Quick Successions: New Mexico Edition

Hannah is at a point where she likes to do projects and such. My time has to be carefully planned so that we can make things and when we do, we have to do things that are easy. I was a craft store and I found this foam post office that is supposed to be sort of a Valentine's Day box and it was 60 percent off, so I bought it. When I brought it home and gave it to Hannah she clapped and cheered, saying "Oh this is just what I always wanted! I love it sooooooo much!" And then she paused and said "What is this?" It was very hilarious. We had a good time reading the directions and determining when to follow them and when to do something creative. Her attention lasted through the whole thing. She put the creation on the piano and she shows it to people as something that she has made.

So Christmas Break was not very interesting after I got sick. I mostly laid in bed watching Downton Abbey  seasons 1-4. When I finally did get better, I went to Utah. The purpose of my trip was to work on a project with a professor at a university there. Brian and Hannah remained in Kansas. When I came home the garage was clean, the house was in good shape, and my child was bathed and fed, so they must have been busy while I was away.  I taught junior high in Utah for about 10 years. People always congratulate me for being brave and tough to teach adolescents, especially middle level ones, but I really had fun doing it. There were times that were hard, but in general, it was great. I left teaching so I could pursue doctoral work because it was a goal I had for a long time that was incompatible with classroom teaching. If you just want a PhD attached to your name, there are programs you can do where you can do class online or at night, but if you really want to participate...

New Year, new us.... Not really. I have no pictures of New Year's Eve. I have been battling one of the worst bouts of influenza of my adult life. I started to feel sick on Monday, December 29 and then woke up Tuesday in agony. I did not leave the house at all that day. Instead I sat in bed catching up on the BBC/PBS series Downton Abbey. I had academic work to do, but I didn't do it. Wednesday was an awful day too. I did manage to make the New Year's oriental inspired food, but I did not eat much of it. Thursday was bad, but manageable. Today was not too bad. I plan to be better just in time to go back to work on Monday. We did get the tree down and the Christmas decor has been put away. On Saturday we were invited to a graduation party for the girl who babysits Hannah during the week. We were able buy a present for her. I anticipate being well enough to go tomorrow. I no longer have a fever and seem to be drying up. I think I have a picture of Hannah and I making O...

This year we stayed in Kansas for Christmas again. On Monday and Tuesday before the break my friend's little girl came over to play. She arrived at 7:30 a.m. and was there until after 5 both days, so she and Hannah wore each other out having a good time.  Christmas Eve we bought pizza, sang carols, watched Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and then opened about 3 presents each. Brian let Hannah help wrap my gifts and I love how she wrote on my presents so I would know that they were from her.    After we opened some presents and cleaned up the house, we left Santa some Oreo cookies and some fruit snacks and then we wrote him a letter. Hannah was adamant that since we didn't have a chimney he was going to have to come through the back yard and come in the door from the patio. We set out the cookies and got ready to go upstairs and then she STOLE one of Santa's cookies for herself. He forgave her though and stopped anyway. Here is the letter we ...

We are ready for Christmas. Hannah helped me decorate this year. She also helped me make gingerbread cookies where she rolled the dough herself. The tree is up and trimmed. We went with a real one this year. They are so much cheaper in Kansas than they were in Utah, which we find odd. This beauty is 8' tall and sturdy enough for more of our ornaments then the artificial one we used to have was. New presents keep appearing from family every day. Hannah finds them, counts them, and sorts them, just like I taught her. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Brian and I are the snow people and Hannah is the little bear.

I presented at the Literacy Research Conference in Florida this past week. We all went. I mostly did conference activities but Brian and Hannah had a good time on the beach and in the pool. I did spend some time building a sandcastle with Hannah in the late afternoon on the last day of the conference. The weather was great: 80 degrees. Some light rain in the evening but nothing that spoiled the trip. We flew two, 2-hour flights. One to Atlanta and the other to Ft. Lauderdale. We took the same way back, but in reverse. We rented a car and drove it across the Florida peninsula through Alligator Alley and the Seminole Reservation. There were these great signs with panthers on them that were like the deer watch signs that I am used to. They were offset yellow squares with the outline of a cat. It's always hard to make a trip right at the end of the semester and right before the holidays, but we did alright. Here are some pictures from our lone hour all together on the beach. ...

This year marked our second Thanksgiving in Kansas. We will start our third year here in January. I got up early and watched the parade from the comfort of my bedroom. My favorite balloon was the Hello Kitty flying the plane. I could swear they had something similar last year.  When we were all up, Hannah and I made some little foam turkeys.  I asked her what she, Brian and I were thankful for and she told me what to write. I daresay she nailed it.   Mine: Brian's: Hannah's:  I gave her the leftover pieces and told her she could make whatever she wanted. Here is her creation. I think it is very modern.  For dinner I made an 18 pound turkey. (We enjoy leftover turkey tremendously.) Only about a pound of turkey is shown here on our platter. I also made rolls, vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a pumpkin pie.  Hannah took a nap late and so she slept through the Thanksgiving meal. When she woke up she ate. Brian w...