THANKSGIVING FUN!

I am thankful for a lot of things on Thanksgiving, but I do try to think about these things year-round and not just on one day. One minor thing I was thankful about this year was that I was able to make Thanksgiving a completely stress-free holiday! No cooking, no cleaning! All I had to do was get up, and drive to Philly for a parade!

I try to get to the parade every year --- citing the reason that the kids will love it and remember it forever. But if I'm being honest, I go because I love it! My excitement builds as I hear the music of marching bands, and as I see my first float come around the bend! I love being out and about where there are people and action. I really do enjoy it more when the kids are enjoying it with me, but I also know that if the kids didn't want to go, I would probably force them anyway! We saw some favorite characters today! Jack was too young to remember the parade last year, but he jumped right into it like an old pro.

No one was scared by the scary dinosaur, but then again, we didn't get too close to that one! (Nicole was also very happy that she didn't see any clowns this year---she still has heebie jeebies from the one last year that rode over to her on a unicycle and took the cell phone from her ear and started talking to grandma in the middle of Nicole's conversation!)

When the parade was over, we drove back home, rested up got dressed and drove back into Philly for a nice dinner out! (Yes, we did plan this in advance!) We were hoping for a nice relaxing dinner out with Grandma and Grandpa Bill, but the kids were not very well-behaved at all---they had colds and were overtired, and they all kept us on our toes the entire meal. Stress-free, yes, but relaxing no!

I'd like to continue this parade tradition every year, but I really don't know whether I will ever be able to see the parade and cook a big Thanksgiving meal on the same day! Sounds like too much stress on my stress-free holiday!

HO HO HO!

The kids went to sit on Santa's lap Tuesday afternoon! I took the kids a little early this year because I really wanted to avoid large crowds and long lines with three restless kids in tow! Our favorite Santa is the one in the King of Prussia Mall---we have pictures of the kids with this Santa every year since they were born! He looks a lot like my dad, so the kids like to see the Santa that looks like Grandpa! They are fairly certain that this Santa is not the real Santa (they know Santa has a lot of helpers in the Christmas season), but he does look like he can be the real Santa, so I always tell them not to be so sure he's not the real one! (Of course, once he opens his mouth to speak, it sounds like he should be wearing spurs and a 10-gallon hat, and roping steer, not wearing Santa's clothes, so it's best not to ask Santa too many questions, just let the cameras roll!) Nicole got all dressed up and wore earrings (not pierced!!) and her best jewelry, but when we got near him, she said she was a "little bit shy to him." Max was fine, and Jack screamed a little until the photographers started trying to make him laugh with funny toys---then he became obsessed with trying to get his hands on the toys, and forgot about Santa!

Since there are huge signs up now asking you to refrain from using any of your own photographic equipment, I tried to keep my picture-taking to a minimum! The kids didn't ask Santa for any presents when they were on his lap----but don't worry Santa, we have a list at home that's a mile long! We'll send it to you the old-fashioned way! See you on Christmas Eve!

BUBBLING BROOK
Max had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool yesterday. The children dressed up as Indians---they had upside down brown paper bags on their bodies with cut-outs for head and arms. They had feathered headpieces (paper feathers!) on their heads, and they wore necklaces of painted and strung-up macaroni products. I could tell immediately upon entry into the classroom that Max was not comfortable in his costume...the paper bag was a little too small. The room was a little too crowded, we waited a little too long for the "tardy parents" to arrive, and the kids were all getting a little rammy. Max was also a little tired from not getting enough sleep over the weekend. This is me giving a number of excuses to justify in my own head the "heckling" behavior that I witnessed in Max during his feast! But really, I don't know whether he was just trying to be the class clown, or whether he was tired, or whether this is a new Max that I don't see at home. He is a really good and respectful boy usually.
As the teacher was welcoming all the parents and explaining the first song they were going to sing about how the Pilgrims came over, there was a lone voice from the 3 rows of (20) children: WHY DON'T WE JUST SING THE SONG! Laughter from the parents. It was funny until I realized it was Max. Of course, I pretended to look around like the rest of the parents, trying to figure out from which child the voice came. I was a little embarrassed inside, but the teacher made a joke of it and moved right into the song. Moment over.
After the kids finished all of their songs, there was again some silence then: CAN I GET OUT OF THIS COSTUME NOW?? (with some urgency!) Again from Max. As I was laughing with one of my friends, another one came over and said that they thought Max said "Can I get naked now" and he certainly might have said that, but no one is sure because the laughter was pretty loud by this point. The teacher explained to Max that they couldn't yet take off their Indian gear because they had to come up one by one and the teacher was going to intrduce them to their parents by their Indian name. Again loudly: MY MOM ALREADY KNOWS MY NAME! Certainly by this point everyone knew that it was Max doing the commentary, and also by this point, everyone had singled me out as the mom of the boy doing the commentary, despite (or maybe because of) my practically hiding under the "feast" table. (Doesn't he look a little smug in this pic as he stares at my camera??? Was he just going for the joke??)The rest of the presentation went without incident, and Max was introduced as "Bubbling Brook."



We feasted on popcorn, grapes, apples and celery. I couldn't get an honest answer out of Max about why he did what he did. He certainly made everyone laugh, but in my opinion it was bordering on disrespectful, and I am hoping that I don't see that again....

MAX'S SHADOW
When I told Max he had a shadow, he looked at his reflection from the light onto the wall, and said "oh yeah, I know." I laughed and told him that it was a little bit more than that. He does not yet understand the magnitude of having a shadow. His shadow is little brother Jack. I can watch for hours how Jack just follows Max around, imitates exactly what Max does, and says exactly what Max says. He wants to play with the exact toy that Max has at the moment he has it. If Jack doesn't want to do something or wear something, and I say that Max is doing/wearing it, he immediately changes his mind. Even when Max is at preschool, Jack's phrases, facial expressions and physical actions are just identical to Max! And really, I love to see it, I think it's all good, except at times, when it turns bad!! Max doesn't see a downside, but, there is one. He now has to be a perfect role model for his little brother! When I ask Max to come in and eat his vegetables, Max whines and moans and screams "but I don't liiiiiiike broccoli" and the next thing you know, Jack, a former broccoli-lover, hates broccoli! Max refuses to clean his toys when I ask him? Jack will no longer put his things away when I say "clean up!" Max won't wear a hat, Jack won't wear a hat. Max doesn't want to go to bed, Jack screams "no way!" when I tell him it's bedtime! Now I am constantly on poor Max to be really good...to be perfect...so that Jack will learn only good habits. Even taking that into consideration, Max adores having Jack as his shadow, which is very good, because when Jack first made an appearance into this world, Max was having none of it! Max was outright miserable about the new baby for a solid three months, and then it took a few more months for him to start coming around! We knew Max would come around eventually, but I never imagined how close they would become. I can't wait to see them bond even more as they grow!

BAH HUMBUG
Has it really been a week since I last posted? We really haven't had many bloggy moments, but the week has flown by! Let's see, in as few words as possible? Kurt went away on business (to Disney World! But he assured me he was having no fun whatsoever! And no, I wasn't laughing when I heard that Florida was having some of its coldest and most uncomfortable temperatures in years!) Jack and Max went to spend a little time at my mom's house, so that I could have some girl-time with Nicole, because we never get any! Since Jack wouldn't sleep at grandma's and was up the first night until midnight, and the second night until 3 am, it's a safe bet that Jack won't be invited back to sleep over at grandma's any time soon! I had the opportunity to volunteer in Nicole's kindergarten class, which I can never do since they don't want younger siblings to come. I helped make paintings for an Indian tepee while the teachers built the Mayflower! And, surprisingly, I wasn't covered in paint at the end of it all, despite being assigned 7-8 children who would/could not sit still with their paint and paintbrushes!

I took Nicole to get her ears pierced when we were having some alone time but she took one look around and said "no thank you," she would wait until she was older! She was too scared to get her ears pierced! I don't know whether 6 is too young, but I do know that I was forced to wait until I was 16 and that was WAY too old! But no pressure for Nicole, I told her she could do it whenever she was ready! I have to say that it was really nice to get a little alone time with Nicole! I don't get much alone time with any of the kids, and I realize that I need to!

Everyone was home from their travels by late Wednesday---the temperatures turned cold on Thursday, and we woke up to about 4 inches of SNOW on Friday morning! The kids were very excited, but I was miserable---blustery, wet, freezing, I need to move south! I didn't take the kids out to play in the snow at all---by the time I picked them up from their schools, I came up with every excuse ever written as to why we couldn't go outside and play. I know I will have to step it up next time...

I thought I would try to get started on Christmas shopping this weekend, but my heart wasn't into it. It's too early, the stores are already too crowded, everyone is already too rude, the economy is too shaky, there is an overabundance of "stuff" and I am not ready to rush through this holiday season! Bah humbug! I really can't stand the thought of going out and buying more and more primary-colored plastic toys that will be opened with excitement on Christmas day, then cast aside forevermore with the rest of the never-played-with toys in the house, the day Christmas is over. Instead of gifts, I would love to travel, or do something different, but I know I won't do that; the kids are counting on Santa. Does anyone have any great holiday traditions they can share??

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, AND "THE HAT"

Talk about a birthday week!!! Nicole is trying to milk this birthday thing for as long as she can!! I am trying to tally up how many times Nicole has celebrated her birthday with candles and song this week. Hmm, one time at school...she brought in cupcakes on her actual birthday, and they sang happy birthday to her. Then, later on her actual birthday we went out for a birthday dinner to the place of her choice...her only request was for a place where all the waitstaff got together to sing happy birthday to the birthday girl. (Talk about needing to be the center of attention!)

Then, after we got home from dinner, we had to sing with daddy over a few left-over cupcakes, since he wasn't able to make it home in time for dinner.

Then, of course, we had to sing to her at her party a few days later!Not having had enough of this birthday bonanza, Nicole made certain that we sang to her AGAIN over leftover cake, when we were back at the house when the grandparents came over, since they didn't make it to the party!!Five times is enough for any little birthday girl!

I also have to pay a little tribute to "the hat." It has become a little bit of a tradition for Nicole to wear her "Birthday Princess" hat on every birthday celebration! I don't even know where it disappears to during the year, and I have no idea how I find it on her birthday, but there it is, every year, for just enough time to take a few pictures. Our dear friends "Hoags and Missy" bought Nicole her "Birthday Princess" hat for her first birthday. She didn't appreciate it much when she was one.

On birthday morning when she was two, we put it on her to open her gifts:

She still wasn't quite sure about the appeal of the hat at the ripe old age of two.

By the time of her third birthday, she was starting to feel like she could pose in this hat..it was pink and fluffy...everything a little girl dreams of!

On her fourth birthday, Nicole insisted on finding the hat, and bringing it with her so she could be the little birthday princess she wanted to be! On her fifth birthday, we had decided no party, but we went to NYC for a day out. Since it was her special day, she insisted on wearing the hat into, and all around NYC! She really didn't take it off the entire day. And quite a coincidence, when we took her to the American Girl store to choose her Bitty Baby doll, there was a Bitty Baby outfit with a very similar hat!! We knew she was meant to have the outfit (and of course, the doll!)

This year on her sixth birthday, I was a little sad because she didn't even ask for the hat, although she was quite happy when I brought it downstairs before her party. I don't know how much longer "the hat" will last in our traditions, but I am sure I will keep it safe, to pull out when she is 12, or 18, or 25. And come to think of it, as I look at these pictures, maybe time has flown by a little more quickly than I am comfortable with!

SIX

A favorite A.A. Milne poem:

When I was one, I had just begun. When I was two, I was nearly new. When I was three, I was hardly me. When I was four, I was not much more. When I was five, I was just alive. But now I am six, as clever as clever, so I think I'll be six forever and ever!

My little girl turned six this week, and she is as clever as clever...I do wish she would stay six forever and ever! I am not feeling overly sentimental about this birthday, nor do I feel like these years flew by that quickly, but I wouldn't mind her staying young for a little while, starting right about now. I know she is on the brink of developing in so many ways and branching off in so many directions, but right now, can't we hold on to the innocence, enthusiasm and happiness of youth? Can I keep her from seeing any negativity in our world for just a little while longer? Can I keep her away from the realities of criticism, cattiness and cliques on a smaller level, and from death, destruction and wars on a larger scale? I know I can't keep the clock from ticking, but I know I WILL try to appreciate and enjoy every moment that I can with her, so that when she does have to face the negativity in the world, she will want me by her side as much as I want to be there!

AMERICAN GIRLS...

My obsession, er, I mean Nicole's obsession with the American Girl Dolls started a little late in her life. While the "Bitty Baby" dolls are made for ages 3 and up, we didn't get her one until her 5th birthday, last year. In lieu of a party, we took her up to NYC to pick out her doll and some outfits, and we were lucky to have been able to schedule a tea for her in the American Girl Cafe, where the dolls are escorted to their own seats, and given their own tea cups and treated as much like royalty as the little girls are!

After we bought Bitty Baby, she of course needed some Christmas clothes, and a changing table, and her own diaper bag and accessories, and bottles and all of the things a new baby needs! We have catalog-shopped for the last year to make sure Bitty keeps up with her growing and changing needs!

I decided that for Nicole's birthday this year, Bitty needed a big sister. When I went up to New York last weekend, I went to the store! Four different times! I get excited even catalog-shopping for the dolls, but I have to say, being in the store is about 1000 times more enticing, and expensive! They really make adorable things for the dolls, and for girls! So, Nicole now has a "Just Like You" doll we gave her for her birthday this week. And a Christmas dress with a hat for the doll. And a matching Christmas outfit with hat for Nicole. And although she doesn't know this one yet, for Christmas she and her doll AND her Bitty Baby will have matching pajamas! And the doll will have another dressy party outfit for her social life that clearly must be more active than ours, as we don't have dresses for all occasions these days! I can't wait to see when the "Just Like You" doll (name still undetermined) will need a bed, and a pet, pocketbook, hair accessories, new clothes and athletic outfits, and earrings and....well, let's just say it's a good thing that I have only one girl!!!

At the rate we are going, Bitty Baby and her big sister won't be having any more siblings come down the pike!

CAN'T PUT IT INTO WORDS
I have had a few days to think about what an awesome time I had when I went to NYC this past weekend, but I am having a hard time putting my experience into words. I was there for only about 28 hours, but it was so nice to be away from the kids for a little while (as much as I love them!), so nice to be in vibrant and alive NYC, and mostly so special to see friends who I haven't seen in many years! I have to admit that I was a little nervous to see some of them since it has been so long, but within about 3 minutes, all the years melted away and it felt like we had just had our last get-together only days earlier! After shopping around all day in the city (I could have done without the TORRENTIAL RAIN falling down on me the ONE day this year that I got to NYC, but I won't complain, it was still great to be there!), four of my college roommates/suitemates came and met me at my hotel, and we had a toast of champagne and watched a great picture montage that one friend had creatively put together. Then we were off to meet the rest of the crew.

A picture of us leaving the hotel:

I am surprised that we are all in the picture, and all body parts are fully present; the lady taking the picture did not appear to be particularly well-versed in photography to say the least, and she did not appear to be overly happy to take this picture with the five cameras we placed in front of her! (I am really not that much taller than my girls, my shoes had very HIGH heels!)

We met the rest of our friends at a really cute and comfortable tapas bar/lounge--and the rest of the night flew by. Here is a picture of our crew: We started school with a wide range of backgrounds. We connected, we shared, we grew, we laughed and we loved. Over the years we became doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, teachers, and counselors, spouses and parents. Many years passed and we met again, and even though we are very different people than we once were, we reconnected instantly. I am proud to be part of this group, and I am very proud of this group of friends and all they were and all the have become! My only complaint was that it wasn't enough time, and I am left wanting more...

TRYING SO HARD...
I have been home from a mini-trip, an overnighter, for well over 24 hours now, and I still can't seem to find the time to post about what a GREAT time I had in NYC. I said it before, the last time I came back from a vacation in October, that I will NEVER GO AWAY AGAIN, because the time it takes to play catch-up is exactly double the amount of time you've been away! This time I really mean it, I won't ever go away again!! Been away one day? You need to take the next two days to sort everything out. Double up on your vacation time, ladies, otherwise you'll dig yourself into a hole you'll never get out of! So really, I need to get some sleep now but tomorrow I will post about my fun time in NYC, and seeing old friends, and the American Girl store...and the beautiful doll I bought for Nicole (ssh, don't tell her, she hasn't seen it yet!)...and whatever else I can fit in...

THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY
I did it, I took care of my civic privilege and responsibility. I voted today---cast my ballot for one of the contenders in the presidential race. I am wholly disheartened by the entire electoral process on a number of levels, but today I need to rant a little about the process on the local level. I will NOT mention the length of the election---why does it take a year or more to conduct a campaign---the time and money spent on a campaign can be put toward so many different and worthy causes, or can be put into the economic difficulties that are currently being experienced by much of the entire world! The US is looking inward to the elections, the rest of the world is focused on important issues of the day!

Furthermore, I won't mention the muckraking commercials, infiltrating my home and driving me crazy! Focus on your own positives, not your opponent's negatives! And please don't create issues out of non-issues or try to convince me that some minor wrong-doing by a remote relative should reflect negatively on a candidate who had no knowledge about it, or control over it, in the first place. Do some of the small things really matter in the big picture? The reification of abstractions or distractions creates poor politics in my mind!

And I am not going to mention the phone calls to my home, 10-12 times per day, from random strangers (or worse, recordings!), trying to sway my vote one way or the other. Whether I have made up my mind already (in which case the phone call of a random stranger purporting to be a representative of a candidate will not change my mind) or not, I don't want to hear from you! If I have questions about a candidate, I'll figure out the best person to ask, and I will make the phone call! I guarantee you that someone calling my home during meal times, nap times, or ANY time, will not be favorably received, and it will likely send me running to your opponent! Except if he is doing the same thing. Which, of course, he is.

And, being the eternal pessimist that I am, while I realize that our presidential candidates have put forth very different ideas, backed very different issues, and made very different campaign promises, I have to question how much of it is accomplished anyway! I want to know how much my life will change in the next 4 years! Less discussions, less meetings, more action!

Now having mentioned all of the things I was NOT going to mention, I have to comment on what I had intended to post about: my one hour and 45 minute wait to cast my ballot. In the rain, for much of the time. Why did it take so long? I did not know until I actually got into the polling place, which was rampant with inefficiency, run without any sense of urgency and replete with the mentality of people who saw themselves in a position of power and prestige, catering to the masses. Perhaps I am being unfair to some---I don't ever like to make sweeping generalizations, I realize everyone is an individual. What I saw when I got inside the building was this: very very long lines and slow movement to check people in---which should take SECONDS per person---with no sense of urgency! And God forbid the "checkers-in" of the M-Z people could take a peek and check someone in at the A-L book, to promote a sense of fairness and speed. The people with last names starting with M-Z were called up to cut the lines so they could be checked in by the people holding the M-Z book. An M-Z person in front of me cut off about 45 minutes of her wait (well, my wait) time by virtue of having an "R" name. The people who were very far behind me in line were finished 20-30 minutes before me! (And did they really need 3 people to look at each book? Wouldn't one suffice? One would assume that if you are doing this job, you are at least literate and capable of finding a name in an alphabetical listing, and don't need to confirm the name with 2 other people sitting there looking at the same thing! Maybe they could use those two extra bodies for other things...)

Moreover, there were approximately 8 voting cubicles, only 3 of which were being used as I stood and looked around! There was no lack of voters! Everyone else was in line waiting to get checked in by the invaluable powers-that-be in the township! Move them through people! And although I don't know about the many different voting methods and machines, (and why ARE they different in every polling place across the US? Shouldn't there be a uniform method to increase efficiency?) I felt like we were using a very antediluvian method of voting. Excuse my ignorance, but is this the wave of the future in our 21st century? We were filling out circles with a pen on a sheet of paper, much like taking a high school standardized test, then putting them into a machine that looked like a photocopy machine---I am told that this is an optical scanner. Whatever that is, I don't know, but I DO know that once your circles were filled in you have to go wait in another line to put your paper in the scanner and then wait until you are given the OK by another "worker" (ha) or "official" before you can leave. Why were there lines there as well, especially when only THREE of the eight cubicles were in use as I stood there!? I don't have any idea whether the machine resets itself after a period of time, but when I was there, leaving the polls at 3pm, the machine registered 714 voting papers. IN ALL THIS TIME SINCE THE POLLS OPENED AT 7AM, IT HAS ONLY REGISTERED 714 VOTERS? There are two machines, so assuming they are both registering about the same, there have only been 1400 people through there in 8 hours? The township population at the 2000 census was about 2800, and we all know how much it has grown since that time with all of the new developments, and apartments! So, they can't get everyone out of there even by 11pm (knowing that the polls close at 8) at the rate they are going! Is this the best they can do?? With the Chester County population growing in leaps and bounds, we need to do better!

I was tempted to get out of line and go home a few times during my wait, but I did not, ONLY because of the historical importance of this election. But for me, when it is not a presidential election, my experience today was a complete deterrent. I don't know whether I will be voting in local elections in the next few years, despite the fact that the people who we are voting into office are the first people in the chain-of-command who need to hear from anyone who has a complaint! They will hear from me, but likely not in the ballot booths (cubicles!) anytime in the near future! Having no better ideas to improve the process at the moment, I will sign off and wait for my lashings!