Amazing Weekend

We have had the most amazing weekend back "home" in NYC celebrating the marriage of Joel & Natasha! (Ryan's brother & my new sister.)

...OK, so I started this post weeks ago, but the memories are still fresh. Our long weekend in NYC was just amazing. A taste of the urban adventures that are fresh every day. A few pics to depict what Ryan calls The Wedding of the Decade. I cannot get them posted here, but here's a link to a few of them: Wedding.

To cap off the weekend, we were able to see a very few friends in the city. Our time was limited, but the moments spent with old friends renewed in me the desire for true community. To enter into such rich, old & transparent relationships was a pure joy. I have already seen the fruit of answered prayer to that end back here in TX. Miss it, love you all!

A Flood of Memories

Hey There...So, yes, I think I've posted about 5 times since Lewis came back across the Pacific. A third can rock your world (or it did mine). Anyway, I had a couple of minutes so I thought I'd write about this week--it's the first week of swimming lessons for the girls, & we're on the same schedule as last year. Last June it was during swimming lessons that I got the email that we were heading out within days to pick up Lewis. Ryan was away at GA, and it was the three girls hanging out together. I remember the sweet feeling that I was loving having just two who could both converse & laugh with me, follow directions (sometimes), and that I had a hand for each one to hold. I knew that all that was about to change, so I savored it with the joy of knowing something even better was coming down the pike. So, as we head out each day to the lessons I am reminded of this time 1 year ago when we rushed home to order visas, make flight arrangements, and gather up a thousand baby supplies. It seems like yesterday & forever ago.

So I started reading Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher today. It was recommended to me by Gretchen, my friend from church. She said she thought it summarized well our congregation (or some of it). I am curious to read it, as I know some of you out there have already. I also know that "some of you out there" means Marian, Nancy, & E and I do thank you for your patience with me. Which brings me back around to Chapter 2 of the book on Technology. Dreher includes a great quote from Neil Postman's book Technopoly, written in 1992. He'd have a whole new world of topics if he were still alive. Anyway, to quote snippits, "We naively accept new technologies, thinking only of what these technologies can do, but never what they can undo. Consider television, and the way it conditions us to interpret reality. Now, whenever conservatives (Dreher is speaking about "typical" conservatives, not his "crunchy" brand here) get their dander up about TV, it's almost always to rant about salacious programming. Run for your lives, it's Janet Jackson's unsheathed ta-ta! Postman said this kind of thing is a pointless distraction...He invited us to think more deeply into how the medium itself changes the way we think. By its very nature, tv technology teaches us to experience the world as a series of fragmentary images. It trains us to prize emotion & stimulation over logic & abstract thought. We are conditioned to expect quick resolution to problems & to develop short attention spans....For the man who gets his metaphysics from tv, BOREDOM is the root of all evil."

Something similar to this was said in today's sermon, so probably the repeat experience hit me. I don't watch that much TV, but it did jolt me into re-examining (or more like telling myself to re-examine at a later date b/c nap time had just ended for Lewis) the way(s) in which I experience reality. I also decided that I need to either facebook OR blog. I mean, I do neither one very well but maybe if I just committed to one I would do it better & not spend too much time. Facebooking would be easier & probably more fun. Blogging is a good exercise but probably not a great use of time either. I am a selfish blogger too; I check other's blogs about once a quarter. Does anyone have a suggestion here? FB or Blog?

Since my brain runs low quite often, Crunchy Cons may pop up here & there if & when I blog. Anyone else read this book? Love it? Hate it?

On the home front, we had a fun weekend in Waco (Thurs-Sat) where my cousin Nathan was married last night. They had a super fun reception & honestly it was maybe the first time I just LOVED having my kids (M&C attended) be a part of a grown-up/family event. How totally fun to party with your 3 & 5 year old on the dance floor! Uncle Justin, Amber, Marian & John were all there which just added to the FUN while Gigi & Grandaddy were the beautiful, doting grandparents who made it all happen. Loved seeing all the Ross clan who are the best. Loved it.

Oh, and that did fall on Ryan's B-Day. The big 35. That means halfway to 70!

Math Quiz

So the girls really like doing "math quiz" at random times. The story questions: if you have 5 princess dresses and I give you 3 more princess dresses, how many princess dresses do you have? So my question today is if you have 3 kids and my parents take 1 how many do you have? Yes, 2! And the "quiet" 2 is who I have had for the past two days. What an amazing difference it makes taking one person out of the mix and in turn taking four relationship out of the equation as well. Molly has had a great time with Gigi as they visited my great-aunt Martha who is 93 and lives in Oklahoma. We visited her from time to time when my parents were living in OK, but we haven't seen her in a while. I am so thankful for that time; Molly will remember her time with Aunt Martha, born 1916, forever. I still remember visiting Uncle Herman when I was about her age in rural Oklahoma. The most remarkable thing about that visit was doing all the dishes "by hand." He had no dishwasher which I thought was just amazing...until I lived in NYC and realized I might never have a dishwasher again, just like Uncle Herman. Needless to say, I have had great times with Charlotte & Lewis these past days. What a difference w/o the oldest around!!! (My mom said it was like this when I was gone. I can't imagine.) And, I've listened to NPR both days & feel like I just might know a little what is going on in the world again. Evidently we're in some sort of economic situation these days, ha ha. Not really funny, as we all know people who are being directly affected this very day. But, I would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Gigi & Grandaddy for having Molly these three days!
To add to the change, Grammie & Papa are getting settled here in Rockwall and have taken one, two, or three kids on various occasions. This is just a whole new world & it's very good. Thanks to you all!! I am so excited about these generational relationships building (& it doesn't do me any harm either, right Baroness). As I write Jim & Deb are actually in Waco after taking in a couple of BU basketball games today. They will bring Molly back with them. Family is so great!
Happy Valentines Day to you all. My Valentine is hard at work on tomorrow's SS class; romance at its best.

Bloggerific

Wow, two posts in two weeks! While you might not know it from my blog posts, I do use my computer on a regular basis. However, I managed to literally drop my laptop ten days ago and have been without the lifeline since then. Ryan, genius that he is, purchased an extended hardware warranty (guessing that the kids would break my computer) & Dell fixed my damage in a matter of days. I must admit that the 10 day break from email & web "research" was an overall good thing. I checked email for the urgent stuff at night on Ryan's Mac (my Apple Handicap prevented much work), but my daytime stuff was zero. I realized how often a quiet moment (or 30 seconds) would come during the day & I'd run to my email to see what had come in, etc. Without the web handy I just had to sit down & let the kids run around me for that down moment. It was far less of a battle than my instant gratification of emails which results in numerous pleas for attention--much more lost than gained. Now if I can discipline myself to send/receive at night only. Ha, do I fool myself that I have that much self discipline? Maybe I will try.

Other than no internet connection, not much is going on here. Lewis is doing great oveall, but his need to be picked up might drive me batty. I did resume my gym time last week; what a freedom--1 hour on my own. While he may get every cold under the sun from the childcare, we will just call it "developing an immune system." At about 6 months he did indeed develop attachment to Ryan & me, crying when we would leave him. Yes, it took that long and that was due to following the "rules" with him--being his primary caretakers all of the time. It is encouraging to see that the work pays off; he recognizes us as Mommy & Daddy, providers. (This is not to say that he doesn't prefer the attention of grandparents or aunts, but I think that is normal, right? They give such better lovin'.) He cried on the first few gym visits, but now he goes to the cute, young girls with open arms...they learn early. As a reward for my gym visits, I enjoyed three cookeis today. That is not the right balance I'm sure. Whatever, I'm entitled, right? Cheers.

January

So, only a few months have passed.  In the past weeks half of the Tompkins' family has relocated to the great state of TX.  Yes, in January both Melanie & then Jim and Deb (Papa & Grammie) moved to TX.  Tomorrow will mark the first day since January 5th that we have no visitors in our home.  Most likely I will be depressed.  In many ways I am sure I thrive on the chaos of having extra people in the home & the details of setting up a new life.  In Mel's case this required the purchasing of a new car, insurance, couch, table, bed, mattress, etc.  What fun.  She may disagree. All I can say is that we are SO excited to have family in such close proximity.  What a blessing, especially in the current mobile culture.  The kiddos will grow up with "let's go by Grammie's" as a normal phrase.  What could be more exciting!?  We hope the adjustment goes well & the job search (recession no problem!) even better.  

Overall, this has been a crazy 6 months.  Lewis just turned 18 months; sometimes it feels like things are under control.  Most of the time things seem more chaotic than I could imagine.  I'd like to keep blogging; we'll see. Hang with me.  Love, J 

Recap

We went to Oneotna. The girl had 1 inch of snow & were thrilled. Grammie & Aunt Mel threw a terrific Fancy Nancy Tea Party which was a huge success.

We returned & Melanie flew to TX the same day. She interviewed, scored with 2 offers, accepted one, and found an apartment! Go Aunt Mel! (Some of the apt hunting was with 3 kids in tow.)

We (my mom & I) hosted a little Christmas Tea for a few of M & C's girl friends. I stole this idea from Chris W. It was a blast.

Lewis' adoption was recognized by the great state of TX.

I started Christmas shopping & the rest is a blur.

Then, tonight we had a superb Christmas Dinner at Trinity Harbor. The attendance was out of this world; the basement renovations at the 100 year old church building allowed seating for all 140 who were there. Very fun & festive. Our guests from the Boles Home for Orphaned Boys were pumped about their gifts. Celebrating Light entering Darkness takes on lots of forms & fashions. December is a fun & crazy time.