Remember the Thanksgiving I Shoplifted?

This Thanksgiving holiday was certainly one for the record books:

1. We celebrated Thanksgiving a few days early on Saturday, November 21, in a full-on feast that also doubled as Louisa's first birthday party. Welcomed and fed 30 in our home? Check. Celebrated our sweet girl? Check. Louisa loved the cupcake but chose a dainty approach? Check.

2. Bryan was on call for five days during Thanksgiving. While that makes for a less-than-traditional holiday, I'd so much rather he work Turkey Day than Christmas. Amen?

3. Thanksgiving was redeemed thanks to a visit from our niece. She always adds a lot of joy to our home. (And it was nice to have some help. LOL. Solo parenting is not for me.)

4. I dragged Baylee in a torrential rainstorm on Thanksgiving night around 8:30 to engage in primal shopping. Much to my disappointment, the mobs were absent. No waiting in lines. Got a few good deals. And home by 11:30. Weird.

5. Day number two of ninja shopping. This time I dragged Baylee, Anna, and Louisa is equally heavy rain to exercise our shopping prowess. Of course, we didn't get out the door until 11:00 a.m., but was again so disappointed by the lack of lines! Easiest Black Friday shopping I've ever done and that's with two small children and flooding rains. I mean. Really.

6. Dragged Baylee back out shopping after Bryan got home to score kids' clothes at Gap. After a power sweep through the girls' sections, I checked out. Drove home. Walked in. Started to take off my jacket, and then realized I had a pair of girl's, size five leggings thrown over my shoulder. I WALKED OUT THE DOOR OF GAP WITH THESE PANTS. I DID NOT PURCHASE THESE PANTS. Agh, I shoplifted . . . accidentally.

7. Took pants back to Gap the next day and profusely apologized. The "workers," and Anna would say, got quite the giggle.

8. And out came the Christmas decor. We sufficiently taught Baylee the Youree philosophy of ornament placement: No branch left behind.

9. To celebrate Baylee's last night with us, Bryan surviving Thanksgiving call, and giving me a break from slaving over the stove (ahem), we went out to eat. Except. On the drive to the restaurant, we totally owned a pothole, which in turn owned our back right tire in a blowout fashion. Bryan then dropped us at the restaurant while he drove to the tire shop. Of course, he then discovered the other three tires were so worn that placement of the new tire would jack up the alignment so we had to buy four new tires. By the time he picked us up, we were done eating. He ate leftover turkey and pretzels when we got home.

Now that's a holiday to remember. Hope your Thanksgiving was just as happy.

Anna-isms #10

Anna Zane had the honor of being a flower girl in her cousin's wedding. 

The lovely Anna Zane is four but nearing five at a fast pace. (Be still, my heart.) Just this week I submitted an application for kindergarten. GASP! At present, we are considering two schooling options for her: an applied learning center near our house (two blocks!) and our neighborhood public school, which happens to be one of the best in the state! Either way, we feel it's a win. We will make the final decision in spring.

As for turning five, Anna has a lot of dreams about what that means. She is sure five means:

• Getting her ears pierced.
• Growing very tall.
• Staying up later.
• Drinking Coca-loca (Coca-cola) and Dr. drink (Dr. Pepper).
• Walking to the neighbor's by herself.
• And pretty much anything that's currently forbidden will certainly be permissible to a five year old.

I have some hard, sad news for her.

Another item on her list is bringing home a pet. You see, our neighbor's cat, Lefty, who adored Anna . .  and Anna adored, went to cat heaven earlier this year. (It was gruesome. I literally found 1/4 of a cat in my front yard! We are still perplexed about what happened to this feline.) Since that time, she has repeatedly asked for a koala. Only she doesn't actually mean a koala; she means a Chihuahua. Aunt Tina has a Chihuahua, so Anna wants one too. (Thanks a lot, Tina.) Anna has assured us she will be so "sponsible" when she turns five, and thus, could care wonderfully for a koala.

In the mix of the five-year-old discussion is talk about kindergarten. I have used this to my advantage with little gems such as: "You know, kindergartners do not throw tantrums in the floor." To which she quickly reminds me she is only four.

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Differences are a hot topic around here. Anna fully believes she and Louisa are twins because they both have brown skin, brown eyes, etc. We were talking about differences and similarities, when I chimed in that I also have brown hair. She looked at me, rather sympathetic, and said, "Well, yours is kinda grey brown."

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Anna just knew everyone would think she and Louisa were the real Elsa and Anna on Halloween. They were certainly more beautiful than any princesses I've ever seen!

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It is the job -- and compulsion -- of every parent to brag about, rave on and on about the talents of his or her children. I must be faithful to that job. Teehee. Okay, okay, seriously: Anna is a very talented artist. She is creating things I couldn't dream up even now. She problem solves to create exactly what she wants how she envisions it. When I say I'm impressed, I mean it.

A Loooooooong Silence

Nearly every blogger does it. A season of life causes a pause. A break. A hiatus. Radio, er, Internet silence. Yes, it has been a long silence from me.

I'd like to blame the silence on being a mother of two. Yes, this season of mothering two littles is challenging. But really, really wonderful. While I wince that I've not catalogued Louisa's first months quite as well as I did Anna's, I am content to know I've soaked them in, these last moments of loving on my last little infant. These last moments of Anna being at home full time.

Or I could blame a job change, a slight turn on the career path. As you know, I took over ownership of the Fort Worth Moms Blog in April. It's been something else since then. My mind explodes at the growth, the reception of this business. My heart explodes at the community I'm part of, the ladies I've meet, the difference this organization is making in real mamas lives. Could this possibly be my job??? YES! Amazing.

New baby. New job. No time. Right?

Eh, yes and no.

The real reason my silence lasted so long is this: Grief. Yes, I am still reeling over the loss of my dear friend, Bethany. I'm still somewhere stuck in grief.

New baby. New job. New loss. That's what's going on. A WHOLE LOT!

But I'm hopeful. I'm grateful. I'm committing to be less insular and more open. I need to end the long silence. And I hope you will listen.