Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving I was thankful for Sam's Club and lazy consumers who make ready made mashed potatoes a reality.  I just wasn't into it this year.  Thankfully we didn't make big plans as Elsa came down with a double ear infection, but it took a full week before it was apparent enough that we were able to score some antibiotics.  She was up every hour on the hour.  My eye is still twitching from the lack of sleep.  So we ate cheesecake and steaks with some Stovetop and mashed potatoes as a homage to what you really should be eating.  Part of me was sad we weren't able to be with family and friends, but honestly there was something very liberating about giving myself and Nadia a pedicure, watching tv, playing games and taking a long bath instead of spending all day in the kitchen.  Clean-up was even better. 

Some of us were sad we didn't have Thanksgiving leftovers (namely Steve), but others were perfectly content with lasagna and cheesecake.

Ah well, better luck next year. 

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner...

Unless she puts herself there that is.  The problem with only knowing how to crawl backwards...

This kid is constantly getting lodged under furniture.  Luckily, she doesn't get too perturbed by it.

I would say we're days away from learning the forward motions.  Where are my cabinet locks?!?

Trick or Treat!

 Nadia choose to be a "kitty princess" this year.  I already had a princess dress in our costume box, so I just got the kitty accessories and put them on.  She loved it and I loved her creativity in coming up with something different!

 Not by her own choice, but Elsa was a bat this year.  I had matching bee costumes for Elsa and Nadia, but they weren't really that warm, so we only wore them to a Cub Scout party that was indoors.  Didn't get a picture sadly.  But the bat costume was great for keeping Elsie warm.

After a lot of deliberation, Rowan was an army man this year.  It was really easy compared to the metal Sonic and werewolf ideas, especially since masks weren't allowed at the trunk or treat.

 Strike a pose!

 Elsa really wasn't that unhappy at the church.  I mistook my size with her added on and rubbed her nose on the car door as I was shutting it.  Bad mommy moment.  Anyways, I actually was a little festive and wore a witch hat.  Go me.

 Steve wasn't festive, but he wore a hat.  :)

This year's trunk or treat was really well organized.  The kids had corn dogs and watched Charlie Brown on the projector while everyone decorated their trunks.  No chili thank goodness!

 Post trick or treating.  We drank hot chocolate and the kids handed out the remainder of our candy.

Elsie enjoying the warmth of her costume.  Trick or treating is kind of over-rated if you can't eat the candy.

 The following day was actual Halloween.  We all dressed up so we could enjoy $2 Chipotle meals and then went around the neighborhood.  Once again, the kids had more fun handing out candy when they got home than getting it.  Charity is good I guess.

We couldn't let Elsa go without a special treat, so we decided to give her her first sampling of solid foods on Halloween.  She gobbled it up!  I've never had a baby take to rice cereal so well.  Usually I wait until 6 months, but I'm getting tired in my old age and Elsa was more than ready for this transition.  I'm so glad we didn't wait- 8 hour sleep at night is so worth it!

Snapshot

 This is the beauty of South Carolina.  Temperatures in the 70s in mid-November.  Unreal.  I found Rowan after church outside reading his book.  Sweetest boy in the world.  Rowan is doing great in school and has plenty of friends.  If we could get him to tell the truth without exception, he would near perfection.  He is the BEST big brother in the world and dotes on Elsa constantly.  Love him to bits.

Oh this baby is so much work!  She's not great at sleeping or entertaining herself and I became so desperate a few weeks ago, I reached out in the ward and had someone take her for a few hours so I could clean my bathrooms and get some other things done without being interrupted.  I'm actually looking forward to her learning to crawl so that she can amuse herself.  And by the looks of things, that day isn't too far away.  But she is so stinking cute and happy for the most part. 

Didn't get a picture of Nadia today, but here's one of her at the pumpkin patch.  Nadia is such a loving daughter and sister.  She is SO brave physically.  I'm really thinking I need to get her in gymnastics or something along those lines.  A few months ago we had our Primary Program and she got right up there.  Didn't say a word, but it was beyond anything Rowan ever did at her age.  She is bound and determined to do as much if not more than Rowan can do.  I'm so grateful for her strong and loving personality.

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep

It's amazing what a few nights of good sleep can do for the soul.  Things are better than I left them last time.  Elsa ended up having an ear infection and after putting her on solids, putting the pack n play in the toy room so we can let her cry it out a bit, and getting her on antibiotics, we are finally getting some rest at night.  She's sleeping from 9pm-8am maybe waking up around 5am for a bottle and going right back to sleep.  It's wonderful! 

In other good news, Steve has 2 interviews scheduled for BYU and Kansas State.  We only applied to 4 places (one in Canada because I made Steven do it) and we're really happy with the response we are getting.  It's such a contrast to his graduating year where we applied at over 100 places and interviewed at I think 4 places:  branch campuses in Ohio and Penn State, Lake Forest College, and our current postdoc.  It was a bit nerve-wracking to decide between the tenure-track offer from the branch campus at Penn State or the postdoc here, but we felt assured in our decision and it's nice to see it paying off.  The Lord truly leads and directs us where we need to go and I'm so grateful for the peace and comfort I receive through that assurance.  Steve's mentor here wants him to stay on another year as he is starting to get really noticed in his field and could get even better offers perhaps if he waited.  But seeing as how we only applied to places we really were interested in, I don't think we'll be turning down any offers that might come our way.  That being said, we are completely happy to stay here another year should that be the case. 

My new calling in the ward is the compassionate service leader- apparently I need to work on being compassionate and giving service.  It's not something that is necessarily coming easily to me, but I know the Lord wants me to keep stretching myself.  I have to get more minutes on my phone it seems because no one ever answers my emails.  I think that's the most frustrating part so far.  It's been nice to have my Saturdays back though as I don't have to prepare a lesson every week now.

We just got through one of the worst elections I think I have ever experienced.  Steve and I both are both heartbroken that Mitt Romney didn't win.  It's sad to live in a country where there is such a feeling of entitlement.  We both are big proponents of staying out of debt and we now live in a country that spends more than it makes and consumes more than it produces.  There's no question that this will end badly.  I would have loved to see a LDS member in office, especially one as uniquely qualified and experienced as Mitt, and I would have loved to have seen this country get fiscally back on track.  Perhaps it's for the best that he didn't win as I don't want to see my religion mocked any more than it already is, but I'm starting to see this country and its people slide in a direction that scares me. 

Another thing we are dealing with here is Nadia's unwillingness to speak to others.  Before Halloween, Nadia's preschool class was discussing who was going to dress up as what.  When it got to be Nadia's turn, she wanted to say it, but couldn't and broke down.  After discussing things over with various professionals, we came to the conclusion that she has selective mutism.  Selective mutism is a condition where a child who can and does speak, stops doing so in certain settings.  It's been good to put a name to the problem and we are getting a lot of information from different people and resources.  I have a lot of reading to do and a lot of people to talk to.  Nadia's pediatrician has recommended she start therapy (she also suggested Prozac, but we nixed that option pretty quickly).  I have a lady in the community with an 8 year old who has the same issue that I'm corresponding with and we will be meeting with the school district to see what other options might be available to us.  Hopefully we can get her started on the right path early so that it won't be such an issue later on.  Nadia still isn't talking at school, but her preschool teacher is very willing to work with her and implement any suggestions I might have.  I can tell that she cares for her and wants her to succeed which means everything to me.

So that's life as it stands now.  I hope to get some pictures up later!