The Cabbage Patch

700!

I love milestones so I'm going to celebrate my 700th (I like nice round numbers!) comment by Cheryl!  Thank you to all who read my blog and especially to all who comment. 

All I Want for Christmas Are...

my two front teeth!

She lost both front teeth the week after her last performance in the Nutcracker.

Here's what she looked like before she lost the second tooth:

That last tooth was hanging on by a thread.  She looked like a jack-o-lantern so we were calling her "Jack" for a couple of days. 

What City?

HT:  Dawn

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

An Angel

This past December, Sister danced in the local performance of the Nutcracker.  The ballet school she attends, puts the performance on every year to sold out shows in two different cities (smallish size).  We had a total of 2 dress rehearsals and 4 shows.  By the time we finished with the last performance, I was wiped out--Sister was riding on an adrenaline high so she didn't feel fatigue until two days later.

It is a local production put on by mostly teenaged girls on pointe shoes with many younger girls in supporting roles.  The really young ones only have one dance each, but it was very cute. 

Please ignore the pine needles on the floor--housekeeping was not priority during this time.  ;)

Sister is still learning the art of smiling through the performance.  She was adamant that she was smiling throughout the whole dance, but when she saw the video, she realized she wasn't. 

They needed a filler dance for a costume change so four of the angels were picked to perform a short little dance.  Sister is the angel on the right.  They had two weeks to learn the dance and did very, very well.  The teachers loves this class because they are so talented!  All I can think is, "Of course!" I'm not biased, not one bit.

The proud papa.  This was the first time Ben was able to see Sister dance in the 2 1/2 years she's been in ballet.  Can you tell he was proud?

Measuring Up

Yesterday, the deacon was speaking about St. Agnes during our Eucharistic service.  He spoke of her devotion and faith to God.  It struck me that I was failing miserably.  Absolutely miserably.  Here was a young girl who couldn't even freely be a Christian yet she was and very devout at that.  Here I am a grown woman with the freedoms Agnes couldn't have even imagined and I can't even get a rosary in my day.  I know it's a lot about discipline.  In the face of all she suffered she was so good. 

Everyone's Doing It!

There are too many people to name for a hat tip--I've seen this all over.  Here goes:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? No, my dad looks in a very old book with Chinese characters and finds some that have meaning.  He's done this for all my children too.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Today, at the burial of Emily's baby.  My heart broke for them.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Usually

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Boar's Head Salsalito Turkey

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yep!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I hope so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Oh, yeah!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, but I've been skydiving.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Don't really have one, but I prefer healthier ones. 

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Coffee

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Eyes.

15. RED OR PINK? Bright red or pale pink--Love them both.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I'm a procrastinator!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My friend, Dave.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black pants.  No shoes--we don't wear shoes in the house.

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? I snitched a late night chicken nugget from dinner.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The golden silence of my children sleeping

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Indigo

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?  My mom.

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? College basketball.  March Madness is my favorite time of year.

25. HAIR COLOR? Black

26. EYE COLOR? Brown

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope--glasses

28. FAVORITE FOOD? Korean

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Persuasion on PBS

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White.

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Actually, I prefer spring.

33. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Molten chocolate cake

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  Too many to list.

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Collage of monuments in DC

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I watched a Korean video

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Thunderstorms

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  Korea

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Hmmm....

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Seoul, South Korea

Daddy Dolls

In the waiting room of the therapy clinic, I saw one little girl clutching a doll made by this company.  They make dolls with pictures of deployed dads and you can even add a voice message.  The message was sweet--the little girl let me hear it.  It brought tears to my eyes.  She really loved the doll and was clutching it to her the whole time.  Her daddy must've just left. 

I'll have to remember it for the next time Ben deploys.  I know all the girls and even Brother will have need of one.

Oh, Christmas Tree

I am so late in posting about our trip to the tree farm that I'll just post pictures. 

Rare Texas bats. ;)

Our tree during Advent.

Our tree on Christmas Eve.

In this military town, we've had soldiers deployed and soldiers returning these past couple of months.  It's been hard for those deploying during this Christmas season--most left before Christmas.  Christmas was hard for those who had deployed soldiers at the tail end of their deployment too because many returned after Christmas, but they did have the consolation that the end of the tour was near. 

Here's what I've seen and heard: 

• The dad who snuggles his baby girl who is 10 months old.  The last time she saw her daddy she was two weeks old.  She knew instinctively that he was her dad.  It's the sweetest thing. 
• The bewildered mom in our therapy clinic's waiting room who seemed unsure how her husband will fit into her life again.
• The anxious autistic boy who cries because he's so sure that his father going to work means he's in Iraq again.  He's afraid his dad won't come home each night. 
• The smiles on the faces of the wives whose husbands are home again.  The relief that they won't have to go on anymore without help (until the next deployment).
• The reunions that have happened at 3 am because they've had to schedule so many flights to get all the soldiers home.
• The wife who hears from a friend that certain flights are arriving earlier than predicted and runs to use another friend's computer to check her email.  Then seeing the surprise and the tears.  The whoops from her children when they hear. 

It is wonderful to see all these dads home (I say dads because I don't know any deployed moms).  Their children are happy, the moms are relieved (and very, very happy). 

Welcome home, soldiers!  May your transition be smooth.

I Should Be Sleeping

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?