Christmas Week

It has been a busy week. On Monday, I took Anna to a far-away orthodontist for a second opinion. I will write about that another day, since it doesn't fit my Christmas theme. But, it was a lot of driving, about 5.5 hours total in the car (totally worth it). On Tuesday, we went to Winter Haven to have another socially distanced family visit. Poor Thomas had to work. As in, actually go into the office. So, it was me and the kids. We left around 9:15 and went straight to the park. We packed a picnic lunch and had a good visit with my Dad, Kim, Kevin and Maggie. JD came a little later, much to Luke's delight. My kids definitely love their cousins! Amanda wasn't feeling well, so we didn't get to see her this visit. We left the park around 1:30 and met up with Marta and Elizabeth to get Pelicans (our favorite Hawaiian ice place). The girls went home with Marta for the night. 

The next day, I left in the morning again and dropped the boys off at Marta's to work on cookies. They built a gingerbread manger scene. It is a tradition Marta has done with her kids for years. And, this was the second year that she did it with my kids as well. They worked on the ingredients on Tuesday and put it together on Wednesday. While they did that, I went and had lunch with Kim. We went to Tropical Smoothie and ate at the park in downtown Winter Haven and had a good visit. Thomas was still working.

It was nice to spend so much time with family, but I was really sick of driving. The trip to Winter Haven is just over an hour each way, but traffic was heavy and it felt like a lot. Probably about 10 hours over the three days. However, I am thankful to be close to family. It is a large part of why we moved here and I love when it all pays off. The girls had a great time with Marta and Elizabeth. 

On Tuesday night, we did a neighborhood Christmas lights scavenger hunt. Someone in our neighborhood gave us a treat bag, including the clues for the scavenger hunt. Our house was a clue for our countdown decoration. We really enjoyed walking through the neighborhood and checking things off. It was a good ending to a busy few days! We also took turns reading the Charlie Brown Christmas book and then watched the cartoon to spot the differences. I am generally not a huge fan of Charlie Brown (too depressing), but I love the message of a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Christmas Eve was nice. We have two neighbors with girls in Luke's class, he has been playing with them quite a bit lately and they played for a while outside and came into our house for a bit as well. We had our big dinner (both ham and turkey--so many leftovers!!!) and watched Home Alone. The day went by quickly. We read The Night Before Christmas, opened our jammies, and took the kids' annual picture in front of the Christmas countdown. We had reindeer food to spread, put out cookies for Santa and called it a night. 

The kids wanted to get up between 6:30 and 7. We settled on 6:45. I got up a little early and started our traditional breakfast casserole. By 6:45, the kids were all up, ready and, of course, really excited. We went through our stockings and then began opening presents. We took a break at 8 and had our breakfast. Luke took another break after opening his cd player. He ran upstairs with that and some new cds and told us to keep going without him. I think he was overwhelmed by the number of gifts. The kids got each other, and Thomas and I, thoughtful gifts. For example, Anna is really into doing hair right now and Kara got her a hairstyling head to practice with and Jack got her a braiding book. She was very happy. They used their own money for gifts. It was nice to see them put some thought into their presents. I did miss Kara's tradition of making everyone a gift. Hopefully, she will do that again sometime in the future. Jack kept joking with Anna that he was getting her a Barbie Doll. And, he got her one of those too. And, she bought him one as well. I hope they regift them next year and it becomes a nice inside joke for the two of them. 

We all got some great gifts and spent time playing/using them. Jack got an inflatable kayak that he blew up and tested in the pool. He also worked on building a new Lego set. Luke got a Flashrider 360 that he spent a lot of time riding. Kara got a unicycle that she practiced. And, Anna went on a bike ride on her new bike and has been doing hair all afternoon. I got a Diamond painting that I started and Thomas opened up all his baseball cards. The older kids, Thomas, and I played a new game called "The Five Second Rule," it was quick and fun. We still have lots of other games to play--we got tons of new ones.  The house is a mess, but everyone is feeling happy and loved. I am not sure we could ask for more!

Favorite gifts: Thomas says it is really hard to choose, but settled on a newspaper from 1862. It's hard for me to choose as well, I got some amazing gifts! But, I will go with my new headband earphones. Anna chose the hair doll and her bike. She is also really excited that we got a basketball hoop. Jack said he thinks the kayak, but he hasn't used it for real yet, so Morgoth's Ring (a book). Kara said the Don't Talk to Me sweatshirt (from the Masked singer) and a bulletin board. Luke said the stuff in his stocking and his Flashrider 360.

Everyone but Jack got a Squishmallow (he didn't want one). They are kind of my new obsession. The girls first spotted them SeaWorld and they are so soft and squishy. I got one for family, friends, even myself. Then, I asked for a smaller one to hold and squish while working and Kara got me an adorable elephant (my favorite animal). They are just fun. I have been holding off on posting this until I get a picture with them, but I keep forgetting. So, if I think of it later, I will add it in.

Sports Wrap Up

Luke's soccer team won last week. The score was 3-0. Luke scored all 3 goals. He is really great at getting in the thick of things and staying with the ball. And, he can run like crazy. It is amazing to see, he is fast and just jets up and down the field. He obviously has a lot to learn skill-wise, but he absolutely loves it. We had his last practice on Thursday and they did a kids versus adults scrimmage. I played and it was fun. Luke wasn't the least bit intimidated by the adults. He would run right up to them and try and steal the ball. There was a teenager and a couple of adults who obviously knew what they were doing. It is amazing to see how a skilled player can manipulate the ball. The scrimmage was only 30 minutes and Luke started to cry when it was over. He wanted a full practice. He still wants to play baseball the most. But, I am glad he has enjoyed soccer so much. He is going to do flag football starting in January. We really like the convenience of the YMCA. We can walk there from our house, so it is just easy.

We signed Jack and Anna up for basketball beginning in January. But, after reading the COVID predictions for early 2021, we told them they couldn't play. They don't enforce masks and it is indoors. I think Anna is frustrated because we are letting Luke play flag football, but we feel a lot better about outdoor activities. We have explained it to her, but I still think she feels like we are favoring Luke. Both Thomas and I, and sometimes the older kids, go to his games. Only one parent goes to Anna's (Kara has gone to all of them too). But, honestly, it is not as fun and it doesn't feel as safe. We can space out on the field as opposed to the cramped gym. But, I understand how she feels. Today is the last day for both sports and I am planning on going to both games.

The rest of the week was okay. Remember when I thought I was going to be swamped over Christmas break? Well, I am not. But, Thomas got a protest. It is so disappointing. All year, we look forward to these weeks at work. Most people take time off, so there isn't a lot coming in. So, it is fun to take a break and not worry about all the work that is filling your inbox. I feel bad for him and I hope he is able to enjoy at least some of the break. 

We have been baking on Saturdays. I made the pretzel "candy" for neighbor gifts. But, I accidentally bought butter pretzels and the tops kept sliding off. So, we ate them. We have also done peppermint cupcakes and peppermint meltaways. This weekend we are doing a chocolate peppermint cake.

Finally, Marta and Elizabeth came up today (Saturday) to see Luke's soccer and Anna's basketball games. Luke's team won, although he didn't score either of the goals. They only lost one game this season. And, in fact, only allowed that single team to even score against them. It was a fun season!

End of year medals.

Anna's last basketball game was good! Anna scored her first basket and got several rebounds. They only had 5 kids, so she had to play without breaks, but she hustled up and down the court. It was definitely her best game and she had a lot of fun. They still got slaughtered (59-11), but her team had a good attitude and it was fun to watch. I have always appreciated that Anna is a really good sport.

It is hard (for me at least) to get a good action shot.

Love these ladies!

A few more pictures from the week:

Of course we went to SeaWorld.

Luke wanted to look festive for his school party.

Our delivery driver "thank you box."

Luke's Bad Morning, Allergy Tests, and Jaw Surgery Update

On Wednesday, I was walking Luke to school when he turned to me and said, "I wish it was Friday, so that we could start our long break." I told him that the long break was still more than a week away. He stopped walking, looked at me and asked if I was sure. I responded I was and then he said in frustration, "well, did they change it???" He was convinced I told him this was the last week before break and was quite annoyed. Then, he asked me to give him some math problems. I asked him what 70x2 is. He responded 1400, I told him that was 700x2 and that 70x2 was 140. He said, "well, at least I got 700x2 right." Of course, being a realist, I told him that wasn't the right problem, so he did not get the question right. He was further annoyed. Finally, he is grounded from electronics and chose that moment to ask me if the ban was for a calendar week or through the end of the week. I told him that because Dad imposed the punishment, we would have to ask him to clarify. That wasn't the answer he wanted and the trifecta was complete. It was a bad morning.

Anna had her oral surgeon appointment. The doctor said that she needs to get her 4 wisdom teeth removed plus 4 pre-molars. Then, six months after that, to allow time for healing, she could get the surgery. The surgery would involve breaking both the upper and lower jaws to align the teeth. Apparently, they are also slightly off center. After that, she would continue to wear the braces for another 6 months or so. So, it is a long process. The appointment was 1.5 hours, and it was a lot of information. We told Anna she needed to be 100% sure and we needed to talk about it. Thomas thinks we should wait. There is no real urgency and he thinks it is too big of a decision for a 13-year old. I agree with Thomas' concerns, but I am more on team "let's just get it over with." The timing right now is perfect, she could have the teeth removed over Christmas break and then have the surgery over the summer. If we postpone it, she will either be in braces for a very long time, or more likely, we will get the braces removed and then will have to get them put on again. I am fine with waiting, but I do want to ensure we time it so that she isn't missing school. Anna wants to do it. She doesn't like biting into the roof of her mouth and the doctor noted a popping noise that she hadn't previously noticed, but now bugs her. And, she really hates the idea of wearing the braces longer than necessary.

Jack had his peanut allergy test on Thursday. He failed. We had to be at the Children's hospital at 7:40, but it is only 15 minutes from our house (so much better than when we had to drive almost 2 hours to Baltimore!). They divided the peanut butter into 11 increasing doses. The first was so small, he could barely taste it. They were about 15 minutes apart, so it took a long time. We got up to the eighth dose and then he sneezed. Then, his nose began running slightly, his throat felt itchy, and his face turned a bit red. That was the end. The last time, I think he was 7, he had to have Benadryl plus two doses of epinephrine and I was glad it didn't go that far this time. It all started with a sneeze on both occasions. So, he is still allergic to peanuts. Based on his blood tests, there was a 95% chance that he would pass, but based on his history, we figured it was unlikely. Once he was up to the 8th dose though, I started to feel pretty hopeful. So, it was disappointing. He was looking forward to broadening his diet. But, even if he passed, he'd still have the tree nut and shellfish allergies, so no matter what he was looking at a lifetime with Epipens, but a peanut butter cookie on occasion would have been nice.

The nurse was shocked we had actual books to read. She said she hasn't seen anyone with books in a very long time.

The last three peanut samples. And, the emergency kit--Benadryl and epi pens.

Kara had her level 2 dance class and said it went well and wasn't too different from level 1--just more technique focused. Marta was in Orlando on Wednesday, so she came over for a little while. Luke was thrilled, that is the early day for school and it is hard for him to fill his time while Thomas and I are still working. They played board games and he was so excited. Then, she came with me to drop off Kara. I had to take a work call, so she drove and once the call ended, we got dinner at Pollo Tropical. The dining room was closed, so we ate in her car. It was really nice to catch up.

It was a good week. Thomas had an amazing interaction with some sandhill cranes. It sounded insane. Apparently, they were playing with a leaf, tossing it in the air and catching it. Then, they came right up to him! He thought he was getting it on video, but it turns out he didn't. I was so disappointed! 

I got most of our Christmas cards mailed, and even wrote a little newsletter. Maybe I will post it here after Christmas. I don't want to ruin the surprise of receiving it in the mail for my few readers :) We made a treat box for the delivery drivers, and are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping. Friday night, we went to SeaWorld, but didn't stay too long. We got dinner, fed the sea lions. got some treats from the food booths, watched the synchronized lights, and came home to watch The Great Christmas Light Fight.

They are very vocal about wanting fish.

There was a really cute Rudolph area. Luke isn't mad, that was his picture face (masks just came off for the picture, there was no else around)

First Week of December

It was a nice week. Kara had her first class at the dance studio. I think I mentioned this, but she is going to be going two days a week. On Mondays, she will do level 2 ballet and acrobatics. And on Wednesdays, she will do just a level 1 ballet class. The purpose is to get her caught up in ballet. Her class this week was the level 1 ballet. She said she really enjoyed it. She is pleasantly surprised that she likes ballet. She is nervous about the level 2 classes, so Monday will be a big test. 

Tuesday, we took a family bike ride to look at the Christmas lights in the neighborhood. It was cold! The average high this time of year in central Florida in 75, but Tuesday it didn't go above 60. So, when the sun went down, it was legitimately cold. Thomas said he will enjoy the day or two of cold we get a year. We had a great time on our bike ride, there are some awesome houses in our neighborhood! When we came home, we did a Christmas ice cream test to determine our favorite Christmas flavor (at least based on the ones we had). We had two types of peppermint, Blue Bell Christmas Cookie, and Hot Cocoa. Three people chose the cookie, two for peppermint and one for hot cocoa. It was fun! 

Publix peppermint won best in the peppermint category. But, Christmas Cookie was the overall winner.

Luke and Anna had their sports practices on Thursday. I am seeing improvement in both teams. Anna's coach has incredible patience. Those middle schoolers would drive me crazy! Anna is good and listens, but some of them are just so disrespectful. I think Luke's K/1 soccer team are overall better listeners. Luke's game was at 930 on Saturday. Luke scored his first goal and played pretty well. Unfortunately, they lost 2-1. But, Luke had a great time. He really loves soccer. Even after the practice, he told Thomas--"it doesn't feel like practice because it is so much fun!" He still wants to try baseball in the Spring. I hope he likes it just as much. 

Anna's game on Saturday was at a YMCA by a big park and near a large outdoor mall. We decided we would all go. We couldn't all watch the game, the gyms are small and it is already hard to social distance. So, Kara and I went to the game and the boys went to the park. Anna's team did better, but still got slaughtered. I appreciate that they all seem to be good sports. No one gets upset that they lose by such a large margin every game. And, I am seeing improvement. Anna hustled up and down the court, but did not attempt any shots, or even dribble. She was ready if someone passed her the ball, but immediately got rid of it. She did get a rebound. And, she put herself more in the thick of things than at the other game I watched. So, again, happy to see progress. 

After her game, we went over to the mall area. We got Jeremiah's, then went to Barnes and Nobles. The kids all enjoyed looking around. I think we will go back in January or February and give everyone a blank check to pick out one book. But, there was no way we were doing that in December! I still need gift ideas, at least for two of the kids. So far, the only thing Jack has asked for is books. So for him, I need different ideas. From there, we went to Target. We needed bread and milk and I always like walking around Target. Well, almost always. Note to self--do not EVER visit a Target on a Saturday afternoon in December. Ever. And, I forgot the bread! We seriously went in for 2 things and I forgot the bread. But, I did get some peppermint junior mints, so I guess it was worth it? 

Friday night we went to SeaWorld for their Christmas event. It was really fun! They gave passholders one free sample and we each enjoyed picking something from their Christmas treats. Luke, Anna and I got mini donuts. The others got cheesecake cones. We saw the ice skating show and enjoyed the lights. The kids rode a couple of rides. It was a fun night.

Ice skating show and such a pretty view!

I love this tree, but couldn't get the flash right

These rope jumping toy soldiers were really fun!

Finally, on Sunday afternoon/evening we went to Busch Gardens for their Christmas lights. Because we are platinum passholders, our perk for not canceling our membership was $50 in park dollars. Each. We don't need the money at Sea World, since we already have the dining plan and all-season Quick Queue. So, we decided to live the high life at Busch Gardens. We bought Quick Queues for the day, enjoyed a kind of pricey dinner, and bought hot chocolate and warm cookies. It was awesome (and we still have some money left)! Kara tried 2 new big roller coasters--Cheetah Hunt and Montu. She loved them! Luke tried two new things as well, a mouse coaster and a really old, slowish coaster that goes upside down. His first loop! He loved it. He rode twice, and would have ridden more if we let him. He was going to try Cheetah Hunt, but got scared waiting in line. And, that is probably a good thing, it is much more intense than other rides he's been on. He debated for a while whether to try again, and we took the matter out of his hands but saying he has to wait. I think he was relieved because he didn't complain. We watched the ice skating show, rode our favorite rides multiple times and had a great night. And, of course, the lights were amazing.

The 4 kids are on there somewhere. Thomas and I sat it out.

This tunnel was amazing. The lights were synchronized with music. Luke couldn't stand still.

This is going to be a big week. Kara has her first level two dance lessons. We have to make a decision on whether the big kids go back to school. And, biggest of all--we have Anna's appointment on Tuesday to get the treatment plan for her jaw issues.

Thanksgiving Week

Tuesday was the first day Thomas and I took off from work. We went to Winter Haven and finally saw my dad and Maggie. We have not seen them since March. My dad is in a high risk COVID category, so he has been very cautious. But, we decided to meet at a park and enjoy a socially distanced visit. It worked out really well. We talk on the phone, but it was nice to be together in person. We stayed at the park for about 3 hours. My sister and JD came too and the kids enjoyed playing on the playground and also on the large open spaces. We brought a kite, baseball stuff and a soccer ball. After the park, we stopped at Pelican's, the world's greatest shaved ice place, and then headed home. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the visit. 

All five kids spinning.

Visiting from a safe distance

Wednesday: Thanksgiving Eve! Thomas and I went to Lowe's and they had a snowman yard decoration that I really wanted. He was out of stock. I went to their website and he is no where to be found. How can a Christmas decoration be sold out before Thanksgiving?? Not cool, Lowe's! We also went to Sam's Club and got some needed supplies. Then we headed home. I really love being able to leave the kids home for short periods of time. And, Luke loves not getting dragged out shopping. It's a win/win!

After lunch, Kara and I did some Thanksgiving prep work. We made an apple pie, a cranberry dish, and homemade rolls. Thomas made a pumpkin pie angel food cake. Thomas also decorated the front room; it is feeling very festive. In fact, I am sitting in the couch enjoying the lights while I write.  And, this is just our secondary tree. We bought it the year Jack and Anna were born and it has held up really well.

My baking buddy!

Thursday: Kevin, Kim, Dave, JD and Amanda came for Thanksgiving. Normally, we would have invited Marta's family and of course, my Dad and Maggie, but this year we kept it small. Almost within the CDC guideline of 10. My Dad wanted to play it safe and not gather. And, I think that is the best idea. We are so close to a vaccine and life returning to normal that I felt a little nervous about our group. But, we decided to take the risk and now just have to hope we don't regret it. 

We watched the parade and then the girls watched The National Dog Show. We had a really good dinner, played Unstable Unicorns, and chatted. The girls went into Kara's room and played with TikTok filters. They definitely love having an older cousin who has access to those things. And, it is a win for us, since we trust Amanda and are happy to let them experiment responsibly. 

They ventured into the pool briefly, but it was cold

Luke wanted a picture of him jumping in backward

It was a nice day. The dinner came out really good. I would like to start getting a little fancier with our Thanksgiving. Not necessarily the food, I like to stick to our favorites: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green been casserole, cranberry gelatin "salad", rolls and dessert. We have the same basic menu every year, with the occasional addition. This year Kim brought some amazing deviled eggs, sometimes we do macaroni and cheese. I do think we could use a good vegetable. One year a friend brought butternut squash that was amazing. Sometimes we do turnips and carrots--a dish my mom always made. But, what I was referring to before my food tangent, was our table presentation. I think it would be fun and add an element of festivity if I could come up with a nice table setting. We have china, a gift from Thomas' grandmother that we've never used. Maybe next year? 

Kara's apple pie came out great! Amanda made a cookie pie and Thomas did a Pumpkin Pie Angel Food cake with cinnamon frosting.

After everyone left, Thomas and I went to the pocket park and played football with Luke and Anna. We played a short 2 on 2 game, and Thomas and Anna won. The game ended when Luke took a bad fall and scraped up his side. Then, Anna and I went on a bike ride and we ended the night with a movie. 

Black Friday was a quiet day. We did some online shopping, but didn't leave the house. We put up the Christmas tree and the Christmas Village.

Marta invited us over for dinner on Saturday. Thomas had previously planned on using the day to put up the outside Christmas lights and Jack stayed home to help. I helped Thomas a little in the morning. He climbed up on the roof, but much to my relief, decided it was too steep to hang lights up there. It was our anniversary and I felt guilty leaving Thomas to go to Marta's house. But, the kids hadn't seen her in a while and wanted to go and I always enjoy visiting. Thomas said he didn't mind, since he was going to spend the day working on the lights anyway, so off we went. We helped her decorate her tree and had a good dinner.

 I was really excited to come home and see the finished lights and they did not disappoint. In fact, all of us were really excited. The kids had me drive a different way in to build suspense and Luke closed his eyes and asked us to let him know when the house was in view so he could open them. The pictures don't capture it all, there is another wrapped tree and some decorations on the other side of the house that I did not get. But, this is enough for the general idea.

The finished interior:

Finally, Sunday. We used two more of our free Universal tickets to bring Kara's good friend, Sophia and Sophia's mom (Anita) to the parks. We left at 10 and got home around 8:30. It was a long day, but we had a great time. Thomas stayed home with Luke, who was happy to have a day with his dad all to himself. And, I got to enjoy a day with the big(ger) kids. We saw some new shows and rode some new rides and had fun. To me, the coolest part was probably seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade exhibit. They had a good collection on display of past-years parade floats and balloons.

Another Week

Another week in the books. Some of the highlights:

Anna had her initial appointments for the jaw surgery. She had two appointments in two different places. They did all the pictures, x-rays, and molds. We go back on December 8th to get the results and determine the best path forward. It will be nice to have a plan, even if the plan ends up being waiting another year or two.

The kids had their sports. Anna's game was Friday night, but it wasn't at the YMCA and we had other plans. We went to Hollywood Studios for one final visit. We got there around 4:30 and tried their special red velvet Christmas dessert. We rode a few rides and ended the night with Slinky Dog. I think Slinky Dog at night is one of the best Disney experiences.

Saturday was Luke's soccer game. Luke's soccer team only has 6 or 7 kids. This week, 4 showed up for the game. The other team had 11. That coach said "our team came to play" and wouldn't give us any of their players (which is kind of protocol at the YMCA, I know Anna's basketball team has given other teams players). I thought it was pretty ridiculous, it's not like they keep score or crown a championship team. Plus, playing on our team would have given their kids more playing time. There was a first-grader who had already played two games (her dad coaches two teams and she played for both, and then was sticking around to watch our game), but she agreed to come in for our team. The other coach still played 6 players, so it was 6 against 5 and it meant none of our players could switch out to take a break. Generally, I don't care if the team wins or loses, in fact, I try to keep Luke from keeping score. But, this week, I really wanted to win. And, Luke's team did! They won 2-0. Luke was an amazing defender. At one point, the other team had a clear shot at the goal (we had no goalie) and Luke sprinted out of no where and kicked the ball away from the goal right before it went in. He didn't score either of his teams goals, but for one of them, he brought the ball all the way up the field and then another teammate kicked it in. He rarely let the other team get the ball past the halfway point. He really loves playing and is a good sport and teammate. 

Saturday night we had our final visit to the Magic Kingdom. It was really crowded when we got there. Most of the waits were around an hour. We waited 55 minutes for Splash Mountain, got to the front and then they shut it down for cleaning. But, it was even worse for the people behind us. It was a dad and son and they called them out of line to sit in the back of one of the boats. There was a woman in the front, and they left two rows empty. The kid said he didn't want to ride in the back, he wanted to wait for the front. They wouldn't let him do it and ultimately, they had him leave without riding. I felt it was a little excessive. 

The last two hours of the night were amazing, the lines were short and we were able to ride several rides. The older kids did Space Mountain while Thomas, Luke and I went on Astro Orbiters. We walked on Buzz Lightyear and had a quick wait for Peter Pan. About 15 minutes before closing, we got in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We waited 35 minutes and ended our year of Disney. 

Waiting for Seven Dwarfs. I love Luke's crazy eyes. Apparently, I told them to smile with their eyes, because I showed Luke the picture and he said, "I don't really know how to smile with my eyes." :)

One of my main goals in going was to get our annual family photo. I knew we would have to wear our masks, but I actually thought that was fairly fitting for 2020. On our way out, we got some great shots in front of the castle. It has been fun having the annual passes, but I am okay with taking some time off. For our family, it would cost $3600 to renew and I am not sure the value is there right now. I miss the entertainment. Plus, we have passes to Universal and I might get some to Legoland (which are only $99 on Black Friday). There are just so many fun things to do here! Although, I know that Thomas would trade all of it to be back in Maryland. We definitely miss all the historical "entertainment" we had access to as Marylanders. 

The castle was lit up with projections, which changed periodically

Jack has grown something like six inches this year. Crazy!

I don't know how many projections there were, but this one was pretty cool

We did some by the train station when we went in, but in all of them I am standing separate from the family. Weird.

There have been no more incidents at the house across the street--thank goodness. And, work was okay this week. Not great, but okay. I can't wait for the action I am working on to be over, but that is still many months away. Thomas has been really busy too. We are both taking a few days off for Thanksgiving. We wanted to take the whole week off, but we had too much to do and worked yesterday (Monday). The kids cleaned the house and the girls baked cookies and Luke and Jack played outside. After dinner, the girls and Thomas watched Batman Begins. It was a nice start to Thanksgiving week.

Week in Review

 I decided to do the weekly format again this week to change it up. I am going to write each day.

Sunday: we are having a quiet day. Thomas is reading the Harry Potter series and we are watching each movie as he finishes. Today, we watched The Prisoner of Azkaban. I fell asleep on the couch and had a nice power nap during the middle of the movie. I have not been sleeping well and last night was the worst. There was a drive-by shooting across the street from our house. Yes, you read that right. I woke up around 5:30 and was laying in bed at 5:46 when I heard three gunshots. There is a house, one of the larger fancier ones in the neighborhood, that is next door to the house directly across the street, where there has been some suspicious activity. That is where the sound seemed to come from. I looked out the window but didn't see anything. But, shortly after 6, there were two police cars present. I went out and asked them to confirm I heard gunshots and they said yes. It does not appear to be random and fortunately, no one was hurt.

I am dreading work this week. I work as the legal advisor on various teams. One of my team members screwed up something significant and no one on the team caught it. As the lawyer, I feel especially incompetent. Now, we are facing the repercussions. Last week was a week of very unpleasant phone calls informing all our bosses what happened. Of course, it had to happen on a high profile matter that has received a lot of attention. Everyone has been very nice, which in some ways makes me feel worse. They keep saying these things happen and to just move on. But, I am not sure I should be let off so easy.  This is going to cost a lot of time (like hundreds of man hours) and (maybe) money to fix. I can't say anymore, but the bottom line is I spent the last week feeling like a complete idiot and there is no end in sight.

Monday: It was a busy day at work. I worked from 6-545, with about 1.5 hours of breaks during the day. I took some time in the morning to get Luke to school and start dinner in the crockpot (pot roast) and some time to pick him up. Luke has a good routine in the afternoon, he comes home, washes his hands, has a snack, does his homework and usually has about 30 minutes to do electronics. Then, once the other kids are done with their school, he turns off the t.v. and plays with one of them, usually Jack. I try and end my day around 4:30, but some days, well most days lately, it just doesn't happen. Today, I tried to sign out at 5, but then the phone rang and it ended up being a longer than expected call. Then an e-mail came in that I "needed" to answer. After that, I just shut down. Thomas actually had to go to the office today for an in-person meeting. He was pretty bitter about going. It was his first visit in months. Going back full time, if that ever happens, is going to be painful! We really appreciate the flexibility of working from home. The kids all said their days were uneventful. Everyone liked the pot roast, and it is always nice, and rare, to have a dinner everyone is happy about.

Tuesday: The older kids had an orthodontist appointment this morning. The rubber bands aren't working for Anna and her mouth is bothering her. Her lower teeth are cutting into her upper gums, making her mouth sore. I got the name of the surgeon and called to arrange a consultation. Thomas and I got our flu shots and watched some Thanksgiving Friends, as is our yearly tradition (true for both the shot and the Friends). 

Wednesday: Thomas and I didn't have work, but the kids had school. Score! We took Luke to school and then did a lot of shopping. We went to Kohls, Hallmark, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Five Below and Target. We bought something in every store we went in. It was a LOT of shopping. We bought some Christmas presents, candles, soap, and household items. It was really fun to be out on our own. We also got a free lunch at Panera (yay for Veteran's Day).  We got home in time to grab Luke and had everyone smell our new candles and pick out their favorites. We had some from Bath and Body Works and some from Target. The Target "Threshold" ones are really nice. We had coupons for most of the places we went--even Target was doing 10% off for Veterans, so that was fun. I love a bargain! 

Kara went to her ballet and acro class. I dropped her off and then came home to dinner. Thomas made pesto pork, a family favorite. Well, sort of, Jack and Luke eat the pork plain and won't eat the cauliflower grits that accompany the pork. He used our air fryer for the pork (on bake mode). We have been getting a lot of use out of the air fryer; it is nice to not have to heat up the whole house. Luke did a test on his "Fry 6th one-hundred words" and got them all right.  The older kids had math tests and did well. We asked them if given the choice, do they want to return to school in the new year. Kara said no, Jack maybe and Anna said yes. We will see how it goes.

I am sitting on the floor writing this while Luke brushes my hair, he is such a sweet kid (most of the time).  Although, he never stops talking :) 

Kara's teacher sent me this one. Kara enjoys working on her flexibility.

Thursday: Tropical Storm Eta is passing by north of us. We had some rain and wind last night and I was afraid they would cancel school. Fortunately, Luke was able to go as planned and it turned into a mostly nonevent for our area. I walked to pick him up and it was sprinkling a bit. Then, it turned into a downpour. I had umbrellas for each of us, but we still got pretty soaked. Thomas came and picked us up about halfway home (he'd been in a work training). Soccer was canceled, but Anna had her basketball practice. She said it went fine. While she was gone, Jack and Luke were playing with lightsabers. Somehow Jack hit Luke's lightsaber, which then hit Luke in the face. I've probably said this, but I REALLY miss our basement. Jack and Luke are incredibly loud. Even when they're not doing anything excessive, the noise just reverberates through the house. I miss the days of yelling get outside or get in the basement. I can still force them outside, but Florida is hot and rainy most of the year. At least it seems like most of the year. Anyway, Luke has a nasty mark, but he said it stopped hurting after a few minutes.

They are lucky it missed his eye!

Friday: Finally Friday! We worked and schooled. Thomas took the older 3 to get flu shots, Luke got his earlier in the year at school. We are all now vaccinated, which is a relief. After work/school, we went to SeaWorld for dinner. There was an accident on the highway that shut the road down, with police routing traffic off the highway. We used Waze to navigate and it ended up taking us 45 minutes to get to SeaWorld (normally, it is around 25); but we could see the cars stuck on the highway with no where to go and felt grateful. I can't find anything about the accident, so hopefully no one was seriously injured. SeaWorld was really nice. The weather was pleasant and they had their Christmas decorations. Their Christmas event officially opens tomorrow and I am looking forward to lots of visits.

Saturday: We've had to wake up Luke every day this week for school, usually around 7:45. Of course, Saturday morning rolls around and he is up and ready to go at 7:15. He exercised with me and had breakfast. We did a Walmart pick-up and then got ready for sports. Luke had his soccer game and played pretty well. No goals yet, but I think it is coming. Anna had her basketball game. Again, they were outmatched, but Anna said she had fun and she forced herself to talk with her teammates (something that is hard for her), so I consider it a huge success. Now, we are relaxing and watching a silly Thanksgiving movie, Free Birds. It's been a long week!