Still Alive and Better than Ever

The holiday season has found me surrounded by so many friends and family that I am devoid of the usual pangs of loneliness that drive me to my blogging. We are all doing well and having more fun than is good for us. I'm beginning to get that Thanksgiving afternoon feeling of overindulgence and although I will miss everyone in Utah, I am getting more and more ready for our return to Eugene. It is nice to know that our trek this time will end in a place that is already unpacked and feels like home.

A Few of my Favorite Things

Apparently Rocky also enjoys my favorite toy which I lovingly refer to as Poddy. The arm band is a little big on her so I guess she is going to have to wait a few years until she gets her own. I feel a little bad for her because believe you me, I rarely share.

My i-pod has some music but for the most part it is completely filled with amazing podcasts. Sometimes I wonder how I could have lived before NPR on demand.

P.S. You know how every parent thinks their kid is a genius. I guess that only lasts until something like this happens.

Dark Nights and Cozy Lights

The good thing about the sun setting at approximately 4 p.m. is that Rocky and I can more easily peek into the windows of the houses we pass on our walks. Because it is so early most people haven't shut their blinds. The bright lights from inside provide a perfect view to see in without being seen. I mean this, of course, in the most innocent possible way. I just glance while passing, it's not like I'm hiding in the bushes spying on my neighbors.
I especially enjoy the apartments that are in our complex because we all more or less have the exact same setup. I've gotten a lot of good decorating tips, and even a few menu ideas for dinner from unsuspecting grad students and their families.
Every year my family has one of those mini Dickens Christmas villages.

The houses have tiny little windows that are lighted from the inside. Whenever I look at it I imagine what the little inhabitants would be doing inside. In Ogden there is also a Christmas village of larger houses that you can see into.

Inside are elves building toys, or dolls trimming a tree. Despite our warm coats and hats we would shiver outside enviously at the warm ambience inside the boxes.
Walking around our complex is like a giant version of those villages and I have the same instinct to look in and enjoy the fun.
I guess that in some ways it is a little bit disappointing.

It reminds me of when I used to have a lot of curiosity about what people in the grocery store were saying in Spanish. After I started to be able to understand I realized they were saying the same types of things that people were saying in English.
"Do you think I should get the one percent or skim?" "How many onions do we have at home? Do you think we should get a few more?"
I don't know what I was expecting, except that it would be more interesting. I guess that as humans we have the tendency to believe that other people lead more exciting lives than our own.

It's the same deal with the people in the apartments. Once in awhile I'll get a good glimpse of someone who looks ridiculous while playin a Wii but for the most part it is just regular, boring, living. Mostly I have seen people watching T.V., washing dishes, talking on the phone, studying and eating cereal.
Although nothing remarkable seems to be happening, I feel a little bit like Ebeneezer Scrooge, standing outside in the dark watching the Cratchit family enjoy the warmth of their fire.

But, in my case, I don't feel too left out because I secretly think that if someone peeked in on our dinner, they might think that it looked cozy too. But nobody ever will because I know that I'm not the only one who looks in windows so at the first sign of dark our blinds are closed.

Sugar and Spice, but Mostly Sugar

Looks like somebody is already taking after her mom.