Grateful Stream of Consciousness...

(I normally post this type of post when I don't have much substance to say but lots of little things. I am also writing this on Tuesday to post on Wednesday.)

Dressed just like Daddy!

• First and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving!!!  As you are reading this, I'm sitting in my home in Iowa with Finorah and my family.  And although I'm not a fortune teller, I'm going out on a limb and saying that we are so very happy to be home.  And that Finn is digging all the attention and love.  Finn & I are blessed enough to be able to have Thanksgiving with my extended family.  My mother is planning a big Thanksgiving with all of her family (you know, the ugly Christmas sweater Salows) and I couldn't be more excited.  It's going to be so much fun to see how Finorah acts with all the grandmas (most of my mom's sisters stake claim as grandmas as well) and cousins around.
• Last Sunday was dress like Daddy's day.  They had on matching shirts, matching jeans, and were even both wearing sneakers.  Now if only Mommy had a matching blue shirt -- we would be a Sears portrait away from being THAT family.  

You can see one of our four yard lights decorated for Xmas in the background!  As well as a big pile of leaves.

• Last Sunday was also the lady's first cruise with her Dad...  Around the yard.  E had out the tractor to rake leaves.  We have almost an acre property and 8 huge oak trees along with a couple ashes on our tree yard and a buckeye tree near the driveway.  That means A LOT of raking in the fall.  Last year I got out of it because I was pregnant.  This year I get out of it because I have to watch Finorah. Despite all of our trees, we are pretty lucky in that our town just requires us to pile the leaves on the curbside.  So we use a big blue tarp (which you are see in the background) to pile the leaves on and drag them to the curb.  We are very thankful that we don't have to bag them -- we do in the spring if we don't get them all up in the fall.  But E is smart and realized that if he uses the tractor to blow them into the center of each section of the yard, it minimizes raking, but is still lots of work.

Off roading with Dad.

• Hopefully we are currently sitting in Iowa, that means that we have arrived safely from our travel adventures.  And I am very hopeful when I say that I hope that our "adventure" was as tame as walking around the block.  I am an anxious flyer to begin with, but now I can't perform my usual "rituals" that calm my nerves as I'm toting my baby with me (i.e. putting on the headphones and cranking up the Christmas music while gripping the arm rests in a choke hold that would knock out Andre the Giant).  And that baby is also the other part of my anxiousness as I'm preparing for the worst -- instead of screams of "Mother f'ing snakes on a plane!", the glares of "Quiet that screaming baby!", which are actually 1,000 times louder than screams.  Plus, in my super intelligent mind (that's sarcasm  right there), I decided the quicker I can get to Iowa the better.  That means we only have 45 minutes to run before our next flight takes off (not boards, but pulls back from the jetway).  And, that connecting flight is the last flight of the day.  So, I'm turning to my imagination on this one and saying that this is going to be an adventure -- a fun story to tell Finorah when she gets older.  Let's see if it is a bedtime story or a horror story! 

• This past weekend, Finn & I put up the rest of my holiday decorations.  I can officially say that we are Christmas-ized! I have one Christmas tree that didn't get put up.  It's one of my wedding tree (and now I get to post obligatory photos of my wedding so you don't think that I'm crazy and that my wedding was, in fact, amazing -- it'll be 8 years this year.  I'm sure there'll be some type of anniversary post in December).  It's a 6 footer that isn't prelit, simple white ornaments with red bows.  It's my upstairs tree.  I want to wait and see what the cats are going to do to the big trees as this tree has sentimental value.  Plus half of the flat white lights that go on that sucker aren't working.  So it may not get put up this year - we will see how December progresses.

•  On Sunday, we also gave Finorah her Christmas present from us.  I feel like I'm going to be a labeled a bad mother on this one -- but we aren't going to get her anything big for Christmas. I know that she is going to be getting lots of gifts from her grandparents.  There really isn't anything that she needs this Christmas.  And there isn't anything that she wants (as she can't talk yet).  I was really itching to get her a radio flyer red wagon.  But she wouldn't use it right now -- so unless I see a super sale, I'm not going to worry about looking for one until spring.

• Anywho, we bought her a drum set as the daycare says that she is infatuated with the one that they have there.  It was an instant hit!  When handled the drum sticks, sister started banging on the top of the drum like it was nobody's business.  She was even singing and laughing.  I posted the video of her initial whack at the drum.  She loves it.  It's from B Toys -- which I love.  We have their Fish & Splish bath toy.  Their toys are very well made.  All are non-toxic and they use recyclable materials whenever possible (in both the toys and their packaging).  I just found this, which I'm just dying to get her.  But Symphony in B. is for 3 years and up -- I don't think that she would really get a lot out of it yet.  Maybe a little later.