Best.  Weekend.  Ever.

It started with Thanksgiving.
Over the river and through the woods, to Grammy & Grambear's house we went...
The family was all in good spirits, the bird was cooked to juicy perfection and the day was just wonderful.
A few pics:

Grambear had Wywy on the carving board. 
Wywy loved it.

Then, Friday was a lazy day full of Christmas decorating, music listening and hanging out in jammies.  Until a decision was made to head over to Jay's cousin's house for an innocent evening of Lia Sophia for the ladies and cards for the guys.
We were lucky to grab our fantastic sitter last minute and we headed out.
"We'll make it an early night, no big deal."
Cha!
We had a lot of fun with the family.  Jay's cousin just got engaged so it was her first official hosting detail.  It was a delicious spread and a wine-soaked good time!  It was exactly what the doctor ordered - a night full of laughter, good conversation and loving, comfortable company.
There are a lot of good "in-law" jokes but I can't take claim to any of them, I adore my husband's family and we always have so much fun when we all get together!

A very early, dark (and painful) Saturday morning started at 6am.  My wine head (and stomach) did not agree with this hour but the Tailgating had to be prepared!
Jay put together a hum-dinger of a cooler, packed with eggs, bacon, bagels and - most importantly - Bloody Marys!
We arrived at Rentschler Field by 10am with Nana & Papa.  UConn Football!!!
I have never been to a football game.  Unless you count the Brewster Bears, Never.
It was about 30 degrees with a thousand-mile-an-hour wind blowing constantly.  We had the kids bundled to the point that Wyatt could not move and Abby had only her face sticking out and "the air hurt" her.
Jay cooked, I drank a little "hair o' the dawg" and by noon time we were gung-ho heading into the game.
We parked about 97 miles away (thank you useless parking attendants & EHPD) and Wyatt refused to walk. 
We saw the "opening act" (I have no idea what it's called) and I was totally awe-struck.  The music, the noise, the huge amount of people, the Marching Band (they were AWESOME!) and then the player's entrance with the cheerleaders.  It was all absolutely amazing.  I loved it so much!
It made the cold and the crying totally worth it!
Wyatt ate a hot dog, french fries, popcorn and Skittles like he hadn't eaten in days - after the tailgating breakfast.  Abby was totally into the game - yelling "Go UConn!" and "First Down" right on cue.
It was so nice to see my in-laws enjoying my kids so much.  And my kids enjoying their Nana and Papa so much.
Everything about the day was totally perfect and so much fun.
It was cold, I was hung over, the kid was heavy and our seats were 2nd to the last in the stadium (not that you could tell by the ticket price) but I want to do that a million more times.
I had So. Much. Fun.
Some more pics:

On the way home, Wyatt was cool as a cucumber in Papa's shades.

Sunday was Christmas Tree Day!

The pictures say it all:

This season is off to a beautiful start!

Life is Good!

Last night, on Thanksgiving Eve, I introduced a new tradition to my daughter.
It is one I grew up with and one I was really looking forward to bringing into my home.
It involves some rule breaking, some secret keeping and some definite loss of sleep.
But I think she enjoyed it.
In fact, it was almost all she talked about today.  She loved it, really.  And already can't wait to do it again.

What was it?

The Annual Thanksgiving Eve Viewing of "Wizard of Oz" 

And it was great.

We got ready for bed, like we always do.

We did a story and snuggled and tucked Wyatt in, like we always do.

But instead of then tucking Abby in, we snuck downstairs in our jammies and snuggled on the couch and watched the movie.

It was long and there were a few scary parts but my big girl was very brave and she knew that the witch would get her due and the monkeys were make believe.

She was awesome.

It was a wonderful night.

When I was new to the Sales Desk at my previous occupation/job/company/career, I was quickly befriended by one (remaining nameless) woman.
She turned out to be a bit on the koo-koo side (as, I have learned, is often the case with "immediate friends") but I will remember one thing she said to me for a very long time.  It was 8 years ago (or so) and I still think about it, so it stands to reason it will stay with me.

"Don't be naive, Liz.  People disappoint you.  No matter what you do, they will let you down."

I don't remember why she said that to me.  I don't recall the conversation or the context or the mood.  Although I do recall that we were standing pretty much out in the open, in the aisles between the rows of cubicles, so it couldn't have been a deeply private or even lengthy discussion.

And I do recall that she was recently divorced, unhappily employed and pretty much a negative-nelly.

Regardless, that statement stuck with me.

Was I a bit too cheery?

Was my naturally positive spin irritating her a bit too much that day?

Was my newly married, house-hunting giddy-ness wearing on her last nerve?

Perhaps.

I remember thinking, at that moment and since then that my people do not disappoint me. 

I am never disappointed with my people.

And here I am, 8 years later, the age now that she was then (give or take).

Still happily married, 2 kids and in our second house (third home).  But I have been disappointed.  So, I have found myself thinking of her and her disappointments and how sad and angry it makes me that she was right.

People disappoint you.

Then, this week - after yet some more lengthy discussions with my husband and sisters- I came to realize something.

I can disappoint people.

I don't set out to do it.

Just the opposite, in fact.  I try to make my people happy.  I try to make my people feel my love and adoration, my support and friendship.

Sometimes I try too hard.  Sometimes I fail.

Maybe it's my method.  Maybe it's my angle.

Maybe it's because I don't worry about those things - and I just try to be a good person, doing good things, being happy and sharing my happiness.

Maybe it's because I find my life is happier and simpler because I accept people for who they are and not what I wish they would be.

Maybe it's because even though I say that, I don't always do it, even though I want to and try to.

I don't know.  But I have learned something from trying to figure it out:

I don't know.  And I might not ever know.

You simply cannot please everyone all the time and sometimes - you can never please someone.

I accept that.

And I love, anyway.

Do you?

If this ring comes back into style

- meaning that it becomes popular enough to be able to find -

then I will STOP making fun of everyone and everything re-living the 80's.

I promise.

My sister had this ring when she was in high school

and I coveted it so much that when I was in high school

(or maybe middle school)

she bought me the gold-plated, considerably lighter and cheaper version of it.

I loved it so much.

 

But she was wise, and I lost it.

Tell me you remember this ring:

I have gotten such a good jump on my Christmas Shopping.
I always plan ahead but I rarely stick to my plan and I rarely get much done, actually purchased, before Thanksgiving.  So, I'm pretty psyched!

My goal, before I die, is to make every single "cooky" in my Betty Crocker Cooky Book.  It is the book we used growing up.  My mom was not a domestic diva by any standard but she liked to bust out the flour and sugar at Christmastime.
At some point in my life I want to be able to say "I have made every single cookie in the "Cooky Book".

Tonight, Abby and I made Thumbprints.  Kids loved 'em and we packed them up to be sent to our Troops!  Tomorrow we will make Snickerdoodles.
I have made these before so it's not helping my cause, but I know I love them and I know how they are supposed to come out so they're a good one to make for the troops and for Thanksgiving.
I have a few others I'd like to make this season - Candy Canes (another repeat, darnit!), Pecan Spice Cookies (for my mom), Mini Fudge Tarts (yum!), Krumkake and a few more.
Will I make it a whole Christmas without baking Chocolate Chips or Sugars or Oatmeal Raisins or Peanut Butters?
Probably not.  But I am looking forward to broadening my "cooky" horizon!


Lots of activity on the Blog lately.  A while back, I got rid of my "stalker log".  Or, so I thought.  I hadn't noticed that it was still on my page until I did my Thanksgiving decorating.  I flipped through a few pages and noticed lots of traffic coming in from some new locations.  I mean, lots!
So, I deleted the counter, once and for all.  I'm glad I thought I had already and glad I really did this time.
I write a public blog because I enjoy expressing myself.  For myself.
If you are reading, you must enjoy my expressions.  And I thank you for that.

Quiet around here lately.
Last year we partied like it was 1999.  We had Jaybor Day in September, Wyatt's 1st birthday in October, my mother-in-law's 60th in November, Christmas Eve and then Abby's birthday in January.  We really packed it all in - and we throw a pretty good party!
This year, we had Jaybor Day and Wyatt's birthday and we'll have Abby's in January but nothing in between.  It's a nice break.  And nice to be able to relax, enjoy and take my time with no one to attend to but the 4 of us.

I will still be very busy, cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, attending, helping and enjoying.  And celebrating!!!  I love the season so much, regardless of where, it's such a magical time of year.
And my kids are so excited already.  At 2 years old, Wyatt can barely say the words that he's thinking but they're coming to him, fast and furious, and among those words you'll hear:

"Merry Chitmas",  "Santa", "ho ho ho", "Chitmas Chee", "Thanksgivin" and lots more. 

Both kids freak out when they see anything Christmas-related but nothing beats Wyatt's near head-explosion in Target the other day when he spotted the area that they sell the trees, outdoor decor and other Christmas goodness.  I think he could have stayed there all darn day, just staring at the lights and trees and moving blow-up things that tacky people put in their yards.

My beautiful, amazing, brilliant and hilarious sisters -

I love a good quote!

Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out 

But I can usually shut her up with cookies. 
Unknown

I refuse to think of them as chin hair. I think of them as stray eyebrows.

Janette Barber

Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.  

Caryn Leschen

If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.

Unknown

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

Eleanor Roosevelt 

Loose Ends.
I hate them.
I like to say what I mean and mean what I say.  When conflicts arise, I crave resolution.  It's not that I crave confrontation, but I need to say why I feel the way I feel and I need to know why you feel and act the way that you do.
I have a hard time "just letting it be".
I like to tie things up, wrap it up, finish it.
And usually for the better.  Because very rarely is there a point I won't hear, a direction I won't ponder or a bit of advice that I won't at least respect enough to consider if not follow.

Sometimes, it's better to just shut up and get out.

As I am in my thirities, ticking off experience after experience in life - I have realized a few things.
One of those things is that Life is not an episode of Family Ties.
Another of those things is that I won't always understand the 5 W's.
Another of those things is that perception is nine tenths of the law.

And I have been reminding myself of that more and more.
I know now, at 33 that I was as ignorant at 23 as I will likely think I am at 33 when I'm 43.  But I am grateful that I am getting better with age.

When I think I know how someone feels or wish for them to feel a certain way - I try, very hard, to stop myself and remind myself that I do not, in fact, have any idea what someone else's perception of the situation is.
It might be - and very likely is - very different from mine.  And for that, I have to simply accept that I cannot resolve every single situation to my liking.

Reminding myself of what I can do helps.

Maybe it's my childhood of half-hour sitcoms and hour-long dramas.
Maybe it's an emotional by-product of what is a fairly decent case of OCD in my adulthood.
But when I find myself in a situation that is simply baffling to me, a situation I cannot possibly understand never mind try to fix, I try to remember what I can do.

When people, my people, are doing things that I don't agree with or that I wish they would not do - I try to accept them anyway.  In spite of myself. 
Why is that so much easier for some people than others?
I need to remind myself that I do not know the intricacies of their day to day, of their relationships, of their own little voices telling them and reminding them what to do.

Quick story - husband and wife, married happily for over 40 years.  3 grown children and about to embark on a new life together in retirement.  Husband leaves wife for another woman.  Wife is devastated, never saw it coming.

You never know someone else's perception.

My dad had (has?) a sign in his den and I'm paraphrasing here but it said "you don't know a man until you've walked a thousand miles in his moccasins".

True.  Dat.

And we can only control ourselves, our actions and reactions.
It really is that simple.  Being happy with yourself is the first and last step to finding happiness elsewhere.  And when you find people that are constantly berating, belittling and negatively impacting you - you will likely find people doing the same damn things to themselves.
And they're not the only ones.
Someone is doing it to them, too.

What goes around comes around, right?  But who's to say who deserves what and when and why?  It's all about perception and I am realizing, more and more, that it's not mine that matters.
And the only way I can find peace is by accepting that, tying that one up for myself and letting the other loose ends fly in His breeze because I cannot control what I did not create.

This entry is not a message.
And if it were, it is not cryptic.
It is just another of my "deep thoughts" that rolls around in my head for a while before a full entry forms.
It's about family, friends, other friends, some gossip I picked up today, something I read this afternoon and something I saw.  Nothing is related to anything other than me, my life and my experiences.

Sometimes I obsess over things.  (no, really!)  And then.  poof!  It's gone.  And I realize that I am still here.  I am still loved and in love.  I am happy and grateful and blessed.

Remember this post?

Well...

Here's my fancy new red jacket

and my super-cool new Uggs

and check out what is about to be my new phone:

Hmm?  What's that?

Nope.  I'm 33.

I'm just ACTING like a 16 year old.

I just realized that "A Quart" is one QUARTer of a gallon.  Should I be admitting that?
I mean - I always knew it was 4 cups, and I knew there were 16 cups in a gallon...  I just never "got it".
Sort of like, "Trust Sleepy's...  for the Rest of your life."
I have been hearing those commercials for what seems like decades but it was only recently (maybe a year or 2 ago) that I really "got it".
Rest = Sleep.

One of my favorite things about Christmas time (and believe me, the list is too long for just one blog entry) is my annual trip to the Hallmark store.
I love choosing the cards that we send to the parents, Godparents, grandparents...  some years I go a little nutty, some years I keep it simple.  But I do love choosing each one.
I also love picking out an ornament for each kid - I try to pick one that symbolizes that year for each kid.  Last year Abby got a Disney Princess ornament, Wyatt got an Elmo.
This year they will likely get Diego & Dora.
Let's face it - they could get Princesses & Elmo again - but I try to change it up.
I have a few gifts that I choose each year for special people, too.  I could order them online but I enjoy going, by myself, choosing, paying and walking away with a bag or two.
I love Hallmark.
I know I could do Carlton or even just the local pharmacy for my cards and probably get away cheaper - but it's all about traditions this time of year, isn't it?

Another favorite thing about Christmas is what seems to be becoming my Annual NYC Bus Trip.  Living up here in the sticks, I am surrounded by people who have never even been to New York City.  And there were a few years after getting married where I didn't get there.  But in the past 4 years or so, we have made it a priority to get to NYC.

We love going down for Easter weekend and were totally bummed last year when we missed it.  (Yes, I'm already looking forward to it this year and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!)
And this bus trip that my town's Parks & Rec department hosts is a great way to get down there, very easily.  And at $40 you can't beat it.  Gas, parking...  head ache.  Or train (plus driving and parking).  Sure, the bus may make me a little nauseous - but it's nothing a deep breath of nasty NYC air and a Dirty Water Dawg upon arrival can't cure.

This is last year with my good friends, Joanne & Debbie.

(I know - maybe I can find shorter, skinnier friends to hang out with, right?)

This is the year before with (l-r)

Frannie, Nancy, Stina, Gina, me, Stef, Doris Lynda

What is it about these guys that makes my heart all aflutter?

Is it the way that Murray rocks the guitar?

 No.  But he is a very talented guy.

Is it the way Anthony's teeth blind the audience with every pearly grin?

 

 Nope.  But you've got to hand it to this guy - he looks terrific!

Is it the way Captain Feathersword portrays a mild-mannered Bad-Ass for preschoolers?

Nope...  (ok, maybe a little).

Is it the Big Red Car?

Not even close!

It's the way that all of those things make my sweet angels look like this:

And this:

And finally, this:

Thank You, Murray (our favorite), Jeff, Anthony, Sam and Captain Feathersword!

Yesterday was an amazing day for all four of us.

We love the Wiggles!!

Happy Halloween!