all for one and none for nudes

Took my three kids shopping for a prom dress... I should have realized my mistake right there. But, as I told them the other day when we had to sit in a Jiffy Lube waiting room together, "thanks for being part of this team." Even though you hate the garage smell and touching germ-y plastic chairs and the fact that at least one of us always makes small talk with strangers... Doing things together isn't always better, but it does sort of unite us in ways we might not expect. Like agreeing that a high five with the cashier at the grocery store when he hands over the receipt totally makes his day... and that naked mannequins make us uncomfortable. We wandered around our local Macy's for about an hour, and had to keep passing a center display that included an arm-less nude fake lady. I'm a little disappointed to admit that I think I didn't even notice her: until my kids did. And they couldn't keep passing her without taking pity on her situation. And trying to help... (by tossing clothes off another rack up on to the seven foot model) and then there was giggling. And we left. And we laughed.

2014 is in the books. Happy 2015!

Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve!

Again.

And that New Year's Eve party of 2012/2013 at our house that left more than three dozen people staggering into the new year with a stomach virus STILL makes me shudder.

So I'm a little shy about hosting the big one.

The one where many hands paw their way through the chex mix and everyone goes home with a gift.

SO... we celebrated.

 on a much smaller scale.

 Just a couple of cousins

 and our usual line up of activities

 To count down the hours until the new year.

There was plenty to eat

 and so much to do

 that we didn't get to everything on the list.

Paper airplanes,

 paper bags,

and paper dreams

(he TRIED! but just couldn't conquer the bag challenge)

 We baked scones just before midnight.

 We revved up for a fresh start and some new resolutions.

 With seconds to go before the clock strikes 12, we line up at the door in our bare feet and prepare to make a dash into a new year (and ALL the way around the house).

 It's our favorite most invigorating way to ring in the New Year.

HAPPY 2015!!

running cross country

It's been a Fall of running across the country. In the space of two months I will have flown across the United States and back again three times. I'm about to gain a daughter and officially don the title of Mother-in-law. I'm getting ahead of myself. Meanwhile, here on the home front, Morning Boy of the fourth grade has been running almost everyday for the Middle School. He was excited to run on the cross country team and has been happily engaged in this activity without a cheering section for almost a month: life has been competing for my attention. This week I was finally able to see him race.

 He's pretty serious, and tries to best his time from previous meets.

 I'm a big fan.