Thanksgiving, and before, and after.

Oh hey there.  It's been a while.  I really have no good excuse.  Life just keeps rolling along.  Actually I do have an excuse.  I have three children and no free time ever.  That works right?  Right.

Two weeks ago Ian was in DC for a neuroscience conference so my mom came into town to help me out.  It was so fun.  Julie ended up flying in with Rory to meet us and we went to my Gram's for the weekend in Winnetka.  I haven't stayed up in their house for so many years.  It was really fun.  I am so so thankful for a mom who would do anything for me anytime I need it.  That week would have been so much harder without her.  And quality time with my sister and new baby nephew?  Awesome.

Then Thanksgiving.  We went to Minnesota for the first time in four years.  It was exhilarating, being able to do it, if not completely chaotic and exhausting ;o).

I didn't take many pictures at all over Thanksgiving. We were too busy running after kids and (kind of) cleaning up after them (sorry mom!) and eating way too much food.  I always just soak it up in Minnesota.  Whenever we cross over from Hudson and I see that big Minnesota sign I just breathe out.  No matter where I live, Minnesota will always be home.

Now we're back and full on in Christmas mode.  We got our Christmas tree Sunday night after our drive back, from Costco of all places.  I will say that our beautiful sweet smelling $29 fraisier fur is worth the bit of Christmas soul we sold for getting it there.  We capitalized on the outing by getting giant costco hot dogs and soft serve for dinner.  Yum, tradition!

Now advent has started and it all feels calm and good.  I opted out of the strenuous stocking garland tradition this year for a simpler version.  I resurrected the calendar I made a few years back and stashed a few simple treats in for the kids to open each day.  That coupled with a  cute Eric Carle calendar I found at our local book shop gives us just enough countdown each day to keep the kids happy (and not fighting over who gets to open each day!)

I find this time of year especially tests and marks so much for me as a parent.  How I'm growing and changing, how our kids and our family are growing and changing.  This year it all just seems easier, like things are falling into place.  I plan so much less because I just don't need it.  We have our things, our traditions and rhythms for this time of year.  It's feeling good.

I'm really looking forward to these next few weeks.  Baking 14 dozen cookies (two cookie walks this year!), Ainsley's 6th birthday party (a lose Brave theme, I'm being brave/super dumb by giving the kids bows and arrows for party favors), creating and wrapping and singing and playing.  It's the best.

I hope you all are having a wonderful start to the Christmas season!

Wide Open Spaces

Facebook statuses that I almost just made Sunday night but thought the better of...

This was The Weekend that was NOT

I'm so extra glad my mom is coming to town to rescue me next weekend while Ian's at a conference.  I'm dying here!!!!

That moment when you are so pumped that the family channel has all kinds of movies on at the end of a long hard weekend so you record them all, sink into the couch to watch UP with the family, totally forget that the sweet old lady dies in the first 5 minutes and traumatize your 5 year old for life...ugh that moment.

So it's been an interesting few days.

Poor Ian caught my cold.  He was in and out of bed all weekend.  Unloading the dishwasher and taking Felix on walks around the block in between those boughts in bed.  That guy I tell you.  He singlehandledly disproves the whole "men are weenies when they're sick" thing (despite me trying to tell him to stay put!).

I cooked SO much this weekend.  I forget if the saying goes starve a cold or feed a cold, but we definitely fed it!
chicken curry soup with rice and blueberry coffee cake were the two big hits

He went to work despite still feeling bad Monday morning.  Thankfully he's much better as of yesterday.

So I started the week without the usual pep in my step from a restful weekend.  I was a bit worried about my exhaustion and getting through this week, especially because Ian leaves for a week long conference on Friday, but so far it's been great.

Ian lugged our fold up slide up to the deck and after cleaning it as best I could I lugged it into the basement.  This of course prompted a giant clean out/up of the space to fit it in.  There are few things that I love more than a good rearrange.

I feel like I've been through the ringer with this old house.  I've rearranged things so many times trying to find that perfect "ah" moment when you know you've got it right.  The thing is our needs are constantly changing, as our family grows, as our kids grow, as the seasons change.  I've given up trying to find the perfect place for everything and settling for what's perfect right now, and right now? it's wide open spaces.

Faced with winter coming soon and three little people to entertain for months I wanted space.  It can be hard to come by in our 1500 square foot home.  Too much furniture and stuff just makes it feel cluttered so quickly, add three little mess making tornadoes, well it can feel downright claustrophobic.  So I'm cleaning out (again, always).  Knowing that we spend most of our time on the floor playing anyways I've moved a few big pieces of furniture out to the back room in our basement and swung the big couches around to open up the rooms as much as I can.  It's amazing how big our home feels and how excited the kids are to have space to run a bit.

We're enjoying all the "new" spaces!

Also enjoying...

new play dough (Elsa colors!)

Sewing

Ainsley's first doll dress made for Snowflake.  She made a pattern and cut all the pieces on her own, I just helped sew them together.  She is SO proud.  (Louise has since made a similar dress for her bunny, though I helped much more with that one)

Finished neck warmers for the girls (they each have one)

New QCT for Felix!  I opted for a kneepad look with these ones.  They're too dang cute.

Louise's sweater is FINALLY in the final stages.  This yoke is so much fun to knit, it makes all the fussy construction of the rest of the sweater almost worth it.

Today' Ainsley was back at school and Louise starts again tomorrow after a long break for conferences.  This afternoon is Ainsley's first ice skating lesson.  She's SO excited and I'm thrilled to have an activity to get us out again on this gloomy cold day.  (For what it's worth Minnesota, I'm totally jealous of your snow, so much better than this rainy 40 degree stuff)

Happy Tuesday to you all.  I hope you're having a great week!