One Proud Mama

This is the one where Nick wears undies to bed and stays dry
then wears them out all day the next day and stays dry! :)
His mama couldn't be more proud!

A Note About our Uneventful Lives

Other than the recent wedding and the drama that came with it, life here has been rather uneventful, I have not accomplished anything off of my list of things I want to accomplish these next two months, I have not made any interesting foods, bought any girl scout cookies or done any laundry.
With this recent cold snap keeping us housebound I have had to dig deep in my bag of tricks to find new, engaging and stimulating activities to keep us all sane.
We have begun having almost daily car washes in our kitchen

And have enjoyed the occasional Christmas gift as is straggles into our house. That's right folks, the two gifts that got the greatest reaction from my daughter this year were a pair of pink corduroy pants and a box full of empty picture frames. I'm officially giving up on buying her anything for next year.

Nick is keeping busy potty training himself, off and on. You gotta do what you gotta do I guess.

Life is good here, we wish it were warmer so we could at least go for a walk and get fresh air without our lungs getting frostbite but, hey you win some, you lose some I guess.
Keep warm out there.

How Long till this Feels like Family?

This past weekend my littlest sister got married. To a guy she adores more than anything I have ever seen her adore, (perhaps even more than sharpie markers and ductape). It was a magical day, watching them make that commitment to one another and more interestingly and impressive, watching them navigate the union of their two families for one day, bringing together two visions (or more) of the way the day should go; and they did it with grace. Bravo! Ami and Mark, Bravo!

It got my wheels turning, about family, extended family, pseudofamily and my own family. It was so nice to see my family. To spend time with them and remember that I am loved unconditionally, something I forget a lot these days. It was good to get hugs, kisses, cuddles and even the jabs were welcomed.
In laws aren't like that. If there's one thing about marriage that I have found it's that even though your 'new' family likes you, accepts you, welcomes you, they'll never replace or replicate your 'real' family. Their hugs will never make you melt as much as the ones your dad gives you, their jabs will always make you think twice, and their kisses will always feel foreign. At least this is what my limited observations have made me conclude. Perhaps as time lapses the lines will blur, perhaps my own family is so close they defy the norm, perhaps I am just having an especially melancholy day. But this weekend made me think, When will this start to feel like family? and Why is Christmas so far away?