One of the hardest parts about our move to Texas is being away from family during the holidays. We see our siblings and parents, but the extended family gatherings have become fewer and further between. I have 21 first cousins. My boys have two. And while I can say without a doubt, my sister is worth 10 siblings, sometimes it's a little lonely to do our own thing. And I feel like my kids are missing out on those cousin/family times. This Easter we made plans with some new friends here who are also from out of town, but an ER trip with a wheezing, coughing boy broke that up pretty quickly. But we rebounded with a quiet weekend in and a small egg hunt in the front yard followed by a family movie outing to see OZ The Great And Powerful. Trying to stay connected to Kansas, I guess.
Today I Am Grateful For:
1. Internet Nerds
I am a total fantasy book nerd. I love the Song of Ice and Fire books, The Name of the Wind, and I most recently read the Mistborn Trilogy. I would probably hyperventilate if I saw George RR Martin or Patrick Rothfuss in person. And then I would hound them with theories and questions, and demand for the release dates of their next books. I love reading westeros.org. If I'm surfing the Internet, chances are I will pop in there for some good theory and speculation reading. It started with Harry Potter and mugglenet.com. While it is torture to wait years for a book, these chat rooms enhance the book nerd experience. What I love most is that I know there are people like me who love to talk about books and, mostly, there are people who are way, way more into it than I ever could be and they provide quotes, well thought out arguments and a lot of times notice nuances that I missed. I love historical fiction, chick lit (think Nanny Diaries not Jodi Picoult), but fantasy series take the cake. Thank you, nerddom!
2. My mean cat
Poor JJ. At 12, she is an old curmudgeon. She never was quite a sweet thing, but her poor little bitchy heart has put up with a kitten, a puppy (both no longer in our house) and two little boys. Miraculously, it's little W who she will tolerate the most. The five year old ruined his chance years ago. Poor kid. He wants a sweet pet and I don't blame him. But I'm grateful for the one we have. One eye cloudy from cataracts, or something (I don't know because I refused to pay $250 to take her to a specialist), clawless but good with her teeth, and always put upon by screaming, grabby boys, JJ faithfully comes to cuddle with Rich and I every night. I can't help but love her just a little bit.
