Choose Joy

Here it is, Christmas Eve-Eve and everyone’s run down.  Molly’s been sick.  She’s crabby, tired, hasn’t eaten a couple days and seems to have her days and nights mixed up.  Maisie feeds on Molly’s crankiness and Ross feeds on Maisie’s sneakiness.  Oh Joy. 

Saturday morning, in the midst of checking stockings, the cat knocking over a glass of water under the Christmas tree and Maisie crabbing that her ‘she-she’ didn’t get wiped good enough, Molly threw-up 3 times in a 30 minute span. I’ve decided to leave the Green Machine rug cleaner parked in front of the fireplace as decoration.  I might hang some Christmas lights on it, not sure yet.  I’ve also decided I'm not buying cherry juice ever again.  We’re sticking with apple or white grape from here on out.  Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am for a rug cleaners and coffee?  

Despite it all, I look at my family and choose to celebrate and praise God for what I have.  I get to hold my sick, sweaty baby tight and rock her to sleep, knowing there are too many babies who won't
 get to sleep in their mommy’s arms while wrapped in their favorite blanket this Christmas. 

This year I’m finding my peace in God’s grace and in celebrating the priceless gifts we have been given. 

So I'll brew some more coffee and keep the rug cleaner handy... this Christmas I’m choosing joy.

Santa's Reindeer

The Reindeer Conversation on our way to Long Grove

 

Ross: “Mom, do you know one of Santa’s reindeer is named Dickson?”

Me: “I thought it was Vickson?”

Ross: “No, Tate said it was Dickson, get it… Dickson!”

Ross giggles in the back seat.

Mike: “I actually know a guy named Dickson.”  

Ross: “Oh my Gosh!” – the laughing becomes squeaky and hysterical

Me: “I actually know a few guys named Dick.”

Ross goes into silent laugh mode.

Maisie: Daddy, do you know anybody named Crotch?

 

 

Elf Confrontation

We saw the Billboard as we headed down Interstate 80 toward Long Grove last Friday night.  Santa was at Bass Pro Shops in Altoona through December 24.  We hadn’t had an opportunity to see Santa yet this year and I thought- ‘oooh, that’s what we should do on our way back home Sunday, depending on how the kids are doing.’

Fast forward to 3:30 Sunday afternoon. Molly woke in her car seat, restless and crying hysterically that she wanted out, Ross was crabbing that he was starving and needed to pee, Maisie was singing the hippopotamus song for the 83^rd time when I suggested, ‘hey, maybe we should stop at Bass Pro Shop to see Santa.’  So we did.

As we pulled into the parking lot, it was clearly one of the busiest days of the year.  We got everyone inside, found the end of the ‘Santa line’ and waited.  While Mike took Ross to the bathroom I heard an announcement that unless you have a Bass Pass, Santa is booked for the rest of the day.  As my horns and fangs began to emerge, I watched family after family leave with their disappointed, dressed- up kids. 

Not this cat.  I looked down at Maisie who asked with a desperate look on her face, “Mommy, we can’t see Santa today?” I replied, “Don’t you worry Sugar Plum, this isn’t over till it’s over”.  Soon we made it to the front of the line when Elf Tracy asked me for my Bass Pass.  I replied that I was unaware of a Bass Pass, didn’t see any signs or advertisements about a Bass Pass and that I had been waiting in line to see Santa with my kids for quite a while and saw no mention of a Bass Pass ‘area’ to even get a Bass Pass.  Elf Tracy directed me to Elf Misty who ushered Maisie, Molly and myself onto the blue carpet where Santa sat.  She said she would just slide us in.  Before long, Mike and Ross returned from the bathroom and we had our moment with Santa. 

Did I have to exchange words with an elf to get there?  Yep.  Did my kids get to see Santa Claus as I’d promised?  You’d better believe it. 

Christmas Stockings

Mom and Dad’s stockings hang at the very top. Mom hangs the rest of stockings along the banister each year and we gaze with awe at how blessed we are for the family we have. I look at the line-up. Mom, Dad, Tim, Heidi, Heather, Greg; then it moves onto the in-laws and finishes with the line-up of grandchildren. I wondered to myself why the individual families weren’t grouped together, but then it occurred to me.

This is the original family, grouped together at the top. Because of those two stockings at the very top, we got the following four stockings. Those four stockings hung each December in our Mulberry Lane house by nails which were permanently pounded into the stone surrounding the fireplace. Those were the stockings Santa left gifts in each night for the entire week before Christmas. Those were the stockings that started the rest of them.

And so it all makes sense. At the top of the banister, you see the original family- the original 6 of us. And we gaze with awe, at what we have done and how blessed we truly are.

My Long Grove Christmas 2012 Memories

• Dad suddenly taking up an obsession with rodeo
• Mike and Uncle Eric playing a late night game of Angry Birds (game for ages 3 and up)
• Baby Sam waking from nap burning up with fever (good ol’ ibuprofen got him through)
• The fight over the vintage butterfly necklace and the bald baby doll
• The kids’ anticipation of opening the doors leading to the pile of gifts under the tree
• Uncle Tim bouncing on the trampoline like an 8 year old with Cole and Ross
• Greg showing up just in time for Christmas dinner after a full day of coaching
• Receiving a gift which has been passed through the ages, and discovering the meaning of what being family is all about
• The “interrupted” night of sleep Saturday night
• Spending 36 minutes with a couple of my best buds while jogging the streets of Long Grove
• Lying in bed with Heather and Mom, rehashing the events of the day with fits of hysterical laughter as Maisie and Molly fell asleep beside us. 

 

A snapshot of the weekend- through my lens...

Ross and Cole watched Scooby Doo with their legs twisted up like this.

Dad told a joke.

Grandma and Grandpa Green shared a laugh with him.

The kids (not all of them) waiting to open the door to the presents.

GG made dance skirts for the girls

Molly models.

We decided Laura has the sorority pose down. (minus the coozie)

Molly wants to try everything on.

When she grows up, she either wants to be a mommy or a specialty doctor.

 

Dad felt the urge to scare the kids with his fake teeth

Mike ponders his next move in the Angry Birds game.

The Party's Over

9 blessings... found here.









 

 

 

 

Another Evening

I was planning to come home after work and talk to each kid about their day, but Ross felt the need to shower immediately upon entering the house and hollered at me “bring me some underwear!”

 

I wanted to unload the dishwasher and get some water boiling for dinner but Molly decided to pull all the pots and pans out of the cupboard, fill them with water and dump loads of water across the counters.

 

I hoped to enjoy a glass of wine after I mopped up the counters, but Maisie decided to cry hysterically while lying on the kitchen floor, grabbing at my ankles each time I’d pass her while pointing to her tongue, yet refusing to speak.  I later found out she wanted a graham cracker.

 

I cooked chicken, rice and green beans for dinner, knowing it was one of their favorites, but the chicken was burnt and the rice was too sticky.  Everyone noticed.

 

I wanted to help Ross finish his homework, but Mike hollered down the stairs that Molly had unwrapped 6 bars of soap before throwing each one in the bathtub.

 

I needed to get Ross’ lunch packed for the next day, but Molly got ahold of the salt shaker and went to town.

Those wings are just her disguise

I wanted to read books to the kids before bedtime, but Ross kept telling Maisie to sit on his face and when she told him to knock it off, a war ensued.  Not long after, Maisie kept asking me what “Jake” spelled.  I told her and she replied, “NO, there is an ‘e’ on the end, YOUR LYING MOMMY!  TELL ME WHAT JAKE SPELLS FOR REAL!!

 

I wanted to put the kids to bed, but they opened a package of flour tortillas and smeared chewed-up tortilla bits over the couch just as a bowl of salted popcorn dumped onto the rug.  Maisie began crying that she was still hungry.  We sent her to bed with a tortilla.

 

I was looking forward to finally having a chance talk to Mike once the kids were down for the night, but we were both asleep by 8:30. 

 

Maybe tomorrow…

Easy Bake Oven

Maisie realized she didn’t get to play Easy Bake Oven on the last day of daycare as planned.  They were so busy having a farewell party they ran out of time.  When she realized it, she was crushed. 

Mike being a fixer promised Maisie he’d buy her an Easy Bake Oven.  Really?  Right before Christmas?  However, Maisie’s love language has never been gifts and she rarely asks for “stuff”.  She is happiest with a ‘nuggle’ and praise.  We agreed, that just this once it would be ok to get her an Easy Bake Oven only 2 weeks before Christmas.  As Mike says, “it’s the holidays.”

 

Saturday morning, with a headache the size of Honduras, I was elected Easy Bake Oven supervisor.  Our first recipe was red velvet cupcakes.  I’ve never owned or played with an Easy Bake Oven, so this was new to all of us.  The cupcakes came out the size of something you would feed a Barbie doll (if Barbie dolls could eat).  I did a little research and found a gazillion homemade Easy Bake Oven mixes you can make at home, which is more my style.

 

Sunday afternoon Maisie and I were psyched to start making the Pretty Pink Cake mix; from scratch I might add.  I let Maisie add the food color and it came out more burgundy than pink, but that’s only because I accidently grabbed the box of “fall” food colors instead of the standard set.  Details.

 

The recipe made a double-layer cake.  Don’t get excited, each layer was no bigger than an Old Maid playing card and nearly as thin.

Since we had cake, we decided to call it a party.  We had candles, chocolate milk in wine glasses and some magic wish paper (another story).  We decided to make a ‘toast’ wishing our new daycare would be one of the bests. 

 

 

 

Monday was their first day and all I can say is, so far, so good.  Molly is having the hardest time, but I’m hopeful that time will help.  Last night I explained to Ross and Maisie how life is always changing and being able to adapt and adjust to change is a skill they will need for the rest of their lives.  I’m still working on that one myself.

 

And with that, the 3-week daycare saga comes to a close.  7 years down, 3 to go. 

 

 

All he wants for Christmas

All he wants for Christmas is his two-bottom-side front teeth, his two-bottom-side-front teeth, see his two-side-bottom front teeth.  Gee if he could only have his two-side-bottom front teeth....

 

then he could wish you Merry Christmas!