Home (or maybe not) for Thanksgiving

I am comfortably sitting at my parents' place, on their couch, enjoying the barking of puppies and the laughter of the "men." I had to run some errands before I got to my parents' house tonight. In one store, I had a clerk ask me if I was "going home" for Thanksgiving. It struck me. Home? Well, my response was, "Well, my home is here. But I am going to be with my parents." I do not consider my parents' house my home. It is where my family is, but I am a big kid. I have made a home with my husband. Part of this may be because my parents moved when I was 23, and I have never lived at their current address or in their current town. But I've been opening the question to those around me...where is your home?

My mother says home is where she is now...

My dad says home is where he grew up...

My grandmother (in her 70s) says that home is the town where she spent most of her years but hasn't lived in a decade...

I find this concept interesting. So, where is your home?

Wherever it is, may you be at peace and remember God's blessings and wonder on Thanksgiving.

Here's to home.

The Ghost Returns

Well, graduate school is a little more than I thought it would be. A little more hours to put in. A little more work. A little tougher. A little more overwhelming. Yes, more. And thus, my ghost has been occupying the space of my blog in my stead. I hope to return back to more posting at T-Giving (yes I am cool and say things like T-Giving because I am a college student again). Until then, please know that I wish I were posting more. But all you would get is "school is hard, I am tired, and I am a big baby." So maybe you're glad I am not posting.

Last week Hubs and I became parents. Well, temporary parents. We watched two lovely little girls while the true parents were in Mexico. We felt so bad for them, being in Mexico and all, that we agreed to watch the rugrats while they HAD to sit on a beach and sip margaritas. So, parents we became. From Sunday til Friday, we had a 2 year old and a 6 year old daughter.

Tuesday, as I leave for class, Hubs goes into a detailed, passionate monologue about how children are much easier than he thought and how we could do this now without a problem. I blinked at him and went to class, requiring him to put the children through bedtime ritual on his own.

On Wednesday he changed his first "real" diaper and left it out for 2 hours in the room, allowing me the fullest of enjoyment. We had a chat.

On Wednesday night he experienced his first true 2-year-old tantrum. Flailing arms and legs, big crocodile tears, and of course, we were in public! Awesome. We managed to get her buckled into the car and get her home. She was a bear for the rest of the night but slept like an angel.

On Thursday I got to particpate in Mommy and Me Gymnastics. Too bad Hubs missed out. He missed a lot more flailing, crying, and refusing to follow directions. He also missed the diaper blowout at the park. Yes, we got the full picture of parenting.

On Friday, when I came home, I asked what he wanted to do to celebrate the joyous occasion of nolonger being parents. He said he was too exhausted to celebrate. And my plan worked after all:-).

Suffice to say we will enjoy being a party of 2 plus a doggie for now. And Godbless every one of you, parents in the world. Your job is thankless.

I am off to read more journal articles, write more papers, and drink more coffee.

Here's to T-Giving.

On Th