All I Want For Christmas Is a Photograph...

Maybe I'll just let these pictures speak for themselves...(probably I won't though...I always have something to say)

One is either missing...

not looking...

getting the heck out of dodge...

singing...

or any number of miscellaneous, non-picture-taking activities.

Feel free to name the following photo...I would love it.

"Uh...Where do I go for a picture?"

Whoops!

Can I blame it on the hot chocolate?!

My Life-Berenstain Bears-Style

You're always teaching
When you have little kids.
They hear what you've said
And they watch what you did.
You must tell them how
To get through each day.
They need to be taught,
To be shown the way.

Let's see what I have
To teach my offspring,
What lessons I'll offer,
What knowledge I'll bring
To bear on their lives
As they grow in my care,
What wisdom I have
That I'll humbly share...

I leave without knowing
Just where I am going-
I think I can get there
Without real directions
Since I saw it online
In a general depiction.
I also don't need a GPS
Since I can call the very best-
My hubs has Google by his side
And he will tell me where to drive!
Good thing I brought
My phone with me...
I'm wrong!  The mantle
Is where it must be.
I have driven for so long
I will have to get some gas.
My credit card is in my wallet...
Oops, it's in my other pants.

We cut out coupons
To help save money.
A good idea, but
Here's what's funny...
I then forget
That they exist.
I'll come across them randomly
So I'll start to make a list.
I look at coupons
In the folder
And this one's old,
But this one's older!

There is a calendar on our wall-
It hangs there, oh so prettily.
With plenty of space to write
What to do or where to be.
But it is blank,
Just like my stare
When you ask,
"Why weren't you there?"
It makes no sense,
I can't explain
Why I don't use my
Calendar or my brain.

I bought a clock,
a big one too,
To see while in
The living room.
But there it sits,
still in the box.
Apparently I have
No use for clocks.

What's for dinner?
Shouldn't I cook?
It's going on five so
Why don't I look
Into a cookbook...
I have plenty!
I'd say there were
At least twenty
On my shelf but
They're gathering dust
Since I hate cooking-
"Fast food or bust!"
That's my motto
Recently;
My poor kids want
Real food to eat.
My husband thinks
I ought to plan
Our meals each week-
He thinks I can!
But it's really hard
For me to do
And so we end up
With no food.


We live in such a crazy way
So this is what I want to say:
"This is what you should not do
Let this be a lesson to you." 

On Being Right

A few weeks ago my mom called with the exciting news that the Pioneer Woman's cookbook was finally available for purchase.  I did know this already, but I thought it was sweet that she was calling to say that she wanted to buy it for me for Christmas, purchasing it right now, so that I could have it when Ree (that's her name, not that anyone who reads this doesn't know that.  I think.) comes to Dallas on her book tour.  She'll be in a local Borders Tuesday, December 1. 

It's on our calendar.

Flash forward (which, by the way, is still a great show, except for a couple of scenes so far that have made me a bit uncomfortable, but...that's Hollywood?  I don't know...where are my scruples?  And where is my train of thought?) a couple more weeks.  We, operating on standard Walker protocol, waited a long time to buy our tickets to see Mike's family for Thanksgiving.  We finally ended up purchasing tickets for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, mainly because of prices and blackout dates and all that fun stuff.  Then there was a problem with the processing and the next day we found out that we had not, in fact, had success with the purchase.  The airline offered us tickets that were now more expensive and to that Mike said a resounding,"NO WAY!"  We bought our tickets with a different airline, keeping the same dates, because who wanted to spend twenty more hours checking all the different options between the weekend before and the weekend after Thanksgiving?  (For all I know, he did check to see if the rates were different/better and found that they weren't.  My guess is he figured I'm the one who picked the dates, so let's stick with those.)

So, the dates for our trip are (departing Dallas) November 24, 2009, and (returning to Dallas) December 1, 2009. 

December 1, 2009?! 

December 1, 2009?!

Why, yes, that is what I said.  And my precious daughter just informed me of the fact that I suggested that we come back from our Thanksgiving vacation on the day that the Pioneer Woman will be at a bookstore right around the corner from my house.  Michaela and I were in the kitchen and I asked her if she liked the pancakes I made for dinner.  I then asked if she knew where I got the recipe (which she did like, by the way).  She said,"Of course!" and pointed to the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. 

This next part is a bit blurry because I'm still in shock, but I think I said that Grandma Vicki had bought the book for me so that I could get it signed when Ree comes here December 1.  She had a funny look on her face and then she said,"Daddy said we weren't going to be here."  I looked at her, laughing, and said,"What do you mean, we're not going to be here?"  I thought he had been making one of his silly jokes.  And then it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks that we would indeed be traveling. 

And then I thought I would cry.

I have thought a lot about this right-brained business the last few days, ever since Christian's teacher made that comment.  I feel like (oh, that's a very right-brained thing to say!) it has actually helped me understand myself a little bit better.  Not like myself, but understand.  It's almost hilarious how much I fit into the bullet points on the little right-brained chart I found online. 

But right now I'm not laughing.  The Pioneer Woman was my main inspiration when I started this blog last year (Last year?!  Is that right?  Right...get it?  Ha, ha.  Wait, I'm not supposed to be laughing.) and still inspires me daily with her blog.  I never thought about a blog being an outlet for my desire to write for other people until I read what she was writing.  Even if my main audience is my mom and dad, and some of Mike's family (thanks for reading, you guys!).  I have been delighted to find that other people regularly read my thought-provoking work here (uh, oh, more laughing) and enjoy seeing pictures of our kids (which works out very well...since I love to take pictures of them).  All that is to say (even though it doesn't directly have anything to do with the fact) that I do not go a day without checking Ree's site, to see what she has been up to, what silly things she has to say, or what sweet and poignant things she has to say, about life, motherhood, being a wife, watching cows, cleaning manure off of porches and pants (probably not so much poignancy there, but...well, yeah, not so much).  My life is so very different from hers, and yet I feel like I can connect with her (I love chocolate!  I love Toni Collette!).  I love her site, and I so love to read her stuff. 

And I was really looking forward to meeting her.   And maybe taking her picture!  Or a picture with her!  I wanted her to write in my cookbook:  To Christina...You have the best blog I never read.

Isn't that really funny?!

Here's my plan.  See, I've checked the data.  Our flight gets in at 8:00 p.m.  Her time at Borders supposedly starts at 7:00 p.m.  I think that if we head straight to Borders from the airport, then I will still be able to catch her.  I was hoping to get there early, hang out, I even planned on standing in line for hours.  Maybe it will be better this way.  Who knows. 

Let's just say that sometimes being right is very, very wrong.

A Note

Dear Dallas,

I am writing to encourage you as you work through this identity crisis.  Don't be surprised that I know...I totally understand what it's like to wonder what it would be like if things were different.  It's obvious that you are trying to sort out some issues that have been lying just below the surface but are now breaking through, and pouring out, so to speak.

But Dallas, lovely Dallas, you are not Seattle.  Nor are you a tropical rainforest.  I'm just going to give it to you straight...this constant rain cannot change the fact that you are Dallas, Texas, which just happens to be a great little spot in the northern part of our state!  Don't forget that you are one of the largest cities here!  (The third largest, actually.)  You have a lot to be proud of...this is the number one growing city in the entire United States of America!  People love you!  And they want to be here.  Think of Deep Ellum, and Tex-Mex, and the Arboretum!  White Rock, Six Flags, and the Mavericks!  All the places of learning, whether it be museums or schools, or universities and other establishments of higher education!  Let the sun shine, Dallas; there are plenty of reasons to put on a sunny face!

Look, I know what it's like to think that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...Ironically, however, the rain has made the grass greener here on this side of the fence. 

Lovely job, but enough is as good as a feast, as they say.

We all know there is a time for rain, a time for watering the earth.  But too much rain all at once can be counterproductive.  There's flooding and there are sewage problems...it can be a big mess.  We don't want that, right?

Close your eyes.  Well, maybe not, since then you couldn't read this.  Instead, just think of all the wonderful autumns that have passed.  I've heard people talk about how glorious autumn is here ever since we've been around (almost four years); it's not too hot and it's not too cold.  Take heart, Dallas!  It's not too late to get back to what you were meant to be!  That would be not rainy every day. 

Let me know if I can help in any way, okay?  I am great at listening, and baking.  I'm hoping that this note will strengthen and replenish your soul.  Goodness knows the replenishment that you have given!  Now it's your time to shine! 

Sincerely hoping to see the sun tomorrow,

Christina

Sit Down For a Minute

I realized yesterday that the last several posts' titles had something to do with walking.  It struck me funny.  Especially since our blog is about us, the Walkers. 

I'm sorry, I'm giggling all of a sudden.  It's that crazy kind of giggle though, that's tired and weird, and could just-as-easy-as-pie turn into hysterical crying.

Speaking of pie, I really want to eat a brownie (I can, I made some last night).  I really need to go through about six thousand piles of papers and mail.  I'm trying to feel good about cleaning up our schoolroom (a little) today, and getting most of the laundry put away (or relocated from the living room so that any visitor we may have isn't greeted by Mount St. Laundrius, as it teeters, on the verge of falling over onto said visitor because it's so high). 

Here is something I can't believe.  I cannot believe that it is raining here again.  I think I might drown in the sound of raindrops and waterfalls.

Can someone please come clean our dining room table?  I had it all cleaned off (as far as dirty dishes go) except for my dinner dishes, and then the kids came home from Bible study and had to have something else to eat and it looks like all the dishes from my cabinets are on the table mocking me. 

Well, that was a little dramatic. 

I'm feeling dramatic, though. 

And super tired...and I need to switch the laundry.  Or did I, but I just forgot to start the dryer?  I need to go check on that. 

***

I'm back.  I switched my laundry and got my brownie.  I ran upstairs (well, I didn't run because I'm too lazy to do that) and retrieved the dirty laundry from Christian's bathroom.  The last couple of times I've done that there has been an extra towel on the floor, one that he did not use, a towel from the downstairs bathroom.  Someone is taking double secret showers here (name that movie reference).  I do not get it.  "No sir, I don't like it."  (name the character who said that)

As I was getting my brownie I remembered how Eliana noticed the cake pan (my 9 x 13 metal cake pan) on top of the stove, covered with foil.  She exclaimed,"Birthday cake!  Yay!  Have some?!"  The child is well-versed in the art of chocolate.  I'm so glad that I have these important life skills that I am able to pass on to my children. 

Guess what?  That proverbial lid?  Flipped it!  Let me tell you how I know...I decided that I would try to make the kids' costumes this year that they will be wearing to the Fall Fun Fest (which is on the 31st, but it's not a Halloween party.  This is true, and I like that, but then they go trick-or-treating with their friends afterward.  Last year was the first time, but apparently it is now a tradition...).  Yes, I am going to sew.  I am.  That is probably what I should be doing right now...along with the dishes.

How do you feel about putting ganache on brownies?  I thought it would be a good idea...now I'm not so sure.  It seems crazy (not to be sure), because it's chocolate on chocolate!  Could that really be a bad thing?  The brownies are just so good on their own...  It's like wearing a Vera Wang wedding gown with a Vivienne Westwood shawl coat wrapped around it.  Both are fabulous, but do you really want to pair them?

Aren't you glad you sat down for a minute?  Mom, I know you're still here.  I love you, Mom! 

And in lieu of anything that makes sense...

Just because I thought they were cute.

Hello?  Sense...are you there?  Can you please make an appearance here because...well, we've had enough of this other stuff.  That would be the nonsense.

Now...I'm off to do the dishes.  I'm sure you're glad to know it.