Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful

I don't normally post about people outside of my family, but we recently lost someone very special to us. Last year, one of our good friends was diagnosed with brain cancer.  After a hard-fought battle, we lost him last month. I know we didn't visit enough, or call enough, or spend enough time telling Marv how much we loved him. But we tried.

Earlier this fall, David and Morgan stopped by to see Marv and Kitty.  Marv was in a wheelchair in the driveway, too weak to walk or stand. As they approached him, Morgan stopped and gasped, "Oh Marv, you look like you're almost ready to go to heaven." Marv looked at her and smiled, "Well, I'm working on it."  Two weeks later, he was gone. After 47 years together, Kitty will spend will spend her first Thanksgiving without him.

As we sit down to enjoy our turkey and stuffing, I will be thankful.  I will be thankful that I have a family to share the day with, thankful that we are all here to gather together, and thankful for the wonderful people who are a part of our lives. And I will be just a little bit heartbroken that Marv's not at the table this year. 


Monday, November 19, 2012

And A Dollar Short

I'd like to tell you I intentionally waited three weeks to post Morgan's pictures from Halloween but I would be lying.  I actually forgot about Halloween right about the time I ate Morgan's last bag of M&Ms and hadn't thought about it since. 
 
Halloween was different this year for two reasons. One, it was the first year I didn't buy Morgan a costume that was some pre-made fabric tube with fur and a tail (which you can see here, here, and here). Two, I decided to let Morgan pick her own costume with only a moderate amount of strong arming on my part.
 
Me: Morgan, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Morgan: A princess.
Me: I hate princesses.  Everyone is a princess.  Can we pick something a little more creative?
Morgan: Fine, I'll be a ballerina.
Me: Morgan, the point of a costume is to be something different than you are in real life.  You take ballet.  You're already a dancer.
Morgan: Mom, you can't make this decision for me.
 
Ballerina= 1      Mom=0
 
Once I admitted defeat, I was hell bent on giving her costume a little homemade flair.  Since I don't know how to sew, my options were limited.  However, with a little bit of help from Pinterest, I was able to tie the shit out of some tulle.





Yeah, I rocked it.  Next year I might even break out the hot glue gun.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

For Granted

David and I met in Washington, DC.  For three years, I passed by our nation's capitol every day. We took family and friends to museums and monuments, sharing with them fun anecdotes about secret tunnels and speculating as to whether George Washington really did have wooden teeth (Wikipedia says no).
 
Very rarely did we talk about the significance of where we lived or the immeasurable sacrifices so many people have made to give us the freedoms we so easily take for granted. But every once in a while, we would take the time to visit the places that symbolized much of what makes this country great. Places that evoked fear, despair, hope, and most of all, pride.
 
The flag that hung at the Pentagon on 9/11-
 
Arlington National Cemetery -


 
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-
 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial-


Despite living in the midst of these powerful reminders, I will be the first to tell you I don't often think twice about how fortunate I am.  I have never served in the military and rarely thank those who have. Today, however, I am thinking. And I am grateful.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Legit

Morgan has been attending the same daycare for the last two years.  I have noticed recently, however, that I have started referring to it as "preschool" to people who ask.  I am not sure why I switched it up. Maybe it's because she really does have a little curriculum and knows how to properly hold a pencil or maybe it's because calling it preschool makes me feel less judged about being a working mom.  Or maybe it's just my way to justify the check I write each month. 

Morgan's "preschool" had their Back to School pictures last month. Just prior to having her picture taken, Morgan got a horrible bloody nose all down the front of her shirt.  After a frantic call from her teacher, I had the ridiculously brilliant idea to put her shirt on backwards.  I assured the teacher that the stakes were low and that I wasn't too worried about whether the pictures turned out.  Then I saw them-



Just waiting for the call from Gap Kids. Someone needs to pay for all the 8x10s I bought.