The day after.......

The day after a holiday it's always kind of hard to get back into the swing of things, especially for the kids. If it's called "winter BREAK" why do we expect them to work? It's amazing how fast kids can disappear when the "c" word comes into play. Eventually, at least they gave us their laundry and kind of picked up their rooms. Then it was time to play! or veg rewatching all the movies they received yesterday.

And so today went. The garage door opened and closed every 5 minutes with someone going out to play in the snow, or coming in because they were cold. The back porch is cleared by stomping feet and swishing mittens. It takes them twenty minutes to get ready to play outside for five minutes. Such is the first real snowfall of winter. I now have footprints in my yard, and snowballs splatted against the sliding door. Poor Si Guy wasn't allowed out, because some of the drifts were as tall as him, so he just watched...and waited for his chance, but when the garage door opened he realized it was too cold. So he satisfied himself with stealing mom and dad's sodas and his siblings toys.

Our street is always one of the first ones plowed because of the grade school a few houses away, but there really wasn't any traffic to speak of on this quiet day. Nobody coming, nobody going, really quite the peaceful day of rest and recovery. Maybe that's why there are doves for the second day of Christmas.

Christmas with just us.

This was the first Christmas in years where we did not go anywhere, have anyone over, or have any "event" level planning. While I missed having Mr.M's brother around in the morning, for the most part it was really nice. The kids woke us up at 7:07, knowing the cardinal rule of NEVER wake mommy before 7am because it doesn't lead anywhere good. They gleefully raided their stockings, and played with the stuff in them for over an hour. I was starting to wonder why I bought the bigger gifts.

After breakfast, they opened their remaining gifts, only two this year...but two well chosen gifts are worth a dozen just because ones. Then it was playtime. Nowhere to go. Nothing else to do, but enjoy their new stuff and each other. Everyone shared their toys. Everyone thanked Jesus before we ate our ham dinner. (Don't get too excited, we're talking microwaved pre-cooked him w/ frozen mac and cheese, nuked potatoes and veggies here...not an event status meal, but one my whole family enjoyed nonetheless.)

After the excitement, mommy needed a nap.....apparently about a five hour nap, because Daddy didn't wake her up for anything. And the kids didn't interrupt either. The wonders of them each getting a new movie for Christmas no doubt. Although, that does explain why I'm still up at 12:45am....

Some great moments...

Our Swedish chef muppetfest on U-tube, leading into the Star Wars episode of Pigs in Space.
Si Guy climbing in the back of his new BIG truck!
Chip playing with Si-Guy's Spiral Speedway.
Princess P carrying her new inflatable Tinkerbell chair everywhere with her for the whole day.
Our oldest helping Chip put his new hotwheel track together.
Bob giving me a big smile, and a big hug for Christmas.
The girls painting their nails themselves.
Si guy bringing me sparkly nail polish to paint his toes.

and quotes:
"Mommy, can I shovel the sidewalk and the driveway? Pllleeeease?" (Yes, hands were together and in begging position with this one. How could I say no?)
"Ook Mommy! I have a cwown. I'm a qweeen!"
"Can I brush me teeth again?"
"Wow! Wee! Ball! Ball! Ball!" (Think, An-i-mal. An-i-mal.)
"This is the biggest doll, ever!"
(After apologizing for not getting him a toy, our oldest responded)"What do mean mom? The DVD player is a toy! See, it has a screen and buttons like my DS."
Ah, they grow up so quickly. Glad I have a few more tiny tot years left.

Peace be with you, a Merry CHRISTMAS to all...and to all a good night.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

This year, we're hibernating over Christmas. The ice/snow is drifting down outside, all pretty and sparkly. I can enjoy it knowing I'm not driving anywhere. I pray for my friends who are travelling though, and hope they've already arrived safely at their destinations, in Missouri, in Iowa, or across town.
Today was full of chaos, chasing tots away from the packages under the tree, retaping a few of afore-mentioned packages, debating which christmas specials/movies to watch on tv, cleaning, & making fudge, caramels, and marshmallows...that no one is allowed to eat until tomorrow.
Still ahead is the stuffing of the stockings...once that last holdout upstairs has gone to sleep.
This year, we don't have any real projects though, and I can't decide if I'm more sad or relieved not to have a bike to build or a train table to assemble. I look at our oldest sons gifts and see there isn't a single toy...and I don't think he'll miss it either. The only toys he asked for were building sets that were outside our means this year, but it's okay. I have one more shot before he's lost in the teen zone.
Our second son is starting to get there too. Last year his main gift was a video camera, but he was still happy to see his hot wheels. This year I hope he'll be happy too.
Our third child has the joy of Christmas in his heart all year round. He's a giving soul, shares whatever he has with whoever wants it, laughs easily, and always has a sparkle in eye and a spring in his step. He carefully alloted the little money he had to make sure he had a gift for everyone. This holiday brings out everything we love about him.
The youngest three bring about even more joy and chaos. They are the ones being constantly chased out of packages, trying to see what they'll get. They squeal at the lights, shred the paper, and stick fingers into the candy dish. I don't have too many years with ones like this left.
Though they try our patience, they're joy is infectious. It's unrestrained love and stickiness spreads around.

I love having a houseful of kids at Christmas, after all the star of the day is the babe, resting in a manger, surrounded by hay. Thank you Father, for allowing your son to be encased in flesh, and become one of us that day.

And now we're halfway through the second day...

and just when I thought I was going over the brink the phone rang. Two Christmas gifts unwrapped by toddler, (neither toys to the toddler's dismay). An entire Sam's size container of baking soda dumped on the bathroom floor to make it look like "snow", and remote control wars at full speed.

Brring.

"Hey, can I take the boys to a movie today?"
The Alle-lujiah chorus starts playing in my head.
Then princess D chimes in "I wanna go too!"
"Honey, there's not room in J's car."
JG chimes in in "It's okay. I just got paid. We ALL can go."
Kindergarten crisis averted. Mom's aspirin afternoon begins. The feature is "Alvin and the Chipmunks 2." Nough said. A preschool and adolescent testosterone delight, but a mommy migraine in the making. Still, if all goes well, it's better than defending the tree all day.

Next step, call Mr. M and tell him the plan. (Even with kids, all social events with another guy are always cleared through him.) Mr. M informs me that he just found out "tomorrow is a company holiday." Woo-hoo! Praise #2. This day may turn out all right yet.

We're only halfway through the first day......

One dentist appointment down. The boys have folded four baskets of laundry. Now they're fixing lunch. It's really nice having our oldest home. Now I just need a crowbar to pry them off the couch to help clean the rest of the house, so we ALL can enjoy Dad's week off next week. Yet they are not convinced. Why should THEY have to work?

Reasons kids have chores.....beyond the trite "it teaches responsibility,etc."
Mostly it comes down to there are six of them and two of us.

1)IF they didn't fold their own laundry, I wouldn't have time to cook. They like eating. Therefore they fold.

2)If they didn't take care of their own rooms, they wouldn't be able to get out of them, because I'm not doing it.

3)Their father works eight hours a day, and comes home to do laundry, read stories, and take care of the dishes. Guess which one goes first if runs out of time because someone forgot to take out the trash and recycling, pick up the living room,etc.

4)When the house is caught up on Sunday, we often do a family activity like the zoo, park, games,etc. They'd rather do that than be memorizing sections and cleaning bathrooms. At least they say they would.....

5) IF they don't help bring in groceries, I might forget to buy something next time, like chips.

6) Staying together, helping herd toddlers, and pushing carts in grocery stores often has french fries at the end of the checkout line. Scattering, wrestling, and whining often has cold cuts and water....that they have to get themselves.

7) They like money. The more I have to remind them of their chores, the longer I "forget" to give them their allowances.

8) They like seeing their friends. If the chores aren't caught up, they can look at pictures.

9) Whining and stalling at chores begets more chores. If it takes too long to do something, then maybe they just need more practice. If it's not just automatic for them to help out when asked, they obviously need more expected of them.

10) Because I said so, and when mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

We still have another dentist appointment this afternoon, and I have lunch to fix for Princess P. So Happy Holidays to you! May the SON shine upon you.

We're gonna party like it's 2009!

Not quite as catchy as Prince, but all four of our older kids had room parties today...and I had the priviledge of helping with one, and observing moments from two others.

Our daughter was sooo excited when she came home from school today. She got a new book from the principal! Wrapped and everything! They had snacks and games...and now no school until January 4th. Oh my. Princess P is so happy to have her nemesis/best friend home.

I headed to the school around 1:30ish to help set up 5th grade. I love that group of kids. Our oldest is fun to be around and rather popular, so as his mother I kind of get rock star status too. Although the real star is the room mother for our class. She gets everything planned out the week before, so showing up to help is a snap. The kids had a great time, dancing, eating, and playing games, and grabbing some more "to-go" snacks after school.

Once fifth grade was in game mode, I chose to wander by my other two older boys classes. Chip's class was receiving their wrapped presents from the principal, and had discovered snowman straws made great whistles! Chip was to busy bending and shaking the package to notice though....I wonder, what does a book sound like? I hugged my bug and trotted down to third.

Bob was so busy goofing off with his friends, he didn't even notice me walk in the room. I always consider being ignored at a kid party a successHe really enjoyed the fruit-kabobs they had for snack too. It was nice to see how much fun he and his classmates had together.

After they got home, they divied up their extra snacks among the two young beggars, and raced to show us Christmas crafts and tell their stories. They're so excited to be home until NEXT year! Days like today are what I live for as a parent. Here's hoping the next two weeks are equally fun.

Childhood nostalgia... at a sales party?

Last night I went to a games party for Simply Fun at my friendly red-headed Angel's house. It was a relaxed evening of joking around, playing games, listening to sales pitches, and of course, eating.

The food was like a hug from Jesus, taking me back to New Year's Eve with my parents. Angel's entire life is Spirit-led, and it showed down to her menu. She had the tri-popcorn can from Topsy's w/ caramel, cheese, and cinnamon, a veggie tray w/ peppers and carrots, ritz crackers w/ summer sausage and two kinds of cheese, and diet coke to drink. So noshing, and chatting, and sitting around playing games....just like an idyllic family night. When I was a kid, it was New Year's Eve with my parents. As an adult, it was just a "sales party" with my sisters in Christ.
I'm simply blessed.

Keeping on keeping on.

There are some weeks that are a success just for their completion. Sure the house looks like a war zone, and we're eating pancakes and beans for dinner, but who cares? We survived. And we're grateful.

Last week was like that. We'd be just thinking, phew...out the woods with that kid, and another one would puke on our shoulder. Sometimes two. And then, by the preschool program Sunday night, we really though everything was great! We were all feeling okay going in. Princess P got to be "the star" that the wise men followed (literally followed her up onto the stage. It was so cute!) And afterwards a cake/cookie/punch party! What could be better?

Allergic mom on the alert, I got the punch for the allergic kids first, and candy canes so they wouldn't focus on what they couldn't have....Thing is, I only was counting the two kids with severe food issues. The other four weren't even on the radar. Especially our oldest. He'd outgrown virtually all of his food issues, or so it seemed. Sure he still occasionally got a stomach ache and a skin rash from eating half a hersheys bar before he realized there were almonds in it, but it wasn't anything severe. He could take care of himself.

Or not. Allergies can and do change around adolescence. Doh!

And his old nemesis almonds had quite the nasty surprise for him. He had taken an almond crescent type cookie in disguise. It was rolled in a ball, and looked/tasted like a spicy chocolate truffle. The only thing that gave away the presence of nuts in it to me was the texture. By the time I knew the cookie's true ID, it was too late to tell him. By the Grace of GOD, he had gotten one that had been overbaked, so other than biting it in half, and whatever crumbs were on his plate, he hadn't been able to ingest much at all. I shrugged it off, thinking, eh, it's his stomach, and he didn't really eat much, so maybe he'd slide this time.

He was laying on a couple of chairs, sucking candy before we left. And then he threw up on the outdoor stairway....I, being dense and forgetful, chalked it up to too much rich, overly sweet food coming off a stomach bug, and cleaned it up while they waited in the car.

Then we got home. He watched basketball with his Dad and even requested cereal before bed.
About half an hour later he was in the ER at Children's Mercy, with severe chest pain...I'd heard him moaning in his sleep.

EKG, Chest X-ray, don't know what caused it, but it's gone now. Follow up with his doctor.
Dad brings him home. Dad goes to bed at 5am. I'm stewing....and then I realize, it was the cookie. Just a few crumbs brought him down. I'm so grateful he hadn't been able to eat the whole thing. I'm so grateful God's more diligent than me, and loves my son more than I can.
He truly does not give us more than we can bear.

We are emerging from the toughest week of this holiday season. The big kids program was at church last Sunday. It was a huge blessing to see our kids display their talents in the performing arts. Our oldest had a speaking part, Bob sang a solo, and Chip and Princess D were quite the hams to watch in the chorus.
Tuesday night the Holiday Shoppe at school was a huge success! One more thing checked off the list, so I should be breathing a bit easier...and would have been if we weren't struck by the "virus." As the week progressed, every single member of our household fell like flies to this years intestinal bug...and nightmare of nightmares, both parents were down on the same day.
Fortuntely, by the time we went down, the kids were on the mend for the most part. I'm proud of how well they can fend with minimal intervention in a short term situation. There was remarkably little complaining, lots of quiet entertaining, it warmed a mother's heart, when she was conscious enough to notice. On this day too we tag teamed. One parent sleeping while the other "supervising" the children. It kinda worked. Still, not particularly a day I'd choose to relive. Still, trying to be grateful in all things,

I am grateful that for the most part, the kids were down two by two, allowing tag team parenting to work at it's best.
I am grateful no one needed immediate medical attention.
I am grateful it is almost over now.

I am grateful that we are recovered enough to enjoy the week ahead, with the preschool program at church, and final preparations for next week's AWANA store.

I am infinitely grateful for my husband, and all he does for us and our home.

I am grateful it's almost Christmas, my favorite day of the year. Peace be with you.

Tis the season for giving.

We try to take the winter season off from sports/activities, so we can focus on the holidays and breathe for a while. Maybe spend some time cocooning with our kids and crafts and games.
This year the plan went wrong somewhere.

First, there was no chair for the Holiday Shoppe for PTA. Football is over. Sure I can do it. How different could it be from running the AWANA store which I do year-round anyway?
Then they needed a cookie chair for Damaris' girl scout troop. DH said, "sure we can do it." And Mr. M never volunteers for anything without wifely coercion, how bad could it be? He's doing the number crunching after all.
Then we remembered, the Christmas Store was AWANA's big "giving" push. (Usually, the store is mostly a toy store to reward the kids for their work.)
And then we found out Football Factory started Dec. 1, and would like our two players there every day after school for about 1 1/2 hours.....so much for our break.

Yet really, I've enjoyed our volunteering immensely. I LOVE shopping, especially with other people's money. And the chase to get the highest quality stuff for the lowest price has always been one of my driving forces. Best score so far? $15 floating candle set for about $3. And on the personal rewards side, same store I was shopping for the school at I found my husband $40 jeans for $6 - 20%. For Mr. tall and lean, that was a HUGE find. And I still get to finish the shopping for Holiday Shoppe up this weekend.

The cookie sales involved me running a kid meeting, dh running an adult meeting (he said he didn't know that was involved or he wouldn't have signed up) and me making a bunch of phone calls towards the end begging for forms. Then I added up the totals, and DH fought with the SNAP system. Notice the mom work vs the "volunteers" work here....It's okay honey. I love you.

And all that is before AWANA store. I've steadily unpacked and rearranged the store since it was destroyed for Judgment House in October. I have just now gotten to the point where I'm ready to inventory and shop....for a whole new sports and boys section, and fill out some nicer stuff for moms for Christmas. The best part of this is I'm shopping with the church's money and a friend!! Double the fun. Visiting and bargain hunting!

Yet all this is before we start our own holiday preparations. SO far, I've bought ornament kits and about half the kids Christmas presents. The tree is not up. The candles for the advent wreath need replacing. Yet the kids get to see hands on what giving is about, and that's more important than greenery anyway.