winter break blogging, chapter ten, which just happens to be a top ten

... in which the author goes five for five on a yearly tradition, indulging in her love for lists.


My love for lists is apparent to anyone who knows me, and the first year that I really began blogging, I had the grand idea to make my own version of a Top Ten list at the end of December. What began in 2007 was repeated in 2008, and so when December 2009 came around, it seemed criminal not to continue the tradition. Back in 2010, the fourth annual list was written, and today I'm compiling the list for 2011. Without further ado...

The Top Ten Things that I Liked, Laughed At, Smiled About, or Generally-Remember-in-a-Fond-Way of 2011. 

10. Who am I? I'm a mom/blogger/writer/reader/teacher.
The year 2011 will be remembered mostly by me as a year of significant transition. I spent the first half of the year babysitting regularly and managing my tasks as family CEO while the coming changes loomed in the background. All summer, there was a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach whenever I thought about how drastically life was going to change. Come August, I was crying regularly and my fear of change brought upon the very first panic attack I've ever experienced. (And damn, hopefully my last, because that was a doozy, I tell ya.) How in the world does this fit on a list like this, you must be asking? Well, after four months of this new round of life back to teaching preschool, I think I've finally found some balance, and that is enough to make me smile a little, at least. I'm not living the life I want to live forever, sure. But, for now, I'm happy to say that I'm still a blogger. I'm still a book reviewer. I'm still contributing to a fabulous site of local bloggers. And, I'll even be starting a new writing gig in the new year. I'm also a pretty darn good teacher, too, if I do say so myself.

9. Well, if you want my opinion...
I don't carry any illusions of grandeur that there are masses of people out there hanging on my every word here, but 2011 saw several opportunities being presented for me to act like a big time blogger and get some products and experiences for review-- from a fabulous day at Sesame Place to a couple of DVDs and movies for watching, from a few new and fun games to play tTo a live performance or two, and even more. I love that I've made some contacts at some great PR groups, and the offers that are sent are usually so perfectly tailored to my family's interests and experiences. And, there's that whole bit about sharing my opinion, which I think I have an innate talent for...

8. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment!
I'm not sure if anyone was aware of this, because you know, I didn't make too big a deal out of it, but back in March, I took a teeny little trip by myself and had a big of an exciting experience, that may or may not have involved a peck on the cheek from a shockingly charming celebrity. (Okay, it did indeed involve that, and it was the highlight of the weekend!) As a representative for 5 Minutes for Mom, I had the thrilling experience of attending a special junket for bloggers after previewing the movie before its theatrical release. And yes, that tall, thin, and charismatic man standing next to me is the (soon-to-be single again) Russell Brand, and yes, he is the celebrity who planted one on my right cheek, causing my entire face to turn beet red and the rest of the women in the group to squeal the very same words I had uttered to him moments before. (In case you ever meet him, try telling him you think he's hilarious and see what happens...) My trip and the requisite coverage on the movie and its stars appeared in a grand total of six posts on my blog, 5M4M, and 5 Minutes for Books. The links are at the end of this first post, if you're feeling like reading about the most incredibly surreal weekend of my life.

7. The press pass makes its joyful return.
After the extreme sadness of last year, I planned early to ensure that this year's National Book Festival wouldn't get overlooked on the September calendar. And what a fabulous time it was. Though we didn't get to take advantage of the new two-day format and I opted out of any interview opportunities, we did have some fun times on Saturday listening to authors and buying a few books. Then there was the meeting of the redheads, when Red became new BFFs with Julianne Moore, and the heart-stopping moment when I was only a few feet away from Mr. Tomie dePaola himself. Oh, for the love of books, what a wonderful thing this festival is! 

6. Laughter makes the hours go by.
A lovely feature of our school is that each classroom has two teachers, and this co-teaching model has so many benefits for the teachers and the students. For much of my previous stint working there, I taught with the same person, for seven years in fact, and it was a match made in educational heaven. I was quite anxious about returning to teach with someone different this year, but one thing became apparent very soon. My new co-teacher and I can laugh and laugh, and this has come in handy on a regular basis when otherwise I would want to spend any moment of downtime during the day shedding a tear or banging my head against a wall. I'm happy to sit at our respective spots during naptime and joke around about the wackiness that is our workplace! 

5. A graduation, a family vacation, and an anniversary make for a very merry month of May.
My beautiful and incredibly smart stepdaughter graduated high school in Florida in late May this year, and all the stars aligned for us to take an extended, two-part vacation down there as a whole family. We were able to spend some relaxing time with her, witness the beauty of the Gulf's Emerald Coast, and enjoy the thrills of a resort that had five different pools to choose from. I was so happy to be a part of this wonderful occasion, and I did shed a tear or two when she walked out onto the grass with her graduating class. 

4. Howdy, camper!
With our camping supplies steadily building over the last year and a half, we happily packed it all up for one big trip this year, even opting to be a little wild and crazy and leave a day earlier than planned. Cape Henlopen has quickly become our go-to camping place, after our dear friends have included us in their annual group camping trip two years in a row. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get called back for next year, too!) It's so easy for me to relax there, completely contrary to what I predicted before our first family camping trip in 2010. This year, we joyfully piled into our big old tent, and built fires that were so very hot, and got so dirty it took a week for our feet to be fully clean again. I honestly can't wait until it's warm enough to go in 2012! 

3. He's a complete clown, and he's received plenty of training, too.
JAM was lucky enough to attend another session of the most unique summer camp our town has to offer- Circus Camp! There, he spends his days with the most awesome "counselor" around, a man who all of our children adoringly call Circus Greg. Circus Greg is the perfect adult to work with JAM- patient, understanding, and encouraging- and JAM has the utmost respect for him. Three two-week camp sessions, a few one-day mini-camps, and even a couple of parent/child circus class sessions are now under JAM's belt, and I know that these are the highlights of his year. I can't wait until Red and Pudge are old enough to attend, too, for our entire family is certainly made for the circus! 

2. School days for everyone!
My return to the working world coincided (not coincidentally, of course) with the beginning of both Red and Pudge's school careers. They are both attending the school where I teach, Red in kindergarten and Pudge in his first year of preschool, and though the beginning of the year was a bit rocky for all of us, they are now both absolutely loving it. Between a curricular approach that is allowing them to learn through hands-on experiences and a whole lot of play and a fabulous social environment, these two have blossomed in their own incredible ways these last few months. Red is beginning to read and write independently, and Pudge could stand at the door of the school all day long greeting one hundred or so children by name. It's an amazing thing to be able to see them in this world throughout the day, and I'm so, so grateful for their experiences. 

1. Time away, you say? We'll say okay!
This year allowed for a few more times away for hubby and me. A night out with friends here and there was nice, and during our trip to Florida, we were even offered free babysitting for a night so we could go out with hubby's daughter and her boyfriend on our thirteenth wedding anniversary. The biggest bit of time away came in July when my wonderful mother-in-law and father-in-law came to stay at our house with the three wackadoos, while hubby and I jetted off to Pennsylvania to live like college kids in a big old house filled with a bunch of other folks, several kegs and a whole lot of fun. There was swimming without anyone clinging on to me, there was hot tub sitting without anyone whining for a turn, and there was alcohol consumption without any worry of having to take care of little ones' needs. Just hanging out with hubby in a low-key environment for a few days was amazing, and we're already looking forward to this coming July when we get to do it all over again.
Okay, it's easy enough to ignore the frustrations and challenges of the year when compiling a top ten reel of highlights. Life around here is never all sunshine and rainbows, that's for sure, but it definitely feels good to reminisce on some of the happy times when the year comes to a close. May 2012 bring an abundance of joy, a wealth of laughter, a heap of peace, and a ton of love to us all!



Ready to raise a glass of champagne,

winter break blogging, chapter nine

... in which the author attempts to rise above a level of sappiness when discussing the joys of friendship, and subsequently fails within the first paragraph...

Ah, friendship. When I think back to my childhood of multiple moves and schools, I remember how challenging it was to start at a new school or move into a new neighborhood and find kids to befriend. Having had a lifelong inferiority complex, everyone else was always infinitely cooler than me, and I was easily intimidated. Thankfully, I still managed to find some fabulous friends, some who I still hold dear in my heart all these years later, even though we haven't seen each other for many a year.


As an adult, I've found that making friends has been a much easier process, and it probably helps that I've grown out of any semblance of shyness that I had as a child and have been slowly morphing into my mother, whose habit of talking to anyone, anywhere always embarrassed me as a child. The friends that are a part of my life now are a varied bunch, but there's one thing that they all share: a love of laughter. For as much as my friends have listened to me cry and offered a shoulder (or a tissue, since I get kind of drippy when I cry), they have heard my annoyingly loud laugh many, many times more. A gathering of pals is always filled with laughter, and they are some of my favorite times of my life.


This morning, three friends and their kids came over, and added to the motley crew I call my own, plus one of JAM's friends who is a regular around these parts, there was a grand total of ten kids from age 3 to 11, generally wreaking havoc and having a grand time doing it. We mamas tried to stay out of said havoc as much as possible, assisted by the joy that is a series of mimosas. 


While the chatting and playing was taking place, Red grabbed my camera and documented some moments, giving an idea of what she thinks is important. As a result, there were a couple pictures of the moms, a few of her friends playing, and a whole lot of her pieces of artwork on the wall. Here are some of the highlights:

Sure, it's blurry, but can't you just hear the laughter that is happening in this photo?

 Red is an up-close-and-personal kind of photographer.

Art materials and small play figures entertain the 3-7 year old set.

A moment when not one person was screaming or crying. Beautiful.

To round out the day, we then had friends over for dinner, and we were happy to meet their new baby, who is almost three months old now! It felt nice to be cooking a meal for friends, and our own children were well enough behaved that we were able to just sit around and chat. Their baby is adorable, though sadly I didn't break out the camera at all to provide photographic evidence to prove that point. She even let me hold her for a while without crying too much, which is always my fear. It was fun to see our friends in their new roles as Mommy and Daddy, and they exude a happiness and peacefulness that is heartwarming to witness.

Going back to work has really taken a toll on my social life, so it was nice to try to fit in some low-key hanging out with pals during this time off. And, of course, there's still tomorrow night, which will see us hanging with some dear friends who will be once again be hosting our entire family for the evening. There will be cheese fondue AND the chocolate fountain going, so I will close out the year on a note of melted goodness.

Where would we be without all these amazing friends in our lives? Honestly, we're so damn fortunate.


Thankful for winter break socializing,

friday's five

Well folks, this is it. The final round-up of Cybils-nominated picture books. In just two days, the finalists will be announced. I believe I can speak for the rest of the Round One Judges when I say we had a lovely time emailing about the nominated titles over the last couple months, and our final online chat was awesomely smooth. The shortlist of seven books that will be announced on 1/1 includes some truly terrific books that will bring many smiles to book bloggers' faces. I've been thrilled to be involved with the Cybils for a third year, and I hope you've been enjoying my short mini-reviews over the last twelve weeks!

For the final round-up, here are five books that are sweet and cute for young readers and the grown-ups in their lives.

1. Shoes for Me! by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Mike Laughead -- With feet that have outgrown her old shoes, the hippo on the cover is allowed to pick her own shoes. But, the choices are overwhelming, and she is soon struggling to find which ones are the best for her. After trying more types of shoes than I even thought existed, will she finally find the right pair? With rhymes on each page that aren't too sticky sweet, this is a cute one for young children who have their own favorite pair of shoes.

2. Bug and Bear: A Story of True Friendship by Ann Bonwill and illustrated by Layn Marlow -- Even friends get grumpy sometimes, and that's what happens in this story about the ups and downs of friendships. Bear just wants to be left alone, but Bug doesn't seem to be getting the message. When Bear says something harsh out of frustration, he soon comes to regret it. Real friends know how to say sorry, and the resolution of this one is gentle and just right for little ones.

3. I Like You the Best by Carol Thompson -- Here's another similar story, though this time both friends get a bit angry with each other. Soon enough, they both realize that they miss each other, and the way in which they reach out to each other is cute. Preschoolers are often prone to outbursts of "You're not my friend!" or "You're not invited to my birthday party!", so I think this is just the type of book for this set.

4. The Big Snuggle-Up by Brian Patten and illustrated by Nicola Bayley -- I have to admit to being surprised by this one, for my expectation was surpassed when I opened it up. The somewhat cartoonishly drawn scarecrow is outshone by the beautifully rendered wild animals who ask to come in out of the cold. I love the variety of animals, and the quiet nature of the book makes it a perfect read aloud before  nap or bed time.

5. Mr. Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Jeff Mack --  Poor Mr. Duck, just looking for some peace and quiet in which to swim about leisurely. The other farm animals have different ideas one hot summer day, and he is disturbed by the splashing and jumping and noise to the point that he soon gets the message across in a loud quacking manner. But several days in a row of nothing but quiet may bring a change of opinion to Mr. Duck. Will he be able to find a good balance? (Mr. Duck, how I envy your quiet times!)

As always, all opinions expressed here are mine alone, and not representative of the other judges or the Cybils Awards. I encourage you to watch the Cybils Awards site throughout the day on January 1 for the shortlist announcements across all categories. Okay, Round Two folks, now your job begins!




Hundreds of picture books later,

winter break blogging, chapter eight

... in which the author shares a bunch of random thoughts in lieu of a real blog post. This whole "12 Days of Blogging" thing might have needed a little more planning...

• Visiting with a friend was lovely this morning, and JAM was in heaven with unlimited Wii time with her son.
• Lunch time actually involved conversation today, as opposed to Tuesday's which began with enforced silence. Rock on.
• Red found a game on the DS in which players scream into the sensor to make glass break. Can you say most perfectly tailored game ever?
• Apparently, book reviews don't write themselves, even though I've been thinking about the books for days and days. Dammit.
• Guinea pigs are lovely in a classroom. In my living room, they just stink. I changed their cage this morning, and yet as I sit here typing, I can still smell their stinkiness. Dammit, dammit.
• Oh, and on one more guinea pig front, why in the hell does Annette get crazy thirsty every evening when I sit down at my laptop? If I could write letters to approximate the insanely annoying sound that comes when Annette bites on that little metal ball for fifteen straight minutes, I would type them and it would be as grating to read on the computer screen as it is to hear in real life. 
• A good person would not remove the water bottle after ten minutes of that scritchy scratchy sound.
• I am not a good person.
• Christmas cookies, banana bread, and chocolate pudding pie, oh my... pants won't button. What the hell?

Tomorrow, we ring in the final Friday of break by hosting an anti-playdate. Sure, lots of Red and Pudge's friends are coming over, but there will be no planned activities other than the mimosa consumption that will be occurring among the moms. There are surely enough toys and such to keep the mass of children entertained, because we mamas like our bubbly-infused OJ and we got some chatting to do.


Ending the year on a mimosa high,

winter break blogging, chapter seven

... in which the author remembers late in the day that it is the only Wednesday of winter break, and she quickly tries to recapture her days as a blogaholic...

Today involved a whole lot of excitement in the form of cleaning out cabinets and closets, pulling together items to donate, folding laundry, and scrubbing toilets. Ahh, the life of a homemaker, how I missed it. Then, late in the day, when I began to wonder what in the world I could blog about in the evening, I remembered that it was Wednesday. Back in the day, Wednesdays used to carry great meaning 'round these bloggy parts. Wednesday meant it was time for now posting regularly, my weekly public profession of adoration for National Public Radio. In the last week of winter break, I've been happily tuning in to NPR throughout the day, overjoyed to once again be listening to the workday hours programming that kept me company for my four years as a stay-at-home mom.

Since I've pushed the button on my fabulous radio bookmark a few times this week, I'm thrilled to be able to share some stories from the last week with you- ones that made me stop and listen, as NPR is so, so good at doing.

• "Vatican Declares Boy's Recovery A 'Miracle'" -- Okay, let's start out with the one that has the potential to offend the most people if I really talked honestly about my opinion. This Morning Edition story had me shaking my head... the line that stood out the most to me was this: "Of course, Jake did receive the best medical treatment from expert doctors." Ahem. It's hard for me to believe that people believe in the things they believe in. I'll stop now.

• "A trillion YouTube views in 2011" -- This Marketplace piece had me laughing, for I might be one of the last people on the planet to NOT ever see the YouTube video that gets the top spot for the year. And nope, I still haven't watched it, even though it's right there on the page...

• "Children's and Young Adult Winter Reading" -- This entire segment of The Kojo Nnamdi show was AWESOME, even if they didn't get around to reading my emailed comment on air. KidLit lovers, if you missed this one, click and listen, for it's even got Jon Scieszka on it! (And, guess what? I spelled Jon Scieszka's name right without even looking, yippee!)

• "High Rates Of Pepper Spraying In Ala. School District" -- Here's an All Things Considered story to make you wonder what in the world is going on. This is just freaking insane.

• "Hospitals Move To Curb Elective Early Deliveries" -- Here's the story of the week to make me shout obscenities at my radio, care of All Things Considered. How in the world do some women still continue to be so selfish as to elect for early deliveries? Have they not read anything about the biological needs and development that still need to occur in the final weeks of pregnancy? If they think that being forced to carry to 39 weeks is inconvenient and uncomfortable, then the whole experience of MOTHERHOOD is going to be one helluva slap to the face. I'm just sayin.

• "In Times Square, Saying Good Riddance To 2011" -- Whew, let's round this out with an innocuous story that most likely everyone can relate to. This All Things Considered story from earlier today had me wondering what I would get rid of, because it's been another heck of a year, that's for sure!

Well, seven days down, but I got one NPR post in, so I'm a happy blogger this week!


On the slide down the winter break mountain,

winter break blogging, chapter six

... in which the author marvels at the quick passing of time, doing so in the form of complaining that half of winter break has passed already, dammit.

What in the world is happening? Time is flying by and we've officially hit the halfway mark of winter break. Let's see where we are at the end of six days:

• The guinea pigs are still alive. Biggest Winter Break Fear has not come true. 
• To do list is much longer than I anticipated it would be by this point. Decorations need to be put away, errands need to be run, hairs need to be seriously cut, words need to be written. Gah.
• The bicker-o-meter has had it's little red arrow bust right off due to the world-record-breaking performances of JAM, Red, and Pudge this week. We'll be accepting congratulations in the form of alcoholic beverages for mama starting any time now.
• All the gifts have found homes, and it required very little reorganization, thankfully. There still needs to be a charity pickup scheduled at some point in the new year, which will make me happy as usual.
• Gearing up for a few visits from friends in coming days, which means I'll be enforcing child labor in ways that would make Newt Gingrich smile with pride. Friends coming over means the need for clean bathrooms.
• Missing the days when hubby was a school employee, too, and we enjoyed winter break as a family. I have fulfilled my role as a stay-at-home mom today, though, upon his return to work. I called his office once in the morning, effectively interrupting some important work, and then again in the afternoon to inform him it was 4 pm. He knew he missed my old habits in the last few months!
• I took joy in vacuuming and folding laundry in the middle of a weekday today, reinforcing my suspicion that my college days, women's-studies-class-taking self would shake her head if she could see me now.

 
Six down, six to go. Boo hoo hoo.


Whining like a champ,

nightstand/ wanna review some reviews?

While I'm on break, I'm going to try to indulge in as many of my former blogging habits as possible. Today just happens to be the last Tuesday of the month, so over at 5 Minutes for Books we're asking, What's On Your Nightstand? I may not keep my books on the nightstand, but I do have a shelf of current and future reads, both personal choices and books for review. Since my return to full-time work, I've cut down significantly on the number of review books I request and accept, so this list is lower than it's been in the past, but it seems to be just right for me at this point.

Other than the seven Cybils finalists in the picture book category (which I'm not revealing until after they do on January 1!), here's a look at what's on my reading shelf:

* Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood -- While I've already read this middle grade novel (for the youngish set- Amazon lists it as for ages 8 and up), I haven't yet written up my review, so it still sits on the shelf. This is a short book that presents a look at the segregated south through the eyes of an eleven year old girl, Glory, whose view of her community and the country as a whole is beginning to be expanded in light of events in her town. I'll be passing this along to JAM's reading shelf, for even though it is a bit below the level of his usual reading, I still think there's value in the story of a child his age living in the Civil Rights era.

* NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman -- I checked this out from the library again for I wanted to remind myself of one particular essay, the section on lying in childhood. When I first read this book in its entirety just about a year ago, I remember being surprised by the advice/information given. I plan to skim through a few chapters that have particular application to my parenting and teaching experiences lately, and I plan on throwing it in my amazon cart for the next purchase so I can stop keeping the library copy out of others' hands!

* Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel -- The first thing that I read was the note at the beginning stating that though both Barry and Zweibel have written books for children, this was DEFINITELY not one of them. I'm about 1/3 of the way in to this freaking hilarious novel, and I am in fully agreement with that opening statement. The events in this book are so wholly outrageous, yet I'm picturing them all as realistically happening while I read, shaking my head in laughter and disbelief with every page turn. Damn, these guys are funny, and the two characters created couldn't be more different, which translates into chapters told in alternating voices that clearly cannot stand each other. Much laughter, and a great way to finish off a year that involved less reading overall for me.

*Edited the following morning: Guess which book up here had me laughing until after midnight until I finished it? Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel, you sirs are absurdly, hysterically funny.

The rest of the books on my shelf include a few more ARCs of titles that won't release until February, March, and April. Hopefully, some other books will fill the space between these titles and those!

If you're feeling in the mood to share what you're reading, too, head over to the December link-up post for 5M4B's What's On Your Nightstand?.

****************************************************
If you're so inclined, you can check out my reviews on 5 Minutes for Books, listed from most recent to older posts. This fall, the vast majority of my posts have been round-ups of Cybils-nominated picture books, a bit more in-depth reviews than my weekly friday's five posts. Since I last participated in the Nightstand link-up in October, I've also posted reviews on a humorous novel, a raucous memoir, a short parenting/education guide, a unique YA novel, and a few picture books and reading-related toys for kids.


Looking forward to a summer break filled with books,

winter break blogging, chapter five

... in which the author blogs just for the sake of blogging, without much of anything to say...

My kids are so sweet. Just today, Pudge gave me an after-Christmas present in the form of a general malaise, an upset stomach, and a feeling of being constantly freezing. Day five of winter break has involved a bit of organizing the new toys and such, along with some general cleaning up after the Christmas Day meatloaf feast. But mostly, my butt has stayed on the couch (or a less comfortable, more... um... porcelain seat in our house) for much of the day. I've been reading (appropriate for both seats) and getting some items crossed off of my online-to-do list.

Tomorrow, hubby returns to work, and the kids and I will be home together for a week-long return to our former life. I'm hoping to feel human again, so we can potentially take advantage of the fact that many of our friends are home on break, too. If we're fever-free, can I interest anyone in a playdate? We have cookies to share, that's for sure!


Ready for bed at 9:30 pm,

winter break blogging, chapter four, Christmas Day edition

... in which the author takes a few moments to tap away at the keyboard rather than clean up the disgusting pigpen her small house has become in less than 24 hours. 

The day began with a quiet tap on my arm immediately followed by a hushed but confident, "It's 7:05 on our clock!" The four year old delight that is Pudge happily waited until that 6 turned into a 7, and since Red wasn't yet awake, he and JAM even humored us with an additional fifteen minute snuggle time, which allowed hubby and I to bring our total sleep time to a whopping five hours.

That's right, we were wrapping presents until the wee hours of the night (or is it of the morning? let's just say really freaking late), and we were entertaining ourselves by tuning into what could possibly be called the least appropriate television programming ever for Christmas Eve -- Comedy Central roasts. Crazy, crazy stuff. But, it helped pass the time while we pulled together gifts for the kids from us and my parents. I began to use the tape more judiciously about halfway through when I realized our supply was actually finite, and by the end of the job, my wrapping was admittedly lame and unattractive. Guess what? No one noticed in the frenzy this morning.

There wasn't much this morning in the line of questioning Red has been posing lately... the whole just-tell-me-if-he's-real-or-not type of questions. Though, the cookies were assessed as half-eaten and there was a bit of wonder at the tooth marks on the carrots. (You guinea pigs are certainly coming in handy this week!)

It was a bit of a plugged-in kind of Christmas this year, with JAM getting his own DS and the younger two getting some games for the DS that I call mine (since I got it for reviewing the 100 Classic Books software a long time ago) and the V.Reader that we call theirs (even though I also got it for review, too!), so some of our day looked like this:

In fact, at one point, all three children were on gaming thingies, hubby was on his laptop playing a game, and I was looking up recipes on our home laptop. Happy technological holidays to all.

Other highlights of our low-key Christmas day included:

• Skyping with Mem and Pepe: Oh, to chat with my parents on the phone is always a fun adventure, as they each get a handset and often spend half time time talking to, or playfully bickering with, each other. Switch over to Skype and I get the added visual aspect which makes me miss them even more. Just look at them- aren't they awesome? Thank you to technology for bringing us close when we can't be together!

• Our yearly bacon and cheese quiche brunch: It's only for me and hubby, and sadly this year it was not accompanied by mimosas, but it was as delicious as usual.

• The changing of the guinea pigs' stinky cage: For when the cage is to be emptied, the pigs must go somewhere else. For a little bit, this included each child's lap. The reactions ranged from "YAY!" to "It's alright," to "Get this thing off of me. RIGHT NOW!" 

• The annual viewing of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas: Which allowed hubby and I to do dinner and kitchen-y things for 30 (mostly) uninterrupted minutes. 

•  JAM the Chef and Frosty the Meatloaf: Hubby got JAM to make the macaroni and cheese for dinner tonight, which involved some frustration but an eventual delicious side dish, and I got creative with my ketchup dispenser on tonight's Nontraditional Holiday Meat Dish.

• A plate of deliciousness: Sure, it may not look like most folks' plates for Christmas dinner, but it was incredible to me. Meatloaf, JAM's mac-n-cheese, garlicky mashed potatoes with just the right amount of lumps, green beans, corn, and Italian Herb Bread fresh from the breadmaker. And don't forget the wine. Yum, yum.

• Fifty-five minutes driving slowly with every other resident of Prince George's County: We decided it would be a good idea to do what we did last year and go through the Festival of Lights at Watkins Park tonight, since it's free and all. Man, I love my kids dearly, but being enclosed in a vehicle with them for any significant amount of time makes my brain hurt. Sure, there was Christmas spirit, but it was also accompanied by some "Bah humbug"-ing from the back, incessant rambling and noises from the middle row, and a fair share of "Will you just be quiet and enjoy the lights?!" from the front. Sigh.

• Glorious, glorious bedtime: Upon our return almost two hours after we left home, Christmas Day was officially over for everyone in the under-twelve division of the family. Red donned some new socks, JAM threw on a new hoodie in which to burrow himself asleep, and Pudge... well, Pudge owned his new PJs, that's for sure. "In control..."

Tomorrow will be another major cleaning day, along with my favorite holiday activity, Let's figure out where the hell all this new stuff will go. It's a grand old game, so fun to play. It's usually followed by a round of Schedule a Charity Pickup online, which is also a feel good family game. Not sure what the rest of winter break will bring, but we have officially spent another Christmas Day among our wacky selves, with smiles happening at least every once in a while. I consider that a Christmas miracle.


 Happy not to be wrapping presents for the next few hours,

winter break blogging, chapter three

... in which the author recognizes Christmas Eve as the inevitable time of sickness in her household, and other general preparations are made for the big day of consumeristic excess...

When hubby declared he was heading off for Costco and Wegman's this morning, I figured I wouldn't see him again for at least eight hours. The fact that he was taking 2/3 of the children with him brought a relative peace to the house, at least after the other 1/3 stopped crying about the fact that he was staying home. But, that's what happens after you run a 104 degree fever the evening before.

Yes, Merry freaking Christmas, someone is sick in our family. Well, truth be told, this morning brought a relatively better Pudge, though as a terribly lax mother, I never actually took his temperature again today. By touch, I pegged him at a low-grade 99. After all these years, I've become pretty good at getting within a half-degree on my lips to the forehead test, which is kind of a neat but useless talent. But the thing with Pudge that I've learned is, that whenever he gets even the slightest sickness, he skyrockets a fever, and then a day or two later, he's fine again. When he had his first high fever that was bordering on 105, I flipped out, called the nurse line, and was ready to dial 911 and board an ambulance to care for my 1 year old baby. After a few of these, I've learned to just watch him for signs that the fever is actually something serious, and last night it was the usual- he was simply not as hungry, he drank fine and had a generally good spirit, if a little less active. This morning, he was back to his normal self, only to sink a bit back down around 5 pm again, as I predicted. I'm hoping that Christmas morning will see him back in the full splendor that is Pudge.

Day three of winter break saw some laundry folding, some present wrapping for hubby while he was off braving the stores, some Uno game playing, some cookie making and decorating, some NORAD Santa tracking, and a wee bit of The Night Before Christmas with Robert Ingpen's incredible illustrations. (I personally love the vaguely-lush-like red nose on Santa on the cover!)  Once we can be assured that the kids are close to asleep, then the Grand Wrapping Extravaganza will begin. Between the gifts that we squirreled away over the year and the gifts that we purchased the other night while a local youth sat on the babies, and with the bonus gifts purchased with money sent from the grandparents, the children will have a Christmas that shows no signs of that recession everyone's been talking about. I'm quite happy that the stuff that was acquired features some creative options alongside the screen-centered DS and V-Reader games that will be favorites. The most exciting realization? Nothing requires batteries. No beeping, booping or flashing toys. Yippee!

Now let's look at some cuties, shall we?

And, in a series of unfortunate events (i.e. me working a billion hours a week and a general shifting of priorities as of late), 2011 marked the first year in many that we did not get a holiday card sent out. We could look at it as our green contribution to the world this year, and now no one needs to feel sad to throw a picture of these adorable creatures into the trash in a week's time. If you're here reading these words, then please know that I gratefully wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Off to be less-environmentally-friendly with the wrapping paper,