Don't Organization Me!

Gommie was getting the kids dressed this morning to go out in the snow. Now that they have big kid beds, each has two tubs underneath: one for tops and one for bottoms. Gommie was trying to get pants and shirts for each, when Sis said, "Just like at Buddy's tubs. Shirts with pants. Pants with shirts. Mine are separate, shirts with shirts, pants with pants."

Gommie added, "he needs some organization."

And apparently Bud looked at them both, "don't organization my drawers!"

The Night Before the Night Before

They haven't been here for 24 hours yet, but already Gommie and Pop's visit is chock full of activity.

Yesterday, it was candy, candy, candy. The now traditional first activity for the kids is to raid Gommie's belongings and pester her until she forks over pounds and pounds of the sweet stuff that she has bought and lugged up here. It's quite a joyful ritual, and, even though they rarely eat much of what they're given, they wouldn't stop it for the world.

There was also a continuous stream of "Look at this, Gommie" and "Watch this, Pop" as the kids showed off everything that is important to them right now, from their usual critters to the train under the tree to their new big kid beds and the finished basement, regardless of whether it is the first or fortieth time Gommie and Pop have seen them.

We also opened a couple of packages, a great book from Aunt Banana and Uncle Soccer, on a little dog who roams the city at holiday time (I'm forgetting the exact title, Pooch on the Loose, I think). Their favorite page: the "Rockheads" in their chorus line at Radio City. Gommie and Pop tried hard not to giggle at that, and all the "yights," "yove," "yook," "yamb," repeated over and over. There was also Elf on a Shelf, a new tradition that Gommie introduced us to, at the suggestion of Granny Q (hi Granny Q!). The kids weren't that interested in the naughty-and-nice-spy story but loved playing hide and go seek with the little toy elf. Sure, the book says they aren't supposed to touch it, but we're making this one our own so everyone spent an hour or so hiding "Elvis Yahooti Amy Tango," our elf. I think I might go move it right after this post. Keeps everyone on their toes.

For dinner, we had the kids favorite "school soup," no beans and no tomatoes, just lots of corn and carrots and noodles. I think it was the first time I actually cooked the day that Gommie and Pop came! It helped that they were so late, actually gave us yet another activity to do (well, I cooked. The kids made Christmas-themed welcome posters). And bedtime happened, well, eventually, with them talking to each other until about 9. Long after Gommie and Pop had headed to the hotel for some shut-eye.

Today started earlier for us than for Gommie and Pop, with Sis and Bud bounding out of bed not long after 6 a.m. in search of the (insert favorite expletive) elf! So we moved it for Gommie and then waited til Gommie and Pop showed up. About three hours later. Ugh. We managed some more "cookie tv," this time about the national gingerbread house contest ("let's make one of those now!"). And called Gommie and Pop a few times, with Sis plaintively asking, "Where are you, Gommie?" They got here eventually (which isn't fair to them, really. It was "eventually" to us, but early for them). And we played inside for awhile, making candy for neighbors, counting days on the calendar, running the train under the tree.

But our main activity today was the snow. For a couple of hours this morning, the kids took them through their snow stations: snow angels, the snow fort, snow ball fight, sliding onto the snow from the slide, building a fairy house, going on a nature walk, climbing a snow bank. We substituted delivering candy to neighbors for the sledding we did the other day, mainly because all the kids are still in school today (at least this morning). At the end, Gommie added her own twist: climbing the branches of the "polar bear cave" bush, about which both kiddos were very enthusiastic.

Then we went to lunch at the hibachi restaurant, which has Sis and Buddy nervous until the initial flames and the volcano are over. But then they inhale all the soup and rice and noodles and chicken and veggies, forgetting completely that they were scared.

Before they can play hibachi, though, they are having a mandatory rest time, watching all the holiday Imagination Mover shows upstairs. Down, I can hear Pop snoring on the couch.

What's next? Gommie and Pop are babysitting tonight, complete with dinner and tuck-in, while Mama and I go on our first wedding anniversary/belated birthday dinner.

And then it's the night before Christmas . . . .

In Dog Years

Readers beware (and that's you, Mama): it'll make you cry, but this tender essay on the old age of a beloved dog will touch your heart, too. No worries, the dog still lives.

They're Here!

Gommie and Pop are here. A long time coming, both figuratively and literally.

And since Sis and Bud did their best to cram everything in tonight with constant show and tell and play, there's not much left to do!

Just kiddin'.

I'll tell you more later.

Guilty Pleasures

First, a Gommie update: She is on the train and will be in here in less than 2 hours, right after dark. YAY!!!!

And to pass the last, most painful hour, we are watching cookie tv. Sis had been sending email to Mama, and, during Buddy's turn, she was looking at my new cookie magazine (I'm always buying those cookie magazines this time of year). And so I asked if she wanted to watch "cookie tv."

She is mesmerized. "I didn't know there was cooking tv," she said. First, it was Paula Deen, but the peanut butter in the monster cookies, which she can't eat yet, made Sis wary. She was curious about Sandra Lee's cookie candy canes. But it was Ellie Krieger's Triple Chocolate Cookies that had her hooked, "Mom did you know there are different kinds of flours? And look at that chocolate!"

Now it's Alton Brown, a favorite of Mama, Goo, and me, with Santa.

Luckily, I have two cookie specials taped. That should get us to Gommie's arrival!

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Update: Bud's favorite chef and recipe was Emeril's Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. Inspired by the show, we're off to bake, though it'll have to be a cookie I have the ingredients for (which doesn't include any of the above. Maybe that long awaited gingerbread).

Christmas Cards: The Reason for the Season

No, I'm not getting on my Christmas cards soapbox again, at least not in this post.

I had been saving all the Christmas cards we've received to have one big family card opening on Christmas Eve, comparing the pictures from this year to the ones I'd saved from last year's cards. And then maybe even cutting up and collaging the cover art from this year's cards.

But, in a desperate attempt to entertain kids who are tired of waiting for their Gommie's arrival in 4 more hours, when Sis spotted the card box, I let her pull them down and we started to open them all.

And then Sis spotted the stamp. A stamp of Mary with Jesus. She held the envelope close and opened it carefully. Inside was a picture of Goose, son of Mommy Goose.

"Look, Mom, Goose sent me a stamp with Mary and Jesus on it! He knew that she's my favorite. It's the best card ever!" And she put the envelope in a very special place.

It certainly puts the Christ in Sis's Christmas.

I Stink and She Hates Me

I've have just been caught committing one of the worst mommy sins: I gave away one of the kids' toys.

I had been noticing for weeks that they never actually played with their toy kitchen. They use it for storage but never "cook" on it. It just takes up precious floorspace. And then yesterday, the back fell off, serendipitously, I thought. So I moved it to the porch, telling them it was broken and we didn't need it anymore. Sis actually said, "goodbye, kitchen," and just kept going.

And today I posted to my playgroup that I was giving it away and it was claimed immediately. And my friend came and got it today, just as we were pulling in the driveway from our morning outing.

Sis, who has been sensitive and crying at the drop of a hat, lost it completely, deciding suddenly that it was her favorite toy, that she uses it when I'm not looking (when is that?), and that it is in her second favorite color (blue). But I let the kitchen go. Because my kids don't use it. Because we don't have space for it. Because they're getting all new toys. Because I said my friend could have it.

But I imagine Sis will be in therapy for this in twenty years.

I might be too.

Unhappiest Place in the Country

The most unhappy place in the country is New York, apparently.

Followed closely by Connecticut and New Jersey.

Apparently, when researchers combined a variety of studies, they found that people in NY et al (subjectively) reported less happiness and satisfaction AND (objectively) experienced in greater proportions the most common factors in decreased happiness: high cost of living, hard or long commutes, unhealthy environments, and poor schools.

Hmmm, I don't usually associate Connecticut with poor schools or unhealthy environments. But the first two, absolutely.

Then why do so many people live here? I would say it has to do with ambition, challenge, curiosity, competition, excitement, at least for those of us who choose to be here. And of course, none of those really lead to contentment and satisfaction; maybe New Yorkers wouldn't be happy anywhere because of who they are. Which is why they end up in New York (or its neighbors). For the researchers, the fact that lots of people move to NYC is part of the problem--people hear that the places are great and exciting places to live, which drives up the congestion and cost of living and hard commutes.

The happiest place: Maine. Others in the Top 10 were Alabama, South Carolina, Montana, Mississippi, Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana. Louisiana!!!???? Yes, apparently even with Katrina.

And, for my loyal Texas readers, I can't find where you rank. So, apparently, you're not super happy or very miserable.

The article reporting the studies was clever and acerbic, concluding with

Not to be unkind, but some states that made the Top 10 are among the poorest in the country. Are people there truly happy, or are they wearing “What, me worry?” smiles.

More important, might contentment be overrated? Seriously, isn’t restlessness, even outright discontent, often a catalyst for creativity?

We’re from the Harry Lime school. If you’ve seen the film classic “The Third Man,” you will remember that character’s admonition: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonard da Vinci, and the Renaissance.

“In Switzerland they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

It's Gommie (and Pop) Day!!!!

Yesterday it was "Get Ready for Gommie Day" the kids informed me at 6:15 a.m.

Today, they had hoped she would be here when they woke up.

Of course, they aren't supposed to leave Houston for a few more hours, though there is some hope that they'll make an earlier flight.

So we have some time to pass: playing, tv, making candy for the neighbors, maybe even going out for a side trip and lunch.

Because, you see, excitement and exhaustion are a dangerous cocktail.

And I don't want to drink that.

Question of the Day

How is it that Mexico City, in Catholic Latin America, has legalized same-sex marriage before New York City?

At least it adds another place Mama and I would be glad to visit and spend our tourist dollars.

Cookies!!!

Check out these two NYTimes pages, which deserve a post of their own here:

• Bitten explores the Madeleine
• Readers photos and recipes of their holiday cookies, including a couple of scrumptious chocolate ones

Another Happy Birthday!

This time to Miss T's little A, who turns 2 today!

Gingerbread Satisfaction

Buddy has had his day. He spent more than 30 minutes today carefully decorating his graham cracker "gingerbread" house with every kind of candy we'd bought at the store in preparation for our party. He was completely engrossed, engaged, concentrating on his house, which he modeled very carefully after the one Sis made at the party (she made a new one, along with their visiting friend, but both of them finished long before Bud). And so proud! So, while it wasn't quite the same treat as going to the all-girls' party last week, it was very satisfying to him.

And to me.

For Lambeth: On Plants

Most times I write about being a vegetarian, my dear friend Lambeth tells me, usually in an email but sometimes in the comments, that plants have feelings too.

Well, Lambeth, here's an article in the NYTimes talking about that and much, much more. Turns out you were more right than you might have known (though, I wouldn't be surprised if you knew research, either). Check out the comments, too. I liked the description of Jainism:

Jainism, an Indian religion, advocates ahimsa or non-violence to all things but recognizes that violence is necessary to live. All we can do is to minimize our violence. Jains believe that the more senses a living thing has, the more pain it experiences and the more violence we cause when we kill it. So, to minimize violence, they say, to live, kill those things that have the fewest senses. ie. Kill the potato, but spare the pig.

But I'll still be a vegetarian.

Live Blogging the Blizzard: Epilogue

We spent 2 1/2 hours outside in the snow today.

First, we fed the birds, filling all 3 of our feeders to the brim as well as spreading seed all over the ground for our mourning doves (who can't/won't eat from the feeders).

Then, we headed to the backyard and worked on our snow fairy house, which the kids started yesterday with Mama. Today, we added a porch and gate to the pine-tree branch roofed-structure. Then they continued to make it snow, while the windchimes sang in the wind.

A nature walk in the neighborhood was next. The stream near our house was surprisingly unfrozen. So they threw more snow in.

And then they spotted a huge snow bank, the kind only plows can make. They crawled up it, walked across it, slid down it, playing king and queen of the hill for quite awhile. At one point, Bud lost his boot, which got stuck in a hole that turned out to be right above the opening to the drainage hole. We're lucky we didn't lose the whole boot down the sewer.

Then a neighbor boy came out and Sis and Bud headed across the street to play in the snow bank in front of his house. Until his sister and another neighbor brought out sleds! SLEDS! They headed to a hill down the street, with Sis and Bud running behind them, "wait for us!" And so all the neighborhood kids sledded down the "hill," a high-sloped yard down the street. And the older girls took turns taking Bud and Sis down the hill. I wasn't even that nervous; the older kids had obviously done it a lot--there was a shiny, prepped track down the slope (in fact the owners of the house came by and were obviously pleased that the kids were out there playing)--and they were safe and careful. Oh, what fun the kiddos had, smiling and laughing and squealing all the way. I've never sledded before, ever, so all I could do was stand at the bottom of the slope, in the street, and watch for cars. Funny to be the lone adult in charge of an activity I know nothing about. Soon, though, another neighbor mom came out and we had fun chatting while the kids kept sledding. Bud and Sis got into it, even helping haul the sleds back up the hill, and were extra sad when it all ended. All the way home, they begged for their own sleds so they can sled more.

But they were content today with yet more hot chocolate and another round of "hot chocolate popcorn balls." And are enthusiastic about making gift bags of chocolate pretzel candy to take to the neighbors as a thank you.

They probably just want another chance to sled again!

Riding Around the Christmas Tree

Yesterday, after tromping around in the snow long enough, Bud decided he wanted to put a train track around the Christmas tree. So he and Mama, with Sis's help, laid their wooden train tracks around the skirt of the tree. Today, first with their visiting little friend, and now alone, they are running trains (they have one self-propelled train each) around and around, then stopping them at the building block station to change passengers. It's all very sweet.

And I'm extra glad I bought them Polar Express as one of their Christmas books this year.

My New Addiction

. . . is my Neti Pot.

Sure, I'm taking antibiotics for my sinus infection but I was still stuffy and headachy. So on the suggestion of my doctor, I bought a Neti Pot (see this NPR piece for info) which is a little teapot-looking thing that, well, you stick up your nose to wash out your sinus.

I know, gross. And I'm not really one who likes to mess with my breathing, my nose, with water. I don't even usually like to gurgle with salt water when I have a sore throat, even though I know from experience that it makes me feel better. I'm not even sure what compelled me to do it, except a dislike of taking meds if there are other ways to help out a situation. Maybe a vain desire to be extra-crunchy granola, alternative, yep, weird and different. And so I'm doing it (and only got myself really wet the first time!). And it's working. My headaches are gone and my breathing is clearer; I can tell when it's time because the pressure has built up (I do it twice a day, as directed).

Mama thinks I'm crazy and is really surprised, but I think she's also a bit impressed.

But she hasn't tried it for her stuffy nose.

Yet.

Happy Birthday!

May the days get sunny and bright for you, church Miss L, on this, the winter Solstice! I know you need the light.

Live Blogging the Blizzard: The End

The snow is still here but it's back to normal, so to speak, for us. We had a great day yesterday and I was to busy living to blog. We went out in the snow 3 times, making angels, painting the snow (put food coloring in squirt/squeeze bottles with lots of water), building a snow fort, having a snow ball fight, all the fun things you can do in the snow. We also played inside, having a dance party, building pillow forts, reading stories. And we ate snow ice cream, popcorn balls (to which I added chocolate chips, for "hot chocolate popcorn balls"). We never made the gingerbread cookie dough. There's time enough for that. We'll be going out today, of course, to play, after our Gingerbread House party. It's cold and windy so the snow should stay around for days. Which means Gommie and Pop will see snow, even if it is supposed to get warmer and rain on Christmas.

Live Blogging the Blizzard: Gingerbread Cookies

One of my ideas for today is to make gingerbread cookies. The kids aren't interested in that right now, but said they will be later (!). The dough, however, needs to sit for 3+ hours and, after baking, the cookies can't be decorated til they are cool--this is an all-day process. So, I'm going to start the dough now, in hopes of doing this project later.

Thinking of gingerbread, at some point today we'll need to start on shaping our houses for tomorrow's gingerbread house party.

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Basic Gingerbread Dough

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Sanding sugar and miniature candies, for decorating

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Beat in molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add flour a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated.

Divide dough into quarters; shape into disks, and wrap into plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in top and bottom third. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies, rolling out any scraps and additional disks as needed until you have about 20 kids. Transfer to parchment-paper-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between cookies. With remaining dough, cut out additional kids to make clothes, jewelry, and hair as desired. Dress cookies, and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Bake cookies, two sheets at a time, 7 minutes; rotate pans top to bottom and front to back, and continue baking until cookies are firm when touched, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired.