Counting My Blessings

I've always loved the simplicity and warmth of Thanksgiving and I've long regretted the way it's become the Jan Brady of holidays, sandwiched between the ever-popular Halloween and the perennial favorite, Christmas.

I have to admit that this year I've broken my own rule about waiting to celebrate the Christmas season until after Thanksgiving has passed. I asked Brett to put up some of the lights (but only because I know we're going to be busy in the weekends ahead), Zach and Allie have already watched Frosty the Snowman more times than I'd like to admit, and in scanning the car radio stations while driving around town, I've even let "Jingle Bell Rock" play through.

But before I continue on my frenzied holiday pace, gearing up for company and then more company, getting shopping, wrapping, shipping, cards, baking and all that stuff done on the two days a week Zach and Allie are in preschool, then flying back home for the holidays, I will slow down and think about all I'm thankful for.

In this post, the big things, the ones that matter most: my family.

1. Brett. This is the guy who's put up with all my complaining and whining over the past 18 months about dragging me -- someone who considers things like switching hairdressers or changing workout routines to be a major change -- to the hottest city in the country. The guy who makes us coffee every morning and gives the twins their baths and reads them bedtime stories while I blog away. The man who, when I call him at 4:00 and say I'm just too frazzled to cook, doesn't hesitate and asks what I'd like him to pick up for dinner.
2. Blake. I'm thankful that whenever he goes to that dark almost-12-year-old place, he always comes back with a smile -- or at least a pleasant tone of voice. Can't believe how fast the years have gone.
   
3. Nicky. I love that when it's his bedtime, he won't start walking to his room until I'm there to accompany him, then I'll turn up the covers just the way he likes all nestled under his chin, he'll give me his satisfied little smile and I give him a kiss on his forehead. He's at that in-between place -- sometimes little boy, sometimes big boy.
   
4. Zach. My teddy bear -- and early bird. The one who wakes me up and we snuggle on the couch and watch Mickey Mouse Club together before the other kids get up. Love to hear the pitter patter of his flapper feet (as long as it's not before 6:30 a.m.).
   
5. Allie. My girl. The one who, whenever she sees me getting stressed out, runs up and plants kisses on me and flashes me her sweetest 4-year-old smile and then everything's OK. I love having a girl.
   
6. Our parents, who are healthy and supportive and continue to pour out their hearts to us even though we're hundreds of miles away. We know it's been hard, and we'll always be thankful.
   

Twin Talk: Zach and Allie-isms

Back when Zach and Allie were crawlers and droolers, they often babbled to each other in their own little language. I always knew I had a good 15 or 20 minutes until I had to pluck them from their cribs and begin our day together because they always had their little morning conversation -- their own private ritual. Perhaps they were debating the merits of rice cereal vs. oatmeal, or Pampers vs. Huggies, or maybe they were plotting to take their naps one after the other as they often did with Allie being the early napper and Zach preferring to hold off on his snooze -- rather than conveniently together -- to totally run Mommy ragged. I'm sure they got a good laugh out of that.

I didn't have a clue what they were saying, but they've always been good at holding each other's attention.

These days it's bedtime when they hold most of their in-depth conversations. They start talking about all kinds of things. It's really cute, actually. They discuss things that have happened, ask each other's opinion on things, and plan for the next day together. The most recent hot topics have included:

"Do you think Nicky's costume was scarwee?"

"Do you want to do Halloween again? ... It won't be until next year. Thanksgiving is next ... and then Cwismus."

"Who is more beautiful -- Snow White or Cinderelly?" .... that's Allie talking.

"Do you want to have waffles with me for bwekfast?"

"Should we watch Stuart Little tomowwoh?"

"How many animals are in your bed? Who's your faebrit? The blue bear matches my jammies."

"Do you need more water? I'll get you more water."

"Do you want to go to pweeschool tomorrow?"

And so it goes ...

And speaking of Zach and Allie and talking and conversations, it's so funny to hear little people saying bigger people's sayings.

Blake and Nick -- and even Brett for that matter -- often say "My bad" when they make a mistake of some kind. It seems like it usually involves sports. A bad toss of the football. "My bad."

Although she doesn't know she's doing anything out of the ordinary by saying it, she says it all the time. Casually. Matter-of-factly, without even thinking about it. But each time it's always so stinkin' cute and unexpected.

Sitting at the dinner table. Her pink Disney princess fork plummets to the floor.

"My bad," her little semi-squeaky, almost elf-like voice blurts out.

She squeezes too much toothpaste onto her toothbrush, leaving a blue blob on the counter and a frown on Mom's face.

"Oops ... my bad," she says without a second thought.

Me to Allie as she peeks out her bedroom door when she's supposed to be in bed: "Allie, it's bedtime. Get in bed."

Allie: "Sorreee, Mom. My bad."

Zach, always the one who steers Allie back on course, from his bed: "Allie, are you in twuble? Don't go out there ..."

"Zachy ... do you like (gym)nastics?"

One of These Things is Not Like the Others

"In Phoenix summer is
the title, the refrain,
And every other verse."
~Linda Solegato

Hmmm, let's see ... where shall we start? Here are a couple of shots of one of my favorite places back home. This is High Hill Ranch in Camino in the popular Apple Hill area. This is about the half-way spot between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe -- about 45 minutes to an hour away from each. The crimson and amber hues are set against the lush evergreen pines. Gorgeous.

Another image of Vista Road in Camino. This is just a few miles north of the Mountain Democrat, the newspaper I worked at in my earlier years. It was a long commute but I always loved the drive in the fall ... so calm and peaceful and as you traveled up the highway and got into town, it looked like this.


And here's a lucky jogger enjoying a luscious autumn day in New York's Central Park. I've never been to New York, but jogging through the park is on my must-do-sometime-in-life list. In the fall would be icing ... of course I'd probably freeze my Arizona tail off.

A beautiful scene in Philadelphia ...


Here's Blake and Nick helping my mom rake leaves several years ago.


And Nicky kicking back in a wheelbarrow o'leaves.

And, here's a view of fall at my house. This is the view from my driveway (we're at the end of a cul-de-sac). Not at all fall-ish, but quite picturesque.

There's nothing like when October rolls around. When all the neighborhood kids with months of pent-up, too-hot-to-go-outside energy can finally be kids again, riding their bikes and kicking the soccer ball around, chalking up the sidewalk with hearts and butterflies. I love to grab a magazine or the newspaper and plop down in a chair out front and watch them frolic about -- OK, and make sure those crazy boys don't destroy anything.

Here, the only sign of Fall at our house is the beginning of the Halloween decorations. Just in the past couple days is it finally cool enough to actually wear jeans and, in the mornings and evenings, a sweatshirt.

It's early November. Kids grab their crayons and coloring books to take outside. They're wearing shorts and tank tops. We hear the music from the circling ice cream truck.

I'll always miss the falls I've come to know in Northern California. But, just like the kids screaming in excitement at the sound of that darn ice cream truck, the return of chilly mornings, the occasional angry winds, the temperate weather -- it's all a treat for me.

It's a gorgeous time of year in Phoenix ... just so different.

This Was Halloween ...

Four days after Halloween and I'm finding way too many candy wrappers in the garbage can -- not to mention the rogue stragglers that pop up in places like the twins' play refrigerator, Nick's sock drawer, and Blake's soccer bag.

The kids are suffering from myriad post-Halloween symptoms: Allie's sad because there are no more "pink candies" in her bright orange plastic pumpkin bucket. The most frequent words from Zach's mouth are "just one more" -- as in just one more piece of candy -- and the first thing Nick does when he comes home from school is head toward his stash and laments the fact that the chocolates are in short supply (hey - don't look at me ;).

One of our jack-o-lanterns. Half of us had been sick the week leading up to Halloween, so we were scrambling at the last minute -- I know, that's normal ... but even more than usual. We were carving pumpkins at 4:00 on Halloween.

I remember enjoying Halloween as a kid, but my kids are tried and true Halloween fanatics.

Before setting out to trick or treat, they scarfed down their pizza -- a Halloween ritual around here -- then, between bouncing off walls, fixing and re-fixing the spider web junk outside, and putting up with mom and her picture-taking, repeatedly asked if they could start their candy-collecting venture.

"Not until it's dark," I told them.

As soon as the night sky signaled the first hint of gray, they asked again.

"Can we go now??"

"It's not dark yet guys," trying to keep the reins in place for just a few more minutes in my futile attempt to delay the inevitable madness.

I think the kids have more patience on Christmas morning waiting to tear open the gifts until everyone wakes than they do waiting for darkness to set to begin the Halloween quest for candy.

Zach patiently waits to being trick-or-treating as he checks out the poor deformed kitty cat with missing whiskers and a weird eye.

Allie and this ghostly creature seeing eye to eye.

And as soon as blackness filled the air, and I gave them the nod, they were off ...

Some other Halloween highlights:

• The week had been unseasonably warm. So, being Phoenix, that's a double whammy. It had been in the 90s all week. I don't know if I'll ever get used to taking the kids trick-or-treating wearing shorts and flip-flops.
  
• Another Arizona thing -- because the weather is so nice, many candy-givers enjoy the evening by sitting out on the front porch or in the driveway. Kids don't even have to knock on the door.
  
• Our street and the next street over really get into the spirit with the decorations. Big time. Throughout the month, we've taken many walks past the festive houses and whenever we drive to/from home, it's always understood that I'll slow down so Zach and Allie can admire the neighborhood decor.
• On Halloween night a couple of the neighborhood houses have drapery-style entrances with who-knows-what awaiting you inside. With screams and scary Halloween music in the air, Zach decided to brave that one, but Allie stayed on the street with Dad, firmly clutching his hand.
• Quite a few female trick-or-treaters -- about 11 or 12 years old -- asking me, "Does Blake live here?" Hmmm ...
• Zach getting so upset to take down the Halloween decorations. We did hold out an extra day so he could enjoy them just a little bit longer. But I'm so glad to get rid of that spider web stuff. Yuck!

Snow White and Zach Sparrow under an Arizona Halloween sky.