A light pole fell down at a major local intersection overnight, closing it down for hours and causing a traffic nightmare for most of the day. We were literally the only people at car line in the morning because no one else could get there. I thought the school was closed. We had a plan to meet up for pizza after Christina’s dance class and then go pick out a Christmas tree, but Robin was in an epically bad mood and then Billy spilled her full glass of Dr. Pepper all over her at the table, so we decided to bag it. I still think that was a smart move.
Tag: advent calendar
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December 1
Not the best photo. I’m sure I’ll take better ones tomorrow. But we finally put up the FINISHED advent calendar tonight! Christina did the honors of placing the first ornament. I am so proud of this thing, all the years of planning and cutting and measuring and hand sewing and machine sewing and plain old learning how to sew at all. I need a better way to hang it, and need to take down the stuff behind it, but I’m very proud of it. I hope it brings us as much joy after making it as I had while making it. And the countdown to Christmas begins…
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March 2
Considering we started the day on the other side of the state, I did a lot today. Not the least of which was finishing another big piece of the advent calendar. I am finishing the day with overwhelming gratitude. For every time Robin smiled over the weekend, for Christina coming food shopping with me today, for Billy pulling together all our National Parks photos into frames to put on the dining room wall… and so many other things too.
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February 22
I went out with some friends and we laughed and ate Mexican food and it was so fun. I don’t have many friends here, and those I do have I don’t see very often, so nights like these mean a lot to me. Also today I made the last ornament for the advent calendar. It will surely be done in time for Christmas this year. Next step is to sew on buttons, then add the back and border, and then add dowels and it’s done! Four years of effort. Worth all the time that’s gone into it.
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October 22
I had a pretty productive day, and got this sweet owl ready for Christmas. It’s not looking likely that I’ll finish in time for this year, but I think definitely by next year. Making these ornaments has been fun. Some of them are better than others, but I’ve enjoyed making them all. I can’t wait to see this all finished and in action. The surprise of seeing which ornament you’ve pulled out of the pocket is more fun than I realized it would be. I’m always surprised when one of my ideas actually works out.
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September 28
This dove took me half a day to make because apparently I suck at embroidery. I had to make six or seven wings before I finally got these two. I didn’t hate the effort, but it did take forever. Nine ornaments left to do and two months to do it.
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September 6
I finished reading the Frederick Douglass book. I am learning so much, and I am so grateful. My mind is full of new ideas, things that contradict the things I previously thought were true. I want to read more. Who knew that one day at Fort Sumter would lead to this? That one day changed everything… again.
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September 1
It was a pretty productive day. Took the kids clothes shopping because Robin wears the same three items every day and Christina has grown so much in the last year that not one item she owns fits her. There was a moment where I had to threaten to pick Christina’s clothes out for her if she didn’t find her own, but then we found the Holy Grail of pre-teen clothes and they couldn’t stop piling it on. I bought them everything. May we never have to go clothes shopping again. And then I spent the rest of the day making this cute gnome ornament for the advent calendar. It’s unlikely to be done in time for this year, but it might be close. I’ll take it.
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August 28
The merry-go-round continues. This is going to be a long school year. I decided to bow out of the chorus, at least for the first concert until I establish a bit more of a routine. I think that for now, I’d rather be there for my kids for the short amount of time that they’re kids. The chorus will be there later. Or if not that, then something else. Not sure if this is the right choice, but honestly I’m too tired for it anyway. We’ll see.
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August 5
I may have sewn some ornaments while doing trainings at work. I still have a lot of work to do.
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November 25
I started making progress on this today and then I ran out of thread. I think I almost bought it when I bought all the supplies for this project last year and then decided not to because I already had some. Little did I know I only had like five feet of thread on the spool. Oh well. I’ve got a whole year to prepare it for next year.
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October 22
The advent calendar is coming along, but it will be a miracle if I actually finish it in time to use it this year. But I am amazed that it actually resembles what I imagined a year or so ago.
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August 9
I did something today. Leaving it at that for now. I am full of self-doubt. As a parent, a wife, an employee, a human… How do you know if you’re helping your kids or wrecking them? How do you convey love when you keep doing stupid shit that seems to say otherwise? How do you keep the sink from filling with dirty dishes? How do you solve the world’s problems? Why do I just sit on the couch when I’m not working, instead of doing something productive? Tonight we went down the list: Daddy is an expert in the art of football, Christina is an expert in the art of dance, Robin is an expert in the art of cheer, and Mommy is an expert in the art of… and no one could come up with anything. That’s both sad and telling. Robin did eventually say I’m an expert in the art of loving, and I guess that’s at least a good sign on the parenting front. Better than nothing.
Year in Photos 