Christmas 2010

Whew....we have had a very busy 10 days!  So busy that I haven't even been able to write a blog. So, now it is catch up time!

Jeremy had the week between Christmas and New Year's off work!  It's been so great having him around.  I love for him to be with us every day. Maybe one day we can think of a way to keep him around us more often...but still able to make money and work.  Monday is going to be so hard for me when he goes back to work.  I'll share more on a different post what we have been doing during his time off.

However, the past two days, he has been working on a very special project.  After several years of almost daily play, the kid's aluminum swing set fell apart (the swing broke with Nicole on it in mid air...then, a week later, the second swing broke the same way.  She was not hurt).  Good thing we already had a plan!  With the money that we received from some of the grandparents and great-grandparents this year for Christmas, we bought the plans and wood to build them a brand new (very stable) swing set!  After hours of sanding, staining, cutting and drilling...it was finally finished.  The girls were so excited to have their swings back.

And, Nathan was excited too.

The slide is also bigger and even Nate is trying to climb it (remember that he is a climber!  more on that at a later time).

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very busy for us.  Here is a quick recap!

Christmas Eve Service.....we were late.  This is never good on Christmas Eve at a large church.  There weren't any seats left for our family to sit in the sanctuary.  We did make it in time for the girls to go down to the front with Pastor Wicker and all of the other children for a retelling of the Christmas story.  Then, we had to walk out and sit in the commons and watch the service on TV.  At first I was upset and a bit annoyed.  Everyone else who was out there just sat in their chairs with grumpy faces and didn't sing the songs.  Then...I realized that it was probably better for our family because Nathan could crawl around and make some noise, and we could still listen to Pastor's message.  It was a bit odd having the candle-lighting with the day light streaming in and only 20 or so people around us.  Fred, a young man from the college group, found us and sat with us.  After a few minutes of feeling grumpy, I was happy that we were there, together..as a family, remembering the reason we were celebrating Christmas and worshiping Jesus.  btw...we did end up singing most of the songs because I just didn't care if no one else was. 

After our unusual Christmas Eve service, we headed over to Jeremy's parent's house.  His Granny and Aunt Lisa and Uncle Gary were there visiting.  We had a nice time visiting with them and later opening gifts.

Aunt Lisa playing something with the girls.

The girls were sharing the Nativity story with Aunt Lisa.

Aunt Lisa was flinging  Hannah around :)

Nathan, catching his first real glimpse of Christmas presents.

I added this picture because I loved Hannah's eyes.  She's so cute carrying this bag!

When she pulled out this feather boa (I think from Aunt Tiffy), Nicole exclaimed, "Ohhhhh...this is just what I've always wanted!" (I never knew this about her)  As a side note, this boa has been nearly insperable with Nicole. She even wore it out to the pizza place last night.  She was so stinkin cute!

Cars!  Perfect for the little Nate Dawg.

Piggy Banks for the girls. 

M&Ms for me! (my parents got me M&Ms too....I guess the secret is out...and Chris, this will help me reach the 1,000,000 mark, don't you think?)

She just looks so happy, doesn't she?

And, he looks pretty happy to!

I think Nathan had more fun crawling over and through all the gift wrap and boxes than anything else.

Jeremy got Nate!

To me...Christmas Eve is not complete without a drive through Victoria Park. The whole neighborhood comes together and displays beautiful Christmas lights, with the streets and driveways lit with lights.

Grammy and Nicole enjoying the cold ride in the back of the pick up truck.

Sweet picture...Hannah and Daddy also enjoying the ride (just after this, Hannah climbed into the front of the truck with gramps and the heat.

Nicole yelled out "Merry Christmas" and sang "Jingle Bells" to nearly every car she could. (notice the feather boa)

The whole crew

The next morning, I picked several handfuls of spinach from my garden and made a quiche for breakfast, then we read Luke 2 and the girls opened their gifts. 

Yes, Hannah got a black baby doll...I didn't realize how dark skinned it was until I saw it against my girl's light skin.  Jeremy and I have named her Shaniqua.

We played Twister for a little while.

After that, we spent a little time at my parent's house, opening gifts.

Papa, acting as gift distributor (notice that Nate has his head in there this time.  I think he's figured out what is going on)

The girls opening a shared gift.

Goldie was also getting some Christmas present action.

Check out that doggie treat!

Tinker Toys for the girls

Yaya got a little dress chest with some dress up clothes for her house.  Hannah immediately put on the Cinderella dress and asked her daddy to dance with her.  He was the prince, and she was the princess.  Can anyone hear that Steven Curtis Chapman song, Cinderella?  It's all I can think about when I look at this picture.

Then, we took off for my grandpa's house where Dolores hosted a wonderful Christmas lunch.  She even let the girl's have a little Tea Party.  We sang a new (old) Christmas song and enjoyed each other's company.

Finally, we drove up to Pt. Charlotte to visit with Jeremy's family who was celebrating Christmas at Granny's house.  I don't think I have any pictures of that.  The girls ran around the yard (playing more with Aunt Lisa...she's good to have around! haha), and Nathan played with Granny's dog, Patches.  Actually...I think I should say that Patches was playing with Nate.  He kept trying to pull his pants down as Nathan crawled away:-)

We had a nice Christmas weekend with lots of family.  Thank you for all the nice memories.

Marshmallow-candycane treats

Wondering what to do with all of those leftover Candy Canes?  Some moms from our MOPS group brought these treats into our group last week, and I decided to try and recreate them at home. 

These are a wonderful treat to make with young children (and I'm sure the big kids will like it too).

Nicole pushed two large marshmallows onto a medium sized lollipop stick (buy them at a craft store).

Jeremy had the great idea of using a styrofoam box lid to help stand the sticks up with.

Then you melt down half a bag of chocolate chips.  I microwaved for 30 seconds..stirred, then did it in 15 seconds intervals, stirring between.  I used the mini chips because they melted faster.  Also, crush up several large or lots of small candy canes.  I used a meat tenderizing mallet...you could use a rolling pin or a frying pan even.  I would keep the candy in their wrappers, or put them in a large plastic bag.  Pour the crushed candy canes onto a small plate.

Now comes the fun part.  With a small knife, "frost" the marshamallows with the chocolate  (we tried rolling the marshmallows in the chocolate, but I found using a small knife and putting it on like butter worked better. It was less messy and prettier.)

And then roll the chocolate marshmallows into the crushed candy canes. 

Place them in the holes in the box lid and let them dry.  I'm impatient, so I put them in the fridge.

When they are all nice and dry, wrap them in a small plastic baggie (get at a craft store) and tie with a cute ribbon. 

You can also roll these in crushed Graham crackers or sprinkle with sprinkles.  They are a cute addition to a child's gift or a sweet (pun intended) gift for a neighborhood friend.  These don't have to just be for Christmas time either....use different colored sprinkles or M&Ms or other candies throughout the year.  It took us about 15 minutes to make these. 

Of course, Nathan was there too...but he couldn't really participate this year.  He was to busy eating his Graham cracker.

Summit to base.....

This morning, as I was in the kitchen washing dishes, Nicole comes running and says, " Mommy, Nathan is up on the window seat."

What?   The window seat is behind the couch...there is NO WAY he can get up there. hahaha...I underestimate my little man.

He looks pretty innocent here, doesn't he?

Here he is standing on the window seat...banging on my blinds.

Of course, I asked Nicole if she helped him get up there (yeah right!).  Of course she didn't help him...he did it all by himself!  How???  You'll have to see it to believe it!

Cookie Decorating with friends

Monday, my friend Teri and I invited our two MOPS tables to Teri's house for a cookie decorating/Christmas craft and play party.  We had about 18 children come out and 7 or 8 mommas.  The day started when we arrived to Teri's house (who happens to live on a school property....this is so great because she has full access to the playground and fields after school hours).

Hunter and Nicole were our big helpers and pushed our supplied out to the field with the wagon.

Hannah and Nathanael decided to help too.

Hunter was so excited about the day....he wanted to look his very best.  He had on a nice collard shirt and a tie.  He was a great host!

Cookie decorating time!

 This little girl had an amazing mountain of sprinkles on her cookie. 

 Nate hung out with the other babies...eating grass and bugs I'm sure.

Oh, and of course Nate got into the big box of cookies...and sat quietly eating them until I realized what was going on.  Later the dog came over and started eating the cookies out of Nathan's hand.  Nate started screaming at the dog...but it was to late.  The cookie was gone :(

That's all the pictures I took.  We also made beaded candy cane crafts and told the legend of the candy cane story.  Then the kids got to just run around and play.  It was fun to spend a little time with our MOPS moms away from the MOPS groups and to meet all of the children.

The Cinderella and Flower Girl Show

Yesterday while I was cleaning breakfast up, I heard the girls running around and making plans.  A few minutes later, Nicole came to me with a "ticket" to the Cinderella and Flower Girl show that they would be presenting soon.  I captured quite a bit of video...but these ones are the best.  It gets pretty funny around the 2 minute mark.  If you would like to just catch a glimpse of the girls and how they act all day....this video gives you a pretty good idea.  I hope you enjoy it!

*Note that Nicole continues to remind Hannah to step on the "Say" button when she wants to talk.  Also watch Hannah's eyes as Nicole whispers to her what to say.  I think this video is most clear when it is small...if you make it full screen, their faces get pretty blurry. 

Children's Thoughts

 Nicole started this conversation this morning as I was making their breakfast.

N: Mommy, I think that baby fish come from big fish.
Me: Oh...why do you think that.
N: Because baby fish look like big fish, only they are smaller.
Me: Yeah, that's true.     What made you think about baby fish and big fish honey?
N: Oh, I just like to think about the creation that God made.

Wow...sweet little girl!

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The other night, Hannah was wearing a brown dress with pink polka dots all over it.  She was being really funny at the dinner table.  Jeremy looked at her, and gently poked her arm while saying...."Hannah, you are cute as a button."

Hannah looked at his finger, then looked back at Jeremy with a slightly confused look and said, "No button daddy....Dots!"

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The other day, I took the children to the mall with me.  We were upstairs at Sears and they girls really wanted to ride the escalators.  But, I had Nathan, in a stroller, and I couldn't do it that day.  We took the elevator down.  After we got off the elevator, I started walking through the store and Hannah was falling behind.  I slowed down and she was walking slowly, with her head down and a not so happy look on her face.  I asked her what was wrong and she said, "Me mad mommy, me mad".  I asked her why she was mad and she said, "Me no wide elevato mommy.  Me want to wide elevato (she meant escalator).  I me mad mommy. No me happy wight now"  Sheesh...I didn't realize a 2 year old could be so mad about something, hahaha.  But...she displayed it well.  I told her that it was ok to feel mad or sad about something, as long as she didn't have a bad attitude about it, and as long as she obeyed.  btw...she was happy again by the time we walked out of the store.  No harm done :)

Black Beauty

Finally, we finished reading Black Beauty out loud.  I tried to read 10-15 minutes per day....which really ended up being about 3 days a week.  I don't remember when we started Black Beauty, but it was a couple of months ago, and I was hoping to be done by the end of November, because I wanted to watch the movie with the girls while my grandma was down.  We were able to sneak our movie in the day before she left, while Hannah girl was sick.  And, I officially finished reading the book the next day.

This was a wonderful read aloud book to my children.  Nicole listened intently, asked zillions of questions, I learned a lot about horses...and about people.  I feel like I took a lot away from the book.  Hannah always asked about when "Black Booby" got hurt (she couldn't say his name...and it makes us giggle every time).

Black Beauty was written by Anna Sewell in 1877.  She actually did not intend for it to be a children's book, but rather a book to expose the cruel ways that horses were treated at the time and how with just a little tender care, a horse can work hard for you and remain strong for many years.  But, a lot that she says about horses, really can be applied to people too.

Although I didn't mark the many sentences and paragraphs that I thought were wonderful, I'll skim through the book now and see if I can find any.  Just so you know, Black Beauty was written from the horse's perspective.

Chapter 6:  "Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, are often call skittish, when it is only play, and some grooms will punish them."  Think of  your children...often times we get onto our children for running around to much, making to much noise, or having "ADHD" when often times if they are played with and allowed time to exercise and play, they will have the "fidgets" out of them and be able to focus better.  Beauty knew when his groom meant serious business...and when he meant for play...perhaps our children should too.


Chapter 8: When Ginger, another horse, was describing her upbringing and the use of check reins (one of the major issues Sewall was trying to bring into the light at the time) "I had been driven with a check-rein by the dealer, and I hated it worse than anything else; but in this place we were reined far tighter, the coachman and his master thinking we looked more stylish so....  I like to toss my head about, and hold it as high as any horse.  But fancy now yourself, if you tossed your head up high, and were obliged to hold it there, and that for hours together, not able to move it at all except with a jerk still higher, your neck aching till you did not know how to bear it....I suppose it was fashion that makes them strap our heads up with those horrid bits that I was tortured with in London."  We talked a lot about "fashion" because of these check-reins.  And, the fact that just because something is popular, or seen as pretty...it doesn't mean it is always right.

Chapter 46: Along the same lines as above...the check-reins.  Beauty now worked as a cart horse, perhaps one of the most abused jobs of all.  The horses carried loads much to heavy and strained their backs and legs and necks. They were whipped to work harder as they carried their heavy loads up hill.  In this section, Beauty is doing just that....only he collapses from lack of strength.  A kind lady going by dares to give the driver advice.  "You see....you do not give him a fair chance; he cannot use all his power with his head held back as it is with that check-rein.  If you would take it off, I am sure he would do better...The rein was taken off, and in a moment I put my head down to my very knees.  What a comfort is was!  Then I tossed it up and down several times to get the aching stiffness out of my neck....I put down my head and threw my whole weight against the collar; I spared no strength; the load moved on, and I pulled it steadily up the hill, and then stopped to take breath....'You see he was quite willing when you gave him the chance.  I am sure he is a fine-tempered creature, and I dare say he has known better days."  The driver says, "I can't deny that having his head has helped him up the hill, and I'll remember it another time, and thank you, ma'am; but if he went without a check-rein I should be the laughing-stock of all the carters; it is the fashion, you see."  Finally the lady replies, "Is it not better to lead a good fashion than to follow a bad one?...Besides, we have no right to distress any of God's creature without a very good reason.  We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."

Chapter 35: Beauty is now owned by a cab driver named Jerry Barker.  Although cab driving is difficult work, he treated Beauty the best he could...and Beauty worked very hard for him. Jerry was a poor man who worked hard for his family.  Often singing this song in the morning.

"If you in the morning

Throw minutes away,

You can't pick them up

In the course of the day

You may hurry and scurry,

And flurry and worry,

You've lost them forever,

Forever and aye."

Reading Black Beauty out loud gave me many opportunities to talk to both of my girls about topics I may have never brought up.  I plan on reading this story again in a few years when they are a bit older.

We watched the newest version of the movie.  It was very good.  They combined some elements and stories from the book into one character and certainly added a few things here and there...but I think it was still well done.  There were a few "scary" parts that I had to talk the girls through, to remind them of them of what happened in the book.  I wouldn't just turn the movie on an walk away, but it was certainly a great movie to watch as a family and talk about any issues that may come up with your children.