A Crazy Week in Wonderland

Last week was absolutely insane. Every four years, the faculty produces Alice in Wonderland for our students. We start with read-throughs in December, but we really put the whole thing together in a week. Our one dress rehearsal is Thursday in front of our families and alumni, and then we do two shows Friday and Saturday for our current students. It's crazy and exhausting and I love it even if I still haven't recovered. This year, I made my debut as the Caterpillar:

I had a very supportive fan club Thursday:

And I loved seeing former students:

And most importantly, getting the seal of approval from my predecessor:

Aside from a trip down the rabbit hole, we also had a pretty big week at home! Evan won the chorus award at school:

 Although I was most proud when I caught him reading just for fun:

And Issa got braces:

Friday was rough, but she's feeling better each day, and I think she looks super cute!

What I Wish...

Yesterday, we got the official notice of all of the dates to get Issa registered for high school. I feel like yesterday I was registering her for kindergarten, but I blinked and here we are. And we are ready.

I was texting with a friend about the notice yesterday, and we were  talking about all of the adventures high school will hold: dual enrollment, homecomings, proms. A first date made the list, which of course made us fast-forward. My friend asked what I hoped for in a husband for Issa someday, and we made the usual list: sense of humor, someone who will know her well enough to support her and challenge her, blah blah blah.

But as I was loading the dishwasher last night, I realized what I really want: I want someone who knows she likes a little fork.

Issa has this weird quirk where she prefers to eat dinner with a salad fork. I don't get it, but it is what it is. As I was putting that little fork in the dishwasher, I realized I want someone to pay attention to those little details she will never mention and just set out a small fork when he sets the table. If he does that, I will know everything else will fall into place because he's paying attention.

For now, though, I think we'll just worry about high school classes....

The Official Start of the Season

Issa's dance season officially kicked off yesterday with Showcase. We were so proud of our girl. She just continues to grow as a dancer, and it was so lovely to see her really enjoy being on stage. We have our backstage routine down to a science, and aside from a small melt-down over fake eyelashes, it was smooth sailing.

What I loved most, though, was this:

She had a huge cheering section. Not pictured are the world's best prop dad and brother, who spent pretty much the whole show hauling various props on and off stage. Nana came, and Aunt Shannon flew in from Chicago. Issa had been talking to my Aunt Beth and Uncle Nick about Showcase at Tyler's wedding, so they drove up from Atlanta to cheer her on. I know Issa is so very, very loved, but I'm always so humbled when people travel in to sit a school auditorium for over three hours to watch her on stage for about 30 minutes total. It was a great way to begin what I'm sure will be a fabulous season (in which I promise to take more pictures).

Working an Abandoned Muscle

I received this cute journal from Don and Nancy for Christmas: 

Each page has a sentence or two at the top--a random story starter. You have one page to finish it.

I have found myself, sharp pencil in hand, rediscovering my old love of creative writing. I used to write with my students all the time, but when I left the classroom, I stopped working that muscle.

I'm finding immense joy in writing again, though! My stories aren't great, and I'm nowhere close to hitting on something that might spark the next great American novel, but I love hearing the scratch on the page and the feel of the words flowing from my hand. I'm not pre-writing or overthinking anything. I'm just writing for the love of words, and it's so very lovely.

The Great Christmas Wrap-Up

Today we head back into the regular routine. I'm in the office, the kids are in school, and Brad is enjoying a quiet home office again.

We did have a fabulous Christmas, though, and I reminded again how grateful I am to have people who take pictures because I took zero the entire time we were in Ohio!

Our Christmas celebrating started the Friday before with a girls' trip to the see The Nutcracker. We were all so tired from the final week of work and school before the break, but we loved the production:

The highlight, though, was watching Issa love on these pointe shoes that had been worn by one of her favorite ballerinas:

The low-light was watching the weirdo come home and smell them:

 I love that ballet still makes her so happy, and it was a great way to start the celebrating!

We spent the weekend celebrating at Nana's. Saturday, we had a PJ day:

 We finished the evening by watching the Downton movie, and then we spent Sunday preparing a feast from the Downton cookbook and celebrating. Aunt Shannon captured the traditional package pictures:

 Issa was thrilled by her new make-up set:

 And Evan is in love with his soccer cards:

 Monday we packed up for Napoleon! On Christmas morning, Santa filled the stockings since he had already brought our gifts:

 And Brad and I surprised the kids with their own Echo Dots. We wanted them to have a little something to open on Christmas morning, and this picture is when Brad and Issa figured out how to give them a British accent:

Christmas morning was spent in our PJs again--one last time with all of us matching:

 Adding a generation:

 And one more:

This branch of the family has decided to move our celebrating to July so we can all have a little less crazy on Christmas morning, so this year was a little extra special. We made gingerbread house placemats and bead ornaments while sipping hot cocoa.

Most of the rest of the time in Napoleon was spend playing with Cash, Tyler and Hannah's new puppy. He's three months of golden energy and adorableness!

On the 26th, we headed South and spend time with Brad's side. My favorite moments were my one-on-one moments with each of my nieces and nephew. Adult nieces and nephews are just the coolest, and I love having very real conversations with each of them. We also got to babysit our youngest niece, and I got to play with a light-bright again.

We ended our trip with Papa Don and Grandma Nancy, which is always a nice soft place to land. We played games, watched movies, and picked hickory nuts from the shell. I love our time to just be before the long drive back.

On our way back, we also managed to sneak in a visit with Grandma Judy! We hadn't been to her house in years, and it was so good to talk--even if it was just an hour visit.

I think those are the moments of Christmas I treasure most--all the conversations. I'm looking forward to the next round...

Happy New Year!!!

The big Christmas wrap-up post is coming, but it seemed fitting on New Year's day to capture all that I am feeling at the beginning of the new decade.

I spent all day yesterday deep cleaning pantries and the refrigerator. (Then I did all of the bathroom cabinets because I was inspired.) Issa and I made a big pass at the grocery store, loading up on produce. We are starting to dabble in plant-based meals around here, and it feels so much better. I made sweet potato nuggets (need some tweaking) and air-fried green beans (a huge hit). Then, at 7:30, we headed to Greensboro for the Avett Brothers New Year's Concert:

They are absolutely my favorite band, and it was an amazing first concert for the kids. Drew Holcomb opened, and he was incredible. I loved singing with Issa and watching Evan's eyes light up at the drum solo. At midnight, confetti and balloons dropped from the ceiling. I cried twice. Once just because I couldn't believe we were really there. Once during "We Americans" because it's just such a powerful song.

As I sang "Auld Lang Syne" with an arena full of people, I realized this is what I want for this decade. This year, I'll turn 40, and I'm so very excited about that. Many women who have come before me just kept telling me how great this decade is, and I'm already feeling it although I have a few more months to get there. I finally feel comfortable with myself--no more need to impress or conform. As I occasionally tell Brad, "I have no more Fs to give," and that's not a bad thing! I feel strong enough to be me--unapologetically me. To lead with my heart and trust my own intuition. It's a gift.

This is the decade where I worry less about the schedule and the routines and the shoulds. When opportunities like last night present themselves, I will shout yes on the way out the door. I can sleep the next day. I want to soak in memories and moments.

I woke up thinking about a poem I did as part of one of my speeches in high school:

Listen to the mustn'ts, child,

Listen to the don'ts.

Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. 

Listen to the never haves,

Then listen close to me:

Anything can happen, child,

Anything can be.

~Shel Silverstein

I plan to spend this decade living that poem, and I can't wait to see what will be...

Christmas Magic

I've made a conscious effort to slow down and soak in the Christmas magic this week. It's easier now that my students have gone home and my work calendar has a bit more breathing room.

For us, some of the magic still comes in the form of our elf, Buddy. He tries to find little ways to remind of to slow down and focus on what's important this season, and he also tried to insert a little extra fun into our days.

Yesterday, he left us treat sacks and big bags of candy so we could Jingle Bell our neighbors. It's really the elf version of ding-dong-ditch. I watched as the kids mixed all the candy and plotted the route least likely to get them caught. They also decided which houses to just leave a treat in the mailbox because their littles were probably already in bed. (The mailman may be getting some extra treats today.)

The magic, though, was when the kids came back in. They were both out of breath and laughing so hard. They watched some neighbors we don't know well come out, look around, and then laugh. They fell in the ditch. They had fun.

It's those moments, those little moments of giving and laughter, that bring me the most joy this season, and I'm so grateful I slowed down enough to soak it in last night.

A Little Christmas

Last weekend, we celebrated our little family Christmas. We had already given the kids our gifts, but we all agreed it might be best if Santa came to North Carolina this year. He usually fills stockings on his early route, but we asked if he might be willing to drop off the gifts early since Evan had requested a huge Nerf gun. That Santa came through for us:

 Issa asked for a FitBit this year:

 Santa came through with a couple of extra bands for it, too:

Evan asked for some ridiculously huge Nerf gun:

 

 And Santa came through with extra ammo:

Poor Brad spent most of the rest of the day rehanging my nightstand that fell off the wall, and Issa and I had to go to one more Company dress rehearsal.

We did manage to squeeze in some family Christmas time. We baked cookies and watched Christmas movies. We ended the day with the traditional fried chicken dinner. It's nothing fancy, but we did laugh until we cried. And that's really all anyone can ask for.

Part Two of Merry Christmas

This weekend, we gave the kids part two of their Christmas gift: tickets to the Hillsborough Candlelight Tour. It is sponsored by the Chamber, and they say you can't possibly do all of the activities in the window of the event--and they are right! We prioritized and did all of the things that were most important to us, though! 

We started at the Burwell School, where we learned more about housekeeping in the early 1800s. My favorite new tidbit is that they made irons that were hinged to make pleats; it looked like a giant cast iron crimper for clothing! We also learned more about the seamstress, Kepley, who lived her in Hillsborough and went on to be the seamstress for Mary Todd Lincoln, and new tidbit, Mrs. Jefferson Davis! We also learned a lot about the history of harps from around the world and listened to some old Christmas carols performed on a harp.

We saw an original play performed in the old courthouse. A local playwrite wrote it about the Alamance Regulators, and an ancestor of one the Regulators spoke, which was really cool. We toured many historic homes and buildings, voted in the gingerbread house competition, drank hot beverages from all our local favorites, road a train around town, and listened to some local authors read. It was one of those wonderful afternoons where I am so grateful to live in this little town!

I took no pictures on the tours, but I did get these cuties:

And Issa captured my new favorite picture of Brad and I:

It was truly a fabulous day!

The Beginning of Holly Jolly

When we got back from Chicago, we started the process of holly jollying everything! The first stop is always the fire department for our trees:

Bless Brad. He was starting in with the virus I had last week, but he powered through and put up both trees:

Mom's is significantly larger than ours:

Brad was much happier putting up our tree:

After the trees, we went to see A Magical Cirque Christmas:

Evan was not that unhappy; he was just uncomfortable for the picture.

It was an amazing show! We still can't figure out some of the magic, and the performers were incredible!

We spent this week decorating a little in the tiny pockets of time we could, but we are most excited about getting very holly jolly this weekend!

Thankful in Chicago

 This Thanksgiving, we did something totally different: we went to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with Aunt Shannon. She has come to us for every holiday, birthday, and major life event literally forever. She really wanted to host a holiday, and we thought it was high time we made that happen.

Wednesday, for once, I did not get over excited and book us on the earliest flight possible. We ate lunch at the airport and caught a lovely 12:15 flight direct to Midway. After a short Uber ride, we were at Aunt Shannon's, and after about 20 minutes we we up to our elbows in puzzle:

Our family loves a good puzzle. And we spent a lot of Friday puzzling until it was time to go to dinner at a fabulous Italian place where I had Vin Santo for the first time state-side. We went back to Shannon's where the children fell in love with her building's pool. They would be in it multiple times a day until we left.

Thursday, we spent the entire day at Shannon's puzzling, cooking, and just being:

Eventually, we needed the table for our Thanksgiving feast, so we moved completed puzzle sections to cutting boards:

Brad carved the turkey:

And we sat down to quite the feast!

Also, the children are obsessed with being velociraptors:

Friday morning, we got up and went to the aquarium where we met Tim, Amy, and Maura! It was so good to see them, but we took nary a picture. We did have an amazing time watching the fish and enjoying their Christmas decorations. The belugas, especially the baby, were the highlight, though. As soon as Evan hits five feet tall we are going to go behind the scenes to meet them up close!

We had lunch at Bright Wok, and entirely gluten free Asian place Brad is convinced is heaven. He insists it was the best thing he ate in Chicago. We also experiences the Christmas Market. It is a completely European arts and food fair, and while parts of it were lovely we were all desperate to get out of the crown after 45 minutes. It was the best hot chocolate I have ever had, though--and it came in a little boot mug!

We finished the puzzle Friday!

 And then we bundled up to go to the lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo:

The lights were magic, and we had a blast watching the ice carvings, but the monkeys stole the show. We learned that family groups twine their tails:

 And we got to see the baby gorilla:

 I love that you can see Mom, Shannon, and Issa reflected in that picture.

We ended Friday at an amazing tapas place followed by yet another swim.

Saturday we just spend a quiet morning at Shannon's before we flew back home.

We packed a lot into those few days, but more than anything I'm grateful to see Shannon's city with her. I loved watching my kiddos soak in the city--especially now that they are older and can really see and experience it. No more strollers. No more worries about naps or meal times. We could just enjoy.

I'm truly thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving and beginning of the Christmas season.