Gifts

Finley loves his sweater, Aurora adores her new doll with matching outfits, and Clark was thrilled to get his Grave Digger monster truck. This year the kids asked Santa for books and little toys and they were not disappointed - well, he brought the wrong version of "Into the Woods" so Aurora may be a little disappointed, but it's kind of cool that with very little effort on our part they both seem to believe in Santa! Nancy and Zeland are here and I keep trying to convince Zeland that the best (and probably most expensive) gift is traveling to be with family... he's not convinced, but it is great having them.

Magical

It's the night before Christmas Eve and I finally have a few minutes to myself. Actually, I had quite a bit of time to myself today as the County closed its offices at Noon! I did yoga and got a pedicure before picking Aurora up from her Harry Potter themed winter camp at the Zach Theatre. She spent an awesome 3-days going to classes like History of Magic, Charms, and the Care of Magical Creatures. Clark spent two days with Grandma, Grandpa and Finley, then today he hung out with Chuck. It sounds like the boys had a good time shopping and going to the park.

Last weekend we saw the Starlight Symphony Orchestra playing holiday music at the Hays County Performing Arts Center. We sat up in the back this year and they sounded great!

On Sunday we got to visit my friend's new baby before Amelia and Braden came over to decorate cookies. The last time we did this, Aurora was the only little one. Now she's the only little one big enough to actually decorate cookies!

This year I have to cram all the holiday magic into the weekends. I used to get these two weeks off as the Foundation always closed from Christmas to New Years. By next year I'll have accrued time off, but I'll be spending next week at work. Nancy, Andrew and Zeland will be here and I'm sure Chuck and the kids can keep them busy without me. Of course, I'm very excited to have the family together for food, presents, movies, video games, and all sorts of fun festivities. Until then; Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

My Boy

You already know that Clark is a mama's boy. When we aren't at work and school, he spends most of his time making me hold him, which is very sweet but makes it difficult for me to get dressed, make food, carry other things, etc. He's completely potty trained now and has been waking me up in the middle of the night (every night) asking me to help him go potty. I've tried limiting his water at night, but alas - when he's thirsty, he is thirsty! Recently he's been having a little trouble falling asleep, and we'll hear him bonking around and singing (or yelling) songs for awhile before drifting off. The past two nights I've gone to check on him once it's quiet and this is what I've found. What a silly sleeper!

Yesterday at school he was running to the potty and tripped and fell and hit his mouth on the toilet. You always hate to get that phone call from daycare saying your child is sick or hurt, and let me just say how relieved I am that only his gums were affected - not his teeth, lips, or nose. His teachers said he was very brave and didn't make any fuss when the nurse cleaned and rinsed the cuts with antibiotic mouthwash. By the time I picked him up he said it wasn't hurting anymore. Aurora said it hurt her just looking at it, and I agree!

Today he brought home this adorable framed picture for me, photo clearly taken pre-mouth bonking. Such a sweet gift from Clarkie and his teachers!

Over the weekend I took Aurora out for a mommy-daughter shopping trip to buy gifts for their teachers. Clark was very upset that he couldn't come and told me he wants me to take him out for mommy-boy only time. I may not get a ton of one-on-one time with him, but I figure I can at least dedicate a blog post to my sweet, loving, goofy, handsome boy.

Capitol

Today I finally woke up feeling strong and healthy - and so did Clark. I was so busy being sick that I didn't realize he was miserable, too. He was cranky, coughing and barely had an appetite, but today he was just about the happiest I've ever seen him - and I had enough energy to go running for the first time since the Turkey Trot! After my run, we all went out to the Capitol for the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra's annual Christmas concert on the rotunda. Clark and Ruby danced and had a great time watching David conduct, and Aurora loved exploring the Capitol building. She found a HUGE Christmas tree in the Senate Chamber and insisted we get a picture.

Afterwards we headed to the Midway food park for Valley View's annual cookie social. The kids got their fill of cookies, candy, frosting, and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Then we headed up to Mozart's for their holiday light show. Mom and dad joined us and while it was crowded, it was well worth it. The songs were great and the lights were awesome. They even featured the Austin skyline, which got Clark all excited. "Look mommy! It's the cap-sit-ol!"

After two weeks of sickness and exhaustion, today was super fun. I'm so glad everybody's feeling better and it's a relief to be getting back in the groove with my half marathon training. Going to the Capitol was easier than ever now that I have a job with a parking garage 2-blocks away! If only parking at Mozart's was as easy... 

Blessed are we...

This week we've been lighting candles on the Menorah that Grandpa and Bernice sent us when I was pregnant with Aurora. They were so happy that our little one was on the way and proud to share these traditions so that we might pass them down to the next generation. We have indeed lit the candles each year since having kids. I'm sure I don't do it all just right, but I try to include stories about Grandpa Sandler so that he is never forgotten. Last night Aurora asked "Was he real? Was that really your Grandpa?" And I said "Yes! You even met him when you were a baby!"

Per tradition, when lighting the Chanukah candles, three blessings are sung, or read (translated and slightly amended):

1. Blessed are we for kindling the Chanukah candles,
2. Blessed are we for our forefathers who made miracles in those days at this season,
3. Blessed are we who have been sustained and have lived to this season.

Chag sa'mayach, happy holiday!

Santa!

I don't usually go over a week between posts, but this week has been a especially exhausting. It was my first full week at my new job and I spent most of it fighting off the flu. I was tired, medicated and miserable, but I muddled through and made the best of it. It wasn't all misery, and last weekend was actually quite festive as we put up and decorated the Christmas tree, went to the movies, then saw SANTA!!!

Both kids asked Santa for very reasonable gifts so I know he will deliver! It's been lovely having the tree up, listening to holiday music and working on our cards. Today Aurora and I volunteered for the YMCA's annual Children's Christmas party so that hundreds more families could have a magical visit with Santa. We got the coolest elf shirts and our job was to help the kids with a craft project. Aurora handed out stickers and organized supplies like a pro. I'm still tired but it was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

While Aurora and I were volunteering, Santa (er, Chuck) made a quick visit and left some presents under our tree, which was quite the confusing surprise. We have advent calendars so I think Clark understands that there are 19 days to go, but man, once there are presents under the tree, littles want to open them!!! Oh well. I can be patient enough for all of us. Tomorrow we'll spend the day resting, doing laundry and food shopping. I expect another busy week ahead and I'm hoping we're all healthy this time around.

Giving Thanks

It's been a crazy, hectic, fun and tiring week - but we sure have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful that my parents agreed to watch the kids so that Chuck & I could have a date night to celebrate my new job! We went to this crazy thing called Monkey Town 6 which is a 4-course meal served in a movie cube with performance art and wine. I'm thankful that Aurora has great friends like Presley, who we got to spend the morning with yesterday. We're all thankful that my parents got a new dog this week! Finley is a calm and sweet little guy and we love him already. I'm thankful that Aurora did the Turkey Trot with me this year!!! She ran the kids race, then the family did crafts and ate snacks while they waited for me to finish the 5-mile run. It was rainy, hilly, and crowded but I'm certainly thankful for the ability to run this great city. I'm thankful for my dear friend Carmen who passed away this year, but left us with a wonderful tradition of having Thanksgiving with her family. The food was fantastic and everybody had a great time. The weather even cleared up in time for the girls to swim!

And, I'm thankful to have a few more days off with the family before settling into my new work routine (nothing like starting during a short week!). My legs are tired, my belly is full, and my heart is happy.

Identity

I have to say, the hardest thing about losing my job wasn't the actual losing of the job. It was losing my identity as a longtime LIVESTRONG employee. I felt incredibly connected to the mission, the people, the whole idea of everything LIVESTRONG stood for. I noticed that when people asked me what I did, I said I worked for LIVESTRONG or that I worked in nonprofit - I didn't typically lead with the fact that I worked in HR or managed volunteers and interns. While I was unemployed I had to figure out how to say what I actually did for work and what types of jobs I was looking for, which required me to think about my work in a different way and imagine a wider world of opportunities that I hadn't considered. After much consideration, I decided that I didn't want to continue in nonprofit, but I wasn't particularly interested in most for-profits either. That lead me to search for a new role in the public sector. I was applying for jobs in education but the role I ended up with came in the form of local government. So, this week I started my new position as an HR Specialist focusing on Recruitment for Travis County.

I had to go to jail to get that ID card! The location is good, the salary was right, and the job duties should play to my strengths and give me an opportunity to learn about a whole new segment of the workforce. I hope I'll love this new identity as much as I loved the last one because they also offer great retirement benefits!

Friendship

This week has been full of highlights, but the main highlight was joining Clark for his classroom's Friendship Feast. They've been focusing on friendship and giving thanks this week at school and it is so sweet to see him interact with his teachers and little otter friends. The potluck lunch was pretty good, too!

Earlier in the week my parents came over with dinner and we all sat at the dining room table together eating tacos. Aurora decided that it was the perfect setting for us to go around the table and say what we're most thankful for. I didn't think Clark was really paying attention or comprehended what she was saying, so I was a little surprised when it was his turn and he jumped right in with "I'm most thankful for TIGERS!" Then at school today, I found this hanging on the wall. Amazing.

Aurora said she's thankful to be alive, because she has a good life. It's true! And of course, my parents were thankful to be with us (the feeling is mutual!). I'm thankful to be starting a new job on Monday. I hope I made a good choice in terms of my next career move... but, I'm going to make you wait until next week to find out more! The past 7-weeks have been strange and stressful, relaxing and emotional, but I am so grateful to have had the time to deepen so many friendships through coffee meetings, lunches, walking and running dates. I will miss having so much freedom in my weekdays but would not change anything about these past 2-months. I'm thankful for all of it, and all of you! 

Passion for Fashion

We just turned in Aurora's GT (Gifted & Talented) project, which is titled "Passion for Fashion." She drew 10 dresses inspired by nature and then explored what it would take to become a fashion designer. It's a really cute project (I should've taken pictures!). She's also done extensive testing and there were parent and teacher assessments. I hope she gets in! At the same time, I've been interviewing and working on my wardrobe. I've taken pictures of a few of my new clothes and interview outfits. They are nothing like Aurora's designs, but I'm loving my new looks. 

In other news, my parents are back in town! They came just in time, as Clark wasn't feeling well and I needed them to watch him while I went to an interview and a happy hour. Both went great and I'm so glad I didn't have to move or miss them (thanks Mom & Dad!). This weekend we went to a birthday party with the most awesome face painter EVER. Clark was still recuperating so we left early, but not before this happened:

We won't know whether Aurora will get into the GT program for a few more weeks, but I should know if I have a job offer this afternoon. I have one more big week of coffee and lunch meetings, long walks and running dates, and then who knows - I could start working again as early as next Monday!

Above and Beyond

It's been another eventful week for the Wadey family! On Saturday we went to Home Depot for a special Veterans Day Kid's workshop. Aurora and Chuck made a Marine Corp airplane while Clark and I made a Blue Angels Navy plane. On Sunday we took off to Austin's brand new Planetarium where we learned about stars and space shapes. Their children's programming was fantastic. I was afraid Clark would have trouble sitting still, but he didn't want the show to end!

Such a fun experience! This week I did a little exploring of my own and found that we have a $2 movie theater just north of Austin. It only plays second run movies, but the only movie I wanted to see in the theater was "Everest," based on the book "Into Thin Air," which I recently read. I remember that 1996 expedition well. We were living up in Seattle and Chuck had designed t-shirts for Doug Hansen, one of the climbers on that fatal climb. I'm not the kind of person to just go see a movie on my own in the middle of the day, but it was fantastic (and really sad).

On a happier note, this morning Aurora got an award at school! I'm so glad she got this award during my time off so that I could go and enjoy it without having to rush off to work afterwards. Clark even came with me! He and Aurora waved at each other nearly the whole time she was on stage.

Her award is for being EXPRESSIVE and says "Aurora goes above and beyond to include descriptive details in both her writing and her artwork. In doing so, she is able to convey her message in a creative and expressive way. Keep it up!" We are so proud of her.