Thankful

We have much, much, much for which we are thankful!  Right now we are especially grateful we were able to spend Thanksgiving in Austin with Rob and Jenifer and Grandmother Christensen.  Lots of good eats, playing, and rest.

the one where I blame it on the camera

We are back by popular demand. Apparently there is a Facebook fan page consisting of two many members begging us to return to the blogsphere. And there have been like three a bunch of tweets asking for the same. And the text messages and emails? Don't even get me started. We simply cannot let our mothers fans down.

We are going to blame our long hiatus, however, on the camera. Zoey and I left on our three week adventure without a camera so we had to beg others to take our pictures. Our begging skills are, apparently, pathetic because the pictures from this summer are few and far between. When we finally obtained the camera two weeks into our trip, the battery had little juice left and so the begging continued. And then I realized I was really sick and really tired and couldn't muster the strength to worry about one more picture. Clearly, I blame all this on the camera. You can see my point, right?

So, we are back but I wouldn't hold your breath between our posts.

top ten situations...

...that make air travel stink (or, air travel - the condensed version)

10. Showing up at the airport on time but the airport being mobbed because of the heavy snowfall the day before.
9. Tired, overworked ticket agents that inform me that my bags will not make it on time because I am checking in late (after waiting in the check-in line for an hour).
8. A TSA worker who will not let me move to the front of the security line even though I am crying, my baby is crying, and my flight is boarding.
7. Another TSA worker who requires me to remove Zoey's Robeez shoes and socks to go through security even though I am crying, my baby is crying, and my flight is boarding.
6. Hearing my name over the intercom as I am running with baby, stroller, and diaper bag to my gate.
5. Having an A boarding pass but being the last passenger on the plane (see all of above) so getting stuck with the dreaded middle seat.
4. Changing a messy diaper on my lap while in the middle seat (though look for Melissa's messy diaper story - it trumps mine).
3. De-boarding and boarding again with baby and diaper bag.
2. A flight where every.single.seat.is.taken.
1. Sitting next to Tracy and Nolan.

air travel...

This is a long one, but bear with me. As you may know, Zoey and I recently spent a week in beautiful Caifornia (pictures are soon to follow). I love being in California but I despise getting to California. So, Melissa and I met in Chicago (after identical mornings of craziness at the airports because of the snow the day before) so we could suffer the long leg of the flight together. Once on the plane in Chicago, however, we were informed the flight would be completely full and we could not sit together because, with our two babies, that would make five passengers and each row is only equipped with four oxygen masks. Disappointed, we chose two aisle seats across from one another and prayed silently for good row partners.
Melissa did not get so lucky. Two rather large men sat in her row, though they tried very hard for the entire flight to keep from infringing on her space. I was even more unlucky.
Picture this: skinny wanna-be rocker chick in too-tight black jeans (the cheap kind - yes, I am a snob) and a faux-leather tank top that laces up in front (we're flying from Chicago, mind you) and a dirty looking ski cap; no boobs to speak of (this is important to my rambling, believe it or not) and wearing way too much out-of-date cheap make-up. So, Tracy (I learned her name later) slides past me into the window seat. Now my prayers become more earnest as I plead for a good middle-seat partner and this is what happens.
A tall blonde-haired, blue-eyed wanna-be snowboarder wearing dirty jeans and a ripped t-shirt plops down in the middle seat and says to Tracy, "Dude [not adding the dude in myself], my friends and I were checking you out in the airport and Jed said to me, 'Man, I gotta get me a piece of that,' and then Carl said, 'Yeah, I gotta get me a piece of that, too,' and I told them, 'I'm gonna get me a piece of that.' Can I buy you a drink?" To which I was expecting Tracy to request a seat change but, oh, no: she giggles. And it all went downhill from there.
Over the course of the 5 hour flight, Nolan (the sleazy middle-seat guy) convinces Tracy to leave her boyfriend - who she is on her way home from visiting in Chicago - because, and I quote, "People are nothing but circles. I, man, I am a complete circle and you, sweet Tracy, are a complete circle and, dude, complete circles belong together." And she bought it.
Some other highlights from Nolan and Tracy's interaction: 7 vodkas and cranberry juice for him and three for her - all graciously paid for by Nolan; language and topics that would make Howard Stern feel uncomfortable (or join in); 5 trips to the restroom for Nolan to do goodness knows what; one trip to the restroom for Tracy with Nolan (we actually saw them go in together and the girl sitting in front of Melissa turned and said, "Please tell me that is not actually happening," to which I replied, "Based on what they are talking about, it is actually happening."; two complaints by Nolan regarding the crying babies which earned him an angry remark from yours truly; an hour-long discourse on Tracy's imminent boob-job which ended with her lifting up her faux-leather tank top to show Nolan the "before" so he could appreciate the after and, might I add, she really does need the boob-job (but lifting up your shirt? With no bra on? On an airplane?); and, finally, an exchange of digits so they could meet up over the weekend because - according to Nolan - two must actually have s-e-x to prove they are meant to be together and, of course, Tracy agreed.
To Nolan and Tracy - you so deserve each other but, please - I am begging - get a room.

freakin' cold New Hampshire...

We are so thrilled to have Aunt Melissa and Uncle Rob only a six-hour drive away!

We played with Uncle Rob when he was supposed to be studying,

we helped Aunt Melissa in the kitchen,

we snuggled and waited for Baby Holmes to come play,

and we loved Mo during nap time.

Thanks, Rob and Melissa, for letting us use all your new baby stuff and for the yummy meals and for just letting us come and visit. We miss you already.

keeping austin weird...

5 sisters;

1 sister-in-law;

1 new sister adopted;

1 mother, 1 grandmother, 1 aunt;

0 husbands (except rare Rob-sightings);

41 pairs of earrings, 19 bracelets, 3 necklaces, and 120 magnets made;

2 babies loved on;

4 pairs of pants peed in (not the babies');

3 yummy meals out;

2 yummy meals in;

1 rap created (1,000 White Women, These is My Words);

5 beds slept in (plus the couch);

235 pictures taken;

1 necklace bought;

0 scorpions spotted;

1 tarantula crossing;

4 days of no sleep, beautiful weather, lots of talking, and loads of fun.

Thank you, Jenifer, for hosting the first annual sisters' weekend!

(Oh, and 1 daddy totally missed!)