Happy (late) birthday Thomas!

Ahh, this kid.

Thomas,

When you were born, you cried so hard that I asked the doctor if there was something wrong with you. He just laughed and said, "Some kids just come out angry."

What I didn't realize then is that it isn't just anger that you do with intensity. It's everything. You love and laugh the same way. You run with intensity. You play with intensity. It can be tough sometimes, but also incredibly rewarding.

You are the sweetest, most cuddly kid, and your smile can light up a room. You care about animals, and you are gentle with them.  I see you as a leader when you grow up. I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Highlights of my day:

 • Thomas waking up and peeking through his headboard to his sister's bed just to say, "Happy Valentine's Day, sister."

• Anne Marie running to the car so she could get me the Valentine's present she has been hiding behind her carseat. It was an old bracelet I gave her last week- she immediately hid it and told me she knew what she was giving me for Valentine's Day. SO cute!

 • Matt sneaking a card into the laptop so I would find it when I got to work, even though we said we weren't going to do anything today. One of the best Valentine's Days ever.

Working Mommy Wednesday

This week, for Working Mommy Wednesday, Rachel asked:  Does your job take advantage of your natural talents and abilities?

The wonderful thing about the job I have now is that it can use just about any talent I want to. I have been blessed with a boss who lets you pick your opportunities. My main job is as an editor. I edit press releases and I am an editor, but I can also write in my publications. I decided I wanted to increase my skills in social media — he sent me to a one-day conference and gave me the opportunity to run our social media plans.  I had an interest in presentations — now I put together presentations. My job, and I think most jobs, are what you make of them. It helps to have a supportive environment, but my goal is always to take my job description and find a way I can make it fit for me. I have to work, but isn't it more fun to work if you are doing something you enjoy?

Happy 5th!

In honor of Anne Marie's fifth birthday ( a little late), I'm not going to talk about all the many things I love about her. Instead, I'm going to focus on the funniest one. This girl knows how to pose. So I'm going to take you through a tour of some of this girl's best poses. Some might fool you- you might think I simply got her in a great moment. But in every one, she is definitely aware of the camera and making the best use of it she can.

From the start...

CAMERA!

I got a camera for Christmas! So, after missing Halloween pictures, Thanksgiving pictures, hiking pictures, etc, I finally have some proof that my kids are still here. :)

So, here's a tour of the kids' Christmas. :) We had a great week, hiking, skiing (skiing photos still to come), ice skating, present-opening, bowling and more.

From christmas

Anne Marie got a new camera too. :)

From christmas

From christmas

From christmas

Anne Marie reenacting the nativity- cracks me up. :)

From christmas

From christmas

From christmas

From christmas

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving, mostly because for me, it's a low-key, low-work holiday. Christmas lasts for at least a month. Even Halloween lasts for weeks with all of the carnivals, costume parties, etc. Thanksgiving is just one day. There is no pre-Thanksgiving party. You get up in the morning. You cook. You eat. It doesn't seem that special.

But yet it is. For me, it reminds me of my grandfather. I'm not sure why. It is the only holiday that we typically spent at my grandparents, so that might have been part of it, but there is more.

I think part of it is that he really appreciated a good meal. He enjoyed Thanksgiving, and was always incredibly grateful.

It's too bad Thomas never got to meet him, but since he passed away in January 2009, and Thomas was born in February, I'd like to think their souls passed somehow. Here he is, enjoying his first great-grandchild, Anne Marie.

From great grandparents

HALLOWEEN! and no camera

It is so sad to be cameraless on Halloween. I am going to re-create Halloween tonight with my brother's camera, but for now I will just tell you I had the cutest little Rapunzel and dinosaur ever. You don't have to take my word for it- Anne Marie won second place at the Boo at the Zoo costume contest, and Thomas won fourth. Anne Marie was adamant that we not miss that contest. She said, "I REALLY want to walk on stage!" Ah, that girl.