A Thought and a Story

I have two things to share today and they are in no way related. One is about this quote I have been carrying around with me for about two weeks. I was in the waiting area a few weeks ago at Alexa's dance class. I usually spend my hour grading papers as there is always a  never ending supply of those. For some reason on this day I had finished or had all I could take of illegible handwriting and bad grammar I don't remember which. I picked up a copy of O magazine off the chair next to me. Now I have never read this magazine before, but I started flipping through the pages. I came across an article about holiday giving. More specifically giving to excess. What really drew me into the article was that a portion of it was written by Elizabeth Gilbert. She is one of my favorite authors. Mostly because I feel our lives have run so many parallels. I reread her books often as if they are some type of manual that will tell me what to do next to get through life. At any rate I was reading the article when I came across a piece of advice she had been given. It said, "never give anyone more than they are emotionally capable of receiving, or they will have no choice but to hate you for it." Now I could go into a rather long explanation of why this little piece of advice jumped out to me, however even for me (a person who has been know to share some personal items in writing) it would be too much to share. Lets just say that I read it, and several parts of my brain clicked ah ha at once. So much so that I dug through my purse to find a scrap of paper that I could copy it down on. I have been looking at that piece of paper sitting on my computer table for weeks now. I guess I just wanted to write it down and remember it. It just made that much sense to me.
The other thing I have on my mind is a story. I guess it is actually moderately related to the previous sharing in that it is a Holiday theme as well. In the car yesterday the radio station played the song "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Now Alexa has been getting really excited that they occasionally play Christmas songs on the radio, so I turned it up for her. She was bouncing away back there listening to the song. Suddenly she said, "Mommy, I would play with Rudolph. I don't see why it is such a big deal. It is just a nose. Who cares what color it is." Now see... that is my Lexa all heart.

Girl Scout Skit

Chloe's Girl Scout troop completed the final portion of their badge for Women's History tonight. We were invited to attend the production. This is Chloe and her friend in a skit about Juliette Low they wrote it themselves.

Cabbie's Hat

Chloe made Cabbie a hat today. I don't know why she decided he needed one, but she did. She worked really hard on it. Being a good sport he wore it. So what do you think? Straight on

or profile?

A Birthday

Today would have been my dad's 76th birthday. He hasn't been around to celebrate a birthday in quite awhile as he died in 1997 at the age of 62.

I like to think he took a nice walk in the fields today with his dog Sunny. She died a few weeks after he did. They were together a lot and I think she knew she was suppose to go with him, so she did.

As children I think we assume that our parents will always be there. I know even as an adult of 25 when my dad died I was still shocked. I figured he would be around for a lot longer checking my car engine and wandering through the woods. It didn't work out that way though. My dad has seven grandchildren. He only got to meet three of them. They would have liked to know him and I know he would have gotten a kick out of them. I decided to take my sister, Andrea's, idea today and make a chocolate cream pie in dad's memory. I have never made one before, but every year on his birthday that was my dad's request instead of a cake. I found it was pretty easy to make, although when the directions say stir continually while bringing to a boil, they really mean that.  Here is how it turned out. It seems to be setting nicely.

It seems a little funny to make a pie with just me here. I figure the kids will like to help eat it when they come home tomorrow, so it won't go to waste. Besides it seems important to do these things to teach they something about their grandfather. Even if it is just what kind of dessert he liked to eat.

Thanksgiving Thanks

It is important on this day of thanks to really think about what we have to be thankful for. In the middle of a conversation with Alexa last weekend, where she was listing for me more toys she wanted. I found myself saying, "Why is it no matter what you have you always want something that you don't have?" And as I said those words, I thought, we all do this. I do this. I am doing it right now even as I am telling her not to. I think of things I have lost and things I want and forget to be grateful for all that I have in my life now. So here it is. My list of what I am thankful for this year.

• My children. They never cease to amaze me with their honesty and innocence in life. My will and my drive comes from the deepest love for them and has been there ever since I knew they existed.
• My health. As a chronic hypochondriac and worrier I am thankful for the fact that my physical woes are largely in my head.
• My family. The people who know me best and continue to offer me support and laughter at the points when I need it most.
• A house to live in.
• Wonderful neighbors that help me on a regular basis.
• A job that, on most days, I really enjoy doing that gives me the chance to try to put a little more good out into the world.
• Friends who truly are able to laugh and listen. I am truly grateful to be surrounded by happy and positive people.
• I am thankful that, through experience, I have come to love, let go, and forgive. And that I know for a fact that everything will work out as it was meant to.
• I am thankful that for every door that closes there has indeed been a window.
• I am thankful that things between my ex-husband and myself are very polite and civil. Occasionally boarding on friendly.
• I am thankful that the trash guys drove over in a pick up truck in the snow yesterday to give me a new trash can because someone stole my old one last week. And I am thankful that the new one is WAY better than the old one.
• I am thankful for the food that I can eat.
•  A savings account.
• I am thankful that while I do not get to see everyone for Thanksgiving, we will all be together this year for Christmas.
• Health and dental insurance
• Enough money to pay the bills and treat myself to fun things every now and then.
• That for today, the dog hasn't eaten anything he wasn't suppose to.
• I am thankful that I can give my daughter a birthday party.
• I am thankful that the kids are doing well in school.
• I am thankful for each night that turns into a morning.
• I am thankful that I am getting better at protecting myself and (as my sister says), "Not picking at scabs on my heart." Some things need to be left alone to heal. 
• I am thankful that the woman who walked by me on my way into the store yesterday yelling about farm animals and the greed of the government just kept on walking because I was in way to peaceful of a mood to try to take that in.
• I am thankful that I made to the library before they closed for the holiday.
• I am thankful that my car is still running (knock on wood).
• I am thankful for the Internet and Skype which lets me see my family even if I can not be with them.
• I am thankful for such a fun 5K to run today. What a wonderful cause (benefiting the food shelf) and excellent energy from racers and organizers alike.
• I am thankful that honesty, compassion, and kindness always come back around when you least expect it.

Lastly, I am thankful that Alexa drew this picture for the school art box, but then decided he was too cute and wanted to keep him. Because that means that I now get to hang him up, and I just think he is the cutest turkey ever.

November Snow

We woke up this morning to our first snow of the year. It is always exciting. The kids were up, dressed, ate breakfast, and had teeth brushed far faster than they do on any other Wednesday morning. They were outside by 7:30 AM.

Alexa's first task was to work on shoveling the deck. I was all for this.

It was pretty heavy wet snow, but she got the steps cleared off before she quit.

Chloe set to work on creating a snow fort that was apparently an animal sanctuary.

A new use for the raised bed garden.

Alexa's snowman. She built him all by herself. They had lots of fun and were still outside a few hours later when their dad came to pick them up for their holiday visit.

Literacy Breakfast

Today was the very first literacy breakfast for Alexa. She has attended many of them while Chloe read to us, but this is her first one as the reader and she couldn't have been more excited. She read to me from her November journal and lots of books that she is working on.

She has been watching her sister learn to read with envy. In fact at her insistence, I began to teach her to read this summer with library books.

She was so proud to show off her skills and she did a wonderful job.

She also showed me some of her writing in her classroom.

Alexa's Art

I finally got the original copy of Alexa's Square One Art findraiser picture. 

Too cute and totally Lexa.

Jeh Kulu Performance

Tonight was the first time that both girls had a performance at school. The school has had a two week residency with a West African dance group called Jeh Kulu. The kids have been learning dances in their PE classes. They all got matching t-shirts for the performance which is really cute but makes it hard to pick out your child on a crowded stage. Especially when you have the tall children that get put in the back of the stage. 

They did a great job though. Here is Alexa's class performing Kuku which is a celebration dance. this is the best shot I was able to get of Alexa if you look on the right side of the picture in the back. She is wearing a pink dress and tights which stick out from under her t-shirt. You can see her just over and to the side of the little blonde headed boy in front.

Chloe's class performed a hunting dance called Sofa. She is in the back as well. She is wearing turquoise pants which does help you to pick her out, if you look to the center at all the legs.

They did a great job and said they had a lot of fun. Well, OK Alexa said she had fun. Chloe wouldn't admit to it.

Photography Opening

Today was the opening for photography project that Chloe participated in. Well, today was the outside opening the photographs are going to hang in Pomeroy Park for a few weeks. These photographs are actually the copies of the original works as apparently you can't laminate photographs. The original pieces will hang in a hall on the UVM campus in a couple of weeks.

Here she is next to her pictures. She was asked to look through all of her pictures and pick her favorites that showed one like and one dislike for her street. Hers are on the bottom in purple. Her like is a picture of a cat sitting on top of the truck on the guy that lives across the street. Her dislike is a picture of litter.

Alexa's House

A few months ago my sister Andrea visited and worked to build the most amazing castle out of cardboard boxes that has ever been created. We have tried really hard to save it by storing it in the shed. Sadly though with the addition of the deck furniture to the shed for the winter the castle just isn't holding up so well anymore. We took it out this weekend while the kids had some friends over the play and it just couldn't be put back to its original grandeur. Alexa decided that she wanted to make another one. Now given that I do not have my sisters drive for excellence nor her desire to acquire tendinitis in my wrist. I opted for the small version. The size that can be stored easily in my living room. She has been working on it for a few days now.

Today we cut windows and attached some curtains.

When Chloe got home from Brownies she helped her add some things too.

Such cheap entertainment.

Square One Art

The girl's school runs this find raiser every year that I call the suckers fundraiser. They have each child design a picture one a piece of square paper. They then sell you products with that picture on it. Chloe loves this activity. Thus each year we end up with a variety of product with think art work on it. Everything from hot plates to mouse pads to t-shirts. On Thursday she came home with her design from this year.

Is that not amazing? I haven't seen Alexa's yet, but I can tell you this year with two of them creating things that school will be making a fair amount of money off of me. Which of course is what they are counting on sucker that I am.

The Sneak

I am not violating the no dog on the bed rule.

You see nothing. I am a stuffed animal.

School Pictures

School pictures are in..

pretty cute huh? I let them pick out their own backgrounds. I am not really a fan of the rainbow, but she really wanted it. I do think the leaves are nice.