Diggin It with Nana Rose

The weather was pretty crappy while my mom was here, but we did have one or two nice days. "Nana" and Peanut had some fun time with her sandbox on the front porch.

Chanukah Party

Proper spinning form is everything

when chocolate money is at stake!

And one more, just because

A rare picture of Cecilie - she is like me and doesn't post many

pictures of herself on her own blog, so I felt compelled to post one here

"We're just playing for the gelt"

" M's & M's - I'll just help myself, mom!"

" What do you mean I'm too young for Latkes?!"

We had a Chanukah party on Sunday the 9th at our house. What a joy to share the holiday with my dear friends and their children. This year I did something I've never done...I didn't buy too much food for the party. We had just enough! The kids actually played dreidel this year. They were too young last year, so the adults did the playing. Nana Rose made some excellent latkes. I wish I remembered to take a photo of her with her spatula and Chanukah apron. She looked so cute! What a pro too! Can't wait for the third annual Chanukah party next year.

Lotsa Matzo Balls!

Nana Rose came to visit for 10 days (during Chanukah). Peanut usually will only eat Matzo ball soup if Nana is feeding them to her. She used to call them white balls, now they go by Lotsa Balls! We were sitting at the dinner table Saturday night scarfing down the yummy soup. We lit the Chanukah candles and said the prayer for Chanukah. While we were eating we started singing the Chanukah songs. Peanut learned them last year and I had just started re-teaching them to her earlier in the week. She has a book that has both songs in the stories, so she knows the Dreidel song and Oh Chanukah song. We sang the Dreidel song together and then she started to sing Oh Chanukah by herself. It was so cute and she brought both my mom and I to tears...I think my mom is a bit worried that Peanut won't be exposed enough to her Jewish heritage since we don't go to temple. I have decided to look into taking her to Friday night services. There's a temple that has a Tot Shabbat service on Friday nights that is geared toward children and families. I will have to investigate. Fear not, Nana! Later that evening we spent a half hour dancing to the new Chanukah CD I got for the party. We were spinning like dreidels until we dropped...and then we had to spin again!

Stay tuned

I have numerous pictures from Peanut's Chanukah party, School Holiday party, Ballet recital and Nana Rose's visit...check back soon! It's been a great week and I can't wait to share it.

Glimpse

I have been posting (and emailing) a lot of pictures of Peanut these days. I know the purpose of this blog is to "connect" with loved ones and friends and truly express myself. Feeling a bit disconnected this holiday season, so sharing pictures of Peanut just helps. To add to the strange holiday blues my divorce should be final any day now...this is a huge relief, but still a loss...so I'm masking the blues with photos. So much of this past year has been spent concentrating on the "motherhood" side of me. So much of the divorce had to do with custody, parenting, etc with very little emphasis on the relationship ending. I am pretty sure that's going to hit me soon, but also confident that all the work I've done on myself in the past 16 months (and the love and support I've been receiving from so many of you) will help me get through it...so bear with me and the overload of Peanut photos and mommy ramblings, there's a real me behind all of this and I intend to show it. BH, thank you for helping me find and love the me I thought I lost.

Chanukah Hairy?

Percy plays a mean game of dreidel!

Happy Chanukah from Super Barkely!

Peanut got a new stuffed dog for Chanukah last night. I am proud of myself for not giving it to her sooner as I got it over 2 months ago. He's a super-sized Barkley dog that Jellycat just came out with this year. I forgot how big he was until she opened the box up. He's almost as tall as she is. I made a small Chanukah celebration for us last night. Pretty much consisted of the opening of her present and lighting the menorah candles and reading some Chanukah books (over and over again). Sunday we are having a rather large party with our friends and my mom will be in town. Nice to share my holiday with my non-Jewish friends and I'm touched that they are excited about participating. In a couple of the photos she is reading to Super Barks. She got her books and sat down on the floor to read to him. Had fun getting the candids for that.

Like a Prayer

We're in the car after school Monday and Peanut says "I'm a princess and I'm going to marry my prince in 4 days". So I asked her what her name was (trying to figure out which princess she thought she was which might explain why she picked 4 days). She told me she was Princess Madonna! We were in Robert's car on Thanksgiving b/c he was giving us a ride to the airport. Thank goodness for that because I would never have figured out why she chose Madonna. Apparently he's playing Madonna's Like a Prayer song a lot b/c she requests it and knows the words...because I knew this I was able to sing a couple lines from the song...she picked up right where I left off and sang the song...so funny...a singer she is not, but it was entertaining because she just had so much fun...and so did I.

Strike a pose

Took about 15 shots before I finally got a few that were Chanukah Card worthy...next year we're going to a pro. The picture with both Barkley and Braun the dinosaur was the winner.

Eli Magic

Peanut instantly connected with Eli (mom's dear one). She just adored him. We all took her to the Dinosaur Museum on the Friday after Thanksgiving. She stuck to him like glue. I tried in vain to capture those moments with my camera...grrr. I did get a couple of decent photos. I love sharing my daughter with people...especially when they are so giving and kind.

Let's Go Seminoles!?

Saturday the 24th of November was the FSU/UF game. We played on UF's home field (aka "the Swamp"). Not a good game...but we did have fun dressing up for it! Again, I just could not get a good photo of Peanut because standing still for "mommy" to take the picture is just no fun. I was surprised when she remembered the cheers though...Let's go Seminoles, fight team fight, scalp em!...or not as was the case on Saturday. :(

Blanket

It snowed in Albuquerque Friday morning and afternoon...didn't really stick, but it sure was fun watching it come down. Ever notice how quiet the world seems when snow first starts to fall? Like the earth just camly stops and waits to be covered. The same calm you get when you're putting a blanket on someone. Here are some photos taken from my mom's house. Her views of the mountains are great. Also there's a picture of a peace rose that bloomed outside her kitchen window. It was a stunner!

More White Balls Please!

Peanut has been calling my mom's matzo ball soup "white balls" since she was old enough to talk. The last time my mom was in Dallas she made extra soup and matzo balls for me to serve after she left. Peanut wouldn't eat them. The only time she'll eat them is when Nana Rose feeds them to her. I was unable to capture a good picture of the two of them together (camera issues), but I did get this cute one of her being fed. The hand feeding her is Nana's though! Matzo balls are pretty big . She ate two! I had three and could have had them all day long. Nobody makes matzo balls like my mom! Best feel good food on the planet...Jewish Penicillin.

Plane ride to Albuquerque

I took Peanut to Albuquerque to celebrate Thanksgiving with Nana Rose and Eli. Was a little nervous about the plane ride since it had been about a year and a half since the last time we traveled. I purchased a portable DVD player a few hours before our flight. I didn't think I had enough time to charge it up, but I did it anyway (for about an hour and you're supposed to charge the battery for at least 8 hours according to the instructions). I pulled it out while we were on the plane and told her that I wasn't sure how long it would work...it lasted for over an hour! She especially liked that the headphones fit ("Mommy, these fit me just right!"). Flying back was also a breeze and not just because we had the DVD player. We simply had fun. She made so many people smile along the way. It amazes me her capacity to spread sunshine. Here are a couple of photos of my traveling Peanut.

Happiness comes in a wrapper sometimes

Received these photos from Robert. They're from Halloween night at Mimi and Paw Paw's house. She really got into the candy this year. I love the "mmm" noises she makes when she's eating it. Pure happiness.

The Percy-nator

New table

I have been wanting a new table for my dining room for the last two years. Finally found one to match the sideboard (close enough). Amazing what a little furniture can do to lift a girl's spirits. Doesn't quite lift my spirits as Seattle, but it will have to do for now. ;)

Scarecrows a plenty

Had way too much fun decorating the front of our house this year for Halloween and Thanksgiving. In the spirit of "Autumn" I have decided to leave the decorations up until after Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of photos. Loved picking out the scarecrows. Some I found with Peanut and some were a surprise to her when Robert would drop her off to me on Saturday. I love Saturday drop off mornings. Such a treat to get the hugs from my sweet girl. Amazing how I always think she's grown in just the three days that we're apart...and how much she looks like Robert on Saturdays and leaves looking like me on Wednesdays.

Ever since the accident

Had my first car accident yesterday while on my lunch break. Was pretty scary and brought up all sorts of emotions. I was heading east on Alpha Rd and had the green light. Car that was coming from opposite direction and turning left didn't yield right of way. Didn't even see her until I hit her because she was trailing behind an 18 wheeler that had also just turned left. I was thinking to myself "wow, that truck is nervy for turning without an arrow" and BOOM!!! there was the other car. Apparently the lady assumed she had a green arrow since the truck just turned and she didn't slow down to make sure she could go. Her view of me was also blocked by the truck. Was amazing how many people stopped to make sure we were okay, including the lady who was behind the car that I hit. When she mentioned that it tugged on her heart b/c she too has a car seat in her back seat I started bawling...really hit that Peanut could have been in the car! Aaak...thankfully I was a block from the office and Sandi came to be with me. The lady whose car I hit was very nice, and I was so glad she wasn't hurt. The officer didn't issue a ticket to her, but she did acknowledge that she shouldn't have tried to turn. Her insurance should cover the damage, etc. By the time we were done giving our reports, exchanging info, etc we got to know each other pretty well...ended up giving her a hug before I left. I say any accident where (1) nobody gets hurt and (2) you can hug the person that you just had the accident with is a "good accident" (?) :)

Pictures are of my car (Charlie Brown) and the car I hit. I am so getting a Toyota again the next time around. My car is being fixed, but it is so tempting to get a new car now rather than waiting until my 40th birthday next year as planned.

Brings me to another story. There was this guy in high school named Robert Berezin. We were in drama and driver's ed together. Before I got to know him I always heard him start every sentence with "Ever since the accident...". Well naturally I thought the first couple of times that I heard it that there must have been some horrible accident that he was in...WRONG! He just thought it was cool to give that impression...a little wierd, but he was pretty darn funny most of the time. Fit right in with the drama crowd.

Trick or Treat Cutie

Peanut had a great time at school on Wednesday for Halloween and trick or treating later that evening. The little boy that she's walking with is Luke. They held hands for most of the parade. Very sweet boy and they've had a couple of fun play dates this past year. Trick or Treating at the in-laws was surprisingly easy. Felt no different than when I used to go over there with Robert...I guess b/c we just never really had an emotional connection with each other (Robert and me) before, so it is natural that no emotions were felt that night either. His parents were just wonderful, almost feel closer to them now.