Playing Hobos

I was called home from work at 2 pm today due to the fact that Sophie was running a 102 degree fever. Again.

Now the last fever, although posted about yesterday, happened all the way back on Thursday.

I have been wondering....did she have this fever all weekend and I just didn't notice? I didn't take her temperature again after the throwing up night. She seem perky and cool to the touch.

Is this a re-occurrence or a continuance?

Damn. I hate to think she was feeling puny all weekend. It is hard to tell with her. Sometimes she just won't complain. If something better comes along than feeling sick, I swear that girl will just up and choose it. Can't fool those school nurses, though. They are tough hombres (or hombrecitas).

The funniest thing about fevers are the delusions. (That is written purely sarcastically, by the way.) Earlier this evening Sophie piped up from her pillow propped place on the couch with this gem...

"Mom? When I'm in 5th grade and can take band, I want to play the hobo."

It's Not Thanksgiving Until Somebody Throws Up

Ah...Thanksgiving.

Once again, the day held may things to be grateful for....

John, the girls' Dad came. Sophie got in a bit of trouble when she adamantly refused to walk with him the few blocks to the store for dish soap. I could not figure out why she was so unwilling to do this. It was a beautiful day...we walk to the store all the time....but the day went on after a time out and a large amount of grumpiness from John.





It is a tradition at our house to get our tired and over-stuffed butts in the car and drive a few miles to see "Fantasy Lights" (a Christmas light extravaganza in a local park - not some weird porn-esque lighting store). Thanksgiving day is the first day that it opens, and it runs through New Year's. For $13 you can stuff as many people in one car as possible and drive through the park with your headlights off to view the crazy and random light displays. Some are beautiful. Some are funny. And some are just plain weird. I submit the following for your enjoyment....

The rest of these are very short videos. It seemed easier than blinding everyone that was driving in the dark with my camera flash. Please ignore the blasting heater and random conversations....

Since we do live by one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, why not celebrate that fact with Christmas lights!



Santa is going a bit more high-tech this year...



You can't catch me...



Santa-Hog....



And these were REALLY cool in person...and HUGE!

When we got home Sophie was complaining of a pounding headache. I reached out to rub her forehead and realized that she was absolutely burning up. She had a fever of 103 degrees and spent the rest of the evening in bed with me throwing up. It's a wonderful life. Amazingly, she was completely recovered by 6:00 am and we went about as everything was normal for the rest of the weekend.

No wonder she didn't want to walk to the store with her Dad, eh?

Stay tuned for day-after Christmas decorations and theme explanation!

Thanks.

Not to be too dorky, but I really am thankful for everything in my life.

I am so lucky to have my girls, my house, my friends (that means you, too!). I love this time of the year and can't wait to get it all officially kick started tomorrow. Today, Maya made the pumpkin pie, Sophie made the homemade cranberry sauce, I brined the turkey....All is exactly as it should be.

I love you guys.

Here are some funny recipes from kindergartner's that you should read, but maybe not try out on the relatives tomorrow...

Ivette - Banana Pie:
You buy some bananas and crust. Then you mash them up and put them in the pie. Then you eat it.

Geremy - Turkey
You buy the turkey and take the paper off. Then you put it in the refrigerator and take it back out and cut it with a knife and make sure all the wires are out and take out the neck and heart. Then you put it in a big pan and cook it for half an hour at 80 degrees. Then you invite people over and eat.

Shelby - Applesauce
Go to the store and buy some apples, and then you squish them up. Then you put them in a jar that says, "Applesauce." Then you eat it.

Christa - Cookies
Buy some dough and smash it and cut them out. Then put them in the oven for 2 hours at 100 degrees. Then take them out and dry them off. Then it's time to eat them.

Grace - Turkey
First you add some salt. Then you put it in a bowl. Then you put brown sugar on it. Then you mix it all together with a spoon and then you add some milk and mix it again. And then you put it in a pan. Then you put it in the oven for 15 minutes and 16 degrees. Then you take it out of the oven and then you eat it.

Jordan Si. - Chocolate Pudding
Buy some chocolate pudding mix. Then you add the milk. Then you add the pudding mix. Then you stir it. Then you put it in the refrigerator and wait for it to get hard. Then you eat it.

Jennie - Corn
My mom buys it. Then you throw it. Then you cook it. Then you eat it.

Nicholas - White and Brown Pudding
First you read the wrapper. Get a piece of water. Stir. Then you eat it.

Wai - Pumpkin Pie
Get a pumpkin. Cook it. Eat it.

Lauren - Turkey
First you find a turkey and kill it. Cut it open. Put it in a pan. Pour milk in the pan. Put a little chicken with it. Put salsa on it. Take out of pan. Put it on the board. Cut into little pieces. Put on a rack. Put in the oven for 7 minutes at 10 degrees. Take out of the oven and put eensy weensy bit of sugar on it. Put a little more salsa on it. Then you eat it.

The Secret to Holiday Stress

No, it's not yoga. Or volunteering. Or spending time with family and friends.

It's choosing a smart-ass theme.

This year the girls and I are really on the same page. We were discussing how ridiculous people get around Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have been hearing the "Oh my God, I'm so stressed out!" crap already. It is really just a state of mind - a choice.

If you don't want to stress out, don't. Tell everyone you know, "You know, this year I am refusing to stress out over the holidays. Therefore, I am not going to be able to attend your holiday party, Thanksgiving feast, shopping expedition, etc."

I have been doing this for the past five years and it is amazing how many people are not put off by this demand for no stress and personal space. They are so stressed themselves that your refusal is immediately replaced in their minds with little Johnny's Christmas list and the latest grocery necessities.

It may even insult you a bit, realizing how completely unimportant you really are in the hustle and bustle of another person's "holiday". Oh....but it is worth it!

I can't give my theme away until it is finished and ready to be posted with pictures, but I can tell you that the following picture has something to do with it.

Leave your "Shari's Holiday Theme" guess in the comments....

You Better Be Careful Or Your Face Will Stick Like That

This picture of Maya (circa 2003 and first grade) always makes me gasp. A first grade girls should not look like that. I remember buying her that dress. It was cotton with embroidered butterflies. It had long sleeves that came down over the tops of her hands in little V's. The skirt was also in a V shape in the front and back. On the rack the dress looked so adorable. So little-girl.

On Maya, it looked completely different.

She takes my breath away to this day with her beauty. The thing about it, though, is she always backs it up in spirit.

Tonight I came home to two breathless girls begging me to go to their schools "Skate Night". It is held a Tiffany's Skate Inn Roller Rink here in town, and it is always horrible (for me). It's cold in there - unless you are skating - crowded, loud, and lasts from 6:30 - 8:30, rendering the entire evening useless for anything else.

I am mean and I said "No".

The begged and pleaded more. The finished their homework without me asking. They offered to pay their own way in. There was nothing to do but relent.

I knew immediately why it was so important for Maya to be there the minute I pulled up. See that kid in the upper left corner of the picture making the crazy face? Yeah? That's Mikey. Maya loves Mikey and always has. This year (5th grade) it is something a little more than just thinking he is really funny and wanting to sit by him because he tells good jokes.

This year she wants to skate with him.

Oh God.

Of all the kids in her class, if forced to choose, I would also choose Mikey for Maya to have her first little crush on. Mikey is funny. He is fast in races. He is actually polite. He came to Maya's violin recital last year even though he played no instrument. Mikey is okay in my book.

So far.

As I was walking out of Tiffany's Skate Inn last night Mikey's Mom tapped me on the shoulder. I have always liked her, but don't really know her. I know that she volunteers in the class a lot. I know that she is quiet and reserved and has a kind face. These things make a good first impression as far as I am concerned.

Mikey's Mom said, "I just wanted to tell you something. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be just like Maya. I see the girls in her class starting to really play some mean games with each other this year, and Maya doesn't do it. She is so caring and good. If Mikey ever brings someone like Maya home someday, I will be the happiest Mother in the world."

Wow. That is some good stuff for a parent to hear.

I am so proud to know that my daughter comes across to the world as I have always felt she comes across to me....

But Mikey better not get to friendly or I will make his face stick like that.

Piano Practice

The girls have started practicing their pieces for the December recitals. I am so proud of how far they have come since they started piano. I wanted a before and after for them to compare their early practice with their recital playing...

Sorry about the lighting and shakiness....

Extreme Personal Hygeine

It was Sophie's turn to go grocery shopping with her Dad this Sunday. He comes every Sunday EARLY in the morning (7 AM for Chrissakes) and takes them alternately to the store. This is his contribution, I suppose. It could be worse, it could be better. It is what it is.

Every time each girls seems to talk him into something. A DVD. A Nintendo DS game. Shoes. Something. It gets a bit ridiculous, but who am I to judge what he spends his money on? I just don't want them spoiled - but it seems I'm poor enough to offset any spoilage that might happen on his end.

This Sunday Sophie came bursting through the door with her latest prize. You would have thought it was a puppy as breathlessly over-stimulated as she was. No. It was not a puppy. It was a nose-hair trimmer.



(Thanks to the nose-hair trimming people for the image.)

Yes. A nose-hair trimmer. For nose hair. For old man nose-hair (and the occasional stubborn ear beard, I suppose).

I do admit that Sophie has a prodigious amount of hair in her nose. But it is IN HER NOSE. It is not visible. It is normal.

I don't know if she was teased at school, but if she was I would have thought it would follow normal Sophie patterns. She would cry. She would pound on her pillow. She would be dramatic. But this nose hair thing came in completely under the radar. And she wasn't at all shy about wanting this thing. She ripped it from the box and started explaining all of it's features.

• It was silver and shiny.
• It trimmed nose AND ear hair.
• It came with a little brush that you could clean the nose hairs off after trimming was over.
• It was washable.

It was insane.

For the next 30 minutes Sophie was in the bathroom giggling uproariously and trimming like crazy. Every now and then I'd hear, "It tickles!" and "Whoa! That was a good one!".

I could not get her to stop following me around the rest of the day begging to be allowed the chance to trim my nose hair. I refused and touted all the wonders of nose hair. She looked up my nostrils and said, "Mom, it's a jungle up there. C'mon. Can I?"

It has not happened, but I don't put it past her to do it while I'm sleeping.