Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Here's to no coal in your stocking tonight! We have had a few close calls the last few days, so we'll be crossing fingers and toes at our house tonight.

Much love to all and have a very Merry 2008 Christmas!

My special Anniversary/Christmas gift

Holiday Hives.

Are you kidding me? Never had hives, ever. So glad my first time could be so special.

Ian, buddy, you are in our prayers today!

UPDATE: After some delays with the liver, and a 10 hour surgery, Ian has a new liver! The surgeon said on a scale of 10, it was a 9.9. The strength and prayers of many and one resilient little boy...

Today, at 4pm, is the day!!

Elaine is driving to Atlanta right now because the plane couldn't take off due to bad weather. Elaine, you can do this. You have been preparing for this and if anyone can pull it off, you can.

We love you guys and the New River Valley, Radford especially, is focusing all their prayers and positive energy your way. This is it!

ianherbst.blogspot.com
Ian was born in June of 2005 so that makes him 3 currently. He has blonde hair (lots of it) and blue eyes. He has a rare liver disease called biliary atresia and was diagnosed when he was two months old. He is currently awaiting a life saving liver transplant at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Ian loves books, playgrounds, and Thomas the Train. He is an active and intelligent three year old that can spell his first and last name, say his phone number and birth date.

We nominate the red-head!

Whether it is reporting the news (F was just chosen as 1 of 5 fifth graders to be on the school newspaper),
competing in his "brain sports"
singing in the choir

or just dancing in the kitchen (my video won't load, but trust me, it was good)...


F gives our house all the "street cred" we need!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Handmade invitations, with matching envelopes

Getting ready

A beautiful table setting

Wrapping a pretty package

Tasty food

Ann as proxy (we missed you Carol)

Hawaiian Indulgences

Pumpkin any and everything

Pampering myself


Night time Relaxation (and the accompanying story)

Sweet snacks, scents, and songs

And most of all, good times with good friends...

Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads

I came back as a bag of groceries accidentally taken off the shelf before the expiration date

tabloid footprints in your hair tabloid footprints everywhere

keep the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul

she doesn't have to have her Young Fresh Fellows tape back now

you can't shake the devils hand and say you're only kidding

someone keeps moooving mmmyyyy chair

9:30 Club playing their 1990 album FLOOD in its entirety. Totally worth the 36 hour mini-vaca and loved having friends rock and roll enough to go with us!

Children: As you are reading this blog once we have died and are trying to connect with who we were as your parents, we must tell you. Before they were on the Disney channel, They Might Be Giants were a band both your parents brought to the marriage. We rocked to them in high school and college (your dad even danced to them for an audience and was busted up by the police--ask him about it someday--unless we are dead) and for one night, we rocked to them again as parents of three at a post-Thanksgiving concert in DC.

Eddie Bauer and the Temple

My mom was heading to Ohio and asked me to drive along with her. I got the big boys off to school and then packed S up and the three of us left to see Brittany's new basement...I mean, family. I totally scored great pants (7 total for Jack and I both) at the Eddie Bauer outlet, shoes at Marshall's, and ate both Panda AND Chipotle. It was a great trip. We missed our appointment for the Temple--major oops--but at least (?) got the photo op on our way out of town. Everytime I see my hair in a pic it reminds me of the line in Steel Magnolias at the funeral about football helmet hair.

Oh what I endure for you, Mrs. Myer

Arriving home at 3:22am, and now awaking not to a quiet respite once kids were at school, but rather a snow day, I realize, my lot in life is hard. Since I can't share the movie with you I thought I would share some of my favorite lines from my evening amongst the teens:
"That is a medium? That is a medium? That's a MEDIUM?"
"Christmas in Scotland would be wonderful. Africa is fine too."

"Here, I'll hold you down..."

"...I can say all the awkward things I want and no one can get pissed off!"

"Is anyone good at working zippers?"
"I don't know enough about theatre to know if a play is good."
"I only read this book because my other books ran out."
"That scarf really brings out your eyes" (not their color, but his actual eyes--from girl to boy)
"I just came from a cocktail party."

It also appeared as though many in the surrounding seats hadn't read the book, and were surprised Edward was a vampire. In spite of his uber-cheesy twinkling skin, and the inevitable book to movie missing pieces, I loved it.

My indulgence.

The last thing on my schedule for today...

was a snow day!

Didn't even have time to fret about it. Didn't even cross my mind a snow day might be coming. Usually it's not the news that tips me off to the notion of an impending storm...The normal tell-tale signs (long lines at the grocery store, no milk on the shelves, the parking lot at Hollywood Video full, the litany of phone calls) weren't there. So when the Honeywell Instant Alert System started talking on my answering machine at 6:04am, I thought for sure it was Jack's school--Radford rarely closes. But sure enough, the 2 hour delay transformed into a full day, and alas, it was time to reconfigure the day.

So with 10 gloves, 10 boots, 5 jackets, 5 hats, and 5 scarves to be found (I had 2 extras today) I began the ever dreaded search. We have finally been in our house long enough that those things actually have a home (or two).

The trampoline--in case anyone was curious--is a death trap in the snow.

We did learn important lessons about our dog on her first snow day--she hates the little parka we bought her, and as she runs around, the snow forms ice balls that freeze to her fur and she becomes a black furry ice cube. At least some learning took place today.

I've always thought I should do this, but they beat me too it!

Except I was going to write a book...it's one of several I was going to write. Now I just write on the blog. Who says mediocrity isn't rewarded?

Anyway, back to the post. I thought I'd share with you my new favorite blog to read. If you are not a familiar with the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you probably won't laugh, so I'll save you clicking on the link.

And while yes, some of the comments are uber cheesy, corny, and some even over the top, a lot of them are still pretty funny!

Hope you enjoy as we have (thanks j&s)!

Overheard in the Ward

If I were a DJ, I send this out to almost everyone I know right now!

Seems like everyone I know is having a crazy time of it lately. In another life I thought I would be a lounge singer, or a DJ, so entering my parallel universe, I'm "tossin' a shout out to all my peeps. Here's one of my all time favorite coping songs that make me feel strong..."

The thin horizon of a plan is almost clear

My friends and I have had a tough time

Bruising our brains hard up against change

All the old dogs and the magician

Now I see were in the boat in two by twos

Only the heart that we have for a tool we could use

And the very close quarters are hard to get used to

Love weighs the hull down with its weight

But the wood is tired and the wood is old

And well make it fine if the weather holds

But if the weather holds well have missed the point

Thats where I need to go

No way construction of this tricky plan

Was built by other than a greater hand

With a love that passes all out understanding

Watching closely over the journey

Yeah but what it takes to cross the great divide

Seems more than all the courage I can muster up inside

Although we get to have some answers when we reach the other side

The prize is always worth the rocky ride

But the wood is tired and the wood is old

And well make it fine if the weather holds

But if the weather holds well have missed the point

Thats where I need to go

Sometimes I ask to sneak a closer look

Skip to the final chapter of the book

And then maybe steer us clear from some of the pain it took

To get us where we are this far yeah

But the question drowns in its futility

And even I have got to laugh at me

No one gets to miss the storm of what will be

Just holding on for the ride

The wood is tired and the wood is old

Well make it fine if the weather holds

But if the weather holds well have missed the point

Thats where I need to go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtU1PZaDv1g

It's Christmas Eve and I'm gettin' a pony!!

That's what we're feeling. VA and Radford ran blue. Watch us dance in our pj's!

And to those of you who cut my campaign sticker off in the parking lot of the church during the last election because you were mean...it's my day, so lighten up, eh?

Other than our hair, turns out Oprah and I probably don't have much in common.

Jack is the music fiend at our house. He can name any band, their latest album, who they sound like, what their drummer's side project is, who house they ate dinner at last night, and so on. He has been that way since I met him and it is something I love about him, but sometimes hate about him when we are at Carols ipod parties because I always lose.

But, I am taken with his most recent musical purchase. Actually, it is a magazine. (Not that I have gone so far as to actually read the magazine)

Every month it comes with a sampler CD, which is brilliant marketing! And the CD is always pretty decent. Out of about 20ish songs, at least half are great, and another fourth are decent. Fearing it would be only punk, I didn't even listen the first few months, but lately, I pop it in my car before he knows it came and he doesn't get it until 3 weeks later he drives the boys somewhere in my car. Now I have tons of great new bands to try.
So, while it may never make Oprah's list, I can't concern myself with that. I thought I knew most of Moldy Peaches stuff (technically just kimya dawson, but who needs to be technical?), but PASTE introduced me to Alphabutts, which every parent should hear, but pretend they didn't. Thanks, mag. And Jack.

A Porch with a View

Sometimes I ask myself why I live in VA. As S & I were sitting on our front porch waiting for the boys to be dropped off this afternoon, I remembered one of the reasons: full fledged seasons. Autumn, in particular, is my favorite.

The picture below was taken...
from this rocker (which we LOVE--from Cracker Barrel...umhmm) on my porch.

The view is not spectaular, per se. It's not even as good a view as others have from their yards, but it's still so great to me.

I love how the trees come together touching tips forming an arch as I drive up Wadsworth. I drive it once a day in the Fall and I love it every time. We may not be as cool as California, or as trendy as New York, or as tropical as Hawaii, but I love my sleepy little town. Thankfully, there are people that will live in CA, NY, and HI--and love those places just the same--so I can live here. Different strokes for different folks, eh?

Duh. Of course Obama has been to the Temple

Jacks sister Sally and her son Max came to visit and we showed them, that indeed, VA is for lovers! (That is the dumbest state motto ever, ps) If you ever want to come and visit, October is the perfect time because the leaves are gorgeous and the weather is great (except not for tubing). Here are the highlights:

DC Temple (Jack and I could actually go because we had babysitters) To boot, babysitters that took the boys to the National Zoo!

Dollywood (because, why not?)

Lots of nature (because that's what we do in VA)

Nature with food (because what better way to enjoy nature, or food for that matter)

Nature with mazes and hayrides (because after all, we are in farm country)

Mexican with Richard

Bluegrass at the Floyd General Store (with Jenny, sort of)

And good times had by all!

Max thinks his gangsters can take out my rednecks, but I just don't think he grasps the concept of homeschooled farmers with all the ammo they can hide under their moonshine. Max also has pronounced CA cooler than VA, but I think it's because he didn't like my generic everything. I tried convincing him it was me, not the state as a whole, but...

So in honor of this election season, cast your vote--Gangsters or Rednecks?

Thanks to Breakfast at Pascal's Kitchen I got my $1 sticker

All I have wanted for days is an Obama bumper sticker. But I only want to pay $1. And I don't want to pay it to some teen skipping school to make & sell lame bumper stickers out of his/her basment in lieu of attending woodshop. And today I got it. For once, downtown Radford did for me what the Internet and Amazon.com could not.

And in lieu of a political post of my own, I will refer you to the most recent post of my cyber-friend Kasey, who doesn't really know we are friends, but we are. I mean, if we lived closer, I know we would be. She may not know about our cyber BFF standing, but after reading this, you would split a heart necklace with her anyday.

And while this one is good, her older one is almost better. You decide.

http://kasm.blogspot.com/2008/10/barack-obama-invaded-my-psyche-last.html

http://lightrefreshmentsserved.com/2008/09/05/what-the-heck-lets-talk-politics/

"A la tuhuelpa legria macarena Eeeh, macarena!"

Who says the macarena is outdated? Or as G says, since there are multiple ones, "the macarenas!" We love you Mrs. Dyer!

"Put on your Sunday best kids, we're going to Sears!"

I did feel a little Brady excited as I was getting ready to attend the gala where the NCTC was going to acknowledge us as recipients of the grant for our Lego League team. The NCTC grant is the only reason we were able to build our team, so since we were invited to attend their annual gala, we graciously accepted for a fun evening out (they also sponsored our $100 seats, otherwise we would have waved from the hall).

So what do you wear to a gala? Can you go without stockings? Do I need to go rent some diamonds? After consulting my underage fashion team, we made do, and headed to Blacksburg. Now, by "we", I don't mean me and my spouse. That would have been too easy. (Thanks Carol for indulging me and coming along!) Of course, both of us had to get sitters because Jack was out of town and Chris was on call, making this no easy night out. But we walked the red carpet, ate our fancy schmancy meal, heard the "rapping professor," stood for our award acknowledgment, stumbled through memory lane as I said hello to a high school friend, and came home. Isn't that why we love the 'burg? There is always someone from our past lurking behind the next tree reminding us of days long since past, but still clear as can be.

So make-up on, fancy dress off the hanger, and a purse too small to carry snacks or wipes, I had a great evening. The only thing that would have made it better was if there had been an escalator to ride on.