Hither & Yon

Today was mostly spent driving.

Tuesday is chock-full of after-school activities.  OK, dance lesson for DLG & piano for MLB, but that's plenty.  We do not believe in over-scheduling anyone.

Midday, I drove all the way over to my mom's house to retrieve DLG's coat, and to bring back my vanity/desk from my childhood.  The piece looks lovely in her room.  I think I will go to Costco to get her some lighter colored shelves.  Then, it's on to figuring out how to fit my old double bed in her room.

Maybe we'll just commandeer her brother's room.  Boys don't need much space.

We Have Seen

Today, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany.  This year the actual feast day fell on a Sunday, which was very convenient for us Americans.

We celebrate the revealing of the Christ to the world when wisemen from the east came in search of the new king whose star they saw rise.

More amazing than their trek is their acceptance that the king was a suckling child of humble birth.

We rarely accept things as they appear to us.  We look for the "angle," for the falsehoods, for the traps.  We expect more and are disappointed when that's all there is.

My kids-- God bless them, because He blessed me with them-- find delight in the here and now.  They have learned to be dazzled by the wonders of everyday:  a spider, a book, lunch.

I brought them Three King's Day gifts.

Nothing big.  Just stuff I found post-holiday clearance.  My son was excited to see his tin held holiday magnets; he barely saw the chocolate coins (a kid fave) below those.  My daughter didn't even open her tin; she was all about her emoji-poo squishy.  And both of them were amazed at the size of the gumballs.  My 14yo & (almost) 10yo were excited about $5 of stuff.  They accepted and rejoiced.

I pray that the Lord keeps them full of gratitude and wonder.  I pray the Lord reminds me always to be thankful and joyful.

A Boy and His Trophy

I got to visit MLB's Math Team meeting today, and got some good pictures.

These might also be used on the website or the yearbook. (Their team photographer wasn't able to get a school camera that afternoon.) I'm rather proud of that boy!

I was also able to acquire the updated info on the remaining math events for the year, and sign a permission slip for him to go on a field trip to see the cyber students and their BIG computers at UAH. All in all a productive afternoon. But, I am the Mom.

"Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we call upon You for the continued well-being of our Parish. Help us in this our time of need. Make our parish a family of one heart and mind towards you. Grant that our common life and work may be an example to all about us. Guide our Bishop and his assistants in their discernment. Hear us now, in this our time of special need; send Your continued graces upon us and bring to a happy solution the situation that confronts us.  Dearest Mother Mary, we ask you to assist us and to be our advocate for the continued spiritual and physical growth and well-being of our Parish. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.   Amen."

(Follow this prayer with 3 Hail Marys; 1 Our Father)

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen."

Excursions

Today was a "jam packed" day. Wish it was blackberry jam on a toasty English muffin, but we made it work.

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First off was MLB's second math tournament of the year. Carlos drove them both to The Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham.

For an 8am sign in.

It was a long day before we even woke up.

The plan was to wake up by 5am; Carl & I woke at 4am. DLG, who didn't even HAVE to be up before, say 9am?, was all "Good morning!" at 4:30. (Ugh.) MLB had to hauled out of bed at 5. While Carl was exercising and getting ready, I was nagging MLB. And trying to feed him breakfast; because at the last minute, because MLB was dragging, the biscuit-on-the-road plan had to be eighty-sixed.

But with the guys successfully set upon their road, I left DLG with Minecraft and I headed back to bed. For all of 90 minutes. They arrived in downtown Birmingham, and needed further intel ASAP! To state I was disoriented would have been understated.

MLB got to witness social-skills lessons from the passenger-side seat.

I should not assume that all directions are clear and all information is readily apparent. I had found a schedule for Carl of the tournament events; I sent him the event link. But as this school is in the heart of downtown, it does not have free, on-campus parking, nor can it set out a trail of helpful signs. We are accustomed to these amenities at most school events we attend. So Carl was forced to pay for use of a parking garage, and was "blessedly sent" other student groups he was able to follow to the registration lobby.

Carl should not lose his temper when he is uncomfortable. He yelled at me quite a bit after he found out that a paid parking garage beside the school was his best option. In sympathy, I have to acknowledge that they had to drive through dense fog, that they had not yet heard from the the Math Team sponsor who was on the team bus, and that MLB just really doesn't have what it takes to ride shotgun.

But, at this point I ought to say "all's well that ends well," since they connected with the team in plenty of time, MLB was registered to take his written test and was scheduled to start off the ciphering rounds, and Carl watched a proud and confident MLB go off to do his thing.

I ought to.  But, it didn't QUITE end well. MLB thought he did ok with the test, despite feeling like he didn't answer the tie-breakers correctly. Snack time was tasty. Ciphering started off ok, but he started getting out his answers slower than the other competitors, and THEN...... he forgot to present the 4th answer altogether, even though he knew he had a correct answer. He soldiered on and completed the final 5th question, and then gave his seat over to his round-two teammate. But in the hubbub, he lost it. Slow tears at first, then choked sobs, to finally soft wails as Carl gently lead him from the auditorium. As usual, his coach and his teammates showed their concern for him (they adore him so, and wouldn't deride him!) Carl got MLB to calm down, and his coach got him to laugh. They finished watching the ciphering.

But the long day was DONE. MLB agreed that the idea of skipping the awards and coming home would be good. Now, it's "all's well!" MLB & Carl talked about how each of them reacted to "adversity" that day, how they did well and how they could do better. They feasted for lunch at Pizza Hut. And on the trip home, the did get a message from the coach.

MLB won Third Place individual in his Algebra Division!

Awesome!!!!!!

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"Meanwhile, back at the ranch......"

I tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. Even as understanding as I was, I was still miffed. And tired. I chucked my plans to help pull costumes that morning for the Fairy Tale ballet. I kinda chucked any & all plans to do anything, really. Except for the Birthday Party. DLG was scheduled to go to a friend's party that afternoon. She and I just wore our pajamas and played computer games until the guys got home. Then we girls got the present wrapped, the card signed, our clothes put on, and went. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood, but this group was a low-key, hang-out bunch, so I was glad to make little girls happy. It was fun to watch DLG and her pals LITERALLY bounce around the place--- the party was held at The Matrix Gym (wall-to-wall trampolines, mats and balance beams.)

But a cupcake does not a dinner make. (Start, yes. Complete, no.) Poor DLG was so envious that they guys had pizza for lunch. She wanted pizza. Who doesn't?

Yeah, somebody took a selfie at Big Eds. Even though the guys didn't bring US home any leftovers, we brought them some. MLB-- pizza, Round 2.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Ah, home again, home again, jiggedy-jog!

"Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we call upon You for the continued well-being of our Parish. Help us in this our time of need. Make our parish a family of one heart and mind towards you. Grant that our common life and work may be an example to all about us. Guide our Bishop and his assistants in their discernment. Hear us now, in this our time of special need; send Your continued graces upon us and bring to a happy solution the situation that confronts us.  Dearest Mother Mary, we ask you to assist us and to be our advocate for the continued spiritual and physical growth and well-being of our Parish. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.   Amen."

(Follow this prayer with 3 Hail Marys; 1 Our Father)

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Hail! Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen."

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen."

Droning On

My husband Carlos, upon reading yesterday's post, exclaimed that we should be helicopter parents, that we should always know what our kids are up to, who their friends are, how they are doing in school--- that we should be hands-on and involved in their growing up.

True, but "helicopter parents" are considered those parents who are also using their lift to keep their kids from floundering and failing, those parents who don't let their kids' feet touch the ground.

I think what we do is surveillance. Luckily, my brother gave us a Christmas gift to practice with around the house:

Wonder how much practice we need before getting an FAA-approved quad-copter?

How High?

We are not supposed to be "helicopter parents."

But we are also supposed to be involved in our kids' learning.

So how high should I hover?

My daughter is preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion. True, a family should worship together, and parents should be able to teach their children in the way they should go. But to make sure she is ready, her Sunday School teachers have also assigned work for the parents to do with the kids. I'm certain she won't "fail" if we parents don't help her do all the exercises. But, how will it reflect on all of us? I feel guilty that I have not made time to work with her on this. I also goggle over it; this was not a part of her brother's instruction five years ago.... it was not a part of mine four decades ago. Even without her Religious Education classes, she learns much about her growing relationship with God through our talks.

So how high should I hover?

My son has a science project due this 3rd 9-week period. It's either due in 3 weeks or 6 weeks, depending on the date of the "STEM Fair." (Not just your boing parents' Science Fair any more.) I find no date posted for the fair, anywhere on any school related site. His teacher has, on Edmodo (a curriculum-anchored social site for schools/classes,) only assigned to turn in project ideas for teacher approval; parents approval comes later. But when? There is the 3-page guide in the Science Folder. That's it. It is a comprehensive guide, but without due dates. It does have the caveat that research must access two books from the school library before referring to the Internet, yet when can my son go? Standardized tests and holiday breaks came up quickly; there is little free time in the school day. Also, my son is notorious for losing hand-outs and not paying attention to notes on the whiteboard. We are working to make him accountable, but we also rely on his IEP to make sure that the teachers are allowed to give him the time and flexibility that the standard of "teaching to the test" doesn't allow for.

So how high should I hover?

Because, I know myself well and I know I was never fan of my own homework.

Three Kings Day

The Three Kings arrived at our house very, very late.  Like, right-before-the-sun-came-up late.  I think I saw them riding out as I went to wake up the kids.  (Walks off, whistling....)

They brought each kid a pair of wind-up Christmas toys, a North-Pole-themed book, a lapel pin (eagle for MLB and Snowman Angel for DLG,) and large box of Lemonheads candy.  No, you may not eat candy for breakfast before school.  Please, don't run the toys on the breakfast table. You've read your books already? And each other's?

After school, DLG told me that a schoolmate didn't get a visit from the Three Kings.  Hmmm....  well, I said, I think the Three Kings visit you and MLB because they used to visit Carl & his sisters & brother.  When I was growing up, the Three Kings didn't visit your Uncle Bill and me, I said.

Their lives are so, so filled.  I hope that they always have the magic and dreams and joy.  Kids can never have too many people who love them.

Last Day of Christmas Vacation

I'm lucky.  My kids adore school, and cannot wait to go back to school tomorrow.  Maybe we didn't do "stuff" over the break, but the excitement of Christmas kept them occupied.  We didn't go to the Galaxy of Lights, didn't take in the Tinsel Trail, didn't tour neighborhood decorations.  But we did enjoy each other's company.  We did relax and laugh.

DLG and I spent today finally getting some decorations up on her walls. I've had these glittery flowers I'd bought at after-Easter clearance a couple of years ago.  Now her walls sparkle and bloom. Her horse poster is up on the wall (it's a Disney Palace Pet, but still....)  My unicorn cross-stitch is hung by her door.  Her "rainbow" projector (a Christmas gift) shines; her brother's "old" reading lamp and alarm clock are by her bed.  Oh, and we cleaned up her room.  (Talk about disarray.)

Got her brother to tidy up a bit.  We set up his new CD/radio/alarm clock (set in military time.)  Set up his new reading light.  (Both gifts.)  He got a couple of small wildlife posters-- put those up, too.

And I swept the den and kitchen.  A month of Christmas cookies makes quite a sprinkle of crumbs.

Backpacks are reloaded.  Computer is charged.  Gym clothes are clean. Lunchbags ready to be filled in the morning.

Only problem?

No one wants to wake at 0500 hours.

How To Train a Reader

First, sit the small child in your lap.

Next, open a book.

Lastly, read aloud.

Repeat.


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I started reading to MLB as early as I could, and he was enchanted.  He tried to eat or shred several books.  And only threw up on one.  They were all salvageable.

He quickly "decoded" & was self-taught reading by age three. When people asked for tips to help their kids, I'd shrug-- I just read to him, that's all.

I honestly didn't read to DLG as much as an infant.  She was very active or very snuggly; within moments of sitting down with a book, she'd be ready to bail.  With MLB in kindergarten with his shiny new diagnosis of ADHD & Autism, I just let things roll with her.

At Christmas, though, one book caught her attention: "Who Is Coming to Our House?"  It's the arrival of Mary & Joseph and the birth of Jesus, as told by a little barn mouse who is readying the other animals.  Maybe it was the sweet and soft realism of the animal illustrations.  Maybe it was soft and discrete voices I used.  Maybe it was just her time to settle down, now that she had this walking thing going so she could keep up with big brother.  Whichever it was, she wanted her gift from her Godfather Rick read to her everyday.  I have a lovely picture of my dad finally getting her to snuggle up for a story.  After that, she was always bringing her Paw-Paw a book.  (I bought, post season, a Hallmark ornament of a big polar bear reading to a little polar bear.  Aww....)

She self-taught at age four, and became proficient at age five when she got glasses for her near-sightedness.

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I grew up having books read to me.  I self-taught by kindergarten.  My house was filled with shelves and shelves of my parent's books.  I eagerly looked forward to ordering from my Scholastics flyer and reading my new books.  I was a library mouse.

With books being even more affordable nowadays, especially used books, I thoroughly indulge in buying books.  Mostly for the kids, but sometimes for me, the schools and as gifts.

My daughter received a boxed set of "Ivy + Bean" books for Christmas from my Mom.  She's read most of them by now.  My son received Book #12 in the "How to Train Your Dragon" series.  He's previously read 1-7; we only own two used copies, and the rest have been checked out from the library.  But I know how he loves to reread his favorite books....

UPS brought the HtTYD boxed set for him today.  It's like a FOURTH Christmas for someone.  Thank you, Amazon Prime!

There is a very happy Hairy-Hooligan deep in book 8.

Avalanche!

My poor kids have it so, so rough.  They "had Christmas" with their dad's family in Ft. Payne on December 19.  They "had Christmas" from Santa at their dad's house on Christmas Day.  They "had Christmas" with my mom and brother in Decatur on December 26.  They "had Christmas" at our house on December 27.

Tons of stuff.

I'm grateful.  I'm grateful that the kids are so loved that they lack for nothing, even for things they don't know they want yet.

But, oh my! What a pile.....

Trimming Out the Tree

Would you believe this Christmas nut did not get her tree decorated until today?

Yeah, I guess I haven't been THAT busy.  But the kids have been, and I wanted them to help.

Just like my mom did for my brother & I, I divided the ornaments evenly between them.  Same number, same types.  Limited squabbling.

As MLB gets older and taller, he does better and better with distribution.

DLG, bless her, still clumps.

When finished, Carl topped the tree with the angel.  Which he didn't understand, since he could have done it earlier this week without risk of toppling over a tree full ornaments or accidentally brushing a few off.  It's tradition, duh.  (Though some traditions might need re-examining and changing.)

Another tradition is Mom not being able to stand it and rearranging ornaments after the kids leave with their dad for Ft. Payne.

Come on.  You do it, too.

Last Day of School

It's the last day of school before the "Holiday" Break.  Normally, I would pick the kids up after school during "my" week, but today they went to "After-school Labs" to join in their Christmas parties.

I wouldn't have thought of it, but two weeks ago, MLB & I hung out at DLG's school before ballet class.  (Someone had a load of homework to finish before his sister's Christmas Dance.)  While I was there, the Lab teachers asked if DLG would be at the party.

Hmmm, sure.  Why not?

So DLG got to have a party in Sunday School, two birthday parties, a ballet party, an Accelerated Reader party, a classroom party, a Grinch party AND this one.

Poor MLB is in Middle School now.  I think they had a party in Sunday School, but getting a turn at selecting a gift required a correct answer in a study game.  (So Mr. Professor comes up the first right answer and selects a penguin Pez dispenser.  Figures.)

It wasn't until this week that it even occurred to me that a party at MLB's After-school Lab would happen.  In for a daughter, in for a son.

You would not BELIEVE how quickly MLB woke up this morning, ate breakfast and got ready for school.  All with a smile on his face.

His school serves good snacks.

So the boy came home with a few treats left and a tummy full of pizza (and ready for more.)

The girl still had cupcake frosting on her face, and brought back gifts-- a game and a smaller caramel-colored bear that looks like it could be Mr. Bear's little sister.  And so Miss Bear is.

Days like this are what I do miss about being a kid in school.

A Party with Friends

DLG's second party to attend was Sunday afternoon.  The invitations were, as usual, delivered at school.

Not as usual, the invitation was delivered by a small stuffed bear who requested, not only DLG's presence, but the presence of her favorite stuffed animal as well.

Our new friend is now named "Mr. Bear."

We brought Mr. Bear and Baby Cheetah to the party.

Again, this was a party where adult family members and parents of guests outnumbered the kids, which is all well and good.  "Mom" loves to have fun parties with a theme, and this was no exception.  The theme was "stuffed."  Stuffed animals, games involving stuffed animals, finger-foods "stuffed" like fried cheese, pizza rolls and sandwich cookies.  We were hosted at the home, and we all felt very at home.  One of their hobbies/sources of income is vintage "recycling" and home decor.

Definitely my kind of place.

Here are the kids waiting for the next game to start.

Nothing was fussy!  They used their own stuffed animals for decoration (see them peeking out everywhere, including the Christmas tree?)  DLG was one happy guest, and I am thankful.

I must admit, DLG is going through school with a great bunch of kids with really cool parents.  I hope she (and her family,) can bring something good to their lives as well.

Skate Party

So.  DLG got invited to not one, but TWO birthday parties this weekend. Me? I didn't grow up attending all sorts of classmates' parties, and I never had anything larger than a few friends over, but times are what they are.

She was excited about this party, because it was going to be held at a roller-skating rink.  She went skating with her kindergarten class last year and thought it was fun.

When I asked DLG what she wanted as gift for her friend, she quickly answered, "Build-A-Bear gift card!"  (Yes! That's my girl!  And Costco sells a handy discounted 4-pack!!)

The party was fun.  Only four other kids attended (holiday events and all,) but it's never about the quantity but the quality.  I think the party qualified as ENJOYED, by kids and grandparents and aunts and uncles and us parents!  I did what I do better than small-talk; I helped out with set up and clean up.  (Didn't grow up with parties, but have been to a few since I had kids, and I know that parents appreciate the help so they can get back to enjoying the day with their child.)

The birthday girl likes anything "Frozen," so we had plenty of Elsa, Anna and Olaf.  How can snow-magic not be Christmassy???

I'm usually the play-with-the-kids mom, but I really did't feeling like donning a pair of quads.  DLG wanted me to help her skate, or rent her a PVC "stabilizer," but I want her to truly learn to get her balance, falls and all.  I told her that once she learns to not be afraid of falling (it will happen to everyone,) then she'll feel more comfortable skating.  Her friends were mostly wobbly, too, and several parents (and one grandparent) were skating themselves.

Here's my little being helped by an aunt.

Sweetness, isn't it.

But in case a vague reference to Christmas isn't enough, here's something festive from around my house:

Warm footwear that won't roll.

Santa Shoppe

Just call me "sucker."

No, don't.

I wanted to help guide DLG when she did her Christmas shopping at school.  Instead, I found myself volunteering to help most of the kids.

The mom who was chairing this year's Santa Shoppe had so much to deal with.... there were incorrect dates in the newsletter, she first got an incomplete list of teachers, the classes began all sorts of standardized testing that week so schedules were constantly being rearranged....

I merely came in to ask when DLG's class was scheduled, but the secretary hadn't been told.  Claylie asked if I could help Thursday morning, as they were short on volunteers.  I said sure, why not.

Turned out for the best!  I had a great time.  I met some other 1st-grade moms I hadn't met yet, and got to hang out with moms I've known since Pre-K days (GS-MMO & MtG).  It was, when we weren't swamped, quite the "hen party."  (Carl'd never heard that term before!)

It was fun, but sometimes heartbreaking to help the kids chose gifts.  The company that creates & ships this concept has seriously over-priced this dollar-store-type merchandise.  But, you pay for convenience and for labor.  I doubt anyone is getting rich on this.  Some kids looked so disappointed when they had to rethink what they thought were the best choices for family and friends.  Yeah.... all us moms did "slip" some kids a buck or two, or several quarters, to help out.

Then there were the kids with adequate money and determined to spend every last quarter!  (I say adequate; for some it was "lots," like $20--$40, since it saved mom a trip to the store; for others, it was enough to get everyone gifts, even if the gifts were only $1 each.)

All and all, it was fun.  Next year, and yes, I likely will help next year, we hope we can ask the company to provide more items $2 and less and nothing over $8-$10.  Not sure if we have an option, but we saw what did work.  We'll also have to schedule it for more days with fewer classes each day (the younger they were, the more likely they were to shop the $2 and under merchandise, while the older kids either had adequate money or gladly didn't participate.)  With more standardized testing, we will HAVE to pin-down the testing days to be able to have a solid schedule.

Sigh, Lizzie-the-mostly-organized is on the case.....

Oh, and I'm very proud of DLG.  She only bought 2 things this year (I try to do the shopping for them, for my sanity's sake....)  She bought a cute rubber duck for her teacher.  And a surprise for me!

I cannot wait for Christmas!

A Christmas Dance

My daughter loves her ballet class.  As a treat to the parents, each class performs a Christmas Dance for us.  She was so excited to show us how well she could "Jingle Bell Rock"!  Like I was, she is quick to learn the routine and be on mark & cue.  She still working on the do-not-think part of dancing, but she'll smile more and more as the years go on. This is only year number two.

When they showed off their jetés, sautés and classical walks, we noted that DLG kept herself in alignment-- head to neck to shoulders to back to hips to knees to feet.  Ah, she is becoming a wonderful dancer!  We are glad she enjoys it so!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Growing up, I and my family didn't celebrate St. Nicholas' Day, even though I'd read about all sorts of "old world" customs like it, St. Lucy's Day and Three Kings' Day.  A friend of mine added it to her kids' celebrations, to encourage their more spiritual side.  But, nope, not here.

And then my kids were asked to put their shoes outside the doors of their Sunday School classes.

Boy, did they get hyped up about St. Nicholas visiting!  The RE Director got a teenager to dress up as the good bishop.

The younger kids receive this prayer card ornament.

The back of it tells the legend of St. Nicholas with what facts are known. 

Now MLB & DLG look forward to this every year, even at my house.

St. Nicholas wants to help my kids look forward to the coming Christmas Day.  He usually brings each a book about the spirit of the season.  Often times, he brings an ornament/decoration to hang on the family tree or to keep near in their rooms.  Of course, he brings a sweet treat.  Last year he brought them peppermints like my dad would give them, and those plush gingerbread people holding little mints, as well as pairs of large jingle-bell stars, all to let them know that St. Nichols was keeping an eye on their Paw-paw in heaven.

This year's visit brought fun:

Hallmark has developed their own North Pole tales, so we now have welcomed little Snowby bear, and books about he & his friends.  There's also little "stationary" sets for their creative side, and more Charleston Chew than they have teeth left to pull.

They tripped over each other putting their shoes out the night before, but MLB was sweet enough to let his sister wake up before collecting his treasures Sunday morning.  They've both read each book at least twice.

What a sweet part of the season.

Trees of Their Own

Once upon a time, my brother and I were kids the ages my kids are now.

We had friends and teachers and arts-n-crafts and allowances.  We began to have a few Christmas ornaments of our own.

Our mom began to have a bunch of ornaments of her own and very definite ideas on decorating.  (Yes, she would tell us where to rehang things.)

I, myself, decided I wanted a Christmas tree of my own.  With her blessing, I walked down the street to a lot with pine saplings, and I cut off two branches-- one for me and one for my brother.  We got old coffee cans, filled them with sand and had our own trees in our rooms.  I was thrilled!

But, the cut-your-own-tree wasn't quite all I hoped.  It was a yellow, long-leaf pine variety, known more for its sharp-smelling, sticky sap. Ornaments didn't hang well.  I might have brought in a bug or two.

I was amazed when my mom bought us mini-trees next year AND a box of small satin balls AND a few wooden ornaments!  Having my own proper Christmas tree on my dresser made me feel special.  I had store-bought ornaments and ones I made myself.

Years and years later, my brother and I, of course, grew up.  My brother lost interest in his tree and my mom used it to decorate a spacious half-bath.  I kept using mine at college and in apartments.  Later, I enjoyed it at my workplaces when I owned a full-size tree for my home.  It was with the coming of kids and the exit from the workplace that the little tree found itself boxed up for a while.

A several years ago, my mom gave my brother's little tree and all its ornaments to my son.  I unboxed my tree for little Me-Too, his sister.  We used them on and off, but end of last Christmas, I sat down and properly divided the ornaments between the trees, while extracting the vintage and special ones.  For when I again have a small tree of my own.....

DLG's Tree

MLB's Tree

They joyfully decorated their little trees, and they felt very special.

A Little Time Has Passed, Hasn't It?

Not sure if I've got a bunch to say, or very little.  It's been, what, three-four weeks since I last posted?  It's been sometimes busy- but mostly just FULL- weeks, because it is the "holidays."

L-R: Carl-kid, Carl, Mine, MLB, DLG, Hazel, Zoe, Mine-kid

You know, trying to cram everything in at once.

Carl & I took the kids to see their first movie, Disney's "Frozen."  It's a WONDERFUL film, and the kids were enchanted.  Even Mr.-I-Don't-Want-to-Go-and-I'll-Hide-Down-in-My-Chair was sitting up and cheering by the end.  I think he wants to be Sven.

I finished the gift shopping.

I got a quick visit in with MLB's Godfamily now that they are stateside for the holidays; Sandra & Kevin's new daughter Ellie is a charmer & Eileen is a good big sister.

I got Christmas cards addressed, written & mailed; they went out a day or two after Christmas, but they included a picture of the kids.

I love getting cards!

Not bad for this year.

The kids stayed over a bunch these past weeks; it's been fun, whining & all.

Somebody hogs up the bed.

Somebody hogs up the Carl.

We celebrated Christmas morning here!  The kids' excitement over the visit from Santa was joyous!  Carl was just awash in the wonder of kids & magic of Christmas morning!  Every gift they opened from Santa or me or Carl was just what they wanted.  They played & played & feasted on candy from their stockings.  (Of course.)

He's awash, trust me.

Then kids were off to a celebration at their dad's house, celebrations at my mom's house (Paw-paw's day-after-Xmas birthday & present-o-rama,) and then Christmas at their other grandmother's house.

I've hit a few after Christmas sales, of course.  Candy, cookies & Hallmark stuff at half-off?  Duh!

Now we're just chillin'.  Not quite ready for the vacation and for this year to end, but looking forward to a new year and a return to routine.  If I resolve to do anything in the new year, it's to craft more (scrapbooks included,) write more (blog included,) read more (finishing "Mockingjay" included,) and be a better role model for the kids (quite a few habit changes included.)

Carl says I also need to watch several movies & series I missed over the decades.  He's starting me on "Trading Place" as soon as I post.

It's cool.

Shopaday: O! Tannenbaum!

Did I mention

we finally bought

a Christmas Tree?