Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Thankful

Thanksgiving is over, and it was a lovely weekend.  Just as nice as it could have been I think.  Thursday we had a small Thanksgiving here for dinner and lots of just hanging out and talking.  Friday morning I got a call from our fabulous friends inviting us over to eat leftovers at their house and let the kids play.  So we headed over there in the afternoon.  It was so nice out we ended up at the school playground near their house for a while, and the kids all had a fabulous time.

Saturday we had a Meema Thanksgiving, since she had to work on Thursday and wasn't able to join us then.  We cooked and drank and ate ourselves silly.  I really miss my Mom and I wish she lived closer.  Then Kat came over to have her oil changed, and she took all the kids to a birthday party.  Steven and I had a couple hours to ourselves, which is nice now and then.  Sunday Steven worked and we hit church and then did a little Christmas shopping.  Then Steven put out the Christmas lights in the yard.  It was just a nice comfy family weekend.  That is exactly why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Old

It's funny how things hit you all of a sudden.  Hannah's been growing out her hair and her bangs since June when she had her last trim.  It's very chaotic and messy, as you would expect it to be.  It's funny how I'd completely forgotten what a pain growing out bangs is.  That must be subconsciously why I never gave Norah any. 

At any rate, Hannah's hair is just getting long enough to pull back most of it.  So today she was practicing putting in her own ponytail, and with her hair pulled back, and her bangs loose, she suddenly looked 4 years older, easily.  Sometimes she smiles a certain way, and I just know I'm seeing a glimpse of what she'll look like as a teenager.  It's scary to me.  I still think of her as such a little girl, but in reality she's almost 7, which IS still little.  Not like newborn little, or even 3 year old little.  Seems like she's not little enough anymore.  She can do everything herself, make her own decisions about what to wear/do/eat.  She can even make her own breakfast most mornings.  I've lost my first baby and she's been replaced with this big kid who is so self sufficient and wonderful sometimes.  I'm at a loss for how to reconcile myself to this.  She's not a baby and I have to let her grow up, I don't get a choice.  And yet, somehow I'd almost like to go back to when she was 2 and her world revolved around this house and her family.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is feeling rather anticlimactic this year.  Very few people are planning on coming, either for reasons specified or not.  Steven has to work for the first time since we've known each other, aside from a random snowstorm here or there,  he's always been around for the holidays.  The plan is that he'll be home in time to eat dinner with us at 6.  I'm hoping that's really what happens.  I'd hate to have him miss out, and the girls miss out on Daddy time.  As of right now, it looks like Amanda will be here and Donny.  And that's it.  Donny and I are planning a "geek" thanksgiving complete with Star Trek marathon while we cook.  I'm glad I'll be seeing my brother, and I'm sorry Mom has to work so she can't make it either.  No one else has mentioned why they aren't coming, other than Sara and Zach, which we totally understand. 

Hannah also has school for part of her Thanksgiving Break.  The week off early for snow in October really messed them up, so they're trying to make up days already so as not to go super late again into June.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Gorgeous

So to make up for all that lousy snow we got before Halloween, we have had a gorgeous string of weather!  Basically it's been sunny and in the 50's and 60's for a week and a half.  Yesterday we headed over to the park to meet up with some friends.  The girls all ran around, getting the crazy out, until it was time for dinner.  The snow is just about gone, only a few huge piles here and there.  Of course the trees are still everywhere.  Fortunately most of them are out of the roads, but they are still down.  Piles of branches line the streets.  I'm glad we haven't had any more bad weather, and I'm glad that the girls have had time to get outside and play.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Fall Back

Hannah and Norah don't seem to like falling back.  It confuses them in ways that springing forward does not.  They are hungry ALL the time, and cranky.  Waking up too early and staying up too late, or at least so they feel.  I don't like it either, but then, it's not all about me.  We woke up this morning bright and early at 5:54, and even though our bodies felt like it was nearly 7, something seemed wrong about getting up that early.  We were slated to have company today, but Joanna texted me early this morning to say she hadn't been feeling well, and that it was the kind of sick no one ever wants to share.  So they were going to stay home.  Kat was planning to come over also, but after going to Babcia's house for Toto's birthday lunch.  And they did come over, but not until after all the craziness here had worn thin.  Too much fooling around, and my favorite new lamp from Ikea is no more.  So I'm glad that they had some friends to play nicely with instead of me wanting to strangle them.

In other news, I'm doing well in school, all A's so far.  I'm working on one of the last two papers for English, and I've started my final project for math, though I'm having THE worst time with the chapter we're working on in Math.  I'm hoping the project can break it up a little.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

School

It is much too early in the year to be having a week off from school, but that's exactly what she's got.  I rediscovered the joy of snow days when the college was closed on Tuesday, but now we're into Thursday and the local schools are all still closed, even through tomorrow.  I hate to complain, but this is crazy.  Hannah is going crazy and appears to be pretty bored.  I'm tempted to start making stuff up and having her sit and work at the table when we're home.  She's not really in danger of losing anything she's learned, but I'm tired of the craziness and attitude that follows a change in schedule. 

The good news is that Trick or Treating was rescheduled for Saturday night, and we have friends coming over to visit on Sunday to take away some of the monotony of our weekends.