New Years Resolutions

This list is a work in progress. The New Year/My Birthday is looming and there is so much I want to improve about myself.

• Diet and Exercise for optimum health
• Be more consistent with Ara's education
• See the world through Ara's eyes
• Patience
  
• Get more sleep
• Make more time to laugh and cuddle with Alex
• Take a writing class
• Practice
  
• Give a recital
  

Happy Slip

This music is old, neat.

Joe and Ara at the library

Random Christmas-ness

I love sitting on the couch blogging with a pretty Christmas tree sparkling in the corner! I am waiting for a student, trying to stay awake. Last night Ara and I were invited over to Megan's house for Christmas cookie decorating. She had the whole table set for decorating with red table cloth and homemade sugar cookies, icing, and sprinkles. Ara created some very interesting and frosting-ful cookie masterpieces before she realized that icing is delicious. After that the icing mostly went into her mouth! I blame myself really that she is so sugar deprived! She had a blast and she didn't even break anything. So proud.

Today is Tuesday. Which means.. non-stop fun (that was sarcasm). Laundry and cleaning so the house will be decent for students. Ara is supposed to be sleeping and I have chairs and a stand set up outside. I'm hoping it won't be too cold and dark for an outside lesson again.. it's so much easier to focus on teaching without her dancing around me in circles. She is still singing silly songs in her bed though...

We are so close to being done with Christmas shopping after the marathon in a toy store last weekend. This is a thrifty Christmas so we are trying to have restraint when we buy. Except when it comes to the kids, of course! Ara has a pile of presents under the tree already. We still need to get her Santa presents though. He is giving her a twin bed... technically we already have the bed but she doesn't know this! It will be in the living room all made up on Christmas morning. With new red flannel sheets, a new comforter, pillow, some cute stuffed animal, and a big red bow. I hope she thinks that is special. A Santa bed! It's another sappy Mom moment.. graduating from the cute little toddler bed to a bed she could be in through her teenager years.

Did I mention that the Christmas tree is pretty!

I'm back from teaching, this is why I have trouble writing a coherent entry, too many distractions! Well, that and my brain are the problem.

Tomorrow I plan to walk to the library and pick up my reserved books! It's exciting because I have:

The tales of Beedle the Bard
Gilmore girls : the complete sixth season
The Jane Austen Book Club

And I am 1/3 reserves on Harry, a history : the true story of a boy wizard, his fans, and life inside the Harry Potter phenom!

I am almost done listening to Twilight on audio which has been fun. I love having audio books for re-reading. I also have Angel's and Demon's (Dan Brown) on my iPod but I keep feeling like it's too creepy for listening right before I sleep.

Yay, just talked to Alex on IM (he is at work) and he suggested pizza since it's been a long day for us.

After the library Ara and I will be making a batch of Peppermint Bark to give away to spread holiday cheer!~

Happy Christmas!

I am in love with this!

Slide

First batch of Christmas presents!

Reading

The past few days I have been immersed in John Green books. I read Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, and An Abundance of Katherine's. I really enjoy the pace of the books, I am interested in the story and main character from the first page. I love finding new authors and having a colorful fictional world to live in for a few days. I laughed and cried (seriously) and I would recommend all three books!

For my future reading plans...

Tales of Beedle the Bard

Harry, A History

I just picked up the audio version of Twilight yesterday (library again) so I am looking forward to listing to that on my ipod today as I clean my incredible messy house. Seriously this place is in shambles. When we brought the new bed in we had to get rid of a desk, dresser, and a chair. So now I have several things without a home. So I have to go through a bunch of clothes and add them to the pile of donation stuff I have sitting in the corner. I also asked Alex to get my music down from the loft last Saturday so that I could find all of my Christmas books. While the boxes were down I thought it would be a good opportunity to organize them so here they still sit... in the living room. Ahhh clutter is scary and stressful! So today everything will find a home and the floor will be clean. I will be tired from a day of laundry and cleaning but I will sleep well tonight! My Mom and I had planned to do laundry this morning at 9am but she is an hour late which is why I am blogging right now! I made banana nut muffins this morning and I am now ignoring the fact that the kitchen is calling out for a cleaning. I can't hear you kitchen! Geez it makes me feel so stressed to have a messy house. I even think Ara misbehaves more when the house is a mess.

On a less messy note... we are going to get the Christmas tree on Friday! Yay! I can't wait! I have the Christmas box sitting in the living room (yet another rubbermaid box sitting here.. driving me insane). Ara is the embodiment of Christmas joy. She is delighted by anything Christmas. It would be hard not to be enthusiastic with her around!

There has been a hitch in the potty training... public bathrooms. Ara is developing a 3 year old phobia of loud flushing toilets and automatic hand dryers. Without fail we will go somewhere and right away Ara will say, "mama I have to pee!". I lead her to the bathroom she starts declaring everything "sceeeewy" and backing out. Then I put the emergency diaper on her and feel like we are not making much progress. At home, she is doing great and the rest will work itself out eventually, I'm sure.

Cold day at the park

Give me a margarita!

I don't know if this is too private to talk about but I am going to write anyway and then decide if I should post. I have been feeling strange for a few weeks and I have been pretty sure I was pregnant. Alex and I have been talking about another baby but this wasn't the timing we were expecting at all. There is so much to consider. So many pros and cons to weigh into the decision. I was already in love with the idea of a new baby though, so today when my period came (4 days late) I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Poof went all of my day dreams of Ara having a little sibling on her 4th birthday. Of watching another perfect little tiny baby tummy rise and fall as they sleep. Poof went all of the worry about money and timing and labor and sleepless nights. No more wondering if I can do it all again. Everything is back to normal and yet I feel a sense of loss all the same. In a lot of ways this is better. I can go on giving Ara my undivided attention and it's less strain financially and this is a decision we want to make when we are ready. We've already done the whole "surprise you're pregnant" thing so it would be nice to plan ahead and be 100% sure we are ready. The time will come, or it won't but either way I already so much to be thankful for. Alex and Ara are my family and they are all I need. And to think.. I could have had that margarita on Thanksgiving after all!

Hello December!

It's December!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, every where but here!

So, it is still a tad warm for December but it's lovely weather and I will take it! I just finished giving a flute lesson.. outside! I know I know, how could I take my instrument outside? Am I crazy? Yes, and happy. Also, Ara was asleep the whole time and she is STILL asleep so it was a win win situation. I love how I am rambling about the weather in my blog...

Anyway...

Ara and I made Christmas cookies last night. She was so cute! We made sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles and listened to the Harry Connick Jr. Christmas DVD A just got for me. We also decorated a wreath and felt very Christmas-y!

A and I finally got a new bed! That is the big big news this week (for me anyway). It's lovely and big and comfy and I even got to choose the color of the new sheets (red!). We have owed ourselves this for a long time and it is our Christmas present to each other. I love it. Sleep is such a wonderful thing when you have it and it's restful.

I have flute club Christmas gigs coming up. Well I do IF I can find some way to get to them anyway. I love playing at the botanical gardens every year. They light up the walkways with luminaries and string lights on the trees. People stroll through the garden listening to various ensembles and drinking hot cider. It puts the added little sparkly on my Christmas mood every year. They also have a butterfly exhibit there I want to take Ara to, maybe next week.

This weekend will be another kids concert with the TSO. A and I are excited to take Ara to see the woodwind quintet. I just love taking her to special events that are just for her. I feel like I drag her around doing mundane chores and errends all the time so when we get to do something as a family that we know she will enjoy and learn from it's a special treat!