Tradition

When my girls were about 2 and 4 years old, we started the tradition of having a gingerbread house making party every Christmas Season. 10 years later, we are still going strong. 3 families rotate houses. One "hosts" the party, makes dinner, while the others bring dessert and appetizers. Everyone brings their own "house". The first year we had much to learn. We struggled to keep the sides of the house up with frosting. That led us to eventually using a glue gun...a housemaker secret that's golden! Now everyone shows up with an already "constructed" house, ready to decorate, cookie sheet and all. We use leftover Halloween candy for decorating, wheat chex with powdered sugar (this year) and graham crackers for rooftops, coconut for snow...there are so many different ideas we come up with every year. After so many years, it's a seamless party, that is purely relaxing and fun. Each set of siblings comes up with such a unique house...it's so much fun to see what they turn out. And they love it and look forward to it every year as well. Good food, good friends, good memories. I can hardly wait til next year's party.


Starting from the beginning...

Yummy appetizers with fruit fondue for dessert!

The table pre-lasgna, salad and bread! It was so yummo!

Doesn't that just make you want to run out and make fondue? Chocolate fondue with fruit and angle food cake. There were other treats as well such as square pretzels topped with a rolo and a pecan. Sounds weird? Don't knock it til you try it...and can't stop trying it!

Marshmallow, peanut, m&m popcorn bonanza. This one was a winner! (Plus, you can't have just one dessert...it's a rule. It is a party, after all.)

My Hayden and his cute Gingerbread train. He was very excited to have something of his own to decorate this year and the girls (who seems to be perfectionistic) were happy to have their house back to themselves.

This house has a graham cracker garage with a car parked in it (out of candy, of course). A hershey bar fence with the gates swinging open. The smarties are stacked in a circular fasion with licorice red rope to form a gazebo that hosts a fire pit. The front yard was dusted in snow.

Oh my...we are full! But we're happy!

Join Me, Won't You?

Ok, so I'm not gonna lie. While my life isn't crappy (excuse the expression), it's been really trying lately. Mostly cuz of work related issues. And that's hard. Because we're owners, and we affect other people, not just ourselves. And while I try to "go with the flow" -- it's like a fish swimming upstream -- it doesn't suit me at all. I'm very structured and I like predictability. And life, right now, is anything but.

Speaking of butts, Thanksgiving did not help to shrink it. And while remaining positive is on the daily agenda right now, exercise is just what the doctor ordered for my ever expanding back side. The sun doesn't hurt, either. Or a salad from La Bou, butt I digress.

This is a dangerous month, folks. As if November weren't fattening enough (thanks, Lane, for the Sweet Potato Pecan extravaganza with 5000 calories per bite), December can be downright cruel. (Hello Grandma See's). So I decided, let's control what we can control. I can control whether or not I exercise, for my backside or mental management. Yesterday I went running. Well, really, it was probably more of a wog. (You figure it out). But running sounds so much more impressive. Today I went for an 1 1/2 hour hike with a friend of mine. I live in a hilly town -- and we hiked some trails today. The sun was shining, crisp air, perfect. Sweating with a sweatshirt on. The fur on my legs helped me to stay warm even in shorts. And I feel better. In fact, it made me feel great. And I always do post-wog. As my sister would say...I love SWAK. (Sweaty back) or (SWITS...sweaty pits). (C'mon, you try it. It's fun and funny. We've had entire phone calls laughing at all the stuff we come up with...)

And you will, too, if you need it. Get out there! Do it! It may just be the best part of your day. And if you can, do it outside. I quit the gym cuz I hate it (and I don't need people watching my back side hit my back while trying to burn a few calories in the name of "I'm trying" and better health). Fresh air is the greatest. Because while I may not have a goal to lose weight this month (not that I would mind...) -- (okay, I always have that goal but don't necessarily work towards it) but I do have a goal to not lose my mind. Or get overly anxious. Definitely a dominant gene in our female side of the family. And whether any of that works or not, I KNOW, I KNOW I feel better when I've moved my body. Enjoyed nature. Sweat off some of my worries. It gives me strength and joy. And it's free. And December is a long month. And it's the time of year I need it most. And while I love Santa, I don't want to look like him!

Official Merry Christmas to all.

Now, about that La Bou salad...

Oooomph

Help me...I'm still so full.

Just in case you were wondering how I felt!?!

G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L

Great day with my kids...bowling and arcade...makes my kids happy.

Really enjoyed the sunshine today at the park.

Ate lunch out for fun together at Wendy's...Hayden's favorite.

Took the kids to the library.

Even took the dog for a walk, and then a longer one for me!

Feels great having no real schedule today...my favorite kind of day.

Unusually long hair on my legs...time for a hot shower and a leg shave...(too much information?)...grateful for pants! LOL.

Liz and family are coming in less than 48 hours (we hope) to spend Thankgiving with us and boy, are we grateful!

Where am I????????

For the love of Pete...you figure this out.

Peruse the following list of names. Where might you find them?

Ming, Julio, Rashid, Erin, Grace, Diego, Deja, Zoe, Reggie, Gina, Yin, Jun, Javier, Manual, Nia, Abby & Carmen.

I'll TELL YOU WHERE!!!!!!!!!!!! A 1st grade Math Assessment test!

I was asked to assist a boy who had been absent in completing the test...i.e. answer "word" questions assuming he needed help reading. The poor boy couldn't even get through the word problems because: a) he's still learning the ENGLISH language and b) didn't know that a "J" was an "H" in Spanish!

Oh, man. I am so on fire, here. I don't consider myself to be prejudice, but how I watched this little boy struggle through this test because of the names. He didn't know what a "Ming", "Jun" or "Javier" was...so it was difficult for him to focus on the math aspect of the test. This made me think of my poor son. While a decent reader, we're still grasping the English language and all its idiosyncracies on a good day, let alone combining it with algebra word problems.

I don't know, but I'm just sayin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Old Fashioned Birthday

Yup...I was determined to have it at home. Pizza and a little cake. Maybe I was drinking...

Lindsay and most of her soccer team for her 12th bday.


Me with a few other lovely ladies...


Hayden is spying on the girls with his pirate scope. All boy, that kid.


Someone (again, me, hitting the bottle) thought it might be fun for the girls to have karaoke night. Never knew noise levels like that before. Dave got hives.

There were some lead singers along with a lot of back up!

And Lindsay picked her favorite...B&R Cookies & Cream Ice Cream cake. Needless to say, it was a HUGE hit!

Definitely pleased this hard-to-please fellow.

Guessing game...that cute blonde won two -- but had to give one up to the runner-up. Smart girl.

Our sweet Lindsay digging into her LOOT!

The remainder of the gang...3 had already left. Hayden was in HEAVEN playing Ninja and Ghost in the House or something like that. (Lights out, TONS of screaming, running like herds of cattle...Dave almost needed the straightjacket and shock therapy to calm him down).

Brave enough for a listen. First, crank your sound up til it's fuzzy. Then put a microphone up to that...that is what my house sounded like. 12 twelve-year olds screaming!

One girl wrote a 3 page card...I only managed to capture 2 of the pages...it's Sam describing Lindsay. So sweet and SO funny.

I know we'll remember this one for years to come. Not only will kids be kids, but kids need to be kids. That's what this was all about. Good, old-fashioned get together for a little craziness. And while my ears are still ringing...it was definitely worth it!

There's No Such Thing

There's no such thing as a perfect life.

There's no such thing as a perfect child.

There's no such thing as a perfect parent.

There are perfect moments in life, but the rest of life's experiences, today, I believe, are to keep you in check. Make you humble. Make you appreciate the rest.

One morning last week I woke up feeling really grateful for our house. Having moved 3 times in two years would easily make one have that feeling. But it was deeper than that. And because you never know what life can throw at you. Living in a state where not a few, but many people I know have lost their homes due to losing jobs and a failing economy, home is not necessarily written in stone. It is something to be honored. And cherished. A haven. For now.

I'm lucky. People often tell me how wonderful my children are. And I whole-heartedly agree with them. But it's scary being on a pedestal. Even risky. Because eventually, you fall off. Or are pushed off. And there's that fork in the road. And mistakes are made. It's hard for them. Hard for me. Heartbreaking at times.

Part of parenthood. Most of it is wonderful. Some of it is so hard it will take your breath away. It makes you toss and turn at night. It makes me shed tears in moments alone. It takes me back to the mistakes I've made as a child and beyond. (I know, you thought I was perfect!) Oh my, there were many. And yet, I was still loved, even though I know I made that difficult to do. Or maybe it wasn't that they didn't love me, they just didn't love the decisions I had made. But I didn't feel that at the time. And it was lonely. I want so much for my children to not feel lonely. And yet they will, probably, because I can't make their lives perfect all the time. I have to let them find their way.

But what is perfect is love. It does prevail. It is pure and true. It does not change with the weather but instead, withstands weathering. It gets stronger. And deeper. And hopefully, in the long run, cuts through the red tape of life and shines brighter than the dark clouds that try to cover it up.

And that is what I do have...a perfect love for my family. We do not have a perfect life and I know hourly that I am not perfect. And on this gray day I will feel warmth from that perfect love. It will carry me through. And it is a gift from which I draw strength.

And while these challenges never feel promising, the eternal promise is love. And forgiveness. And the opportunity to share it with my family. And that, my friends, is perfect.