Oops

I managed not to take any photos for the blog today, even though I had an enjoyable 2-hr last sushi lunch of 2014 with my friend Jon, and spent the New Year's evening with the Carlsons. Great way to end 2014. Onto 2015....!

Scare

Mike called to say that his pharmacy was robbed at knife-point today. Luckily no one was hurt, but he was obviously shaken up. He deals with a lot of narcotics users, but this guy was clearly on something harder. It's scary to think of him in that situation. So thankful everyone's okay.

Chuck E. Cheese for Holden's birthday

The kids had a great time today with Jaxson, Holden, Miah & Amisha at Chuck E. Cheese!

On the way home, we stopped at the library for snowman crafts, books & movies to help pass this cold afternoon.

Play date Central

It occurred to me today that my way of getting through long school breaks may be different than other parents....  

I start out, probably as all parents do, with a rosy vision of staying in our jammies all day, showed in, making cookies, playing games, and enjoying the lack of schedule. That dream always pops within a few hours, when they fight. And fight. And fight. 

All parents say their kids fight, but I am convinced mine fight more than others. I also assume all parents believe this, too. 

So rather than take them out to various locales, filled with other out-of-school kids, in crowds, with germs, and more noise... my m.o. is to host serial play dates. It's a win-win for all of us because my kids get to play with old friends who attend different schools that they don't see often anymore, or neighbors who don't get home until dark because their parents work late, etc. And while they entertain each other (*so I don't have to*), I can get stuff done around the house in relative peace. Not quiet, but relative peace. 

Saturday neighbor Shay came over for a good 4 hour play date

Sunday, neighbors Miles and Maggie came over for another 4 hour play date

Today I dropped Jack off at a friend's house for a play date, and offered to take two boys off the hands of a friend of mine who just had her third baby. Brody added into the ninja team well....

And Ryder was an all-around good sport the whole day.

Tomorrow, it's a Chuck-E-Cheese play date, New Year's Eve will be at the home of family friends, the Carlsons, New Year's with my parents for a belated Christmas celebration and Friday we'll host another play date with Benji's friend, Luke. After that, I'm proud to say, will be a slow weekend with Mike home and then SCHOOL starts again next Monday. {Sigh of Relief.}

Anticipating

Indulging myself this morning in a little anticipatory photo tour of the hotel and area we'll be going to at the end of January, withOUT kids. Ahhhhhh.....

( I appreciate the various travelers that provided these awesome images for me to survey and drool over)

Feeling better today

After copious amounts of these supplements

Lows often follow highs

And after a great day yesterday, Mike and I both woke up today with the cold Benji's been carrying around for a week. Poor Mike has to go to work, and I had to take the kids grocery shopping. Boo! Putting my hope in homemade chicken soup.

Happiness

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy...ummm

Their favorite gift from Santa

Pokemon cards!

His favorite gift from Mom & Dad. This 5-yr-old worked on Legos all day, and never got frustrated or asked for help. Clearly Mike's child. 

The Christmas Ninja.

Ending the day with a piece of homemade french silk pie is never bad.

And I finished a puzzle!

It was a great day.

Christmas 2014 is well underway

The gifts were all open by 7am, coffee, bacon, & biscuits and gravy are in the works, and happy pajama-clad kids are reading and playing. It's going to be a good day! And I'm going to Florida!!

Christmas Eve tradition

We're starting a new tradition this year of letting the boys open one gift on Christmas Eve, as I did as a kid. They loved it. 

It's thanks to Sofia and Aster that Gavin fell in love with the Etch-a-Sketch, and is now a proud owner of his very own.

I found this magnetic body model at an independent toy store near St. Joe, MO. Benji considers himself a scientist, and it will be perfect for him. It has body part cards in a dozen languages!

Pokemon wallet!

Christmas cookie decorating

Kitty gift-wrecker

We had gifts under our tree for 12 hrs before we had to hide them. Leo kept ripping off the paper, and wreaking havoc:

This caused Jack to write this letter to Santa today:

Happy surprise

I've been thinking of my friend Sarah a lot lately, and missing her since she moved back home to Portland. It was a happy surprise to get her Christmas card and this bright calendar in the mail today.

Sarah has a knack for giving the best gifts. She's the amazing knitter of our three Christmas stockings, and the giver of a cookbook that remains my favorite after 8 years of use. Best of all, she's an inspiring colleague, woman, and friend.

Henna

I am in love. I know so many women with mad skills. My first henna experience is sure to lead to more.

Starting the morning off right

With a maple scone, compliments of midwife and friend Kari

after a restful and toasty warm night with my first hot water bottle, compliments of midwife and friend Cosette.

Feeling loved and appreciated this morning. 

First IA Wild game

We took the kids to their first IA Wild hockey game tonight, and had a good time. J&B's tickets were free through a school reading program, so I was surprised that we had some nice, close seats. 

Oh yeah, cotton candy.

My new goal is to be chosen to play this game so I can run around in a giant inflatable ball- on ice.

A little nature

When we fell in love with the lot where our house now stands, it was 100% because of the pond that lies behind it. Otherwise we never would've entered into the home-building saga, which we had not intended to even consider. But after seeing that pond out the back of every window, every other house we toured just couldn't compete. I've always loved water and find it very peaceful to have as part of my daily scenery. 

But water isn't just water; it's an ecosystem unto itself. Part of what we loved about visiting the neighborhood throughout the months that our home was in process of being built was walking around the pond together. We'd chase toads until they jumped into the water, and watch for fish bubbles along the shoreline. When winter arrived and the toads and fish went down deep to hibernate, the Canadian geese showed up, and Gavin's little soft-soled baby shoes would get covered in goose poop as he toddled alongside the stroller on our strolls around the pond. We even tried to feed the geese bread, which it turned out they didn't like. I couldn't wait until our house would be finished, so that we could move in and have this wildlife right outside our backyard every day.

Then I attended my first homeowner's association meeting in the neighborhood, a month or so before we moved in. It seemed like a nice way to meet future neighbors and find out what was happening in the neighborhood. I was saddened that so much of the conversation revolved around getting rid of the geese, and what measures they could take to deter them from visiting the pond. I understand the frustration with loosing grass to geese that wander into yards and peck away. And yet, I don't understand the homeowner who moves into a lot adjacent to nature and then wages a battle against the wildlife within that natural space. You want to live by a pond? Accept the waterfowl that frequent it, and be willing to deal with a little goose poop on your jogging path. You want to be able to fish in that pond? Maybe consider not using lawn chemicals that will drain directly into it. And most importantly, get out there and enjoy the space. Walk near the water and observe the wildlife that depends on this small but real ecosystem. 

The talk at the most recent homeowner's association meeting was on getting quotes from companies willing to install a fountain in their pond, to deter geese and better filter the water. I don't think I'll enjoy the aesthetic effect of a foundation pond as much as I like the natural body of water, but I am but one. And meanwhile Dallas County has permanently cancelled our application for REAP funding to put in native turf, which will greatly help decrease the watershed into the lake from our property, because funding one urban lot does not "provide enough bang for their buck." And yet without starting with one homeowner, who then would set an example and educate those around her about ecologically responsible private lawn practices, how will change begin? 

Haub Family Christmas

You know it's Haub Family Christmastime when this shows up in our living room:

It was nice to see family that we don't see often, and let all the little cousins play together. All boys (7 boys) and one girl! 

Aunt Bobbi loves her youngest grandson

My boys surround Miguel to watch him play a video game

Lilly and Aunt Bobbi join Benji in a game of hot balloon potato

All the adults caught on camera