that time of year

I have always loved calenders. As a child, I loved to peruse them.... cute animal calenders, themed calenders, and even, or maybe especially, those free ones that came from the hardware store with stock scenes from all over the country....there was always a waterfall, an old mill or covered bridge, the autumn leaves in Maine or Vermont, snow covered mountains, and a craggy shoreline. I didn't know it at the time, but the young wanderer in me was already charting a course with those calenders. I still love calenders, maybe it's primal, and now is the time that I always crave a new one.(duh) For the last few years I have been loyal to the same artist, Nikki McClure, and was going to re-up with her again. But then I came across this mac-daddy calender review of all handmade or letter pressed artists with their offerings. Crud. What now?

Go here to see way too many fabulous choices. I was stymied. And then 'the one' revealed itself to me.

Hello Beautiful! You can get it here.

I may or may not be back again in December. If not.....Merry Christmas to you all and may 2011 be your best year ever!

whew

teacher's gifts out the door (coffee and chocolate)....check
school party goodies made (see above)....check
tree up and decorated.......check
packages mailed.....check
white lights on house.....check
candles everywhere...check
platinum blonde....check
house a wreck.....check
snow falling....check
red wine in my future....check
full of good cheer....check
thankful for all of my readers....check

i heart bruno

I love this video. He is darling and she is beautiful and the tape trick is so clever. And it is so singable and dance-able and happy. Listen once and you're hooked. Call in the kids and have a little family dance. And then walk around all day with Bruno's sweet smile on your mind and a song in your heart.

rules

Tonight we all sat around our table at Zia and ate and laughed and chatted. The stools there are VERY tall, so we try not to get too raucous. We cover many topics at dinner. We talk about the day, and friends, and, of course, school usually comes up. My children are stymied by all the rules at school. We discuss them a lot!

And this is where parenting gets tricky.

I do not, necessarily, want my kids to follow all the rules. In fact, there are some that we advocate that they break. So many of the rules were made with worst case scenarios in mind. Others are just plain silly.

Example: Della came home on the first day of kindergarten and said that she was NOT going to do 'hips and lips'. (hand on your hip and finger on the lip when walking to and fro around the school). Don't do it then, Sister, I said. And she didn't and doesn't. Instead she walks quietly. Genius, that girl.

Good manners, yes. Respectful behavior, yes. Moral high ground, yes. All the other crap. Maybe and maybe not.

Just try not to get caught, buddy.

They never get in trouble. Seriously. Their teachers say that they are a joy to teach.

So either they have achieved a zen-like state around the rules because we have disarmed them with our nonchalance, or there are some very deep covert ops going down at school.

I hope it's a bit of both.

monday

I think of this as our family song. All of it a beautiful journey. Matt has always said that our primary job as parents is to believe in our children. To teach them to fly. I try to remember this when I am bogged down in the details. To shift over to the joy of the moment. To laugh, to hug, to learn and teach.....to fly.

Slow down this holiday and say yes to the flying.

This is a good one for the tread mill, too. I can bang out some miles with Dave.

roadtrip

We went to Phoenix this past weekend. We were on a mission for two things....a sofa and Matt's life long dream. We acquired both.

When it comes to travel we are of two minds. There is the part of us that would prefer to camp under the stars, and then there is the other part that will only settle for four or five stars. I'm talking luxury. I'm talking high end. So it's either in the dirt with a tent and the critters, or the polar opposite. We are exciting that way.

The thing about luxury resorts is that they are really expensive. And, by nature, I'm thrifty.

Luckily, I am a pro at finding a travel deal. I used to have a crush on Clark Howard. (and if you don't know who he is, chances are you're a bit poorer for it.....literally.)

I once found a round trip plane ticket to London for a hundred bucks. You can bet I was on that son of a bitch the next day. I rented a car for thirty dollars, drove to Edinburgh, and Matt proposed over a greasy bag of fish and chips. He escaped from the Sea Shepard (now famous as Whale Wars on prime time) and we lived happily ever after. But that's probably a separate blog post. There are a few more details involved.

All I'm saying is that I love to find a good deal. And I love a swank hotel. And we found one in Phoenix. Hello Fairmont Princess. (Go here to book it for the price of a Days Inn on I-40.) Beautiful swimming pools, an amazing tennis complex, golf course, water features galore, and the most exciting Christmas decorations you've ever seen, nestled into a truly  astounding dessert landscape.

A room is a room, and this one was lovely, but, give me gardens any day. I am from the city of roses, but have never seen roses like these. And when the ground is covered with snow at home, an orange tree is pure fantasy. And then there were the bunnies. Darling bushy tailed bunnies everywhere... frolicking on rolling green lawns. Seriously. I know that someone was lamenting them as pesky vermin, but dang, they were precious. You can bet that my children exceeded the preferred spa resort decibel level and the personal space rules trying to catch them, too.

They also rolled in the grass, like dogs, because we don't have 'lawns' in Colorado.

And that lemon tree was made for climbing.

I can't begin to describe the water features.

All this is to say that the Patton family can sometimes have a large 'foot print' when overnighting somewhere. My children are well behaved and quite polite. They are also curious and intrepid.

"Mom, how do they make that fire burn in the middle of that pond?"

And, as God as my witness, I did NOT say....

"Oh honey, swim out there and see."

more later......