Amazing

Phantom was awesome. Here are some events of the night:

I overshot the metra, so when it arrived I had to run to get in the doors before they left without me. I thought for sure the train would stop right in front of me….I’m sure it was a sight. I love to people watch and usually comment on them but I had to do it all in my head. As the train filled up, I was reciting the Forrest Gump movie in my mind where he gets on the bus and the little kids say in their thick southern accents “Seat Taken.” Eventually, I had to let someone sit with me though.

We ate at the Italian Villiage which is a famous resturant in chi-town I guess. Delicious ceasar salad. We were held hostage by our waiter waiting for the check so we had to run to the theater to get there in time. Kathy and I always seem to find these things funny so we laughed the whole time!

The show was fantastic. Everytime those singers hit the high notes I wanted to jump up and shout it was so good. We aren’t big spenders so we sat in the balcony which gives you a great vantage point for all that is going on…unless you want to see the expression on their faces. It was fabulous though! We weren’t allowed to take pictures but I snapped some quick shots.

Here is the Chandelier

The cast

Kathy and I freezing even with 4 layers of clothes

Kathy’s legs and the chicago theater district

The street where they filmed a scene from the upcoming batman movie

Phantom

Off to see Phantom of the Opera downtown Chi-town tonight. I’m meeting up with my best friend growing up, Kathy, who lives the cool single city life. I’m pretty excited.  I’m braving the city alone which didn’t freak me out until my husband got all “someone could get you while your waiting for the train” on me. Thanks Nate. Stay tuned for pics and if I returned safely! 

Ethan

My son is the poster child for being strong willed. I think he would make James Dobson cry. He is very smart and very stubborn. I try to teach my kids that they are not “bad” but that they make “bad” choices. I want them to grow into people who make good choices resulting in good things. It really isn’t getting through to Ethan. When he goes to school next year, I really don’t want his teachers to have a kid who talks back or has a melt down when he doesn’t get his way! Spanking, time out, rewards, and taking things away just haven’t worked in his 4 years. (remember puppy?)So I made a chart. Thinking if he saw the results of his choices on paper it might work. Starting on Monday it shows stars or frowns. A star for good choices, a frown for bad choices. His worst offenses are being mean to Abbey, talking back, not obeying the first time.  His chart this week  is working towards a lunch at the Mcdonald playland on Saturday. (Man do I miss Chick-fil-a)By nap time he had 6 frowns and 2 stars. Not a good day. I told him if he stayed in his bed to rest he would get a star. During his  hour of rest time he had gotten all of the cars out and kept Abbey from sleeping. I came in and he said to me; “Mom, I choose to have a frown. I’ll get a star for eating all of my dinner.”What do you do with a kid that can reason like that. He knows they can cancel each other out. Ugh. Back to the drawing board.

Go Roma

Go Roma is my new favorite restaurant. I hope they catch on and continue to grow. Yum!

New Friends

We met Tommy and Jessica through a week of intense church planting assessment. We instantly liked them. They left their good jobs in the suburbs to help people find their way back to God in Kansas City, Missouri. I’m impressed by their heart and their talent.  They came back to the area to visit family for Thanksgiving and we decided to have dinner. It was a good time of catching up and talking about the future. And eating yummy Chevys! And watching Ethan dismantle Tommy’s phone.I’m thankful for new friends.

Parades

I find myself sitting here watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. In my usual analytical fashion, I’m wondering what is the deal with parades. Its just weird.  People waving?  Floats? Balloons? Lip Syncing Stars? (I mean they are ALL lip syncing, its embarrassing)  I just don’t get it. The announcers are giving the stats about the balloons saying they are 4 stories high, with lots of air in them and lots of people holding them down. Its just odd. I do like the high school bands. But how many do we need to see? Maybe there is some historical significance to parades. Its still weird. 

But I find myself still watching.  

Pumpkin Roll Dance

My husband  loves pumpkin pie. He eats a slice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In 2004 we were moving to South Carolina and he went ahead of me so I could stay and sell the house. He stayed with the youth pastors there, Jason and Jessica Burgbacher, for a month or two. It was October or November so Nate was getting his pumpkin fix. Either Jessica made this or someone gave him a “pumpkin roll.” He thought it was the best thing he had ever tasted. He and Jason talked about that thing like it was heaven, and I think they even made up a pumpkin roll dance. (ask them to show you it) He has asked me to make this pumpkin roll ever since and I have never done it. I really am afraid to try and recreate this wonderful memory that he had. I just don’t think I can top it. So I stick to pumpkin pie.  How easy is pumpkin pie to make. I mean, grab a crust, pick up the can of pumpkin pie filling, a few eggs and evaporated milk and in the oven. I LOVE easy. I made one last night only the store was completely out of pre-made, pie crusts. I freaked because I knew that if I didn’t get the pie made, Nate would start to twitch…or ask me to make pumpkin roll!  So I found this pie crust that you roll out onto a tin. It was an extra step thanks to dominicks but it worked…though not as pretty.  This morning after I got home from work Ethan told me he had pumpkin pie for breakfast. 

MMMm, Turkey

Its Wednesday and my mouth is already watering.  Turkey is ok, but I like the sides the best. Stuffing and potatoes with my moms homemade cranberry sauce!! I put the cranberry sauce on everything. Its sweet and tart all at the same time. You people who eat the canned stuff don’t know what you a missing. In the south they have mac-n-cheese at the thanksgiving table….you will not see that on ours…it freaked me out when they told me that! Mac-n-cheese? Thanksgiving is changing for us now that people are growing up, getting married, having kids. I don’t like the change. This was the one holiday that the family was all together for…and the one holiday I wouldn’t give up when I married Nate. He was very understanding. Should be a good day, what are you doing? 

Evergreen

  I’ve already said how much I love christmas music. I thought I would share my all time favorites.My favorite “christian” christmas song is “O Come Emanuel” In high school I was apart of a jazz ensemble and during the holidays we would sing for parties. I fell in love with singing this song and the lyrics. Its kindof dark in a minor key (I think) and but talks about rejoicing. Its just great.    ”Carol of the Bells” is also another one of those fun songs to sing in a group. It just makes me think christmas.   But my all time favorite christmas song is “Evergreen” by Switchfoot. Back in 1998 a cd was released called Happy Christmas and this song has been my favorite ever since. Switchfoot is just a great band, love them.  This song rings true for me right now. The lyrics say: “I want to be evergreen, I want to live all year long.” Sometimes I feel like I forget to really live each day. Its frustrating to find yourself waiting for this or that to happen before you can feel like you are really living. We just keep waiting for that “thing” to happen. To get to that “place.” And then, well then, things can start. I look around and think I could be doing more, doing what I was meant to do. And all I’m doing is this…..    I want to change this. No matter where I am or what I am doing I should be content. (I know a good book that says something about that). Its a really hard thing to do if you are a cynical, worrying, hysterionical,  pessimistic person like me.     Its funny that my favorite christmas songs say things like “rejoice,”and “all seem to say throw cares away,” and “I want to LIVE all year long.” Things I need to work on!  

Oprahs Favorite Things

Are my favorite things too. Dang it, I want to be on the favorite things show one day.