The three big kids are on the east coast with their dad and stepmom, and having a great time.  Tonight was the first time I talked to them since last Friday (we sent a few texts back and forth, but that was it) and they sound happy and well.   Soph was really tearful in the days before they left, worried that she’d miss me.  Tonight she said, Remember when you said that I’d be having such fun and would be so busy that I would hardly even miss you?  No offense, Mom, but you were right!  Except now that I’m talking to you, I’m feeling like, well, like I miss you. 

I told her I was really glad to hear that she wasn’t missing me too much, and then listened to her tell me all about how she learned that she is totally phobic when they went up the stairs inside the Statue of Liberty’s head.  She meant claustrophobic, I am sure, but in this case it was also rolled up with altophobia (which I just looked up and wow, did you know about this?  “Arachibutyrophobia – Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.”  Or this?  “Bolshephobia – Fear of Bulsheviks.”  Or, uh, this?  “Genuphobia – Fear of knees.”  And, also, this one?  “Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of long words.”  I guess if you have that, just saying what you have is totally out of the question, so you have to explain it without saying it, like a game of Jeopardy or Charades.)

It may snow where they are on Saturday, and they are looking forward to seeing Boston before they head back home.  Favorite city so far is D.C., but they did think New York was pretty incredible. 

I miss them.  So do Willow and SG. 

The three of us went over to SG’s parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and it was really, really nice.  His mom is an excellent cook, and Willow had fun going through all the sale fliers from the newspaper that SG’s aunt had and circling the things she wanted.  You know, like $300 diamond earrings, $3 pajamas, socks, baby toys, pink watches, dolls, cameras, barbies. . .  Turns out, she thought she was *ordering* all these things, and was fully expecting them to arrive on Christmas Eve.  Whoops.

Tomorrow we are going to Monterey for the day, (Lutraphobia – Fear of otters!  Thalassophobia – Fear of the sea.  Cymophobia – Fear of waves or wave like motions.  Ostraconophobia – Fear of shellfish.  Ichthyophobia – Fear of fish.  And, well, Osphesiophobia – Fear of smells or odors.  Strangely, there isn’t a fear of sharks listed.) and have all the things we need to make tacos down near the beach.  I’m so lucky it’s pretty ridiculous, and I’ve got so much to be thankful for that it’s on my mind every single day.  You know when you’re watching a favorite movie, and as your favorite scene gets closer you say to whoever is with you, or even to an empty room, Ohh! This is the good part!?  I feel like that, almost all the time.  I’m so grateful.