It’s possible I’ve been a tad too serious here for a bit. So today I bring you my totally frivolous “My Favo(u)rite Things” post.

Fave Christmas Album

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. Sometimes surprisingly good music mixed in with the hilarious Miss Piggy questioning, “Piggy Pudding?!” Followed by the assurance of, “FIGGY Pudding, made with figs … and bacon.”

Fave Coffee Fixin’

We have a ton of Folgers right now and a refusing to sleep more than 90 minutes at a stretch kiddo. Clearly I need coffee, and this, Chocolate Mint Truffle creamer … yum yum yum.

Fave Christmas Season Movie

Love Actually. With this song kicking my butt and giving me total chills every time.

Yes they doctored her voice – they added breathiness so it was believeable that a 10 year old was actually singing. They actually made her sound LESS good than she sounded originally. Holy Cow! And if Alex could turn out just like Thomas Sangster in this movie, I’d be a lucky, lucky mom.

Fave pants:

Wore these Chico’s pants all 10 and a half months of my pregnancy. Wearing them now. Elastic waist, comfy as all geddout, people think I’m dressed up when I wear them. Cue evil laugh! I’m all stealth comfed out!

Fave body product:

Origins A Perfect World – pretty sure it was a regift when I got it a couple years ago. Pricey, but when were in the polar tundra up north it kept me from feeling like a lizard shedding skin. Smells nice too

Fave Baby Shoe

Hands down – Stride Rite Stage One Prewalkers. I have the Pea Pods for Alex and I’ve only had one come off once and that’s because he stood on it. He also enjoys teething on it so there’s an added bonus!

Tell me about your fave stuff… Let’s be fluffy and fun for a day!!!

Tonight at sundown marks the first night of Chanukkah – Blessings to you this holiday!

I went and learned just a bit about it. You can check it out here.

Who knew that labeling yourself a failure could get you an award eh?

How about that telling of moving from a glorious home to a crappy one could make my heart expand three sizes for how hard that must have been?

Or being ostracized from those around you makes me wish I could go back in time and space so we could hang out?

This story was all about being insanely unhappy in an unchangeable situation and then finding the bootstraps and the big girl panties (that I totally bet were sexy black lace) and completely revamping the situation into one where she felt good about herself, she found herself. She has this quote in her story:

“… I was finding myself and carving out something that I could say was mine, not something that I was dragged into.”

I so completely love that she redefined her experience, that she looked at her life and decided that she could do better. I’m completely lifted up by her attitude and for that, I humbly give the November Perfect Post Award to Jen of Get In The Car! for “Air Force Wife: Failure.”

For the rest of the November Perfect Post Awards, head over to Suburban Turmoil and Petroville

There’s no way I’m going to be as eloquent as this topic deserves, but this post has been rolling around for a while, and today is the right day to set it to words. Please bear with me here.

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I started reading blogs while I was pumping. It gave me something to focus on to pass the time of the at least two hours a day I spend listening to the WHIRR WHIRR WHIRR of the slightly quieter than a jet engine pump. People shake their heads in amazement that I can pump without losing my mind – I credit blogs with how I’ve kept my sanity the last 7 months. Reading you has kept me connected to the world when I would have rather spent all of our retirement on baby clothes and house stuff. You keep me distracted and keep my son breastfed. That’s a good gift.

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Blogging helped me accidentally find a friend I haven’t talked to in years. Not just any friend, but the daughter of my mom’s best friend from college. (I keep meaning to blog that story!)

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The first time I ever commented on Veronica’s blog it was answering her question about why people don’t support her choice to be a young mother. She’s *coughcough* years younger than me, and she’s the one who pointed out that babies aren’t supposed to eat strawberries. Um. Oops. She’s got her act together loads better than me almost every single day. Motherhood is about taking responsibility and making thoughtful choices, and she does it well.

Reading Kami’s blog, and the waiting for Keaton, reinforced for me that I really do believe that family is about parents who love you, whatever the gender mix, and I think that little boy is the luckiest boy on the west coast this Thanksgiving Day.

I loved this post about the Spanish Story Hour by the FruitFemme. She worked through a language challenge (I hate to call it a barrier) and connected with another mom, helping out when the mom needed help.

Audubon Ron can make me laugh and teach my heart and mind more about my faith all in the same week.

This kind of stuff opens my eyes and helps teach me a valuable lesson.

We’re all in this together.

I might think I’m some disenfranchised, cynical, misanthrope. But I’m not alone.

My point of view? Eh. It’s mine. I could cling to my point of view on some subjects and never try to see another way of thinking.

But why? Why cling to one thought?

Why not look farther? Why not look closer? Why not look for how we are similar? Why not see if your way might just be better than my way? Why not learn something new?

The more blogs I read, the more I learn that the world isn’t looking for my approval, I might not always understand, but if I try, I might just come close. And really, the more I learn, the more I see that it’s really not my place to understand, it’s my job not to judge.

And if I can see another’s point of view in a blog, then how about outside my house? In the line at the grocery store? How about in traffic, where every effing driver is clearly NOT as smart or skilled as me on the road?

So this Thanksgiving Day, as I’m thankful for a plate full of white comfort food, being mostly settled in a home, my husband, and the Kaiser, I am thankful for all of you. All of you from around the world who take time out of your life to share your story. By sharing your stories, you are making me a better person, and “thank you” just isn’t big enough for how grateful I am for all of you this year.

Now I have to go rescue Kaiser, he’s crawled under the exersaucer again.

It is 835pm.

Scout, Kaiser and Tavish are all asleep on the bed beside me.

Alex is leaning toward Scout, Tavish is curled in the angle behind Scout’s knees.

My home is quiet, save for the clicking of my fingers on the keyboard.

At 835pm people!

I have hours to do … whatever I want! Guilt free! I’m not even losing sleep! I can make my NaNoWriMo goal for today as well!

This is a wonderful end to a weekend May all of you have a similar moment as well.

I see traffic from Germany on my site.

I am so jealous.

Some 160 years ago, my great great grandfather’s parents and sister and brother boarded a boat in Germany and got off in New Orleans.

Last summer, Scout and I went to Europe, we went to Cologne (Koln … I can’t find the umlaut on my keyboard) where his family came from and Hannover where my family came from.

We took a train from Paris to Hannover. An overnight sleeper train. I should have been lulled to sleep by the train on the tracks, but I wasn’t. I was too busy looking out the window. Too busy waiting for the passing signs to tell me we reached the mutterland. Once I saw a sign written in German, I fell fast asleep.

I stepped off the train in Hannover and it felt *right* under my feet. Just right.

So all you blog travelers who come to see me from Germany, pat that ground for me. I miss it, I miss it down in my heart.

It’s my first awarding of a perfect post. For the record, I picked this as my perfect post before I knew we had the same job AND had both sat in the same crusty booths of the same late night diner while we were in college TOGETHER and never knew each other.

The stay at home mom gig is hard. Scout has looked me square in the eye and said, “Your job is harder than mine.” I love him more each time he walks in the door, puts down his work gear and takes the baby out of my arms after a long day. I love him for switching gears so quickly.

I read her post, and felt her with every word. The fatigue, the redundancy, the “where do I fit in”.

But it was when I read her words of, “Is this IT …. or is THIS it….?” that my eyes stung with tears. Knowing the joy in midst of the day to day monotony.

This October Perfect Post award goes to Jennifer of Playgroups are No Place For Children, for her post called “Time“. Thanks for “using your words” (guh, how many times have said that personally and professionally eh?)

To see all the October Perfect Posts check out Suburban Turmoil and Petroville.

So, there’s a new category over in the sidebar (which is hard to read with the pink, I know) – It’s technically a blogroll, but I don’t want anyone to ever feel left out – it’s the same problem I have with tags and awards and why I never got asked to Prom – So it’s called People Who Like Me – If I’m on your blogroll, you are on mine – Just let me know if I’ve missed anyone so far.

(Ten Steps for Creating Breast Health)

Go give Kami some love and hugs – their baby is finally here!

I decide to look on the bright side of life and sunshine comes outta my ass what?

But THIS is awesome.

After the Kaiser slept 90 minutes (unaided by endless patting or bottle and after putting himself to sleep), and I did lots of blog surfing, and had hilarious emails with her, I came downstairs to this:

“I know things are difficult right now. But I really appreciate the job you do every day feeding and taking care of Alex. I know what a drain it is on you.

Hang in there and stay strong. I know you can. I love you.

ps Kitty appreciates you too.”

Now if I could only find a sitter so I can make out with him just a little bit.

In light of my recent grumbles and heartaches (eh, that’s a little strong, but I’ll use it anyway, too lazy to drag out the thesaurus) it’s time for a touch of attitude adjustment on my part. Here is the tale of Good Good Stuff:

The Good Good Stuff List originates from a float trip at church camp camp back in college. I was in a canoe with my best friend Rachel and it should have been a fun, easy day, one to kick back and get a tan. As it turned out, it was a horrible day to be on the river – it rained, we had nothing to get dry with – we got cold, our matches wouldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t work, we got colder, and grumpier and started to get nasty with each other.

Out of the blue we decided to make a list of things that became the list of Good Good Stuff. The list began with the obvious – warm socks, dry clothes, hot shower, off the damn river, no more kids at camp, a warm drink?¢‚Ǩ¬¶. Then it moved into getting a hot date, getting an A on a paper, not burning dinner. Then we hit on number one. I was hesitant, it sounded a little strange, but this was my best friend, I could tell her. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìUm. You know. There?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s something about a guy driving a stick shift ?¢‚Ǩ¬¶?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
I got no further. She sat straight up. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìOh! Oh! That is SO sexy!?¢‚Ǩ¬ù
Which made us laugh. Which made us forget how much the river sucked that day. Guys driving stick shifts has been number one on the Good Good Stuff list for thirteen years running.

Today’s Good Good Stuff:

I realize that I can’t control Alex’s sleep (all at once anyway), so I went to bed when he went to bed last night. Or at least I tried to, I was at least in bed trying to sleep for at least two more hours than normal. Still a long hard night, but better with the extra time in bed.

Alex is learning how to fall asleep on his own. He’s done it four whole times now. Which is beautiful to me. We’ve tried to let him fall asleep on his own, and he gets so close, but can’t quite do it alone. I feel like cheering each time he manages to do it, I wish he knew how proud of him I was for learning something that’s STILL so hard for me to do.

Emily, over here, is working on my new websites today, so hopefully they’ll be up by tomorrow.

It’s the first day of school at my old job. It’s strange to not be there, I would have been tenured today. Good luck to all my friends out there, take care of my kiddos, I miss them, and I miss you too!