Elizabeth

 As the semester ends, E&M (well, just E - how lucky M is to still be in elementary school, or so insists E) have lots of school projects and I am in the middle of finals.  One extra credit project E is working on involves mummifying a chicken over a 5-week period.  It's been spectacular fun to drain the rotting chicken and fill it up with salt each week after weighing it.  Elizabeth puts a chip clip on her nose each week, so only I must suffer the decaying dead chicken aroma.   

On a more pleasant note, E and I continued our yearly tradition of going to the Lexington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.  I love it, she loves it, and we are beginning to remember ballerinas from one year to the next, which roles they played, and how long they've been with the troupe.  If we could watch the Sugar Plum Fairy's dance each day, we would.  Less so the Chinese dance; we don't like those pointy fingers.

Michael

Michael's class recently had a pioneer-themed choir concert.  The kids were supposed to dress up as settlers, pilgrims, farmers, etc.  Because there were no pioneers who dressed in Nike shirts and sweatpants, the pickings were slim for Michael's costume.  It was fortunate he was in the back, where few noticed his dressy blue shirt that we convinced him was appropriate for a farmer.  He did a wonderful job singing and refraining from giggling.  Whew! 

Last weekend Michael competed in a basketball tournament in Somerset.  They were undefeated (4-0) until the championship game, during which they lost to a team they had soundly defeated the night before.  I don’t think the team minded too much, though, because they got large trophies for coming in second.  Michael and I had a grand time spending the night at the hotel and completing major shopping in between games (yes, Michael had a grand time shopping - mostly because his teammates came along). 

Thanksgiving

 We had our first Thanksgiving meal with Mom on the real Thanksgiving Day.  We ate at the golf course's restaurant.  That evening we played games and ate some more and waited for Mom to wake up from her nap.  She spent the night and checked out our new Kroger the next morning.  She left right around the time we left for our second Thanksgiving celebration.

Meal II was at the Huffs, where we had a huuuuge meal.  The best part was we only had to bring apple pies!  Angie is quite the chef.  There were a couple of new faces around the buffet table this year - both Austin and Matthew's girlfriends joined us, although Matthew and his girlfriend mostly slept on the couch because they are such dedicated GC students and had been up so late the night before studying (or so they told us; Steven thinks the fact they did Black Friday shopping is actually the primary cause).  As always, Zoe and Niki were welcome in Shelbyville - you will correctly guess which relative they liked most if you look at the photos.  Angie, Elizabeth, and Michael took them on walks, and they always love chasing the Huffs' two dogs around their large yard (well, Zoe does; Niki oscillates between excitement and fear; the dogs are two to three times her size). 

Road trip!

 All of us went on a road trip this weekend.  Zoe and Niki spent two nights in Shelbyville with Rosemary, so the rest of us could go to Wise, Virginia, to visit Steven's alma mater (UVa-Wise).  Wise is a three hour drive from Georgetown, and that's the furthest we have traveled since my neck surgery more than three years ago.  Robbie Blevins (best man at our wedding, Steven's roommate throughout college) and his wife and younger daughter (of two) hung out with us all day Saturday. 

We went to the football game between UVa-Wise and #1 in the nation GC (I was forced to sit in the UVa-Wise bleachers, but you know me, always sacrificing for my husband's happiness). 

Steven, Robbie, and Cindy (who also played basketball at UVa-Wise) later gave us a tour of campus.  The campus is absolutely beautiful.  I guess that's what a campus looks like when it's well financed.  :)  The buildings, the layout, the designs - so beautiful.  There is a new athletic complex (see photo - and look really hard to see Michael near the entrance, risking his life walking on the thin wall) that seats about 6000.  Michael intends to attend college there.  Or MSU. What happened to him going to GC and taking my classes, eating lunch with me in the caf?

We ate dinner together in Wise, then the four of us drove an hour back toward Georgetown before stopping in Hazard for the night.  We had our pigfest, which was awesome.  This is when we buy whatever we want from a grocery story and eat however much of it we want.  The one rule is you aren't allowed to eat so much that you get sick.  Getting stuffed and lethargic are permissible.

The next morning, we headed back and Steven met his mom to get our little puppies back. 

It was a fun, funny weekend, and every one of us had a splendid time.  We will have to do it again before another 10 years pass. 

Happy Haunted Halloween!

 Hope you were able to spend yesterday with lots of ghouls and goons.  I was lucky enough to get to spend it with my children, puppies, and newly-hairstyled husband.  Elizabeth and three of her friends paid tribute to Dr. Seuss with their costumes, while Michael and his friends were soccer players (if Michael's costume gives you a sense of deja vu from last year, then hats off to your excellent memory).  Remnants of Superstorm Sandy's winds caused Michael to wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants over his uniform, but I doubt anyone noticed, given the dark, windy, freezing conditions.  Our puppies dressed up as beautiful puppies - oh wait, that's what they always are.

Last weekend Rosemary spent the day with us in celebration of Steven's birthday.  I am already 44 and now Steven is - Obama is the 44th president.  Therefore, it only makes logical sense that when we turn 45 next year, Obama should be the 45th president.  If that makes no sense to you, I'll give you that - but we like the logic and decided it was all the proof we needed to know that Obama will win.  Because we are so rarely wrong about anything, and because Obama and Biden's sign is hanging out in our yard and on the back of Steven's car, we pretty much are guaranteeing their re-election.  Yep, we're calling it early. 

Falling into fall

Pumpkins, mums, and mittens - must be October.  Life is well in Georgetown - the first quarter of school is over!

Michael's school recently held their Fall Festival, during which time Michael dominated the dunking booth.  Several of his soaking wet teachers threatened to change his grade if he kept dunking them.  Yet even when they made him step back to twice the normal distance from the line of throwing, he couldn't be stopped.

Elizabeth's school held their first chorus concert - they took on a daring genre for their performance … jazz!  I was impressed with their ability to swing and be-bop!

 Zoe and Niki agreed to pose for a photo session this afternoon after we (read: Steven) planted mums and Michael drew on our pumpkins.

As for me: I got to see LBJ this past Thursday on my Fall Break.  She's as supportive and empathic as ever.  Much to emulate!  AND she brought me Obama cookies from Buskens - how can one not be forever indebted?

As for Steven: After more than 20 years of my insisting we didn't need either a coffee table or a recliner, Steven convinced me we did and finally they have arrived.  We love everything about this room now!  If you can't find Steven, check the recliner.  As you can see, others hang out with him there, too.

We are counting down the days until Obama wins his second term.  Meanwhile, we are doing our part to help get a local Democrat elected.  We're being extra friendly to all neighbors, to encourage them to vote for our favorite candidate.  Hope you are, too!

Back in the swing of things

Now that summer has officially ended (I know you think there are a few more days before the fall solstice, but all seasons in our family are based on school sessions, so summer actually ended in early August), Michael's soccer has begun and Elizabeth's social calendar is eternally full.

The good news about Michael's soccer is that he is by far the best player on his team.  He has scored in every game this season (except one), and he has made every single one of his team's goals (except three).  He averages 59 of 60 minutes of playing time each game, and he plays both offense and defense positions, even goalie sometimes.  The not so good news is that his team has only won one game (don't ask how many they've played).  I'm trying to figure out whether it's best to be the notable superstar on a losing team or to be the worst player on a winning team.  Steven insists athletes just want to win, regardless of their level of contribution to the team.  Clearly I am trying to convince Michael otherwise.

The good news about Elizabeth's life is that the advent of school brought back daily contact with all of her hundreds of friends.  Which brings lots of texts and phone calls and ball games and plans.  We are contemplating taking out a home equity loan to cover the costs of all the gifts for all of the birthday parties she attends (kidding, just kidding).  I swear, that girl has so many freaking friends.  But I can see why.  She is lovely and funny and generous and smart. She also knows how to do cool things with her phone camera lighting that makes her photo look like that image on the left instead of a regular photo.

As for me and Steven, we are more than happy hanging out with the puppies and the children (not necessarily in that order, of course).  Rosemary's birthday was at the end of last month, so she and Angie's family came over to celebrate.  All is well.