I want pie.

Today was one of those slap-you-back-to-reality-after-Thanksgiving-break kind of days.

Pumpkin pie withdrawals abound.

Trying to convince my son that we can't lie around watching Christmas movies all day was almost as hard as convincing mySELF to not stay in my pajamas and lie around watching Christmas movies all day.

My piano student arrives while my baby is napping and son is in "quiet time." Her lesson ends with Little Miss in my arms, barely holding back the tears, and Big Brother (having just slid down the long staircase on top of a slippery sleeping bag) snuggling in his sleeping bag in the doorway while snoring loud, pretend snores during my student's rendition of "Silent Night." 

Little Miss must be held at all times, making getting things done quite tricky. (Wait, I'm supposed to actually get things done again? I want to just laze around and flip through Netflix while eating pumpkin
pie.)

Husband returns home after school and practically falls asleep at the dinner table.

Later my house is still, everyone is asleep, and I am about to climb into bed, when I realize that I never even completed the first thing on my to-do list today (Sad, right? I did do some other things, I swear!). I take about a minute and clean the toilet, then hop back into bed and check it off my list.

Whew, I'm ready for Christmas break already!

sometimes I miss living in the dorms...

I was just remembering these great videos my brother made at BYU, and missing him as he is a missionary for the Mormon Church in Oaxaca, Mexico. Although I don't get the inside jokes in the video, it is totally reminiscent of living in the dorms at BYU - so you gotta love it! Enjoy!

oh and p.s. my brother is the awesome one playing the piano/singing. Miss him!!

Sibling Love

It doesn't get much better than this.

jeans on

It must be documented that little Ella Bay wore her first jeans today. Because of the "cold" Texas weather (ha), I decided to break out some clothes I bought for her to wear in Utah at Christmas time.

I think we may freeze when we get to Utah...

Oh but look how cute she is.

Choices

Today as I stood in my messy kitchen cooking dinner, mind rushing from task to task - things to check off, lessons to prepare, housework to be done -  I saw my sweet boy playing on the rug, rolling silly putty into a looong snake, and my baby girl swinging in her swing, eyes big and taking in her world around her. I decided that these two little people were much more important than any dish I could wash or table I could set or piano student I could prep for. I hurriedly plopped the potatoes into the boiling water and picked up my girl. We had a nice cuddle. I visited with my three-year-old. We listened to music and sang along. We quickly cleared an end on our cluttered table, and served up our chicken and potatoes in bowls (nothing fancy tonight). We talked about things that make us happy. We ate all our dinner without a hint of whining. I sat on the bedroom floor with my two little pajamaed buddies and played two rounds of "Hi Ho Cherry-O" (I lost both times). Room cleaned, prayer said, book read, baby fed, both kids quiet in their beds. I tiptoed back down the stairs. I smiled at the mess, grateful that I let it be so I could spend a perfect evening with my children.