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Camille tagged me on her blog. You are suppose to find the 4th picture in the 4th folder of the pictures you have on your computer....and post it. Then tag 4 people. My pictures are not that organized yet. It's a relatively new computer and I've only been putting pictures on it for the last six months or so, but the Mac does seem to naturally group them by date, so this was the fourth "event" for which we took pictures. We were in Annapolis in May to watch the Blue Angels perform. They are a group of 6 navy jets that show off all the cool things navy jets and aviators can do. They come to Annapolis every year for "June Week" which is a week of festivities that culminates in the Midshipmen graduating from the Navel Academy - when I was a kid it actually took place in June and the name has never changed.
This is Teddy and Jackson on State Circle in Annapolis - doesn't Teddy look happy, and if you look closely you can see that Jackson has no teeth at least on top, I think maybe his bottom teeth had finally started coming in by that point.
I can't really get my head around tagging anyone else to do this, so sorry for that, but it was fun to do it - thanks Camille.
Camela
Was a rousing success! Brad's sister even came down from New York to join us which couldn't have been more wonderful. We managed to even arrange for a bit of snow to add to the ambiance. Doesn't the snow make the house look just so, I don't know, poetic.
It was COLD; probably hovering around 20ish. But on the up side of that, our garage was a very convenient walk in freezer. We did lose a few people who were going to come up from DC because of the weather, so it wasn't all good.
We set up the bar in the dining room which again proved to be the key to getting people to actually mingle throughout the house. Though here in the early part of the evening, there weren't many people hanging out in the bar... that changed quite a bit as the night wore on.
This shot was taken right after the previous shot. As is typical everyone started in the kitchen and it's such an open room that it wants people to congregate in there. I don't know why it is always so important for me to get everyone out of the kitchen, but it is.
I thought this was going to be a funnier picture than it is, but the picture just doesn't do it justice. That's a king size bed under all those coats and it was nearly invisible and about 2 feet higher than normal. In person it was really a funny sight, so it might be that this will only be amusing to me, but that's okay, that's true of a lot of things.
This is Georgia grilling Alice's new 'friend' and as soon as I snapped the picture Georgia complained that they'd needed advanced warning - candid shots just won't do for her LOL.
So here is the approved picture of the three of them. They are all looking at and pointing to the blank TV screen. - geesh. Do you think it defeats Georgia's intentions that I posted both pictures?
Georgia and me in a 'sorority pose'. Isn't she just beautiful and this picture doesn't do her justice. And yes, I never did get around to putting on any party clothes. I kept my jeans and tee shirt on all night long. But I figured, it's my party and I'll look like a slob if I want to.
Anyway - we had another great party celebrating with our friends and family although my mom and step dad totally dissed us at the last minute. They got a better offer and even though they had RSVP'd to us first, they totally went to the other party. They did come and spend much of the afternoon with us; going to kids' basketball games and helping with last minute prep, so that's something. (and no mom, I'm not remotely mad).
Now more than a week later, Brad and I still haven't sat down to write up what went well and what didn't which will make planning the party next year so much easier, but it's on the list.
Camela
I'm sure I'll keep tweaking it right through December, but I think we managed to get the house looking just like we wanted to again this year. Brad out did himself on the outside lights - this year's addition was lights around the garage doors. After last year's 'last possible second decorating' issues all I asked of Brad was that he not be hanging lights on the day of the party. So he got all the lights up with a week to spare and they looked great... until half the side window went out.... and a little space on the icicle lights on the garage went out... oops. Well my darling husband was up on the ladder replacing those lights the night before the party.... muttering something about... as long as it's up by midnight.... I don't think that was his favorite part.
Inside we added little fiber optic trees in the boys' rooms which they absolutely love. This brings the ridiculous tree total up to 6 - well 7 if you count the tree we put lights on outside... hmmm. Maybe it's time to admit I've gone a wee bit overboard. I'll have to think about it. Each year, my goal is to be able to use no actual lamps - rely only on Christmas lights, the fireplace, and candles and I think we're almost there. I added these cool really big stars that I hung in the dining room over what was to become the bar for the party and they are designed to have a hanging light bulb in each of them. I think maybe next year I'll try to make that happen, we'll see.
We got our tree this year and we went for one a bit larger than usual. It's not quite double my height, but I swear it didn't seem that big when we bought it.
This is what the tree Brad was putting together in an earlier post finally looked like. The presents reflect the light from the tree and can be seen very nicely from outside.
The front door, right below the high tree. I love how this looks.
This is a needle point my grandmother did after my sister was born and we were the only 2 grandkids. More than 15 years later my cousin Keith was born, so she squeezed his name in there too. Then 3 years after that my cousins Matthew and Michelle were born and she was so mad at herself that she hadn't been able to foresee the future and know just how many grandkids there would be. By the time Kevin and Sarah showed up 10 years later she was past the anger - mostly.
I have never gotten this to where I want it to be. I love the manger and the big angel that watches over it and I even love the people and animals, but I've never finished them. I bought them to paint and glaze a million years ago and for several years I did a bit each year, but I haven't touched them in years other than to bring them down and put them out. They need to be glazed so they will look better in the setting. It's on the list.... I'll get to it one of these days.
One of the many trees. This one sits at the end of the hall in a window that is one of the things seen first when you round the corner to get to our house.
This is one of the little fiber optic trees in the boys' rooms. They totally love them. Please disregard the little road and field painting on the walls of my 10 year old's room.... Okay so I painted that when we moved in and he was 4. The little trucks and tractors were perfect for a preschooler - maybe not so much for an almost middle schooler. I promise, here and now, that I will redo his room in the spring.
These are the cool stars that I mentioned before. Aren't they just the coolest!!!
This is another of the trees. This one is in the front of the house sitting in front of the bay window where it can be seen from the side of the house seen first when rounding the corner, just like the little tree at the end of the hall earlier. I probably should have included a picture of the decorated real tree (the big one) but, well, it's not really decorated yet. There are lights and a few ornaments, but, well, it's on the list.
Merry Christmas,
Camela
This is all Misty's fault - she totally jinxed me!!!!
Yesterday I was chatting with my friend Misty and she complained that there hadn't been any good 'crazy things that happen while Brad's away' stories lately. So of course then today happened...
It all started with Jackson throwing up first thing this morning. Now he sometimes throws up for literally no reason, so it's not always a sign that he's really sick. So we talk about it and I watch him closely and we decide that he's up for going to school. I drop them off at morning care only to realize that I had forgotten Teddy's bells in the kitchen. I had told Teddy I would bring them when he very politely asked me to do it, but oops. So I told the boys I'd run back home, get them and be right back. Round trip probably took less than 7 minutes. I pull into a space hoping I'll be able to get out of the area before the buses start pulling in - I'm already going to be late to work. I reach in to grab the bells and hit the case just right and snap my thumbnail in half. I swear I almost fainted on the spot from the pain. My nails are very strong and rarely break. This is the worst break I've ever had in my life by a mile. The nail is hanging on by one side and blood is slowly dripping down my thumb - it was very pretty. But there's nothing I can do about it right at the moment. I run in, hoping to be able to run right back out... but no.
Jackson is near hysteria - thinking I would never come back as I said I would. I take one look at him and his reaction and think - I screwed up, he really is sick, he needs to be at home. I gather him up and head out after first letting lots of 10 year old boys ogle my bloody thumb. I'm still a person down at work and the idea of losing a day is frightening, so I decide to head to my office and get some work I can log in and do from home. Jackson promptly falls asleep in the car which he never ever does - can you say bad mom for sending him to school in the first place? We're about half way there when he starts to freak out. "mommy, mommy pull over, I'm going to be sick. Hurry." shoot shoot shoot (okay that's a nicer thing than what I actually said). I get the van pulled over.... did I mention I was on a highway.... and that it was pouring?
Given Jackson's penchant for throwing up the van is fully equipped with things for just such an emergency, but of course they are in the back - the way, way back. "Can't I just do it in the grass, mom?" Well sure, but it's pouring.. and it's a highway.. Find a bag and some paper towels, get him set up in his seat, hop back in, merge back into the rush hour traffic, go to work. Then we get to do it all again on the way home - different highway, but same weather and outcome.
Then... at home, the internet is down all day long.... The internet is never down. Brad works from home, when he's in town, and every single thing he does is over the internet... But no. It's down and no amount of resetting it will help. So the stuff I brought home to do... yeah, not so much.
Oh well - Thanks a lot Misty!
Camela
We're decorating early this year. Our annual Christmas party is the first weekend in December and last year doing all the decorating between Thanksgiving and Christmas nearly killed us (and our marriage). So this year we skipped Thanksgiving in our house. As soon as the Halloween decorations came down, we pulled out the Christmas stuff and we've been working on it ever since. We have decided everything will be done; inside and out by the end of Thanksgiving weekend or else.
Last night we decided to put up the tree that goes above the front door. For the first time ever Brad decided to assemble it up there instead of down on the ground and then having to awkwardly carry it up the ladder and get it up there. This, however meant he had to climb all the way onto the ledge up there. It's a pretty big ledge, but it's also pretty high up. The first picture is of him up there will both pieces ready to assemble and arrange the branches. 
More arranging and spinning and arranging and spinning all to my specs. My husband is a very patient man, who is willing to put up with a lot of arranging and spinning.
Now we've gotten the last minute addition of the lighted tree topper installed and all the arranging and spinning is done.... but... well, um... Now to come down. "Boy it sure is a long way down..... Hmmm, I just have to reach around and put my foot on the ladder and I'll be all set..... It's going to be just a minute or two"
"Take your time, I've got the ladder whenever you're ready to come down."
"I'm almost ready."
"I know, just take your time."
"Okay, I'm coming down."
"Alright, whenever you're ready."
"Honey can you just have some food sent up?"
Camela
Bandit, our Jack Russell Terrier's, favorite game is treadmill fetch. While I'm on the treadmill, Bandit comes to the front of it with a tennis ball and drops it on the very front edge. The ball rolls down a little incline until it lands on the tread part and heads towards my feet. I then kick it, trying to get it out the door (I'm only mildly successful in the aim department). He retrieves it and we start again. No matter how long I'm on the treadmill, I always tire before he does.
Camela
So today is Teddy's first basketball practice. As I've discussed, Brad left me with a detailed list of who had to be where and Jackson's practice was yesterday and Teddy's was tonight; both at 7pm. Great. Run home get them dinner, talk to Brad a bunch of times, head out to the car, get seriously delayed because Jackson didn't like that I pointed out that finding things is just not his strong suit (his shoe was literally in the middle of the room he said he lost it on the way to - I had to take 2 steps from where he was bitterly complaining about the world and Teddy especially being against him in not letting him find his missing shoe, to see the shoe). I took the 2 steps and saw the shoe all alone in the middle of the room and sighed in frustration about how no one in this house but me can find a single thing... I was not that polite I think... Jackson thought this was even worse than the world conspiring together to hide the shoe, now he had a real villain. Hiding and crying and running ensued. Finally we got out of the house, made our way to the school, found the gym... only to discover his practice really started at 6 and not 7. Teddy was so bummed I checked the email from Brad. It said 6. I'm seriously a moron.Camela
This is Teddy and Jackson on State Circle in Annapolis - doesn't Teddy look happy, and if you look closely you can see that Jackson has no teeth at least on top, I think maybe his bottom teeth had finally started coming in by that point.
