Christmas!

Well, I must say without prejudice that J was a STAR this Christmas.  If you have read this blog with any regularity, you know that December 25 involves The Great Christmas Road Trip because we have so many people to see, and J did very well with all the traveling.  On the one hand, I feel so fortunate that we have so many relatives to spend time with and love.  On the other hand, spending time in the car going from place to place to place gets a bit tedious.  But I try to focus on the former, not the latter.  In a few years J will want to stay home to play with his toys, anyway, so that will all change.

We went to my stepdad's for Christmas Eve cocktails.  Dad gave J his little Christmas outfit, complete with reindeer footies:

 Sister E and niece C...J is finally reaching back!

Then we went to T's mother's for dinner.  She got to feed J his dinner:

 Note the footies and Dad's "classic Grandma picture!" expression

On Christmas morning we opened our own presents.  No pictures of us unkempt in our jammies, sorry: T made breakfast and I whipped together dough because when you give the gift of bread, it helps to have it fresh.  This made for a slightly hectic morning, although we had fun with our stockings and gifts, as usual.  Then we zipped over to T's father's house:

 Grandpa loved the plaid shirt...he owns many just like it.

Next, we traveled to Batavia to see my grandmother and my dad.  Grandma adores her great-grandmother status, as you can see:

 How terrific is this wrapping paper?  I've tried not to use it anymore in my green living pursuits, but I'd use this in a heartbeat.

 Happy Papa and little J

 Hooray for this Christmas thing!  

Our last stop before heading home was my mother's with my sisters and their families, along with another sumptuous meal.

 T with the two kids

Five men and a baby

(I'll have to post the women version of this once someone sends it to me!)

Home again, home again, jiggety jig by 10:45...a long but lovely Christmas.  Hope all of you had equally nice holidays!

Stationery card (Shutterfly said they'd give me a $10 off gift card, so I've done a little advertising.)

Simply Modern Band Holiday Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Just ducky

Thanks to Toddler Tamer, J dressed as a duck for Halloween.  The fact that the costume fit him slightly too large made it even better:

 What did Mommy do to me?  How did I get like this?

 Well, I know I look pretty sweet....

 I'm kind of excited about it, really

 Actually, today I'm Ducktor Evil 

 Mommy, what is this thing on my head?

 What's with all the adults making all that racket to get us to look up, anyway?  They are so silly.

I'm helping! 

What?  I said I was helping.  I wasn't going to do anything....

Birthday

Well, yes, I had a birthday last week. It was lovely and fun and I totally forgot to take any pictures except one of my mom and T, so when he gives me back the camera, I'll post it. But I had a great dinner the Sunday before, cooked specially by T.: a buffalo steak, Israeli couscous, and asparagus; the last two being special favorites. We also had a delicious bottle of wine, the name of which escapes me now, but I will get it. Promise. Wow, no pics and no wine--this post is not informationally sound.... He also got me a gift that's really for both of us, an iPod nano. This means we don't have to argue when we go to the gym about who gets the iPod, so it's the gift that keeps on giving. I had great extended birthday with a delicious dinner at one of my favorite restaurants (The Left Bank, for those who know it) with our parents--just a very nice, low-key time. I even had a colleague bake me cookies, even tastier because they were unexpected. There's something about unexpected cookies. Basically, so many wonderful calls, texts, cards, and e-mails and other acknowledgments of my birthday really made it a great one.

For about 90 seconds, I got a little...negatively pensive this birthday. I'm not where I thought I'd be at this age--I think I figured I'd be a little further along in the whole family path and more secure in my job. And then I thought, Let's see...I am fortunate enough to have an excellent, secure marriage, a nice house, a sweet dog, a fulfilling job, loving family and friends, health, and so much more... so I think that I'm doing quite well. To think anything else is foolish and ignoring all the wonderful parts I have in my life.

So happy birthday, me.

Oh yeah, I have a blog (and happy belated Valentine's Day)

See, I'm trying to concentrate more on getting my work done during the week so I can relax on weekends, so I don't blog a lot during the week. Then I relax on the weekends, and I forget to blog.

However, this week I'm on break, so in between studying for my upcoming certification exam and getting a super fun, 24-hour stomach bug yesterday that had me eating nothing but white rice and feeling wretched on the couch, I thought I'd get some blogging done. I am feeling much better, thank you.

This past weekend we celebrated Valentine's Day by going away for the night to the same B&B that T took me to when we got engaged. We haven't been there since, so considering that was almost four years ago, I took it upon myself to book the room again. Such a nice little place, and it was only 40 minutes away in Lewiston (about as close as you can get to Canada without crossing the border), an historic little town with lots of charm and wineries nearby. Perfect. Plus this time T wasn't incredibly nervous--remember, he was about to propose--and I wasn't incredibly sick. Yes, in case you didn't know, about two days before we went away for my birthday weekend/engagement weekend, I became sicker than I had been in YEARS. This greatly helped T because I wasn't alert enough to notice he was acting odd. Anyway, it was a lovely weekend--plus sneaky T had a dozen roses waiting for me in our room. He does like the flowers. AND he wrote me a little poem. For all of those people out there who say, "Well, wait ten years/twenty years. You won't get that stuff any more," please, please shut up. Let me enjoy my flowers and poem. I'll find out if you're right or not on my ownty-own.

We just had a nice dinner out and then a glorious breakfast, cooked by the owner of the B&B, who's also a friend of ours. It was a perfect little getaway, and Penny was extra glad to see us when we returned. Then the next night we went to women's roller derby, which is a ton of fun. The place is packed when they have their bouts (that's what they call the matches) and I have to say, as I posted on Facebook, there's just something about watching women on roller skates knock each other over that captivates me. Plus we got to cheer for our friend M, as it was her first bout. They all have derby names, like Ivanna Killem and Claire Violence, and they wear fishnets along with their uniforms. It's awesome. If you come to visit me, we'll go.

You know, I've had nice Valentine's Days and crummy ones and non-celebratory ones, and what it all comes down to is that you're with someone you love, no matter whether it's romantic or not. T and I did it up for this one, but we're pretty low-key and would have been happy with just a fire and the couch. For me, it's more the acknowledgment that I'm so fortunate to have those who love me that I can't even believe it, sometimes. I got a card from Mr. Ouiser thanking me for being such a good friend--I almost burst into tears, it was so sweet. My mom sends multiple cards. My dad always sends something from a "secret admirer". So I'm pretty lucky and I want to extend that love to YOU, folks. LOVE!

p.s. I also love the Olympics. And baking cheese bread. Recipe to follow--it is SO EASY.

Sookie, My version

As promised, here are the pictures of me as Sookie Stackhouse, or, a vampire-bitten waitress. T is the Buffalo Bills' offensive coach; hence the clown nose because the guy's a joke.

See the vampire bites? (You can see them better if you click on the picture. I got the bruising and everything!) I also had to wear jeans because it was 40 degrees out and I was outside a lot, so I couldn't do Sookie's little shorts she wears. I do NOT live in Bon Temps, Lousiana.

OK, if you don't watch the show...

I was Sookie Stackhouse from the dark HBO show True Blood. If you don't watch it, I was a vampire-bitten waitress. Apparently I did a good job on my vampire bites: I walked into my brother's house and he and his wife gasped, "Oh my God, what happened to you?!" The trick: dark red nail polish surrounded by small circles of dark purplish-blue eyeshadow to look like bruising.

Feathernester, you will go CRAZY when Season 2 comes out. You won't believe what happens! Let's just say I have a newfound respect for Jason Stackhouse. And I haven't read all of Eclipse yet, so I may switch from Camp Jacob back to Edward. We'll see....

Update on costumes

Costume contest at school:

Winner for individual:
- The girl who dressed up like Roz from Monsters, Inc AND did the voice perfectly.


Winner for group costume:
1st place: three girls who dressed as "God's gift": They wore wrapped gift boxes and had their heads sticking out
2nd place: An amazing Alice in Wonderland group
3rd place: Four guys who dressed in full regalia as KISS.



I'm so sorry I don't have pictures of the real thing, but I wanted to point out that these students all made their costumes and worked hard, so I thought the blogosphere should know about it.

Weather Weirdness

So you know how we had crazy snow days and over a foot of snow, what, a week ago? Right now it's almost 60 degrees and due to warm temps over the last week, I'm seeing green/brown ground and big-time flooding. The snow's almost entirely gone. We managed to have a white Christmas, but it was sort of a cruddy, dirty white. It's less of a complaint than an observation at how strange weather gets here. Is it global warming? El Nino (I can't put the ~ over the n)? I just don't know. At this moment we have gale-force winds whipping through, so the passing game of Bills and Patriots today will be pretty interesting. I'm not sure what to wear, but I think it will include my bad-ass foul weather gear that I got at a farming supply store in VA years ago. They don't mess around.

That weather made for a fairly uneventful Great Christmas Road-Trip, for which T, Penny, and I were grateful. On Christmas day we went from our house to Colden (~30 min.) to Batavia (1 hour) back to north Buffalo (40 min.) to our house again. As T's mother reminded us, it just means we have many people who love us and want to see us. Very true, and I loved spending time with each of them. My sister M and BIL C are on their honeymoon in Argentina, so it felt a little strange not having them there, but the rest of us all banded together and enjoyed each other's company. To me, that is what makes it worthwhile to have a large, crazy family.

Honestly, I have nothing too exciting to report, sorry. Um...Penny has a sore foot that we have to soak in soapy water or Epsom salts every day? I really want to see Gran Torino because seeing Clint Eastwood as a crusty old man with a shotgun going up against neighborhood punks will be awesome and intense in a way only he can create? I'm relieved to hear regular music on the radio again?

Anyway, if I don't get to you all before 2009, have a great and safe New Year's Eve!

The best words a teacher can hear (aside from "you're hired")

Say, readers in northern climes, what were the two words you most hoped to hear just as you were getting up and ready for school? The words you prayed for, the words you wore pajamas inside out and slept with a spoon under your pillow (what this does for mojo, I don't know) for in hopes to induce this magical event to occur?


Picture me waking with my alarm, blearily getting dressed, letting the dog out, and turning on the radio, computer, and TV in the distant hope that we'd get called out. The forecast predicted 6-12 inches that would start at 8am and get particularly nasty in the afternoon, right about when the kids would go home. My superintendent is notorious for not closing even when everyone else does, so I held out little hope. As the minutes ticked on, the list grew longer. Then, my hopes rose: Iroquois and Frontier closed. They're close to us. Hmm. Should I even dare to dream? Then, like dominoes, East Aurora and Hamburg fell. They're the ones that, if they close, well, we HAVE to close. Right? Right??? Yet I remembered a day last year when this didn't happen. Two busloads of students got into minor accidents on icy roads that day. Would the superintendent remember, too? Would she remember irate parent calls about safety and endangering their children's lives? Pleeeeeeeeze? Suddenly, just as I was about to put on my work clothes, DH yelled out, "OP! OP Central!" I raced to the computer to confirm, and oh yes, oh happy day, hallelujah sing the praises of our benevolent and brilliant superintendent, we...were...CLOSED. As was every other district in the area except one, who stayed open, sent the kids home at 10 am, and apologized publicly on TV for his "poor judgment". Whoops.

I meant to write about this on Friday when it happened (YESSSSS!), but I was too busy racing to the grocery store at 8:30 with everyone else to get supplies, doing laundry, making zucchini bread, watching Penny frolic like a sweet little lunatic in the snow, reading, and shoveling. Right now it is a totally winterwhite-world, my favorite expression for this time of year. White Christmas? You betcha. I will also note that if any student of mine even dares to come in without a rough draft of the essay that was due on Friday, it will not be pleasant for him or her. Not at all.

p.s. Baaaaad storm hitting Sunday night. Could we go for a two-fer? Honestly, from a teacher perspective, I really need us to be in school so I can get those essays and correct them before the holiday starts, but a little part of me would love it. Maybe I'll sleep with a spoon under my pillow....

George had it right

This past weekend while T had a coaching conference in Saratoga, Penny and I spent a girls' weekend together. On Friday night I discovered NBC showing "It's a Wonderful Life". If you haven't seen it, well, you have to. You just do. In case you don't know the plot, we get to know George Bailey, everyman, who ends up wishing he'd never been born because he feels he just messes up everyone's life. Angel-in-Training Clarence comes down to show him just how much he influences those around him and what a great life he actually has. That's exTREMELY condensed, but it's the gist.

Obviously this is the season for showing it, but I wondered if they did it a little early this year because of the mess that is our economy. Either way, I watched and found it quite fitting for the times, even though it's at least 60 years old. Angel Clarence reminded me that no man is poor who has friends. And the way George and Mary made ends meet, having their honeymoon in their leaky home with posters of Hawaii because they couldn't afford the real trip, doing their best.... It all reminded me of how much I truly have and helped me to give a little more.

So many of us have so much in our lives we don't even consider. This recession won't last forever; I know it. The mob scene at the mall this Saturday confirmed that (I had to go--ten minutes in and out, thank goodness). We need to stick together more than ever and remind ourselves of the intangibles, the friendship and family and roofs over our heads. I feel extremely blessed that I'll have a job until next June at the very least, as well as love in my life both canine and human. I hope I don't sound too preachy; I think I'm trying to remind myself to think of these things more than any of you, though I hope I trigger something.

So I'll leave you with this final clip from the movie. Have a good day and try to enjoy as many minutes as you can.




p.s. Did you realize the cop and the cab driver are named Bert and Ernie? I love that.

Whoops

OK, I am sooooo sorry! I didn't realize it had been so long! I got busy and then I got sick. Seriously, people, I was so tired this last week I fell asleep several times at 8:30 until my husband woke me up to tell me I still had work to do. But now I have vacation time, so I have good time to blog!

Right now I could not feel happier: I have my fleece pants on, I have a blanket wrapped around me...and right next to me on the couch doing her nails and watching Law and Order: CI is Scarlet Lily! She and her nice fiance, her mother, and her brother all came in for the Bills-Giants game and current bad weather has forced them to stay another night. Yay! She also brought us some of her delicious "twelve days" cookies: the lusikkailevat ones. Make them immediately! They all went to the game and I had choir practice singing unto the Lord, as DH says.

I have nothing terribly exciting to report: It's the Christmas season, we've got the great Christmas Road Trip ahead, and all my shopping is done, which never happens with me. I'm sure I'll have more to report soon. In the meantime, here's a website to try: www.freerice.com, a site to practice vocabulary and donate rice to the UN. It's the season of giving, right?

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

Lovely Ladies

S.L. helping B. get his jersey on over several layers of clothes
(it was freezing, pouring rain, and windy as all hell)

Awww...we love them even if they're Giants fans....

Relaxing in the Man Room: Scarlet Lily, Die Frau, and their men