High Five for Friday (1.9.15)

1. Tomorrow is our 11th wedding anniversary, or as the kids have come to understand the day, our family's 11th birthday. Unfortunately Tom and I won't spend it together - he'll be working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and I'll be working out at the gym, taking Hallie to see Into the Woods while Will is at a play date, and then meeting friends for dinner - but we plan to celebrate in a couple of weeks.

Throughout the last few months I've come across a number of powerful and inspirational quotes about marriage. In preparation for writing this portion of today's post, I began searching for one quote in particular, one about how a solid, lasting marriage requires both partners to say "I do" on their wedding day and then again, and again, and again, each "regular" day. The quote really hit home the idea that staying together is about loving one another, yes, but also about choosing and committing to each other even on the less exciting, fun, and romantic days.

But then…

Then I saw this quote. This quote is us.

Happy 11th anniversary and family birthday, Tom. I love you more than french fries with ketchup and brownies with chocolate chips.

2. Speaking of Into the Woods, I can't wait to see - and introduce Hallie - to this musical and theatrical masterpiece tomorrow! Into the Woods earned a spot on my list of favorites 25 years ago, when Grandma Hallie took my sister and me to see the musical at St. Norbert's College in De Pere, WI. Years later, my sister played Little Red Riding Hood in what was the best high school musical (and I have A LOT of reference points on this one) I've ever seen…except for High School Musical the movie, of course. Ooh, maybe I'll introduce the kids to a few of the High School Musical songs and dances this weekend...

3. We spent the Christmas holiday and the kids' winter vacation in Wisconsin and Illinois with my side of our extended family, so we've still yet to meet our newest nephew on the Ferris side - sweet little Forest - in person. Not getting to hold and cuddle him is driving me crazy, but I love looking at the picture my BIL and SIL send my way. He's just too cute!

4. When we first brought Tux home I had a difficult time "attaching" to him. After all, while everyone else played and snuggled with him, I taught attempted to teach him not to bite and scratch, took him to the vet over and over again for his kitten check-ups and shots, and cleaned his poop out of the sinks, bathtubs, and laundry baskets. I realized when we dropped him off at the vet (where we boarded him and had him neutered and front declawed during our holiday travels), however, that I loved him more than I realized.

We all missed Tux terribly, and having him home with us again just feels right. As Tom always says, "what a buddy".

5. Happiness Highlights

Hallie convinced Grandma to buy her this pair
of fuzzy "ear phones". She hasn't taken them off yet.

This is a belated Happiness Highlight, but I love
this pic of Will on the last day of school - Santa Hat
Day - before Christmas. I also love his Santa hat. 

And my Hallie, rockin' her own,
"girlier" version of a Santa hat.

Will and Hallie LOVE their new bathrobes from Grandpa
and Grandma. They wear their robes with only underwear
underneath (to feel the soft fabric) which makes them look
like little wrestlers. Then they go wrestle, so that makes
they look like little wrestlers as well.

Both kids couldn't wait to roast hotdogs in the fireplace,
but 12 seconds into the process their arms got too
tired to continue. It was fun while it lasted though!

I found this note on Hallie's door - I think she copied it
from a note that Will hung on his door…for the cat.

Will bought me the pin and Hallie bought me the compact for
Christmas. I love that our elementary school hosts a Christmas
Shoppe so that kiddos can shop for their loved ones! (And
for the girls they like…Will bought Kaylee a sparkly ring.) 

My boy graduated to his 7th (blue) belt!

I'd been meaning to purchase one of these for
a while now,  and on Wednesday I stumbled
upon one at Walgreens. Recipes? Please share!

Happy Friday, friends!

The Holiday Ups

Today's post has a "bounce in its step" compared to Monday's complaint-fest. Hope it helps get you through hump day!

Despite quite a few "downs" - flight delays, illnesses, self-imposed quarantines, plantar fasciitis, sleepless nights, uncooperative weather - our nearly two-week visit to Wisconsin had plenty of ups as well.  

Both of our flights on our way to Wisconsin were delayed. What's new, American Airlines? Will, who started to feel ill midday, kept falling asleep on the floor of the airport (and then on a window sill at breakfast the following morning) during one of our delays. Poor buddy.

Thankfully, Will ended up with only a cold - though colds take Will down pretty quickly and for long periods of time because of his lung issues - and a mild ear infection.

Hallie, on the other hand, felt right as rain and never stopped talking throughout the entire trip. She was excited about absolutely everything - flying to Grandma and Grandpa's house, seeing Lily and Carter, taking a break from homework and school, CHRISTMAS, sledding and ice skating, drinking cran-apple cocktail on the plane, recognizing words in the airline safety manual, sitting near a cat traveling with its owner in a little purse, eating goldfish and licorice for dinner - and thanks to the volume at which she expressed her enthusiasm, everyone around her knew so. Tom and I each asked her to "use her indoor voice" at least 25 times, and every single time she responded with an "oops!", a promise to quiet down, and then a slow and steady climb back to Excitement Level 10.

The following day we celebrated Lily's fourth birthday with a chocolate, Frozen-themed cake, presents, and a trip to the mall to get her ears pierced. Hallie and I loved sharing in Lily's milestone event.

My favorite moment during Lily's birthday celebration occurred when Lily unwrapped individually packaged Elsa and Anna dolls. When Lily gravitated toward Elsa, dropping Anna on the ground, Carter swooped in and grabbed Anna. He begged his daddy - by frantically signing "please" over and over again - to unwrap Anna, and then, as if he knew Anna was the only doll Lily would ever allow him to play with (and that as the younger sibling, he is "the Anna" in his family of four), he proudly adopted her as his own. Seriously, look at his face in the bottom two pictures below.

We ventured out one evening to see a 300+ year old tree, situated on the University of Wisconsin campus, that the city plans to chop down shortly. I realize that visiting a tree sounds like a strange outing, but it ended up providing us with an opportunity to take (or for a stranger walking by to take) a few group pictures for my parents' Christmas card.

My mom, sister, and I took the kids to see a fantastic train and Lego display at Olbrich Gardens. (Olbrich Gardens, otherwise known as the site of the now infamous butterfly "attack". We verified ahead of time that the train and Lego exhibit would be butterfly-free.) The grown-ups and Will appreciated the elaborate Lego villages, while the younger kids - especially Carter, who could not get enough - loved the train best of all.

 

We held one of our regular jam sessions, with my dad and his best friend, Chuck, on guitars and vocals, Tom on the piano, and me and my sister on vocals. This year we added Will on drums, Carter on harmonica (which he was surprisingly good at), and Hallie and Lily on dancing.

To me, this picture perfectly represents Christmas. Family members and friends, singing and dancing and making music by the light of the tree.

Santa came! He brought Carter trains (to go on the train table my parents bought him) and a drum set, Will a soccer ball and new sneakers (per his request, Will received a "greenish-yellow and gray pair and an orange and blue pair"), and Hallie and Lily American Girl dolls dressed like Elsa. Santa also brought Anna outfits for the dolls, but the Elsa dresses have been worn considerably more frequently at this point.

Two days after Christmas my parents, Tom and I, and Sara and Jeff hosted our biannual holiday open house. We took very few pictures, but I did manage to get my hands on this one, taken of all the neighborhood "kids" in attendance. (The bottom picture was taken at this year's party, while the top picture was taken at the same party two years ago.)

The following day, my friend Katy's mom found this picture. The six of us in the bottom picture above once delivered Girl Scout cookies in a wagon train and made it on the cover of the Wisconsin State Journal. The littlest kid in in the newspaper photo is now the biggest "kid" in the pictures above.

My mom, sister, and I took a day trip to the outlet mall in Wisconsin Dells (to make up for the fact that we weren't able to travel to Chicago for our annual shopping weekend this year), and my dad reserved/rented out a local indoor soccer field so that all 10 of us could participate in what I imagine will now become a regular soccer extravaganza, but we didn't get any pictures of either of these two outings. 

Finally, a few miscellaneous pictures from the rest of the trip. 

Someone forgot one key article of clothing for
playing outside when the temperature is 12 degrees.
(And she's wearing her swimsuit under her coat.)

Will graciously agreed to cover bedtime book reading more
than once. He told me after we returned home that he was
going to need a nice, long break from princess books.

Opening one of their sets of matching pajamas on Christmas Eve.

Tom fell asleep - and Hallie fell asleep on
him - while tucking Hallie in one night.

My dad represented Aggieland Fitness Dome - my
gym here in TX - while working out in Madison.

Making Rice Krispie Treats (almost) all by herself.

Will and Grandpa at the Badger basketball game.

And last but not least, one of my favorite picture from the trip. Can you tell which child lives in Texas and which child lives in Illinois? One of them had a little trouble with the chilly weather in Wisconsin…

I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday, and that the transition back to "real life" hasn't been too tough!

Maybe Christmas…Perhaps…Means a Little Bit More

Back in November and in preparation for the winter wonderland that is Wisconsin at Christmas time, I had the kids try on all of their snow gear (heavy-duty, ski-caliber coats, snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens, none of which have they ever worn in Texas), purchased replacements for the pieces they'd outgrown, and organized everything - including Tom's and my snow gear - for our flight to my parents' house. We paid $50 to check that expertly-packed suitcase, knowing that the sledding, ice skating, and snow fort building in our near future would make the fee worth it.

Did it snow during our two week trip to Wisconsin? Nope. Not one single flake fell from Wisconsin's dreary skies. The kids were bitter. I was bitter.

An optimist might suggest that a lack of snow, while not ideal for celebrating Christmas in Wisconsin, could translate to increased opportunities to play outside. A pessimist might respond with "that's what you think, Suzy Sunshine".

Because snow had already fallen once in Wisconsin this year, when the temperatures climbed into the 40's - just a couple of days before our arrival - the snow melted, the ground thawed, and what were once hard, frozen surfaces turned to mud.

After a couple of warm, muddy days, the temperatures dropped back down into the lower 30's. The ground froze once again, and conditions would have been perfect for playing outdoors had we not all gotten the flu, colds, and/or ear infections. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like the gift of nausea and vomiting.

Around the time our many illnesses finally passed and we felt ready to emerge from our cave of germs, the temperatures dropped into the single digits. Have you ever been outside in eight degrees with 20 MPH winds? Without proper attire, you can't feel your fingers and your lungs begin ache within seconds. Even with layers of winter wear, a minutes outside is all most people can stand. Even Will - who argued with me Every. Single. Time. I asked him to don his coat, hat, and/or mittens earlier in the trip - willingly bundled up the one evening we ventured out.

So many components come together to create the "feeling of Christmas". Christmas music fills in the air, stockings hang from the fireplace mantle, cards from family members and friends arrive in the mailbox, haphazardly-placed ornaments adorn a brightly lit tree surrounded by wrapped packages and gift bags, sweet-smelling cookies emerge batch after batch from a hard-working oven, beautifully illustrated children's books about faith and hope and "Jesus' birfday" and Santa Claus cover every coffee table and spill off the foots of the kids' beds. And outside, the ground is white.

I don't know if it was because I felt crummy, or because I was surrounded by people who felt as badly or worse than I did, or because the combination of illness and weather kept us cooped up inside and claustrophobia started to set in, but I had a harder time coping with the lack of snow this year. I had to continually remind myself - like the Grinch - that the feeling of Christmas is bigger than just one thing place or experience.

"Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more". (Just substitute "depend on snow" for "come from a store".)

But oh, when snow first falls, clean and bright replacing brown and dirty, glistening in the sun and full of possibility…could there be a more glorious sight to wake up to on Christmas morning?

Maybe…perhaps…there is.

We left Wisconsin on January 1st. 
It snowed the very next day. 

Bring It, 2015

In my New Year's Resolutions post from three years ago I mentioned that I don't particularly like feeling pressured (by society, businesses/organizations, the media, and/or myself…) to make dramatic changes in my life and/or to myself at a time of year when, for me, change is particularly difficult and therefore doesn't make a lot of sense. I, for one, would prefer to start the New Year and make resolutions in September when summer ends, the kids and Tom head back to school, and every aspect of our schedules changes anyway.

But the New Year starts when the New Year starts, and despite how I feel about January 1st and resolutions, for the past 15+ years I have succumbed to the pressure and jumped on board the New Year's Resolutions band wagon.

When it comes to New Year's Resolutions, I've taken a wide variety of routes hoping to find one that led to (better-than-C-average) success. Three years ago I went simple and abstract. Two years ago I went categorical and measurable. Last year I went positive and impactful. The one thing these differently-designed resolutions had in common (other than their mediocre success rates), was their lengths; my lists have always been long, because more resolutions = more opportunities to succeed, right? This year, however, I'm going short, simple, and straight-forward…this year I have only two New Year's Resolutions.

First, I want to live more intentionally.

Second, I want to multi-task less.

These two resolutions go hand-in-hand, and I hope that keeping them in the forefront of my mind throughout the year will help me be more present for my family members and friends, manage my time more efficiently, work more effectively, and enjoy - without feeling guilty - my moments alone with a good book and glass of wine.

These resolutions don't lend themselves to measurable results, but I'm certain I'll figure out a way to determine whether or not I'm doing a good job of following through. I'll keep you posted…

So what are your New Year's Resolutions?