(A Few) Favorite Christmas Memories 2010

Our weekend at Windsor Court in New Orleans in December.

The children discovered (or rediscovered) beignets.

I have tried to make them at home (with the souvenir mix), but they were not as good.

They also had their first visit to Brennan's for breakfast.

The May Baby's "Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at her school.

(Look at this photo and then try to tell me she looks just like me.)

My beautiful sister, The Cool One, with her beautiful nephews and niece,

sporting crowns from our Christmas crackers.

My family came to us for Christmas, since The Good Doctor was on call.

It was very good.

A Blog-a-Day?

I was just reading my new favorite blog (that I just discovered this morning) called The Grouchy Ladybug and the author mentioned that she had started a "blog-a-day" challenge. When I read that, it occurred to me to wonder just how long it had been since I posted here. It's been a long time.

And I don't have much time now to catch up because I've just had a call from Vincent, the Invisible Fence guy, who I've been waiting to hear from for...mmmmm...three hours. But I am happy he's coming. Frank and Chester have gotten in a very bad and scary habit of wandering way too far from home. Yesterday someone picked them up on Elk's Lake Road and was kind enough to bring them home to me. So we've got to take some drastic measures...and I think when we hear how much it's going to cost, it is going to feel very, very drastic.

Ugh.

But, at least, maybe it will help preserve the lives of the dogs for a little longer.

Until they chew up something else.

A Thousand Thanks

Ironically, just like the last time I posted, yesterday was yet another Monday off from school. Just for the boys; the May Baby had to go to school...but she didn't go until 9:00, and she had a yummy pit stop at Hardee's on the way for a chicken biscuit.

So, Number 119: A three-day weekend...another Monday off.

120. Spaghetti
121. Starting to feel a little like fall...sometimes.

 122. Silvery lavender and neon orange soccer cleats
in a (gulp!) size 10.5

123. The Stayers' hospitality
124. Candy!
125. Fifth Sunday night with all the local PCA churches
126. Tuesday mornings at Starbucks
127. Texts from Laura Young
128. Ponytail holders
129. School uniforms
130. Comfortable shoes
131. The Jones County Fair
132. Funnel cakes
133. Taffy (yes, I know I already listed candy...and a few weeks ago, I listed chocolate.)
134. Cataracts
135. Cold Diet Coke
136. Backpacks
137. Paying bills by phone
138. The smell of pipe tobacco smoke

The February Baby was the inspiration for number 138. On Friday I gave each of the children $40 to spend at Party Universe on a Halloween costume. He bought, among other things, a pipe. And he walked around all weekend with it in his mouth and it was so funny. I wish I had a photo of him. He didn't smoke it, of course, but it reminded me of my Uncle Sonny and the smell of his pipe when we would visit him and Aunt Patsy. What a cozy, wintry smell it is.

A Thousand Thanks

Number 118: Today is a day off from school! Hurray! "Fall Break," but since it's only one day, I think it should go by it's real name...Columbus Day.

The Roosevelt

 

This is an iPhone photo of the Presidential Suite at The Roosevelt in New Orleans where The Good Doctor and I got to stay for our anniversary weekend in June. Insane! This is the view from the door of the bedroom, which was huge, and you can't see it but on the left just past that bench is the foyer (with powder room and a table for a flower arrangement) and past that is the doorway that goes to the wet bar (filled with goodies for us). It was a fun, fun weekend. Next time, we're going to have a party here and invite Harry Connick, Jr. to come play the piano for us.

Sated on Saturday

I know I should give up on the alliterative post titles, but I can't do it yet. It has been a long time since you've heard from me..."you" being me, actually, or one of my ones of followers.

And just a note on my promise to keep you updated on the progress of the fort: I haven't broken it. There hasn't been any progress.

We have been really busy since school started on August 10 for The May Baby and the 11th for the boys. (One month ago!) Seventh grade homework is no joke. Also, lots of football games and horseback riding lessons, meetings for The Good Doctor, and pulpit committee meetings for me. And a whole lot of frantic errands to replace contacts (no glasses under helmets) and get football pads, mouth guards, chin straps, practice pants...

I enjoy watching the boys play, though, and they both seem to be liking it. Both boys sustained their first losses this week, however. The February Baby, whose team was undefeated last year, did not take that very well; he'd been blocking a monster from Poplarville (I think the kid's own child was cheering him from the sidelines). The September Baby was beaming when he came out of the locker room after his game...at least the Jackson Prep offense hadn't gotten around his end, during his six plays.

Anyway, losses have to happen, and it's said that they help build character.

So, I am going to go ahead and continue my thankful list with number 106. Losses
107. Football
108. Coaches
109. Safety, so far, from injuries...physical ones, at least.

And I'm feeling in a bookish mood tonight, so

110. Lord Peter Wimsey and Dorothy L. Sayers
111. C.S. Lewis
112. Jane Austen
113. P.G. Woodhouse and Bertie Wooster
114. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
115. Harry Potter
116. Ngaio Marsh
117. My bookclub

Under construction

On what may be the hottest day of the year so far, The Three have decided to build a fort. (I think it may end up looking more like a homeless person's shanty.) We spent the morning deciding where it should go...they wanted to do it in the field across the street, near the creek, but I feared that the Providence Architectural Compliance Committee might not approve of its visibility from the street. So we decided on the back yard, utilizing our old swing set that my parents gave the boys for Christmas 2000. I remember swinging the boys on it the morning of May 5, 2001, killing time until it was time to go to the hospital to have Ella. If I were sentimental, I might make some reference here to The Giving Tree. But since I do not fall victim to those types of nostalgic, emotional references, I won't. (No, no. I'm fine...I just have something in my eye.)

When we talked to the Good Doctor at lunch time, he suggested sites in the yard that would lower the eyesore factor. But here it is; smack-dab in the middle of the back yard, visible from every angle.

Enjoy the slanted view here.

 They worked hard all afternoon. You can see the blood (September Baby's thumb), 

and the sweat (February Baby's face),

And this...this is just before the tears.

 I'll keep you posted on the progress.