Best Holiday Letter

We love getting letters and cards from folks over the holidays, so we do out best to always get something out the door. This year our cards were done at the beginning of December, then life got in the way, and they are still sitting here. Not to make excuses (but I am clearly making one here), but the computer that has the database with all of the addresses on it is no longer used, and the new computer that we have, along with all of the rest of the computers in the house, don't have a compatible program, or even a database program, so we're kind of stuck. Needless to say we need to do some work to get the list off of the old computer and onto something that's readable by all the currently-in-use computers.

I wander.

The letters and pictures we received this year were spectacular as usual. it wasn't that they were fancy, fancy. It wasn't that they were superbly written or perfect photographs. But it was all the love poured into them and the fact that we touched base with our old and new friends and caught glimpses of life in their world. But then we got one letter and the last paragraph was so good I had to share. After sharing about their three fabulous kids in their various stages of finishing up their education, and telling us all that they were up to over the past year, the closing line was a killer. The sentiments they express are just perfect:

Here's hoping that we all survive the next election cycle; if you should see the Texas governor, please send him home - we're so embarrassed. Apart from that, we feel blessed and hope that you feel the spirit of Christmas in your lives.

And that says it all. Hope that everyone is enjoying their holiday season!

Quiet

Sometimes when it's really quiet and I get really bored I hear seagulls squaking in my head. - Ian 11/15/10

Cold Suzie, Warm Suzie

This is what I normally look like this time of year:

But for the past few days I've looked like this:
No scarf, no jacket, no pants (shorts, of course), and no shoes. I'm actually wearing sandals when I go out - in South Florida, of course. It's unseasonably warm here right now - about 80 degrees for the high, but it's beautiful and it's warm, and that's a good thing for me. I'll head back to the cold in Virginia in a few days, but for now I'm soaking up the warmth (not the sun though as I'd likely burn) and enjoying the warmer temps before returning to the brunt of the winter weather up north.

Happy Holidays!

Hope that all of your holidays are filled with joy, love, and peace. Looking forward to another GREAT holiday season here - a bit delayed for us though. I'm in Florida for a week helping out a friend while the family is hanging out at home with Baba in Virginia. We celebrated Hanukkah before I left and we'll get Christmas covered once I get back in a few days.

But I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season, that you get to spend loads of time relaxing and hanging out with family,and that you indulge a bit on the treats and smells of the holiday season!

Image: © Guillaume Piolle / CC-BY-3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Birthday, Baba!

Happy Happy, Merry Merry! Glad that we got to spend another birthday celebrating with you Dad!

The Ladies and their Crazy Hair

Ian and Sam had crazy hair day at school, and Lucy wanted to get in on the action. She wanted green hair, so we painted the tips of her hair green, I tossed on some crazy crinoline tube hair thingys, and we went to school. Unfortunately neither Sam nor Ian wanted to actually have lunch with us, but we did pop in on them and say "Hi." Then, we ran a few errands and grabbed a few gifts, and headed home to rest and recover from our day out with crazy hair. Lucy loved her green hair, and now wants more green, or maybe blue, or who knows. "Mommy, when is crazy hair day next?"

Cello Wars

Felt compelled to share this one with you. It's brilliant, and definitely for the kids.

Giving up

Just couldn't keep her eyes open one more minute.

Middle School Sports

Growing up in Texas, I started playing organized team sports in middle school. I started on my less than illustrious volleyball career in middle school initially to avoid taking PE - really, really didn't want to take middle school PE. That philosophy actually did well by me through high school - joining the team to avoid taking gym class/off season training. I started playing basketball after volleyball season was over (when I was a Freshman) so I didn't have to do volleyball off-season, then took up track to avoid basketball off-season. Anyway, it all started for me back in middle school.

Up until middle school I wasn't a big athlete. I participated in the neighborhood fun and games, and gym class and playground activities, but nothing organized. I was more of a dance person - ballet, gymnastics, and clogging floated my boat. But starting in eighth grade, I was all about sports, and it seems that some of that has rubbed off on my eldest. Earlier this year Max tried out for and made a flag football team at his middle school. Max isn't a big guy - just average size for a 6th grader, but he's fast, and he's nimble on is feet. Those two summers of rugby have really improved his football game, and his soccer feet are clearly an asset. He was one of 25 kids in 6th grade that made the football teams. They do play flag football, which is the only reason we agreed to this. Coming from Texas we knew better than to toss our little guy into pads - that's just too scary for this mom and dad. Anyway, the were four teams in the middle school's football league, and Max's team went undefeated this past season.

Unfortunately, due to rain and snow (in October - can you imagine?) they missed a few games, but they finally called the season, and his team was undefeated. I was able to catch just one game - the rest were rained out - but I did see him catch an interception and almost make it across the goal line. It was cool seeing Max, all 56" of him playing football next to some 8th graders that were well over six feet. Flag football season is over now, and while Max is still playing soccer (although indoors - it's starting to get cold) he's already expressed interest in joining a basketball team. While my heart jumps at the thought of one of my kiddos playing the sport that I grew to really love and enjoy, the idea of him trying out for and making a basketball team at his height makes me giggle.