Rankings

TCU has had an excellent run under Dennis Franchione (before he disgraced himself at A&M) and Gary Patterson. I give most of the credit to Patterson. When last night's BCS rankings came out, TCU could make some claims that I'm quite happy to point out to you:

• The Frogs are ranked #11. Right behind the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes. I am betting most of our Buckeye Nation friends are trying to overlook this. After all, they wouldn't want to actually credit our little school for doing so well.
• TCU has two losses this season. They have been to No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 6 Utah. The Frogs couldn't hold up against the Sooners, but their defense did hold OU to 25 yards rushing. Against Utah, it was a battle of the defenses as both offenses struggled to get points on the board. In the end, it was a last-minute Utah drive that did TCU in. No matter, two losses to two top 10 teams isn't much to complain about.

Despite all of this, TCU will still be screwed come bowl season. The Mountain West Conference lacks the glamour and prestige of other conferences, so its teams are stuck playing in meaningless bowls played so early in the postseason that people often miss them. Once again, this shows that college football is all about greed and politics. It has little to do with actually getting the best matchups on the field to battle for the best rankings.

5 reasons I like winter

Just to be fair, and because I'm generally a positive person:

1. The quiet snow. There are few things so peaceful and enjoyable than being outside when the snow is falling. It's truly lovely. The world just sounds different. And to my children, it's almost magical.
2. The holidays. The stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas used to stress me out more, but I have been better recently about planning ahead and eliminating tasks that aren't critical. Still, this time of year is one of my favorites, second perhaps only to spending warm, sunny days at the pool! Really, I love the magic surrounding the holidays and the joy the season brings to so many people. And I love sharing it with family and friends.
3. Wearing stylish coats. When we win the lottery, I will buy 15 coats of varying styles and colors. I actually do love stylish coats. I really love the selection at JCrew, because they are so kind and thoughtful to offer many of them in Tall sizes. The coats I don't care for are the bulky, winter coats that actually keep you warm. Unfortunately, those are preferable in these here parts.
4. Playing in snow. Actually, my kids enjoy this more than I do. But I love how excited they get to play in the white stuff. They can complain about the cold for days but then it snows five inches, and suddenly they act as if it's 10 degrees warmer outside. (Well, in January or February, that is likely to be the case!)
5. Hot chocolate. I love drinking hot chocolate, though it's a special treat that I only have on occasion. Not only is it warm and delicious, but it also reminds me of dear friend, Tyra, and puts a smile on my face.

Bonus: This winter we have a new reason to enjoy the cold. We're spending many days and evenings in our newly finished basement. I am not a basement person during the summer, when I'd rather be outside or near a window to enjoy the sunshine. But during the gray, winter days, what difference does it make? We are settling in nicely to our new space, and the kids are enjoying more comfortable access to their downstairs playroom.

5 reasons I hate winter

I realize that winter does not begin until December, but someone forgot to mention that to the Michigan branch of Mother Nature. So already this winter, I can list 5 reasons I hate winter:

1. The kids go stir-crazy. I suppose if we gave into unlimited video games and TV, the kids wouldn't be so wild after being stuck inside all day. Or perhaps they'd be even crazier. Either way, the kids (and I) desperately miss their outdoor play time.
2. Playing outside. Yes, people do go outside in Michigan. And kids play outside. But it's cold! And you have to put on so many layers, which leads me to ...
3. Dressing in layers. My hubbie will tell you that even after six years, I still don't dress right for winter. That's partially because I don't like wearing layers. But what I dislike even more is having to put all of those layers on my children -- all THREE of them. It takes 30 minutes to go outside to play for five minutes before someone starts complaining that it's too cold and they want to go back inside. Seriously.
4. The gray skies. What's even worse than the cold temperatures is the endless gray days. In the past two weeks, I'd guess we've had two sunny days. The lack of sunshine wears on us so much more than the cold or the snow.
5. The sun goes down ... way too early. It's dark here around 5 p.m. In mid-December, it'll be closer to 4:30. I remember winters when I worked in which I'd drop Brendan off at day care in the dark, and pick him up in the dark. It's rather depressing, particularly when it's been gray all day.

Yummy goodness

Kelsey enjoys a homemade treat from Mom. I think she likes it.

Snow has arrived

The snow up until today had mostly been Texas snow -- it wouldn't
stick and looked more like rain. But today it started really snowing,
enough to even turn the ground white. Hello, winter!

Noteworthy ...

1. It's snowing tonight. Our patio table is covered with a thin layer. Yikes!
2. Gas was $1.99 on Friday. I didn't see prices during the weekend, since I've been housebound with an ill Kelsey. But I love the idea of gas less than $2!

Sweet boy

Ryan has such a sweet, loving personality, which helps to balance his
100 percent boy side! He's rediscovered "Froggy" this week and has
been caring for him and eating meals with him. Today he even gave up
his prized chair so Froggy could sit comfortably while they watched a
show together.

Go Frogs!

That's all I'll say for now ...

Overheard

Brendan and I spent an hour in the car yesterday, and had plenty of time for one-on-one conversation. These days, that is so rare with three children in the house. Three children who all want their say!

No matter, we were discussing the election and I explained what a right and privilege it is to vote for our country's leaders. As soon as you're old enough to vote, I told him, you should.

His response: "Well, Mom, I may not be available because I am going to be an astronaut and I might be on the moon or Mars."

That sent us into a much-too-long discussion of absentee voting, though he was still convinced that a last-minute emergency on the moon might prevent him from voting.

Holy costumes!

With a Halloween-themed birthday party, a Halloween party, schooltime activities and our own trick-or-treating, we weren't lacking in spooky fun. So many events sparked much creativity in the family to make sure our friends wouldn't recognize us in disguise.

For our friend Jake's birthday party (he's the pumpkin to the left), we dressed as Batman characters: Brendan as the Dark Knight Batman, Ryan as the original Batman, Ken as The Joker, Kelsey as Catwoman (tail stayed in place; ears did not), and Me as Batgirl.

For the Halloween party, Brendan dressed as a ninja and Ryan as a firefighter who specializes in superhero poses.

On Halloween, the Batman boys reappeared to trick-or-treat with the Joker. Catwoman was running a fever as the last of the three kids to get a 24-hour bug. So she was in bed by 6 p.m. and woke briefly around 7:45 to assess the boys' candy selection and greet a handful of visitors before dozing off again.