New York City - the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

Standing at the edge of the park looking down 7th Avenue - this is where we stayed:

A close-up view of Carnegie Hall, where the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra would play later that night:

I have to admit that I was disappointed when we first saw Carnegie Hall. After being spoiled by the beauty and elegance of Fort Worth's Bass Hall, Carnegie Hall seemed like nothing more than a utilitarian brick building. The inside was different, though. Elegant, richly decorated, and warm, it made a lovely backdrop for our beloved orchestra.

Before we went to our hotel room to freshen up and change for the concert, we stopped for a hot dog to tide us over until dinner. I asked the vendor if he minded if we took a photo. He kindly obliged, even inviting me behind his cart and posing with me. Our experience will New Yorkers was that they were all very helpful, friendly, wanted to know where we were from, etc. (And yes, Martha, that was one of the best dawgs I've ever had! lol)

Darren had chosen seats for us that looked directly down on the stage. I was thrilled! Around these parts, it's no secret that I'm MADLY IN LOVE with Miguel Harth-Bedoya, the music director for the FWSO. Oh MY how I'm in love with him. You would be, too, if you got to watch him get all sweaty on stage every month, passionately moving to the beat of his music, and speaking in that beautifully thick Peruvian accent have mercy I'm breaking a sweat as I type this. Whew. Darren thinks I buy him season tickets every year because I love him so much. Naw. He knows. I buy 'em 'cause I'm in love with Miguel. ;)

I've never seen him from this vantage point, though. I loved watching him. He seemed so very encouraging - nodding and smiling broadly at each section as they swelled and softened under his direction. He conducted the last piece, Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, without a score. I don't know that I noticed the musicians during that piece. It's amazing to me the way Miguel so intimately knows the music, the way he FEELS the music, and the way he pulls that music from his orchestra in a way that makes me feel it, too. And I don't even consider myself a classical music fan.

The orchestra played SO BEAUTIFULLY that night. I was really proud to be from Fort Worth! The NYC audience gave us two standing ovations, and demanded an encore. (Read the New York Times' review here!) I was near tears, I was so proud of my hometown orchestra!

Afterward, as we walked down the stairs (me hobbling, of course), we heard someone say, "Barbara, blah blah blah". Then The Voice, replying, "Oh thank you. I appreciate that." It was BARBARA WALTERS!! Walking down the steps RIGHT. BESIDE. ME. I made eye contact with her and we smiled, but I didn't say anything. Darren scurried ahead to try to get a photo of us. I had other things on my mind. I headed instead for the opposite side of the staircase, making my way to where I thought Miguel might come out and mingle with the crowd. So I missed a photo op with Barbara WaWa. (I wouldn't have asked her for a photo - after all, she was just trying to enjoy the symphony too. And I didn't realize that Darren was trying to get one, though if I had, I probably would've indulged him.) But my mind was on seeing Miguel, and possibly meeting him finally. I TOLD you I have a crush on our director. A Big One. (In case you missed my post where I explained that the FWSO was the main reason we chose New York for this year's anniversary, click here.)

After the concert, we ate a real dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant, and then stopped to mug with my other Texas Crush on the way home:

New York City - Central Park

After lunch, we stopped and bought Darren a hat from a street vendor so he wouldn't suffer brain freeze again. The week before we left, Dani and I went shopping with the $80 she'd given me for Christmas. (She wanted me to spend it on a new outfit for our anniversary.) I tried on several things that I didn't like enough to buy, and then we saw this coat. I've never owned a nice winter coat (living in Texas, it's not something I've ever thought I needed to spend a lot of money on, ya know?). The coat was black leather (I've always loved black leather coats), and was on sale for 50% off. What a bargain! THEN, at the register, the clerk talked me into applying for the store credit card and receiving an extra 30% off. I ended up walking out of there with a $250 coat, having only spent $75. Woo Hoo!!!

That coat kept me warm all weekend. Even when Darren could feel the wind cutting through HIS coat, I didn't feel a thing through mine. :) I love that this is something I'll keep and wear for years. When Dani has kids of her own someday, who knows.... she may say, "Hey, look. That's the coat I bought Mom when I was 16 and she went to NYC with Dad!"

---------------

Central Park. Ahhhhhhh. It was so incredible in the dead of winter that I can't WAIT to experience it someday when everything's in bloom.

Our hotel was on 7th Street, across from Carnegie Hall and only 2 blocks from the south end of the park. We made friends with a European couple (from Spain, maybe?) and took each others' photos at the ice rink in the park. All of the ponds were frozen over. It was about 34 degrees that day, but with all the walking we did, and all bundled up like we were, it actually was quite comfortable.

See the gold oval shape near the center of the map? That's about as far as we walked before we turned around and headed back towards the hotel. (To Belvedere Castle and the theater just beyond it.) Even so, with all the trails up and down and in and out of the woods and around the ponds, we walked about 4 miles that afternoon. It was so incredibly amazing to me that in the center of one of the world's most bustling cities is a place that takes you away. In the middle of those trees, at the top of the hill, we couldn't hear traffic, or horns, or anything. We sat and listened to the birds and squirrels, and marveled at the peacefulness of it all - right in the middle of Manhattan. Simply amazing. And more amazing still is that we only saw roughly half of the park!!

I love sculpture, and was thrilled to be able to see so many wonderful pieces on our walk - from the literary figures along the mall to Romeo and Juliet to Hans Christian Anderson to Christopher Columbus to the Falconer - all equally wonderful. And even in the dead of winter, the park was beautiful. Our favorites were the bridges. This is the Bow Bridge:

This is beneath the Bethesda Terrace, which overlooks the Angel fountain (which was turned off for the season). I love the way the three arches were framed in this shot.

Beneath the Terrace, directly behind Darren, is the most beautiful artwork. The ceiling is tiled, and the walls are covered with trompe l'oeil paintings. Our destination was the Belvedere Castle, in the middle of the park. The Castle sits at the highest point of the park, just beyond "the bramble", which is thick, forested, rugged terrain. From its balconies, you can see over the trees and remember that, "Oh yah, we're in the middle of New York City."

Darren and I always take a cheesy kissing photo on our anniversary trip. I thought the Castle would make a good backdrop. This time, instead of asking strangers to take the embarrassing photo, we set up the tripod and did it ourselves. lol


As we strolled along, making our way back toward the hotel, I was watching all the joggers passing by (looking for Ben Affleck, to tell you the truth, cause word has it that he and Jennifer live near the south end of the park)... and I was gazing up at the buildings (this one, to be exact)...

...and I was thinking to myself how "Heck, yah, I could live in this city. I mean, look at me. All fat and out of shape, and I'M DOING IT, Y'ALL. I'M WALKING MY HOOVES OFF AND I'M NOT EVEN FEELING TIRED!!!! And I look good doin' it, too, with my new snazzy coat."

And then, splat. Face plant. Right smack in the middle of the sidewalk. I stepped on a sewer grate that wasn't flush with the ground, and my ankle rolled, sending me flying. My knees hit the ground, then my hands. My butt was up in the air for all to see. Some joggers stopped and asked in horror, "Are you okay??" I waved them off, and said, "I tripped over that stupid thang sticking up in the road." And yes, I'm quite sure I pronounced THANG with every shred of Texas Hick I have in me. Ugh. I was so incredibly mad at myself. I hobbled the rest of the way home, but I determined that a sprained ankle was NOT gonna stop me! Dang it all.

New York City - Carnegie Deli

Saturday morning, we slept in and then stopped for lunch a half block from our hotel - at the famous Carnegie Deli! We shared a sandwich, a bowl of cole slaw, a cannoli and two Cokes, and it still cost us $40!! Would you look at the size of the sandwich??

We had salami. I wish we'd have had the corned beef, though. After hearing me say I'd never eaten corned beef, the guy sitting next to us (by the way, by "next to us", I mean elbow to elbow to us, even though we were at separate tables) handed me a forkful of his corned beef and said, "You have to try it." Oh my. DEEEELICIOUS! Turns out, he and his wife were visiting from San Francisco. The people on the other side of us were from Portland. The people who sat down next were German or something. I don't think native New Yorkers eat at Carnegie Deli. LOL

So, back to the sandwich.... we each took off well over half the meat on our sandwiches and doggy bagged it. We thought we'd eat it later as a snack, but we never did. What a waste!

New York City - Top of the Rock

We arrived in the city about 4:30 on Friday afternoon. After settling into the hotel and showering, we hit the ground running toward Rockefeller Center, stopping to gaze up at Trump Tower, stepping inside St. Patrick's Cathedral, and admiring the windows in the 5th Avenue shops along the way. I begged Darren to skate, but he thought it would be a bad idea to start off our vacation with a couple of broken legs. LOL!

We had planned on eating dinner at the rinkside cafe, but it was closed for a private event (HMPF!) so we hunted down another restaurant, then headed up to Top of the Rock (the top of Rockefeller Center) for a 360 view of the city.

It was 24 degrees at street level, and the wind was CRAZY strong up on top. It was so cold that Darren was getting brain freeze - the same feeling you get when you eat ice cream too fast. The view was amazing, but the wind made it impossible to get a clear photo. Even the tripod that the photographers use (you know, they take your photo and then try to charge you $22 for a copy of it) was shaking, so the photo of Darren and me was all blurry. (Good excuse not to buy it, at least!) This photo was taken with the camera sitting ON the top of the building. The shake is from the building itself. It's the clearest one we were able to get.

So, why did we need a shower upon arrival, you ask? It goes like this:

On Thursday night, we spent the night at my friend Sheri's house, 'cause she lives right outside of DFW airport, and with the forecasted winter storm, we thought it would be a good idea not to have to face rush hour the next morning on ice. When we woke up, Darren got online to check our gate info, and to make sure our flight wasn't delayed. He couldn't even FIND our flight. That's because it wasn't at DFW. Turns out, we were flying out of Love Field. So he ran upstairs, said, "Get up. We're in a huge hurry. We have to leave NOW." So we brushed our teeth and threw on clothes and ran out the door. Made it to Dallas and caught our flight, even through rush hour traffic. There was no ice, thank goodness! Just drizzle. So... we were all kinds of funky when we finally arrived at the hotel. LOL!

10 Things I Learned Last Weekend

1. Double check your itinerary and make sure you know which airport you're flying out of.
2. New Yorkers are friendly, helpful, and excited that you're visiting their city.
3. Whoever honks first has the right of way.
4. Two quick honks in succession means "Don't you dare try it; I'm not slowing down for you."
5. If you fall on your face in Central Park, there will always be SOMEONE to see you do it.
6. You can spend all day on the lookout for celebrities, and then find yourself walking down a staircase with Barbara Walters when you least expect it.
7. If you ask for tea in a nice restaurant, they'll ask you, "Chamomile? Earl Grey?" When you answer, "Iced", they say, "At least you don't want it sweet", and walk away with a snarl on their face.
8. Huey Lewis was right: New york, New York, is everything they say, And no place that I'd rather be. Unfortunately, I was unable to confirm the next line of the song: Where else can you do a half a million things All at a quarter to three... because I was in bed before midnight each night!
9. I CAN walk my fat arse all over Manhattan. And ENJOY walking, even. Who knew?!
10. Some of New York City's best offerings are completely free: strolling through Central Park, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan, window shopping on 5th Avenue, Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, lunch with friends in their happy home....

Pictures to come. :)

NYC-bound!

Darren and I subscribe to the school of thought that says - if you put your marriage first, you're better parents. We try to get out alone together at least once a month, to remember why we fell in love to begin with, and to keep that spark going. I think it DOES make us better parents, honestly. We're more able to give of ourselves completely to the kids when we're not frustrated with each other.

We don't have a lot of money. We have enough, that's for sure. But we have to pick and choose what we do with it. We don't have fancy cars (in fact, we've been sharing one car for almost a year), we don't have new electronics (our stereo is actually just the computer speakers). But we like to travel. Even in our most dirt-poor days, we saved pennies to go camping in the mountains. GOING places has always been one of our priorities. (And let me tell you - we have the art of vacationing CHEAP down to an art form! You wouldn't believe the FREE things you can do and see when you get creative enough!)

Nine years ago, Darren started a tradition: he planned a getaway weekend for us without my knowledge! It was the first time we'd gone away to celebrate our wedding anniversary. That year, we spent one night in a B&B in a quaint little Texas town, and then we spent the next day rummaging through antique shops. I think we only spent about $12 in those shops, though. We wuz po'!

The next year, our 9th, I planned. I scored tickets to our beloved Dallas Stars on eBay - my first eBay purchase! Darren was thrilled, and so surprised!

For our 10th, I jokingly said I wanted to go to Paris. So Darren made it happen. We took a day trip to Paris, Texas! Then we swung through the town where we'd met and married, and took photos at the chapel and other places where we'd stood 10 years before.

For our 11th, Darren took the reins again, so I was doubly surprised. After all, it was supposed to be MY year to plan! While filling out the hospital paperwork for Ian, who was only hours old, Darren brought another form and said, "Here. You have to fill this one out, too." It was a passport application. I thought, "Hmm. Life in Post-9/11 is getting weird. They want passport apps for NEWBORNS now??" Imagine my shock and delight when he announced we were going to Paris again! This time, the REAL one! (Flights were CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP then because everyone was scared to fly.)

The next year, our 12th, I took the reins again. I planned another pro-sporting event - this time scoring tickets to see the Mavericks. Floor seats, even.

For our 13th, in 2004, we road-tripped 10 hours to New Orleans. This one wasn't a surprise - we both planned it together. I'm so glad we got to experience New Orleans before Katrina changed it.

Our 14th anniversary was fun - we sent the KIDS away instead of us leaving. They went to Grandma's for the weekend, and Darren took me on a tour of all the places we'd lived in our marriage, from the run-down roach-infested apartment we had as newlyweds, to the dumpy duplexes we rented for years afterward. All of the locations were within a 90-mile radius, so it was easy to go see them all, and celebrate the blessing of having just bought our first home the prior year.

The 15th year started off with Darren being SLAMMED at work. He was working mandatory overtime, and was hardly home at all. We didn't even celebrate with a dinner out until mid-February. No get-aways that year.

Last year, our 16th, we decided we wanted to see Lake Tahoe, and we combined it with a visit with our friends Norm and Nancy, and Greg and Martha!

Which brings us to this year. It's Darren's year to plan. It's not entirely a surprise for me; we're going to New York City! Here's why. We're season ticket holders to the Fort Worth Symphony. (Darren's a HUGE classical music fan. I snore through the concerts. But, he loves them so much that every year for his birthday, I buy the season tickets. It provides that "free" date night once a month that I mentioned earlier!) This year, when the tickets arrived in the mail, there was a sticker on the back of the envelope that said, "See you at Carnegie Hall! January 26th, 2008". Hmmm. Our anniversary. Turns out, the FWSO is playing in NYC that night! We had to be there, don't you agree? WHAT exactly we're doing in NYC isn't clear to me. He's keeping that much a surprise. I'm so stinkin' excited!! It really started hitting me tonight that we're really going! I've never "done" NYC before. I. CANNOT. WAIT.

overheard

Did someone turn off Super Jedi Slam? - Darren
So let's just go get the Power Brick, please. - Ian
Come on Dad, press it. - Ian
Dad, follow me! You need to get in! - Aidan
Destroy his force field! -Ian

Um, the boys in our house are a little teensy bit addicted to Star Wars: the Complete Saga.
It's a whole language which I do not speak.

23.50

When Aidan was 4, Kristopher and Tristan (his best buds at Fortress) often challenged him to race. Aidan, with his short little legs, always lost. He cried EVERY SUNDAY because he so hated to lose.

My scrapbook room has windows that look out into the back yard and side yard. One day, I kept hearing the padpadpad of footsteps, so I looked out the window and saw Aidan sprinting up and down the driveway, back and forth, back and forth. When I asked him why he was doing that, he said, "I'm practicing my running so I can win." Before long, he was the fastest runner at church.

In December, he ran the Jingle Bell 1 mile Fun Run. Two weeks ago, Darren signed them both up for the 5k Run at the Cowtown Marathon, and he and Aidan developed a regular training schedule. Aidan runs with Darren and his coworkers on Sunday mornings, and with Darren on Wednesday afternoons. (Darren also runs his normal route on days he's not running with Aidan.) Today, Aidan did 2 miles for the first time. He has to take 3 steps for every 2 of Darren's to keep up. His time was 23 minutes and 50 seconds. He'll be ready for the Cowtown EASILY. I can't believe my 7-year old is a runner! I'm sooooo proud of him. (For the record, I can't believe my 38-year old is a runner, either. He clocked his first 9 minute mile last week. So proud of him, too!)

sweet Aidan

This morning, while the boys were eating breakfast, I said, "There are two boys in this world I really, really love. Their names are.... IAN..... and Tristan."

Ian fell into giggles. Aidan looked at me with his mouth all screwy and said, "Tristan?!"

I said, "What? Am I not allowed to love Tristan?"

Aidan replied, "Well, he *IS* a child of God."

Awwww.

Then I said, "There are two boys in this world I love more than ANYone. Their names are.... IAN.... and Daddy."

Again, Ian giggled. Aidan said, "Well, he *IS* your husband."

Then I grabbed Aidan up in my arms and smothered him in smooches.

I love that he understands my sense of humor and takes it so well!

the gift

You may remember this post from back in September. I can finally divulge what the gift was!

A fellow ScrapShare member (Tiffany) invited me to come to the 2nd annual Michigan scrapbooking retreat, all expenses paid. At first, I said no way. I just couldn't accept a gift like that, especially from someone I barely knew. But she really preached to me that day about allowing her to share a recent windfall, and how if I declined, I'd be denying her the opportunity to bless others. She said that she wanted to bless me, and that she wanted to bless the other retreaters by surprising them with an unexpected visitor. I finally accepted her offer, but felt so weird about it. I am totally unworthy of such a gift, and for 3 months, I worried that when I arrived, people would say, "Uh, ok. Big whoop."

The only caveat was that I had to keep it a secret, OR ELSE! I wasn't allowed to tell any fellow retreaters that I was coming, and I wasn't allowed to tell anyone who might slip and tell any fellow retreaters, either. I told Ginger, Elaine, Denise (and of course, my local friends) ('cause a girl has to have SOMEONE to share her joy with!!). They kept the secret. (Thanks, friends!) It was so hard at my annual ScrapShare Texas retreat in November, saying goodbye to the ones I knew I'd be seeing again in Michigan, and not being able to tell them. And when I got Sue's Christmas card, where she'd written "I hope your 2008 is the best and most blessed ever - and it will be if we meet up again!", I wanted to call her and say, "HEY! We are! We are!"

So I went. All expenses paid. All I did in return was create a mini-album make-n-take for everyone, and give a brief hand-lettering demonstration/lesson.

I'd wanted to meet Weezie for YEARS. She's one of the first friends I made online 9 years ago, and I've loved her forever. When I realized that I'd only be a couple of hours from her, I called Tiffany and said, "I know this is a secret. But you have to understand. Weezie and I have tried to meet up, and it didn't work out. I can't be that close to her and have her not be here. And I know she'll be devestated, too, if we miss each other." So Tiffany filled Weezie in, and she was there. So she knew the secret too, and didn't tell anyone.

My fears about the group being underwhelmed were unfounded. Tiffany had dreamed up this elaborate entrance where I'd come dancing my way into the room. (I'm sorta known for my booty-dancin' ways at ScrapShare retreats. GAH. I have no shame!) She told me to wear my pink wig and to be ready to make my grand entrance when I heard Pink's "Get This Party Started" song start playing.

I was sweating bullets out in the hallway, fearful of a less-than-enthusiastic reaction, and worried that people would think, "Uh. Who does she think SHE is, making a big entrance like that?" But no. They made me feel like a ROCK STAR! I simply can't explain how it felt to be recognized immediately by people who'd never met me and had no idea I was coming. And to see the shock on the faces of the people who DID know me - oh, THAT was classic! Wanna see the big intro? Weezie filmed it, unbeknownst to me. That's her you hear giggling all the way through the video. She's quite embarrassed now, and keeps saying, "I broke the number one rule of videography: don't let yourself be heard." LOL!! I love Weezie. SO SO SO glad we've finally met face to face!

Hey Mom, turn up your volume and click VIDEO HERE.

Several of the retreaters hadn't yet arrived when I came dancing in, so I got to surprise people over and over. My favorite reaction was Michelle's. She gasped, walked over to me, and began to cry! I've always pictured her as a really tender-hearted, sweet sweet person. And she is. :)

Meeting so many women that I've only known online and never thought I'd GET the chance to meet - oh, what a gift. I feel so rejuventated. So completely blessed. So incredibly lucky to be a part of this family. So overwhelmingly grateful to Tiffany for her generosity, her genuine servant heart, and her crazy antics that rocked the weekend. The Michigan and Ontario gals are an AMAZING group of talented, fun, crazy, loving women. I can't imagine a better way to have kicked off the new year. In them, I've found a whole new crop of real-life friends. It was an amazing weekend, and they made me feel so completely loved and welcomed.

And Tiffany. Word to the Mommas! As Lee would say, "We're like sistahs from anothah mothah!" And as Lee's daughter would say, "No, they're like sisters from another mister!" Whatever the case, we're like sisters. We had lots of opportunity to talk in the car between Detroit and East Lansing, and deeeeeep into the night in our hotel room. Tiffany is just like me in that she's a little wild and crazy, a lot crass, really loud when she's having fun, up for anything, not afraid of much, and still totally and completely in love with God. LOVE LOVE LOVE that about her! And guess what?? She's coming to Fort Worth in May! For a WEEK!! WHEEEEEEE!!

Here we are. I love you, Tiff! Thanks for the gift of a lifetime. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to pay it forward. :D

Christmas

Lots of giving and getting. Lots of singing and laughing. Lots of just chilling and hanging out with Mom and Dad. LOVED that part. It was the first year I've hosted Christmas for my side of the family in this house, and even though the house wasn't as clean as I'd have liked, and even though we never did go out and cut down a real tree this year, and even though I only put out the barest amount of decorations, I decided right before they arrived that IT IS OKAY. And it was. Sweet memories.

Apparently, Dad read and paid attention to my Christmas letter. He came through and passed with FLYING COLORS! Although, when I squealed with delight upon opening a vacuum cleaner for Christmas, I had to wonder, aloud, "So this is what it's like to get old? Feeling giddy about a vacuum cleaner on Christmas morning??" Here's the one he got me.

Also from Dad: a big, thick book of NYTimes Sunday crosswords which have single-handedly changed my late bedtime habit. I almost can't wait to crawl into bed these days with my mechanical pencil in hand. WHOA BABY.

He also managed to find a fluffy bath towel big enough to wrap around this bod of mine. And the kicker? Two cigars. "Wow, Dad, these look like good ones."

"I doubt it," he said. "I went into the smoke store and asked for the nastiest ones they had." BWAHA!!

In other Christmas news, Darren came through with my most desired wish: a 50mm lens for my XTi. I've been a picture-taking fool again since putting it on. LOVE the results I get with that lens.

As for giving, Darren and I gave the kids a Wii. Couldn't be from SANTA, ya know, since Doofus Santa left it in the kitchen that one night. Instead, Santa gave the boys a soccer ball, a basketball, and a toy each. All of which have been long forgotten already, as the Wii demands everyone's full adoration. The boys also got a couple of smallish toys they'd been wanting, a new pair of tennis shoes each, and new shirts and jammies. Dani scored some new makeup, some cool posters for her room, Vans, earrings, a penguin speaker for her iPod, and other random stuff.

I gave Darren a new Dallas Stars shirt to replace the one he dripped bleach on last week, a running shirt, an electric beard trimmer thingy, and the biggie: I shaved my legs. Bwa!

I drew my brother's name, and bought for him a bluetooth headset thingy and the Guiness Book of World Records.

In other news...

You maybe oughta sit down for this.

As Dad and I were unloading his car, he handed me a laptop and said, "I can't remember if I told you about this or not." Immediately, my greedy little brain did a somersault and I thought, "SWEET!! A laptop for Dani!" Then Dad said, "It's Mom's." I promise you that immediately after that, we had to pluck gravel from my lips, 'cause my jaw hit the GROUND.

Get OUT! She's said for a hundred and one years that she'd NEVER get online. She wouldn't even TOUCH a computer. When I'd email photos, she'd make Dad print them out and bring them to her in her recliner, 'cause she refused to look at anything on the computer screen.

But now she's online. She brought her laptop here so I could show her how to use it. She bookmarked my blog. I taught her how to comment. And I BETTER SEE A COMMENT HERE, MOM, or I'm gonna come get that laptop and give it to Dani after all. LOVE YOU!

Santa is a doofus!

So. The box arrived yesterday. You know - the box with the WII in it.
The elusive Wii.
The Wii that I make sure we look for at Target every single time we're there, pointing out to the boys, "Oh, rats. Look. They still don't have any Wiis."

The boys know that Wiis are hard to come by. Still, they asked Santa for one, and Santa came through. Doofus Santa opened it up last night, and meant to take it upstairs to hide it, but instead, he got distracted and left it on the kitchen counter.

This morning, Ian came down for breakfast, and exclaimed, "HEY! A Wii!!"

Santa, quick on his feet, said, "That's not a Wii. It's just a box."

Then he grabbed it up quick and brought it upstairs.
I can't believe he had the guts to tell me about it. Doofus.

HoSanta in the highest!

There's a song we sing at church that I love.
The girls echo the guys... "Lord we lift up Your name... with hearts full of praise... be exalted, oh Lord our God... Hosanna in the highest!"

The boys often sing along at church, and I'm regularly amazed at the lyrics they know. Last Sunday, though, Ian caught me off guard when I heard him singing, with feeling, "HoSanta in the highest!" bwa ha ha ha!

Speaking of Ian. He's been wicked bad lately. He screamed and cried at Dani when she gave him a birthday present he didn't want. He was ugly to Tenny and Gonna when they gave him a gift he already had. He's been generally spoiled and rotten. The other day, I said, "Ian, you sure are acting ugly, and that's a bad idea this close to Christmas."

"Why??" he demanded.

"'Cause Santa's coming, and he's watching you."

"Santa only cares about the rest of the year. He doesn't care about December."

"Oh, Ian. You're so wrong! He's making a list and checking it twice right now, and he knows if you're being naughty or nice. And truth be told, he's probably seeing a whole lotta checks in the naughty column lately. He probably won't even notice the rest of the year now."

At that, Ian fell on the floor in a puddle of tears and exclaimed, "Santa's not gonna come at ALL!!!!"

Am I mean?

His repentant heart didn't last long.

When we took all the kids' photos at Fortress on Sunday, this is the pose Ian gave me. You can almost hear the growl, can't you?

More of the Same - Christmas Edition

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I'm a freak about it too... I want it to all coordinate. Then I get sorta sad when Christmas arrives and people show up and put their gifts under the tree wrapped with SpongeBob paper and gold foil poinsettia prints that totally clashes with my stripes and polka dots.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Both. Real tree in the front window, and a fake tree in the family room.

3. When do you put up the tree? Fake tree usually goes up Thanksgiving weekend, but we've all been sick and haven't gotten it out of the attic yet this year! We usually buy the real tree around the 10th.

4. When do you take the tree down? Hmmm. Real tree gets undecorated pretty quickly, 'cause I hate the mess after it starts drying out too much. Fake tree? Depends. Last year, I think I finally took it down toward the end of January!

5. Do you like egg nog? Yep. From Braum's. With a shot of Bailey's and nutmeg sprinkled on top.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? my orange vinyl-covered record player that closed and locked like a suitcase. (I bet you young whippersnappers don't even remember record players. Or for that matter, hard-sided suitcases that had snapping locks!)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. I want one. Started looking at Fontanini pieces last year, after a friend sent me $30 to put toward my first piece. Still haven't bought anything yet! (Is something wrong with me that I don't love Fontanini? Someday, I'll find THE perfect nativity scene. I'll know it when I see it.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Darren's brother, Chris. If he wants anything, he could just go and and buy it without worrying about the cost. Problem is, he just doesn't want anything!

9. Easiest person to buy for? my sister. I'm always seeing things that make me think of her!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I still handmake 'em. Haven't started THAT this year, either.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a black nightie from Darren that didn't fit. By a long shot. I don't know who was more disappointed - him or me!

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? A Charlie Brown Christmas. and Love Actually.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever I find something I know someone will love. Problem is, if I buy too early, I can't wait to give it to the person, and end up having to buy them another gift closer to Christmas!

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? That black nightie? I gave it to Cara just a few days ago, tags still attached. lol!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's fudge

16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear on the fake tree. Colored on the real tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song? What Sweeter Music, sung by the Cambridge Singers (with John Rutter conducting)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? this year, my family is travelling to OUR house! It's different every year.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes. Rudolph and Olive.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

21 . Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Depends which family we're celebrating with. With the Kocurs, everything gets opened on Christmas Eve, and then Santa leaves stockings and another gift overnight. With the Agees, everyone gets to open one gift on Christmas Eve and then mayhem ensues on Christmas morning. I like it both ways, actually!

22 . Most annoying thing about this time of year? traffic jams at I-20 and Hulen

23. Favorite christmas ornament? a birdhouse that Darren carved for me out of a tree branch when we were newly married.

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Honey Baked Ham with all the trimmings.

Winner

Late last summer, Darren started a training program called Couch to 5k. He ran his first race on Thanksgiving morning (the Fort Worth Turkey Trot), and his second race tonight (the Jingle Bell Run.) I'm so stinkin' proud of him for setting a goal and seeing it through, which frankly, has never been his forte. His calves are shaping up QUITE NICELY as a result, and I'm certainly enjoying THAT added benefit. Mmmm. ;)

A few weeks into the program, his coworkers got interested, and several of them started too. They all signed up as a team for the Jingle Bell Run and ended up raising $1200 for The Arthritis Foundation. It was fun watching all of them run together, and waiting at the finish line as each of them crossed.

At sign-up time, Darren mentioned to Aidan that the Jingle Bell Run included a 1 mile Fun Run. Aidan said he wanted to do it. One evening several weeks ago, the two of them ran to Aidan's school and back - an exact mile - just to see if Aidan could do it. On the home stretch, Darren said, "Let's race back home." Aidan turned on his jets and left Darren in his dust! There was no doubt that he could run a mile, and THEN some!

Tonight was the night. We didn't officially sign him up, so he didn't have a number or anything. Darren has been coughing up a lung for the better part of a week, so I didn't think we'd even go. We didn't mention it again to Aidan until a couple of hours before the race. He got so excited!

"Aidan," I coached. "You'll need to save your energy for the whole race. Don't start out too fast. And if you get tired, just tell yourself, 'I can do it. I know I can! I know I can!"

He interrupted me, saying, "Mom, I don't need to say that. I already know I can."

"Yah, but just in case...." I started.

"Mom. I'm a winner. Winners don't quit. I'm gonna win. I know it already."

Talk about confidence!

While Darren waited with him at the starting line, I hiked a half mile down the course to wait, snagging a good spot for picture-taking and for cheering on my little winner. I gotta tell ya: as I stood there in front of the Tarrant County Jail ignoring the cat calls and whistles coming from its windows, I thought, "What the heck kind of parents send their not-quite-7-year-old running through the streets of downtown with no one to watch him? No one to make sure he didn't stumble and scrape his knees. No one to make sure he didn't veer off the course...."

But before I could worry for TOO long, here they came. A few adults, a handful of teenagers, and then..... AIDAN!! I can't even express the pride I felt. "You're doing GREAT, Aidan!! Keep running! I'm so proud of you! GO AIDAN!!!" The race ran along the main streets of downtown, where cars were parked along the sides and bicycle cops weaved in and out of intersections keeping cars from entering. Aidan kept running between parked cars to jump up on the curb, then he'd run down the sidewalk a bit, then weave back out on to the street again. He was having a BALL! I think he could've shave a lot of seconds off his time if he'd just stayed on the street. LOL!

After snapping a few pics, I high-tailed it to another intersection where I could cheer him on again on the second half. This time, he was running uphill and was dragging. When he saw me, he slowed to a near-walk. "AIDAN!" I yelled. "You're a WINNER!! You're a winner, Aidan! Keep running! You can do it!" And he turned on his jets, and did it. I ran behind him, cheering him on, for about 2 blocks. When I slowed down, I had to wipe my eyes.

At the finish line, the crowd cheered him like crazy. He was in the top 30 to cross... and the first little kid. Afterward, as we waited for Darren to run his race, people kept stopping to say, "Hey! I saw you running! You did great!" Aidan said he felt famous.

9:24. Aidan's first officially-timed mile.

I'm here to tell you: it won't be his last.

Stacy's Wish List

Dear Dad,

I was teasing when I said I have a long list. The truth is, I can't really think of anything I want. Well, wait. That's not true. I can't think of anything I want that anyone can afford to buy me. HA!

There's the VW bug that I'm still mourning - you know, the one that David burned up on the side of 121 all those years ago. I want another one still.

I've been coveting a set of Fiestaware for years. 8 place settings. Sunflower, Tangerine, Peacock and Scarlet. But that'd set you back a pretty penny.

I want my kitchen gutted and remodeled. I want to add a wall in the front room and turn that wasted space into Darren's library (with pocket doors!) and an entry hall. I want to paint my house. When we bought it, I said ,"I will not live in a pink house. We're painting it first thing." It's still pink. It's almost been 4 years. So you see, there's really nothing I want. HA!

It occurs to me that I've now lived OUT of your house for more years than I lived IN it, and since hundreds of miles have separated us for the last 17 years, you probably don't know me well these days. My family room is red and creamy white with black accents. I love brown and red together. My kitchen stuff is red. I love dark red - like OU red. Orangey-red, not so much.

I collect old hymnals, old promotional yardsticks with Fort Worth businesses on them, and the letters S and K - wooden, iron, whatever.

I don't wear slippers, but fuzzy warm socks are good.

I want a maid.

I keep losing the lens caps for my 35mm lenses.
I love a big fluffy bath sheet. Not a towel, but big enough to cover my wide hide. Bath. SHEET. I don't like bath stuff that smells like food. Darren once bought me a set of coffee-scented bubble bath, lotion, etc. I thought I'd throw up every time I smelled that stuff. He was sweet and took it back. To Sears. Never buy bath stuff at Sears. I never take baths anyway.

I love a hot, hot HOT shower. Hey! I'd love a new shower head that really pulsates and gives me serious water pressure. Installed. I want a tankless water heater or two, so I can get rid of the water heater in my scrap room that always makes me worry. If it explodes, that'd be BAD.

About three or four times a year, I get a hankerin' for a cigar. There's only one way to squash that hankerin', ya know. Sorry, Dad. I'm sure that makes you proud. HA.

My bedding is black and white toile.

I love NY Times crossword puzzles, but most other crosswords make me cranky.

I need a vacuum cleaner that's lightweight enough to cart up and down the stairs. The only carpets I have are on the stairs and two small area rugs.

I read every night. If I don't have anything to read, I'll go into the bathroom and read shampoo bottles and tampon boxes if I have to. I must read before I fall alseep.

I like necklaces that are colorful and funky.I don't own a nice pair of earrings, and I'm 38 years old. Dontcha think a 38-year old woman ought to own at least one pair of nice earrings? I don't like gold. I don't like brass. I do love silver.

I collect those old-timey alarm clocks with the hammers and bells on top.

Darren cooks more often than I do, and he prides himself on not using recipes. I wish he'd use recipes. Don't tell him I said that.

I love fresh flowers and wish I could afford to keep them on my dining table all year long. I hate to garden. I think it's David's fault, 'cause he used to stick worms and crickets down my shirt in the garden at The Farm.

We love to have friends over to eat dinner and play cards.

This year, I kicked my Sonic Diet Coke with Vanilla addiction again.

I love board games, but I haven't bought a new one in about three years.

I want a timer so lamps will come on and go off on their own, whether we're here or not.

I have a list. It's called "Things to Do In my Life", and on it are things like "skydive", "take a hot air balloon ride over Fort Worth and the surrounding countryside", "wear a size 10 again", "get published". I've crossed off a bunch of things already... "dye my hair red" (did that when I was 25), go to New England in the fall (2000, when I was 7 months pregnant with Aidan), grow an herb garden (actually, Darren does all the work. HA!), buy an old house (2004).

Some of my happiest memories involve The Farm (specifically, you letting me mow on the riding mower, and me going out of my way to run over snakes with it!)... (and also, weinie roasts and hauling water for the pigs, believe it or not). Some of my worst memories involve The Farm (specifically, walking into the woods and right into a sea of tree worms)... (and also, the cricket incidents I mentioned earlier).

I love my kids and actually enjoy being around them, which seems to be a rarity these days when I look at the world around me. Darren loves me even when I leave the dinner dishes for two days running, and even when he has to start a load of underwear 'cause I forgot. He gets up most mornings and gets the kids breakfast, giving me another 15 minutes to sleep. He supports me in everything I do and strive to be. Basically, he spoils me rotten and makes me believe that I'm beautiful and cherished. I'm a lucky, lucky girl!

If I went back to college, this time I really WOULD be there to learn, but I don't know for sure what I'd major in. I still love to write, but life has taught me that as much as I love my own kids, I don't so much like other people's kids. A teacher would be a miserable career choice for me, and frankly, that's likely where my English degree would've taken me. I love my friends' kids, but mostly only because I love my friends. And I'd rescue a kid from the middle of the street, but I'd call the pound or something immediately.

I love the teens and young adults at Fortress, 'cause love brings out the best in them, and they're starving for it. I never in a MILLION YEARS thought I'd be passionate about inner city ministry. I never dreamed I'd feel comfortable driving into and walking through the projects at dusk. No one could have made me believe that I'd fall in love with them so deeply that my heart swells with pride when they succeed, and crumbles with ache when they don't. I believe that God has blessed me richly - through friendships, marriage, my family, my hobbies - so that I have the experience, the compassion, and the time that Fortress needs. I feel blessed to have found my calling there.

My life motto is simple: Choose Joy.

(I still want a maid.)

I love you, Dad!

need a giggle?

I do. I need a giggle. Here it is:

Nice evening out.

All dressed up.

Smile for the camera!

Look again:

just the facts, ma'am

The rules:
A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names

I've been lazy about blogging. Today, I noticed on Nesa's blog that she tagged me, so here I go. Maybe this'll jumpstart me to start blogging daily again!

Six facts about me:

1. I'm a hard stick. Yep. I stopped giving blood because I got tired of being stuck several times, only to dry up and stop bleeding. I figured, if phlebotomists who spend their days drawing blood can't get me to bleed, who can? I had my annual physical yesterday, and the doc always checks my thyroid levels (I have a thyroid disorder)... so off to the lab I went. FIVE STICKS. They were finally able to get blood out of the the top of my left hand, in a vein right beside my ring finger knuckle. All the bruises are starting to surface today, and my hand is SORE! On top of that, I had a tetanus shot yesterday, and my arm still feels like lead.

2. I look young for my age. It's in my genes, I suppose. My parents neither one have gray hair yet, and Dad's 60 - Mom's 58. At the doctor yesterday, the nurse doing my stats commented that I don't look anywhere near 38. I still get carded regularly. I'll take it!

3. I always order the same thing. I can't help it. I WANT to get something different, I SAY I'm getting something different, I CHOOSE something different from the menu, but it never fails. As soon as the waiter walks up, I order the same ol'. At Chili's, it's the Chicken Crispers with gravy instead of honey mustard. And I always save the corn for last. IT'S the BEST corn on the cob I've ever had! At Macaroni Grill, I always ALWAYS get Penne Rustica. Always. At other restaurants, I manage to order outside the box, but not at these two.

4. I sleep like a dead person. I never hear the alarm clock, ever. I don't hear the kids. Last week, I didn't hear it when Nathan's friend was BANGING on the piano downstairs at 3:30 a.m.. It woke my kids up, but I didn't hear it. Darren used to have to wake me up to take care of the babies when they woke up for a feeding. As a kid, I slept through fire trucks sitting in our driveway, putting out a fire across the street. And I slept through an ice storm which caused a HUGE pecan branch to crack and fall, right outside my window. My parents heard it from their bedroom in the back of the house. I snoozed right through it.

5. I pray a lot, but I'm mostly a silent pray-er. I wear my faith on my sleeve, but I don't push it down others' throats. But I do pray a lot, usually when I'm in the car. For others, for me, for the world in general. I believe deeply in prayer. My "wishes" aren't always granted, but that's okay with me, because I believe that God hears my prayers, and answers with what's best for me in the long run. Even when I disagree or don't understand, I have faith that His wisdom and compassion and grace is good enough. And I'm glad it's not my job to understand.

6. I have to read at bedtime. No matter how tired I am, I must read. I've been known to read the back of a shampoo bottle when nothing else was available. Recently, I've taken up crosswords again; Darren's been printing out old NYTimes ones and I do THOSE at bedtime. They seem to reliably fill that "reading" need, at least for now.

I'm tagging the following six people:
1. Heidi
2. Tracy B
3. Martha C.
4. Veronica
5. Beth
6. Nancy D ('cause she claims she'd never blog if not for me. lol)

things you learn at Open House

(click images to enlarge)

Things that make Aidan sad:

when Brendan calls him a doo doo butt. (His teacher said he's not allowed to say "butt", so he changed it to "head".)

Things that make Aidan happy:

apparently, Christmas. And people saying he's nice. He's exactly like me.

Yay for Nathan. Aidan considers him part of our family. (So do we, actually.)

But where is poor DANI?

I know that Aidan loves to read.
I know that he loves pasta.
I did NOT know that his favorite place to go is 7-11!
Let me tell you how HARD I cracked up in the classroom tonight, standing in front of this poster. All the other kids wrote "Six Flags", "Stars games", "the museum". One kid wrote Target. MY kid wrote 7-11. Ya know, it's just more proof that he's mine all mine. 7-11 sells Slurpees and CANDY! :) I'm happy to see that Dani has rejoined the family, but apparently, all of the Kocur men need haircuts.

The ant in this story refers to Aunt Bobbie. Here's to you, seester! We all miss you!

And now, for the MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED AT TONIGHT'S OPEN HOUSE:

He and his friend Collin have it all planned out. At midnight, they'll walk to the stockyards. They'll wait for the train. Nevermind that it doesn't arrive until 10 tomorrow morning. Then they'll rob it and get off at Granbury. They haven't realized that it stays at Stockyards Station for a good while before turning right around and going back to Grapevine. Silly boys.

I said, "Aidan, your plan will never work. You're not allowed to go outside at night."
"I'll sneak out."
"Oh no you won't. You're not allowed."
"I will anyway."
"Oh. No. You. Won't. You're not allowed. And besides. You don't know how to get to the Stockyards."
"Collin's Mom will drive us."
"Ohhhh. So Collin's Mom is in on this little escapade?"
[giggling] "Yes!"
[with hand up to ear, as if on phone] "Collin's mom? This is Aidan's mom. You stay away from my child. And keep your hoodlum kid away from him, too."

Many more giggles.
I'm sure you're relieved to know that the Train Robber is upstairs asleep, and if I know my kid, he won't MOVE until we roust him out of bed in 8 hours. :)

Good times, good times. :)

Riddle me this

If I am so busy all the dadgum time, then why am I so fat?
Seriously, last week, I forgot to eat lunch several times because my days' schedules were so packed.

Why is it that every time I attend a pro game (any sport), the team loses? I was Michael's lucky date Friday night to the Stars vs. Flames game. We lost in overtime. I hate sudden death. It's so... sudden. Other than that, though, what a BLAST it was! We had awesome seats, on the second row, right beside the opposing team's penalty box. Lucky for me, Cara was out of town and couldn't attend, and Darren loves me so much that he deferred to me when the opportunity came up. ("I got to go last time," he said. MAN, I love that man!)

Why is it, at Fuzzy's Taco Shop, when I request garlic sauce, they get all snarky and insist that garlic sauce is a GIVEN on their tacos - you don't have to request it... and yet, the reason I always request it is because they always forget to put it on! (Have you ever had a Fuzzy's Taco? Despite the disgusting innuendo in their name and slogan ("If it looks like a taco and smells like a fish, it must be a tasty dish" - they're famous for their fish tacos. Ahem.).... despite all that, I love the place and can't get enough! Tempura Shrimp Tacos are the BEST. I turned Michael on to them today, and he was a happy boy.

There's a new employee at Fortress Youth Development Center (see the link in my sidebar) who loves to say "good times".
"Hey, Tiki, how are you likin' your job?"
"It's GREAT. I like it a lot. Good times, good times."
"Tiki, do you want me to bring you some lunch when I come back?"
"No, thanks. I brought a sandwich today. Good times, good times."
At first, it was kinda funny. But now I've grown to like it, and I've caught myself saying it, too.
Last week KICKED MY TAIL, but I got so much stuff accomplished. Good time, good times.

• went to dinner with my dear friends, the Glenns
• afterward, met other friends for the Eli Young concert at Billy Bob's (met up with an old high school friend there, too)
• spent all day Saturday with Kristi at Recollections' Open House, then we stayed and cropped there 'til midnight
• Took photos of the Fortress high school girls in front of each of their schools
• Kids were out of school Monday for State Fair Day (officially called "Columbus Day, but we all know why local kids are out of school on that day each year, and it's not 'cause Columbus sailed the ocean blue.)
• 2 doctor's appointments
• 1 teacher conference
• haircut for Dani
• volunteered at the boys' school
• created a Save the Date card for a client
• created a flier for Fortress YDC
• FWSO for Darren and Dani, and the Stars game for me
• baby shower on Saturday
• going-away party for sweet neighbors that night
• taught Bible class Sunday morning
• hosted 40 or so friends from church that evening for dinner and football
• continued planning details for the big annual ScrapShare Texas crop
• completed a scrapbook job that was due
• managed to see a lot of Cara and Kristi, which is always good for my soul
• surely I'm leaving something out
• cleaned house and caught up laundry

So again, I ask you.
How is it again, that I'm overweight?
On second thought, don't answer.
Good times, good times. :)