nacho's second christmas:

I took Nacho to take pictures with Santa the first Saturday of December.  I can't remember what I did that morning besides shopping at Costco, but I had some me time before I took him.  He was so excited to be at Petco.  There weren't that many dogs, but when he saw one he got excited.  I took off the leash so he could sit with Santa, but he ended up darting off, and I had to chase him.  Thankfully he stopped, not for treats, not for a toy in the aisle, but for kids.  He loves to get pet.  So while the kids pet him, they grabbed him, and I was able to take him back.

So the whole operation was a little sketchy.  It's going to sound like I'm complaining, but I mean this all with humor.  Nacho did great.  I saw the ad for it a couple of weeks before and asked the cashier.  She said, "Um, you better call first."  So I did, and they said they were an hour delayed in getting set up.  I can understand that.  Santa booths can be elaborate, right?  The ad said this was a "free" picture but you could donate to help pets.  Instead, they had me pay at the front of the store to get a ticket before I could even see Santa.  Had I seen the setup, I'm not sure I would have paid $9.95.  It was just a very quiet Santa with a green backdrop.  Ok, maybe they need that as a green screen, and he doesn't talk so as not to startle the dogs.  

Nacho loved him.  Didn't squirm and just stayed still for the picture.  So easy and he got more petting out of it.  The person taking the photo just had a tablet, and didn't really focus or angle it properly.  It wasn't professional, but it was nice to have as a memory.  The kids usually have their picture with Santa at the family Christmas Eve party.  This one was for Nacho only.  

On the way out, Nacho threw up, probably from all the running around.  So I had to clean it.  Yuck.  At least he left that kind of present and not the other one.  Merry Christmas, Petco!  

Manny's cousin is an amazing artist and art teacher, and she did a few edits for me.  I chose the one below since it matched their logo the best.  I was going to maybe send it as a Christmas card or one of the photos, but in the end I decided I am not up to doing Christmas cards this year.  Maybe things will change next year.

Excited and shaking to meet Santa.

Nacho was so good!  Except the part where he broke free before we got here and I had to chase him all around.

Photoshop because that original background was not it.

Nacho looking out the window.  Sometimes he growls, but I don't see anyone out there.  Maybe a squirrel?  When there are people outside, he doesn't growl.

I started packing, and he threw his toys in there.  😂

Pulled  our blanket down (Grandma hand crocheted it) and wrapped himself in it.  Poor cold dog.

new home for mochi:

After Gizmo passed, Naomi was concerned Mochi wouldn't last long without another bird.  I contacted a birdsitter, a companion bird rescue organization, friends, Naomi's friends, two of my homeschool groups, and finally found someone.  And it turned out to be a great match.  Her son had been researching parakeets for weeks, and they were short on budget so it would be all the accessories and cage for free practically.  We set up a time, but she actually came a day early.  Naomi was away for the weekend at her friend N's birthday party at a bed and breakfast with another friend and family.  The B&B is owned by former youth leaders from church.  She had a great time.  But she came home just a half hour after they left with Mochi.  So she didn't get to say goodbye.  I felt really bad.  I was just going to send them home, but at that point it was easier to just hand Mochi over.  The area of our house where she was kept was too cold, and I was worried about that as well.   

So Mochi is now named Cloud Jumper, and she has been determined to be a he (based on the cere color, which changed over time, so we were thinking maybe she was really a he as well).  And she joins another bird, Stormfly, and they are supposedly getting along well.  Mochi and Gizmo got along well in the beginning, but they fought a lot after a while, and eventually it was just Mochi pecking at Gizmo.  But sounds like Cloud Jumper is now doing pretty well.  We (well, Naomi, Nacho, and I) will miss her/him.

november misc:

More November happenings, including lots of Nacho:

Lunch with a couple of other families from church.  Enjoyed a stroopwaffel over my tea.

Isaac reading a bible story.  He progressed pretty quickly with his reading.  Nacho helping him turn the pages apparently.

I've never met a dog who loves baths as much as Nacho.  He jumps in the tub to ask for one.

He likes to snuggle under my arm when I'm sitting.  He did this when he was a wee puppy last year.  His head got so much bigger!

Gymnastics for Isaac.

Made turkey the week before Thanksgiving since it was on sale.  Homemade gravy, air-fried potatoes (easy and tasty), and the biggest "baby" bok choy I've ever seen.  Funny I will make homemade gravy any time of the year except at Thanksgiving.  Only Naomi and I really eat it, so it doesn't make the list of must-haves (extra work).

Isaac on the balance beam.

Isaac in the fall leaves.  He calls that his "Mo" face, and he's been doing that since he was two.

Nacho with his bully ring waiting for me.

Friday night movie date with Manny.  I think this was when we went to see Gemini Man.

Lunch with a different family from church at their house.  We had delicious tacos.

Isaac took this photo because of the color of the sky.  Lucas and Naomi have really enjoyed the pink/purple sunsets.  I love that they notice the sky and hope they always do.

Grandma crocheted these stockings for us!  Amazing handiwork as always!  I love how they all have a unique detail.  I have them spread apart because of a sensor in the middle.  Don't ask why Nacho's stocking is over with ours while the kids' stocking are on the other side.  😆

get-togethers, date night, and a funeral for gizmo:

I spent most of Black Friday cooking and messaging old friends while occasionally looking online for deals.  Naomi went out with some friends to take pictures at the park when the rain let up a little.  Manny went out looking for a tree to surprise me, but didn't find a good one, and came home with two bouquets of tulips.  💓 He then went to see a movie (Knives Out) that evening with a coworker.  

On Saturday morning I picked up Naomi's friend to come over for a little art session, then did a little Christmas shopping in the morning.  I planned to come home a little early so Manny could make it to lunch with his friends.  I ended up coming home even earlier because one of our parakeets, Gizmo, died.  Nacho had been acting strangely that morning; maybe he sensed something.  The birds are usually covered at night, so we didn't see.  Naomi sadly was the one to discover Gizmo's body, and then her friend saw it as well.  I remember being traumatized finding my parakeets dead after my dad had put them outside overnight.  I think I was around Naomi's age, too.  I think Manny had something similar happen with their birds.  Our house is cold at night, and Gizmo always seemed less healthy than Mochi, the other parakeet.  I'm so glad Manny was here.  He took care of everything, including holding a funeral.  Lucas really liked him, because he was so calm and quiet.  The boys were both teary-eyed when I told them the news.

Manny was out with his friends from lunch until the evening.  After that, we went on our date and had some dessert and drinks.  It was a good time for us to talk privately (in a public place, ironically).  I'm a much better listener these days, as I've come to learn what that means for us.  My close friends and I ask questions and talk over each other and just talk randomly about everything, but that doesn't really work for us, and maybe people in general.  I am learning to keep it zipped and let him finish talking like a regular person.  Took 20 years!  

I thank God for carrying me through all the hard times, for breathing new life into our marriage, and for always being who He says He is, for never changing but being with me through the changes, never failing but loving me despite my failures.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).  I could not make it through life without Him.

After we got home, Manny conducted the funeral for Gizmo and did a great job.  I wouldn't have known what to say.  Naomi's friend N. had gone home, but another friend R. came over to comfort her in her loss.  R. joined us.  Manny said a prayer, and we remembered what a good bird Gizmo was.  Right now the challenge is finding another home for Mochi.  It's cold here at night, and without a friend for Mochi, she could get very lonely.  She squawks a lot, and Lucas struggles with that as well.  Gizmo was always pretty quiet.

Manny with S. and S.'s gf.

Naomi's friend came over for a paint session.

Date night.

Tasty bread pudding and hard ciders.

Flowers M. got me, which were a nice backdrop for our funeral.

Goodbye to our beloved Gizmo.  What a sweet bird you were.

thanksgiving:

We had a nice Thanksgiving Day.  It was just us.  I invited Naomi's friend and mom and really any of her friends, but they all had other plans.  I could not find a smaller turkey this year, so I went with a 16-lb pre-brined turkey from Trader Joe's.  It usually comes out decently moist, but I bet deep frying it would really do the trick.  No spatchcocking such a giant (to me) bird.  I got a portion of ham from Costco.  I cooked all of it except for the sweet potatoes, which is Naomi's job.  I really enjoy cooking in our remodeled kitchen.  There's so much more counter space, and I love the appliances.  Not to mention how convenient and surprisingly economical it is to have our old fridge outside in the garage.  We keep meat and other items purchased on sale or in bulk out there.  Lucas still misses our old kitchen and dining table, but hopefully he'll get used to it in time.  At least he still was able to have the annual tradition of seeing a movie with Naomi and Manny on Thanksgiving morning.  Manny took them to see Frozen 2 this year.  Isaac has seen the first one on DVD, skipping over some parts, but he didn't want to see the second one.  He's not a fan of watching movies in general and has only ever seen one movie, The Incredibles, on the big screen.

Lucas has issues eating with Isaac, and I generally separate them, because Isaac won't stop talking, and Lucas needs peace and quiet.  We had another episode this Thanksgiving, but Manny took charge and got both boys to calm down and eat.  Well, eat as much as Isaac eats--he won't touch any meat at home except for Foster Farms dinosaur chicken nuggets, not even hot dogs or fish sticks.  I guess I hit the jackpot with my older two who can eat just about anything and prefer healthful eating.  Isaac was my serving of humble pie.

I planned to only do turkey tacos with the leftovers, but having extra turkey this year, I ended up making Chinese turkey congee, turkey pot pie, and turkey sandwiches.  We had ham omelets and sandwiches, and I put the rest of the ham in the freezer.

Manny bought this huge take-and-bake apple pie from his coworker for their child's fundraiser.  It's from an apple farm, and it was delicious.

Isaac requested Rice Krispies treats, so I made them the day before as well.  

Turkey.  I apparently lost or threw away the baster I had, so I tried to baste with a measuring cup.

Desserts.  Can't beat the pumpkin pie from Costco.

Our resident carver.

Our first Thanksgiving with the new table.  We had to take the turkey off the table because the smell makes Isaac run for cover.  Nacho is off to the side sitting quietly and patiently through the whole meal (his way of begging).

Naomi makes the sweet potatoes from scratch every year.  Always delicious.  I got the sourdough stuffing from Costco, which was good, but I think I will go back to cornbread stuffing next year.

\Next day leftovers went into a ham omelet and potato pancakes.

Turkey tacos.

From Manny's camera.

Manny and Lucas.