A hazy shade of winter

It has been very wintery around here: inside me and outside my window. We have been plugging away at January, and I for one am happy to see it go. Sometimes I like winter--wearing scarves that I have knitted, snuggling under a down comforter, watching college Basketball, drinking coffee and cocoa, watching the snow fall, sitting by the fire, making homeade soups and breads, skating with freckles until one of us falls, and breaking out the warm winter sweaters. This year, however, I am already tired of it--scraping my car windshield in the morning, looking for missing mittens, putting on a few pounds, watching the beautiful white snow linger in my yard until it turns grey, missing opportunites to play at the park, wearing the same things over and over again, not shaving my legs, and having static electricity in my hair. I am ready for some sunshine. Come on springtime.

"You are only as happy as your least happy child".
Frankie Hech
"the Middle"

Freckles has had a hard time adjusting to school. Even though her grades are good, she likes her teacher and she has made friends, she still gets a tummyache every morning before school. I want to cuddle her and protect her from the harsh world of public school, but know that the best thing I can do for her is love her up, pray for her and kiss her goodbye each morning. Apparently, a girl in her class, (we will call her "L" ) has been giving my little girl a hard time. "L" is that "popular" girl in the class who is not really well-liked but has a lot of power. (remember that girl, girlfriends?) "L" is pretty, has the teachers fooled, is manipulative and is friends with the mean poplular girls in the other class. She asked freckles to sit with her at lunch the first week, but freckles already had plans with her sweet, unpopular, likeable dork table of friends. Since then, "L" has tipped my girl's desk over, told her she didn't like her outfit and started a rumor that Freckles and her male seat-partner were getting married. Though it sounds funny to some, my heart aches for my little girl, who is learning to manuver through the complicated world of girls. Stupid "L" seems to be taking her insecurites out on my cute little freckles. Part of me wants to rescue my little one, but I know that this is a rite of passage for her. We talk about it every day and I have to bite my tongue to keep from bad mouthing "L". Yesterday, a little ice cream helped soothe her little fragile heart after the bully rolled her eyes and whispered to her friends about freckles on the playground. ggrr. So, Icecream, hugs, prayers and sweet friends are my girl's tools for dealing with her first real interaction with the "mean girl". A hazy shade of winter indeed.

snapshot highlights of December

Great visit with mom and dad.

Took the girls to see the Nutcracker with Colleen and Anna. Cookie got a nap.

Freckles and Mommy took a chemistry class together.

Daddy and Freckles.

Love those Conrad girls. Good to see them.

We made gingerbread cookies and chocolate-covered pretzels.

Looks like we "lost" a few in the process

First State Capitol Building with the family.

Went out to hear V groove band with my peeps- Mark, Lesley and Steph.

my sweet nephew was baptised on his tenth birthday. Love that boy. also love this family pic

dinner at Ramsi's with the Hauswalds.

Me on the bandstand in Corydon. (I love this place)

listography

There are no words to describe how much I love this new site I found called Listography (thank you, Hula). It is a site all about lists. devoted to lists. about lists. connecting people who love lists. aaahh. Im having trouble getting the link to work...Hope to be updating lists soon. Am commiting to one list a week. I am looking for ideas for lists. please submit your most creative and usefull list ideas....

list

http://listography.com/5178787156

feet

School is underway and the fifth grader is doing well. This week she saw the doctor about her ankle which was injured in '08 and still bothering her. She had a growth plate fracture and some ligament damage and is currently in an air cast brace thing. She will head to physical therapy and can walk and return to daily activities soon. We are waiting for blood work to come back just to ease our minds that nothing more serious is wrong with her. The doctor wants to rule out leukemia. We welcome your prayers for Freckles.

The little one also saw the ortho doc this week. It was our semi annual club foot check up. Her foot is looking good and according to Dr, " we are rounding third and heading home as far as her foot is concerned". good news indeed. xrays showed that her foot is aligned nicely except for a slight curvature in the fore-foot. Cookie is to wear her shoes on the wrong feet ( not a problem for a three year old) and still sleep with her ponsetti brace at night. progress. God is good.

happiness is having something to look forward to...

1. "LOST" must be coming back on television soon. I miss it and need to know what is going to happen to those poor people.
2. nexst week will be a huge cooking day with my friendie to create some meals to stick in the freezer. I'm not a big fan of cooking, so I welcome the company and help.
3. When we took our little family trip in May, we snuck on to a movie set that was filming outside our hotel in Santa Fe. It was "Did you hear about the Morgans?", with Sara jessica Parker and Hugh Grant. I want to go see that movie and look for that scene. Not to mention I think this will be an "in" for me to become friends with those two.
4. want to get back to my zumba class. I miss it.
5. I was hoping to take freckles skiing. Neither she nor I have ever been. Not sure if we will make it with her ankle hurt....
6. I watched "Julie and Julia" and loved the parts about Julia Child. I started wearing my pearls and am thinking maybe I should try beef bourginon. maybe I will.
7. Reading the Redemption book recommended by B. It is addictive. looking forward to reading number 2 in the series.
8. I am writing again. Looking forward to having time to write and cohesive thoughts to string together.
9. We bought an adorable play kitchen for cookie in Louisville. I am looking forward to my parents bringing it out to us. I miss them.
10. I am looking forward to March 1. -am tired of this winter business... come on springtime. (Yes I am from Colorado and know that winter doesn't end until after Easter, but a girl can hope...)

that darn list

Well, I made this list exactly one year ago today. A list of things I hoped to do in 2009. Let's see how I did...


melodie notes: January 2009: "list

1. finish my book -not even close. In fact it feels further away than before... hope to change that
2. learn some painting technique-nope
3. have a kentucky Derby party -We went to J and J's house for party and I made derby pie...
4. Read 6 books -done. If you count the books I read with Freckles,which I totally do.
5. knit a hat with my new pattern knitted 4 actually. yea me.
6. renew my teaching license -done. wouldn't have finished teaching last year without it.
7. ride a horse not yet
8. ice skate with M - no, but going to take her this weekend.
9. sing in public - yes. and played guitar
10. volunteer my time - not as much as I would have liked, but did volunteer at church and school
11. plan 4 romantic dates with D - 2 romantic and several just fun. looking forward to more.
12. Read a book everyday to C -most days we read, but not every day.
13. organize my paperwork- get new system - Yikes. not even
14. Post that box of stuff on Craigs list-nope
15. Write a letter on Sundays - wrote about 17. hope to do better.
16. make a big picture plan with D - not yet
17. capture some memories of his mom for D to keep -still hope to do
18. learn to take a good picture -ha.
19. get a new camera - We did, but its not a good one. still hoping...
20. ride my mountain bike on a trail -nope
21. dance with D - did. he's a good dancer.
22. Dance in the rain with the girls -forgot about this one.
23. pick people over tasks -always room for improvement here too.
24. read my Bible - again there is always room for improvement.
25. camp in the backyard ( maybe not the whole night) -no but we did camp in living room...
26. decorate guest room not yet
27. finish project lists --no end in sight.
28. take some violin lessons maybe this year.
29. go bird watching nope
30. climb another fourteener nope
31. celebrate my sister's birthday with her- it's a big one. yes! it was super fun. H B Lesley
32. decide that I don't have to always be right a constant stuggle
33. start my masters nope
34. plant a tree -gave a blue spruce to parents to plant on their property.
35. stick to our budget -ha. maybe 2010.

changes in 2010

It's a new year...a fresh start... a clean slate. Monk would be pleased with 2010. It is so even perfect and ten is Monk's favorite number. I am ready for change. Ready for hope. Ready to FEEL better...ready to DO better... ready to BE better. I am shaking the dust from my shoes in 2009 and stepping into 2010 with a hopeful heart.

CHANGE.

The first and most obvious change of 2010 is that my sweet homeschooled fifth grader will be starting public school at our local elementary school. After much discussion she is excited about the possiblities. She already knows a few kids who go there and looks forward to joining the choir and enrichment groups. Her BFF is there and the two of them are looking forward to lunch discussions and together time at recess. I am excited that M will have other things and people in her life. She and I are so close that sometimes I feel that she takes on my grown-up worries. I think she will do better if she has other things going on in her life.

CHANGE.

I am afraid that little cookie has some food allergies. dairy or nuts...it's hard to tell. she has been breaking out around her mouth and having some digestive issues. I am hoping to get her into a food allergist soon. I also worry about her skin. It seems so dry and has blotchy red spots at times. I am at a loss... Also, please remember little cookies foot in your prayers. We return to orthopedic later this week....

CHANGE.

My parents are moving into their new house in the woods. It is a beautiful new house. I will miss that old house though. I cried last week when I left it for the last time. It is HOME to me. They moved there in 1979 right before my little sister was born. It is a special place, full of (mostly good) memories and hard wood floors. I know that even if I return there (lesley's house?) in the future, it will not be the same. While there is a little melancholy left in my heart about the end of this season of my life, I am embracing the change of a new house, new memories, new home.

CHANGE.

Marriage is hard. Harder than I thought. After a particularly hard 2009, D and I look forward to a fresh start in 2010. I am through with wanting D to fill the misisng parts in my soul that only God can can fill. I want to be a better Me. Am hopeful for this year with my man. We are praying that he can find some answers to some medical problems he has been facing and that he and I will continue to grow closer to each other.

CHANGE. change is good.