Every year I write a letter detailing what we did for the year, mostly so someday my children will remember, so this year I'm doing it again. I was going to print it out and put it in all my cards, but I ran out of ink and decided this way is more friendly for the environment. So, here's a quick recap of our year. Since this is public domain I will refer to my children by their awesome nicknames. My oldest daughter we call Pumpkin, my second daughter is Angel, my oldest son is Sunshine, and my youngest son is Yoda. There are reasons for all their nicknames, but that's not the point here.
We started the year with hockey for Pumpkin and Sunshine, then we went skiing. It was fun to get to ski with my three oldest, they are getting really good. Then we had a dance show where my Angel was stunning in jazz and ballet, then she got to dance with sister in a tap number. The end of March we loaded up the RV and drove to the East Coast. We had a blast at the ocean and visiting with family. We saw many historic sights and the children loved picking up some junior ranger badges.
We came home to a busy summer full of gardening and swimming lessons. We managed to do summer hockey of course and some school. We finished the summer with a trip to Washington state to visit family. We got to fish in Yellowstone Park and the children added to their junior ranger badges on the way home.
September was calm but we had to start some serious school. Pumpkin started third grade, reading is her favorite subject. Angel started second grade and really enjoys writing short stories. She got to start real art classes, she has some real talent. Sunshine decided he was ready for kindergarten, mostly because he wants to learn to read, although math is still really fun. Yoda is learning his colors, he likes yellow.
October brought family visits, balloons, and hockey of course. November we played and watched lots of hockey, more family visits, and Angel played an angel in A Christmas Carol. December started with hockey and ice skating in the backyard.
We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year.
God Bless.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
How to have the PERFECT Christmas
I was talking with my mother and she reminded me of something important, so I'm writing about it so you can remember too.
I've been seeing all these posts and ideas about how to have the perfect Christmas so I thought I would help you decipher them all too. Then, after you read all the suggestions and you read the responses where people try to make you feel better by giving examples of how they aren't perfect you can remember this helpful guide. We are not all perfect but that is part of Christmas so here's what you do. First, think back to your favorite Christmas experiences. Ok, now really do it. Now, answer the following five questions honestly.
1. Was the house perfectly clean?
2. Was the turkey or ham or whatever you ate absolutely perfect?
3. Was the centerpiece at the table Martha Stewart worthy?
4. Did everyone get exactly the correct and appropriate present?
5. Was every lightbulb on the tree working and in perfect placement?
If you answered, "I don't know." or "I don't remember." or "no." to any or all of these questions then you will realize that the perfect Christmas has nothing to do with the house, the food, or the decor. It has to do with what you do with whom. I find that my favorite Christmas times were all spent with people I love, but sometimes get frustrated with, and people who love me, and sometimes get frustrated with me. It is most important this time of year to remember that Christmas is not about being perfect or cleaning the house. So, go enjoy your perfect Christmas.
I've been seeing all these posts and ideas about how to have the perfect Christmas so I thought I would help you decipher them all too. Then, after you read all the suggestions and you read the responses where people try to make you feel better by giving examples of how they aren't perfect you can remember this helpful guide. We are not all perfect but that is part of Christmas so here's what you do. First, think back to your favorite Christmas experiences. Ok, now really do it. Now, answer the following five questions honestly.
1. Was the house perfectly clean?
2. Was the turkey or ham or whatever you ate absolutely perfect?
3. Was the centerpiece at the table Martha Stewart worthy?
4. Did everyone get exactly the correct and appropriate present?
5. Was every lightbulb on the tree working and in perfect placement?
If you answered, "I don't know." or "I don't remember." or "no." to any or all of these questions then you will realize that the perfect Christmas has nothing to do with the house, the food, or the decor. It has to do with what you do with whom. I find that my favorite Christmas times were all spent with people I love, but sometimes get frustrated with, and people who love me, and sometimes get frustrated with me. It is most important this time of year to remember that Christmas is not about being perfect or cleaning the house. So, go enjoy your perfect Christmas.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Holiday Magic is Nothing Compared to Everyday Magic
I hear a lot of people talking about the magic of the season about this time of year. It's great that people like to be happy in the winter and they should see miracles as magic, but they are neglecting the everyday magic that is all around. There are magical things that occur on a daily basis, and you don't have to wait for December. Here are some examples.
1. Lists. Shopping lists are especially magical, but any list has the potential for magic. Have you noticed how they disappear most when you are really frazzled and can't remember anything? They will also go missing on the days that you go shopping for last minute things because the store will be closed the next day. I find that I also lose lists the day before I take my car to the repair shop and have planned to stay home for several days. Lists have this magical power to remind us that what we think is so important is not actually that important.
2. Dishes. We have all had a day where we get up to an empty sink, eat breakfast, do the dishes, eat lunch and dinner out or at a friend's house, then when we get ready for bed the sink is full of dirty dishes. Why? I'll tell you, it's magic. That's the only thing that makes sense and you know it.
3. Chocolate. Everyone thinks chocolate is magic because it's so yummy, but it actually has telepathic powers. How else would your husband find the last two bites of the chocolate bar that you hid for yourself to eat after dinner? Think it through, he's always asking you where he's put his things and yet he can find your chocolate.
4. Goat heads. Those of you who do not live in the desert southwest you might know these hideous things. They look like this.
They don't look magical you say, and you are right, they look terrible. They are actually magic. There is no other way to explain why, after you've had a tractor remove the top foot of dirt from your yard, you can walk through the yard and still step on these things. As for trying to keep them out of your children's shoes, good luck with that. They stick better than brand new velcro, to everything. If you've ever stepped on a lego with bare feet you can begin to imagine what it might feel like to step on these. They are so magical that when you step on them in the dark with bare feet you will always be carrying something heavy, like a sleeping child, and you will be as far as possible from somewhere to sit down. FACT.
5. Socks. They are magical items. There is a reason Harry gave Dobby a sock. Ever put six socks in the washer? Take them out, put them in the dryer and when the dryer buzzes, how many socks are in the dryer? That's right, five. Why? Here's the real answer. Whenever someone in the magical world needs something it gets transfigured from a sock. The dryer is the place where the magical world gets socks because the warm socks are easier to transfigure. So, don't bother looking for lost socks, you will never find them again.
See holiday magic is just silly after you realize that there's magic all around you, all the time.
1. Lists. Shopping lists are especially magical, but any list has the potential for magic. Have you noticed how they disappear most when you are really frazzled and can't remember anything? They will also go missing on the days that you go shopping for last minute things because the store will be closed the next day. I find that I also lose lists the day before I take my car to the repair shop and have planned to stay home for several days. Lists have this magical power to remind us that what we think is so important is not actually that important.
2. Dishes. We have all had a day where we get up to an empty sink, eat breakfast, do the dishes, eat lunch and dinner out or at a friend's house, then when we get ready for bed the sink is full of dirty dishes. Why? I'll tell you, it's magic. That's the only thing that makes sense and you know it.
3. Chocolate. Everyone thinks chocolate is magic because it's so yummy, but it actually has telepathic powers. How else would your husband find the last two bites of the chocolate bar that you hid for yourself to eat after dinner? Think it through, he's always asking you where he's put his things and yet he can find your chocolate.
4. Goat heads. Those of you who do not live in the desert southwest you might know these hideous things. They look like this.
They don't look magical you say, and you are right, they look terrible. They are actually magic. There is no other way to explain why, after you've had a tractor remove the top foot of dirt from your yard, you can walk through the yard and still step on these things. As for trying to keep them out of your children's shoes, good luck with that. They stick better than brand new velcro, to everything. If you've ever stepped on a lego with bare feet you can begin to imagine what it might feel like to step on these. They are so magical that when you step on them in the dark with bare feet you will always be carrying something heavy, like a sleeping child, and you will be as far as possible from somewhere to sit down. FACT.
5. Socks. They are magical items. There is a reason Harry gave Dobby a sock. Ever put six socks in the washer? Take them out, put them in the dryer and when the dryer buzzes, how many socks are in the dryer? That's right, five. Why? Here's the real answer. Whenever someone in the magical world needs something it gets transfigured from a sock. The dryer is the place where the magical world gets socks because the warm socks are easier to transfigure. So, don't bother looking for lost socks, you will never find them again.
See holiday magic is just silly after you realize that there's magic all around you, all the time.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
What I say, and what I mean by it.
Since I've become a Mom I find myself saying things that aren't exactly what I mean. I mostly mean them, but not quite. Here's the secret code to what I say and what I mean.
1. "Oh, Thank you! It's my favorite."
What I mean: "Thank you, I might one day need to eat the pasta on this necklace so I will wear it often, especially when I might be stranded away from a restaurant for an extended length of time. You are my child and I love you."
2. "You have seconds, I'm not that hungry."
What I mean: "If I'm hungry after dinner I can find my own snack, if you are hungry after dinner you will whine and cry until I magically decipher the mystery food you are willing to eat that I am also willing to have you eat ten minutes before bed. So, since you are actually eating this, chow down! Also, you are my husband and I love you."
3. "How many times have I told you?"
What I mean: "I feel as though I've said this before but in my exhausted state I can't remember so if it's more than two or three you better just do what I say because I'm really tired and I want to be done disciplining you so I can go to sleep."
4. "How do I look?"
What I mean: "Is there any glaringly obvious stain that a blind person might notice in some embarrassing location on my clothes? Specifically check for hand prints on my butt please."
5. "I'm sorry I didn't get to that today. I will try again tomorrow."
What I mean: "While I was cleaning the floor for the fourth time in the same location while someone was sitting on my leg I realized that you had asked me to do the one thing that is almost impossible to do with four children in the house. That's right, make a phone call. So, instead of somehow managing to put them all in a padded playpen big enough for an eight year old and somehow making sure that they can't touch each other even though they all apparently have Elastagirl's super powers, I chose to not call the company with voice recognition software that puts me on hold an average of 45 minutes every time I call. Can you please do it? I'll give you a million dollars."
6. "I'll give you a million dollars."
What I mean: "I don't ask for help often, but if I make you laugh you might forget that you don't want to help me and decide that it might be a good idea to help me. Plus if I had a million dollars it would be yours."
7. "Is this clean or dirty?"
What I mean: "I wash the laundry, I fold the laundry, I put the laundry away, I will not also go around the house picking up the dirty laundry. News flash, there is enough dirty laundry in the proper place that I can actually wash two loads a day for about two weeks without looking for more. If you can't put it away, I can't wash it." My children are learning this one.
8. "Dinner is ready."
What I mean: "Set the table, sit down, and prepare to eat. Don't whine and say it's disgusting, don't look at me like I have two heads. EAT THE FOOD I MADE! And, clear your dishes when you are finished, thank you." My children are learning this one too.
9. "I'm going to bed."
What I mean: "I'm tired, I can't do any more tonight. I am falling asleep at the sink and I'm pretty sure I'll be washing these pans again in the morning because they aren't really clean. You can ask me for something but I am not very useful now, I'm going to bed to sleep. Good night my dears." Some people will likely never learn this one.
10. "What were you thinking?"
What I mean: "Wait just a minute while I try to figure out whether to laugh hysterically or cry uncontrollably. I'm not sure which one this warrants. I also know that I have to punish you but basically I have a feeling that the consequences of what you did might be self-limiting. I do remember that I am the parent and as such need to correct your bizarre behavior so wait while I come up with something suitable that isn't too hard to implement."
I'm sure I'll have more as the children grow up, but for now I think I shall document this so that when my children are older and in therapy they can read this and understand what I was trying to tell them.
1. "Oh, Thank you! It's my favorite."
What I mean: "Thank you, I might one day need to eat the pasta on this necklace so I will wear it often, especially when I might be stranded away from a restaurant for an extended length of time. You are my child and I love you."
2. "You have seconds, I'm not that hungry."
What I mean: "If I'm hungry after dinner I can find my own snack, if you are hungry after dinner you will whine and cry until I magically decipher the mystery food you are willing to eat that I am also willing to have you eat ten minutes before bed. So, since you are actually eating this, chow down! Also, you are my husband and I love you."
3. "How many times have I told you?"
What I mean: "I feel as though I've said this before but in my exhausted state I can't remember so if it's more than two or three you better just do what I say because I'm really tired and I want to be done disciplining you so I can go to sleep."
4. "How do I look?"
What I mean: "Is there any glaringly obvious stain that a blind person might notice in some embarrassing location on my clothes? Specifically check for hand prints on my butt please."
5. "I'm sorry I didn't get to that today. I will try again tomorrow."
What I mean: "While I was cleaning the floor for the fourth time in the same location while someone was sitting on my leg I realized that you had asked me to do the one thing that is almost impossible to do with four children in the house. That's right, make a phone call. So, instead of somehow managing to put them all in a padded playpen big enough for an eight year old and somehow making sure that they can't touch each other even though they all apparently have Elastagirl's super powers, I chose to not call the company with voice recognition software that puts me on hold an average of 45 minutes every time I call. Can you please do it? I'll give you a million dollars."
6. "I'll give you a million dollars."
What I mean: "I don't ask for help often, but if I make you laugh you might forget that you don't want to help me and decide that it might be a good idea to help me. Plus if I had a million dollars it would be yours."
7. "Is this clean or dirty?"
What I mean: "I wash the laundry, I fold the laundry, I put the laundry away, I will not also go around the house picking up the dirty laundry. News flash, there is enough dirty laundry in the proper place that I can actually wash two loads a day for about two weeks without looking for more. If you can't put it away, I can't wash it." My children are learning this one.
8. "Dinner is ready."
What I mean: "Set the table, sit down, and prepare to eat. Don't whine and say it's disgusting, don't look at me like I have two heads. EAT THE FOOD I MADE! And, clear your dishes when you are finished, thank you." My children are learning this one too.
9. "I'm going to bed."
What I mean: "I'm tired, I can't do any more tonight. I am falling asleep at the sink and I'm pretty sure I'll be washing these pans again in the morning because they aren't really clean. You can ask me for something but I am not very useful now, I'm going to bed to sleep. Good night my dears." Some people will likely never learn this one.
10. "What were you thinking?"
What I mean: "Wait just a minute while I try to figure out whether to laugh hysterically or cry uncontrollably. I'm not sure which one this warrants. I also know that I have to punish you but basically I have a feeling that the consequences of what you did might be self-limiting. I do remember that I am the parent and as such need to correct your bizarre behavior so wait while I come up with something suitable that isn't too hard to implement."
I'm sure I'll have more as the children grow up, but for now I think I shall document this so that when my children are older and in therapy they can read this and understand what I was trying to tell them.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Things I would have done today if I were still five or six years old
I sometimes wish I'd never grown up. Here are the things I would have done today if I weren't a grown-up.
1. I would have asked to use the cool new pencil, even though my old one still works well.
2. I would have walked right by the pile of laundry to fold, because I would have been imagining I were a fairy princess who wears flower petals instead of clothes.
3. I would have eaten the last slice of pizza, without sharing, because I wanted it.
4. I would have watched the snow flakes fall outside instead of worrying about someone driving in the coming storm.
5. I would have had chocolate milk with dinner.
6. I would have worn my pjs all day because it was cold.
7. I would have drawn pictures on every page of my school work, just to make it prettier.
8. I would have asked for a hug from my Mom, even if I was in the bath and soaking wet.
9. I would have drawn a lady bug on my toe because it belonged there.
10. I would have been excited about using a new toothbrush.
I would have done all these things, so I can't really fault my children for doing them. Sometimes I need to remember that I would do it, if I could, or if I'd thought of it first.
1. I would have asked to use the cool new pencil, even though my old one still works well.
2. I would have walked right by the pile of laundry to fold, because I would have been imagining I were a fairy princess who wears flower petals instead of clothes.
3. I would have eaten the last slice of pizza, without sharing, because I wanted it.
4. I would have watched the snow flakes fall outside instead of worrying about someone driving in the coming storm.
5. I would have had chocolate milk with dinner.
6. I would have worn my pjs all day because it was cold.
7. I would have drawn pictures on every page of my school work, just to make it prettier.
8. I would have asked for a hug from my Mom, even if I was in the bath and soaking wet.
9. I would have drawn a lady bug on my toe because it belonged there.
10. I would have been excited about using a new toothbrush.
I would have done all these things, so I can't really fault my children for doing them. Sometimes I need to remember that I would do it, if I could, or if I'd thought of it first.
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