I don't even know what's happening anymore

 I haven't blogged in, basically forever, and I feel bad about that. Even if no one reads these anymore I really like having a scrapbook of our lives and I love going back and re-reading my posts. It's also a nice compilation of photos and has come in handy lately for school projects. Averson needed to do a Google Slide on a family tradition and copying birthday donut pictures from the blog was WAY easier than trying to find them all on our various back-ups. 

So all that to say... I logged on to do a photodump catch-up and maybe a little "Christmas Prep" broad stroke. But you guys? My phone is full of a bunch of bullshit. The girls have been using an old phone that still syncs to mine, and mine if I don't keep an eye on it, and they screenshot some real weird shit. And now I didn't delete them fast enough so all this nonsense is saved in at least three different places. Seriously. I give up. 

There are approximately 57 of this exact same picture

I think this is Syd? Maybe? Or else my nightmare of a creeper living in the crawlspace is coming true because that is 100% her bedroom wall behind her

Pictures of my TV during the Dog Show on Thanksgiving. MANY pictures of my TV

I don't know what Sexually dimorphic means and I have no intention of getting a ferret

No idea who this is or why she has a blob fish on her head. She must be important to the girls though

So yeah, we've been doing some stuff. We made salt dough ornaments. We took family pictures. Thanksgiving was lovely. The dogs laid in patches of sun like the cat-dogs they are. C and I took selfies. But apparently a lot of shenanigans have been happening too

School’s Out

And just like that, they’re done. The chromebooks are stashed away, the textbooks have been returned, and there are no more Zoom’s on our calendar. I am immensely grateful for how these teachers rallied and pulled together crisis learning. I am also immensely grateful that it’s over.

In all the drama of the past few months, somehow I completely skipped over that Eli is going to be in HIGH SCHOOL next year. 2024 seemed so long ago when he started kindergarten. Now it’s quite likely that I already own the shoes I’ll wear to his graduation.

"Vacation"

My DAD sent this to me. If you knew him, that would further illustrate just how accurate this must be

We spent a long weekend at my dad's house, and it was lovely. Eli had a fabulous time on his own with Coach and Auntie J. They had all kinds of adventures and his new favorite food is grilled salmon with corn and edamame succotash. I think they were all a little sad to see us drive up. In fact, Eli asked if he could stay there until March. The schools are good there...

We had a good time, though it was way too short. We saw Brave at a drive-in. So much fun! We used to go to the drive-in every weekend when I was a kid and it was so fun to bundle the kids up and share that with them. We hung out on the beach and Sydney insisted on "sitting in the ocean." I got to flaunt my awesome new swimming suit that covers all the wobbly bits and turns "Mom" into "Wow" (how cheesy was that!). We found a fabulous little swimming pool, where not only was Eli not paralyzed with fear but he actually swam for a second. It was awesome, but this new love of the water meant that I have a lovely shoulders-up burn and my book remains unread. I even managed to stay up on my training and ran 4 miles, which both impressed and shamed my entire fitness-focused (aka not the Chiconky) family. It was awesome and much needed.

But oh, dear God. Driving home today? If I'd seen you at the truck stop off the 5, after hour 6, there would've been a good chance I would've dove in your car screaming "DRIVE!" It. Was. Awful. Eli's feet stunk. The poor dog is so old and sore that she has to be lifted in and out, and then needs at least 15 minutes to do her business. Sydney whines. A lot. 

I have never been happier to see my street. We literally leapt out of the car and retreated to our various corners. C, bless his heart, had the forethought to cook dinner so we're all feeling a bit better now, but I am very, very worried about our upcoming vacation. You know, the one that starts with a 17 hour car trip? If you see a woman sobbing on the side of the road while her family sits in a car nearby screaming or staring blankly at various electronic devices, stop and say "Hi." If I dive in your care and yell "DRIVE!" I'll buy the first round when we stop for gas.  

Subtle comic relief

I'm at this moment letting the kids each have their four hours thirty minutes of educational screen time (who am I kidding? Eli's playing Angry Birds and Syd's watching Caillou). Syd keeps turning the TV off, coming out here, and asking me to turn the TV back on for her and put her back on the bed. I finally asked her why she was doing that, and she said, in her sweet munchkin voice, "To get you in shape!"

OMG! This will make the cutest picture!

Afternoon Delight

Not that kind. Pervert.

My schedule has it's downsides, mainly being up before the church crowd and leaving my cozy family sleeping soundly on a day meant for lazing around together. But it also has it's benefits. I get to volunteer in Eli's class. I can schedule appointments like normal people. And I'm free for spontaneous afternoon outings to generally reserved for weekend places. Like the children's museum. All that was really a prelude for "Look at all the pictures of my kids!"

Those smocks? Totally useless.

I swear she's not picking her nose (in this picture)

How freaking cool is this?

I love finding them playing together. 'Tis awesome.

Yep. This pretty much sums it up

Shopping companions

Oh yeah. The ladies at Costco LOVE us

Picture = 1000 words

Overcompensating

for a week of dinners that included frozen meatballs and PB&J?

Or MOST AWESOME MOM EVER! ?

How we spent Black Friday

What do you do with two stir-crazy kids on Black Friday when it's too cold to go back to the park?

Take a cue from a friend and bust out the "trampoline"

I love long weekends at home.

Thankful

It was a really awesome, fabulous day

"The Turkey Bowl 2011"
Where a bunch of 30-somethings play tackle football early in the morning and hope no one gets injured bad enough that they have to tell their wives. Thankfully, no one did.

The Turkey Bowl cheering section. Can you tell who's had coffee?

They FINALLY allowed a picture of them in their turkey hats for school. So freaking cute.

Third try at a Thanksgiving family picture (at my new table!) This one's my favorite. We can't all smile at the same time, but we can duck-face like nobody's business :)

I have been so filled with gratitude lately that I was really looking forward to today. A day with no consumerism and a day to spend just hanging out with my favorite people. In all the stress and B.S. of everyday life I love those moments that hit me with how lucky I am. We're all healthy, happy, and relatively sane. We have a freezer full of frozen meatballs and a pantry full of chicken broth and spaghetti sauce. I can go buy milk or get gas without having to balance my checkbook first. My kids go to an amazing daycare and I get paid well to do a job I would do for free. I have faith that grows stronger as my world becomes more uncertain. My friends are seeing miracles. Life is good and I am thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween Picture Fest!

Bat Ninja!

Pretty much the cutest tiger ever

My costume.

BTW, pink hair is magical. I'm thinking about making it permanent

This is the best picture I got of the trick-or-treating chaos.

The rest were all blurs and candy wrappers.

All in all, one of the best so far. It was a fabulous day and we're all home and safe and crashing from crazy sugar highs. Happy Halloween!