Decking the Halls and Trimming the Tree

I used to wait until after Thanksgiving to do anything Christmas. I didn't even listen to Christmas music until Thanksgiving Day. In recent years, I've eased up on those rigid rules, and I find I am actually much happier. Why did I have all those rules anyway? I don't know. Does starting Christmas activities before Thanksgiving in any way detract from that holiday? I don't think it does, at least not for me. I recently read a Facebook post that suggested combining the two celebrations only strengthens the meaning of each. After all, what is there to be more thankful for than the birth of the Savior, leading to his infinite atonement and resurrection? And besides all that, Celeste has probably had her tree up since July, so putting mine up the day before Thanksgiving is perfectly fine.

We had planned to decorate this Saturday, which is our usual routine, but this year we are waiting until Saturday to have our Thanksgiving dinner and celebration, so that would have been too much to do in one day. Then yesterday, we saw not one, but two Christmas trees already in windows in our neighborhood, and that finalized our decision. Shulamith said, "I want our Christmas trees up! Let's do it tomorrow." And so we did. We knew it would feel different without Eli; we Websters LOVE Christmas, and he is always right in the center of decorating. But Seth rose to the occasion and spearheaded the way. First, he brought up all the boxes from storage. Then he set up the entire tree for us:

 I helped just a little. Swen was so excited by the whole deal that he promptly fell asleep.

He awoke happy, enough so that he allowed Seth to entertain him just long enough for Shulamith and me to string the lights.

The rest was fairly easy; the lights are always the hardest part. We had fun reminiscing as we unwrapped each ornament, many filled with memories of days passed. Seth was shocked by the earliest ones: "1988?" he gasped, as though it were the dinosaur ages. I guess when you are born in the year 2000, 1988 sounds like a pretty long time ago. Shulamith vented her yearly frustration because her "Baby's First Christmas" ornament doesn't include a photo like Luke's does, and she also reminded me of how I threw away all her school-made ornaments. Yep, I did. Bad mom. Very bad. We listened to Neal Diamond sing "O Holy Night" in the background.We "oohed and ahhed" over the Christmas spirit we were creating piece by piece in our home. We smiled over all the Santa photos from past Christmases as we set them on the coffee table. Seth reached high to put the angel on top of the tree. I arranged my Willow Tree nativity.

And then, after we were all finished, we went downstairs and spread the Christmas joy through Shulamith and Matt's apartment, setting up and decorating their little tree and arranging a second nativity there. The season has begun. Though I still have eight days of classes and five times that many essays to read, for me, the season has begun. My heart is in the season, both Thanksgiving and Christmas together. May it be everything you want it to be.

BD2 - The End of an Era

I cried. I laughed. I cheered. I cried again. It was wonderful and sad and tender and joyous, all wrapped up tight in a crowded movie theatre at 10:30 Thursday night. It was the final movie in the Twilight series, "Breaking Dawn 2." It was the end of an era.

It began for me over five years ago at a girls' night at Teresa's house. We did this often back in those days; our ward was small, so we needed each other. For reasons unique to each of us, we needed each other. Together we found a place to connect, a place to be ourselves, a place to laugh, a place to belong, and ultimately a place to discover the world of Edward and Bella. It was Teresa who first read the series. I wonder if she has forgiven us for our initial skepticism. I'm sure she has; she is a gracious person, not quick to hold grudges. Really, though, a book about vampires? Are you kidding? I'm an English major. I have both a bachelor's and master's degree in English literature. A teenage romance novel about vampires? Not likely.

But then, just a short time later, not only was Teresa reading these books, but so was Kim. Admittedly, I was curious, curious but still cautious. It wasn't until Celeste joined the bandwagon that I even considered picking up the first novel. Celeste is one of my closest friends. She knows me well, and I trust her. If she says I'll like it, I'll like it. She pored through Twilight in barely two days and brought it right over.

And that was it. The end. Goodbye housework. Goodbye cooking. Goodbye family. Goodbye normal life. I was completely and willingly consumed by this impossible, but so very genuine, story. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Looking back now, I wish I'd had my Kindle; I could have read faster! Once finished, I ran immediately across the street to give it to Lindsey and then around the corner to pick up New Moon from Celeste. And so it went for the first three books. Celeste read first, then me, then Lindsey. At one point, as I was poring through Eclipse, Lindsey texted to tell me she had finished New Moon. "How much longer?" she wanted to know before she could get her hands on Eclipse. Soon. I promise!

We had to wait for the fourth book because it wasn't yet published. We were there that night, all three of us at Barnes & Noble, at midnight for the release of "Breaking Dawn." I remember how I felt when I paid the cashier and she placed the book in my hands, with its shiny, slick chess board cover; the large, white queen in the middle; and the smaller, red pawn behind. Celeste and Lindsey got their copies (yes, we each bought our own this time), and we drove home as fast as we could. We had waited a long time. We were more than ready to surrender our homes and our children to the care of our husbands and to escape into this favorite place. And so we did.

When I first learned the books would become movies, I wondered if it would be possible to do this story justice on the screen. It was. Could they really capture the essence of these characters? They did. When the movie Twilight came out four years ago in November of 2008, a group of us went together, many of the same Metra Ward friends who were at Teresa's house that night so long before. But I had an added bonus. Lindsey's baby daughter Hanna was just a month old, so I had the perfect situation: Hanna in my arms and Edward on the screen. If you're wondering whether life gets any better than that, it doesn't.That was the first of seven times I watched the movie. I know, right?

The following year, when New Moon came out, we once again went in a group, a girls' night out preceded by yummy food at Staggering Ox. We watched Twilight first, and then New Moon at midnight. It was surreal. By the time Eclipse was released in 2010, several of our friends had moved from Billings; others were busy or had plans to see the movie with family members. It was just Lindsey and I that night. She made me forsake my diet and eat popcorn. Twilight is sacred; we don't diet. When I didn't gain any weight that week, despite eating a disgustingly copious amount of buttered deliciousness, we decided it was because the reason was so absolutely justified.

After that, Lindsey moved to Rexburg, and eventually we moved here. Last year, when Breaking Dawn I was released, Mathew managed to get Shulamith and me tickets for an early showing, which meant that Shulamith wouldn't be wiped out the following morning when she had to teach her kindergarten class starting at 8:00. She was pregnant and already exhausted. I missed Lindsey; it felt "off" to be there without her. But it was also fun to go with Shulamith for the first time. Best would be all three of us together, but we don't always get best. Again this year, it was Shulamith and I. We both sat motionless from start to finish of Breaking Dawn 2, completely enchanted by the twist of events, especially those that were different from the book. Bella has matured; vampire-hood suits her. I liked her better than ever before. It was my favorite of all five movies.

We left the theatre with conflicted emotions, glad for the perfect ending, but sad because it was the end, the end of an era. Still, I cannot grieve too long. Instead, I look back with fondness on a time in many ways not so long ago, and in other ways forever, at a little party at Teresa's house with some of my best friends, when Teresa first started talking about vampires. Almost all of us have left Billings now; only a couple remain. A reunion would be difficult if not impossible, and yet, we can unite this month because wherever we are, we can go see Breaking Dawn 2 and remember.

But Sometimes I Just Really Miss Michael, Sara, and Lincoln

There are many good shows on TV, but sometimes I just really miss Michael, Sara, and Lincoln. Anyone else?

Throughout my life, my TV habits have varied. I grew up on TV. As a child, I could tell you what day it was and what time it was based solely on what was on TV. There have also been times in my life when I've watched almost no TV at all. I've been so busy with everything else that TV was a low, low priority. I remember during one such "season," the Emmy Awards came around and I literally had no idea about even one show that was nominated. At other times I've watched a fair amount of TV, and now is one of those times. I blame Shulmith's baby. Ha! I'm mostly kidding, of course, but all jokes contain some degree of honesty or they wouldn't be funny, and it's true that since Swen was born six months ago, my TV watching has dramatically increased. This is the case for a couple of reasons.

First, Swen really hates his car seat. Like really hates it. In his defense, I should say that in the past couple of weeks, that hatred has lessened slightly, and we have some hope for him, but up until now, let's just say that car travel with him was pretty much a nightmare. It takes at least twice as long to get anywhere because we have to stop so many times to take him out and reassure him that the world isn't actually ending. You can imagine how much we look forward to car trips. Not! So instead of going out to eat (our regular nightly routine while both our husbands work), sometimes we actually cook. I know, right? But it's true. If not that, one of us runs out and brings home food. Anything to keep Swen out of the car. And what do we do evening after evening at home with Swen? Why watch TV, of course!

Second, Swen likes to nap in our arms in a rocking chair. In fact, he doesn't nap any other way. At night, he sleeps lying down, but not for naps. He likes to cuddle, and we like to cuddle him, so it's totally win/win. And what do we do for the hours and hours we sit in rocking chairs with Swen napping? Well, sometimes I read my Kindle or browse Facebook or attempt to blog with one hand, but the easiest thing to do is watch TV.

And there are some excellent shows on, especially if you have Netflix streaming. Allow me to share a few of my favorites:

Vampire Diaries. If you haven't tried this one, you really must. It's impossible not to be immediately drawn in to the sweet but dangerous romance between Stefan and Elana, and by the end of the second season, you'll even be in love with Daman, Stefan's "evil" brother. And just as a warning--- you also might really want to be a witch. I do.

The Killing. Watch just one episode, and you'll be hooked. You will have to know who the murderer is. Problem is, it will take an entire season to find out, and (spoiler alert!), you won't even know for sure at that point. Those of you who need closure might be frustrated here. I was. But there's another season yet to come, and I can't wait. Because the show is set in Seattle, the rain is relentless, which provides the dark, moody effect the creators desired. How perfect!

Parenthood. The complexity of the several story lines is enticing enough. Add that to an ensemble cast of beautifully-developed characters played by fine actors (the little boy who has Asperger's Syndrome is amazing) and you have the makings of a rich and lovely drama. Parents, especially, will relate to these characters, but I think anyone would enjoy the show.

Breaking Bad. Oh, so good. So sad. So raw. But so good. Have you ever read Jude the Obscure? You know how in that book, just when you think things can't possibly get any worse, you turn the page and they do? It's like that for Walter White. I found myself saying, "Is there not a moral person in this entire show other than Holly?" (She's the infant born in the first season to Walt and Skyler.) I'd be remiss not to point out that this show is definitely not for kids. The life of a methamphetamine cook? Yeah, obviously not a family show, right? Right. But worth watching? Absolutely.

Revenge. This is a new one; I've only watched four episodes, and the premise is a sad one. The lead character begins with a monologue in which she informs us that "This is not a story of forgiveness. This is a story of revenge." Sad for sure, but I'm already sufficiently roped in, desperate for each new tidbit of information explaining why she hates these people so voraciously and what part each of them played in taking her father from her when she was just a child. As she exacts revenge, one person at a time, I find myself in awe of both her conviction and her brutality.

Indeed, there are some really good TV shows available, but none that compare with my favorite show of all time. Dare I say perhaps it is the best series ever broadcast on television. Ever? Okay, yeah, I'm going to say exactly that. Prison Break is the best show of all time. There, I said it. And even though there are lots of good shows to watch, sometimes I just really miss Michael, Sara, and Lincoln.

Anyone else?

Scary, Or Not Scary?

Halloween. The scariest night of year, right? Ghosts and goblins, witches and zombies, haunted houses and horror flicks, what more could you ask for? Halloween 2012 at our house had some very scary things, along with some not-so-scary ones:

Scary: Seth in his costume consisting of a pink tutu and fairy wings. Mathew wore this a couple years ago with black tights, and he managed to convince Seth to wear it this year. It turned out to be a good costume; Seth came home with more candy than ever before, a pillow case 2/3 full. Ahh, Seth, and we work so hard to keep your sad teeth from further decay. This won't help.

 

Not Scary: Swen in his little monster costume. His parents like to call him their "little monster," so this was the perfect costume. Also, "monster" is a great combination of the names Monson and Webster, so even more perfect, huh?

Scary: Me wearing this adorable Halloween apron that my friend Patty made for me. The apron, itself, isn't scary; I think it's possibly the cutest thing ever. The scary part is the idea that I might try to cook something while wearing it. My cooking -- very scary!

Not Scary: Isaiah and Seth playing in fall leaves. I love this picture.

Scary: Isaiah and Seth on this thrill ride at Lagoon Frightmares. Isaiah and his friend Naomi took Seth there last week. Apparently, along with the wonderfully scary rides, during Halloween season, they have zombies with chain saws walking around and other such things. Ahhh!

Not Scary: The Webster-Monson Family together on Swen's first Halloween. Mathew hates all holidays, and Halloween is no exception, so it was a huge demonstration of his love for his son that he took the night off to be with his family.

Scary: Matt and Seth trick-or-treating through South Town Center. Why is this scary? Ha, whenever the two of them are together, it's a bit scary. And watching them trick-or-treating....let's just say you had to be there.

Not Scary: Swen and I at the ward Halloween trunk-or-treat party. He kept the costume on just long enough for a couple of pictures. It was so hot inside the church. There's this problem with LDS chapels; they are either too hot or too cold. All the time. The temperature can never be comfortable. This was one of the hot nights, too hot for Swen's monster costume.

Scary: This very close election and the possibility that Mitt Romney could win on Tuesday. (This one is super scary, but try not to worry. I'm pretty sure it's going to be okay. The President is leading in most of the swing states. As long as Democrats vote, it will be fine.)

Not Scary: Isaiah and his friend Naomi with Seth at Lagoon Frightmares. They don't look very scared.

Very, Very Scary: Speaks for itself.

And there you have it, Halloween 2012 with the Erichsen-Webster family. Scary or not, it was fun.

Insomniac

I can always sleep. Always. It's actually one of the few things I'm really, really good at. I was the child who had to do morning kindergarten because even at age 5, I was still taking a 2-hour afternoon nap. I was the child whose parents tried to keep her awake past 6:30 p.m. by saying things like, "Instead of going to bed now, how about you just lie down on the couch and watch T.V. with us." They tell me I never made it past the national news, which ended at 7:00. If they failed to get me dinner by 6:30, I didn't eat. As an adult, I'm happiest and healthiest when I get about 9-1/2 hours of sleep at night, and I almost always do. Yep, I can always sleep.

Except when I can't. Like tonight. It's now 1:30 a.m., and I've been trying to fall asleep since 10:00. Blah! This is such a rare occurrence that it makes me really mad. Occasionally, when I am super, super stressed, my anxiety sky rockets, and nothing I do seems to help. I am wide awake. It sucks. To those of you who experience this often, you have my utmost sympathy. Of course, rare as these occasions are, they always fall on nights when I have a full list of obligations the following day. So I lie in bed and stress over not only what was keeping me awake in the first place, but also about how I'm going to be too exhausted to function tomorrow. Double blah!

So instead of continuing with that utterly unproductive cycle, I decide to get up and blog. Will I be able to put together a clear thought at this hour when I'm this tired? With no proofreader awake this late, should I wait until morning to post this? I don't know. Oh wait...there is someone awake. It's Isaiah. He's been asleep here on the couch until just now. "You're still up?" he asks, baffled. I am never up this late; remember, I need nine hours of sleep. I explain my very occasional plight with anxiety-induced insomnia and send him off to bed. Now I am perfectly alone.

This house is quiet and dark. The only light, other than from my laptop, comes from the Halloween decoration we have in the window, which I forgot to unplug before going to bed 4 hours ago. Yep, it's 2:00 a.m. now. The quiet is disconcerting. This house, with seven of us living here, is never quiet. I wish I could say it's peaceful, but it isn't. My body is so charged with excess energy that nothing is peaceful. I wonder if Shulamith is awake downstairs. I hope not. I hope Baby Swen (and his mommy) are sound asleep. I wish I could be asleep. I really wish that.

My eyes burn. They know they're supposed to be shut at this hour. I struggle to exercise the relaxation techniques I've learned through many years of dealing with anxiety. It's not working. My mind races regardless, from one topic to another, in circles, over and over. I try to sing a peaceful hymn. I'm distracted. I try to count my blessings. I'm distracted. I try to pray. I'm distracted. I tell myself that sleep will come eventually. It always does. I reassure myself that I will get thorough the day tomorrow, even if I never sleep tonight. My mind needs that reassurance.

Time passes slowly, but then it's already 2:00, so how will I ever get the sleep I so desperately need? The night will be over in just a few more hours. Then what? How will I finish grading my papers, the ones I was too tired to finish earlier? How will I teach my classes? No, this is not a good train of thought. Back up to how I will indeed get through the day tomorrow no matter what. Yes, that is better. My eyes burn more severely, but my shoulders are still tense. Try to relax. Try to relax. It's so hard. Why is it so hard?

I can always sleep. Except when I can't.

Insomniac.

They Call It Nostalgia, Right?

We are supposed to live in the present. It is the healthiest place to live. We all know this. Too much time spent longing for the past or dreaming of the future is not productive and robs us of the joy of right now.

Okay, fine.

Still, on occasion, isn't it okay to look back just a bit? Isn't it okay to remember past experiences with fondness? They call it nostalgia, right? "A wistful desire to return at least in thought to a former time in one's life; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time" (Dictionary.com). That's how it was the two days Shulamith and I spent in Mt. Vernon this past week. It was pure nostalgia. 

Getting there, however, was complicated. I may have mentioned how much little Swen detests his car seat. I have truly never seen a baby who hates it quite as much as he does. He can go from giddy happy to raging furious in a matter of seconds; all we have to do is place him in that seat. Consequently, we wanted to arrange our travel so his car seat time was as minimal as possible. We flew into Portland Friday night and spent a couple days with my family there. Here is Swen riding on my mother's wooden cow:

Sunday evening, we rode Amtrak from Portland to Seattle. Swen was fairly happy with that arrangement, other than a brief period in the middle of the trip when his mom and I took turns carrying him up and down the train as he expressed his dissatisfaction. I was flooded with memories of an airline flight four years ago with my friend Lindsey, whose daughter Hanna was the same age Swen is now. We had gone to visit our friend Celeste in Texas. On the trip home, I carried Hanna up and down the fuselage the entire 2-1/2 hour flight from San Antonio to Denver, to keep her from screaming.

Once in Seattle, we had to get back down to Sea-Tac Airport to rent a car to drive to Mt. Vernon. That was the scariest part of the whole four days because we had all our luggage, a stroller, our carry-on bags, and a highly unpredictable infant. Ha! But no worries. It was smooth all the way. Gerald had given us clear instructions, and we had no trouble finding our way through the rainy Seattle night to the light rail, which would take us to the airport:

Instantly, as we stepped off the light rail, we found a shuttle to the car rental arena. What timing! We were feeling pretty awesome at this point...not gonna lie. We quickly selected our rental car and were on the road to Mt. Vernon. Shulamith discovered the fine art of nursing Swen in the car, without removing herself from her seat belt or Swen from his car seat, and believe me, this new skill proved invaluable! Ironically, would you care to guess which of my five babes was the only one who required me to go to such drastic measures once upon a time? Uh huh. You guessed right. Karma!

We arrived in Mt. Vernon around 9:30 Sunday night, greeted by our friends Jeannie and Larry Henderson, who hosted us in their home. Their amazing hospitality was unbelievable. We felt like we were in a luxury hotel. Each of us had our own room, with the comfort of a lovely queen bed and private bath. We rested peacefully after a very long day and awoke refreshed and ready to reminisce. It was raining hard. I had requested rain for the whole 4 days we were in the Northwest, and I got my wish. I miss it so much. Even if I never live in that part of the country again, I will always love the rain.

After breakfast at Calico Cupboard, Swen did something miraculous and totally out of character; he actually fell asleep in his car seat. And stayed asleep too, for nearly an hour, giving us plenty of time to drive around our home town.

First stop was our house:

The person who bought it from us eight years ago, used it as a rental unit for college kids, and I'm sad to say, it shows. It looked pretty run down. Still, we sat for several minutes and looked at it. So many memories surround that house. The tree we planted for Shulamith, outside her bedroom window, has grown and grown. The poem "Tree at My Window" by Robert Frost was the impetus for this way back in 1996 when we bought the house. And it is still there. So many things have changed, but that little tree is still there, though not so little.

From there we drove by Haggen, my favorite grocery store. Now you may think me strange for my obsession with this store. All I can tell you is that Haggen is the loveliest grocery store I've ever been in, and going back there, I was once again overcome with memories. From Seth in the childcare center (I know, right? What could be more brilliant than a child care center in a grocery store?), to cheer parent meetings in the Market Street Cafe, to hot chocolate with friends at the Starbucks, to the friendly faces at Peoples Bank, this was my store. 

Next stop, Mt. Vernon High School. Obviously, Shulamith had more memories here than I did, but late Monday night, when the lights shined brightly over the Bulldog football field, we were both taken back ten years to the days of cheer, which pretty much consumed both our lives from 2001-2004. Baby Seth attended more football games, basketball games, and wrestling matches than any child his age; sadly, he remembers none of that, but we do. Such a sweet little boy he was. Here is the high school today:

We spent two full days wrapped in nostalgia, which of course included food. We ate at Round Table Pizza and Mama Riva's. We roamed Cascade Mall. The food court, which had been our Friday night ritual, was practically non-existent; only Subway and Orange Julius remain. We rounded out our eating frenzy with fries, ice-cream, and Diet Coke at Big Scoop Sundae Palace. How many birthdays have we celebrated there? I couldn't begin to count. The restaurant has not changed even one iota, including the menu. I enjoyed my long-time favorite, the banana royal.

 

We left town Tuesday afternoon, satisfied with all we had experienced. It's not that we wish to return to those days. We don't. It's not that we were happier then. We weren't. But in every way that counts, Mt. Vernon will always be our home town. Luke and Shulamith grew up there. Isaiah and Eli were young children there. Seth was born there. We had deep roots for sure. And were it not for the declining economy, we never would have left. But life moves forward. We must live in the present. And so we will. But on occasion, isn't it okay to look back just a bit?

They call it nostalgia, right?

As Exciting As Watching Grass Grow

You've heard this expression, I'm sure. The implication is that watching grass grow represents the absolute epitome of boredom. But does it? Well let me just tell you that when two women, both of them mommies and teachers but not gardeners, decide to plant grass seed in their whole backyard, watching that grass grow is pretty dang exciting.

To backtrack, when we moved into this house a year ago July, about half the backyard had grass. The other half was divided into four parts: a play area with swing set, an overgrown former vegetable garden covered in weeds, a horribly ugly greenhouse, and a weathered but functional tool shed. The greenhouse had to go. No question. So Mathew's dad came over and single-handedly tore the thing down for us. I think Gerald and Seth might have helped a little, but the greatest share of the work was Todd's. Without him, his tools, and his expertise, that ugly greenhouse would most certainly still be out there. Thank you, Todd.

As summer approached, the watering season began. That turned out to be a giant disaster because our underground sprinkler system was faulty. Former owners failed to disclose that little piece of information, even though neighbors told us it had never really worked correctly. With the unusually hot and dry summer, it was all we could do to keep the front yard watered, and we didn't fully succeed at that, though not for lack of trying; Gerald spent hours every day moving sprinklers around in attempt to keep the grass in the front yard green. But the backyard? Nope, didn't happen. All the grass died.

And then it was fall. Shulamith very much wants Swen to have a nice yard to play in next summer (Will he really be big enough to play by then??), and our backyard was anything but "nice," so she made it our project for September to fix that situation. Here is just one sad example of what it looked like:

I know, right?

Our first task was to pull out all the weeds. There were so many, and the ones where the vegetable garden used to be were way tall. We had to moisten the ground and then dig them out with shovels. Next, we tried to level out the ground with those same shovels because we didn't happen to have a rototiller just lying around. We did our best. Our next step was to go to Lowe's and explain our woeful lack of experience and knowledge about planting grass and beg for help.

The folks there were super nice. We told them we wanted to plant grass in our backyard and we had no idea how, but we didn't want to spend a ton of money. They suggested we get some fertilizer (can't remember what specifically) to apply first, then the seed, and then some cover dirt for over the top. Okay, got it. We bought a cheap spreader and came home excited. Well, Shulamith was excited. I was neutral by that point, and Swen was totally over the whole thing. He insisted on being held, so we took turns spreading the fertilizer, seed, and dirt.

Then the waiting began. The waiting and watering, that is. Apparently, you have to keep a newly seeded lawn moist or the grass won't grow. Also, you're not supposed to walk on it much, and you're certainly not supposed to dig holes in it. Kitty (aka Queen of Digging Holes), therefore, had to be kept inside, which of course meant one of us taking her out front on a leash every time she needed to go to the bathroom. How totally convenient.

That was about three weeks ago. For the first week, we watched close every day, hoping to see even the tiniest blade of grass peek up out of all that dirt. We were scared all this work would be for nothing. Matt's mom assured Shulamith that it can take up to two weeks to see any evidence of grass, which gave us hope, but then my friend Jane told me she tried three different times to seed her backyard, but the grass never grew. "Oh no! That's SO gonna be us."

Finally, though, about a week ago, we saw it, some tiny blades of grass. No, it wasn't a lot. Yes, it seemed to be growing in small patches, but whatever. It was grass! We grew grass. We did it. And while it's not thick and lovely yet, it's getting thicker every day. If it's not quite what we want by spring, we will throw some more seed out to fill in, but I really do think we will have a yard. A backyard for Baby Swen. And speaking of him, here's a picture in his new Halloween jammies:

Watching grass grow. Exciting? Oh yeah, it is. It totally is.