And he was there ---

Well, the 20th birthday of my elder son has come and gone while he was gone. He says it has become an unintended tradition for him to be away from home (and I mean FAR) on his special day. This makes me want to let out the biggest and most authentic WAAAAAHHHH you can possibly conjure.

Here’s how it started. His high school does a great January thing called “J Term”, in which the kids can do internships, take unique classes, go on mission trips or go on school sponsored trips for two weeks and get a grade for it. It is a fabulous concept (except when it takes your child elsewhere on his bday). As I have mentioned previously, Cool Mr. A has a thing for Chicago and independently secured an internship there. He worked out a plan to stay for the 2 weeks with his aunt and uncle and ride the train downtown to his internship site. This place was a writing institute which helps kids after school and in the summer. It worked very well and he loved it. And he was there on his 17^th birthday.

The next year he saved up his money (which we matched) to go on a school trip to Ireland, England, and Wales. This was a remarkable trip which he thoroughly enjoyed and still often references. Dublin was a pretty wonderful city, said he. And he was there on his 18^th birthday.

The next year he had graduated high school and started college. Several of his good friends went their separate ways, but he had plans to visit his good friend who now studies at the University of Chicago. He rode the train many hours to see the sights with a friend he has known since birth. He got to see her school and meet all her new friends and had a marvelous time. And he was there on his 19^th birthday.

This year he and a roommate saved their hard-earned money and bought train tickets and scalped concert tickets to see Weezer’s Memories Tour. He stayed in a youth hostel and on a dorm floor of some internet friend (YIKES) and walked all over the place, eating Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza. He said it was great. (I wondered, though, if the internet friend was a fake person who might have really wanted his kidney . . . “the difference in our generations”, he says.) And he was there on his 20^th birthday.

Now I see. Sorta hard to go back to pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey after all that. I guess when he got old enough to be in charge of his own birthday party, he grabbed it! Now he is back at school. I am sad about it, too

Happy Belated Birthday, Cutie Pie.

Special Exposure Wednesday - Snow!

Since it is rare for us, I have to post it. This is the view from our back deck. Today it is slowly melting and is shimmering so beautifully in the sunlight.
Here, Mr. N is lining up his snowballs for when dad comes out the door. You can see how it is still covering his brother's car with several inches. (Ironically, brother was in Chicago with no snow!) Two days of no school and lots of outdoor play. Who could ask for more?

A Clean Slate

Something about the brand-spanking newness of the year has me motivated. I am all “a-swirl” with ideas for home improvement and am excited about a clean slate, about forward progress, and about getting things done. Last year my only goal (I read we should nix the word “resolution” and substitute “goal”--forgot why, but I was compliant) was to read at least one book a month. It was a great goal for me. I tried to alternate between fiction and nonfiction. I’ll let you know the year’s favorites soon.

For something different this year I visited this website (http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/, see Life and Goal organizer) that suggested making 20 “goals”. It doesn’t just leave you hanging there, though, it helps you break them down and send them to dates on the electronic “goals and priorities” and “monthly planner”, which incorporates them into your daily to-do's. Exciting!

Typically, though, I do not get all energetic in January. I prefer summer and fall, and January seems . . . well . . . long. I remember that a friend was helping me rearrange furniture once, which I love to do. We did it early in the year, and it seemed to bring us mutual satisfaction. “There,” she said, “that will get us through January.” Hmm, I wasn’t the only one who did not feel fondly toward the first month. But this year seems different; I don’t want to endure January, I want to accomplish stuff and have fun doing it.

I got out a notebook from a class I took last year, called “Woman on a Mission”. It was a fabulous class that helped me learn so much about myself and my purpose. One exercise (and there were many) that opened my eyes was to simply write down 20 energy drainers. It need not take all day, just sit down and spill it. It could be anything from “the garage” to “not knowing what’s for dinner”. I put “not having easy access to the backyard” and a few other things that have morphed into goals for me. (Help me remember to read my “Boundaries” book again.) There is nothing better than taking an energy drainer and making it work into something positive.

One of my goals this month is to train N to be more responsible for his personal space and for his clean clothes. That will be quite a feat; even though he can do laundry, it takes quite a bit of reminding to get that room into something presentable! And, it gets destroyed in no time flat—not sure what all he does in there. So, I’ll keep you posted on that, and if you have any creative ideas to help me with that room, please share. Do you have any goals for this year?

Stuck Inside, and I am Excited!

We have been waiting for this! In the south, we don't get much of it, so we are happy when we do. It started out like this.
And quickly ended up like this!
N is concentrating hard to make a snowball. This snow is very powdery, though.


Turns out, we conveniently had primer and paint on hand, just in case we got snowed in. School and work are canceled for today, so yesterday and today have been great for getting a few projects done. My husband seems to be quite on board and has already made our playroom a lot less dreary. The snow will quickly melt, so I had better hurry!

A Few of My Favorite Things . . .

What's better than taking down Christmas decorations? Putting up something new for January! Really, these crocheted snowflakes were Christmas ornaments awhile back, but I have given them a new mission -- to be cheerful in my breakfast room. Besides, we are expecting a little snow around here in a few days, which is very exciting in our part of the country.

Another favorite thing:This is my older son doing dishes. He lives in a campus apartment this year and has a whole new appreciation for a clean kitchen. There is nothing like walking in to his voluntary unloading and reloading of the dishwasher! I like it better than my snowflakes.

Tomorrow is his birthday and he is leaving on a trip tonight. Without me. I like this least of all.

Special Exposure Wednesday

"YES, YES, YES!!!!" is the audio to go along with this picture from Christmas morning-- (he just received a video game, Mario Kart). This was courtesy of Neighbor Friend's discount, since it is not a favorite in their "girl" collection! He has spent several hours on it and on Wii Fit

See more photos from Special Exposure Wednesday here.

An Ode to My Man

You don’t have to be around me long to know that I am shameless about my affection for my husband. Since today is his birthday, I might have to get a little mushy about him! We celebrate twice in August for birthdays (mine and N’s), then we roll right on after Christmas, New Year’s, Ted’s birthday, then six days later is A’s. Whew! Sometimes I would buy double at Christmas to avoid shopping twice for them.

But back to the birthday today—it often seems excessive to celebrate right after so much holiday has just happened, but his birthday is most important and he is so easy to please. Besides, everybody needs his own day, no matter when it falls!! On his first birthday after we were married, I was challenged by the fact that we were traveling (to another wedding) and he needed a birthday cake. I finally came up with a cookie cake, which I slipped under my seat of the car. I got to surprise him with that at a hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has wanted a cookie cake ever since, so a tradition began on that road trip. (Today’s cookie is homemade and decorated a little crookedly.)

The ode: My man is a good man. He so often gives me far more grace than I deserve. He is sweeter than I can describe and loves us all unconditionally. I want to be like him when I grow up! So thankful he has been in my life for a long time. Happy Birthday to one great guy!