Christmas prep is almost done

so far this month we've had two birthdays.  Erica, then the next day Timothy.
I keep forgetting that Timothy is 16!  the other day I was thinking about it and was just floored when I realized he is not 14 anymore.  I think it's harder for me to remember his age because he has been so very tall for so very long.  it's almost like he's frozen in the age he was when I noticed that he was much taller than me - not that achieving that height is difficult...

Erica is 19.  that's not hard for me to remember.  it's a constant reminder of my old age :)
next year she will be half my age and therefore I will be twice her age.  Ugh.
perhaps I shouldn't think of it like that but I just can't seem to help it.


so then Amy had her Gingerbread party.  yep, she made houses for the 19 year old 'kids'.  she didn't make one for the 6 month old so in total she made and assembled, for the kids' decoration pleasure, 17 gingerbread houses.
oh my!
I think next year those (then) 20 year old kids should help her bake and put them together instead of getting their own.   that still leaves 15 houses for her (them) to make.

but the biggest deal (apart from the birthdays and Christmas it's self) for me is that today I wrapped the last of the presents and I packed - in ziplocks - all the Christmas Stocking candy for each of the kids.
that way when Santa comes he won't have to stay awake until 2am sorting through the candy for 6 kids
I had this epiphany last year when I had a 6 week old baby and I was a bit sleep deprived and wanted to spend as much night actually sleeping, et voila! wonderful inspiration.
why oh why did it take me 18 years of motherhood to figure out that gem!

now I only need to pick up a few perishable items that I don't want to have for a week... I'll get some vegetables for a tray and some clementines that we all love and I need to get a pomegranate, mostly for Timothy, and a couple of other items and we're all set!  YAY

yeah, I realize it's been a month

but really it's been more like a year.  I've missed a lot of things since Erica's graduation and that's really not a great way to keep records of one's life.
I'll try to sit down and recall some of the year at a later date. but in the mean time I have many things that are keeping me busy and kids monopolizing the computer

several months back Emma's friend came for a visit and it was a wonderful time for Emma and all the younger kids were all a buzz about having her over.  but then it was time to say good bye and we didn't think we would get to see her any time soon.

well, today she is going to be up again for a short visit.  again the kids are in an emotional tizzy with anticipation of seeing young miss Bailey.
it will be fun to see her, she is a delightful young lady.

recently it was her birthday and Emma wanted to make something for her.  So she painted a picture for her friend.  Emma was going to mail it to her, but then we got an email asking about stopping by for a tiny bit today and so Emma was very happy to be able to give her present to her directly.

my boy Connor

the fan in the background is a bit loud, but the physical comedy is the real star

is it a good thing or a bad thing?

her first taste of lobster didn't exactly live up to her expectations.
on one hand I feel bad for her that it wasn't wonderful and the ultimate of pure bliss. 

but on the other hand, what a relief that she isn't going to be begging me to make it at home (at great cost because, DANG! that stuff is expensive)

although I like lobster I have to say it isn't my favorite either.  I like shrimp more, but even more than that, I LOVE crab.  but that's just about as expensive as lobster.

on the whole I think she was happier with the shrimp and the mashed potatoes.
but it was the experience that mattered and even though it wasn't what she had hoped for it was still a good experience

up coming Birthday girl

many months ago (I can't remember how long now, it's been that long) there was a commercial on TV for Red Lobster.  Emma watched the buttery and saucy food much the way I would, with a vacant stare and salivating mouth.  after the commercial was over she turned to me and told me that she really wanted to try eating lobster.
we'll get shrimp sometimes and I'll make clam chowder in the fall and winter but I've never cooked lobster because a) it's expensive even for one person, let alone 7 or 8   and b) I don't have the nerve to try cooking lobster.

I told her that maybe for her birthday we would have to go to Red Lobster so she could have a try.  she is holding me to that suggestion.  fortunately I had a gift card on my desk and then yesterday I discovered that I still had one in my purse that Tim and I were going to use when Kellan was born and then we had just one frazzling disaster right after the other and I was determined to get out of there on Halloween so I could be home when my kids went trick or treating that we simply forgot to use it.
we now have $50 to spend at Red Lobster!

I will have to take a couple of pictures and tell/show her opinion of lobster :)

first day of school

thirteen years ago she was going to her first day of school ever

 I had very mixed feelings that day.  I was starting a new job in the company I worked and she was starting school.  it was a very emotional day
and then I got a speeding ticket on the way to pick her up from school.

today, thirteen years later.  on her way to her first day of college.

 it was another emotional day but I'm better at dealing with them these days.  my feelings were that of pride in my daughter for taking some grown up steps in her life.  any emotions that rent any tears is more for the passage of time and that of missing my little girl.

 she's not (and hasn't been for a long time) little anymore.

she's been anxious to get started with school.  needing something different to do and different people to meet has been a big part of her desire to go to school.

all as it should be
 

starting band this year

this year Emma will be required to choose either band or choir.  I am really really not a fan of the choir at our school.  that may have more to do with the teacher than much else.  I am praying that Emma does not join choir.  sitting in Erica's choir concerts were the worst.  but that's not the point of this post...

Emma wants to be in band and when I asked her what instrument she wanted to play she said Oboe, because I had once said to her that she should play oboe because I like the sound of them.
we then had a discussion about how she should choose something because she wants to not because I want her to.  so she still said oboe.  but!  oboe is a very difficult instrument to master and when we talked to the people at the music store they said that it would be wiser to start on something that would be easier but similar and work up to it.
so now she has had her heart set on a clarinet, just like Erica.

I stopped by the music store today just on a whim (since I was in town anyway and it was right there) and I went inside and talked about payment options and if they might have a wood clarinet since they sound better.  I was just going to leave with a brochure and a contract for payments to look over but then thought I'd better ask and pick one up since school is about to start and people have been taking all the instruments they can.

so I walked out of there with a clarinet and reasonable monthly payments.

I think she will be terrific