St. Nick

My daughter believes in Santa Claus.  A tragedy I’m sure.  I don’t know how this could have happened.   

We were at the mall a few days ago,  and Grace asked to see Santa.  I almost didn’t know what to say, I was so surprised by her question.  

Santa has never been an issue in our house.  I never believed in Santa.  I always have explained to my kids that it is mom and dad who buy them presents because we love them.  No way was I gonna give a big red stranger get the credit.  Of course I’ve explained the tradition behind Santa Claus, but my kids know that its all just a story.  At least I thought they knew.   

Blake has never sat on a Santa’s lap.  But on Monday, Grace did.  She climbed up onto the lap of a stranger dressed in a costume (although his beard was very real and nice) and told him she wanted a Nintendo DS and a hamster. 

Grace walked away from the scene with a big grin and announced that Santa was real afterall.  

Grace last summer on a pony ride with a Santa look-alike. I "forgot" to take any pictures of her on Santa's lap.

My son and I exchanged flabbergasted looks.  For a moment I was tongue tied while Blake gave her a hundered reasons why Santa could not possibly be real.  You know the ususal proof: “What about houses with no fireplaces?”

Yet, she was determined to believe.  I smiled down at her, not wanting to crush her spirit, and told her I’m glad she finally got to meet Santa. 

 

Did you believe in Santa when you were young?  Do your children (current or future) believe in Santa?

 

Structure Brings Silliness?

After-dinner silliness

 

I’ve had such a chill day.  My house is clean, quiet and calm.  It feels like a while since it’s been this way.  Summer has a way of bringing chaos into our house.  Perhaps that is one reason I have come to love fall/winter.  During the school months, I am diligent about keeping order; details like chores and bedtimes are rarely overlooked.  But when summer comes, we are all so excited about being outside and doing things, and I find myself more than not putting off my good disciplines in order to cram in as much fun as possible. 

 

Today, my children were extra tired from a late night last night, and our garage roof was getting a facelift, so we stayed home and relaxed.  I did some laundry.  Blake took a three hour nap.  (By the way, I’ve never seen a seven year old who likes to nap like him.  He would nap four or five hours if I’d let him. Perhaps that’s why he’s tall…) Grace helped me scrub and hose-down the garage exterior.  We grilled some burgers and MADE BEDTIME.  And in all this, I was reminded how much my children like structure.  They were so content and happy and playful today.  As much as they may beg me to break the routine to let them do various things, the days when we stick to a routine are the days they enjoy the most.  I knew this, but haven’t seen it in my house in months.  

 

Dinner tonight was FILLED with laughter.  Total silliness.  Grace is just a little comedian.  She makes us all, even herself, crack-up until our sides hurt.  She has been such a sunny addition to our family.  Grace is my songstress, always singing something she learned or made up.  And Blake, oh my Blake is such a blessing to me!  He helps me in so many ways.  He helps with laundry, reads bedtime stories to Grace, and he almost always obeys me without a fuss.  He and I connect very easily.  I am so blessed when I think of the gift I have in my family.  

 

 

 

bits of my day

no where else in the world is there a neighborhood that gets more ice cream truck visits than us. we had four drive by tonight. my kids are going crazy and it’s not even june yet. “pleeeeeeeeeeease mom.” the pleading looks, and desperate body language. i’m sure my kids think that everyone but them gets ice cream from a truck every night. oh well. they get it a couple times a month. poor, poor deprived children.

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andrew’s getting some exercise tonight -mountain biking with his friend, jim. i love it when he gets to mountain bike – he always comes home stinky, sweaty and exhausted – but proud. i love to hear his subtle excitement when he tells me that he left someone in the dust on the straight paths. but i miss him when he’s gone. i am a selfish woman who likes him home with me as much a possible. but i hide it and i’m always pushing him out the door to hang out with friends and do things.

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landscaping is not my forte. i very much appreciate the beauty of a well-landscaped yard, but i feel stuck in a rut with my own. a few years ago i hastily planted a few things in the empty front yard – and it looks OKAY – but too crowded and squished up against the house. and not everything i planted is thriving. ?? yet i feel afraid to try and fix it because i know SO little about gardening – and i kill so much. and my backyard hasnt changed since we bought the house. nothing but grass framed by weeds. it’s a great country look. there are SOOO many weeds – and i dont want to spend lots on new plants – so i thought just leave it; it’s impossible. but lately i’m inspired to dig-in and do what i can. so i DUMPED weed killer all along the worst weed section today – and i’m hoping to start there with a pretty new bed of some inexpensive hard to kill, you-can-run-over-it-with-the-car hearty shade plants. it’s a start.

i’m tired today. there are toys everywhere, dishes in the sink, and laundry unfolded on my couch. and here i am blogging. yeesh. g’night.

 

tough love.

my kids are sick. for real sick. finally a reason for their intense crabbiness of the past couple days. fevers. coughs. and blake had some icky sticky runny yellow goo – oozing from his ear all day today. gross. but it seems to be relieving some of the pressure that was causing his cries of pain last night.

i was tough on him last night. i knew he was sick, and thought he probably had an ear infection – but since the doctor’s office is closed for the weekend, and i had given him motrin, i thought surely it was okay for me to ask and expect him to stop crying after an hour or two of his non-stop wailing. i was tough. not that i think i was entirely wrong in expecting him to compose himself just a little bit. it’s just hard to feel good about being tough even if i know it’s for their good. it’s hard not to want to spoil them when i realize that they are going to be adults before i know it – and i wont be able to wake up and make them pancakes while they run around laughing with eachother.

not long ago i was bathing grace, shampooing her little head, and i was once again overcome with the feeling that i want to freeze my children in their current ages. i want to shampoo my babies hair forever. selfishly, i dont want them to grow up. to lose their naivety. time is just racing by, much faster than i expected it to.

 

All Growed Up!

somebody got a huge build-your-own sundae at max-n-erma’s today.

Today is her third birthday and she’s officially all growed up. three years ago, right about his time, i was checking into the birthing center for what i was sure was going to be the easiest birth ever! hehe. six hours later i had my squirming, beautiful, BLONDE baby. i’m slightly sad that my last baby isn’t a baby anymore.

But i love her as a big girl. she and i have been having so much fun together lately. one of my favorite parts about her believing that she’s all growed up is this potty thing. back in september, after months of hard work and no results, we took a break from all potty training. last week when we were talking about her upcoming birthday, she realized she didnt want to be a baby anymore. the difference between potty training a resentful child and a determined child is amazing. when we potty trained over the summer i pulled out all the stops; we had potty parties, candy treats, and we taught baby dolls how to do it, but SHE didn’t want to. and that’s huge. it’s like trying to get someone you love to lose weight. you can’t change them with all the prodding, encouragment and incentives in the world; it has to be all their decision. so she decided to be a big girl, and i almost cried a few days ago when she said to me (for the first time in her life,) “I have to go peepee!” yay! happy birthday big girl.