First, we hit up the Wilson Bash on Christmas Eve, amidst flooding water that turned to ice before we left the party. Christmas Day held more fun with the Wilsons, and then two pretty relaxing days by ourselves. Sunday brought the Gottschalk Family Christmas (much like the Griswold Family Christmas, I think). And when the Gottschalks plan a party, you know it's gonna be a real doosey. Evan brought over a duffel full of board and card games and some new ones for his Wii. Rock Band was a hit with the guys of the house and here are a few pics to prove it.
The following configuration is what Em & I deemed the greatest Rock Band: Kyle on vocals, Ev on guitar, and Franz on the drums. However, everybody tried out each instrument and had a fabulous time. Maddie could not stop staring at everyone while they performed. Eventually, she began singing along with the likes of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer". It was awesome.
I do have (ahem) some video of great performances, should anyone be interested in short clips of the greatest band.
:o)
True to form, the nieces were also extremely entertaining. Precious and Precocious, both.
Maddie created innumerable works of art, some of which she cut out with precision using big people scissors. It was astounding and incredible. She's very much into creating cartoonish animals with large faces/noses, like the Littlest Pet Shop crew.
She also drew a detailed picture of disco dance party of my friends and I, only I wasn't dancing "because she didn't much feel like it" (according to the artist). This treasure is going up in my office as soon as I get back! The disco theme came from the ElfYourself videos floating around the Internet.
Little Katie is always entertaining with her antics. Very upset by a blister on her heal, it didn't really stop her from body slamming Evan or climbing around on furniture, telling the story of her new book Pinkalicious! or other crazy goings on. She's very cuddly at times, and still manages to be the most ornery little tyke I know.
It was a Polly Pocket Christmas for the girls, each receiving three different sets, and they had a BLAST setting it all up last night.
I was sad to leave last night, not really knowing when I'll see the Littles and Emily & Franz again. I usually take a trip out in the spring or summer, but am not sure it's possible this year. However, this Christmas was so special with both families able to celebrate with everyone. I feel like that situation may become increasingly rare as the years go by, so I'm thankful for what we got this First Christmas as marrieds. It was so much fun and yet relaxing at the same time.
Not that I'm gifted in this area, nor that it's a favorite pastime, however in the few opportunities I've had to invite people to my home in order to provide some relaxing fun and laughter, I have enjoyed it.
Yesterday afternoon Kyle & I hosted our first joint effort of hosting Game Night, redubbed Game Day since it didn't occur at night. Though several of our friends were unable to join us (Sara & Chris were greatly missed, but we're happy the fam got to meet him and realize how much they love him), those who did come brought their game and stories to share.
Leslie D. drove up and Dereck, Austin, and Voss stopped by from the neighborhood. Kyle was thrilled that the girls were outnumbered this time around, since most of our times with friends (at least around U-town) involve him being outnumbered by the female species. Twice this week I have found myself the great minority, in terms of gender, and my husband has had a lot of fun on both of those occasions (mostly because football and games were the focal points of the evenings).
Games played:
- Settlers of Catan (2 new converts)
- Blokus
- Mad Gab
Food eaten:
- chips and salsa
- Dereck's apple pie a la mode
- bacon, ham, and cheese casserole (from Alaina)
It was awesome. Now, I'm not a huge gamer, but it turns out if I'm mentally prepared for an afternoon or evening of gaming, I can totally do it. In fact, Kyle & I even knocked out a round of dominoes after everyone left.
Here's the deal, I don't like entertaining. I don't like being responsible for everyone having fun, but I do so love being with friends and laughing until there are tears or side aches all around. And that's what usually happens with my friends. How lucky am I?!
Yes, it's Friday, so perhaps this will be my only miracle this week, but it's still somewhat significant.
Though I'm not working, I have been super busy this week. I'm working on making my nieces something for Christmas, only it's turning out to be an intense project requiring HOURS in the campus technology center and lots of brain work (like figuring out measurements and sizing and how it's all going to lay out -- much like my quilt and the aprons I sewed last year).
In my focus on getting this stuff done by next Wednesday, I have become a little scattered in other areas of life.
Tuesday after I finished up at the technology center, I stuffed the USB/flash/thumb drive into my jeans pocket, grabbed my bag o' things (VHS tapes, blank DVDs, cassette tapes, blank CDs, pens, papers, and a book to read) and ran out the door so I could get home, changed and to the gym and back before Kyle got home.
Before starting food for dinner, I threw my some clothes in the washer and then went about my way running between the kitchen and computer room doing various things.
An hour later, after switching over my laundry, I found at the bottom of the washer, my USB drive. It'd been through an entire cycle -- my favorite little piece of technology.
Instantly panicking, I pulled the 2 GB memory card out of the card reader and set them on the table, wishing them to be dry and functional. I left them there until this morning.
Crossing my fingers and praying for a miracle, I just hooked them up to my computer and found that I could read it, the files are, indeed, intact, and somehow I just made it through a miracle involving lots of water, a washing machine, and laundry soap.
For an assignment that all 450+ freshmen students had to complete, one of the questions asked them to approach a librarian and ask for a random, unique fact about that person.
Here is the list from which I picked each time I was asked (which was a lot--I actually grew tired of hearing myself say these things):
- I'm claustrophobic
- I broke my finger in intramural football
- I spent a semester in Ireland
- I'm allergic to peanut butter, but it's one of my favorite foods
- I'm the newest married librarian in the building
- I'm legally blind without my contacts or glasses
- I'm the youngest in my family of four kids
- I want to live in Arizona
- I'm the youngest librarian in the building (by nearly 20 years)
- I love going to the dentist and getting my teeth cleaned (which I did this past Tuesday)
- I am a pyromaniac
- I love clocks and maps
- I love reading juvenile literature
- Sometimes I laugh uncontrollably (more now than ever, I'd venture to guess)
- I like to wear skirts (this is very new)
- Peppermint mochas are like Xmas in my mouth all year long...I love them
Feel free to add your own list of my eccentricities as comments on this post. I'd be interested in knowing what other people think is unique/strange about me.
It's begun.
The winter rainy, snowy, slushy, slippery-slidy mess of precipitation. The cold. The bone-chilling wind.
My bones hate winter. In nearly every joint, I feel the cold. I woke up yesterday and my big toe was swollen, red, and hurt in a way I have never experienced before. It reminded me of my Dad's arthritic toe, and I kept saying, "no. no. it can't be arthritis." Officially, I've never been diagnosed with arthritis, but I'm fairly certain it is the culprit for my painful joints, my swelling fingers in the winter.
Twice over the holiday, I found myself shaking my hand as if to make the pain go away, and asking, "Is it supposed to rain tomorrow?" Both times, I found out that, indeed, it was to snow. My skill as a human barometer has surely made my husband proud.
I'm blessed this year to have someone who will clear off my windshield when he goes to work at 6am, so that it's much easier for me to get to work on time. To have someone who can shovel the driveway when it gets really bad, someone who loves winter and snow. Someone who will pray for my poor toe, when I'm in too much pain to think of it. A little perspective, you know, can do wonders.
I do have (ahem) some video of great performances, should anyone be interested in short clips of the greatest band.
Maddie created innumerable works of art, some of which she cut out with precision using big people scissors. It was astounding and incredible. She's very much into creating cartoonish animals with large faces/noses, like the Littlest Pet Shop crew.
Little Katie is always entertaining with her antics. Very upset by a blister on her heal, it didn't really stop her from body slamming Evan or climbing around on furniture, telling the story of her new book Pinkalicious! or other crazy goings on. She's very cuddly at times, and still manages to be the most ornery little tyke I know.