An Announcement

It's been a big week at our house.  Last Tuesday we welcomed baby Noah into the world and it has been so fun.  I will tell you that even though my patience is wearing thin (the 4 hours of straight sleep I got last night seems to have helped with that--a fluke at this stage of the game but I will take it) being a mom for the second time around it so much better than the first time. I'll have to dedicate an entire post to how the second time around things go a little smoother (though not breast feeding if you're wondering.  I'd still be slaughtered if I were a milk cow) and you don't worry so much. But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about something different altogether.

Last Monday we made a pretty big decision about our lives too.

The hubbs got a new job.  It's an incredible opportunity and both of us feel like this is a job that will change the path of his career (in the best kind of way.)  The only trouble with the job is that it's in New York City.  And when I say New York City I mean like around the corner from Grand Central Station Manhattan.

And we've taken it.

He starts at the end of next month.  The kids and I will follow him to New York after the moving truck arrives with our things.  While we wait for the truck we'll stay at grandma's house in Salt Lake.

I am a little sick about it.  I haven't really told anyone that we're moving because saying it out loud makes it real. My heart hurts thinking about leaving San Diego.  We have loved it here.  We have great friends, we get to go to the beach once a week, there are only like 5 days a year when we can't go outside and when it hits 55 degrees here people get out their ski jackets--those are my kind of people.

So I guess this is the official announcement.  We're moving to New York City (a place I've never even really been other than the airport and a hotel near the airport).  Though, truth be told we're probably not moving to New York City.  As much as I wish I could say that we were island people (or even a specific borough kind of people) I'm pretty sure that we're suburb people.

Do you remember the book Fredrick by Leo Lionni? (if you don't you should read it right this second but it's about a mouse who doesn't do any of the work to collect food for the winter.  He spends his time collecting sunshine and colors and when the nights get long and the food gets scarce he is the one who gives the other mice hope so they can make it through the winter)

For the next 4 weeks I am going to spend my time gathering sunshine and sand and surf and trips to the zoo and time at the pool and time with my girlfriends for the long, long move and the cold winter that is ahead.

All is calm. All is bright

The chicken fajitas were amazing (we're pretty traditional at our house.  We like to save Chinese food for Easter)

And the evening was made even more perfect when Nikki, Ila and Taylor stopped by unexpectedly.

When you picture Christmas this year...

Christmas eve at my parent's house has always been a musical affair.  After dinner my mother moves to the piano and the box full of jingle bells, tambourines, castanets and other clanky noise makers is passed around and we sing Christmas carols.  A couple of years ago my mom bought us all felt reindeer antlers to wear while we were singing.  Luckily, right in the middle of our celebration our friend, Tien (who is from Vietnam and understood only enough of Christmas to know that it would be important to us), came by with a gift.  My mother was thrilled.  She handed over her own reindeer antlers and a set of jingle bells.  Tien left in a hurry after a couple of songs that he had never heard before (I guess Joy to the World isn't big in non-Christian households) and has never since made the mistake of stopping by on Christmas eve.

The two grandchildren who will be attending Christmas eve at my parent's house this year are aged 1.5 and 2.5.  They are great friends and great enemies all at the same time.  For just an instant we thought about doing the nativity scene with the two of them.  Two Marys, two baby Jesuses, parents running interference but we quickly came to our senses and decided that a puppet show would be a better option.

We're using this printable (which I clearly stole.  From here) and during the course of the evening we'll be cutting out the puppets and sticking them to straws which people can hold or which we'll put into a flower pot filled with rice.

If you are interested in puppeteering we are still accepting applications though you are going up against a little girl who walks around the house pointing at everything and yelling, 'MINE" (I am actually considering making two sets just to avoid confrontation).   You can also feel free to just stop by.  Maybe there will be a set of reindeer antlers and some jingle bells in it for you.

Christmas Lights

This is what it looks like when you go see Christmas lights in San Diego.

And this is what it looks like in Utah.

Once again that's San Diego

And Utah (that's a close up so you can see that Grandpa really is wearing a Russian-style military fur hat)

The Newest Blockbuster

Remember when March of the Penguins came out?  I do.  I was in graduate school and one of my roommates and I went to go see it.  We sat near the front of the theater in the small town where we lived and cried our eyes out.  Remember when the egg cracks?  Dang.  That's powerful movie making.

I feel like we could make a similarly spectacular movie entitled The Great Ornament Migration.

Because really, where have all the ornaments (and even lights) on the lower half of the tree gone?

Ignorance is Bliss

It's a good thing that the vast majority of my siblings refuse to read this blog because I just stumbled across the perfect Christmas gift for my sister and I am 90% sure that all of you are going to want to buy the exact same thing for your sister (unless you come from the kind of home that gives useful, appropriate gifts for Christmas in which case you will think this is crazy.  I come from a family where the greatest gift in memory is a pair of boxing nuns that our Uncle Dick sent from Chicago when I was 10.  This gift just might push Uncle Dick out of 1st place)

Behold The Sweater Boys Calendar

Men in hilariously awful sweaters striking sexy poses.

Sign. Me. Up.

You can order it here.
And all the proceeds go to help the people of Vietnam so you don't need to feel bad about ordering lots.

********

I am not the kind of blogger that posts every day and I don't feel the need to apologize or explain my absences but I just wanted to let you know that the reason I wasn't here yesterday is because these thighs were visiting.

Ahhhh how could I even tear myself away for one second to sit at the computer while those chunky things were kicking and cooing?  Not possible.

It's the most.....wonderful time of the year?

Do you ever feel like you're standing on the precipice of your own life?  Looking down into a canyon of activity that is deep and swirling and and terrifying and lovely?


That's how I feel about the holidays.  This two-hour nap time that I am sitting in right now (watching a movie and typing and emailing) is a small quiet window and looking out from it I can see the next two hectic weeks.  


Today I dropped off my Brother-in-law at the train station. He spent the Thanksgiving weekend with us, down from Palo Alto.  He was a wonderful guest and Claire loves him.  


Every night this week has plans.  One of my favorite cousins will be visiting with her 4 kids for the weekend (and we are so excited to see them.  Her husband is one of the hubbs' favorite people and the only person in my family who loves sports as much as he does) and next week I make a quick trip to Utah for the unveiling of the book that my mom and her painting group are putting together.  In between those events we will be decorating a tree, reading stories, making dinner and trying to figure out what to get the hubbs for Christmas (I am taking suggestions).




The frenzy is daunting but exciting (and will only be followed by another trip to Utah for Christmas and a family reunion Cruise in January).


Does anyone else feel like this about this time of year?  I love it, but sometimes just thinking about it makes me feel dizzy.

**********

And, in a total non sequitur* here is a Thanksgiving quote my mom read to me over the phone this morning.  And some pictures of the weekend

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  
~H.U. Westermayer




*I just had to use google to figure out how to spell sequitur.  Spell check didn't know what I was talking about but google did.  Google always knows what I'm talking about.

Welcome Fall

So remember when I used child labor to make a Valentine's Chandelier for my kitchen/dining room?

Just 2 days ago that chandelier came down and it has now been replaced.

Pay no attention to the bats that have eyes all over their bodies and on their wings.  Claire was in charge of gluing on the eyes and I think we have a budding Picasso on our hands.