11.10.9

Earlier this year, on some random Tuesday (maybe in March?), I was inundated with greetings from people wishing me…umm…Happy Prime Number Day!  Or something like that.  I don’t even remember anymore.  It was apparently announced on both national and local radio that it was a special day for some math related reason.  I just remember thinking that someone just made that up.  Unlike Pi Day (3.14), which is a real holiday.  *giggles*

So, in response to someone else’s made up holiday, I’m declaring today as Countdown Day!  11.10.9.  We’ll celebrate it next year on 12.11.10 too, and then we won’t be able to celebrate it again until 2101.

So there!

Pics or Treats!

My cousins trick-or-treated at my place yesterday with their little boys.

Baby Ben (now 5 months old) arrived as an adorable little pumpkin.

His cousin Lucas (age 4) came as a dinosaur.  Rahr!

And then Ben magically changed into a penguin!

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day to everyone!

My family (Dad’s side) will celebrate tomorrow after one of my cousins arrives from out west today.  So, my day today will consist of a little cleaning (along with a little music, which is the best part of cleaning!), a book (currently reading “The Teaching Gap”), and a nice long walk.

Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, and to all the other Dads, Grandfathers, Godfathers, Uncles, and other special guys!  Guys are important in a kid’s life.  They are the ones who let kids get dirty, play with tools, fly through the air, eat unbalanced meals!  They let us live just a little dangerously and push boundaries, and we’re all the better for it.  Rock on!

The tomb is empty!

Christ is Risen!  I hope you’re all having a wonderful Easter!

St. Valentine

Since I’m still online past midnight, let me be the first to wish you all a very

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

What are you doing New Years Eve?

For the fourth year in a row, my extended family gathered at the Finn Center to ring in the New Year at 5 p.m. local time (when it’s midnight in Finland, where my Mom’s family is from).  And for the second year in a row, we had four generations of our family there, from 3 year old Lucas to 89 year old Ruth.  It is a fun tradition!  And Lucas had us all laughing hysterically.

I actually had Lucas at my place for much of the day before the party, and we washed dishes (his favorite thing!), played a memory/matching game with regular playing cards, and went to the library.  The random things he says now are so hilarious, and he left my place saying, “When the sharks went away, it was time to go home” which I’m sure his Mom will wonder what in the world we were doing that brought that up!

So, I’m in pajamas now three hours before the real midnight here, having already rung in the new year once.  Do I have to do it again?  *laughs*

On the second day of Christmas

Our Christmas celebrations were nice and peaceful.  Lovely church services, family get-togethers, playing with my brother’s dogs, and eating homemade apple pie were some highlights!  A certain three year old declared that “Christmas is ruined!” when he misplaced his watch, which made us all laugh until we had tears streaming down our faces!  He said it with such genuine despair!  Such a funny kid!

At various points today, I’ve thought that it was Sunday or that it was January 2nd.  Get me out of a routine, and I’m totally lost!  And I’m having a hard time just being this week, after I got so used to using every moment of the day wisely to get school stuff done.  Of course, I could get started on winter semester things, but I think I’ll hold off on that for another day or two.  *laughs*  I have medical stuff going on over this break (more on that soon), but my focus in the days ahead is to make plans with friends and pay some attention to the non-school parts of my life.

Merry Christmas!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas to all!  I hope you have wonderful celebrations!

Fa la la la la

My Christmas greetings/gifts preparation got going very late this year, but I got my cards mailed on Thursday and got my shopping all started — and finished – today.  Phew!  We had a substantial snow storm yesterday, with more on the way over the coming days, so I was glad to get things done on this clear day.  The crowds were crazy, the malls were busy, traffic was insane, little kids were being dragged hither and yon (one poor little boy said to his Dad, “You won’t let me get a drink even though I’m dehydrated?!” - he was much too young to know that word!).  Somehow I’m glad that I missed most of the craziness this year!