no. 264 or maybe not

because every time i log in, the blooger people tell me that i'm one behind the number i'm actually counting...
curious.

everyone in my blog-e-verse is starting to talk about what they are thankful for-
it dawned on me saturday that
WHOA
it's suddenly november
and that means that
we have some serious fun coming up
and that means that
we have some SERIOUS work to do
and that means that

i do
have
Sooooo
so much for which i am thankful...

without my loves
i would have no fun
without my loves
i would have nothing to work on
without my loves
i would have no thanks in my life.

my loves
you all know who you are
for each of you
i give thanks

umarmen und lieben
essie

no.263 what next...

the Le Creuset petit casserole dishes!!
i have 6
i'm needing 6 more (really want the asparagus and garlic)
and
a pumpkin soup toureen
just in case we ever have
12 people who want to eat delish creamy veggie soup with brotchen at casa h
*sigh*
it really is good
and while the pictures are heinous and my kids will probably kill me for posting them...they LOVED the petit casseroles
yay!!
they ARE my kiddos after all!



umarmen und lieben
essie

no. 262 are you sure you want to do that?

no caption necessary!
umarmen und lieben
essie

no. 261 the second milestone birthday in our house in 2009

waaay back in the day
i figured that 2009 would be an expensive year for us
as the three kinder of casa h would all celebrate milestone birthdays
pres: 16
dollie doo: 13
mr. ben: 10
in june...we started climbing that mountain when our girl hit her teens
officially
in october...it was number one's turn to become
(eep)
a legal drinker in germany
AND
a legal driver in the states
in december...we will hit the summit with
double digits
wow

my babies
all growing up...
umarmen und lieben
essie

momma's funny!
16 cards for 16 years!!!
i thought it was brilliant






(the rice dinner our neighbor from the dominican made for pres-ALL he wanted on his birthday-Ms. Miriam's rice!! and yes, he ate every bite...no sharing!!)

no. 260 team leader blows away another year

the birthday where gator gear came late
for those who don't know
team leader is a
HUGE
gator and yankees fan
huge
mamoth
gargantuon
(is that right?)
big big BIG
this year the gear we ordered got here a little late
not in time for the birthday
BUT
in time for the big games
more pictures of the orange and blue explosion to come later





umarmen und lieben
essie

no.259 *e* love

so i felt bad enough to add more photos this morning...
no excuses!
i have to do better, and i know it, so here are snaps from this fall
on my 2.0 mega pixel kodak
b/c
the 10.8 pixel samsung is still getting fixed
so there aren't any fun summer or first day of school snaps
but there are some
and that (according to my e)
IS
better than nothing!
all my love to you wifi stealer!!!
grab me a crab stick

umarmen und lieben
essie

polish pottery fondue...the beginning! i was given a large bowl by my buddy michelle last year which was perfect for bread, but the table didn't looked "dressed" with only one piece
when we went to poland in august, i went on a mission, determined to find smaller bowls to use for the rest of my fondue goodies
what started as a simple idea has turned into an obsession-there's MUCH more where this came from (ANDY'S!!!) and these were taken in late august when i was really just getting started

no. 258 photos of the month

following in the far away footsteps of my friend erika
i've decided to record this month a picture at at time...
my only problem
i really don't have enough time to post every day
SO
i decided that i would post 6 or 7 photos every friday
which is better than nothing
and most of the time
nothing
is what i get posted on this poor blank blog of mine!

here goes-
nothing!

umarmen und lieben
essie

1 november 2009 wiesbaden germany

not 2 november 2009 heidelberg germany

3 november 2009 wiesbaden germany beginning pictures for a perpetual calendar

4 november 2009 mad eye martinis (for the mommas) and spidey venom (shirley temples for the kiddos)

5 november 2009 our boy turns 16

6 november 2009 does your office look this fun?!

no. 256 november begins

quietly here on our side of the atlantic.

last night was the beginning of new things at casa h, i realize, as the kinder in our house have slipped into that murky in between stage where nights such as Halloween are spent
hangin' with friends
not so much about dressing up anymore
but
finding themselves
back at home-eventually
back at home for the food treats,
back at home for the drink treats,
back at home to laugh about who they saw doing all sorts of silly
back at home to be

i'm glad that they all came back home last night
but part of me is silently missing
the halloween nights of our past
when going out meant having momma right there...
walking
waiting
laughing
lugging
having momma right there.

how many times have i said being their parent has been a blink for me-
one minute little,
the next...big.

thankfully, our neighbor got 3 photos of mr ben before the night was through.
3 photos to carry me to next year
when a new november sun will rise
fresh, clear, crisp
and big will become bigger
and momma will be right there.



umarmen und lieben
essie

no.255 when one is sickly

one is able to catch up on all the unfinished summer reading stacked alongside her bed.
so far this weekend, i've finished

Julie/Julia
The Italian Summer

and am currently working on

Clarice Bean
Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the search for Home

i reccommend them all!
nothing beats a good read-i would love a fireplace to crackle alongside, but when you're 41 (and a half) living in a stairwell in europe...
beggars can't be choosers

umarmen und lieben
essie

no.254 ugh

sometimes-
sometimes,
i say too much.
i keep talking when i should KNOW to
s.t.o.p.
it's not a good personality trait-
it's not a good parenting style.
it's not good.
sometimes.

no.253 the one about the one who changed my life

i wrote this 6 months ago, and reread it last week...
today is his day
hooray for 16!

today is our day
holy mess-he can start driving!

today is my day-
to thank G-d for the blessing
to thank G-d for the moment
to thanl G-d for every day that i get to say
he is my son.

i love you with all my heart
happy 16th birthday prestie
momma

ps-pictures will follow...it's the wee hours of the morn here in deutschland, blogger will tell me it's not october 5 when i post this
but here
far away
while he sleeps
i wish my son happy birthday as i type...

**************************************************************

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? No...i was on my way, this just got us to the alter a teeny tiny bit faster, morals clause in my teaching contract and all!!

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? total shock.

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Nope

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 24

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I just
knew...hard to explain, easy to understand, he was conceived on the 3rd anniversary of my grandfather's passing. I just knew.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Tony

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? only once-he was good to his momma

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? black bean burrittos from the SCAD mexican place in City Market

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Tony :-)

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? male

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? nope

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 32 pounds-i was back in my jeans the day after he was born.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? my first grade teammates gave me a shower, it was the 6 of us plus 2 kindergarten teachers i knew...we were too poor for me to join the social committee at my school!

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? i was having pre-term labor, so i knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Not really...just one ticket, when i ran a stop sign thinking i was in labor and lost my license for 2 weeks right before he was born!does that count as a complication?!

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Candler Hospital, Savannah Georgia

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 9

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Tony-i will NEVER forget looking up through the sun roof of the car-it was the clearest sky i've ever seen...so brilliant, so blue!

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Tony, and technically Aunt Jean, who called and was put through to the room LITERALLY as i was delivering him. she never had children , so this was the closest experience possible for her, and i'm thankful every day that she got it. i'm sure grandpa had something to do with that!

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? yes, because Tami told me not to be a pain martyr! :) what i learned, is that i'm allergic to the "regular epidural cocktail" and for the next 2 babies, i was seriously natural!

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 8 lbs 4 ozs

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? October 5, 1993 6:20 pm

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Preston Arthur Harrison, for Grandpa and Grandpa Prestie

31. HOW OLD IS HE/SHE TODAY? 16 in October...I can hardly believe it

that's our boy...
front and center...
always with a smile...
good natured to a fault...
devoted friend...
reasonably devoted big brother...
adored grandson...
cherished nephew...
wonderous, miracle, life changing,
first born
child.