hello monday

hello children who need more outside time... my kids have turned into maniacs.  they are soooo stir crazy and that in turn makes me crazy and tired.  i may have turned to mike yesterday and said, "don't worry, it won't be like this forever, someday at least Dottie and Charlie will move out" bwhahhahahahahahaha. 

hello state champs!  in a follow up to my previous post, the Notre Dame Tritons are state champs!!  Luke and i went to the game saturday night and I am soooo proud of the beautiful miss katherine!  I got a little teary even. 

hello big things...  there is an interesting opportunity heading my way, not quite sure what to make of it or if this is the one I have been waiting for... only time will tell.

hello emerald green... I am not much of a green girl usually (I leave that to the lovely Miss Stephanie) but I bought this emerald green cardigan and am LOVING it and wearing it with everything. 

hello to finding a way and powering through...  moms of the world - you are doing a great job and YOU are ENOUGH (no matter what FB or Pinterest says). 

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Princess Dorothy is Now Three!

Three years ago, she came into this world in a blizzard.  Nineteen inches of snow to be exact.  So much snow, that despite widespread knowledge of her pending arrival, she had exactly 5 visitors in her 5 days in the hospital. 

She has been our little stormy one ever since. 

She is fierce.  Never one to stand idly by, she has an opinion on almost everything.  She rarely holds back on telling you what said opinion might be.  She is known to stand with her hand on her hips saying, "I told you!"

She is the yin to her brother's yang.  Not a social butterfly, she is more reserved, more likely to sit back and observe for awhile, assessing the situation (and her place in it).  She is happy to play alone and can hold her attention longer than most little people.  Drawing, making crafts and stickers keep her little fingers and mind busy. 

She never stops talking.  No joke,  Miss Dorothy even talks when she is asleep.  When she is playing, she sounds as if there are 10 other kids joining her, even if she is sitting at the table alone coloring.  She loves to use her "Minnie voice" and to make her brothers laugh. 

She is all girl.  A fury of pink and purple and sparkles, she loves to play dress up and is typically sporting a crown.  She has several.  She hates to wear pants and does not appreciate that tights or leggings are required in our cold Wisconsin winters.  Tutus, sparkles, poofiness, it is all appropriate all the time. 

She loves princess junk.  I am not a princess hater or encourager - but she is all about the princess.  If it is her night to pick a movie for movie night, she will say, "a PRINCESS MOOODY"  True in more than one sense!

Her favorites right now include:  peaches, dance parties, having 100 million toys in her bed at one time, talking on the phone, and long, long baths (with NO BUBBLES MOMMY) until she is pink and the water is cold.  Her favorite book is Pinkalicious, her favorite song is Part of Your World (Little Mermaid), and she adores her twinkle stars blanket.  A Sconnie girl in every sense of the word, she cheers for the packers (she even has a yellow tutu that she pairs with her sparkly packer shirt), eats too much cheese and loves to play outside. 

I am so grateful to be her momma even when she is exhausting. 

Turkey Day Redux

Do you have those little traditions that, because of their importance in your mind, sort of take on a life of its own?  Man,  Love me some traditions.  The problem with that, is sometimes the reality doesn't live up to the memory - rose colored glasses looking at the past. 

Thanksgiving is a BIG tradition for my family.  For many years, it is the one holiday we do not travel for, no obligation to do the big family dinner back home.  We have had our nice little Friends-giving for a long time.  Before Luke, Dottie, and Charlie.  It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show. 

Some years, our participants were more appreciative of the efforts than others.  There may have been a year where the house almost started on fire, where the ginger beer did not cure morning/all day sickness, where someone (who sucks and whose name will not be mentioned here) had his fresh kill in my driveway.  There were pingpong tournaments, naps, teaching the kids to rabidly hate the Detroit Lions. 

It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show.  If you want to see some recaps - Barb has been much more diligent of keeping our memories - check it out here. 

This year, because there has been a huge readjustment in our lives, I was a little worried that the actual event could not live up to the mythical place it held in my heart.  We had pinterest boards of ideas, multiple menu discussing emails, serious phone discussions.  Could it really be as great as in my mind? 

Then, 10 days before Thanksgiving, my knee gave out on me.  I couldn't walk.  Couldn't stand.  Was scheduled for unexpected surgery. 

I may have sent an angst filled email to Barb saying _ I cannot do this. 

Luke making Turkey decor (a must have).

But we did.  And it was, again, the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving Show.  Barb has a beautiful post with lots of pictures of the food. So I won't rehash.  I just want to share a few of my favorite pictures.   

I may have a new found love for Bourbon.  Yum.

Snow White (Dottie) making my family recipe for cranberry relish. 

Turkey Relish Tray, made with love by Barb and Dottie

I am a little bummed that there is not one picture of me and Barb.  In all our preparatory glory.  The food was wonderful, the house if not super clean, was presentable, the guests were fantastic and wonderful company, the drinks were plentiful and the day was just as wonderful in my heart and mind as in reality. 

We have a no Christmas till after the Turkey is put away rule in our house.  So Thanksgiving night, Mike the superdad, took Luke and Dottie out to work on the Christmas lights.  Charlie wanted in on the action too. 

We will plan on for 2013 - no lumpy gravy next time.  I promise.