Update for the New Year

2011 was quite the busy year (as usual) and the busy-ness continues. Abby is taking the babysitting certification class today. She was sick yesterday, so we're thankful all is well today as she was really looking forward to the class and wanting to earn some money! Maggie spent a good bit of last week (Tuesday-Friday from 9-5) at driver's ed class. Several of her friends were in the same class, so although she found it "boring" she had people to be bored with. Additionally, it was held at the JCC so she got to see some of her summer camp friends and go out for lunch with them.

Mom and dad came to visit the week before Christmas. They arrived Friday afternoon, just in time to enjoy Abby's play (a Cinderella Christmas). She was one of the narrators. It was with the Lakefront Youth Theater Experience (LYTE) here in New Orleans and where she did Peter Pan this summer. A great program -- staff are volunteers, and the overall aim is to put on a professional show but allow the kids to learn and have fun along the way. I've been very impressed with the program and thrilled that she wanted to do this play. Practices were every day after school from 3:30-6:30 for 2 weeks as well as all day on the one Saturday. She managed to keep her head above water AND prepare for both her violin recital and exams. And I managed with the extra driving all over the city! Mom, Maggie and I enjoyed the Friday evening show. Saturday afternoon mom and I met Abby's friend Ashley and her mom Lisa for the matinee. Tom and my dad went Saturday night. And on Sunday (rushing over after the violin recital!) mom, aunt Bonnie and I attended, followed by a short visit to the cast party (after 4 shows AND a violin recital AND a visit from grandparents we were all tired. Her violin recital also went very well. She played a quite difficult solo piece and played lead violin in an ensemble group which she seems to really enjoy (3 violins plus the teacher and a cello). After that Abby was ready to relax.

Mom and Abby went to see The Muppet Movie Monday. Abby and mom both hadn't seen it and, apparently, they laughed the whole way through. Maggie and I had seen it at Thanksgiving and I really liked it as well. Meanwhile Maggie was still having exams. She finished Tuesday at 12:15 and went to lunch with friends. Then she, mom, Abby and I headed shopping. We went to a different mall than normal to check out their selections. Somewhat successful trip for all of us. On Wednesday we all headed to see Sherlock Holmes. Definitely a fun movie (at least I thought so!). Mom and dad had to leave Thursday to celebrate Christmas with my sister.

On Friday Maggie joined some friends for an ugly sweater party. I think her's is quite a winner, no?

We chose to do all the Santa and presents on Christmas Eve this year. On Friday the 23rd our microwave stopped heating food -- the light worked, the fan worked, the turntable worked and even the timer worked, but nothing got heated. Since the girls weren't up Tom headed out on the 24th to try to find a new one (it's built in and the space for it is quite small -- below "standard" -- which makes finding a replacement difficult). 4 stores as well as my looking on line and texting ideas to him and no joy. By 11 he was home, the girls were up, and the unwrapping commenced. Nice to be together! We enjoyed our holiday dinner spread out at the dining room table and waddled off to bed. Christmas day we enjoyed celebrating with our church families and mostly relaxed. Maggie joined a friend and his family at Celebration in the Oaks that evening. The 26th Tom and I went to another appliance store and talked with a pretty knowledgeable gentleman. Tom'd scheduled a repairman for Tuesday so we decided to wait for that (4 days without a microwave is an eternity, no?). They showed up promptly on Tuesday and checked it out, ultimately agreeing with Tom's diagnosis of the problem -- broken magnetron -- had the replacement part and fixed it. Life is joyful again!

Wednesday evening we all enjoyed Tom's Christmas present -- the girls and I took him to Muriel's Jackson Square. YUM. Abby again ate her entire steak, the rest of us enjoyed fish and, of course, dessert.

New Year's Eve was pretty typical for us. Tom and I went to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the afternoon. The girls each had friends over and we ordered in pizza. I took down all the Christmas decorations and enjoyed my 2 glasses of champagne (yep, I'm a lightweight!). My light was off by 12:05am. But I did make it up and saw Dick Clark on the TV. New Year's day Abby and her friend and I met her friend's parents and sister at church. We'd planned to go have lunch together. Unfortunately Abby fell ill so she and I headed home. The up side for me was that I got to see the entire Saints game. And make my baby some chicken soup. Maggie went to the mall in the afternoon with friends and all was well in our house.

That seems to catch us up! Hope your year is blessed in ways you cannot even imagine.