Nailed It.

This Chicken and Dumplings was by far the best batch yet.  I added a couple tablespoons of butter and cooked the biscuits for 2 hours on high.  Delicious!  Reminds me of this chicken wrapped crescent rolled casserole my mom makes.

This was after we demolished it.

Thanksgiving

What a great Thanksgiving!  Brian came home early and we headed off into the traffic around 12:30pm Wednesday afternoon.  

We got to Gramma and Grampa's house around 4pm.  We went upstairs for the big train reveal.  Oh my gosh.  My dad and mom have been working on this train se for a long time.  They probably have 100+ hours into the project.  It was so cool.  Logan was in heaven.  It was pretty awesome.  Izzy was pretty stoked too.

I had plans to meet up with coworkers from UT.  One of the ladies now works at the DPS crime lab in Houston.  I missed the lab tour, but heard some 'fun' stories.  After dinner and lots of laughs and meeting her 2 year old (ridiculously well behaved and adorable) daughter I headed back to my parents house with a nice headache.  I blame the Houston traffic.  I can't handle that anymore.  Madness.

Thursday I woke up and headed off to the 'Run Through the Woods' Thanksgiving 5 mile run.  I ran this 2 years ago during marathon training and right after running 7 miles TO the race and still ran this year 5 minutes slower.  Man I miss being in awesome running shape.  I got a text that Jenn and my parents were waiting for me at the finish line!  How fun is that?!  My sister flew in from Florida and her flight arrived at 7:50am!  I felt really great after the race, so definitely could have pushed a lot harder, but coming off of a nasty infection I didn't want to go too hard.  Plus I had food to eat.

We all headed to the Hawkes' house for Thanksgiving dinner.  So nice of them to host.  Everyone ate and had a good time and then it was time to rest.  Or watch football.

Friday I did some online shopping but wasn't into the Black Friday madness.  I HATE that stores are opening on Thursday now for 'Black Friday.'  So silly.  I still scored some good deals online in the comfort of a warm house sipping coffee.  Can't beat that!  We also saw the movie "Frozen."  So cute.  Izzy loved it and is asking when it comes out on DVD so that she can see it again.  Logan sat through the movie.  Barely.  He was asking to go home numerous times, but I was able to distract him and finish it.

Saturday we watched football.

Sunday we went to 'coffee and cars' and had lunch at Rico's.  Of course.  Logan got a haircut and Brian and Grandpa went to Best Buy to look at 'stuff.'  We drove home Sunday evening and everyone was tired.  So nice to be spoiled at Gramma and Grampa's house.

Such a great holiday.  So glad my sister was able to fly in for it.  The kids have missed Aunt Jenn!

The house is still a mess, but I don't care!  Back to the routine this week.

Thanksgiving Dessert at Preschol and Pictures

Thursday we had dessert at Isabel's preschool for Thanksgiving.  I signed up to bring a pie.  I don't allow Isabel to have anything from bakeries because of her nut allergies, so I made her a cherry pie.  She really wanted to have a cherry pie, so I looked up and easy looking recipe and went for it.  It was good.  Really good.

Logan really likes pie.  A lot.

Isabel and her classmates.

He had THREE pieces of pie.  Normally this wouldn't be ok, but they were tiny pieces and he kept telling everyone he was 'starving' and 'SO hungry.'  His new favorite thing.  Even though he only says it when he wants a snack.

Isabel jumping from the tree stoop onto a cushion.

Starting to put up the village.

"Daddy, take a picture of me with the nutcracker."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Monster face.

Meds like a champ.

Oops

So I may have bribed Logan with putting up the Christmas tree if he didn't cry at drop off today.  Monday was tough.  His giant grey eyes filled with tears and turned them a shade of blue and begged me not to leave.  I finally left and was met with Isabel crying in the car.  So I started crying and we were all crying.  It was great.  What a nice start to the week.  Logan has been having a tough time transitioning to his new routine.  He has to go to bed an hour earlier, wake up and hour earlier, gets no morning TV time and his routine is totally blown.  I usually let the kids eat their banana and watch a show in the morning while I get ready.  Now it's just rush rush rush to get out the door.  I know he'll get used to it, but it's so hard to see him upset.

Today he came home and I knew he has had library today so I asked him if I could see the book he checked out.  We stopped on the driveway and I read him his book.  Honestly, it was the dumbest book I've ever read.  Maybe it went over my head?  It was so stupid.  Something about cats (?!) and a sea and seeing a sea.  Anyway, I was like WTF is this book?!

So I also promised him that he could watch "Prep and Landing" after school.  It's this adorably cute short film (35 minutes?) about Santa's Prep and Landing team.  They go in and prepare houses for Santa's arrival.  Logan LOVES it.  I love it!  It's really cute.  Today he was super into it and was acting out scenes.  I caught a little of it (after the fact) on the ipad.  I wish I would have captured it when it happened.  I was rolling on the floor laughing.

We picked Isabel up from school and I told her I needed to go to Target and get a bin for the adoption coalition gifts.  She asked what adoption coalition meant so I told her that her class was buying gifts for a boy and a girl that didn't have a family like she had and that needed some help buying present for Christmas.  She thought for a second and then said "Well, I can give them some of my present from my birthday party."  And then she really started asking me about why they didn't have families like hers and what that meant.  So I tried explaining it the best I could.  She then replied "Well, I can give them all of my birthday presents."  So right when I questioning if I am cut out for this whole parenting gig she says something like that.  I couldn't have been more proud.  So we get our bin and then head home.  Once we get home I make a little sign for the class.  Something like "Put your gifts here," but hopefully more eloquently stated.  She says to me "So I need to fill up that bin with my toys to give to the other kids?'  Awesome girl right there.

If you know me at all you know that I truly utterly, hopelessly L.O.V.E. all things Christmas.  Like everything.  I love the decorations, the food, etc etc.  The reason I love it so much is really the gifts.  Not getting gifts, but giving gifts.  Even the gift of a kind word or gesture in the holiday season gets me.  It really brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  I know that sounded super douchebagy, but I'm sure that's why most people love the Christmas season. It's truly not about the getting but about the giving.  When I've literally been looking all year for the perfect present to present to my loved ones on Christmas and I feel like I've nailed it and that I can't wait to give them their gift.  That's truly a gift to me.  To see that (hopefully) look on a loved ones face is priceless.

I remember the first year Brian and I were married.  We decided to save money on gifts and make candles for our relatives.  Brian was a 1L (first year law student) and I was a research assistant making very little money.  We were scraping by.  We spend so much time making these candles.  Honestly, we probably would have saved money just buying gifts, but I will never forget the long nights candle making in our tiny apartment with our little black dog at our feet..  We had so much fun drinking too much beer and making ridiculous candles in MacDonald's ice cream sundae cups.  It's one of my best memories with Brian.  I can literally go back in time and be standing in that kitchen frothing the top on some candles with Brian next to me laughing hysterically.  That, my friends, is the good stuff.

The Bus

Today Logan rode the bus home from school!  He didn't get home until 11:20am!  That's a long bus ride considering we live less than a mile from school.  He played it very cool getting off the bus.  I think he was a little scared and unsure of what the whole thing was and didn't understand that he was on his way home.  Once he walked in the door he was 'starving' and wanted lunch.  As I was making lunch and trying to understand what he wanted he started to melt down.  I think it was a big day with not enough sleep last night.  I let him watch one of my new favorite holiday short movies "Prep and Landing.'  I seriously love that show.  So cute.  He calmed down and helped me clean the cabinets after lunch.  We went to pick up Isabel from preschool and it was another tough time for Logan.  I didn't anticipate (but should have) that it would be difficult for him to go back to his old school and not actually be attending school there anymore.  He didn't want to leave Izzy's class.  Ms. Jill saw him and tried to play with him a little, but that made things worse.  I think he was just so confused.

This was yesterday.  Logan's first day at Kiker.  Isn't his shirt awesome?!!

Logan is seated in an integrated car seat on the bus and there is an aid that rides with them.

Bye bus!

We picked up Maddie for an afternoon play date.  Usually the girls play so well together, but the first half of this play date was exhausting.  They just could not get along.  Once we went outside and ran off some energy and then came back in all was good.  Four year old girls...I tell ya, sheesh!  All I wanted to do was get the grout in the entryway clean.  Not an easy task.

Logan has been repeating a lot this week.  I'm sure it's a combination of factors.  New school and routine and also the fact that he doesn't have speech therapy this week.  We are missing it!  We'll pick it back up next week with new times after school.

Tonight I have a Mom's night out at this new restaurant that just opened right up the street from us.  I've really wanted to try it out and they were kind enough to comp the Mom's club dinner!  I'm not sure what the stipend is, but I've been told 'very generous.'  Nothing like free food!  The menu is very small, but looks amazing.  Everyone else in the house is having frozen pizza.  Sorry I'm not sorry.  :-)  I did finally remember to marinate the meat for dinner tomorrow, so hopefully that will be good!

First Day, Dentist, and Walking Pneumonia

Logan's first day at Kiker was today!  He did great!  He told me he had fun.  Ms. Martha said he had a little tear at the corner of his eye and was asking for Mommy, but it was at the end of the 3 hour day and it didn't end in him getting upset.  Tomorrow he can ride the bus the very short ride home.  I wasn't planning on doing the bus at all, but everyone of the 3 year olds rides the bus and I guess a couple of kids who weren't riding initially got really upset because they wanted to, so now everyone does.  It was definitely a challenge getting them out the door at 7:35am this morning!  Brian came home and asked Logan how school was and he said 'better.'  How sad/cute is that?  I think it's going to be a great fit.  :-)

After school we hit up a park, came home for lunch and then headed out to Isabel and Logan's dental checkups.  Logan's teeth looked good (thank the good lord), but Isabel had a tiny cavity.  It was so small that they didn't even numb her, just gave her some nitrous oxide and drilled and filled.  Easy peasy.  She was a rock star.  They both were SO good.  After that we raced over to dance class.  It was costume measuring day today.  Got that all done.  We hit up another park and then went home to wait for Brian so that I could go to the doctor.  I finally broke down after almost 3 weeks of this horrible cough and made an appointment with the easy care clinic for 6pm.  Turns out modern medicine does have its place in my body.  Something about walking pneumonia, whatever that means.  I'm now the proud owner of my very own peak flow meter.  Isabel and I will have contests.  At least with both of us taking the same meds we have tons of them on hand at any given moment.  But seriously, this cough has got to stop.  It's kept me up at night for way too many nights.

Brian also went to the doctor up North at lunch today.  He got loaded up with meds.  He's just on the 3rd day of a sinus infection and decided to seek help.  Because he's smart like that.  I really wish they would let you put in like $50,000/year in your healthcare flexible spending account.  We would use that up in about 3 months.

Logan's Last Day at CDC

Today was Logan's last day at the CDC.  He will start the PPCD program at our local elementary school tomorrow.  I told Brian that it was such a bittersweet day and he put it bluntly when he replied 'Why?  It's clear that his current teacher can't handle him.'  Sigh.  Logan did make a very deep connection with his assistant teacher, Ms. Jill.  She is amazing.  She has 2 or 3 grown boys and really really gets Logan.  When all he's hearing is 'don't do this or don't do that' she says 'YES!  Please give me big hugs and tackle me!'  I really feel like she understands him and his issues and sees it not as an imposition or problem, but as a positive.  She loves getting tackled by Logan and getting hugs and squeezes daily.  She regularly stood up for him and was his advocate.  I know she truly will miss him just as much as I'll miss her.

Logan has all of his (many) school supplies ready to go for tomorrow.  We've been slowly pushing up his bedtime so that the 6:30am wake up call won't be so traumatic for him.  He really needs at least 11 hours of sleep at night, especially since he's not napping at all.  Fingers crossed he sleeps through the night tonight.  He will be going to school 5 days a week for 3 hours a day.  Not very long, but I feel like the constant routine will help him a lot.  Next year he will be going 5 days a week for 6 hours a day.  A big change!  My schedule is changing drastically too.  I will no longer be getting the 4 hour break 2x's a week that I've gotten used to.  Now it will be at most 1.5 hours twice a week.  I'm not complaining.  I'm excited to have the extra time in the morning with just Isabel and the extra time mid day with just Logan.  I have lots of activities planned.  Maybe too many!  And by activities I mean things that we will be doing around the house.  Isabel is anxious to try and start reading.  I'm really going to look books and things to help her achieve this goal.  I'm excited to do some heavy work with Logan.  Heavy work is crucial in Logan's OT plan.  A goal I have for him is catching a ball.  This is a big goal.  He uses his peripheral vision to track objects, like balls, being tossed to him.  Once we figured this out a huge light bulb went off.  When I was talking to his OT and she mentioned it I was like 'aha! that's it!'  I couldn't put my finger on what was going on, but now it's so obvious.  Just a clear example of his motor planning disorder.

Ms. Jill!

Logan and Ms. Julie

Isabel took control of the camera.