The Purge

Good-bye 1999 Christmas Sweater - I take away such fond memories of you

    

 It's that time of year.   Out with the old, and out with the very old.  I have been going through my closets, kid closets, toys, blankets, bags - and if I don't donate them soon, they'll end up back where they started.  I get a bit frenetic when it comes to throwing out -- but if I think about it just two seconds too long then a memory of the item will hit me and it'll go back to the "let's just wait one more year" pile. 

Who cares if my first boyfriend gave me that XXL flannel shirt that for some reason was very popular in 1994 that was even more awful because we girls tucked them in to very high buttoned jeans -- why, why, why?? 

Who cares if that work bag has Kenny's 1st real law office job in Houston monogrammed on it?  Ahh. 

Who cares if that 100 dollar toy Santa brought two years ago is in perfect shape?  And as a sidebar - I tried selling this toy on Craigslist and received one email in return.  It said, "OMG - that's so cute!"
Does this person want this so cute item?  Is she just being friendly?  Not sure. 

Who cares if I only have 1 Christmas sweater (see pic) that I bought, not kidding, in 1999 from a store that is no longer open and that I wear once a year?
 
 What these items all have in common is NO ONE uses them, so I can either be sentimental or smart and take the time to pillage through the piles.  This year, I took the time and let me share with you what I got from being smart.  As I was going through work bags, gym bags and old back packs, I came across one that Kenny actually used a year ago when he went to Haiti with Habitat for Humanity.  As I was shaking out pens and pencils, I also came across 4 or 5 checks that he was apparently going to put in the bank but never did.  What's better than finding a 20 dollar bill in your pocket in an unwashed pair of jeans -- finding a big birthday check dated October 2011 -- to ME! Money I didn't even know I had, or forgot I ever had it.  Such a surprise --- and all for being smart, not sentimental. 

So purge, purge away and enjoy that empty shelf, or those empty hangers, or that extra room.  And if you're really good, you can dust and windex while you're at it. 

 Have I gone too far? Stick with purging, Spring cleaning doesn't rear its ugly head for a few more months.  

Something's Missing

I know I spent a week over Thanksgiving with my family.
I know we talked on Christmas Eve and Day.
I know we got their presents and called to thank them.
I know they will probably visit sometime soon.

But I miss Tulsa and would like to have gone home to see everyone. 
To my Okie family -- Have a wonderful lazy,  college football bowl-watching, still bad snack eating, Oscar movie-going, New Years resolution kind of weekend.

Love Ya'll. 

For the Love of the RV

My  kids love their grandparents, and this past week Kenny's parents, aka Grammie and Grandpa joined us for a whole week to experience Christmas in Texas.   I'm certain they would have preferred Christmas in Nebraska with its reliable cold temperatures and possibility of snow on every forecast but instead they got a few sweaty days in shorts followed by a few 30+ degree days which always brings on the best winter colds. 

When Grammie and Grandpa come to visit they always bring something new to our house - 100% attention to the kids.  What a relief that is to me and Kenny (not that we don't give our kids attention) but it's so nice to share the love.   Without even a complaint, Grammie sat on the floor and played a 4-day Monopoly game in which Elijah became a titan and she a pauper.  She sat on a different floor and watched the girls put on elaborate shows, listened to their stories, & played Barbies.  And she gladly sat in the back of the van when we traveled to make-up stories for the kids.  Completely self-less.  I think a see a glimpse of Kenny when I watch her patience with our sometimes self-absorbed kids.  Grandpa, on the other hand, gladly shared his electronic device with a game-hungry Elijah, brought his own ingredients and made the best meatloaf dinner, and helped Kenny with some very muddy backyard work.  Not to mention the gifts he made us were truly unique and I imagine, time-consuming. 

But out of all the Christmas things we did, the gifts that were brought, the time that was given, I think the #1 favorite for the kids when Grammie and Grandpa visit - is that RV. (Which I've written about before here.) There is just something magical about sleeping in a car, or what looks like an extra-big van in our driveway, or playing hide-and-seek with Grammie while in pajamas while in the small space that is the RV.  I've never actually been out to the RV while they played hide and seek so I can't vouch for how good the hiding places are, but it's a game they continue to play each visit so it must be good.  One morning they spent a good 2 hours out there doing what?  I don't know.  But I do know that the house was very quiet for awhile and that is always a nice change.  I guess this means the kids aren't the only ones who appreciate the RV.

Friends will often ask how I feel about a recreational vehicle in my driveway, but I always tell them it works.  It's a perfect fix to our non-guest bedroom, and for the love of the RV, I can't imagine a visit without it. 

A Christmas Program Funny

    There have been so many great moments to write about this past week - between Church Christmas programs, school programs, class parties, Elf on the shelf shenanigans, grandparents in town, presents, grandparents with an RV, a Christmas Eve service with a candle-light Silent Night and almost burnt hair, early, early mornings, presents, making cookies, dogs, presents, coughing kids, friends visiting with their new greyhound, temperature drops, more coughing kids, presents, movies - really, so much to share.  It's so overwhelming to know where to begin, so instead, I'm sharing a video that could stand a chance winning an AVF award.  It's just too funny to keep hidden in an old computer file.   
     I don't know if embarrassed or shocked is the right word to describe my reaction to Lanie and her Destiny's Child move on her best friend while singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  It's a long minute and 10 seconds but you only need to see the first 10 to get a feel for how my little bully of a girl edges her way to microphone glory. I didn't even notice the cat fight until it was over.   I was so busy scanning the darling children with the glittery tinsel singing about the bright star that the wise men follow to even catch what has become my favorite Christmas program story.  Props to Ella though, she certainly didn't back down and kept that microphone front and center.  Luckily these friends are only 4 - with many girl fights to come, I suppose.  Thankfully, they end the song singing loudly, sweetly and with angelic smiles and have completely forgotten the Twinkle, Twinkle tug-of-war.
    Of course I haven't forgotten.  That's what this blog is all about.

The Photo Shoot

After coercing the kids to get dressed up on a Saturday afternoon three days before Christmas, and then telling them we'd only go to Chuck E. Cheese AFTER, we took them to a nearby lake to take some Ward family pictures.  I know in the past these type of endeavors were difficult. But my kids are older now and certainly getting 3 kids to smile while looking directly in the sun shouldn't be hard.  I was so very, very wrong and unprepared for Elijah's lackluster photo attitude and Lanie's complete stubbornness.  So after 50 shots in different places around the lake - in the grass, on steps, by a bench, in a swing, by the cactus - we ended up choosing for our 2012 Christmas card, a picture of the whole family in front of our Christmas tree (like every other year!). 

But I hate to see all those efforts go to waste, so from our very cool and apparently gangster-like family to yours, we wish you a very, merry Christmas. 

Totally not sure what my hand was doing - holding an imaginary cigarette? Hmm.

A Little House Christmas

        With the world on edge and discussions on how to handle increasing violence on every talk show, I have been stealing away from it by readings Little House on the Prairie with Elijah. We already finished Little House in the Big Woods and to be honest, they are a bit detail driven.  So much so that I don't think Elijah would ever choose to read them on his own.  But, it's been a relief for me just to live in that world for a while.  Pa made everything by hand: the walls of his house, the floor, the roof, the table and even improvised making his own nails for a door.  Ma cooked everything, sewed everything and had no problem taking a carcass from some newly shot rabbit, cleaning it out and having it ready for her hungry husband.  Brave, brave woman.  And the girls, Mary, Laura and baby Carrie who seems to sleep a lot, were content playing in the prairie grass chasing garter snakes and would never talk back or disobey Pa or Ma.  At least three times I've read:  "Children were to be seen and not heard"  and "At supper, children only spoke when spoken too."  It's a concept I can't even begin to relate to seeing that our dinners are full of noise and wiggling and mayhem.
       Laura describes her life with such fondness, her nostalgia for what was a very difficult time comes across as just the way it was.  They found such joy in Pa's fiddle playing at night and square dances with the neighbors who were a horse ride across the creek away. They found joy in simple things - a sunrise, a sturdy house, sugar with coffee, a hand-stitched doll, and a candy cane in their stocking. 

     This past week, both Elijah and Lydia went on field trips to see "A Little House Christmas" which takes several Christmas chapters from all the books and builds them into a one-act play.  The basic theme of the play is that Christmas can be blessed no matter what the circumstances, no matter how little you have.  In these days of over-abundance, that's the message I left with and it's the message that inspired our little home-made tree made of paper, popcorn and styrofoam.


    The paper snowflakes were the easiest.  The girls grabbed their safety scissors and went to work.  The popcorn strings were a little more difficult.  One night while over at our neighbor's house, I brought popcorn, needles and thread.  We adults sat around the table and competed for longest, untangled popcorn garland.  Some of us found this easier than others. 

Angel topper - before eyes & mouth

The styrofoam angel created some irony for me.  I spent more money buying crafty items to make the DIY angel topper then if I'd bought one at Hobby Lobby which would have been a simpler route.  Buying one would have taken a few minutes, but then I wouldn't have had my two-hour creative break on a Sunday afternoon, and I wouldn't have had my girls next to me painting their own projects (their hands mostly) and loving every minute of it, and our little tree would have lost its Little House-inspired qualities.  So in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder  - we dedicate our old-fashioned tree to you. 

Coping

Everyone I know is coping with the Sandy Hook tragedy differently.   Some want to keep the televisions and radio off, some want to talk, to vent about why, why, why, some want to read every article, every Facebook page and get to know the children, the teachers, the parents, and some want to take it to God and pray for each of those families individually, not just today but every day for the weeks and months to come so that they are not forgotten.  I find myself doing all of these things depending on the moment of the day. 

There were two incidents today that brought me some perspective.  The first is a prayer written by Max Lucado that I heard on the radio this morning that reminds us that Jesus was born into a dark world to be the light, and the second was a tribute I watched on The Voice that was just sweet and lovely.  I wanted to share them with you in case you just needed something else to help you cope.  

Dear Jesus,

It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

 Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children

  

Tears

After the devastating news this morning about Sandy Hooks Elementary in NewTown, CT - all I want to do is grab these three and hold on tight.

Many teary prayers lifted up today.  So many.

Candy Cane Conundrum

        I don't mean for this to sound folksy, like I walked two miles in the snow up hill and down to get to school.  But I have to ask -- since when did candy canes become so varied?  When I was a kid, I had one choice -- red-striped peppermint. Do you remember Smarties, Spree, Starburst and Sweetart-flavored canes? I don't.  But I recently stood at the grocery store and pondered the possibilities.  I know that variety is supposed to be the spice of life, but not for me.   This is why big department stores make me nervous. How do I know that I'm looking at everything, that I'm seeing all the clothes and styles that could fit me without wasting hours.  It's not divided into one easy Target-like shopping experience.  I'm the same way with food.  Long menus get my heart racing.  Truly, ask my husband.  I'm always the last to order.  Except with Tex-Mex - Cheese enchilada with rice and beans every time.  No delineation.  Some may call it boring, possibility predictable, but I'll just call it traditional.
So that's why out of all those purple and blue and orange, sweet, tart or long-lasting candy canes, I went old-school.  I chose red and white, purely peppermint.

A Reindeer, a Moose & an Easter Bunny

No, we're not moving.  

Yes, it was dangerous to drive Houston highways with little to no mirror usage.  

No, we're not expecting a new baby (see 6 boxes of baby diapers.) 

Yes, it's that time of year -- Delivering Gifts.  

Every Christmas, our church congregation is so generous to fulfill many gift requests from several organizations in the Houston area. And for the past 5 years, I've gotten a chance to help coordinate it.  And though it always takes more time than I think it will, it's one of the most satisfying acts of service.

This year we put 250 gift tags on the tree that requested gifts for both children and residents in nursing homes.  I am always in awe of how quickly people swoop in to choose their names.  I watch it sometimes from a distance.  I've seen little kids who search for a kid their age to help, or a name they like.  Sometimes it's an older man who chooses without even looking because his wife told him to.  Sometimes it's a busy mom who chooses the easiest gift card route.  Sometimes it's a representative from a small group who chooses the more expensive bike or the infant seat. But, sometimes an ornament goes unpicked. This year, that one left gift request was from a man named Mr. Robert, who resides in a nursing home.  His gift wish - a poster of a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  I admire Robert. Instead of crossword puzzles, socks and robes, this man asked for what he really wanted.  And of course it was fulfilled in the last minute.  How can you deny him that? 

We had some little elves help this year when we made our deliveries.  And since it's Christmas time, Lanie wanted Christmas accouterments for her and the other two elves joining us.  (Lanie didn't use the word accouterments.  I just never get to use such a fun word.)  The problem is, after digging through our play clothes piles, we couldn't find enough. So, for this Christmas delivery to Casa de Esperanza (I'll plug it because they do such amazing work), our little helpers were a reindeer, a moose and of course - the Easter bunny.  We certainly had variety.  But they were good workers, pushing, carrying and playing, sometimes fighting over every toy they ushered in.  The most exciting part to them - playing in a empty, seat-less van.  The most important part to me - giving them a glimpse of real giving. 

Christmas Kitten

The tree is FINALLY up!  It took over a week, but the task is done.  Now that we are finally through with toddlers and keeping the breakable ornaments away from little arm's reach, we have this little monster to deal with.  It's been so long since we've had a kitten in our home.   You forget how much they love to chew pine, even if it's fake.  You forget how much they love to sleep under the heat of the lights.  You forget how much they love to climb anything that looks like a tree. And though you can't tell from this picture, this is halfway up to the top.   You forget how much they love to bat around hanging things that shine, and break them. And you forget how much more work it is to have a Christmas kitten.  But really, isn't this picture great?

The Attic Rule

      I tell this story a lot, but several years ago when Elijah was maybe 4-years-old, he asked his dad if he could help him get the Christmas decorations out of the attic.  Kenny said no, and that he had to be 7-years-old to get up in the attic.  Now, of course there is no hard and fast rule about attics being off limits to those six and under.  There isn't a sign on the attic door that says you have to be a certain height to pass the threshold.  Kenny just threw out a number off-the-cuff to his over-anxious preschooler.  This was one of those moments where we realized that kids have fantastic memories and that our words can stick.  The following year, same time, same place, Elijah, now age five,  remembered and asked if he would be able to go up in the attic in two more years when he turned seven.   I recall hiding my smirk and catching Kenny's eye because who knew that small decision would hold such weight. 
     Now, fast forward four more years and Elijah, now a big 9-year-old with sisters who haven't yet reached the 7-year mark, loves to gloat that he can go up, but they can't.  He did reassure Lydia that next year would be HER year.  As much as I tell them that there's nothing interesting in our unfinished attic but pink installation and piles of boxes, the fact that the girls can't go all the way up there (because of that split second decision years ago) makes it so, so appealing.  Elijah did agree that they could go up the ladder as high as their age.  Nice, right?  There's some kind of psychology study in that, I'm sure. 
    After a couple of tries, I got this blurry pic of my stair-step kids.
    One day when we're forcing them to go in the hot attic to find something for us that we don't want to search for, I'll remind them of this anticipation as they held fast to the attic rule.

My Rag-Tag Crew

This weekend kicked off Christmas program season.  Our first one was at the little church (as opposed to the big church) where we split worship to support both of our Epiphany campuses.  This was a program that almost didn't happen due to some major changes happening in the church which I'm a bit too emotional and raw about to even get into.  So, I won't and instead will talk about program #1 and my kid's performances.  This was a Christmas theatre where the kids would perform a bit, then we'd have salad, then they'd perform some more, and we'd have a main dish, and then more singing, and then dessert.  This is our third year doing this, and it's so fun, and in such an intimate space, always endearing.  Because we were on again, off again, on again at whether we'd even be here for it, the kids didn't get a speaking part or the songs they were singing until the weekend before. So what we had were a lot of faces planted in music sheets, flailing halos, unkempt hair, and angel dresses dragging to the floor due to my poor hemming skills.  And so memorable. 

This very short clip is the best I could find that portrayed my threesome in true sibling fashion.  Lydia is working her new reading skills, following each line of music, oblivious to anyone around her.  Next is Elijah, totally aware of my recording who tries to play aloof at his little sister's inability to stand still.  And then there's Lanie, always marching to her own beat in her head, trying to wrangle this rag-tag team in for a family pic.  

A little late, but by far the prettiest

Whoever said the leaves didn't change in Texas? It could have been me. Probably a day when I was complaining about the 90 degree heat in October. If it was, I've got some neighborhood trees begging to differ. I've yet to experience the colors of the Northeast, or the cherry blossoms of D.C, but until I'm proven otherwise, south Texas trees in the last days of November are the prettiest I've seen.

The Message Continues

This is a continuation of yesterday's post -- after a Thanksgiving sign in the sky, we were blessed with another one on Friday.  While we were listening to gospel Christmas singers belt out tunes about baby Jesus and the mother mild, the plane above us smoked out this one:

I don't know how often these Christian messages are displayed above Walt's massive world, but it was perfect timing for me.  All thanks for this creation, be it natural or Disney-fabricated, went up to the heavens.

A Message to the Masses

After our very American and filling Thanksgiving meal in a quaint restaurant in Magic Kingdom, we walked out to a blue sky and a message to the mass of people who decided to forgo a traditional turkey day.   I don't know who was up in the plane, but it made proud to be in a country where Loving God was the agenda of the day. 

Disney Reflections

I can hardly believe it's been 10 days since we left for our BIG TRIP.  Now we're back and busy and I'm grasping to remember all the great moments.  And while there were tired and cold kids, and hurt feet, and someone sick to their stomach at least once a day, the 12 person vacation in what I think may have been the busiest place on earth also lived up to its name that it was certainly the "happiest place on earth" offering so much to feast our eyes on. 

I considered writing a post about how we tackled Disney - from managing 12 people ranging from 4-years-old to 67-years-old, to working the Fast Pass system, to saving on the Dining Plan, to arranging character signatures, to riding every roller coaster in each park.  But there are a gob of Disney books that can provide those helpful tips far better than I.  Instead, as the week slipped by me, I kept a mental list of all the things I saw either in my kids, my family, or in my surroundings that surprised me, that I questioned, or that brought me joy.  I'm taking that mental list now and typing it out because that's the take-away I want; those are the memories I want to keep.

 1.  If your kids fly on airplanes a lot, they may be over their "We are in the Sky!" reaction, but my kids were total newbies on the first leg of our flight.  While I am a nervous flyer, grabbing onto the seat rests until I hear the ding after take-off, they simply treated it like their first amusement park ride. 







2.   Lydia, my dear Lydia who is afraid of fire, and afraid to be alone at night, and so terribly shy, LOVED roller coasters.  She was connected to her dad's hip the whole trip and whatever scary things he went on, she did too.  He was so proud of her willingness to be the little sister with courage. 

 3.  And speaking of bravery, Elijah is more my child; we tend to be a bit more cautious.  Like me, he wanted to go on the scary rides, but needed someone to go first and tell him what to expect.  I think watching his little sister come back unafraid, pushed him either out of obligation or embarrassment to tackle each ride as well.  When he finally did get the nerve to go on the roller coasters, Elijah's usual post-ride response:  "The was AWESOME!"  One of his prayers of thanks one night was conquering his fears.

4.  I don't ever want to forget how good Lanie was during the trip.  She would usually have a rough wake-up but as soon as Kenny got her laughing (he's good at things like that), she was a good sport the whole day, and into the late, late night falling asleep only once on the bus home, but to her credit, it was almost midnight. She also took us by surprise how like her sister she was when she dared to go on not just 1 but 3 scary rides, laughing all the while with hands held up high. 

5.  I always like to be in control of the map.  I like to know the plan.  Not this trip.  I gave it all away.  My sister Deanna and Kenny got us around to everything.  She plotted places for her family, Kenny plotted places for his and they worked together on the things we all wanted to do.  It truly was amazing to watch.  Deanna with her hand-written list of things-to-do and Kenny with his App that gave updated wait times, both ran the race with ease.  Totally impressive.  My mom, dad, brother-in-law and I were completely along for the ride. 

Spinning in the Mad Hatter's Tea Cup

6.  If you need to know what any of the bathrooms look like at any of the Disney parks, I can vouch for the custodians that they do their job keeping them clean.  I'm pretty sure I saw every bathroom in the park at least once. With a party of 12, you were either searching for a bathroom, running out of a ride to a bathroom, or waiting outside a bathroom for someone else. 





 7.  Four is the perfect age for princess love.  Three-years-old may have been better, but then Lanie wouldn't have been tall enough to ride the rides that required 40".  So, I stand by it - four-years-old is the perfect age for a first Disney trip.  If Lanie's infatuation with magic slippers and talking mirrors was decreasing before, it has gained some steam after
e v e r y   s i n g l e cast member in Magic Kingdom called her and every other little girl, princess and every boy, prince and sprinkled magic fairy dust on her and her sister's head, not just once but three times.   The only bone Lanie has to pick with DisneyWorld is that Dorothy (of Kansas and Oz fame) isn't a princess.

  8.  Do they really set off fireworks every night?  Twice a night? Really? 


9.  My mom and dad are troopers.  I knew my mom would be.  She loves crowds and people-watching like I do.  But my dad, not so much.  But such a wonderful surprise, he kept up, kept a smile, and rode the roller coasters.  And he enjoyed his Biergarten beer like the good German he is. Sehr Gut.  




10.  Who is Duffy the bear?  Everywhere we went we saw stuffed Duffy's?  In Epcot Duffy was dressed up as Santa and signing autographs.  Who is he?  We bypassed it - couldn't figure it out.


Putting three families together for a week-long trip could have been a disaster, but it couldn't have worked out any better than it did.  The kids always had a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle or their favorite cousins to talk to, play with, or sit next to on a ride.  My oldest nephew and niece were so helpful carrying kids and pushing strollers.  We may have moved a little slower (though I don't know how when we walked 8-10 miles a day) but there was always someone available to stay here, watch this, keep these kids, meet me here.  We give thanks for a text-savvy family.  


It truly was an experience worth having and not one we'll be able to repeat for a long time.  So often, a planned trip rarely meets the hype of expectation.  This time, it far exceeded.  Hugs and kisses and so many thanks go to mom and dad for making this post-retirement/67th birthday/ Thanksgiving week so special.

The Day Has Come

        I can hardly believe that after a year of talking about and planning a Disney Trip with my mom and dad, sister, brother-in-law, and their 3 kids, it is here today.  And it's so funny to me - you mention to anyone that you're heading to the Happiest Place on Earth and everyone has advice.  Go here.  Do this.  Watch out for this.  Wear this.  You put together a group of people who wouldn't ordinarily have anything in common and mention you're making your FIRST trip ever to Orlando and everyone has something to contribute, not unlike diverse opinions about child-rearing or politics, but much more fun. 
    It's been a great ride getting ready for this.  Elijah has been the greatest cheerleader, creating wish lists of best spots after reading a travel book we got last year.  And a funny story I have to share, though it loses its significance in translation -- my mom, who is the true planner in this vacation, got a friend's friend or a travel agent, not sure, to put together our trip for us.  We told her what we wanted and she basically made it happen and mailed us this amazing, organized slicky folder with calendars, schedules, and information we may need.  One thing she did was to include a Most Popular, Must Do, and You Can Skip list of things in each park.  Here's the part that made me giggle:  the one thing Elijah has at the top of his Magic Kingdom list is to see the "Hall of Presidents."  I'm not kidding you when I say the kid loves to read about the founding fathers.  He has an amazing memory when it comes to names and birth dates and death dates. I look to him for any presidential trivia. 
      After I got this amazing folder of info, I sat up with Elijah and we went through it, and there in the Magic Kingdom section it says:  Hall of Presidents, "you can skip this one, it is very, very Boring to kids."  You can imagine how melodramatic Elijah was:  "What?! What?! How can they say that?! That's crazy!!" As he runs into where his dad and sisters are and throws himself down.  Too much. And while our travel gal doesn't believe kids will get anything out of it, and there's a good chance Lydia and Lanie will be bored, we will make the greatest effort to see this hallowed hall of past and present Presidents. 
      To prepare for this week-long adventure, I've been to the store every single day.   I keep thinking of something else.  It's to the point that I've been to three stores looking for moist cat food because our vet said it was a better choice, and God forbid I leave my felines with hard, crunchy food.  I'm actually having a hard time with leaving them and have gone to great measures to buy silly cat toys, cat nip, and have asked several neighbors to stop in and give them attention. Guilt, guilt.  See this post, Car Trip Cat from our summer trip and you'll see that we are not ones to leave our animals. 
      In this picture, Lanie and I are making another last minute shopping trip, only this time for Belle's dress since Lydia has opted not to wear her Ariel halloween costume from two years ago.  Since we'll be headed to Cinderella's castle for dinner, I figured splurging for an itchy Target princess dress would be better than charging our Disney dollars for a real one. 
      The girls are excited.  Elijah is excited. To be honest, I can hardly clean house today (because you never want to leave a dirty house) because I want 3pm to come so we can start this vacation.  The prayers last night were all about Disney.  Lydia prayed one of thanksgiving that we get to go on this trip, one we wouldn't have been able to do without my parents generosity. Elijah prayed for safe travel, and Lanie prayed that she could go to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique like her friend Ella did. I don't think we'll be making that dream come true this time around. 
      Please pray for us on this trip.  Pray that we relax, as oxymoronic as it may sound, that we have peace and time well spent between family.  Pray for our endurance and patience, and that we are ever thankful for God's blessings this memorable week.

Still good

            In the midst of the birthday celebration, Kenny and I stole away and paid a gargantuan amount of money for dinner & a babysitter on Saturday night (and have decided to beg for parents the next time we go out), and saw Les Mis, again.  A friend of ours made a crack about the play list never changing, and it doesn't, but it's always good and always powerful.  In fact, I heard "Bring Him Home" differently than I ever have before.  If you don't know the music, just skip all this, but if you're musical savvy, I envision a parent of today of a military son or daughter praying this song on a daily basis.  Even though the book takes place hundreds of years ago, the moment was very contemporary and still leaves me in tears.


I had to get a picture of the sign, the free picture because I didn't want to wait in line and pay to get a picture of the Thenardiers.  I tried unsuccessfully to capture them. Notice the turned head and the demon eyes.  But maybe you can still glimpse their gaudiness.  And since I'm making connections about contemporary life, Madame and Monsieur Thenardier and their excessive yet cheap, greedy ways bring home something else parallel in my life.  (Not a perfect parallel, but maybe the point can still be made.) We are in the middle of a Bible study called the Advent Conspiracy, just in time for the the Christmas season.  The whole point is to get people to see what consumerism has done to the Christian focus at Christmas time.  It's not a radical point to make, but one worth going back to as we buy, buy, buy and want, want, want and need, need, need this time of year.  So in an effort to be Un-Thenardier-like and more Christ-like, help hold us accountable to giving more, getting less, sharing our time, teaching the birth of Christ, and loving God's people - all of them.  

Wow - completely surprised by what came out of a short entry on seeing a Broadway play.  I love where writing can take me.

Nine for 9

       Elijah is an excited kid.  All   The   Time.  He can hardly sleep most nights thinking about what is to come the next day.  I don't know if I did this to him or if it's just natural.  I often do blame myself (good or bad) for his drive for activity.  When I quit teaching and started staying home, Elijah was almost three.  He was used to the wake up at dawn, drive to the babysitters and play with friends all day kind of day.  I didn't know how to handle this new stay-at-home gig but I knew I wasn't cut out for it.  What would I do with two kids home all day?  So, I took my almost 3-year-old and my brand new infant, and we went everywhere.  Elijah was signed up for every Parks and Rec class I could find - gymnastics, woodworking, lego math, cooking.  If it worked for our schedule, we were there.  Because of this love of doing, we rested little.  

      Now, as a 9-year-old, I often wonder how all that going affected him.  Unless he's playing a video game, he wants to be up, out, and moving.  Talk about a kid who took watching The Wiggles to heart.

      It's Elijah's birthday today and I'm trying to process all this going we've been doing for the past 9-years. At times, I wish I could go back to when he was little and we could sit and rock and read his favorite Sesame Street books (circa 1978) and he could make the "Ah, Ah, Ah" sound of the Count or when he knew every train in Tidmouth station.  I would go back to that little boy and that new mom and tell them to take it easy.  I would tell them to just rest a while. I would tell them that they didn't need to know how a hammer worked today or what a somersault was.

     At other times, I remember with great admiration at how well Elijah could bounce from activity to activity without melt-downs (mostly).  He enjoyed the new things we did and relished in all the fun we had doing them.  And since that's the path we took, I am going to watch with wonder how this 9-year-old moves forward with his collection of experiences. Whatever may be, it won't be without some excitement, and some sleepless nights.

     I originally started writing this post to share my Nine for 9 list of reasons we love Elijah.  (It seems my hand and heart had some other things to write about first.)  But I asked everyone in the family, reasons they love their big brother, their son, their grandson, their nephew, their godson and here is our Nine for 9 (in the order I got responses.)

1.  His caring heart
2.  He's smart and inquisitive and a good athlete
3.  He loves his sisters and he loves Jesus
4.  He helps me with spelling
5.  He puts so much effort into everything he does
6.  He gives me good hugs
7.  He lives life with pure joy, enthusiasm, and love
8.  His fantastic presidential knowledge & Hidden Picture Skills :-)
9.  Because God made him just perfect

A bonus:  We love Elijah because of his great parents, which must reflect some pretty great grandparents :-) (hmm, who sent that one in?)

We love you, E.  Nine times over.

Happy Birthday!

A Weekend of E

A blurry group shot, but it's tough to get 11 boys to stand still

       Remember when Lanie turned 4 - her birthday and birthday party fell on the same day and with one fell swoop we celebrated my baby turning one year older.  No extra gift days, no special dinners later in the week.  One day, celebration complete.

      With a birthday that falls on Monday, you have a very different experience.  Elijah turns 9 tomorrow - actually in a few hours - at 1:37 am this morning, and his party began three days ago and is still going strong.  Talk about the luckiest kid in the world.  And the tiredest parents in the world.  But you only turn 9 once, right?   I'm not sure which event he's liked best but I wanted to chronicle it all. 

Elijah playing the Wheel of Fortune (big thanks to dad for making this circle of fun)

    
      After our school Fall Festival, which I love for having a chance to catch up with friends, but is fast becoming one of those events that fall into the category of "sounds fun, but would like to be at home in my pjs" along with parades and rodeo carnivals, Elijah had two boys spend the night.  They had a 9 o'clock pizza, a 9:30 trip to the park to throw the football, and a 10 o'clock TV show on the back porch.  Not surprisingly, they were exhausted and asleep by 11pm.  Kenny joined them at midnight and all was well until the sprinklers went off at 3am freaking out our cat that had somehow snuck into the tent with them.  Even then, the boys slept on.

   
     Somehow children sleep harder than adults. I don't know when that changes. Maybe having an infant does it to you. Being responsible for a new little life can keep a person on their toes, more alert, and ready to drag themselves up at the sound of a hungry wail.   I don't think nine years changes much of this.  Even though we sleep most nights now and I've almost forgotten the sound of a cry from a monitor, being responsible for that cough you hear or that scream from a bad dream will keep us forever light sleepers.

The cookie cake is a game controller - get it?  Wreck it Ralph is a video game - many did not see the connection.

    On Saturday, we met several of Elijah's friends from church & school for a Cinemark birthday party. How simple this one was compared to years past when Kenny and I spent hours creating clever terms for cheetos that represented a character from CARS, or making up baseball stations or a Nebraska football cake.  Elijah is so easy.  He wanted to see Wreck-It-Ralph with his friends and eat a store-bought cookie cake.  Done. And Done.  Afterward, we headed to our second Fall Festival where the kids came home with another bag of candy, some colored hair, and ready to call it a day.

     Today, the weekend that never ends continued for Elijah and he got to watch the Dynamo win a conference final.  To put a cherry on top, when he got home he opened some of his presents, got a Face Time call with his grammie and grandpa, and even got to watch the first quarter of the Texans.   He's a pretty lucky kid.  A truly blessed kid.  And I think a grateful kid.

Oh, and an "afro circus, afro circus, polka dot, polka dot, polka dot afro" silly kid. Don't know the reference?  You Tube it.  It's pretty catchy. 

A Hair-Raising Tale

      
  A naive, yet not young, girl walks into a beauty salon with 12 inches of hair to spare.  Her hairdresser, sweet and energetic, is on cloud nine.  How often does someone come in with absolutely no idea what to do with their hair, post donation, and free reign to do whatever the stylist deems fit, including cutting more hair than originally agreed upon?  Naive girl hoping for a younger haircut that still fits the lifestyle of a mom of 3, cringes throughout hour of cutting, with the exception of an awesome shampoo and scalp massage.  When all is said and done, and the scissors that seem to mow the hair down like a lawn, are done wielding their power, I give my best "I love it" to this kind woman who worked so hard to make my hair shape my face.  I pay my more than $20, but not too much thanks to a birthday gift card from mom (thanks mom), and scramble out the door.  I don't look in the my mirror, not yet, for fear that the receptionist is watching to catch my reaction, instead I drive around the building. I stop and stare at myself, and my strange locks in the dashboard mirror.   Then, I get home, run upstairs and stare at myself some more,  fluffing here and patting down there.  And then, you guessed it, I tried that ponytail.  And though it's itty bitty, it's still possible. And I give praise that it's still possible.  Because a girl at the end of 30, with 3 kids and little patience and time in the morning for personal grooming needs the security of a pony-tail much more than a contemporary do. 

I don't love it, but it's still early. There's time to come around.  Besides, it's just hair, right?

BEFORE

AFTER

Cut-Off Day

See this self photo of the awkward Hair-i-gami bun I have?  It took forever to get it to work but it is a pretty amazing little tool.  It's a slap bracelet for your hair.  But I just had to have one last picture of it because tomorrow (or later today now that I've looked at the time) - all that awkward, fly-away hair is coming off - at least 10 inches of it. 
I'm a little thoughtful about it tonight.  A little leery.  I'm not the "It's just hair" kind of person.  I'm not creative with hair cuts.  I don't walk into a salon with a In-Style magazine and say, "I want this!"  And I don't spend money on them either - if it's more than $20 I feel ripped off.  Cheap, I know.  But long, straight, and slightly frizzy has always been my go-to hair-do.  It's easy, it's fast, and I always have a pony-tail holder on my wrist to share. 

You have to understand then, how big of a day tomorrow is for me. And while I've done a dramatic cut twice before, the end result is never easy.  So if you don't see me (and you live in the general area), or I'm wearing a hat, you'll know I'm hiding some strange layers the salon gal thought would be perfect for my face.  So, I'm hoping for the best, prepared for a change, and striving for the "it'll grow back" kind of attitude.

If I'm brave, I'll post the before and after pics.


Have a great Friday!!

It's About That Time of Year

It's about that point of the semester where no one really wants to get up.  No one really wants to get dressed or brush their teeth or brush their hair.  No one wants to rush to the car.  And no one really wants to go to school.  Including me. 

This morning, we sat in the van - in the parking lot - in front of the school - and no one got out.  For quite a while. Long enough to find my phone and snap this picture.  Instead, everyone listened to Lydia read this puppy board book we had in the car.  Everyone has heard the story, it isn't a new book, it's not even an interesting book, but no one wanted to budge.

It took a lot of  "come on guys" to get everyone out.  And then halfway to the building, Elijah realized his backpack was still in the car.  Even his books don't want to go to school.

I'm not sure what this is called, but we're ready for a break. So we're starting a Thanksgiving Break Count Down because what we need is more forced excitement. (Kidding.) 

                                                9 more full days
                                     7 more early school mornings,
                                       6 more school lunches (we'll take advantage of hot lunch at least once),
                                         5 more days of uniforms (yea for Friday spirit shirt days)
                                            2 more spelling tests
                                                 & 1 Spanish Test  (in a Pear Tree) Why not? I'm feeling silly

Then we'll take an Alleluia moment and rush to the airport for our first ever Disney World trip.

But I'll save that post for another day.