The Best Present

It's disheartening to start off your Monday morning with the news that someone you knew and really liked died unexpectedly, but that's how my Monday started.  My oh-so-observant daughters noticed that I was not too cheerful that morning, so I told them simply that I was sad because someone that we knew in Oregon had died on Christmas Eve, and I knew how sad his family must be.  They agreed instantly that that was really sad, but just as quickly asked, "Did he love God?"  I answered, "Yes, he did", and their faces lit up with smiles.

Jaela:  "Oh, Mommy!  That is the best Christmas present EVER!"  

And Macey finished the thought:  "To get to die on Christmas Eve and see Jesus for Christmas!"

There was a short pause while we all thought about it for a minute, with smiles on our faces, and then:

Macey:  "Mommy, I think I'd like to die on Christmas morning, but I'd like to wait until I'm grown up first...because I really like the things I get in my stocking!"

A Spoonful of Sugar

Isaak's growing collection of little trucks, cars, airplanes, and helicopters is my spoonful of sugar that makes all that Pepto-Bismol-pink dancing around my house a little easier to swallow!  :)

Isaak loves his little Tonka trucks, and his sisters got him more for Christmas, so he got a play-rug with roads and constructions sites with his Christmas money from Great-Grandpa.  There's even a spot for his helicopters to land!

Pass the Pepto-Bismol!

The kids got Christmas money from my Grandpa, and it didn't take them long to figure out what they wanted to spend it on!  The girls chose pink dance skirts and pink tights, and had enough money left over to get pink leotards too.  That's a LOT of pink!  (Does anyone remember how I feel about pink?  Yeah, too much pink, and I get nauseated!)  

Jaela got Anya a play crown and jewelry set for Christmas, and Macey and Jaela decided they each wanted one too, so they spent some of their Birthday money and got themselves crown sets, too.  

Jaela got Macey a little wooden Nutcracker figurine for Christmas, and Jaela and Anya decided they each wanted one too, so they spent some of their piggy bank money and bought themselves little wooden Nutcracker figurines.  Isaak, not to be left out, decided (quite loudly) that HE should have one too, so his sisters pitched in and bought him one, too.  Now we're all set to dance The Nutcracker...ad nauseum!!!

Christmas in Tennesee

The whispering upstairs started around 6:30 this morning, and I'll admit it, I couldn't stay in bed any longer either.  :)  So, I got up and lit the fireplace and turned on the Christmas tree lights, then told the girls they could come down, even though it wasn't 7:00 yet.  Isaak was happy to see me that early, too.  The girls were thrilled with the contents of their stockings, and Isaak was too, although he would have been content with just the animal crackers and goldfish that were in his.  :)

The girls happily took turns tearing into their packages, but Isaak, well, he wasn't really even interested!  He'd tear a little bit of paper when we told him to, but he'd wander away as soon as any part of the gift inside showed (with a few exceptions, of course!).  It was pretty amusing.  Eventually we got impatient waiting for him, and the girls "helped" him opened up the packages they had wrapped up for him.  Once the treasures inside were revealed, he got possessive very quickly!  Anya tried to play with him (with new little trucks on his new road carpet) and he'd shriek and grab away any truck she picked up.  I told him he had to share ONE with her, and for him to pick one for her to play with...one by one, he picked them up and generously gave them to her...ALL of them!  :)  

We had a turkey dinner, and Mark and Mary (our favorite neighbors) came over and shared it with us.  They brought gifts for each of the kids.  I opened one too, for all of us to share, and after they went home, we spent the rest of the afternoon watching Mary Poppins.  :)

Isaak went to bed an hour early, the girls went to bed on time, and I am going to bed early too!

Merry Christmas!  :)

3:06 am - Christmas Morning!

I told the girls last night that they couldn't come downstairs this morning until their clock said 7:00.

3:06 a.m.  Anya came into my room, whispering, "Mommy, is it after 7:00 yet?"

Do you remember that feeling?  :)

We're NOT Vegetarians

Jaela, Macey and Anya worked together and made dinner tonight (ok, I helped too).  They made their favorite Crunchy Chicken With Bones.  We were almost done eating when Anya asked:

A: (contemplating her almost-bare drumstick bone)  Mommy, what do they do with the blood?

Me:  What do you mean?

A: The people who sell the chickens to the store...do they squeeze the blood out first?

Me:  I don't know.  (I don't think I've ever thought about it!)  Maybe the blood just cooks with the meat.

J:  Yeah, I think that's what happens, because blood got into the milk when we were making it, so I know there was blood still in it.

About five minutes later, after Jaela and Macey had already left the table, Anya announced, "Mommy, another word for chicken-with-bones is drumsticks.  Well, some people call it that."

Yes, Anya, most people call them drumsticks...and I doubt that they wonder much about what happens to the blood.

Closet Space

After Isaak dumped the contents of my shoe rack onto the floor, I decided that maybe it was time to clean out my closet.  I've spent the last year (since we got home from Alabama) sorting, consolidating and re-organizing every closet and every room in the house, and I never even thought about tackling MY closet.

But this week, tackle it I did!  I made myself some mental guidelines and dove into the project.  I got rid of:

*anything that was stained, stretched out, or worn out

*styles that were too young 

*shirts that were low-necked, sheer, or not long enough

*things that just "weren't ME" (even if they WERE cashmere!)

*shoes that were uncomfortably tight (even if they WERE Clarks!)

I sorted through my bookshelves recently too, and got rid of a small pile of beloved books, the premise being that if I wouldn't allow my children to read them when they get older, then they have no business being on my shelves.  As a parent, I should lead by example!  That same idea contributed to my clothes-sorting guidelines.  

To begin with, we humans (especially we Americans) could get by with a lot less stuff.  (Time to clean OUT the closet, not just straighten it!)  We (our family) live on a comfortable income, and can afford to buy new clothes IF and when we really need them.  (Good-bye, stained, stretched out, worn out old t-shirts -- I can always wear one of Mike's t-shirts when I mow the lawn!)  I am 32 years old, and a mother of four.  (Isn't it time to dress my age?  Well, at least not wear clothes meant for teenagers...)  I am trying to teach my girls what is and what isn't modest, and good examples are hard to find.  (I shouldn't be able to point to my OWN closet for the bad examples!)  And yes, I am addicted to cashmere (anything cashmere!) and Clarks brand shoes, and I will freely admit it.  (But that doesn't mean I should wear unflattering colors or styles and walk around in too-tight shoes!)

Now to convince Isaak that my shoes and shoe rack are not toys...