. We just haven't time to take him just yet.

I forgot to mention that I was on business travel for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. I was in Marietta one week and then the week before Christmas, I was in Washington D.C. Needless to say, that put us behind with things that needed to be done at home. Before leaving D.C. to return home, I did have time to visit one place that I've been wanting to see; the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. What a humbling place to visit. At various times I was moved to tears just thinking of the amount of innocent life taken in the name of genocide. It was troubling to think that mankind has and continues to do such horrific things in the name of religion, claiming land, or whatever the excuse is for the day. It is one thing to conduct war between armed combatants. And, quite the other to murder and torture innocent, unarmed civilians.

From Our Home to Yours....

Take "Christ" out of Christmas, and December becomes the bleakest and most colorless month of the year.~~A. F. Wells

From our home to yours, "Merry Christmas" and best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year in 2009!

Polar Express Christmas Party

There's no greater gift than friendship.~~Santa Claus in the movie The Polar Express

We hosted friends on Saturday evening for what now seems to be our annual Polar Express Christmas Party.

There was one major hiccup with the event this year though...I was out of town most of last week leaving us Friday evening and Saturday morning to prepare goodies, clean the house, mow the yard and set up the projector and equipment. Jeff took care of the outdoor stuff and I took care of the indoor preparation and baking. Needless to say, I was ready to collapse by the time that the guests started arriving. For those who don't remember, Jeff sets up our 9 foot inflatable movie screen in our backyard along with the sound system and we play the movie Polar Express.

We had a great turn out but the weather was a bit colder this year than last year. We had a fire going outside in the fire pit and in the fireplace inside. We had home made hot chocolate and egg nog to drink; as well as apple cider. I had a variety of sweets to eat: chocolate dipped pretzels, cookies, fudge, brownies, gingerbread, and gingerbread man cookies.

Some people sat outside and watched part or all of the movie. Others visited inside with us.

Jeff dressed up as Santa this year. He didn't stay in the suit for long though as the kids ganged up on him. It was the first time I ever recall seeing Santa sprinting from a flock of kids. It was hilarious watching that big fake belly flopping up and down as he ran from the children.

I also snapped a few photos of some of our guests and have posted those here.

We had a great time visiting with everyone although I have to admit we were exhausted when it was over. The last person didn't leave until 11:30 pm. I found Rachel and Anna asleep on the sofas in the living room.

One last thought from Santa in the Polar Express: "Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart."

Sunday

Today, I brought Rachel, Anna, and our niece, Mary, to see the Disney on Ice show in Macon. I nearly fell asleep on a couple of occasions during the show which is unlike me. When we arrived at home around 3:30, I told Jeff that I desperately needed a nap. I literally collapsed in the bed and slept for the next 1.5 hours. I could've slept the rest of the day if Jeff had not awakened me.

For added fun, this coming week I will have one last business trip to Washington D.C. I'm tired of travel and being on the road. I've been waiting for things to slow down at work for the holidays but it never happened. Now, I'm burned out and looking forward to Christmas Day. Actually, Jeff and I are both burned out...just for different reasons. I'm burned out from being on the road, the long work hours, and work stress. Jeff is burned out from being a single parent so often the past few months while I've been away for business travel. The girls are going with Harold and Gail to West Virginia after Christmas and Jeff and I will be all alone for a week. We need some time to recover from work and all of the holiday activities.

I received our Christmas cards that I ordered....now I just need to figure out when I'm going to have time to address them and get them in the mail. Christmas cards may go out late this year......

Sophia Turns One

Some of my readers may recall last year that our friend Long and his wife Quyen welcomed their first child, Sophia, in the world on Christmas Day.

Sophia turns one December 25th but they wanted to celebrate her birthday a bit early since they planned to travel to Ohio to visit with family over Christmas this year. It's hard to believe it's been one year already.

Happy Early 1st Birthday Sophia!

Kitty Litter Surprise

This is what happens when the wife is away for business travel during the husband's office Christmas party.

I was in Marietta last week and Jeff was left on his own to come up with a contribution for the office Christmas party. He made kitty litter surprise which is actually quite tasty...it just looks disgusting. I have to give him credit for the excellent job that he did on making it look realistic. Something tells me though that if I'm out of town again during an office party, they'll probably ask Jeff to contribute paper plates and napkins.

Indian Springs, GA

Top Row: Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

Bottom Row: "Hey, they are spoiling our fun!"

We joined some friends at Indian Springs State Park this past weekend. Cindy, Larry and their two children; Trinity and Hannah. John and Darlene and daughter Alecia.

Darlene, Cindy & Me (L-R)

The weather was cold for most of the weekend but we still had a great trip. The kids had a great time playing in leaf piles and riding their bikes around the campground. Even Jeff joined in the leaf pile fun.

Alecia

This was the first year that the Village at Indian Springs offered a Christmas program. On Saturday morning, Pinky's restaurant had breakfast with Santa. It was $10 per adult and $5 per child for a pancake breakfast. We walked around the shops and garden area after breakfast. I was impressed when I caught Larry carrying Cindy's red purse for her. He truly is a man secure with his masculinity. Although, Jeff did tell him that the purse clashed with his ensemble.

Larry and the Red Purse

Generations Gallery offered free activities throughout the day including making ornaments, horse carriage rides, cotton candy and snacks. A local high school class played Christmas carols using hand bells in the evening. This was the first year that these activities were offered and we really enjoyed it all. Very quaint. And, very simple. The Village at Indian Springs is located right outside of Indian Springs State Park so it was very convenient as well.

It was also Hannah's birthday recently so we celebrated on Saturday. Everyone was high on sugar after eating that cake. And, everyone also had colored tongues from the cake icing.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

We also added another family member this weekend. A cat adopted us at the campground. He knew a sucker family when he saw one. And, I'll give him credit...he picked the family with the 39 foot diesel motorhome. Smart kitty! Evidently, the cat was abandoned there at some point. The camp host said other families had tried to bring the cat home with them as well because the cat is so personable. But, he added that the cat would freak out when they put it in the vehicle to take it away from the park. I put the cat in the jeep with me and he was perfectly content on my lap. He is such a sweet kitty that we felt awful leaving him there. So, I drove home with him in my lap. He'll have to be an outdoor kitty because he is a male and he and Simba, our indoor male cat, would fight if they both were kept indoors. I think he is used to it so I don't anticipate it'll be much of a change for him except he'll now get regular meals and he has a dedicated family. We aren't sure what we are going to name him yet though...and I suppose I'll be bringing him to the vet soon to get him neutered. It'll have to wait until I get back from Marietta though. I'm leaving again on Monday. I'm hoping this will be my last trip for the year. I have to say that the "inn is full" at this point. I had no desire to take on another pet but at the same time none of us could just leave the poor creature.
Of course, he's tiny compared to Simba. I don't think he is half the size of Simba and he appears to be full grown.

Tis The Season....

Tis the Season...to play practical jokes...

As usual, we ate way more food than any person should in one meal on Thanksgiving Day. Jeff and I braved shopping early on Friday in the hopes of saving a few dollars. Note to self...not worth it. However, Jeff figured if he was going to get up early that he would at least make the trip worthwhile. So, we went to Spencer's and bought fake poop. Yes, you read that right. Fake poop for $5 that was made in China. You know there are some Chinese people in the world thinking that Americans will buy anything. Who else spends $5 on fake poop? But, Jeff likes a good practical joke. And, we had brought our cat, Simba, to Huntsville with us much to Gail's dismay. Jeff thought he'd leave the fake poop on the floor outside of Simba's litter box for Gail and Harold to find. Harold found it first. And, being the nice person that he is, he got cleaner, a scoop, and paper towels and proceeded to clean it. Jeff, on the other hand, got busy with the camera taking photos and laughing hysterically. You would think Harold would just tell Jeff that if he thought it was so funny that he should clean it. But, being the kind hearted person that he is, he proceeded on with the task at hand until he found out it was fake. Of course, by that time, Jeff could barely breathe as he was laughing so hard. Yep, $5 well spent.

Tis the Season...to enjoy some Christmas cheer
We met Gabrielle and her daughters at Santa's Christmas Village again. The weather this year was a lot more pleasant...not nearly as cold. We did the usual visit with Santa, writing the letter to Santa, and icing gingerbread cookies.
The card given to the children to use to write to Santa has boxes as the top to check with they have been naughty or nice. Rachel asked me, "Mom, have I been naughty or nice?" My response was, "if you have to ask....."
Below is a picture taken of me and Gabrielle. She loves it when I post her photo on my blog so it wouldn't be right if I didn't share this photo here now. You're welcome, Gabe. :-)

Tis the Season...for the Iron Bowl

We watched the Alabama vs. Auburn football game at Pete and Gabrielle's house. It had to be one of the worse games we've watched since I can remember. But, it was great to visit with friends if nothing else.
I have to say that this will be the first year I root for the SEC East champion (Florida) for the SEC Championship game. I hope they spank Alabama.

Tis the Season...for holiday Traffic

No, those aren't pretty Christmas lights below. The photo is pretty much what we saw on the interstate the majority of the way home, specifically on I-75. We got home late because of it. There were areas where traffic crawled and it seemed every mile or so that there would be people pulled over for some reason or another. I told Jeff there would be no need for concern where speeding is concerned. The cops were otherwise busy with accidents and other issues and no one was able to get any speed going anyway due to the traffic.