Don't Underestimate SNOW! (in NC)

Yes, I've been gone. Both from home and from blogging, but a lot longer for the latter. We got through the holidays (next year, I think I'll just sign off from November 30th until mid-January) and last week, we had a short vacation in Saint Augustine visiting my parents.

We arrived home last night to discover that it was going to snow! To put this in perspective for all you northerners, the last accumulation even worth mentioning was February 2004. Today, it was only about two inches here, and is almost all melted this evening, but it was the first "real" snow for both the kid *and* the younger dog!

Since we don't actually have snow-appropriate clothing here, we spent a good bit of the morning getting the kid in 2 layers of clothes (like getting him in one isn't hard enough) and then we went outside and played in the snow for about the same amount of time it took to get him dressed. But it was worth it. And for the record, if you're three years old, a cookie sheet *does* make an excellent sled.

Don't Underestimate Thanksgiving

Really. Please. Don't underestimate Thanksgiving. I know it doesn't come with as many decorations as some other winter holidays, and no catchy tunes that I can think of, but why, oh why must the Christmas carols be playing and the trees go up even before the turkey is bought?

I actually love Thanksgiving, it's all about hanging out with your family, watching the parade, playing games and doing puzzles, cooking and eating yummy food (snapping the wishbone!) and let's not forget - giving thanks.


Maybe it's because I am interior-decorating-challenged, but I just cannot get geared up for Christmas until Thanksgiving is done. The next day, if you all want to start the madness, that's OK with me, but it makes me feel sad, every year, that people are so eager to get to Christmas that they must "jump in line" as it were and push poor Thanksgiving aside.


So in my salute to Thanksgiving here are some links for you!


High Heeled Mama's 30 days of thanks

Thanksgiving trivia

The Butterball website

How to make your own pumpkin puree ~ You can make pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin!

Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving story


Got any more to add?

Don't underestimate the Court Jester

The kid has been having some trouble going to sleep. Since turning three, he has developed fears at night, seemingly of rectangles and circles (no, not kidding, and I don't get it either).

Last night, I decided to try to read him to sleep. Normally, this would have the opposite effect since he loves books and most of them are chock full of pictures and words he wants to "follow along with" (meaning I have to point to the words as I read them). But the husband has a series of books from his childhood that are full of stories, but very few pictures. I made the kid a deal - he stays (mostly) still on the bed and I will read, carefully noting that this is a *listening* story, not an interactive one.

The first story in the volume I picked up was Many Moons by James Thurber. The kid was asleep 2 pages in, but I read the entire thing anyway.

Now, about the Court Jester. The idea of the story is that the Princess Lenore is ill and she thinks she will get better if she has the moon. The King calls in all his wisest advisers, but each one tells him the task is impossible. The Court Jester comes in to cheer him up, hears the tale, and fixes the problem. I'll leave out the details, this little story really is worth reading (for all ages) and I don't want to spoil it.

Here's the thing. The wisest men in the land, who had obtained countless things for the King from every corner of the earth, could not (or would not?) get the moon for the Princess. The Court Jester did. Just because someone tells you something can't be done, doesn't mean it can't. Not everything has to be hard, get out of your wise-man brain and put a little Jester into your thoughts - you might be surprised.

Don't Underestimate procrastination-itis

Yes, I've got it. Bad. The dreaded procrastination-itis.

I have a list a mile long (including "write your blog") and very few things crossed off. Do you know what's holding me back? Jeans. I need new jeans. We are going to Colorado, and somehow, I don't think my NC summer wear is going to cut it.

Why are jeans such a problem? I *hate* to shop. Hate it, hate it, hate it. My sister is like some crazed fashionista who can spend a day trying on clothes and go back and purchase the first thing she tried on. I think having to go along for that as a "tween" (that word didn't even exist back then) has scarred me for life.

So, I procrastinate. I read Facebook, Twitter, online forums, etc. ANYTHING except what's on my list. This has been going on for days. But now, I've started my recovery - cross "write your blog" off the list.

Don't underestimate bears

Don't underestimate bears. I mean, OBVIOUSLY not in the wild, I'm talking about the ones in books.

Today is Paddington Bear's 50th "birthday" (as anyone who used Google search today has already figured out). He and I go waaaaay back. I had the books, the bear, even played Paddington in the 2nd grade play. My dad used to make Paddington's hat "talk" to me before bed when I was in elementary school. For my birthday, my mom gave me the new book, and I'm pleased to report I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would.

Really, how can you go wrong with a children's book that starts with a bear "from Darkest Peru" showing up on a railway platform with a tag that says "Please look after this bear. Thank you."? Now, years later, the kid loves him too, as he should - they're very similar. As Paddington says, "Things happen to me. I'm that sort of bear".

Hug a bear today :-)

Don't Underestimate The Universe's Sense of Humor

Recently, the fabulous Dawn Goldberg of Write Well U, posted about her Note from the Universe on her blog.

Clearly, I'm open to suggestion these days, as that post made me go and sign up for my own notes this past Sunday. Yes, this was *another* one of those things that I'd been meaning to do forever, it just took the right nudge from the right person (thanks, Dawn!)

Side note: When you go to the site, it's not just notes from the universe, in fact, there's a tag in the top left called "Tut's Adventurers Club" which made my day because it made me think of the Adventurer's Club on Disney's Pleasure Island, which had closed that very day. (Kungaloosh!)

Off I went to sign up. I wasn't prepared - you need to enter goals (which makes sense - in order for the universe to give you what you want, you have to tell it - right? A little like Santa Claus in that way). The first one has to be a material possession. I type in "Fabulous inviting deck". You see, our house is literally falling apart at the back door - the previous owners "patched up" some water damage which resulted years later in a rotting floor and door frame along with the part of the deck that attaches to the house. When we get this fixed, we will have to tear down the existing deck, and replace it with - that's right, a "Fabulous inviting deck".

Here's what showed up in my email on Monday:

The cards of life are stacked in your favor, Heather. Overall, you're far more likely to succeed than fail, and to thrive than dive. Don't let the inevitable setbacks get you down. After all, having a fabulous inviting deck is not asking for much!
Whirlpools of love, The Universe

Get it? Cards? Decks? Haha. Verrrrry funny, Universe! (sigh) off to play go-fish with my new deck of cards...

Don't Underestimate bath toys

Apparently, if you are too mean to your bath toys, they will sneak up and getcha.

The kid was playing in the bath with his plastic boat. Decided he didn't want to play with it anymore, so threw it at the faucet. It landed back in the bath and floated (as boats will do) up behind him.

He sat on it.

And then screamed at the top of his lungs.

The good news is, we don't have to go to the ER and he will be fine. The bad news is that we have to pay WAY more attention to his, um... posterior than any good parent should have to for the next few days. And I'm pretty sure we made the after-hours nurse's night :-).