6.12.21 - Joy status: Friends to help us move

We are almost done loading the truck and we are almost ready to depart for Missouri and we wouldn't have been as ready as we are now if it wasn't for a whole lot of help from our dear friends. People have helped pack over the last week or two, and then today load the truck itself, grab food and water for everyone, keep the kids busy, pack (tons of) last minute things, dismantle and move heavy furniture, make donation runs, scrub walls, and basically anything else I could think of to ask. Thank you, thank you! We have so many good friends.

6.27.20 - Joy status: breakfast with Rachel and playdate

I had a belated birthday breakfast courtesy of Rachel, who I haven't seen in a long time. We ate at a place that normally has a line out the door, but because of "these times" we were able to walk up and get a table. In order to keep all the tables appropriately distanced, the restaurant had converted it's parking lot into spaced out patio seating, and it was really nice weather out and generally a nice ambiance. Food was great too. We both wanted savory and sweet so we ordered one of each (French toast and an avocado omelette) and split them.

When we were done I went back to my car and saw I had a ticket (!) BUT as I quickly scanned it to see the damage, I just saw $0 because it was only a warning (apparently I was parked in a residential area that requires a permit). I didn't even know such a thing was possible, and I couldn't help but wonder if the person choosing warning only took pity on me because of my pitiable (but reliable!) old Toyota Corolla.

Then I dropped by the nearby park and playground to verify (a) park parking lots have reopened, (b) as have the playgrounds themselves, and (c) as have the public restrooms (especially important with little kids with little bladders).

So I went home and got Jane and Clara ready with a picnic lunch, and we went back to the park to meet up with one of Clara's former preschool classmates (and his mom and younger sister) for a playdate. All the kids were *really* happy to see each other (except Jane who sat with me on a bench most of the time, being shy).

Weather wasn't terrible because we met early enough in the day - high 70s and low 80s, manageable, and the park had a lot of shade. The kids loved chasing the birds, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and chasing each other around the playground and park. Even Jane did finally join in for the last 20 or so minutes we were there. This is the first time I met this family (Jack was always the one to drop off and pick up Clara from school) and the other mama was easy to talk to. We've already tenatively planned another get together in a little while to have a craft day at our apartment. Hoping this is the beginning of a decent family friendship.

Jane went too far away so I told Clara to go get her. They walked all the way back to me holding hands.

Nice weekend!

6.27.20 - Joy status: Fun Saturday

It's been a good day.

• I had a belated birthday breakfast courtesy of Rachel, who I haven't seen in a long time.
• We ate at a place that normally has a line out the door, but because of "these times" we were able to walk up and get a table.
• In order to keep all the tables appropriately distanced, the restaurant had converted it's parking lot into spaced out patio seating, and it was really nice weather out and generally a nice ambiance.
• Food was great too. We both wanted savory and sweet so we ordered one of each (French toast and an avocado omelette) and split them.
• When we were done I went back to my car and saw I had a ticket (!) BUT as I quickly scanned it to see the damage, I just saw $0 because it was only a warning (apparently I was parked in a residential area that requires a permit). I didn't even know such a thing was possible, and I couldn't help but wonder if the person choosing warning only took pity on me because of my pitiable (but reliable!) old Toyota Corolla.
• Then I dropped by the nearby park and playground to verify (a) park parking lots have reopened, (b) as have the playgrounds themselves, and (c) as have the public restrooms (especially important with little kids with little bladders).
• So I went home and got Jane and Clara ready with a picnic lunch, and we went back to the park to meet up with one of Clara's former preschool classmates (and his mom and younger sister) for a playdate. All the kids were *really* happy to see each other (except Jane who sat with me on a bench most of the time, being shy).
• Weather wasn't terrible because we met early enough in the day - high 70s and low 80s, manageable, and the park had a lot of shade.
• The kids loved chasing the birds, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and chasing each other around the playground and park. Even Jane did finally join in for the last 20 or so minutes we were there.
• This is the first time I met this family (Jack was always the one to drop off and pick up Clara from school) and the other mama was easy to talk to.
• We've already tenatively planned another get together in a little while to have a craft day at our apartment. Hoping this is the beginning of a decent family friendship.

Nice weekend!

12.8.18 - 5th Annual Hot Chocolate Potluck!

Today was the 5th annual hot chocolate potluck, and it makes me really happy that it's become such a tradition.

Erin's picture of her mug.

Jack and I spent the morning cleaning the apartment. It actually took a lot longer than I thought, but that's because we were being particularly thorough. For example he cleaned up the nursery and our room really well even though it was unlikely anyone would go in there, and I cleaned out the fridge and wiped down the oven and other things we normally don't get to. I don't think we really needed to go to that level just for our guests but I'm glad we did because if we don't clean that much when we're having a bunch of guests, when would we? Even now after it's all over the apartment is much cleaner than typical, which is great.

Sadly, Sarah had to cancel last minute because she's sick, so I took Jane and went to Safeway to pick up candy canes (one of the items Sarah was going to bring) plus chocolate chips for my gluten free brownies. It was fun running the quick errand with Jane, who was very happy to be in the shopping cart watching the aisles of products go by. She was giggling a lot. I let her hold the box of candy canes while we were checking out and she was very interested at first. But after I scanned the box and gave it back to her she threw it over her shoulder into the shopping cart basket, haha.

About 30 minutes before guests were supposed to arrive I put both Clara and Jane down for naps in the hopes they would sleep the full amount. Clara hardly ever takes naps now but I thought it would be best to try because she is getting over a cold and I knew the day would be very stimulating. She protested at first but I told her "You take a nap, and then you'll see Henry!" and she seemed happy about that and got into bed pretty willingly.

I told Henry about that when he arrived not long after and he thought it was pretty cool. He arrived early because traffic was lighter than he thought but it was nice to visit with him extra. He brought chips, chocolate and caramel syrup, grapes, and fruit juice. He also brought us an Amazon Echo Dot (an "Alexa") his work had given him, and he and Jack spent some time setting it up. Almost immediately Clara announced "Alexa! Play 'Ice Cream Truck!'" and the Dot started playing this soothing children's instrumental sounding song. Clara know's how to do it because Beth has an Echo Dot too.

Erin and Braden arrived with many fancy cheeses, salami, crakcers, hot cocoa mix and whipped cream. Rachel came with more whipped cream, different kinds of sprinkles, chips and all kinds of dips (pico de gallo, guac, etc), and two miniature gluten free cakes! (One carrot cake, one "midnight" chocolate ganache.)

At some point around here both girls were awake. I brought Clara out and left Jane in the hope she'd sleep longer since it had been only 40 minutes or so. Clara acted shy and laid in the hallway under her Marauder's Map blanket, slowly crawling/scooting closer to the living room to see what was going on. Jane was distraught and would not go back to sleep, so I went and got her and she cuddled me while watching everyone. We just sat on the couch and observed people visiting and prepping food, and I can't say I minded all the baby cuddles, although I wondered if she was going to be that way all afternoon/evening. Clara warmed up pretty quickly and started playing with Henry.

Singing "Jingle Bells" to Henry.

Around then Renata and Kaisen arrived with not only gluten free pizza and a rotisserie chicken but also (1) the best ugly Christmas sweaters (Renata's lights up when she moves) and (2) a Minnie toy set for Clara and Jane that has a bunch of snap on dresses, bows, purses, and shoes as well as (Clara's favorite part) two little kittens and a dog for Minnie.

Jane still wanted to only cuddle me but Clara was very excited and she and Henry and later Kaisen explored the set together. Erin very kindly made me a mug of cocoa complete with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and I sat in the corner by the Christmas tree holding Jane and chatting with Henry and then Renata. Eventually Jane was prepared to be passed off to Jack and I got a bit more mobile, and ultimately of course Jane warmed up entirely and was wandering around everyone checking out the action.

Renata and I had a pretty good one-on-one visit and talked about work, NCLEX, her dog sitter, how the siblings are doing, all sorts of things. It's a good crew because everyone already knows one or more other guests so it isn't a tricky hosting situation to keep people included.

After we had all ate and visited for awhile we decided to start games. In years past we've either visited the entire time or maybe played Paper Game or had a few people play Tichu while others visit. This year we decided to try Quiplash. Jack had set up a Steam account on our desktop in advance and Neil let us use his credentials.

The game was a huge hit. I'm a big fan because it's easy to move around and keep playing despite interruptions, since everything is done from your phone. We had a good crew for similar senses of humor--in fact in several cases the answers were nearly identical (essential oils, fake pockets, others I can't remember now). Kaisen and Braden in particular seemed to laugh a lot but I know Erin also loved it because she encouraged us to play several more rounds. It was great. And to make it even better, Clara pulled up her own chair amongst the adults and sat watching and laughing a lot. Even Jane would start laughing (a bit fake sounding but very hard) when all the adults laughed.

It was so adorable because neither of them have any idea what we're talking about but they think it's really funny that we think something is so funny. Clara also loves the game's background music and sound effects and she kept tugging on Rachel's shirt to point both out to her.

Eventually Renata and Kaisen had to get back to their dog sitter, but the rest of us played a few more rounds of Quiplash before switching to Bomb Squad (or whatever the game is called) - it's a game where four people have to work cooperatively to defuse bombs. It's highly strategic. Henry and I sat out and kept an eye on the kids and watched the game, and Jack, Braden, Erin, and Rachel all played. They were pretty into it. I love using Steam games for parties. Really fun, no clean up, kids can't really interrupt.

Dance party to the sound track of Bomb Squad Academy.

Not long after that everyone except Henry headed out. He stayed and helped clean up and play with the kids a bit more, and I showed him the birthday gift I've already made for Dad, which he thought was really good. We visited a while longer until it was time to put the kids to bed, then he headed out too.

Jack and I got the kids to bed around the usual time, 8pm - 8:15pm or so. What was unusual was how tired we both were. I went to sleep as soon as they were down--I didn't even get under the covers until I woke up again later. Jack also came to bed at like 9pm, which is early for him. That's why I was awake today (Sunday) at 6:15am--it had already been like 10 hours of sleep, which felt great. Now I have some quiet time in the morning before anyone else wakes up to record the day. :)

2.17.18 - Lunch in Vacaville

Today I went to Vacaville to meet Rachel halfway (and Erin in town) so we could take Rachel to lunch for her birthday.

Unfortunately there was an accident on the highway, so GPS told me to take a much longer (but in this case faster) roundabout way.

But it turns out the route was through pretty beautiful country side with big sprawling fields and barns and everything. There were not many cars at all. It was a beauitful day: blue skies, comfortable temps. I even had to stop to let a train pass.

I also talked to Julie nearly the whole drive there, which made the time go by faster and made me feel I was making good use of that time. (In my mind, my never-ending to do list includes keeping up with my siblings and other people I'm close to.) We talked a lot about our marriages and heterosexual relationships in general and the book she recentl finished reading: Boys Adrift.

I pulled into the parking lot near the Thai restaurant just as Rachel and Erin were each doing the same. The restaurant we picked is apparently very popular and had a 30 minute wait, so we decided to use that time to take Rachel's dogs for a quick walk (she had brought them with her from the bay area) and maybe get some Starbucks. The Starbucks was in walking distance but not in range of the little buzzer we had to let us know when it would be our turn to be seated, so Erin stayed in range with the dogs and Rachel and I walked a little further. It gave us a chance to talk more and catch up and I enjoyed that.

The Starbucks was in a Safeway and the poor barista was the only one there so she had to ring people up and then stop and make their drinks. So the whole thing actually took forever but Rachel and I were talking so much I hardly noticed. I got an iced mocha in time for us to go directly back to the restaurant to sit to eat, but that was fine with me.

The food was delicious and in huge quantities. I ate part of mine (a chicken pineapple thing) for lunch and later at the rest for a filling dinner. We also had great conversations about relationships and traveling and work. We were there a while, in a corner booth. It was very pleasant.

Afterward there was another accident on the highway (come on people) so I talked to Neil most of the way back, which was satisfying if not specifically "enjoyable" because mostly we were venting about politics. Still it was good to talk to him. Anyway most weekends I try to catch up on domestic stuff and get some more work done, so it was nice to have a day off to do something fun.

6.17.17 - My Birthday

Today was a wonderful day.

But first: throughout the week I received a bunch of Amazon Prime packages from my mom and siblings with all this new kitchen stuff. Most of it was stuff we already owned but needed to replace as part of our gluten free kitchen, but in addition to that Julie bought me the Magic Bullet blender, which I was pretty excited to start using once we cleared counter space for it.

And it comes with labeled gluten free recipes!

I also got several cards in the mail (Dad, Merlene, Jack's Grandma, Sarah) but I saved them all to open on the actual day.

And then last night Jack took Clara with him to IKEA to get the wall bookshelves he was buying and installing for my birthday. At the time I didn't know where he was getting the shelves, but when I later found out it made the gift all the more endearing because I think going to and through IKEA is kind of a hassle, but especially with a toddler.

And I love the shelves! I've been feeling more cramped in our little apartment now that we have four people and all the supplies that come with an infant out again. Finding ways to use the walls for storage and free up some of the rest of the place is a great gift in itself - and he did everything from pick them out to install them so I didn't even have to be involved. Now our bedroom looks more literary than ever and our desk looks far less cluttered!

I had also recently ordered a magnetic knife holder off Amazon Prime for the same reason. When Jack got back from IKEA he installed the knife holder and one of the bookshelves, but we decided to wait on the other shelf because it was getting late and we didn't want to annoy the neighbors.

So all of this birthday goodness happened before my birthday had even arrived.

Then this morning I fed Jane and experimentally placed her in the crib, and she slept peacefully there for over an hour! For context, so far she hasn't really slept in the crib more than 10-15 minutes at a time. Having Jane sleep on not-me and not-Jack so easily really made the morning relaxing. I guess that was my birthday gift from her!

For a little while Clara and I played "Sister Mary Mommy," which consists of her handing me one of her blankets and me putting it over my head like a nun's habit and then smiling and saying "Sister Mary Mommy!" Then we do it with her and I say "Sister Mary Clara!" Then repeat. She loves it. She laughs so hard. And since Jane was asleep I was able to spend the time with Clara uninterrupted, which is especially nice since I feel like I haven't gotten to interact with Clara as much the last few weeks.

Several people texted me birthday greetings during the day, but my favorite was Dad's:

Although I just realized he got my age wrong. Eh, close enough.

Once when I was a kid I went with Dad to pick out a Christmas tree, and the tree farm we went to had a short tree, only a few feet tall. It came exactly up to my nose and the top of Dad's back pocket, and he pointed that out. Then for the next few days (or weeks, I don't remember) he would ask me how tall the tree was compared to me and compared to him, so many times that I never forgot it, and now we can both sit back and marvel at how small I used to be compared to now. Anyway it was a sweet throwback.

During the morning Jack helped me clean up the apartment a bit, partly for my own sanity and partly because Erin and Rachel were coming over later. He even cleaned the bathroom, probably my least favorite chore, so that was very helpful.

At some point both Ellen and later Julie called to wish me Happy Birthday. Ellen and I talked a lot about Netflix shows, including Bloodline and The OA (which I had just finished the day before or so). Julie and I talked mostly about kids and raising toddlers. Either way I don't talk to either of them on the phone very often so that was nice.

I also opened all my birthday cards. Dad sent a funny one with a joke about "mom brain" and three dollar bills. Sarah sent a sweet one that said when she is with me and my family she feels like she's home. <3 And Merlene and Jack's grandma both sent checks, which frankly helped me feel better about not getting any work done that weekend.

In the early afternoon Jack stayed with the girls and I went out to get my free Starbucks drink. I go to Starbucks all the time throughout the year, but I still get excited about my free birthday drink each year. Just another gesture to make the day special. I splurged and got a venti mocha frap with whipped cream and everything, and while I ordered and waited for it I chatted with the barista about my birthday plans. It was one of the Starbucks I go to regularly and she recognized me. The last time I'd been there she had remembered I used to be pregnant (and wasn't any longer) and we had talked about our kids for awhile. I don't think either of us remember each other's names but it's still nice to have some familiar faces around where we live and feel at home.

I took my cool and delicious frap (perfect for this increasingly hot weather) and drove a little further down the street to Safeway, where I picked out some ice cream. It was on sale BOGO so it ended up being even less expensive than Walmart Neighborhood Market, a rarity. Then I took all my treats home just in time to get there before Erin and Rachel arrived.

They both came bearing gifts: Erin brought gluten free chocolate muffins (awww) and some apple cider and sangria. Rachel had brought us a stainless steel pots and pans set! I had actually specifically told Rachel not to worry about a gift because she's already driving all the way from and to the bay area to hang out, and I think that's gift enough. But she said she had some kind of discount and gift card or something so she just got it for us. That was touching.

Then they both helped me remove all our old dishes and cookware that have been glutened and replace with all the kitchen stuff I got for my birthday. Specifically Rachel helped by bringing in a bunch of tote bags from her car and sorting things into Goodwill vs trash and also dividing some of the nicer stuff among her and Erin to take home. And Erin helped by holding Jane the whole time. This always sounds like a simple task but it makes a huge difference.

We got through a lot of the kitchen before it was really getting to be time to head out. Erin and Rachel had split a Groupon so we could all go to Revolution Wines and enjoy some child-free visiting and wine sipping.

We arrived there in the middle of Happy Hour, which was perfect. We enjoyed an easy going atmosphere (people around but not overly crowded or noisy) and olives and ciabatta, fancy mac'n'cheese, a cheese plate, and several glasses of wine, all while talking for hours. We talked about our relationships and Erin's wedding and all sorts of odds and ends. It was a very good visit.

And Erin and Rachel still stuck around for a while when we got home and we enjoyed the gluten free muffins and ice cream together. We did stick a candle in a muffin and they sang me Happy Birthday, but that was really for Clara's benefit and for some reason she found it upsetting and had to be consoled. I think it makes her feel put on the spot. But the treats she had after helped her get over it quickly.

Ice cream and Cheerio face is over it.

Not long after the girls left, Neil called and we talked maybe half an hour about my day and his work and whatever. It doesn't really matter what we're talking about: Neil often makes me laugh pretty hard. I ended up getting off the phone with him when Renata called to say Happy Birthday, and she and I talked about 45 minutes about what's going on with us. I told her about how I had only two glasses of wine when I was out, and when we got back Erin asked if we wanted sangria or if we were all "drinked out." Renata and I laughed about how different that was then our celebrations in our early twenties, such as my 23rd birthday in Missouri, when we ended the night drunkenly at Waffle House wearing tiaras. How times have changed. Then we reminisced for awhile about that summer and how wonderful and formative it turned out to be. So glad we shared that together.

Renata and me during my 23rd birthday celebration, about 9 years ago now.

Not long after that I talked to Mom on the phone and told her all about my nice day. And when I was finally done with phone calls I got to listen to four voicemails of various Jacksons singing me "Happy Birthday"! (One VM from Don & Merlene, one from Dave & Meghan, and 2 from Aaron and Katie for some reason, the last of which was pretty funny because Aaron kept talking about how he hoped I listened to the VMs in order, otherwise I would just be too confused to understand.)

And throughout the day, of course, I also got birthday greetings on FB from people. These were my favorites:

The whole day was filled with good food and conversation and reminders of how many friends I have. It was very nice!

3.4.17 - Clara's 2nd Birthday and Cupcake Picnic

First of all, I loved Clara's outfit. Merlene got her a really adorable dress, and this seemed like the perfect occasion to wear it.

After Jack got off work (around 11:30a) he went over to Cupcake Craving and used a Groupon to get the gourmet cupcakes for the picnic. I had sent him a list of flavors: the chocolate (Black Forest, Chocolate Fix, German Chocolate Wish, Irish Creme, S'more Galore, Caramel Comfort) and the rest (Funfetti, Koo Koo for Macaroons, Lemon Moost, Monkey Mania, Raspberry Reward, Strawberry Dream, Vanilla Bliss, and Red Velvet).

Terrisa's Instagram of the cupcakes.

I had thought about getting two dozen just plain chocolate and vanilla smaller cupcakes from Walmart (less expensive), but between a Groupon we had for this place and a birthday check Grandma Wiseman sent for Clara, these seemed reasonable enough for the fun of it. Jack also picked up milk at Costco before heading home.

Despite the fact we were only supplying the cupcakes and milk (the rest was a potluck), we had a lot to pack in the car: blankets, umbrella (just in case), plates, forks, cups, paper towels, coats, all Clara's gifts (from Beth and the grandparents), etc. We still managed to leave on time, which means a lot to me.

I had tried to get Clara to take a nap before we left but it didn't work. She had just played in her nursery by herself for about 30-40 minutes and then fussed to come out. Of course she fell asleep in the car almost immediately and slept all the way to Davis, but that's only about a 25 minute nap compared to the 2 hours or so she usually gets. Oh well.

We arrived at the park at the same time as Henry, Kale, and Terrisa. Clara just stayed very cuddly with me for quite a while. It was windy and a bit chilly (though no raining!) and I kept her bundled in her tiger stripe blanket, but eventually we put her jacket on and that made her more mobile. As more people arrived, Clara noticed the cupcakes, and she kept casually opening the lid to get a closer look.

[cupcake lid pic]

We had a candle shaped like the number two that Beth had given us after Hunter's birthday. It was much too windy to light the candle (despite Henry's and Jack's efforts), but we put it in a cupcake anyway. Dyl was kind enough to videotape while everyone sang "Happy Birthday." 

Blurry screencap of guests singing "Happy Birthday."

Here is Clara's reaction:

After that I cut most of the cupcakes into fourths so people could try different flavors. Dyl and Sarah's daughters, Cassidy and Eva, split the Funfetti one, which is part of the reason I picked it (kids usually love sprinkles). 

I think Jack is offering Clara the cupcake again.

Then they started playing in the park field and Clara joined them.

She saw the playground in the distance and tried to make a break for it. I am much too large and tired to run now, but fortunately she tripped so I caught up to her and brought her back. Then Sarah and I took all three girls to the fenced in playground much closer to our picnic tables. Clara loved that. She was super excited about running up and down the ramps and watching the bigger kids on the swings. I'm so glad it didn't rain because I was banking on her getting to be on the playground for a long time.

I watched her for a while as Jack, Henry, Kale, and Dyl tossed a baseball around, Terrisa went to buy her cat a new toy, and Debbie, Erin, Braden, Rachel, and Shannon chatted by the picnic tables. I did want to visit more, though, so I walked over and asked Jack to take over with Clara, and then I went and talked for awhile with everyone. I think the best part was telling funny stories about Dad and how he handles political debates.

It was too windy to try and open presents and too chilly to stay a whole lot longer, so people started packing up and heading out. Happily, Henry, Kale, and Terrisa (who carpooled from the bay area) decided to come over to our place for more visiting and Tichu. I played a game to 500 with Kale as my partner against Jack and Henry while Terrisa and I visited. Clara was pretty content to go back and forth from sitting in the office chair watching her videos to reaching up to the dining room table to pick off more of Kale's chocolate chip banana bread. Henry and Jack stomped us, with Henry going out first in most rounds, but Kale did score style points by calling Tichu on the very last round and having TWO bombs. He bombed once and Henry beat it, which we all shouted about, and then Kale waited a bit longer and BOMBED AGAIN. It was AWESOME. So we lost but it kinda felt like a victory in that sense.

They still had a long drive home so they headed out. I tried to get Clara interested in her many birthday gifts. I was hoping to at least help her draw the connection between tearing wrapping paper open and fun things inside. But I guess she's still too young, because she didn't show much interest in anything other than Kale's banana bread until we opened the finger puppets from Mom. Those she liked a whole lot.

12.10.16 - 3rd Annual Hot Chocolate Potluck

Throughout the morning I alternated between playing with Clara and straightening up the apartment. During the week I had picked up odds and ends for the party, including a holly-themed table cloth, which I set up. I took the veggie tray I'd gotten at Wal Mart the night before and rearranged the veggies like a Christmas tree on a Santa platter I'd picked up at the Dollar Tree.

I changed Clara into her "Daddy's Little Elf" shirt and I changed into the Santa "Believe" shirt I'd also just picked up. I set out the nonfat and Vitamin D milk, Nestle hot chocolate packets, Bacardi, peppermint, and cinnamon. I put on a Christmas playlist. Incidentally it was chilly and raining the whole morning - great weather for hot chocolate.

Luckily Clara had woken up early enough that she was ready for a nap before anyone started arriving. It probably would've been much harder to get her down once guests were there because (I think) she doesn't want to miss anything. I put her down for a nap about 20 minutes before we were supposed to start and then spent a few moments enjoying my unusually clean apartment, anticipating the potluck food, and trying to look up ideas for Christmas magazine collages on Pinterest.

Erin arrived just on time at 1pm. She even joked about how always is the first to arrive because she always shows up at the actual time. But as the hostess, I really like that, because I'm ready to start and have been looking forward to it! She brought her "world famous" Rolo chocolate cookies and we ate several and went ahead and started warming some milk (even though whipped cream and marshmallows hadn't arrived yet).

Not too long after, Rachel showed up, and she was wearing a Christmas sweater that included flashing Christmas lights!! I was pretty impressed. She brought some cinnamon nutmeg muffins that smelled (and tasted) wonderful. She also brought high quality dark chocolate mix. The three of us visited for awhile before anyone else showed up (pretty much everyone was driving up from the bay area in stormy weather). It was pretty nice having a smaller group visit. Eventually Clara woke up and she was super cuddly with me while we kept visiting.

Next to arrive were Henry and Kale, and they came with Triscuits and cheese and oranges and vanilla extract. I was especially happy about the cheese. Clara hid behind my skirt from Henry, but she doesn't take long to warm up and he's very good with her, very attentive and sweet. Kale and I hadn't seen each other in an especially long time, and we caught up on how his degree was going, how mine was done, how Fitzy was doing. That was nice.

It wasn't long before we started talking about politics, a favorite topic of ours, and that conversation absorbed me completely for probably a couple hours actually. Somewhere in the course of it Gennilyn and Shannon arrived (with whipped cream and marshmallows, pizza rolls and potato chips).

Shannon does some of her Crossfit moves with Clara.

They ended up with Rachel and Erin around the coffee table making Christmas cards, but Kale and I talked on and on with Henry listening and occasionally smiling or giving a brief interjection. I so enjoy talking to both of those guys about politics, because they won't pretend to agree but it rarely gets at all heated, and it's easier to readily admit what you don't know when you're talking to others who are doing the same.

Throughout most of this Jack was in his room studying, although he did come out to visit for a little while. He then retired again to nap before a very late night study session.

Also, the entire time we were talking Henry was keeping an eye on Clara and at one point even stopped her from pulling a dining room chair on herself. He also videotaped her a few times, a fact for which I'm grateful since it was the only video taken the whole night. I had even told Erin and Rachel I wanted to do a better job videotaping this year, and then I completely forgot because I was talking politics with Kale. Ha. Oh well.

After a (very long) while, we snapped out of it and mingled more with everyone else. I felt a little bad for having been so myopic with only a couple guests, but Erin told me later she enjoyed quietly listening in on what we were saying, and that made me feel better. We talked a bit about my pregnancy, Gennilyn's Harry Potter themed Howler cards, Shannon's Crossfit competition and upcoming qualifying exam for her PhD program, and Clara's dancing abilities. Erin, Rachel, and Gennilyn all made some pretty nice Christmas cards.

Gennilyn makes Howlers.

During all of this, Clara's approximately 2 hour Christmas youtube playlist was playing on repeat, setting a decent ambiance I guess. It's filled with videos like this:

We also took a few group photos using the timer on my phone, and I'm glad we went through the effort.

Then Rachel, Erin, and Gennilyn headed out. Shannon stayed and chatted with the rest of us about her PhD committee and what the defense would be like. Once she headed out, though, Kale and I (with, again, a listening Henry) had a particularly good conversation about abortion. The bottom line is he can understand what I'm saying and follow my thought process even if he doesn't agree with me, and that is so satisfying and refreshing. It makes me much more interested in discussing it than I normally would be. I so enjoyed the talk. He also told me that his conversations with me over the years have convinced him the topic is more complex than most people make it out to be, and I found that very encouraging and even flattering.

By the time Kale and Henry left they had been at my apartment for nearly 7 hours, and it flew by. After everyone was gone, Clara watched videos while I posted the pics on Facebook and ate allll the pizza rolls Gennilyn had left with us. And after I finally put Clara to bed, I enjoyed one last cup of hot chocolate (this time with whipped cream and marshmallows!) in the darkened living room with only our Christmas lights on. That was pretty nice.

12.4.16 - First weekend of December

This month is off to a great start. On December 1, I practiced my thesis presentation twice, including once for Jack, who had some good follow up questions. I felt pretty good about it. On December 2, I practiced twice more, and then Jack, Clara, and I all got dressed up and drove to Davis for the actual presentation.

Clara's fancy outfit.

We got to see Erin, Braden, Rachel, Shannon, and Julianna. It felt good that they all came to watch. I also got to introduce Clara to interim director Fred and program chair Kent, who thought she was adorable.

Jack, Clara, and me just before my presentation.

I was the first to give my presentation, and it went just fine. I actually really enjoy speaking in front of crowds and wouldn't have minded if there had been a larger crowd there. Either way I was proud of the presentation because I had intentionally tried to make it easy to follow even for people without much DNA background. Nearly every slide was mostly pictures more than data, and afterward a few people told me they enjoyed it, including people without much science background at all. I was pretty pleased about that. I only got two questions in the end and they were both very easy, and then that was it. I was done with the presentation and with my entire master's degree!

Screencap from the video of my presentation.

Jack and Clara made it through a good 75% of the presentation before Clara got too chatty and Jack had to take her in the hallway. Fortunately he'd already seen me practice so he wasn't missing much. I decided to go ahead and stay a bit after so I could have some of the delicious free dinner they always offer, including some fudgy brownies. Then we drove home and Jack and I got a chance to talk about how it all went and how good it is to be done. I can't believe writing the thesis, writing the manuscript, giving the presentation, and my overall master's degree are all finally off my to do list!

The next day (Saturday, December 3), Erin came over in the morning (bringing a hot chocolate for me) and we started making Christmas cards. Janice skyped with us for most of the time we were together--had to be at least 3-4 hours--while on her end she worked on table numbers for Erin's wedding reception next summer. It wasn't exactly the same as having Janice here in person but it was pretty close.

It may have been the most productive card-making session we've ever had. I made 10 cards in the time Erin was here, and I think she made about 7. It helped that I have all the more craft supplies now thanks to Sarah's generosity; she moved earlier this year and while cleaning out her stuff decided to send me a box of high quality craft supplies (card stock, new punches, ribbons, etc.) that she never really gets around to using. So that made it all the more fun.

Just some of the cards Erin and I made.

In the background we alternated between Clara's youtube Christmas playlist and my Spotify Christmas playlist.

One of the videos from Clara's Christmas playlist.

For the most part Clara did a great job keeping herself busy (Jack was shut in his room studying for a test Monday). She did sit with us at the table a few different times and examine the many objects we had on the table--it looked almost like the pages of an I Spy book. Eventually she finally went down for a nap and she was still asleep when Erin left.

A table like an I Spy book.

Now I have the hot chocolate potluck to look forward to next week! Love this season.

9.24.16 - craft potluck

Erin, Rachel, and Sarah came over for what was originally going to be an autumn-themed craft potluck, but since the weather was still reaching the 90s and since I needed to make going away and get well soon cards instead, it was more just a generic craft potluck. It was still really enjoyable though.

I had been having a pretty hard week, even up to as recently as that morning, and I had considered cancelling the get together, but I'm really glad I didn't. It was good to be around friends and focus on pleasant things for awhile. Plus it was my first day off calorie counting since I started another bet with Dad, and that in itself made the day wonderful. Erin brought sliced French bread with salami and Brie and white cheddar and apple butter. Sarah brought a salad that involved (I think) walnuts. I made chocolate chip banana bread and Rachel brought chips and dips. It was way more food than we could eat (as potlucks almost always are) but it was delicious.

Then we just sat around the kitchen table and visited. Rachel and Sarah colored pages from Sarah's coloring book (one of those ones for adults with very complicated pictures). Erin and I made cards - she made two birthday cards and I made a going away card for our program director and the (second) get well soon card for my grandmother.

At different points throughout the visit Sarah and also Erin talked about how wonderfully relaxing these craft get togethers are. It made me very happy that they said that because I sometimes wonder if people are bored. I definitely enjoy them though. All together they stayed about 6 hours!

I was hoping to do another get together in October to make either Halloween or Thanksgiving cards, but the schedule looks incredibly busy. However I have already scheduled what has become the annual hot chocolate potluck for December, so that's something to look forward to.

7.24.16 - Paint & Vino

Today was a good day for socializing.

First I met up with Erin to get work done, and while I did get some work done we also spent a lot of time catching up and making each other laugh. I told her about my Joy Inventory FB page and she sent me a list of joys so I can dedicate a day to her. It was fun talking to her about what she picked and why and seeing how much she enjoyed it too.

Then I went home and took a quick shower and then Rachel came over. She drove all the way up from the bay area so we could use my birthday gift from Julie and Everett: a groupon for painting for two. It was only maybe a 10 minute drive away at a local hotel and it included some very cheap delicious tropical alcohol drinks, haha.

We had a great time visiting while painting and comparing and contrasting our approaches. And I was pretty happy with my finished product. I added a crescent moon and a cat to try to make it feel slightly Harry Potter-esque. The lanterns already made it feel a bit that way because they remind me of Dumbledore and his deluminator.