Vet Path Matching T-shirts

Brian has taken on a second job this semester doing diagnostic pathology for a small business to keep up a skill set he will need later.  For Christmas, his boss ordered matching shirts with the business logo on it for our whole family, all the way down to Bobby.

St Philomena Mass and Party

Our homeschool group has a family in it specifically devoted to St. Philomena and they celebrate her on her birthday each year.  We were able to go this year.   The evening began with Mass, a procession, relic exposition, and then moved to a party upstairs with cake and games.

Genevieve was able to hang out with one of her homeschooled kindred spirits and had a great time...talking nonstop as they usually do when together.

There were active games for the boys!

They had a pin the floral crown on St. Philomena, an over-sized memory game, coloring pages, and a tic-tac-toe game.

It was nice in the midst of a busy basketball season to slow down and have an evening to enjoy a special saint and our family and friends.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas had a few special events included in them.  One was a family fun night for the oldest three with mom and dad.  We took them to a family improv comedy club with some other homeschool families that we know.  It was very enjoyable for us all!  My brother kept Judah and Bob for the evening.  Drew stayed back, at home, in case Nanna needed anything.

Nanna has a special love for chocolate shakes, and so we may have had a Sonic shake day with some gift cards from Christmas.

New Year's Eve we stayed home and had a family fun Canasta tournament.  We drew names for teams and Isaac made a Championship Cup for the winning team.  Isaac and Daddy are the current Cup holders until our next tournament.

The Champs

Christmas Day 2019

We had a series of gift opening events because of all the coming and goings, sicknesses, and hospital stays.  So these pictures are from several different days and times.  I didn't think to take a picture of our hospital gift opening with Brian's mom, but I should have.  I have a picture of the Christmas my grandfather was in the hospital and all the cousins gathered around him, and it's a special memory for me that may otherwise have been forgotten if not for the photograph reminder.

Bob and Turner are starting to play together more often as Turner gets older.  The 8 month gap between them is less noticeable.

Gold Chocolate Coin Eyes

Nanna had surgery the day after Christmas and was held one more night.  We drove home the evening after Christmas, and Brian brought her home the next day when she was released.  She has been with us ever since receiving in home care and orthopedic care here in our city/house.  We changed the only bedroom on the first floor from our acting school room to a guest room temporarily.  There have been a few bumps in the road with another trip to the ER in the last six weeks, the most recent bump being that she has to have another minor surgery because her body is spitting out the internal stitches and causing problems.  With the additional appointments and duties, our homeschooling has been somewhat disorganized, but the kids are learning in real time what corporal acts of mercy look like.  Isaac is always quick to help her out with her scooter or getting through doorways.  The kids have worked on a big puzzle with her, watched movies with her,  and told her countless jokes from their joke books.  Judah and Drew regularly make her coffee or bring her a meal.  Drew has stayed behind a few times to be her helper if we were going to be gone too long.  It's a different kind of education, but one that is more valuable in the long run.

Christmas Eve 2019: Disaster Strikes

My dad's side of the family has a traditional Christmas Eve party that has been going since I was born.  A few parts of the tradition have evolved over the years, but it is one of the things I always missed the most when we lived far away and couldn't drop everything and fly us all back.  

The newest generation (minus my three big kids who participate in the adult gift exchange game)  The little kids do a Secret Santa type drawing and get a gift for one other cousin.

The adult gift exchange game, it's like a White Elephant game.  Everybody brings one gift, unlabeled and we draw numbers.  There are maximum times gifts can be stolen.  Brian got the Christmas Story "leg" lamp.  It makes an appearance in our Christmas Eve gift exchange every so often.  Brian wanted it and it know resides on his night stand.  I kid you not.  Marriage is about sacrifice.

All the kids, my sister's kids are the only ones who couldn't make it this year.

Brian's mom drove down to go to this party with us and spend some time with all of us.

Our family

We really had a fabulous time!  Afterwards we headed to midnight Mass and my parents took my mother-in-law home.  Right as we were situated in a pew all our own at church, Brian received a text from my mom that his mom had fallen and the ambulance was coming.  They thought her ankle was broken.  She was carrying a few gifts and walked right off from our kitchen into our sunken living room, not remembering or seeing it was a step down. 

Turns out it was dislocated, and both the tibia and the fibula were broken.  She was hospitalized through Christmas and they put a plate and screws in on the day after Christmas.  She wasn't released, in fact, until the afternoon of the 28th.  I ended up taking the kids home on the 27th and Brian brought her to our house in San Antonio the next day in her car.  She is non weight bearing for six weeks. 

Book Signing

As soon as school was out we went to Dallas to spend the week of Christmas with family.  While in Dallas we had multiple extended family gatherings beginning on Saturday and continuing through Christmas Eve.  In the midst of those my sister's little one year old became very sick.  The doctor thought she had the flu, and so my sister ended up going back home early.  This left us with just enough free time to go to our friend's book signing at Barnes and Noble. 

We bought his whole series for Isaac and he read all but one before the break was over.  Once he finishes it, I'm going to have him write up a review for my blog.  Now that school is going, he's very busy trying to keep up with his school reading, his current dragon drawing obsession, and his three instruments.  

We were there for a while and the kids all made their way back to the children's section and I found them like this when I went to collect them.  All reading.  Just warms my heart.

On Monday night, two days before Christmas Eve, at my mom and dad's house we had a Canasta tournament with $5 gift cards at stake for the winners.  It was a fun idea my mom had to liven up our regular tradition of playing Canasta when we are all together.

The Crazy Last Week of School Before Break

The last week before break was really packed.  We had 3 basketball games all in different directions, teen caroling on the river, a bible study, a Dad's night out, and a winter concert, and that was all in the 4 evenings.  During the daytime I was finishing up school with the boys at home, had a CT scan, and went to the Tobin for a field trip.  On Friday we were leaving for a week to go to Dallas, so I was also packing and finishing up my Christmas shopping and wrapping.  I tell you all these things to explain why I blew it big time on Thursday evening.

Isaac had his concert and Genna had her game in two totally different directions around the same time.  Brian was going to go to Genna;s game and I was going to Isaac's concert.  We arranged it this way for two reasons.  One, he needed to be picked up from school, taken home, fed, and change into his formal attire for the concert before being driven over to Trinity University Auditorium.  Two, he told me there'd be a surprise for me during the concert.  

I have to admit after the long week of everything going fairly smoothly and I had all the things he needed for the concert, I was feeling pretty on top of it.  Isaac told me he needed to be there at 5:30pm.  He was sure, even though I thought this very strange since there were two concerts, according to the page long information sheet, the younger kids concert was first and his was at 7pm.  Why on earth would they need to be there an hour and a half early?  I even checked with a friend to make sure I didn't break my back to get him there during rush hour traffic for nothing.  It was confirmed that the arrival time was 5:30, but I still didn't know why.  Maybe so they can watch the younger kids first?  Isaac had mentioned something about the Kindergartners singing first.  

I was so very tired by this time in the week.  I'd been up late and up early everyday that week because of gift wrapping and finishing up that Nativity set.  I was pinching and slapping myself to keep me awake just driving to the concert at 5:30pm.  I only took Drew with me to watch the concert, so I decided I'd take a power nap in the van before going in while Isaac went on in.  I fell right asleep and felt so much better after a half hour nap.  Drew and I took our time and went into the building.  Someone asked me if I was here for the next concert and told me to sit on one of the benches until they announced the next concert.  

Drew and I sat down on the bench and watched when the little kids came filing out after their concert.  They let people come out and then, eventually, started calling for the next concert singers.  I thought that was weird.  Why would they release all the older kids only to call them back in a few minutes for their concert.  Then I heard a teacher call out, "I need all 3rd through 5th graders, last call."  Wait, what?  I jumped up and asked him, "What about the 6th graders?"  He then told me they were singing in the first concert with K-2nd grade.  

My head started spinning.  How could this be?  I sat outside and missed his concert.  I was here, and I missed it?  I missed his surprise.  Then I started trying to find Isaac in the chaos, because that meant he was somewhere on the other side, most likely, looking or waiting for me.  We found him after stopping a few of his friends to ask where he was.  Isaac said, "I didn't see you.  Where were you sitting?"    Drew blurts out the bitter truth before I can even formulate a response.  His face fell and his eyes immediately were rimmed with unshed tears.  I grabbed his wrist and said, "Don't cry.  I want to cry too.  Let's just get out of here first."  In my memory, we ran like White Queen dragging Alice by the wrist through Wonderland in the Alice and the Looking Glass, and the moment we were out the doors, I burst into tears.  I cried and apologized all the way home.  I was so mad at myself for not seeing the comma after the "K-2nd graders," followed by the "and 6th graders" on that information sheet.  I read it at least four times and my mind just put him in the "3rd -5th graders" whose concert began at 7pm every time.  And WHY, didn't I just go in to the other concert when I came in the building?!  I would have probably seen all of the 6th grader's songs if I had!  If only...

Isaac, sweet as he is, tried so hard to be tough about it, but I came and sat with him on the couch at home and we cried together.  To make me feel better, he sang me a couple of verses for me even though he hates to sing alone in front of anyone.  Turned out he was chosen to introduce the last song, the school song "The Minstrel Boy" on the microphone.  None of my kids have ever been brave enough to do something like that!  I have never been brave enough to do that.  I'm scared to death of speaking into a microphone.  And I missed it.

It was a humbling experience for me, who often pridefully fall into thinking I have this all down and can juggle all the balls one can give me.  Well, I dropped the ball this time.  I just wish that my lesson in humility hadn't hurt my son in the process.  Thankfully, someone videotaped the concert.  The family is going to watch it this weekend actually on our TV because it just became available to watch a couple days ago.  

I also completely forgot to take any pictures of him at all because I was so emotionally distraught and Isaac was upset.  I wish I'd taken some before we left home.  He was so handsome in his tie.

This is from our field trip to the Tobin to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performed by the San Antonio Orchestra, an acting company, and a ballet company as well.  We got box seats, but still could only see half the stage.  Who designed that?

To end on a happier note, here's some cuties ready for Christmastime!