So, this week.

So, I'm cleaning and purging this week.

Hold me.

After packing up and condensing my entire life (along with J's) into storage & 2 bedrooms in my parents' house it has become blazingly clear that I have too much crap.

Way too much crap.

Oh, I've purged through my belongings before. There's a couple of boxes to prove that out in the garage... awaiting that phantom garage sale that has never quite happened. Whoops. Anyway. New Rule. If it's in one of my drawers or my closet & I haven't used or worn it in 2 years, it's outa here.

And then maybe, if I'm really, really lucky I'll find an hour (or 20) to go through the boxes upstairs and see what I can donate or sell from those.


My other project is to geek my way through the two new cookbooks that came to live with me this Christmas.
Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics & the Pioneer Woman Cooks
I am over the moon excited to get my cooking on in the weeks to come. I love love love to cook. And I'm trying to be a better baker. I repeat... trying.

Though the Lemon Poppyseed Cakes I made this year as Christmas presents seemed to go over like gangbusters with my nearest and dearest. Note to self: must add that recipe to my permanent file.

Anyway- how are you spending this last week before 2011??

Christmas This Year

There was quite a bit of this....

There was thankfully, only one instance of this... where he actually put his plan into total action

There was plenty of this

several hours were spent looking at this & not getting enough of it...

seeing secrets shared between two buddies

watching a little boy have 'his' Thomas come stay at his house for Christmas

.... and go out and greet him every night when Thomas, "woke up."

21

Years have a way of passing by lightening fast. So fast that you could get whiplash trying to catch them as they fly by.

I ruminate today on how 21 years could have passed me by so fast. That many years since my granddaddy walked this earth.

Crazy.

Sometimes it seems like its been forever since I saw him.
Ask me another time, and I would swear, with breathless certainty, that it seems like just yesterday.

I miss his face.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, gentle readers. No. No. Sometimes it sneaks up on you when you least expect it. But time puts distance between you and the visceral, knee jerk pain. That goes away. The dull ache. That doesn't.

And, really... would you want it to?
For me, the pain of my grandfather's death is part of the joy of the memory of his life. It's all wrapped up in how very much I loved him. How much I love him today. I think that its okay to say that some pains don't go away. Some sorrow grafts itself into the DNA of who you are.

Ignoring it doesn't make it go away. Denying that it exists just seems to... I don't know- rob you of an important part of who you are. Am I saying that one should through themselves into the deep pit of terrible sorrow?... no. There is a balance.

I can say that I miss Winston. So much it hurts, still. But I can talk about that old man with joy. With absolute joy. I am so proud to hold his memory. I can laugh and giggle and smile boldly when I think on the time I had with him. That's the balance. That's how it all wraps itself together.

That's the amazing thing about the passage of time. That something can hurt & bring joy all at the same time.

And, after 21 years- that's what I'm thinking about today.

Break

Welcome back. Or, I suppose I should welcome myself back.

The last few days of my semester were a whip. November flew by like a flash, I tell you. And now, we're neck deep into December.

I'm taking a month or two off- it's a must. My brain went to mush.

The last week or so have been lovely. I've rested. I've relaxed... ish.

I've done a lot of reading.

Let's take a moment, please. I've spent the last 6 months chained to text books, so all my precious Pretties have stacked up beside my bed..... calling to me. Begging me to pick them up. To crack the spine and delve into those pages and pages of rich, wonderful prose.

I wax poetic, I do.

It's been a joy. I reread an old favorite- Christy. I love, love, love that book. And now, I'm rewatching the tv series & the PAX movies. Yes, I have them on dvd. Don't judge. (Dear Dr. MacNeill, I heart you.)

I'm currently reading a biography on Anne Hutchinson- yes, I am a nerd. The next book on the list is about Augustus. After that, is a biography on Amelia Earhart.....

In other news, I am happy to report that I have found my winter purse. Special thanks to SAMS and London Fog for coming together to make this joyous event possible. (Hi, my name's Taylor and I can switch subjects from deep to deeply shallow in a split second.) And I now have 2 (yes) pairs on winter boots. Can I just tell you how deeply my wardrobe rejoices over this?

Lot's of stuff happening this month- I'm hoping I can carve out the time to sit and write more. As in, work on my long neglected writing projects. Sigh. I can also hear the Siren Call of the theatre... it's calling to me. I've been away far too long. I find my center there- I really do. Must stop letting my 'breaks' extend for so long.


I looked back over this post & I can't really say that I wrote anything too world shattering. Oh, well. Maybe next time. Until then.

Thankful

For all that I do not deserve... for all that I have been blessed with.

Taking a couple of days to count my blessings one by one.

Remembering,

"A thankful heart is a happy heart..."

Happy Thanksgiving.

To Those Who Make Lists

I Salute You....

*Vacuum the floors
*mop the floors
*DO MY LAUNDRY
*put away my laundry- wish I didn't have to remind myself to do that
*eat lunch (not looking good today)
*put up Jacob's Christmas tree
*go through Jacob's toys and set aside the baby toys for garage sale
*go through Jacob's sock drawer; they're multiplying like bunnies in there
*balance checkbook
*watch cooking shows I taped on dvr
*watch Sanctuary I taped last Friday
*finish Humanities paper
*finish Humanities project
*study for History test
*call attorney
*dust-ick

By the way, have any of you tried the Zevia Sodas? They have no calories, but they aren't made with artificial sweeteners. I'm liking them thus far, I must say.

If anyone thought my train of thought jumped the track, you're right. But that's the price you pay for reading my wee little bloggy. Till next time!

It Happens

2009

2010Any Questions?

Oh, For the Love of Tom Landry

Dear Dallas Cowboys,

Stop. Just please stop. Take off the pads. Take off the jerseys. Remove yourselves from the field. Holy cow, yall have gone way past the point of imploding & to the point of just plain ridiculous. Yall are making fools of yourselves and humiliating the city you represent.

You look like idiots.

Learn some discipline on and off the field. Learn to respect yourselves. Learn to respect your fellow players, your coaches and your fans. Learn to LOVE the game again. Learn HOW to play football again. And then maybe.... just maybe, you'll earn the right to wear the silver and blue again. Perhaps you'll be worthy of the Landry Legacy.

But right now 'Boys, yall ain't nothing but a mockery.
And you certainly don't deserve to wear those uniforms.
Or stand on the memory of Team Tom Landry built.

Just sayin......

Into the Ring

The blog world is a really amazing little world- I say "little" with a rather large grain of salt. I love the fact that I can connect with all sorts of people from all walks of life. But, some of my favorite people to connect with are people who are bound together by the thin, string of adoption.

It's such a narrow tether- it really is. Sometimes it looks quite transparent & other times, its a rather thick strap and you couldn't miss it if you tried. But so many people, myself included are bound by this string. And I am constantly checking myself with the fact of how many thoughts and journeys and ideas people have about adoption. Some I agree with, wholeheartedly.... some I find myself feeling rather wishy-washy & others I just cannot, for the life of me, agree with.

Now, please don't mistake me. I'm not writing this post to say that I have all the answers. All I have is the sum of my life experiences as a (now) adult adoptee. Oh, yes- that's right. I did mention that I am bound to the community for adoption.

I was adopted at birth. Well, actually, I was bound for the family I call my family before I even opened my eyes on this world. My parents were set to adopt me before the girl who was carrying me inside her gave birth.

And yes, I said the "girl." Because that's what my 'birth mother' was... she was a girl. A child, herself. She didn't WANT to raise a child. Any child at that moment in time. And, at 17, can any of us really blame her? Her family wanted her to keep the child (me).... another member of the family wanted her to give the baby to them. But she wouldn't. She didn't want to be around her child... that wasn't her child.

So, I was adopted into my family.

As I grew up, I knew that I was "adopted."
But I also grew up knowing that.... really, it wasn't all that much of a big deal. No, I didn't grow in the stomach of the woman I call my mom. But at the end of the day, I double dog dare ANYONE to say that I'm not her child.

(and if anyone takes me up on that dare, they'll receive a verbal dressing down, the likes of which they've never received before..... and then they'll have to deal with my mama.)

There were no "celebrate your adoption birthday" days in my life. I have one birthday, thank you. I was brought up knowing that people come into families in different ways- and no one way makes you more "special" or more "different" or anything like that. You're simply a member of your family. Period.

I was NEVER introduced to anyone by my mother (or anyone else in my family) says, "This is Taylor. She's my adopted daughter." EVER. I was just their's.

I belonged to my family. And there was never a question about that. Maybe it was because my mom was very honest with me as I grew up & gave me AGE APPROPRIATE ANSWERS.

There's a concept that I have seen, sadly, lacking. Some parents want to be so honest & 'help their adopted children process their pain' so much that, I think, they are adding to their kids confusion and their 'pain'. I'm not really sure what constantly reminding your kids that they are 'adopted' or 'have another mommy and daddy somewhere' is supposed to do for these kids sense of belonging and well-being. And in some families, where the children are of a different ethnic orgin then their mom & dad.... they know they are different. Really. You don't need to point it out to them.

You might say that I'm not a big fan of "open adoptions." Where did this concept come from? How does this work?

"Come here little Susie. I'm your mom. But this is your other mom. And you love your daddy, but this is your other daddy."

What?!

Kids need identity. They have to have it. They must know who they are and where they belong in this world.
If a child grows up and has questions or curiousity about their 'birth parents', fine. But let that be their journey. I don't like the idea of parents choosing it for them. I really don't.

And now you might ask if I have ever tried to find the woman who gave birth to me. The answer is, no. Why? Well, to be honest- she's really not anything to me. Whoa, harsh, you might be saying... but its the truth. She's not my mother. And I refuse to call her that or to reference her in that manner. That she carried me & gave birth to me, I will be forever grateful.

Because she didn't have to. I was a post-Roe v. Wade baby.

But that's where my feelings end. She's not my family.

And she didn't want the child she carried at 17. She wanted her own life. And I have to respect that. I do respect that.

I am thankful that I was adopted. I love, love, love my family. And they love me. I am a part of a family that I couldn't imagine being without. And, I don't want to imagine life without them. I belong ... here. Am I 'grateful' to my parents for adopting me.... well, no more than any child is grateful for being born. Thankful and grateful are to different things.

And now, as an adult... as a parent myself, I can say that there really isn't a big difference between having a child whom you gave birth to or adopting them. There is not. If it seems that there is- that's something you have perpetuated. Sorry, but its the truth.

So... in conclusion. My two cents for whatever they are worth. Let your children BE your children. Don't make diffferences between them. Don't. Yes, adopting a child from birth is waaaay different from adopting an older child. And yes, an older child or a child that comes from a different ethic origin will have some different needs- THEY are the ones that might need extra care in the form of counseling.

All that is fine- but, please... Please send your sweet children the message every day that they are yours and you are their's. Give them the identity of being your children & of totally and completely belonging.

Thanks for listening.
*****
November is National Adoption Month. There are so many children in foster homes that need the identity that comes from being a part of a family that loves them.

Once a child hits 3, 4, & 5 their chances of finding a family are reduced to crazy small percent rates.

Once they hit 10, they have a next to nothing chance.

No home.
No family.
No mom and dad to love them and to call their own.

Just something to think about.

HIgh & Low of Dallas Sports

The Rangers are going to the World Series.

Wowza.

It's taken a couple of days to process this turn of events. This, crazy cool, turn of events. Those of us here in North Texas have been riding the sports induced high since Friday night- nothing has been able to bring us down or dampen our spirits (not even the high 80 degree weather in, you know, October).

And that's a good thing, cause Monday night marked the end of the Dallas Cowboys season.

Le sigh.

The quarterback has a broken clavicle. I knew it when he went down. Well, I didn't know his clavicle was broken, but I saw the hit & just knew- "Well, that sucks. He's out." Sadly, I was right. Our season has been a brain numbing experience thus far & the writings been on the wall... when you have undisciplined players & coaches who... well, I'm not really sure how to explain our coaches, it's just not a recipe for anything that even comes close to resembling greatness.

But, back to happy thoughts! The World Series starts Wednesday night... the same night as the Fall Festival at my church. Oops. So, it will be a rather quick jaunt through the Kid Fest & then back home for the baseball game. And those of you who remember last years costume debacle with Jacob, I must report that its really no better this year. He'll be wearing a Halloween shirt.

For Your Information

I Would Like...

1. it to be 10-15 degrees cooler. It's fall, for the love of all things good & right and true. I know, I know- I live in Texas, what do I expect? But a girl can dream, can't she?

2. for the Rangers to win their game on Friday & go to the World's Series. Please, oh, Please, oh, Please.

3. to have this last 10-15 pounds magically disappear from my butt.

4. to find the perfect berry lipstick

5. for pizza to have no calories.

6. to have the power to vanquish crappy drivers.

7. for a million dollars to magically appear in my bank account.

8. for laundry to put itself away, ugh.

9. to be in charge of television programing. Oh, the power. But, I promise I would use this power for good & not evil- well, I suppose that would greatly depend on your pov, cause I can promise you their would be a whole lot less 'reality' tv on the air & shows would be on at times & on days that, you know, actually made sense.

10. regular Dr. Pepper with imperial pure cane sugar to have no calories

and that's my wish list. Please make a note.

The GREAT State Fair

.................
oh, it's a grand time to be a Texan, I tell you. The State Fair of Texas is one of those beloved traditions that runs through my veins... and it runs deep.

It's the start of fall, it is. The Fair heralds the beginning of your Intrepid BloggerGirl's very favorite season. It's the time when my beloved Horns kick up dust with those northern aggressors known as the Sooners (icky!).

One of the greatest parts of the Fair is the fried food- oh, my heart does flutter. This year all I tried from the fried bounty that was offered was the Fried Margarita.... wasn't that bad. Kinda like eating a funnel cake & drinking a 'rita on the rocks. But you had to eat it fast, or it got soggy- texture! icky!

Yes, I did get a fried s'more again this year, thankyouverymuch. Those tasty, fried nuggets of wonderfulness soothe my soul and kinda complete me (culinary speaking, of course). ::sigh:: Can it please be next year again? Please?

Oh! and if you are a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan (I say lifelong, hoping that the people I am speaking to remember life BEFORE the man who fired Coach Landry) and you missed the Coach Tom Landry exhibit- shame. shame on you. It was really, really wonderful. Walking through & seeing into the life of the man who was such a fixture & a role model for so long was awesome. Coach Landry was one of a kind- a kind we need more of in this world, I think.

(.... and on a totally shallow note, a kind that the current Dallas Cowboys could benefit greatly from. Just sayin'.)

Anyway- enjoy some picture from the 2010 State Fair of Texas.


Yeah, so this was supposed to be a tender, sweet moment where we caught the youngling taking his next step into the big wide world.... sharing a Fletcher's Corny Dog. However, it was kinda, sorta ruined by the large man in the yellow shirt who greets the guests to the Fair.

Yeah, him. Big Tex. Our annual "Smile & Stand in front of Big Tex so everyone knows we are at the Fair" pic. Not so much. Tex started talking again. Jacob tried to tree himself in my hair & we had to motor. Rapidly.

HE RODE SOME RIDES!!!!!! (ahem) Sorry. I love rides. My baby rode some rides. His mommy beamed with pride. The End.

Well, almost the end... there were a few more photo ops!

The List

So, I've been up to my (not at the moment) well-manicured eyebrows in my undergrad studies here lately. As of this moment in time I have 2 papers, 1 project, & 2 tests left in my 'official' semester. My hope is to plow through those & get another class (or 2) squeezed in.

And then there's the usual, every day stuff that goes into my days & weeks- there's MOPS, church & serving the nursery once or twice a month. There's the never ending loads of laundry. The dinners that must get made- I feed myself, J, my mother & father and my grandmother. I love that. Cooking relaxes me- but it takes time and thought, to be sure. There are playdates with my best 'mommy friend' Faith & her little girl, L. And then, there are grown-up playdates with my peeps on those occasional nights or days when Jacob is with his dad.

.... and then, shepherding Jacob through his toddler & pre-school years. :-) That's my favorite job.

All this to say that there's a stack of books by my bed that are begging.... no, pleading with me to pick them up and crack open the spine. It's tragic, I tell you. (I won't even get started on the mass pile-up that's on my dvr right now. That would be a whole other, whiny post.)

So, I thought I would grace you with my abandoned reading list. Check them out & feel free to read any of them & tell me what you think... it might be a while before I get to them!

1. The Hole in the Gospel- Richard Stearns
2. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
3. 1776- David McCoullough
4. Arguing with Idiots- Glenn Beck
5. East to the Dawn (The Life of Amelia Earhart)- Susan Butler
6. The Lincolns- Daniel Mark Epstein
7. The Last Days of the Romanovs- Helen Rappaport
8. Mrs. Dalloway- Virginia Woolf
9. How to Eat- Nigella Lawson (this is an on-going reading project, to make my way through!)
10. Call of Duty- Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton
11. Vanity Fair- Willliam Makepeace Thackeray
12. Augustus- Anthony Everitt
13. The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood- Sears

Yes, that's the gamut of reading tastes- fiction, history, biography, auto-bio, cooking, health.
What about you? What's on your reading list?

Think of This as a Public Service Anouncement

..... for your culinary health.



A few tasty suggestions for your dining pleasure in the DFW, Texas area. :-)



Chuy's- do I really need to explain this? I heart this place. The salsa is kinda like chunky pico. Yummy and fresh. And the margaritas are darn tasty too. Just sayin'.



Papasito's- yeah, the Godfather of tasty Tex-Mex.... which is kinda odd since the people who own the chain are Greek, I believe.



Jorg's- if you want good, and I mean great, Austrian food... go here now.



Urban Crust- My favorite pizza in the world. Yeah, it's that good. I recommend the "Shea's East Side" pizza. Oh, and the "Hearts of Plano" salad. It's big enough for two.



Ajisen- it's kinda like my own personal "Cheers", only it's a Japanese restaurant. I go for the sushi & I'm never disappointed. Go at lunch time and try the lunch roll combo- 2 rolls, salad & miso soup for $10. It's in Richardson, in Little Chinatown off Greenville road.



Buco de Beppo- yes, it's an Italian chain. But, darn it, it's good food. And the family style makes me happy... it makes me think of my Grandma's house when there's lots of food and family... and that just gives me all kinds of warm fuzzies on the inside.

And this concludes your PSA for today. Have a lovely day!

and go eat some great food! :-)

A Trip in Pictures

Here are just a few pictures from our Labor Day trip. We had fun- I love Austin. I really do.


This is what happens when some drunk in the hotel pull the fire alarm at 5am.... and it get stuck in the on position & goes off twice. The first time, J fell back to sleep... the 2nd time, not so much. He ended up in the bed with me. (Special thanks to my dad for snapping this less than charming picture of me. That's what happens when you and your 2 year old share a hotel room with your mom and dad.)

In line at the Oasis- we waited quite a long time for a table. And then considered adopting into the family the waiter who bumped us out of the line & sat us in his station. Bless him. Bless him.

J and my Dad at the Oasis.

The obligatory picture of a sleeping 2 year old in his carseat. He fought each and every nap. The child didn't want to miss one thing.

Inside the Texas State Capital. Remind me to dedicate an entire post to the several pictures it took just to get this one, semi-decent picture. It makes me totally ok with the fact that my child is not looking at the camera.

If you get a chance to tour the Bob Bullock museum- take the time. It was really wonderful.

Yes... Just take a moment & share in my joy. I took J to the UT campus. It was a proud moment for me.

My new favorite picture!

We're Still Here

Watching twisters on live tv is amazing television, I tell you. Tornado drills are also lots of fun too. There's nothing like gathering together in a very tiny bathroom to bring you together as a family...

... and make you realize that you do not have a current (read: complete or anything) disaster kit.

Put that on my to-do list.

And for the record- may I just state my amazement at having several twisty twisters touch down around north Texas because of a Tropical Storm? Crazy. And ALL THE FLOODING. Thank you so much Tropical Storm Hermine for dumping all that rain on my home state. Holy Noah and his Traveling Ark, Batman.

From this point on, there's not going to be much of a flow going on to this post.

We went to Austin for Labor Day. I took my Lad to the Holy Land- I mean, the University of Texas campus. :-) We went to the stadium for a photo-op & he cheered for the Horns & their mighty school crest. It brought a tear to my eye. I'll have an Austin trip post soon (I hope) complete with pictures. And some restaurant reviews. There was some tasty, tasty chow that was consumed on that trip!

I need a new purse. I have retired the pretty, pretty pink purse for the fall (sad day) & I don't love any of my three current options. I think a trip to Charming Charlie is in order for yours truly.

I need some signature necklace pieces for the fall. (and when I say "need", I totally mean "really want")

Does anyone else love those chunky, flow-y sweater? Love.

I also really need a couple of new ballet-flat'esqe shoes. Hopefully in animal print. (and some high-heels in that print would be great too.)

I do now declare that a trip to Charming Charlie is in order.

Rainy, Rainy, Rainy

Yes, you may have guessed from the oh so clever post title, it's a rainy, rainy day. Actually, it's been a rainy couple of days. Tropical Storm Hermine is making her presence known even here in north Texas. We've got so darn much rain that there's been flash flooding all over the place & now, there are tornado warnings dotting all around where I live.

Am I taking adequate and immediate shelter with my loved ones? Umm, no. I'm perched on my bed "writing a paper", watching Pete Delkus & blogging. :-) Why? Cause it's what I do. And, since there's not a warning on the exact spot where I live, I feel rather safe at the moment.

But yall know what's totally bizarre? Listening to Steve McCauley on the phone on Channel 8 saying, "It's on the ground. The tornado is on the ground."...... he's currently chasing it. Well, I hope he's seeking shelter- cause I'm watching it on the tv & it's a little freaky.

and mesmerizing..... (thank you, HD Chopper 8)

I used to make fun of my mother when I was younger- she would tell me 'twister' stories & one in particular made me shake my head- she stood in her front yard and watched the twister. I could not fathom that. And now, here I am- totally mesmerized by this.

Here's a Few Things I Would Never Want to Hear When Anywhere NEAR a Wall Cloud
1. it's closing in on us
2. multiple vortices
3. lots of damage
4. debris that's being knocked around & lifted up
5. cars driving TOWARDS it
6. transformer fire

Crazy People.

A Reply

In waxing poetic in my last post, some hurt feelings have been uncovered. I want to address those feelings publicly. It seems like the right thing to do. If this post doesn't apply to you, then come back later. If it does, then please read on & then let's just us talk.

To Anonymous-

I suppose you would fall into the "I think we got our signals mixed and crossed badly somewhere along the way" category. In my blundering way, I suppose I was trying to give any and all space from my drama. I know that the path I am on is uncomfortable for some people & I have tried to be respectful of that.

I have probably also been oversensitive to varying degrees as well. But hurting and/or pushing dear loved ones out of my life has never been my intent. I am so often guilty of trying to read too much into the intent and the motives of what people are doing/saying/etc, instead of just coming out and talking with them about it. It's a massive, awful fault of mine.

To any of my dear friends that have been pushed away these last months, I am so sorry. Please forgive my blundering. I love my friends so dearly & I hurt to know that I have caused pain... I hope that we can have some restoration of our friendships, dear friend(s).

Love,
Me

A Somewhat Syrup-y Stream of Thought

I do, for the most part, try and keep my little on-line world fairly light. But I've had several times over the last months to ruminate on a certain subject. Nothing terribly terrible or anything such as that, but more serious than I normally write.

Every since I entered the new phase of my life- single motherhood, I have come to love and cling to and appreciate my friends. Not my acquaintances, mind you- my friends. Massive life upheavals have a funny, funny way of assisting you in weeding through those two labels. Let's face it, divorce sucks the suck of the doomed & not everyone can (will) continue along with you.

But then you have your friends.

And I have a handful of wonderful, magical friends. They pray for me, pray with me- they help me out with my kid. They laugh and play with me. And, most all of- they have stuck beside me. Some are old friends & some I have had the great pleasure of cultivating our friendship since the separation & divorce fiasco started.

Not really sure where I'm going with this, except to say that friends make your life so much better. They enrich it in ways that you could not even fathom until you start to see it.

In which I Remind You that I Have a 2 Year old

I have had every intention of regaling you with oodles of tales from Jacob's 2nd birthday party.

No, really. I have.

However, every time I sit down to write a long, loving post- I don't. The 999 other things that clang and clamour around my heels get more attention. I will take a few moments to tell you that, it was lots of fun. Thomas the Train themed. And, yes- he loved it. Jacob kept pointing to the faces of Thomas and his engine friends saying, "See? Mommy see?!"

And he may have hit the Thomas the Train mother load for presents- that he conned his older cousin, Julian into opening a couple of.

He got toys for the bath (or pool, as he decided), toys to play outside, toys to play inside- toys that came in a set (not 1, but 2 Thomas the Train play sets, thank you very much. One with batteries and one without) and toys that came all on their lonesome. He got a new toy truck looking Little People thing (I'm a girl, don't judge). He got a new storybook Bible & some new dvds starring his favorite Bears, an animated Bible figures & (of course) his greatly beloved vegetable people. The boy even scored a pirate ship of the Veggie Tales Pirates Who Don't Do Anything fame. Pretty sweet.

I had a house full of friends and family, lots of crumb crunchers (that's code for children..... who somehow managed not to spill ANY punch all day long. That I know of.)- lots of food and lots of laughter and fun. We ate, we swam, we unwrapped presents, we played, we had cake....

and.

I was exhausted by the end of the day.

...... and promising myself that, next year, we would be celebrating in the company of that overgrown rat who serves the pizza.

All I have to do is get my son over his phobia of the Cheese-rat between then and now.