We did a little Christmas pageant with friends and family on Christmas eve. It's always one of my favorite parts of the holiday. Wednesday, December 31, 2008
O Holy Night
We did a little Christmas pageant with friends and family on Christmas eve. It's always one of my favorite parts of the holiday. 
We had to drive 11 hours to get it, but we had a white Christmas this year for the first time in a long time. Michigan was cold and snowy and the kids loved it. From the first semi-snowy rest stop we took in Pennsylvania where they scraped snowballs together to throw at each other to getting the full gear on and digging snow caves--they were in snow heaven.
Andrew Turns 3
I have some catching up to do. A few days before Christmas, we celebrated Andrew's third birthday. He has a limited number of interests, so we went with a Mickey Mouse theme. I started off well with the pancakes.
Somehow, even though the cakes started off looking good
they ended up looking nothing like Mickey Mouse. I had to prompt Andrew so he'd know what he was looking at. I would have had better luck just frosting the whole thing black and pretending we were looking at the back of Mickey's head. I'm officially turning the cake decorating job back over to Ryan.
I bought him the Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so I think Andrew was a little confused with what was going on and left halfway though.
I bought a new LeapFrog toy for him to replace the one he wore out. It was like being reuinited with an old friend for him.
His big brown eyes still melt my heart. 
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Why is it Always the Mom??
The other day, I loaned a friend one of my absolute favorite movies. It's called "Be With You", a Japanese film I watched on our flight there a few years ago. I won't go into details (here's some if you want them http://www.tbs.co.jp/movie/english/bewithyou/ ), but the mom dies.
So I got to thinking--why is it always the mom?
During Christmas, it's comes in the form of "Christmas Shoes"--you know where the grouchy guy is standing in line in front of the boy who can't afford to buy shoes for his dying mom? The first time I heard it, and probably more, it made me cry. At the beginning of each Christmas season, I still let myself get choked up at least once. But seriously--it is so obviously designed to jerk my heartstrings that I start blocking it after a while.
Take "Holes in the Floor of Heaven"--the mom dies and it rains on the daughter's wedding so she knows her mom loves her.
Finding Nemo--my kids won't watch it because the mom dies.
Perhaps the most disturbing Christmas special my kids have watched: Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey. Here's the premise from Amazon.com: "Stable animals tease Nestor incessantly for his long appendages until, finally, he is cast out of the barn into the winter cold. Snow and ice bring about even greater calamity for Nestor until he receives a dose of divine goodness." The "greater calamity" they talk about was when Nestor and his mother (who went with him) tried to take refuge in a snow bank. Nestor's mother covers him while he sleeps, and when he wakes up, she's dead. Done in. Expired. Kicked the bucket. Right on top of him. And Mason cried for the entire rest of the movie, in spite of the fact that Nestor ends up carrying Mary to Bethlehem. That in no way made up for the dead mom.
And lets not forget the all-time classic Mormon song that started it all for me: "I'll Build You a Rainbow". I remember when I was a teenager that I loved, loved this song. I wanted to learn guitar just so I could play it. If you've never heard it, YouTube offers two versions: there's a "updated" Hawaiian version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDYB26bxDXE&feature=related, and a satirically-acted version with the original lyrics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfwDyVNwbaA&feature=related . I always thought I was going to be just like that mom--the one who is the best soccer player on the block, etc. But then look where it got her--she died.
Does no one care if the dad dies? Or can we only get emotional about dads when they're in songs involving giving away a bride at a wedding or fighting in a war?
The fact is, even though I try to resist some times, I get sucked into all of those songs and movies. And in the end, it reminds of just how lucky I am to be a mom. Especially an alive one.
So I got to thinking--why is it always the mom?
During Christmas, it's comes in the form of "Christmas Shoes"--you know where the grouchy guy is standing in line in front of the boy who can't afford to buy shoes for his dying mom? The first time I heard it, and probably more, it made me cry. At the beginning of each Christmas season, I still let myself get choked up at least once. But seriously--it is so obviously designed to jerk my heartstrings that I start blocking it after a while.
Take "Holes in the Floor of Heaven"--the mom dies and it rains on the daughter's wedding so she knows her mom loves her.
Finding Nemo--my kids won't watch it because the mom dies.
Perhaps the most disturbing Christmas special my kids have watched: Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey. Here's the premise from Amazon.com: "Stable animals tease Nestor incessantly for his long appendages until, finally, he is cast out of the barn into the winter cold. Snow and ice bring about even greater calamity for Nestor until he receives a dose of divine goodness." The "greater calamity" they talk about was when Nestor and his mother (who went with him) tried to take refuge in a snow bank. Nestor's mother covers him while he sleeps, and when he wakes up, she's dead. Done in. Expired. Kicked the bucket. Right on top of him. And Mason cried for the entire rest of the movie, in spite of the fact that Nestor ends up carrying Mary to Bethlehem. That in no way made up for the dead mom.
And lets not forget the all-time classic Mormon song that started it all for me: "I'll Build You a Rainbow". I remember when I was a teenager that I loved, loved this song. I wanted to learn guitar just so I could play it. If you've never heard it, YouTube offers two versions: there's a "updated" Hawaiian version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDYB26bxDXE&feature=related, and a satirically-acted version with the original lyrics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfwDyVNwbaA&feature=related . I always thought I was going to be just like that mom--the one who is the best soccer player on the block, etc. But then look where it got her--she died.
Does no one care if the dad dies? Or can we only get emotional about dads when they're in songs involving giving away a bride at a wedding or fighting in a war?
The fact is, even though I try to resist some times, I get sucked into all of those songs and movies. And in the end, it reminds of just how lucky I am to be a mom. Especially an alive one.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Phone Calls With a Little Drama
Every now and then you have phone calls where you hold your breath waiting for the person on the other line to give you an answer. I've had two in the last few days, and I'd be happy if I didn't have any for a while.
Phone Call #1: "Hi--I'm calling to add my baby on to my insurance (so they stop sending me all those bills, for crying out loud!). ... How long ago was she born? 38 days... What do you mean I only have 30 days to add her or else I end up paying for all of her healthcare for her entire first year of life $$$? You paid the $5000 worth of delivery bills--I think you should be able to figure out I had a baby!" (By this time the breathing has sped up and I'm starting to panic).
In the end, they asked who Ryan worked for, and when I told the insurance person, she said she thought I was allowed 60 with that employer. But she wasn't sure. She needed to check. And that took a while. And I could hardly breathe as I imagined the hundreds of dollars we would loose if she wasn't right. But she was. And we can still afford Christmas.
Phone Call #2: "Hello, poison control? Yes, this is the same mom calling about the same child that drank a quarter of the ibuprofen bottle 2 weeks ago. (Okay, so I didn't say that. But I think the guilt was pretty thick in my voice nontheless). Anyway, we've branched out to cough medicine now. The kind with that smooth orange taste. Still about a quarter bottle. In a 35 lb toddler. What should I do? (Holding breath as she does calculations...) ...You say the safest bet is to go in to an ER to have him observed for 2 hours in case he has a seizure? I sure hope so, because I have absolutely nothing else going on today, and I'd love to bring my newborn and amazingly active 3-year old into a germ-laden and confining ER. And have to pay for it.
This one ended up with me deciding that since he just barely fell into the ER-observation/just-might-have-a-seizure level, and we live really close to a hospital, and that I would rather have sawed my arm off with a dull knife then spend two hours in the ER with my son (a bit of an exaggeration, but not much)--I would just use my keen nursing skills to observe him on my own. They said he might be groggy (no such luck), but even that didn't happen.
In both cases, I feel like the outcomes have been like little early Christmas presents to a very exhausted mother who is having a hard time keeping up with everything. I can do without the drama, but I appreciate feeling like God is watching over us.
Phone Call #1: "Hi--I'm calling to add my baby on to my insurance (so they stop sending me all those bills, for crying out loud!). ... How long ago was she born? 38 days... What do you mean I only have 30 days to add her or else I end up paying for all of her healthcare for her entire first year of life $$$? You paid the $5000 worth of delivery bills--I think you should be able to figure out I had a baby!" (By this time the breathing has sped up and I'm starting to panic).In the end, they asked who Ryan worked for, and when I told the insurance person, she said she thought I was allowed 60 with that employer. But she wasn't sure. She needed to check. And that took a while. And I could hardly breathe as I imagined the hundreds of dollars we would loose if she wasn't right. But she was. And we can still afford Christmas.
Phone Call #2: "Hello, poison control? Yes, this is the same mom calling about the same child that drank a quarter of the ibuprofen bottle 2 weeks ago. (Okay, so I didn't say that. But I think the guilt was pretty thick in my voice nontheless). Anyway, we've branched out to cough medicine now. The kind with that smooth orange taste. Still about a quarter bottle. In a 35 lb toddler. What should I do? (Holding breath as she does calculations...) ...You say the safest bet is to go in to an ER to have him observed for 2 hours in case he has a seizure? I sure hope so, because I have absolutely nothing else going on today, and I'd love to bring my newborn and amazingly active 3-year old into a germ-laden and confining ER. And have to pay for it.
This one ended up with me deciding that since he just barely fell into the ER-observation/just-might-have-a-seizure level, and we live really close to a hospital, and that I would rather have sawed my arm off with a dull knife then spend two hours in the ER with my son (a bit of an exaggeration, but not much)--I would just use my keen nursing skills to observe him on my own. They said he might be groggy (no such luck), but even that didn't happen.
In both cases, I feel like the outcomes have been like little early Christmas presents to a very exhausted mother who is having a hard time keeping up with everything. I can do without the drama, but I appreciate feeling like God is watching over us.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Love, Hate and Love-Hate
The Love? Christmas music. Ryan is a die-hard, tuning in from Thanksgiving to New Years. I put it on when I think about it. The radio was out on the cupboard today, so I tuned in, and it has made such a difference in my day. I find myself alternating between crying over the sentimental ones and dancing to the Feliz Navidad kind. Goodbye NPR--it's Christmas music from now until New Years.
The Hate? DVD late fees. I know I should do Netflix or something, but the kids (and I) enjoy being able to get something for our immediate gratification. Last night at 10:00 as I was holding a wide-awake baby I remembered that the DVD we had rented last Wednesday was due before midnight. It's only a 5 minute drive down and back, but when it's freezing cold and my baby is still awake and it's late, the distance is mentally multiplied times ten. Then the mental dilemna--is it worth the late fee to not have to go? Last night, comfort beat out frugality and the DVD remains in my room. I hate late fees.
The Love-Hate? I told myself I'd never do it, but yet I did. When your total number of cereal bowls is less than the number of people in the family (down from a start of 16), it's time to do something drastic. So I went out and bought Corelle. The plain white, no nonsense, no breaking variety that can easily be replaced piece by piece should my family prove too much of a match even for Corelle. We've already put it to the test, and so far it has passed. I love pretty dishes, but when I see them smashed one by one, even I have to admit that there is a time and a season for things. And this is our season for very boring, very plain, and very durable dishes.
The Hate? DVD late fees. I know I should do Netflix or something, but the kids (and I) enjoy being able to get something for our immediate gratification. Last night at 10:00 as I was holding a wide-awake baby I remembered that the DVD we had rented last Wednesday was due before midnight. It's only a 5 minute drive down and back, but when it's freezing cold and my baby is still awake and it's late, the distance is mentally multiplied times ten. Then the mental dilemna--is it worth the late fee to not have to go? Last night, comfort beat out frugality and the DVD remains in my room. I hate late fees.
The Love-Hate? I told myself I'd never do it, but yet I did. When your total number of cereal bowls is less than the number of people in the family (down from a start of 16), it's time to do something drastic. So I went out and bought Corelle. The plain white, no nonsense, no breaking variety that can easily be replaced piece by piece should my family prove too much of a match even for Corelle. We've already put it to the test, and so far it has passed. I love pretty dishes, but when I see them smashed one by one, even I have to admit that there is a time and a season for things. And this is our season for very boring, very plain, and very durable dishes.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Photo Shoot Part 2
Shauri mentioned that I hadn't included any of our good shots...so here are some of my favorite, as well as a Christmas card that will hopefully be mailed out before December 25th. Making the card is easy compared to compiling and double checking addresses!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Family Photo Shoot
The good news is that I have a good photo for the yearly Christmas card. It only took Photoshopping the heads of half of the famiy to get there.
Here are a few shots that capture the fun of trying to get four kids to put up with their mom's project.
Andrew could have been called "Bolt" during our photoshoot, since he was nearly impossible to keep in one spot.
My 8-year-old has a great sense of humor.
The thought going through my head: "Why do I even try??!!"
Here are a few shots that capture the fun of trying to get four kids to put up with their mom's project.
Andrew could have been called "Bolt" during our photoshoot, since he was nearly impossible to keep in one spot.
My 8-year-old has a great sense of humor.The thought going through my head: "Why do I even try??!!"
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