Christmas 2018

A Christmas Tea party with appetizers that were too much work

We are getting ready for Christmas. There are pounds of sugar all over the house, or at least it feels that way. I never had to give things to extended family until I got married, and then our first Christmas married it was a shock to discover that not only would we see John's extended family, but would need to give them gifts as well. It's hard to know what to give someone you may only see two or three times in a year, so this year we're doing baked goods. Tasty, consumable, most people can eat them and have fun doing so.

We are endeavoring to do advent with Baby M by opening a door on the paper Bible-verse advent calendar and singing one carol every evening. She's enjoying it, on the evenings she's not already too tired. We're enjoying it too. It's a little more interactive than a Bible chapter and a little shorter too. Simple is good these days. Naps are good; school is out, and that's good. One semester until we're done here, that's good too. Merry Christmas!

Baby M insists that we light the candles during dinner every night

Christmas Dresses

Progress on any project is super slow right now, but I made effort and got the girls' Christmas outfits done(except I ran out of lace and still need to get more). They're not very fancy, but they match, I used fabric I already had, and the dresses at least are lined with flannel.

Baby E's Dress

Baby M's jumper and blouse

Frigid

Our fridge stopped working. I don't know the ins and outs of fridge life, but the vegetables in the back of the fridge were freezing and being ruined. So we tried to turn the temp down using the innocent looking buttons inside. But at some point after that the fridge was no longer cold at all and the freezer was waaaay too cold... so we went four days like that and pretty much everything went bad and Margaret got constipated because we ran out of fruit and then finally they brought a new fridge. There's only three guys in the appliance section of maintenance, and apparently they do the campus locksmithing too, besides being students. So that's one reason it took so long.

Baby E is doing very well. Growing, eating, sleeping and burping happen every day. And diapers... Baby M is doing good too, and super cute.

Any sewing I've done has been brief snatches in between babies to try and get some winter clothes put together for M. They're functional but not too attractive, and Margaret does not appreciate having to wear sleeves and thicker clothes. Oh well. Our apartment is so drafty layers are required!

Hobbling along

One week until probable due date. Effects of a bulky middle are still in full swing. Half the time I look like an old lady who needs a walker, and a servant- to carry my toddler and my groceries! I'm torn between wanting it to be over as soon as possible, and waiting until after my last massage on Monday. After some more concerns over the baby's size, we submitted to another sonogram this week.

It's getting to the point where before I go to bed at night I look at my kitchen in resignation and think, if I go into labor tonight this is what my kitchen will look like. I do dishes in secret because I can't handle the toddler's help. And John changes as many of the diapers as possible just so I don't have to lift the toddler, either.

And jump ahead three weeks....

We made it to the other side. Still hobbling a bit, but hanging in there. Baby M loves Baby E. We are all sleep deprived, and one of us is teething. But it's still nice to be done with that phase!

Blah Countdown Post

Home made pizza sauce simmering on the stove. Pizza dough rising in the bread machine. Fussy teething toddler on the floor with ALL of her toys. Laundry in the machine. Braxton-Hicks in full form. Wild cravings for peaches and chocolate milk. Puffy hands and feet. Two more hours until daddy takes over. Two more weeks until the baby comes, and who knows how many days until M gets her latest teeth.

Nesting/baking: French Silk Pie

I am ready to be done; It's been long enough. I want this baby on the outside. I may be sleep deprived on the other side, but at least my body won't feel like it's physically being dragged into a pit every day.

Watching, waiting, and wanting company

 Two more weeks!

Animals and Exploring

Since we've arrived there's been a large collection of stuffed animals on display in the student center. It's quite a large and varied collection that someone now dead had donated. Well, along with other changes on campus the animals were recently moved to a storage room in the basement, no more to be admired. John was on the crew that moved them all, and the last to get moved was a huge elk that was, apparently, quite difficult to get down the stairs into the basement. Then John came home sneezing, so we figured he must be allergic to elk hair.... or maybe just dust.

Last week we took Baby M to the Art Museum, which is free and has a children's playroom. It's too hot and uncomfortable for me to take M out much at this stage, and we both get a little housebound. She enjoyed getting out, and it's fun to see her explore. She walked around the art displays, which made a few people nervous, but she's too short to reach anything anyway. Then this week John took her to the children's museum- of course she loved that too. We are glad we get to spend some special time with Baby M before another sibling comes along.

Not much more time before that happens, either. We're slowly knocking out my to-do list, which takes a while because John has all the big chores on the list and he's away working already! I am thankful that our upstairs air conditioning got fixed, but it's the strangest thing- some evenings now there's a strong smell of what seems to be cooking food, just upstairs, just evenings. I keep telling John it's kimchi from the neighbors next door. I don't like it!

Outings, and Braxton Hicks

When you don't go out much everything is exciting. Then the days we do go out are so tiring it feels like it should be the weekend already...

Yesterday we went out. First off was the chiropractor. The most exciting thing there was the man doing a foot detox bath in the office waiting room, which Baby M wanted to touch, and the violent flushing of the toilet in the restroom, which baby M thought was terrifying.

Next was the post office. The most exciting thing there was a ten year old screaming and flailing on the floor. Baby M was appalled.

Lastly we used our free treat at chikfila to get a peach tea-lemonade. However, I failed to notice that it was sweet tea- in fact, it was so sweet as to be undrinkable. It was insanely sweet; even John said so. Never getting that again!

Today was Cow Appreciation day at chikfila, so we went back for our free sandwiches. Baby M wore a black and white dress, which she hates, and refused to wear her crocheted hat with ears. And then didn't eat her sandwich anyway, so John did. And that was that.

Seven months along and not much to say

Here we are well into the third trimester and I'm dragging. With this second pregnancy I'm beginning to feel like those old people who are always saying they can't wait to get to heaven and have a glorified body. I'm too tired to do much beyond the necessary, so there's not much to say here.

The past week we all went to the chiropractor to watch John get adjusted. Margaret didn't behave. Afterwards while we were waiting for John to put everything back into his pockets, the doctor was making small talk. He asked if Margaret was our first child. I thought that was kind of a weird question because I am seven months pregnant, but yes, Margaret is our first. Then he asked, how old is she, seven months? Again, I'm thinking, that's a weird question... I'm clearly pregnant... but in real life I just said she was petite and no, she's one. Plus some.

Then at the 4th of July event a lady asked, when are you due, December? I'm hoping she meant to say September...

I also went to high tea at the Dallas botanical gardens. It was fairly expensive, at $50 per person. Probably the first time I've paid for a three course tea and the most I'll ever pay, hopefully. Our waiter was a rather shaky, older black man named Nelson, which added to the ambiance except for that he spilled hot tea on one of our party. The food was all good but not stellar, the room was nice but not amazing, and mostly I think all the ladies in our party who went were just glad for a special treat of getting away and being served.

The gardens were beautiful and well-maintained. If it hadn't been so hot we would have enjoyed walking around more; but as it was we all wilted pretty fast. And if it wasn't an hour away I would consider going back when it cools down. But it is so we probably won't.

Baby Girl Clothes

Linen Scraps make a dress

Baby girl clothes are just as fun to make now as they were a year ago. Baby M is still crawling but getting closer to walking, so short dresses and sturdy pants are in order.

I also have a light cotton lawn with bananas on it that should make a cool summer dress. Baby M loves bananas. Linen scraps, cotton calico print, and some Girl Charlee knits make up a good pile of fabric to make summer dresses. Now I just need the time and energy... I'm a bit lacking in the energy department lately.

I've finished up the last of my orders before the baby comes- A linen waistcoat, a dress and corset. I enjoy sewing and I enjoy the spending money it can make, but it may be a while before I pick up sewing again after this baby.

Summer is here and school is out, and campus really seems empty and dead this year. In our square block alone four apartments are now empty, including the one next door where the crabby family used to live. It's been really nice to have that apartment empty and quiet. I even took over the back step with my plants, which were doing well until we traveled for two weeks and they dried out and then my dill plant got fungus. But part of me wants our block to stay quiet for our last year here, and part of me wants some friendly neighbors. In our two years here only two families on our block have been really interested in being friends. But being friendly is something we have to work at too- especially when it's hot and you just want to stay cloistered in your own darkened home!

Resurrection Sunday

We were away for a chunk of time leading up to Passover and Resurrection Day. I put my displays out, but we didn't do too much for Easter this year.

Baby M participated half-heartedly in a few themed events. She sat on a donkey, examining a palm branch, while the donkey said Hosanna. He was a multi-purpose donkey.

She examined pink plastic eggs that each had a piece of banana inside. She was supposed to find them, but she didn't quite get the picture. So it ended up she was handed the egg, which was then opened for her. But of course she was happy to see the banana, her favorite.

Hopefully the older she gets the more we can incorporate different things and activities of meaning into the holiday.

Birthdays

John and Baby M both had birthdays this past busy month of March. We were hither and yon, out and about.

Number one birthday was a nice outing to the Stockyards.

Number two wasn't too exciting, but super cute: a first birthday photo shoot.

Number three was with the other side of the family, and was sort of a vague merged gathering.

Anyway, we're back and done partying and it's back to business. While we were away there were some repairs done on our apartment to replace rotten floorboards. While that was a good thing, the bad thing was that the fridge got unplugged and all the food spoiled. I had a whole roast and pan of lasagna in there for when we got back! All spoiled and we had no food to eat upon return.

So while it was super weird to go grocery shopping on a Sunday, we agreed that it was an equivalent of pulling our donkey out of a well on the Sabbath; or maybe pulling out a rotten spoiled roast and pan of lasagna out of a well on the Sabbath.

We did get a non-rotten floor and new fridge, though.

Valentine's Day Approaches

It's hard to appreciate Valentines' Day hype when you're single, and honestly, the whole commercial thing plus facebook significant-other gushing is pretty tasteless and annoying. But it is good to have traditions. The last two years I think what we did for Valentine's dinner was order pizza... which is really pretty special.

One for sure tradition: Adventures in Odyssey! I have fond memories of listening to all the history episodes- Columbus day, St. Patrick's day, Valentines' day- and I want to play them for the appropriate holidays. The episodes about St. Valentine is called The Last "I do":
http://media.focusonthefamily.com/aio/mp3/AIO_562_The_Last_I_Do.mp3

But commercialism aside, any excuse to do something special- now that I finally have a husband- is welcome. Lacking a babysitter, we're looking forward to a nice dinner at home after Baby M goes to sleep. Shrimp. Soup. Fresh bread. Gelato. Yum.

Ahhh, Neighbors

Our neighbors are moving. I'm trying not to be too gleeful, but I am glad. Someone once told me rather gush-ily how wonderful it was to live in a Christian community(being on Seminary campus). Sure, there are good things about it, but we're still in a bad area of town. Things get stolen all the time, cars get broken in to. And even on a Christian campus not everyone is nice to live with- or next to. These particular neighbors always avoid eye contact, always look unhappy, and have three very loud and active children who they sometimes yell at. And I always thought it was kind of mean that the wife worked and the husband stayed home. So I am glad they are moving. We probably won't even get new neighbors until closer to the next semester, so it really will be a little quieter!

They're not the only ones on our block who are moving. Two doors down is a family who's moving out west. They seem nice but we never talk. Their windows are always in disarray, with the screens half hanging out and the blinds crooked and bent. It always looks like a hurricane must have gone through their house, just from looking at the windows. So I'm guessing it will take maintenance a long time to repair their house for the next occupants!

I just hope our new neighbors aren't Korean! We already have seven Korean families living in our square, and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with being Korean, they tend to stick to their own culture group on campus. There are so many of them here that they don't need to have Americans as friends.

Baby M at Christmas

Baby M celebrated her ten month birthday by getting a cold. I am thankful she's been in good health for most of her short life. Anyway, Christmas!

Baby M's first Christmas was a white one. We left the strange and balmy temperatures of Texas for a big family Christmas in Nebraska and the weather obliged us with a very pretty coat of snow. Margaret loved seeing her cousins every day and is turning out to be quite a social baby.

Exploring a bigger house than our apartment was a lot of fun. There's always something new to see!

Opening a Christmas Present

Margaret debuted her two new Christmas dresses, but without pictures. They are both from cotton scraps, and lined with flannel. They were plenty warm. They aren't anything special in cut, just general shapeless baby clothes.

But the hangers are even more interesting...

 

 

A small paisley print

Forest green dotted cotton and maroon linen trim.