Today I have been thinking about this past year. I suppose it is natural to look back on New Year's Eve. I have so much to be thankful for in 2009. The little ladies are flourishing. They are getting to ages where they can play well with each other. Panda Girl is becoming more independent with each passing day. Sweet Pea is turning into a very sweet little girl. For these, and many other reasons, I smile when I think of this year.

However, this was not an easy year. A year ago I was living in misery. Panda Girl was still struggling to sleep at night and Sweet Pea was refusing to potty train. I had no time to myself. Panda Girl refused to take a bottle or sippy cup. I was literally unable to take a break. It seemed every time I tried to get out for even an hour, Panda Girl would start to melt down. That, in turn, caused me to melt down internally.

In January I decided to start exercising. I was exhausted and frustrated. I hoped getting more active would help with stress relief and help with my energy level. While that was a good idea in theory, in practice there were some issues. When I am nursing my metabolism slows down. Thus, I decided the exercise was necessary. However, that caused my milk supply to diminish. The diminishing milk supply caused Panda Girl to wake up more in the night since she was thirsty. That, in turn, made me tired. So, I was stuck in a catch-22. I don't even like that book.
Life got a little easier in April. I weaned Panda Girl (which caused her to start sleeping through the night) and potty trained Sweet Pea. I was expecting to start feeling much better. However, there was not much improvement. I got more and more frustrated. Finally, as I have written before, the light came on at the end of the tunnel in August.

This year I have learned so much about myself. I am much tougher than I realized. I am stubborn and am bad about asking for help. I repress my feelings when something is really bothering me. It turns out I am very good at hiding my emotions from those I love. So, I am planning to use this knowledge to help me this year. I will ask for help and take time for myself. I will make myself a priority. I have no idea what 2010 holds for me, but I am ready for it. I have faith I will come out the other side healthy and happy.

Book Review Time!

I went to go see "New Moon" with a friend a few weeks ago. One of the previews was for an upcoming film called "Dear John". It is a film based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks of the same name. I am not always a big fan of Sparks' work. I loved his memoir he wrote with his brother. It was a fantastic read. This film trailer caught my eye because of the name of one of the characters. It is a name I love. I correctly assumed it would be an easy and entertaining read.

Dear John is a novel about the nature of true love. John and Savannah have a chance encounter on the beach. John is on leave from the army and is visiting his father. Savannah is a college student in town to build homes for the poor. It is the classic good girl falling for the bad boy routine. The story is told from John's perspective and his character is well developed. Savannah's character is likable and sweet. Circumstances unfold in such a way that Savannah sends John a Dear John letter. John is eventually confronted with the questions of: "What is true love?" and "What would you do for true love?".

While the concept of the story is not new and the outcome is not a surprise, it is a good story. It was a perfect book to read over Christmas since is was fast and easy. Thus, if you are looking for the light and easy read, this just may be your next book.

Friend with Faith

Today we went to the zoo as a family. We met an old friend of mine and her family there. The O family is a Navy family. Mr. O is an engineering officer. Thankfully, for my friend, that means he rarely has to leave for extended duty. They have three children: Josh, age 7; Jackie, age 5; and Jake, age 2. Mr. and Mrs. O are fervent pro-life advocates. They are so pro-life that they do not use birth control. As she says it: They "are prepared to welcome as many children as the Lord deems appropriate" into their family. Wow, what a leap of faith.

Not only is their attitude about children a leap of faith, their daughter's health requires constant faith. At about 6 months old they started noticing bruises on their sweet baby girl. Jackie was not mobile yet and bruises seemed to appear very easily. Their first concern was leukemia. They were relieved to find they were spared a cancer diagnosis. However, the diagnosis was not a good one. She has acute hemophilia.

I knew very little about the disease before baby Jackie was found to have it. What I did know was that girls are not supposed to be symptomatic. The recessive defective gene is carried on the X chromosome. Boys are afflicted because there is only one X chromosome and, therefore, not an extra "good" copy of the gene. Girls have two X chromosomes so the other gene typically protects them from becoming symptomatic. They can be carriers, but are not usually afflicted. For some reason Jackie's extra copy of the gene that is supposed to protect her has turned itself off. She has been studied by the best doctors in the country and no one can explain her unique genetics.

What does all this mean for the O family? It means that every bump little Jackie receives could be life-threatening. She has had severe bleeds in her brain and hip. She is on medication, however it is not as effective as the doctors would expect. Thus, Mr. and Mrs. O have a couple of different ways to handle her condition. They could not allow her to do anything and make active little Jackie stir-crazy. That option would be very tempting. The other thing they could do is have faith. This is the option they have chosen. While they do take precautions with her (helmet, knee pads, etc.) they allow her to play like most kids. There are some activities that are off-limits. She will never be a gymnast. She will never be a rugby player. They are hoping she will be able to live a relatively normal life. She will always have significant medical bills. She will always need to be careful. I don't know what her diagnosis means for her ability to carry her own child someday. What I do know is that she is one in several million, literally.

I am thankful her parents are people of faith. Without faith this would be an impossible disorder to accept. While they would have never asked for this disease to afflict Jackie, they hope and pray God will use their situation for His glory. I am fortunate to call Mrs. O my oldest friend (we have known each other for 26 years - we are only 33). She has taught me so much about acceptance and faith. She is not angry with God or bitter about her more difficult situation. She is grateful to have Jackie in her life.

More than Gifts

The little ladies had a wonderful holiday. Panda Girl received no fewer than six pandas, two of which supposedly make accurate panda sounds. Sweet Pea's favorite items included a tent, a guitar and play horses. I am thankful our girls are lucky enough to receive Christmas presents. However, as a parent the gift receiving is not where I want to place the emphasis. The little ladies need to learn the value of giving. We read books teaching the legends of St. Nicholas and the candy cane. We gave to those less fortunate and talked about how some people do not have homes, food, clothes or toys.

We also want our children to understand the real reason for Christmas. While placing Christmas in December is neither biblical nor factual, it is an important day representing Christ's birth. Until I was a parent I did not fully understand a parent's love. Now that I have the little ladies I have a new appreciation for God's sacrifice. I can't imagine bringing a child into this world knowing he was destined to die so horribly and painfully. Thus, we spent time having a birthday party for Jesus.

I know the little ladies do not fully understand all I have tried to teach them this year. Panda Girl has a long way to go until she can fathom any of this. Sweet Pea is just excited about birthdays. However, I have faith that some day a light will go on inside of them and they will get it.

Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve. Today and tomorrow are days we always anticipate around here. We watch Christmas movies. We decorate cookies for Santa. Tonight we will have dinner with Husband's family and, this year, we will open gifts with them. We will put the little ladies to bed and break out the tools. This year they will receive a kitchen set from Santa, so we will spend our evening assembling it for them. I know they will love it. Tomorrow we will open some gifts at home and then head off to see my family.

These are days I have been dreaming about for months. These are days where the pictures in my head of the happy family are clear. My expectations are high. We are all freshly washed and pressed. There are no runny noses. There is no whining. There are no temper tantrums. Heck, the dogs are even washed and groomed. All family members behave. There are no passive-aggressive remarks or rolled eyes. We are the picture perfect family of the Norman Rockwell paintings.

Then I wake up. There are toys scattered everywhere. The camera has been lost at one of the many Christmas festivities we have attended. Panda Girl has a cold and is a fountain of snot. Sweet Pea is exhausted from the pre-Christmas activities and is throwing tantrums like when she was two. I am exhausted from all the preparations that have been made over the last month. Husband even has to discipline Sweet Pea (if you know him, you realize he does not really discipline her until she is pushed way beyond decent behavior). While this is not what anyone would picture for Christmas Eve, it is my reality.

The rest of the day will be spent decorating Christmas cookies. We will get cleaned up. Panda Girl will have to put her clothes back on (she is currently running around in only her diaper - my favorite outfit on her). Then, late tonight, after all the festivities are complete, Husband and I will look around our home and sigh. It will be a sigh of happiness and gratefulness. We will smile at each other and wonder at this family we have created. We will be thank God for these beautiful babies we are so fortunate to call our own. We will drift off to a peaceful sleep and dream again of our perfect Christmas.

All this just for a picture?

My mom and I had an idea about a month ago. We decided it had been too long since our family took a nice family picture and it was time to go forth and pose. The pictures were to include my grandmother, her husband, my parents, my aunt and uncle, my sister, my husband, the little ladies and me. The idea seemed so simple. Everyone shows up at the park at the appointed hour and we all smile. While that is how it would have happened in many families, that is not at all what happened with mine.

This event - and yes, I must categorize this as an event - took an immense amount of planning. To be fair, there were eleven different people to coordinate and attempt to please. We had to hash out several different options for dates that would work for everyone. Just as we thought we had a date chosen, I received an invitation in the mail for a holiday party it was important we attend. We finally settled on Friday. One person wanted studio photos. However, the photographer we chose does not have a studio. So we chose a beautiful area complete with a Japanese garden. However, all week the weather was awful. The sky was steel gray and mist hung in the air. As we walked the gardens in the days leading up to Friday, I shivered in the cold. We staked out a nearby hotel as an alternate location in case the bad weather continued. Then there were the attire discussions. Grandma insisted on wearing a formal dress with beaded lapels on the jacket. She also purchased matching velvet and taffeta dresses for the little ladies. I don't know about you, but I do not own anything that dressy at this stage in life. Mom, Sister and I each took several trips into our closets. I ended up making a last ditch trip to the mall to find a cute little black dress that would fit the bill. All in all I was unsure what to expect from Friday.

We had spent much of the week running around. Sweet Pea had her Christmas program. Panda Girl had a nasty cold that prevented either of us from sleeping well all week. On top of that we had my sweet Aunt and Uncle in town visiting. When Friday dawned I had planned a very quiet morning for the little ladies and I. We stayed home and in our pajamas. I was hoping the low key morning would enable us to have a meltdown free photo shoot and fancy dinner afterward.

Thankfully, our plans for outside photos were solidified when we all looked out our windows Friday morning. The sky was baby blue without a cloud in sight. All week the temperatures had hovered in the forties and fifties. Friday the sun came out and warmed the air to a comfortable sixty-four degrees. We met the photographer and started shooting. Panda Girl did not want to smile for much of the time, but I am hopeful there are some good shots of us all. I think the girls even had some fun.

Once we finished in the park it was on to Fancy Restaurant for dinner. I don't know about you, but we do not take our girls to expensive restaurants. It has always seemed like such a waste of money. However, that is what the family wanted to do and I reluctantly agreed. I secretly told myself that we would leave if the little ladies became unruly. As luck would have it, and it truly was luck, the girls behaved well. I did have to hold Panda Girl on my lap for much of the meal, but at least I got to eat a fantastic steak. Best of all, that particular restaurant has my favorite dessert. I enjoyed every last bit of that bread pudding. Sister teased that I practically licked the inside of the bowl to avoid missing any morsel.

While that day and the days leading up to it were an ordeal, I hope we will have a beautiful family picture to admire. I fiercely love my family. While I can tease them and complain about them, you had better not. I'm thinking we may even sit back and laugh about this one day. However, today is not that day. Tomorrow is not looking good either.

Book Review Time!

I am a fan of Jeanette Walls. I loved her memoir, The Glass Castle. It was amazing. I was thrilled when Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel was published a couple months ago. To say I had eagerly anticipated reading another book of Walls' is akin to saying Sweet Pea is a bit excited about Christmas. Walls writes a mostly autobiographical novel in her grandmother's voice. Lily Casey Smith was a tough as nails frontier woman. She was resourceful and smart. She lived in a dugout house for many years. She rode a horse for 28 days from New Mexico to Arizona alone at age 15. She broke wild horses and played poker. She was a bootlegger during prohibition. She was essentially a half broke horse herself.

The narrative uses the dialect Jeanette remembers hearing from her grandmother. The stories told are those Jeanette learned from her mother and grandmother. Walls also used newspaper stories and public records to substantiate much of what she writes. However, the details that give this book life and allow it to read like a novel were filled in by Walls' imagination.

The story is entertaining. It is full of flash floods, heartbreak, and humor. The writing style lends personality to Lily. I thought the story was well paced and interesting. The characters were well developed, interesting and likable. Overall I truly enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it.

Some Breathing Room

We have been very busy in our corner of the world. I have been under a tight deadline: have all pre-Christmas preparation (except gift wrapping) completed by December 13. I needed to be organized and have all teacher gifts chosen and ready for the school parties. I needed to have gifts for Savannah's friends ready. I needed to have all family presents purchased. The Christmas cards had to be sent. All long distance packages needed to be posted. It sounds a bit crazy, huh?

I have an Aunt and Uncle who live in the desert. We don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like. Aunt and Uncle never had kids, thus Sister and I are their only "human" children (they do have dog children, if you know what I mean). They have only met Panda Girl once, at 8 weeks old. They have not seen Sweet Pea in two years. My little ladies are their only "grandchildren".

Growing up, Aunt and Uncle were always a fixture in our lives. Most of the time they lived far away from us (we had them living here for about 4 years). We saw them at least once a year. Uncle was always fun. He took us camping. He played mini-golf with us. He went swimming with us. Aunt taught me how to apply make-up. She taught me what colors look nice with my skin tone and hair color. She taught me that you can have a second career late in life when she went back to school for a totally different degree the second time around. I have always felt lucky to be their niece.

So, why the December 13 deadline? Aunt and Uncle came into town today. I wanted my schedule clear to enjoy them during their almost two week visit. Tonight they came over for soup and cornbread and Monday Night Football. It was so fun to see them interacting with my girls. Uncle loves children, especially once they are toddlers. He throws them around. He tickles them. Panda Girl can be a bit leery of new people, but she walked up to him with her arms outstretched within ten minutes of his arrival. Sweet Pea remembered him from two years ago. He made such an impression on a barely two year old girl that she was thrilled to see him tonight. Aunt is not sure what to do with babies, but since the girls are a bit bigger now she had fun watching them. Panda Girl loves to entertain and she found an audience in Aunt.

I realize there will be too much extended family togetherness over the next two weeks. I am confident we will get on each other's nerves. However, I am equally confident that I would not change anything about them*. I love them as they are. I am grateful to have them in my life. I pray they become a large part of my little ladies' lives too.

*I reserve the right to take back this statement at any time in the next two weeks. I also reserve the right to not be reminded of aforementioned statement.

Healing, Four Months Later

I need to apologize. It turns out there has been a sweet friend leaving me comments on my blog. My email notification somehow got turned off and I did not realize the comments were left for me. One of the comments has had me thinking today. She asked me what caused my new found well-being. There are several elements that have come together to make me feel better.

To give some background, I battled postpartum depression for about a year. Mine did not start immediately after Panda Girl was born, it took about four months to start setting in. I was exhausted, disinterested and angry. I thought that by toughening up I could "fix" myself. I also thought my thyroid was acting up. I have Hashimoto's Disease (scary name, treatable disease) which causes my immune system to attack my thyroid. After having a baby my immune system goes a bit haywire. Thus, the disease is difficult to regulate until my hormones slow down. Many of the symptoms I was experiencing I was attributing to my thyroid because exhaustion has always been one of my primary thyroid symptoms. So, you can imagine my surprise when my endocrinologist told me that not only was my thyroid hormone within normal limits, it was picture perfect.

I simply started crying. My doctor is a much older man. I assumed he would dislike the tears like most men of his generation. Thankfully I was wrong. He started asking me about my life. He asked me if I should make some major changes for my own well-being. He also suggested a very low dose of an antidepressant. I agreed because I could not imagine feeling this way any more. I had been working out religiously for six months. I had been eating well. It had done nothing to help my energy levels. He advised me it may take about a month to notice a difference in the way I felt. Thankfully, he was wrong. I started feeling better within a week. The only side effect I experienced was dizziness for a day or so. Then it was better.

However, I do not think that just popping a pill each morning has been the only aspect of my recovery. I have continued exercising. I started blogging as a way to journal my thoughts. I taught myself how to sew and have given myself several fun projects. I have taken more time for myself, without guilt. I realize how much I need a break. I am a much better parent if I take good care of myself. My relationship with Sweet Pea has gone from contentious to peaceful. I have been able to give Husband some attention. While it is probably not as much as he would like, it is a significant improvement over last year. I also talked to Husband to truly explain how I was feeling during the difficult times. He had no idea how badly I felt. That is my fault. I did not tell him. I expected him to understand something I was trying hard to hide. I was ashamed and embarrassed. Once I communicated with him, he was shocked by the depth of my depression. Since then he has been nothing but supportive.

These days I feel healthy. I have energy. I am enjoying my children. I can laugh again. I don't cry at every perceived slight. I engage with people again. I have interests again, other than sleeping. In short, I am myself. Truly, I have not felt this good since college. I am grateful to my family and an insightful doctor. I am grateful I took the time I needed to heal.

Book Review Time!

I am still behind in my reviews! Today I am reviewing Spinning Forward by Terri Dulong. The debut novel follows Sydney Webster on a journey to rediscover herself. At 52, Sydney finds herself alone and penniless after her husband's sudden and unexpected death. His large gambling debts, previously unknown to Sydney, have left her homeless. She is lost. She is confused. She is angry. A dear friend invites her to come and stay at her B&B in Cedar Key, FL to help Sydney regain her footing in her life. To relieve her stress, Sydney turns to spinning wool and knitting. This hobby helps her turn her life around and learn who she will be without her husband.

Overall it was a good, not great, light read. I found the twists, turns, and secrets that came to light somewhat predictable. If you are not one to sit and think about why information is included in a story, you may not see all the "surprises" coming. There is also a semi-spiritual component to this story that I found odd. I did enjoy the characters. While I think Sydney could have been developed better, I enjoyed the quirky secondary personalities.

Overall, I am glad I took the time to read this story. It was a well-paced and enjoyable read. The characters and their dialogue had me laughing on several occasions. If she writes another novel, I will probably read it too.

The Magic of Christmas

When I was growing up, Christmas was my favorite time of year. I have always loved everything about this holiday: the food, the crazy family, the decorations, the holiday movies. I loved coming home and seeing the tree all lit up, the smell of cookies baking while holiday music played in the background. I loved decorating the fifty gazillion Christmas cookies Mom baked with White Christmas flickering on the television. Most days you could have taken a picture of our home and family and it would have looked like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Then I became the Mom. Suddenly choosing the traditions I wished to continue became much more important. Creating a new tradition or two was also a priority. Is a visit to Santa at the mall more important than decorating cookies? Is it imperative that the picture on the Christmas card be festive, or could it just be a cute picture from earlier in the year? Do I really want to make the cute calendar of the kids for all the family members each year? Do I want the Christmas letter to be a funny representation of our year or more of a play-by-play? With so many choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

As a kid I had no idea all that the picture perfect Christmas entailed. I had no idea that from Thanksgiving forward Christmas was an extra two hours of work each day. I didn't know there would be years I would not decorate at all (when Sweet Pea was almost 2 and I was pregnant with Panda Girl ) due to being out of town for the actual holiday. I had no idea we would be participating in a new and wonderful tradition involving an elf and a shelf (sadly, our elf has gone missing this morning - he is probably buried under the mound of junk on the floor somewhere, ahem). I had no idea that I would rather stand outside naked than take the girls Christmas shopping alone. I certainly didn't understand the extent of parents' exhaustion during these weeks leading up to the big day.

While this time of year can drive a mom nuts, I also have a better understanding of the magic of Christmas. I loved Panda Girl's first Christmas last year. Surprisingly she was very animated and interested while we opened gifts. She was charming and cute. I am loving Sweet Pea's adorable anticipation this year. Since this is her fourth Christmas, she knows the drill. She is beside herself with excitement. She is loving watching her cute holiday shows on TV. She has been loving Christmas carols, she was singing them in the shower the other day. It was so sweet. Thus, while I never truly appreciated the work that this holiday can bring, I also never understood the deep joy that comes from Christmas either. The little ladies have brought that to me in a way no one else ever could. Thus, this is still my favorite time of year. I just need to use lots of caffeine to stay awake and enjoy it.

Unexpected Lesson

Husband and I took Sweet Pea to the Nutcracker last weekend. We are hoping to infuse a love of the arts in our little ladies. We visit museums regularly, but this was to be her first live performance. I was unsure how well she would behave. Sitting still is not her strong point. However, I was hopeful we would have fun.

We arrived at the theater a bit late, but still before the show started. Our seats were close to the stage as we were hoping a good seat would hold Sweet Pea's interest in the ballet. Once we were settled, I realized that we were surrounded by little girls all dressed in their holiday finery. They were all adorable. It was hard not to hug and kiss them all. As I was admiring the cute kiddos, my gaze happened across one particular child. She was tall, so I expect she was around 7 years old. I noticed her father carrying her everywhere. At first I thought that was a bit strange, until I looked closer. She was wearing a beautiful black and white long dress. She had on a matching white hat with a black bow. Then it struck me. She was wearing a hat inside. Her sweet father had a shaved head. She has cancer. I have no idea if she was too tired to walk or if her daddy just could not put her down. I believe it was the latter.

Can you imagine what that sweet family is facing? I think if one of my little ladies was struck with a life threatening illness, I would carry her everywhere too. I would want to hold her as much as possible. I would probably sleep with her. While I attended the ballet expecting Sweet Pea to have a cultural lesson, I was not expecting to be the one educated. Please remember to hold your children this Christmas. Hug them in a way that makes them push you away because it is too much hugging. Help them learn about the importance of giving to those who are sick and are in need. We are going to be doing our part, I hope you will too.

Book Review Time!

I realize I have been remiss in reviewing my books lately. So, I start today with The Late Bloomer's Revolution by Amy Cohen. This memoir was a joy to read. There is sadness as well as lightheartedness throughout the book. It follows Amy's life from her late 20s well into her 30s. She brings us along on bad first dates. She lets us experience her heartbreak. We follow her career.

Amy is essentially trying to learn who she is and who she will become as her life ebbs and flows. Does she want to be married? Does she want a family? It is clear in the beginning of the story that she and her mother are close. However, her mother has been battling cancer of one form or another since Amy was young. As the story begins her mother is dying. Amy wonders who she will be without her mother. Her mother tries to impart as much wisdom as possible before she passes. Some of the advice causes Amy to pause as she is not sure she agrees with the sentiments imparted.

Some of the circumstances and opportunities that come her way are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occassion. There are moments in which you feel supreme pity for her. In those moments you feel the pain she is in and want to take it away for her. There are also a few times when you want to smack her and tell her to get over it. As someone who took a more traditional route in life, I could not really relate to the angst of her single girl world. However, the theme of loneliness is one all of us understand. As is the idea that we are all unfinished. Amy spends time exploring where she belongs and with whom. While I have found the people I intend to spend my life with, I too feel unsettled sometimes about my place outside of the four walls of my home.

Amy ultimately finds answers to her questions. While they may not be the answers she expected she finds satisfaction in them. I hope we can all find our unique place in this world. I am certain I am uniquely qualified for something. Since I have no idea what that something is, I am going to continue to wait and be still and allow the answers to come.

Ahh, Thanksgiving. Where to begin?

Husband and I decided to pack up the little ladies and venture forth to Austin for Thanksgiving. Husband's Uncle D lives in a huge house on a horse ranch, thus he has plenty of room for Husband's large family. While the festivities were held at Uncle D's place, Aunt J (Uncle D's little sister) was the hostess. She lives in Colorado and was in Austin with her three teenage kids. We love Aunt J and Uncle S. Their three kids are remarkable. They love our little ladies. They are kind and hard working. Husband's parents and siblings, A and B, were in attendance as well. Beyond these family members, there were a bunch of strangers. We should have had name tags with information explaining how they were connected to this family. Everyone except Husband's parents and siblings stayed in the house. Uncle D's girlfriend was there too. As were her son, grandson and ex-daughter-in-law.

I understand this is quite a bit to follow, but it is a necessary introduction. OK, the day of Thanksgiving we loaded up the minivan and headed to Austin. We got there in plenty of time to eat and chat with everyone. When Panda Girl napped, Sweet Pea was allowed to skip the nap and go ride Cousin S's thoroughbred horse. She loved it. Later that evening Sweet Pea teased Uncle D over which team would win the UT/A&M game. They had lots of fun with their rivalry. During this whole time Uncle D's girlfriend, E was enjoying the vino. We would soon learn exactly how much.

In the meantime I am becoming a full-time referee. Uncle D has multiple dogs who are unaccustomed to kids. They are not typically even nice to other dogs, much less people. So I deemed them totally untrustworthy, especially around Panda Girl. Panda Girl is in that phase were being gentle is a nice concept, but rarely a reality. Uncle D and E had insisted they needed to come inside since it was getting cold outside. So, I got to keep the little ladies from being the newest news headline reading, "Thanksgiving Tragedy: Children Maimed while Visiting Uncle's Ranch".

Finally it was both game time and bedtime for the girls. They were quickly put in bed while the rest of us settled in to watch the game. What a game it was! While the Ags did run out of time, we gave them a run for their money. It was fun to watch. Sadly during this time E's drinking became evident when she planted a kiss on Husband's mom. It was not a gentle peck on the cheek, a full-fledged kiss on the lips. Clearly this was a first for MIL, and she was not thrilled about the experience.

After the game, Husband and I turned in for bed. I optimistically set an alarm for 5:30 to enjoy some Black Friday bargains. Little did I know how little shopping I would accomplish the following day. As we were settling in, some loud music started playing in the bedroom with which ours shared a wall. I was a little suspicious about what would be happening between E's son L and his ex-wife-turned-current-girlfriend A. Soon the mystery was solved. Yep, you are right. They had decided to reconcile. Then they reconciled some more. I'm not sure why they were playing music, as they were much louder than the aforementioned music. There was so much reconciling that Husband wondered later if they were making an adult film. It did last about two hours, I assume that is a typical adult film length (let me be clear, I have no firsthand knowledge of that in any way). We were grateful the little ladies were in a different room, several rooms away from the activities. Panda Girl also woke up in the night. Thus, when the alarm sounded bright and early, it was promptly turned off.

The next day was much less eventful. The girls rode horses. We visited Husband's grandmother in her nursing home. Then we headed home. As I said uneventful. Let's just say I am very thankful we won't be spending next Thanksgiving with E and her family. I don't think I could handle that again any time soon!