Back in Maryland

Well, our little family enjoyed the two and a half weeks we spent in Oklahoma with family for Christmas, but I'd have to agree with Pa in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (a series I'm currently reading for the first time) that, "Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." We came back with sniffles and coughs, but we've all slept so deeply on our beds the past three nights.  I've noticed even one-year-olds know when they are home. Bram cheered up as soon as we walked in the door and has had few night wakings since we've been back.

Eight Things Worth Mentioning To Summarize Our Trip

1. My husband and I had three (!!!) dates while we were in Oklahoma. That's equivalent to the number of dates we had in the previous year. During one we saw The Hobbit and loved it. During another we ate at Ted's Escondido Cafe (and now I'm drooling for great tex-mex). And our last date we spent four hours with some dear friends over dinner and dessert. Four hours! Both of us couples had family watching our kids. Thank you, Aunt Sarah, Grammy, Uncle Grant, and Uncle Mark for watching Bram for us during any one of those times!

2. I got the stomach flu on Christmas Eve. Not necessarily the way I intended to practice self control with holiday food, but I recovered quickly.

3. I was able to meet my nephew Daniel in person, and see my niece Ellie for the 3rd time.

4. I spent Christmas with both of my sisters, which hadn't happened in five years! And we went shopping together. It was great fun! They were good sports and watching me try on jeans (which was the shopping goal for the morning)...and they were so complimentary!

5. Bram won everyone's hearts with his cheery greetings ("Hi!" and "Happy!") several times a day.

6. Bram pretty much vetoed vegetables while we were on our trip but somehow we kept him regular. The growing independence of our toddler is evident!

7. To spare me insomnia, my sister-in-law let us put Abram down for bed in her room nearly every single night. And she also got up with him if he cried in the night! There's not much I dread more than the thought of sharing a room with my child at night. Every time he rolls over, coughs, murmurs...I hear it. And I spend all night trying to be 'quiet' as I turn in my own bed or air-mattress. In the morning its as if I spent all night with one ear open and sleeping on eggshells. Thanks for the blessing of your service, Aunt Sarah!

8. My husband and I got some good giggles out of taking my older niece and nephew to see a Christmas light show. It was so cute how they belted out a song about Daniel's dream set to funny vocals and background music while we drove to the show. And nearly every house we passed on the way with Christmas lights turned on just maybe was "Toby Keys house". We did actually drive by country singer Toby Keith's house, and the lights were indeed impressive. And upon return to my sister-in-laws house we found out that a clicking sound we kept hearing while driving in the car was actually part of the unused carseat's strap hanging out of the closed car door. During the drive Justice had suspected the noise was caused by coyotes, but Anna had soon comforted him by surmising that the sound was just rocks hitting the car. I'm glad neither of those things turned out to be true!

There's much, much more I could say, but the dishes in my kitchen and By The Shores of Silver Lake beckon me away from my blog tonight. I hope you all are enjoying the first weekend of 2013!