Clearing the Air

Since it's the last day of the year I thought about making resolutions but I like to save those for my birthday since that's my personal new year. (Then at my birthday I can just leave it to New Year's if I still can't come up with anything resolution worthy.) Actually, I tend to make resolutions throughout the year and get started on them right then and there while the motivation level is high.

Then I thought about sharing my favorite posts but that would take a lot of time and consideration because should I choose a favorite funny, a favorite goofy, a favorite reflective, or a favorite rambling post? Hm... Or a favorite post about each member of my family? One funny and one more on the serious side? OR I could re-post a dud as my favorite so that the bar would be reset at a super low level and I could only write better posts from there!

So instead I'm going to tell on John.

It was Christmas Eve and we were getting ready to go to his side of the family for our Christmas celebration when I suggested that he call Belinda and get her recipe for sausage rolls so we could make them and bring an appetizer with us. (John LOVES these sausage rolls!) He calls and tells me that Belinda is going to email the recipe to us. So far, so good.

The email arrives and we look at the recipe. We have all the ingredients and there are still two hours until we need to leave. As I'm preparing to leave the house for that last minute stocking stuffer I say, "Okay. Let's make those." John looks at me and says, "I don't think we have time to make that." I remind him that we don't have to leave for two hours. Then he says the rolls have to be refrigerated for one hour. "Yeah....? There's enough time."

At that moment he says, "But you're leaving." and then in response to the look on my face he quickly adds a lame, "And I don't know how to make it." OH. MY. COW. "You know how to brown meat. You've got the instructions right here in front of you! You can't claim you don't know how!" I could hardly believe my ears that this excuse was coming out of my husband, the same man who likes to claim that he is "a master chef". I ended the conversation with The Look.

Knowing the wise thing to do, John made the sausage rolls while I went from store to store searching for the stocking stuffer which everyone else thought would be perfect too. After finding it at the fourth store that I checked, I returned home in time to help get everyone ready (out of their stained, ripped clothes and into something clean) and into the car. John brought his sausage rolls which were a BIG hit and, of course, claimed to be a master chef. It was a wonderful time.

The end.

Buckets of NO Fun

"What's that?", you may wonder. Well, I'll tell you. It's the puke bucket. They're the new rage! Everyone is carrying them... at least in our family. Don't you have one yet?

Even our dog was sick last night. Thankfully, I think the worst is behind us now.

To HEALTH! (and no more buckets)

Treasured Time

After going to bed easily for months, Noah started struggling with bedtime. He would fuss, throw fits, and cry for a long time. Since he was about 3 months old, we simply laid him down, tucked him in, and said "night, night" until The Change.

The crying was such a change from his usual cheerful self that I began to dread bedtime. I tried to figure out if he was overtired, not tired enough, suddenly afraid of the dark, too warm, too cold, anything I could think of to explain his change of behavior. When we held him to comfort him, he would settle down but as soon as he was placed back in bed, the crying resumed. So we waited it out. Tensely. Prayerfully.

I'm not sure when things changed but eventually we worked out a new routine. After prayers with all the boys, John or I take Noah to his room and have some snuggle time in the rocking chair. Some nights we skip it and Noah does fine with that. Some nights I feel like rushing. But most nights I treasure the extra cuddles. We sing songs together and hug while we rock.

"Dear Jesus,

Please protect my child through the night

Keep him healthy

Keep him breathing right

Give him sweet dreams

Guard him from fear

Hold him close when I can't be near

Amen."

My baby is already two years old; I don't know how many more nights he will want to snuggle. Children are so precious and they grow up so fast.

And so I practice slowing down and cherishing the moments I have.

Red Faced and Loving It

There's nothing quite like a good embarrassment. This must be the reason why we pull out all the stops on Christmas.

LET THE EMBARRASSMENTS BEGIN!

Preliminaries:
Admit your size to the entire family when letting your Christmas list be known.

The events:
1. Trivia games. Play that 2-second trivia game with super easy questions and show everyone how quickly your brain can freeze.

2. Wii. A new dancing video game? Fun! or... Act like Elaine when attempting to follow the dance moves on the TV screen! I admit there were way too many cameras and video recorders around for me to participate in this particular event. Just think... I could have been the next YouTube star! Oh well.

3. Open all those presents and then test your memory skills by thanking each person for the specific gift received. Watch their face closely for clues as to whether you are getting it right. "Thank you so much for the b... uh... swea.... uh... GIFT. I love it!" Then dig diligently through the packaging to find the labels.

4. See how many desserts you can eat while rationalizing the healthiness of them. Oh wait. That wasn't an official event. I just did that on my own. See? Fruit! Fruit is so good for you.

5. Be sure to leave the Christmas wrappings where they lay so you can frantically clean up just before company arrives. This is great fun! Then when you open the door to welcome your guests you have that fresh out-of-breath, red-faced look... kind of like Santa which is very holiday-like. Oh. And just tell them that you haven't cleaned up after the big day yet (since you only had time to stuff the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and pick up the laundry strewn about the house).

Seriously? How do that many presents leave so much wrapping paper behind? It's a miracle.

I'm probably leaving out some really good embarrassing moments. Do you have any to share?

Our Christmas was truly wonderful. We're blessed with great family and had treasured time together. And if you can't be yourself with family... where else can you do it, huh?

Christmas Cheer

There is an apparent lack of Christmas cheer around here. I know this because I overheard myself telling John that I don't feel very Christmassy. Therefore, the first order of business is to review my favorite humorous Christmas card:

Feeling better already.

Next I will be playing Christmas music and singing along loudly because everyone knows that "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." Thanks for the tip, Buddy.

And throughout the day I will review my Far Side comics in order to keep the laughs coming.

Oh yes! It's going to be a good day and a great Christmas because more than anything else, God has already given me and you the best gift ever: redemption through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Liquid Energy

Did you ever wonder where kids get all their energy?

Well I caught Noah sneaking a refill.

Now you know.

(and knowing is half the battle. This has been a public service announcement.)

Little Did I Know

The boys asked me if they could listen to some Christmas music yesterday. "Oh sure! The music is already in there; you just need to turn it on."

Later I began to think that Christmas Cd's should come with a warning label. They could make it a festive label if they want to. I don't mind.

OR ELSE THIS COULD HAPPEN:

I don't know how you are when you see a child bleeding but I DON'T LIKE IT. First I heard a bump, a cry, then the other boys saying, "Mooomm...." At the initial glance I thought Noah must have broken his nose or something; there was a LOT of blood. Relief flooded over me when I saw his forehead wound. "Okay. That's probably the source of it all..."

We brought the camera out after the bleeding was stopped because, well, there was bleeding and crying and I don't like pausing during an emergency for whatever reason.

Noah cleaned up real nice. I was hoping we could maybe do a butterfly bandage and be done with it but John declared that it would need stitches. "No, no, it will be fine..." I HATE the thought of causing more pain to my little one even when it is to help him. Besides, what did they do in the old days when.... Fine. "Take him to get looked at."

Apparently, if you were going to get injured, yesterday was the day to do it. The emergency room was virtually empty. (Maybe there WAS a warning label and everyone ELSE had heeded it!) They were ushered in to Fast Track, then to a room, and it wasn't very long before he was seen. Thankfully, the cut was able to be glued, not stitched. JOY!

The entire time I waited at home with the other boys wondering. What's happening at the ER? Will there be stitches? Is my baby okay?

Then it hit me. There could be a market for a sort of emergency-waiting kit. It would include coffee, of course, and a soothing voice of reassurance saying things like, "It will be okay... You'll hear from them soon... The doctor knows what he's doing... Don't worry." And other such rot. Hm. What would else should this waiting kit include?

Here are his mug shots. All that's missing is the name and number plaque; they put that on his wrist. Now he's on record as NOT heeding the warning on the Christmas Cd's.

A Recipe for Fun

If you would like to add an extra little something to your children's Christmas stockings but your budget is exhausted, you can add a little homemade fun.

I found this recipe for homemade playdough online in the spring of this year because I wanted a fun activity for the kids to do at Nathan's birthday party. I sent home sandwich baggies of playdough with our guests. It wasn't long until I got a phone call from one of my friends; she wanted this recipe. Her children loved playing with it and, inevitably, they left it out of its bag overnight. The playdough was still good the next morning!

I found the recipe and emailed it to her before I promptly lost the recipe card again. I know! I've discovered a treasure here and I lose it!

During the year, I looked for the recipe again but didn't ever find the same one. There are a LOT of playdough recipes out there and I tried others but just wasn't as happy with them. Thankfully, my friend recently found the original email and sent it back to me. O happy day!

Playdough:
1 c. flour
1 c. boiling water
2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. salt
1 Tbsp. oil
food coloring
Mix and knead together.
Add food coloring to suit.
(This playdough is not sticky and does not dry out.)

This would also work great for a stress relief "ball" ... and you may discover you have a previously undiscovered gift for sculpting.

If you don't think you have time to do another project before Christmas, what do you think about giving them a project coupon? That way they can have fun making and coloring the playdough with you after the busyness is over.

I wish I knew to whom I could give credit for this recipe; however, if I knew that, I wouldn't have been without the recipe for so long. (And now I have trapped this recipe inside my computer never to lose it again! Mwahahahaha!)

Anyway, enjoy and have fun!

Okaaaaay

The potty training here goes on and on and on. And, no, I haven't even started on my youngest yet. Yes, I know that some children learn in one day all by themselves. Apparently, that's not going to happen. (Yet? I can still hope, can't I? Stop whining, Sarah.)

This adorable, funny, friendly child still refuses to poop on the potty. Other "accidents" are rare and he's very proud of peeing on the potty; he frequently announces his accomplishment to anyone within earshot. And I do mean anyone. And anywhere.

I don't know what it will take for him to conquer this thing once and for all. Every time he messes his pants I tell him, "Nathan, you can't do this. You MUST poop in the potty." He replies, "Okaaaay." "Don't do this again.", I admonish him. Again I hear "okaaaaay." Every stinking, messy day. "Okaaaaay."

Which brings me to my point. I totally get Inigo Montoya when he says, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Just a Few Questions Please

I write so much about my family and myself that I thought today would be a good day to find out more about YOU. Yes, you. with the hair.

And so I'll ask a few questions and just so you don't feel put on the spot, I'll answer them too (but not instead of you, just along with you -only I can't hear you at the same time and it's all typed out so you can't really hear me either... ).

*Ahem* Let's get started.

1. If you have a blog, what was your reason for starting it?
I DO have a blog! Thank you for noticing. I first started this blog when my dear friend suckered convinced me to do it by telling me it would help us keep up with each other since we live so far away. Little did I know it would become a vice and the PRESSURE to top each post, to talk about interesting things besides the latest diaper catastrophe, to let the whole wide world know what a weirdo I can be.... Um. What was the question? Right. I just wanted to keep up with friends and have fun with it.

2. What is your favorite movie line?
There are so many movies and so little time.... Hm. The quote I most closely relate to at this time is that of Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles. "No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!" Did you really think it would be anything else? I have three little boys after all.

3. What is your favorite color?
That's an easy one. Red. Wait. Do you mean the color I like to wear? or the color I like my interior decorating? or my favorite color of crayon? Does anyone else love the line from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail when Tim asks, "WHAT is your favorite color?" and the guy goes "Blue. No, yellow." and he gets thrown into the thingamagig because he got the answer wrong? Okaaaay. Next question?

4. How do you feel about Christmas being one week away?
Christmas. It's such a wonderful time of the year. My favorite really. I love the visiting, the food, the games, the laughter, the expression on people's faces when they open their gifts unless, of course, they hate it. I'm sorry. Did you say ONE week? As in 7 days? I gotta go.

*Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional interviewer and somewhat stink at casual conversation. My apologies for any awkwardness to you or for you. Yep.

All I Want For Christmas

When we are young and carefree, we never think we'll become that person.

Today I'm thinking of the list of items my young, single self would never have imagined I would ever want for Christmas. Who am kidding? I wouldn't have thought this even five years ago!

Here goes.

Dear Santa,

I know there are lots of fun toys available for the asking but there are a few things I need/want that I'm too cheap to buy on my own.

1. Vacuum- preferrably one that would recognize Legos and spit them into a separate compartment so that I can rescue them without all the bending and crawling currently needed to avoid sucking them up.

2. Carpet Cleaner- Is there a super fast model? One that dries as it goes too? Or maybe one that vacuums, saves Legos, cleans, AND dries? That would be good. Then you could skip #1.

3. Kitchen chair- More like a bar stool with a back. Not too high but not too low. Maybe an adjustable one. And a cushion. Could I get that with a back massager included?

4. Couch cushions- Or my current couch cushions recovered. I mean, I already have to turn them so the backs face outward... I'm running out of ways to hide the holes. Could the new cushions or covers have an anti-picking device installed. I don't want to name names per se but JOHN and the rest of the boys keep making the holes bigger. (I so told on them!)

5. Snow pants- preferrably ones that include motivation, endurance, and energy to keep up with my snow loving boys.

6. Lesley Sansoane's Walk off your Waist DVD (it comes with a weight belt) - Yeah, I don't want to talk about it. Well, maybe you and I could work on our waistlines together, Santa? Oh. Right. Yes, I know how it is when you have a bunch of little people underfoot....

7. A new front door- I would like one that is pretty, secure, easy to open and close, and the color of my bricks. You can stop by for a color sample if you need to.

8. Organizational Stuff- Office supplies. Toy organizing equipment. I know! Some extra storage closets would be wonderful! OR.... could I just have one of those red bags you've got? They seem to hold a lot of stuff. Maybe you have an old one just laying around somewhere? Yes? No?

Anyway, that about does it for my run of the mill items that I really, really want for Christmas this year. Thank you in advance for the special modifications I know that you can pull off. *fingers crossed*

Sincerely,
Sarah

An Old Love Story

My job entails caring for an elderly woman. And it didn't take long for me to genuinely care for this kind and funny lady whom I'll call Miss Hepburn. How can you help but love this person who pokes fun at aging, is thankful for assistance while maintaining her independence, keeps herself informed by daily reading the newspaper and watching the news, and thinks of others even in the midst of her own pain?

There is an idea out there about switching roles, the child becomes the parent and so on. However, I don't buy that. The child must simply take on a new mantle, one of caring and sacrifice. These seasoned citizens have lived and learned and have entered a time when things they used to do easily aren't easy anymore or perhaps they aren't even possible. A young child is seeing everything new and learning more every moment while an elderly adult has seen just about everything and is learning to deal with the loss of abilities and memories. They have wisdom we can glean, advice to heed, and graciousness to replicate.

I realize that not everyone is the same and some aged people are difficult to be around because of their anger, bitterness, or particular ailment.

But I have a particular compassion for seniors. I think it's because I felt like one before.

Just a couple days after returning from my honeymoon I began to have pain in my joints. This was not an I-may-have-the-flu-kind-of-ache but an it-hurts-to-walk-and-move-and-my-fingers-are-swollen kind of ache. As a new bride, suddenly I was feeling old and scared.

My boss, a mother of four, asked me about what was different. Could it be the birth control pill I had started taking only three months earlier? I wanted to find out what was wrong so I asked my OBGYN about it. She took the time to look it up and read to me all the possible side effects and my symptoms didn't fit.

My husband was so wonderful to me! In reality, he was facing having a disabled wife after just a few days of marriage but he didn't show any fear or concern for himself; he simply cared for me and my needs. He helped me dress and undress, drew bath water for me, assisted me getting in and out of the tub, and listened to my concerns.

John and I knew we wanted several children, but now I was wondering how I could possibly care for a baby if I couldn't even take care of myself. John assured me that I wouldn't have to give up on my dream. We prayed for healing and answers and kept going about our daily lives.

The symptoms continued so I made an appointment with my new primary care doctor, John's doctor since youth. However, by the time of my doctor's appointment, the symptoms were all but gone. Facing a patient with no symptoms didn't deter my doctor. He spent at least 45 minutes with me, asking question after question. After gleaning all the information he could from my answers and descriptions, he ordered a blood test. From that appointment, I knew we would never change doctors. His thoroughness and caring made a huge impression on me.

The blood test showed traces of lupus. Thankfully, I wasn't familiar with the disease and my symptoms still remained at bay; the name didn't scare me like the pain had done. The next step was to see an arthritis specialist.

I got an appointment quickly but felt frustration about my blood test saying one thing while my body was feeling normal again. The appointment was relatively quick and a follow-up appointment was scheduled. No answer was given me.

It wasn't long before the symptoms came back worse than before! The pain and the swelling in my joints hit me suddenly and seemed to worsen as the day went on. My boss sent me home. I remember crying as I drove because the pain was so bad. I inched around a corner because it hurt my knuckles to turn the steering wheel and I had the thought, "So this is why old people drive slowly!"

John took care of me again. After making me some soup, he helped me into a warm bath to try and soothe my body. It didn't work and I even threw up the soup. I don't know if it was a new symptom or just from the pain and fear I was facing. I had a couple of very bad days before the symptoms started dissipating again.

We continued praying for healing and answers.

It was about two weeks after this that I thought of having renewed my prescription for my acne medicine. I had been taking minocycline and, before that, tetracycline for years. But there was a period of three or more weeks when I had run out and simply not yet refilled my prescription. It was an epiphany! I had never considered the minocycline as a possible problem since I was familiar with it but I rushed to the calendar and observed that the day I refilled that prescription and started taking it was the exact day the symptoms had hit me full force. During the initial lapse in my prescription is when the symptoms first cleared. The symptoms had begun to dissipate again when I stopped taking it simply because I felt so badly.

I knew that I finally had my answer! God had gently pointed out to me the dates coinciding with the symptoms.

The arthritis specialist wanted another appointment with me but I told them no.

When I had my next dermatologist appointment, I told him what had happened. His response? "Yes, it sounds like you developed an allergy to minocycline. That can happen to about 1 in 200,000." He also told me that the birth control could have been the catalyst that caused the allergy to develop by accentuating the side effects of minocycline. And I thought, "Why the heck didn't I come see you before!?"

After having gone through this experience, I have no doubt that my husband truly loves me for better or worse, in sickness and in health. When we go through tough times, I remember the selflessness he showed to me in those newly married months. And I have a deep compassion for those of any age who are living with pain and fear of the unknown.

The Booby Break Down

Josiah came over to me and pointed at his chest; there was a little rubber bouncy ball under his shirt. He said, "Look. My nipple is growing a little."

I responded, "Mm hm. But your nipples won't grow; boys' nipples don't get bigger."

Then he looked at me and innocently asked, "Why did Daddies' nipples grow?"

"Well, sometimes there will be some fat or some big muscles behind the nipples that make them look bigger.", I explain.

(At this point, I should tell you that Josiah has never differentiated between nipples and breasts. If you're showing any cleavage at all, he thinks that he has seen your nipples so don't be too alarmed if he tells you, "Um, I see your nipples.")

I further clarified, "Ladies' nipples get big so that they can feed their babies." Since Josiah has two younger brothers who nursed, I thought this may settle the discussion for now. Nope, not yet.

"Will they get this big?" he asks as he spreads his hands apart way too far to allow any woman to be without back pain.

"No, everyone grows to be different sizes."

Not yet satisfied with information, he asks me, "Will yours get as big as So-and-So's?"

"No, I don't know what size hers are but we're different anyway..." Thanks, kid. Isn't it time for bed?

I will admit that during this entire conversation I was eagerly anticipating the moment when I could tell John about his big "nipples". Of course, I didn't keep from laughing when I told John about Josiah's observation and questions! John's reaction was priceless. "Hey, man, it wasn't me; it was Josiah." Here's a link where you can decide for yourself if there really are man boobs here. Heh heh heh.

Work or Play?

There's a new way to shovel. Apparently it helps support the back so that injuries are less likely to happen, back injuries anyway.

It's called Swing Shovelling

or Shovel Swinging

or maybe the Shoveling Swing

... Swinging Shoveler?

It's simple really. All you have to do is set up your swing set over the area which needs to be shoveled. This requires a dirt shoveler, wrench, maybe a hammer, and, you know, just a little bit of time. Next swing and shovel until everything within reach is clear. Then just repeat these steps over and over.

Fine. Do it the old-fashioned way but Nathan's way looks like a lot more fun!

After Nathan had been outside for quite some time working on perfecting his invention and then conquering the snow hills, I asked him if he was cold and "Are you ready to come inside?" He's building up his cold endurance because in spite of his red cheeks and nose, he claimed that wasn't cold yet. (The endurance time has really expanded after he embraced the wisdom of using his warm, water-proof gloves instead of his easy to get on knitted gloves.)

His look was pleading with me to allow him to stay outside longer. How can you say "no" to this face?

Or this... this... or this. (Don't worry. I have a LOT of practice in this area.)

But this day... he stayed outside.

Then Noah joined him.

Noah doesn't have quite the amount of cold endurance built up so I had hot chocolate at the ready. He also tends to stumble on the snow drifts and just sits there until I run outside from my window perch to help him back up. It's a good thing for him that Nathan and I had shoveled pathways in the yard. He only needed rescued twice.

Even our dog, Cairo, got into the snow fun and pinned her chew toy face down in the snow until it squeaked to the count of ten.

The record holder for cold endurance is Josiah though. He'll stay in the snow for hours. Shoveling, building, transporting, building igloos, and whatever else his imagination comes up with.

There's nothing better to than to top off a round of snow play with some delicious hot chocolate. (It really helps with the coming-in blues too.)

Preparing for Christmas

We rearranged the living room and decorated for Christmas last weekend. It took longer for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I'm not sure why but I blame the mild weather because I like to have a scapegoat.

Here is a strangely aimed picture of the boys digging into the ornaments. From the looks of Nathan, it was just after Nathan was doing some digging into his raviolis. That would explain any strange stains I find on the ornaments...

After the tree was decorated, the younger boys took a nap and Josiah went outside to play while I set up our Playmobil nativity set. When Josiah came inside, he was amazed that I had set that up all by myself and had done it so quickly. "Wow! Did you do this all by yourself, Mommy? How did you do it so fast?" It's a superpower I have... kind of like being able to open jars.

I had the presence of mind to take a picture of the nativity since I kind of figured that it wouldn't remain intact throughout the Christmas season. At this point, I'm just hoping all the parts can be found when it's time to put things away.

The tree itself has remained decorated and unscathed. We may even be able to put the glass ornaments back on the tree by next year! Woohoo! I love a loaded tree.

Merry Christmas!

Ask Sarah

So I'm on facebook today which is common for me and my friend IMs me. (That's instant message for anyone that doesn't yet know and, by the way, where have you been?)

She asks me, "I am wondering do you know how to get melted crayon out of clothing? I washed Josh's pants and didn't realize he had crayons in them and then dried them in the dryer. I don't know if I can save the pants."

My oh-so-wise response: I've heard of something before. I'll try to remember. (I'm thinking that I know peanut butter gets gum out of hair...)
Oh! Try this...

Friend: yeah, it is quite bad it was like 3 crayons.

Me: Put an old rag over the wax stains, then iron the rag. It gets the wax to come onto the rag. I saw this work on spilt candle wax on carpet.

Friend: The bummer is most of it is in the pocket! But I will try it.

Me: Go ahead, ask me something else. I feel as though I'm on a roll!
Turn that pocket inside out. (Another zinger! That's 2 for 2.)

Friend: http://www.ehow.com/how_4487742_remove-melted-crayon-from-fabric.html This site says to freeze the pants first. LOL

Me: What do they know! Seriously :) (Dang! My friend doubted the authenticity of my response and googled it. This is in my most incredulous voice in my head: "You doubt me!?" Ha! That article only has a two and a half star rating. Mine would surely have a better rating than that!)

Friend: Maybe it helps get rid of a majority, then iron it.
or frozen parts snap off? (I know you're trying to humor me. Just freeze the pants already. However, you will never know if my ironing tip would have removed the wax without the wait! *maniacal laughter*)
interesting.
I am glad I haven't had to learn about this before

Some of my other I-know-how-to-do-its:
Open a pickle jar
Open a jelly jar
Open a salsa jar
Oh! Get ink out of fabric
Hard boil an egg
How to get gum out of hair
Open an applesauce jar
Open a hot pepper rings jar
I could go on but the list would be too long and eventually I'll run out of different kinds of jars.

Go ahead. Ask me a question. I'll know the answer. (And if I don't, I'll google it, ask around, or find out from another unsuspecting friend via IM.)

(Note: Statements in parenthesis are made in my head and must be read in my conspiratorial thought voice.) The previous statement was my out loud, informative, thought voice. Everyone clear?

Pilgrims and Indians

This year's Thanksgiving brought us another Thanksgiving skit. This year Josiah was an Indian unlike last year when he was a Pilgrim but like the year before when he was a smaller Indian.

The Pre-K through second grade classes gave everyone an adorable rendition of the first Thanksgiving even demonstrating hunting and planting where a corn stalk spontaneously sprang up after the seed was planted and a bear skin suddenly appeared when the the Indians helped the Pilgrims learn to hunt.

This is an actual photograph of an early settler and an Indian solemnly walking and talking. Oh, wait. That's Josiah and my nephew, the Pilgrim!

Here they are again. Josiah used his favorite pose of stuffing something into his mouth for the picture.

You should have seen Isaac and the other Pilgrims dance the robot! It was great! My nephew does an amazingly good robot. You think I'm joking. I'm not. It's a true story. Pilgrims did the Robot; at least, our Pilgrims did.

Naughty or Nice

I asked Nathan this morning what he wants for Christmas.

He told me, "I need a car. And a gun."

Dang! What's my three year old planning? Is there a heist planned? Are there co-conspirators? Where did I go wrong!?

On the other hand, he asks for so little....

Bwahahaha!

Adopt: to take by choice into a relationship

We have a couple of adoptions in our family tree. I pondered what I should do, how I should record this. What do professional genealogists do in these cases? How should my family tree best reflect this?

In one case, the biological father is unknown but I found the adoptive father. In another circumstance, the biological father and grandparents are known as well as the adoptive dad. I desired to record the biological information as well as the men who were the daddies and gave of their whole selves and their name to their adopted sons.

As I contemplated this, a particular thought came to mind: God's view of adoption. There are two genealogies in the Gospels for Jesus. One is for Mary and one is for Joseph. Neither is deemed more important than the other. In this way, God honored Joseph for being His son's adoptive earthly father. At the same time, we know from where Jesus came since He is God's only begotten Son. We can know the past from where we have come and live in our present position of sonship.

And so, I've determined to follow the adoptive lineages as well as record the known biological lineage giving thanks and honor to the daddies who loved and raised another man's son.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. - I John 3:1-2

Cruisin' for a bruisin'

Askin' for trouble

Pushing the envelope

Wishin' for a wuppin'

Testing the limits

Pushing all the buttons

Beggin' for a beatin'

Playing with fire

Pressing his luck

Breaking the rules

What could I possibly be talking about?

Not what.

Who.

And the who is Nathan.

Shortly after taking his bath on Saturday, Nathan got the green (and thankfully, washable) poster paint and completely covered the front of himself. I'm talking about his face, shirt, hands, pants, and even his knees through the holes in his pants being John Deere green like a little Hulk. A picture would have been hilarious ... only I didn't see the humor in the moment. I had him strip his clothes off and put them in the bathtub before washing his hands, face and knees with a washcloth.

But that wasn't the end. Put that one in the "Lesson NOT learned" file.

When I came home from work Sunday morning, I found a surly dad cleaning the living room floor and carpet, Nathan in time out, and Josiah helpfully informing me that Nathan broke the whole dozen eggs on the floor. Nice. I chimed in, "Oh well, we had too many eggs anyway." And, yes, I am aware that I'll probably have to take a turn at scrubbing that carpet too.

Of course, Nathan already knows the rules and the consequences. So in answer to the question, "Why did you do this?", there was only one repeated reply: "I don't know!"

In the words of Bill Cosby, this is BRAIN DAMAGE.

Thanksgiving Thought

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. To me, it means a gathering of family for fun, food, games, and remembrances. No pressure. No great expectations. Just us being us. That's good when you're a little quirky.

I can get melancholy thinking of holidays past - remembering family no longer with us, a carefree spirit which now is responsible for others, or hope deferred which has now been fulfilled in a much better way than originally imagined.

It is easy to long for the past; however, the best place to be is Now. Sometimes Now is hard but seasons change, hard times pass. Joy comes.

Thanksgiving this year has been full of children enjoying each others' company ... rather loudly, sharing a meal or four, playing games, visiting and encouraging one another. We are enjoying this time and each other because one day this will be one of those times we look back and remember fondly for this season of our life.

Funny of the day: Aunt Carol asks Josiah, "What are you thankful for?" "I don't know. Why do you ask?", is his casual reply. Hey, man, it's Thanksgiving!

Consider the Ant

Heh heh heh heh. So after church last night, Josiah comes home and shows us the project they made in class. He made an ant and he made it "with fur on his back and his belly just like Daddy."

Don't you love it? I laughed and laughed....

And, no, I didn't ask what the purple squiggles are.

Homework

Josiah brought a note home from school last week saying that his class is beginning to study Europe and would we please send in a family tree including heritage so that the study can be more interesting and relevant to the student.

Okay. I'll just ask my brother who has recorded the family tree. Strike One. Something about not having the program right now to access his information.

No problem. I'll call my parents and find out something. Strike Two. Not much there yet.

Hm. I could contact my cousin. She has done research on my dad's side of the family.... Meanwhile I'll try to find out some info on my own. Home Run! I stumbled upon my mom's father's family lineage which went back to the 1600's in Massachusetts and England.

I was thrilled to learn this bit of history about my great great great great great (yes, that's five greats) grandfather, Joseph Tingley:

"Joseph Tingley and his family were driven from their home by the Hessians. Christian, his wife, and children with their servants took refuge in Schooley's Mountains. Joseph Tingley took his two oldest boys, Ebenezer and Jeremiah, and equipping themselves with flint-lock muskets, powder horns, home spun blankets, etc., set out for the headquarters of General Washington, not far distant. Approaching General Washington, he took off his hat and put it under his arm. Addressing the General he said, `I believe I have the honor of being in the presence of General Washington'. The General replied, `My name is George Washington. Put on your hat, daddy'. `I came to offer you my service and that of my sons, such as it is, to help in this struggle', said grandfather Tingley. `NOBLE OFFERING. Fall in ranks there and at roll call report your names', directed the General.

"The Hessians had taken possession of their house and barn for headquarters, who, on leaving it, left only the bare walls."

Supplied by Leona Gay Tingley-Brewer from Autobiography of Lydia B. Sexton, published by the United Brethren Publishing House, Dayton, OH, 1885

Wow! My ancestor met and fought with George Washington himself!

I posted on Facebook about needing to find family tree information and my cousin and a friend of mine responded. My friend offered me her help and opened a load of information to me!

Since then I have been studiously searching and finding mine and my husband's genealogy. It has become my newest obsession.

Josiah looked at my notebook on Saturday and intoned, "I don't think my teacher wants that many names." I reply, "Oh, I know. This is for me! You're all done. Here's your short version of Grandma and Grandpa, Nona and Papa, and their parents. You have England, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, and Italy."

If anyone needs anything, I'll be passionately writing down names, dates, marriages, and locations of my ancestors.

Please send coffee. Thank you.

Reenactment

Earlier today, Nathan who is a huge fan of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 brought his Buzz Lightyear toy to me and asked, "Mom, can you take his arm off?" After looking at what he's holding, I tell him, "Oh, no, Nathan. It's not like in the movie; his arm isn't supposed to come off."

Apparently, he didn't take no for an answer.

Have I ever mentioned that Nathan is a very determined young man?

I found Buzz Lightyear in this state. He looks like he's going into shock! You're going to be okay, Buzz!

My arm! I. must. get. my. arm. A little help here please? 911? Anyone? Woody? HELP!

Please excuse me while I go give Buzz Lightyear a hand.

UPDATE: After a difficult procedure, Buzz's forearm was able to be reattached. The prognosis is good. He should regain full use of his arm. Buzz Lightyear is not taking any questions at this time as he needs his rest in order to have a speedy recovery. He thanks all his fans for their concern, well wishes, and prayers.

My Baby is 2

Knowing that something is up, Noah climbs into the high chair to await whatever is coming next. What are they bringing me? I've had the punch and the popcorn... what's next?
OH MY COW! ARE YOU TRYING TO SET ME ON FIRE? WHY THE FLAMING CANDLE?

This is the hands-down all-time plainest cake we've ever done for the Perino birthdays. And do you know the reaction of the children? "Cool cake!" If I had only known earlier that all you need are a couple of matchbox cars to make everything perfect!

Noah enjoyed his cake after that scary candle was blown out ... especially the icing part.

He woo'ed and whoa'd at the appropriate times....

and he tried out everything that he could right away including his new toothbrush.

Nathan barely restrained himself from "helping" Noah with the packages.

What's in here?

Noah loves hats!

And animal cookies!

The new Trike was a hit with everyone! All the boys and their cousins took turns on it.

As the party wound down, Noah changed into his new jammies.

Bedtime was written all over their faces.

Happy Birthday, Noah!