CHRISTMAS!

Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the blogging world (again)? It's been a week since my last post, but that's because I've been busy! And that means I have a lot to say today (so what's new...right?).

We made a gingerbread house from scratch this year. I baked the pieces and assembled the structure on the 23rd. We decorated it on the 24th and started destroying it on the 25th. The kids had a lot of fun with it. I was determined to be a nicer person about it this year and let them tell me where they wanted the "glue" as they put their candy pieces on. This kind of project is really for fun and memories. There is no way to get your money's worth out of it because who can really eat that much candy? (And what mother would want their kids to even try it?)



Joseph liked the gingerbread men we made with the left over dough. He had to show one to the camera. Wow...he has a messy face. What's even on his forehead?

Here is a shot of Sarah taken after I'd finally finished shoring up the walls of the gingerbread house. She'd been fussing but I couldn't get to her and she eventually gave up on me. Sorry Sarah! You're very cute, though!



Setting up for Christmas morning wasn't too hard. Nothing had to be assembled, thankfully. The most time came at the computer when I was trying to get my Santa Claus to look like he was really in the living room. The picture (found in the previous post) was a big hit with the kids. Daniel now knows that Santa lives in spirit and that his parents are very active elves, but he wasn't sure how we'd gotten that picture. He thought maybe Chad had dressed up but I ruined his idea by telling him we don't own a Santa suit. He has to have some Christmas mystery!

I had to nudge Chad at 1:40 AM and tell him that the kids were up. I know Christmas morning comes early, but let's have some standards! He put them back to bed (they'd woken up Joseph, too) and they slept past 6. That was my Christmas present!

It didn't take Joseph too long to get into the swing of opening presents. He was more than willing to help others open their gifts, too.


It took us about 2 hours to get everything open. We kept making them clean up paper and we did have a short intermission (bathroom break) where they took what they'd already opened to their rooms. Overall, it was a good morning.


Sarah just hung out. Joseph helped her open most of her presents. :)


Sunday afternoon, we drove to Hagerman to visit with family. The drive was one of the best ones we've had. I have 4 episodes of "Little House On the Prairie" to thank for that. I didn't get too many pictures there because the camera batteries were dying.

Here is one of Aunt Pamela reading a story about horses/ponies to the kids. I had to take a picture here because of Leah's face. It was a tense moment in the story and Leah is in love with horses, so she was emotionally involved in the reading. I plan to laugh over this picture for YEARS! :)


We got to visit with Uncle Shawn, too. We only get to see him once a year (sometimes two), so the kids look forward to seeing him. He's also very hard to get a picture of. This one was taken on the sly. (For sale to the highest bidder!) Here he is with Sarah. He's such a great uncle. I can't wait to see him have his own family.


The drive home was a little less peaceful, but I also put a nix on the videos. We made a couple of stops on the way home, which added about 2 hours to the trip, but still got home before dark (my new requirement for traveling with these kids). I was glad to get home before the snow that started falling that night and covered the roads by morning.

Our bonfire-ready Christmas tree was taken outside yesterday. We got all the Christmas decorations packed and put in the garage. I even cleaned up my bedroom. Now the closet doors shut!

I've already started planning gifts and projects for next Christmas. I figure this is the best way to get those little things done that I always want to do, but never have enough time to finish. This week, we've been making a board with knobs to hang stockings from. Did you notice that they were just on the back of the couch in the Santa picture? Chad has really done the work, and I've done the directing. I'll post a pic when "we" get it done, just before "we" stick it in the garage for the year!

Other plans are to make new stockings (possibly cross-stitch names for each), make a new tree skirt, and start on gifts for the family now so I can give something nice and not something I came up with in a desperate and penniless moment.

Meanwhile, regular life goes on. This is why I plan to use the whole year to prepare for Christmas! Leah turns 6 on Saturday. I need to get her cake done. Horses...must have something to do with horses.

Caught in the act!

We caught Santa in the act!

Special thanks to Adobe Photoshop.

Wired!

The deed is done. Here are Daniel's before and after pictures.

The braces are only anchored with the little braces glued on...no metal bands were used to anchor the whole deal. He has football shapes on the front two teeth and he chose blue rubber bands. He got quite the collections of gadgets to care for his teeth and it's like an early Christmas present for him!

He hasn't started hurting yet, but I expect to hear about it within 24 hours. For now, he's enjoying the extra attention!

Cancelling Christmas

My kids will now need therapy. This time it's for sure.

Am I the only one with cranky, bickering kids? I'd better not be the only one enjoying this twisted version of holiday cheer. My kids start fighting with each other over the DUMBEST things. I am nearing the end of my patience.

I took the kids to a museum today to see the free Christmas displays. Nathan couldn't complain about being there enough. Daniel wanted to go off with some boys he knew from school. (I've heard enough stories about these boys to know that I didn't want him out of my sight, in a museum, with these kids.) On the way home, there was endless fighting and complaining and crying. Sarah is still coughing up her last breath and Joseph's fever was coming back. Someone please stick a candy cane through my heart and end the suffering.

The pleasantries didn't end once we got home, so I quietly began undecorating the tree. The kids wanted to know what I was doing and I told them that we didn't have the Christmas spirit and so I was taking the tree down. The girls started crying right away. Nathan held out for a little bit, but eventually buried his head in his knees. Daniel sat quietly through most of it before storming out of the room and then the house.

The whole time I was taking the decorations off, I felt HORRIBLE! My stomach was doing flip flops and I wondered if I might cry. But I was serious about sending the kids a message...enough is enough! By the time I got all the ornaments off, my hands were beginning to tremble because I felt so sad about it and knew how the kids must be feeling, too. I told them they could save Christmas if they came up with a plan to get along better and STOP fighting.

It took them quite a while to figure it out and I had to coach the conversation more than I thought I would have to. We seemed to come to an agreement and I let them redecorate the tree after dinner. (I never did get the lights off.) But there is still more "mean" in our home than I feel comfortable with. Ugh. I wonder if I could postpone Christmas until we're a little nicer to each other. Some of them are still so young that I'm not sure how effective anything is anymore.

And just this weekend, Daniel started crying for no reason. He won't tell us what's wrong, but he's really good at slamming doors and storming away. Is this the beginning of adolescence? Or is there something else that's wrong? If this is "normal" development, I may not be strong enough to raise these children to adulthood. I may be the one that needs therapy. I'm scared!

Daniel gets his braces on in about 12 hours. We'll post some pictures when we can!

The beginning of the end

Nathan informed me yesterday that he DOES believe in Santa Claus, but NOT in the reindeer. After all, reindeer can't really fly.

So, he's started thinking about it. We'll see what next year brings. For now, there's still magic in his heart (and mischief in his eyes)!

Update on Joseph:
Chad didn't get back from the ER until after midnight. It was decided that Joseph had a stomach bug (that was some bug!). They had to give him medicine to stop his vomiting. And then they had to give it to him again when he threw it up.

He did get a popsicle that he still likes to "talk" about. It must have really been melting like crazy because he has red streak marks on his belly that disappear into the diaper. I wasn't prepared with wipes at the time, so we'll have to get those next time. :) For now, he seems 85% better. He and Sarah apparently share the sick room. Her coughing is MUCH improved, but still kills me to hear it. At least she is able to fall asleep on her back; that's a sure sign of healing!

Poor working chums like us

I just saw an AP article titled, Recovery not as strong as previously thought. Is that actually news to anyone?

I'm pretty sure that anyone who has to get up every morning, turn up the heat, make their own breakfast, drive themselves to a job that they had to find for themselves and share the work space with others just like them, ALREADY KNOWS THAT!

Personally, I don't actually know anyone that this article is news to. But then again, I don't know anyone who doesn't have to sweat their way through this mess that someone else created for them.

Santa Claus...he's real!

We had a very special and very unexpected visitor tonight. He drove (or was driven) in a car (or maybe a truck?) since the snow has all but completely melted away. I saw the tail lights out in front of the house while we were eating dinner. The car pulled up and seemed to drive away, but not too long afterward, there was a knock at the door.

Daniel answered it and didn't quite know how to respond to the character standing on the front step. He even carried a bulging black bag. We invited him in (of course) and before too long he was handing out colorful Christmas paper bags to each of the kids. I think they were a bit stunned. I was just trying to figure out WHO???! Santa also delivered a nice fat turkey and some meat for the freezer.

I wish I could have captured the excitement in Joseph's eyes. He didn't completely trust the big guy in red and white, but he noticed that everyone was getting a gift and his own eyes twinkled in anticipation. It was very cute.

We had just been talking about what would be the FHE treat tonight...just about 15 minutes before, so the kids all ripped into their bags. Thank you to our "Secret" Santa. We didn't really feel deserving of the attention, but the kids sure had a magical moment. Your efforts were worth it...whoever you are!

About 10 minutes after Santa's departure, the door knocked again and some friends were at the door. Before he knew who it was, Nathan shouted out that Santa's elves were now stopping by. He wasn't too far off. They were bearing gifts and goodies...more FHE treat!

And then a little after they left, there was another knock at the door. This one was quick - you could tell they were on the run as they knocked. Daniel brought in a small bag of potatoes. Now things were getting comical. What a strange night we were having. The kids were all wound up by the time we started FHE.

Unfortunately, Joseph quickly came down with something. He slept through the FHE bustle until he woke up and filled his and Chad's lap with vomit. He threw up again (but now it's only stomach bile) about 1/2 an hour ago. His temp was elevated as was his breathing and heart rate. He's extremely sleepy and pale. So Chad just left to take him to the ER. Why don't these things happen while the doctors' offices are still open and the copay is only $20? We haven't been to an ER in over 4 years.

I did contemplate taking Sarah in last night, but held off and she's doing better. She hasn't run a fever (I think), but she has a nasty, breath-stealing cough. As bad as it still is today, it's better than it was yesterday, so I'm grateful. I can only imagine the stomach muscles this little girl is developing. I'll bet her throat is getting sore.

DUMB GERMS! Leave my kids alone! This is right on track for Leah to be sick for her b-day in a week and a half. It's a tradition in this family to be sick on your special day.

Nathan's Pun

Nathan has been saying he wants coal for Christmas. He even told the Santa at the ward Christmas party that is what he wants. He thinks he's so funny. What he doesn't know is that Chad found some coal candy at the store for their stockings.

Anyway, he just came in to me and said that our whole family is going to get coal for Christmas. I started wondering if he'd been peeking at the stocking stuffers. Then he says, "You know why? Because we're the Coal-etts." Very good Nathan. I never even thought of it that way!

Christmas Pajamas

I sewed like a mad woman to get the pj's done in time to take pictures for Christmas cards. Then the printer ran out of ink and I was tired of having so many unfinished projects. So the cards went out without pictures; just a note to check the blog.

Sorry for the lack of effort. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed this week (though I'm trying hard to fight it) and needed the stack of Christmas cards out of the house. It does feel better to be checking things off my list.

I got a new calling (RS Sec) and I'm trying to adjust mentally to all that I'll have to do there as well as survive the remaining Christmas commitments. And I haven't been released from choir yet, so there's still that in the back of my mind...somewhere.

Anyway, here are all the shots I got of the kids. One of the reasons I gave up on getting pictures out was because I couldn't find one I really liked. So you get them all. :) It's too big of a challenge to get 6 little people to cooperate for pictures. When the camera batteries start going out, the shots get even worse. Fun times for all.

OK...One More

Maybe you should just go to the website and watch them all yourself! :)

Christmas Video

OK...I found another video for you. This one is on the Church website. Find it directly here. I hope you like it!

Read it

I read a great line while eating my oatmeal this morning. "The sky is as clear as a newborn's conscience," by Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea.

It really appealed to the wanna-be-writer in me (which is hiding behind the afraid-to-fail-so-I'll-stick-to-folding-laundry persona I choose to display).

My Sign

As you will discover in the next post I had a little time to kill on the computer this "middle of the night." Sarah did fall asleep, but the 2nd diaper change woke her back up again. She's drifting off again (I think I hear choirs of angels singing), but I wanted to post this quiz really fast.

I took a quiz to see what astrological sign I am. Yes, I do already know what sign I am. After 36 years, I think I know my own birthday! This quiz was just for fun to see if it would pick the right zodiac symbol (is that what I would call it?). I am a Libra. This is what the quiz result was (no, it didn't ask my my birthday in the quiz):

You're an Air Sign like Libra, Aquarius and Gemini: Air signs are incredible storytellers and many make great writers, actors or filmmakers. Unique and curious about others, you march to the beat of your own drummer, not wanting to follow anyone else's lead. You're analytical and unpredictable, and you use your great mind to solve life's problems. So if your sun sign is not Libra, Aquarius or Gemini, perhaps you've got air elsewhere in your chart!

I thought it was pretty interesting that it got so close off of 10 questions! I don't know about that not wanting to follow anyone else's lead part. I guess it would depend on who was leading. I AM curious about others. I am definitely analytical, but I'm not sure about the unpredictable side. Of course, I do feel I have a great mind! ;)

Sarah's Plan

Hello, Sarah here. It's well after 1 AM and I'm not tired. I tricked my mommy into feeding me and rocking me for over half an hour and then started to cry when she put me into bed.

She thought my diaper might be part of my problem and changed it for me. I was so pleased with the attention that I flashed my biggest smile all during the activity. When she picked me up and attempted to ease me back to sleep with some gentle swaying, I made sure to remain alert and checked out the whole room around me. I wish she'd turn on a brighter light so I could see a little better. And why aren't her eyes open? She's missing so much!

I finally persuaded her to come to the computer. I really like looking at my hands by the bright glare of the computer screen. And just to make sure I get another trip to her bedroom, I filled my diaper again...this time with something stinky! (ha ha!)

I've got this all planned to keep Mommy out of bed for at least one hour. I'm a little worried about phase 2 of my plan though, because I've started yawning. And I'm thinking that my bed really would be more comfortable; more so than balanced on Mommy's lap while she types. I may get to include Daddy in my plan if I can just hold out a little longer. I did put him under my spell for a little while last night. Eventually I had to give in, but that won't stop me from trying again!

*YAWN* Uh-oh, this is not part of the plan! My eye lids are experiencing longer response times. I think I need a short rest and get back to...planning...a...new...strategy. *zzzzzzzzz*

Christmas Video

A friend sent me this link. I thought you might enjoy it as well. I've been wondering about the copyrights on the church videos. Even so, it's a powerful message.

Owie!

Joseph doesn't talk. He can say 'ball' and a whispered 'heh' means yes. He'll mimic some letter sounds but doesn't use them without a prompt. He can shake his head, but isn't up to a nod yet. Mostly, his communication is in the basic grunt, squeal, groan or scream. We hear A LOT of 'eh.'

So when Joseph recently learned to say 'owie', it was a little foreign to our ears. Unfortunately, Joseph gets to practice this word OFTEN. He's always crashing, falling, bumping or otherwise feeling injured. He's been using it so much that I'm beginning to wonder if he is substituting it for other words he doesn't know. It seems to be a word to express dissatisfaction or a negative feeling.

Today when Leah went to kiss him, he said 'owie.' I thought it was a funny response, but then maybe Leah has a killer kiss! Maybe he didn't use 'owie' by accident then. :)

Failing to lose

I don't know if I should feel bad about starting to publicly record my weight-loss attempts the week of Halloween and suffering the humiliation of failure for the whole holiday season, or just be glad that there is some accounting for it - which may be helping to at least keep me steady through to the new year.

And I don't know if I should complain about the treats that we have received or say, "Thanks! Keep them coming!" Honestly, the goodie plates are one of the anticipated Christmas traditions for me. It's too bad I know so many people with good recipes!

And eating out with two different company Christmas parties hasn't helped. No wonder New Year's Resolutions happen AFTER Christmas! Wouldn't it be self-sabotage if they were Thanksgiving Resolutions?

I guess I could be grateful for the extra layers of insulation as it has been extra cold this month. Too bad I've "shot myself in the foot" with this approach; I can't zip up my coat! Arrrgh!

Rebekah-ism

As I was doing a little sewing this morning, Rebekah occupied the rocking chair behind me. Out of nowhere (which is where most of her questions seem to originate), she asks, somewhat incredulously, "Who in the world likes pain?" Her next question was, "What even is pain?" After I explained it, she was quiet for about 15 seconds. Then, "Beating is pain."

Yes, I suppose a beating could be painful; provided it is administered correctly. And then there is the beating Chad administered last night. About 20 minutes later, I returned the beating. It was too late to play a tie-breaker game. We love Settlers of Catan. :)

Keeping Creativity on its toes!

You may think you've heard all the excuses why a child can't eat their dinner. The more kids you have, the more likely that is to be true. But you don't have Rebekah.

Tonight, she couldn't eat because of her toes. I guess they hurt or something. I think she'd been kneeling and sitting back on her heels, toes flexed. Whatever the reason, Chad and I had to have her repeat her excuse because we were sure we'd heard wrong. We hadn't.

Checking in

I feel like I haven't posted for a while. It's been busy around here. AND COLD!

It's SIX BELOW right now. I have an errand or two I'd like to run, but I have no desire to take 3 small children out in this weather. It's sunny, but frigid. Ugh.

It's also stopping me from running our Christmas gifts around the neighborhood. We got almost half delivered Sunday night and haven't gotten back to it yet. The ward choir is going caroling next Friday. I wonder what the chances of a decent warm-up by then are? Weather plagued us in June when we were trying to have our summer picnic. We must be a cursed choir!

Our tub situation has not really improved. Since Daniel gets to have braces, our tub fund has been hijacked. Now, the only way to fill the bathtub is via the shower head. Why does it seem that the water builds up really fast around your ankles when the drain is plugged, but when you're actually TRYING to fill it, things take forever? We've got the holes covered with a shower curtain liner and the trusty all-purpose board. The plastic is billowing from the cold air currents flowing under the house. It makes me long for a heated toilet seat! Maybe I'll plug some of the holes with washcloths the next time the tape comes off.

I am done with Christmas shopping (except for Chad's stocking). I am not done with Christmas sewing or Christmas cards (though the letter is written). I have to finish Christmas pajamas so that I can get pictures for the cards and my December calendar page. I am looking forward to being able to sit in front of the Christmas tree BEFORE Christmas day and do nothing while soaking up the twinkle of colored lights.

We've started sleeping Sarah in her crib. So the trips to the crib every two hours are starting to take their toll. Ugh. I am tired. I hope she can sleep through the night before too much longer. I can't remember what it feels like to do that.

We were in Hagerman this past Monday for a special FHE. We picked up the boys from school about 2:45 and arrived about 5:30. The kids had fun with their cousins and I was sure they'd be sleepy in the car. This is good and bad. Good because they'll sleep, bad because when they do wake up, they'll be monsters. Between the snow plows and the screaming kids, I nearly crashed the van. I did have to drive onto the median once, but the kids slept through that. Often, there were 3 kids going at it at once. Daniel didn't cry at all...probably because he slept through it all. I was crying; mentally.

Chad and I must have been playing "good cop, bad cop" because while I was making threats and counting to three (I used to be able to count higher than that, before I had kids), he was talking kindly and trying to find things that would make them happy. I was just looking for the biggest telephone pole to wrap the van around. We got home just after midnight.

So while we love visiting family, I'm really DREADING making trips to anywhere over 100 miles away. I think we have to set a ban on driving in the dark. And not at the same time that the murderous snow plows are out. They don't just plow snow, they plow you!

And now you're caught up. :)

Brace Face

My nine-year-old will have braces before Christmas! He had two teeth pulled yesterday to make room for the work they will need to do with the braces. Poor kid.

As it is, he's back to drinking motrin and tylenol while we battle the pain from the TMJ, which is exacerbated by the bad bite he has...hence the braces.

I thought the bill from the TMJ doctor was pricey. We could fund the next 5-6 Christmases, nicely, with what it's going to cost to fix his teeth. And it's only the top half. We're getting a nice collection of bills here. I kind of wonder what will be next.

Anyone want to hire me? I'm good for nothing and complain a lot, but I'll work really hard to drive the paycheck to the bank (unless you do direct deposit).

Stay tuned for pictures near the end of the month!

Watery Eyes

We opened the bin with the Christmas movies today. Leah knew there was a movie that had a horse in it and she was "chomping at the bit" to watch it (ha ha). The movie is Jingle Bells, and I picked it up at a party or craft store before she was born.

After the movie was over, Leah brought it back upstairs and held it up for me to see. "This movie makes your eyes water," she said. I guess the part about the family losing their beloved horse was too much for her horse-loving heart. It made her weepy, but she didn't know how to explain it.

Frankly, I was surprised that she would be so affected by a cartoon. She's turning 6 one month from today. It seems we have a sensitive heart in our bunch!

Thanksgiving

I haven't mentioned our Thanksgiving yet. It's not because we didn't have one, but because I didn't think I had that much time to sit at the computer! I'm not sure I have it now, but I did get the pictures loaded, so we'll see how fast I can type. Sarah wants attention, the Christmas bins are all over the living room, Chad leaves work in 15 minutes and dinner (soup) isn't started.

We visited family in Utah for Thanksgiving. We stayed at my mom's house one last time before she moves (again) to the house that I lived in from 16 years old until I got married.

Dinner was at a sister's house - a 50 min +/- drive from my mom's. The kids were glad to get out of the car. We were there for 6 hours. It was nice to visit with my youngest sister and her tough-looking-but-friendly husband. Too bad we didn't get to spend more time with Amber and Cody. We enjoy playing games with them. It was a wake-up call to see my little brother. He's getting old! (No offense, Aaron.) And if he's getting old, I'm getting old; a fact that has become a bigger reality to me this year. I think Aaron may always be a 16-year-old boy in my mind, since that's about the time I left on my mission. My sister, Andrea, and her husband hosted and put a lot of work into preparing and recovering from the 30+ people in their home. I saw my Aunt Bonnie for the first time in several years. I think she's got a magic potion because she doesn't seem to have aged since I last saw her! I also met her husband, Eric; a very pleasant fellow!

Here are some of the men in my family. Crazy...all of them!


The day after Thanksgiving, I spent much of the day with my mom...cleaning up her house to move back into and doing a little light shopping. While we were gone (with Sarah, of course), Chad took the kids on a hike. It was a bit cold, but I think they had fun.

They are such great looking kids!



And possibly needing a little therapy.


That night, I asked my mom if she'd be willing to watch the kids (all 6) for a little while so Chad and I could get out. I was feeling a little guilty for abandoning him all day with no one to visit with or anything to do. While we were gone, the kids got to make cards with Grandma. I think they had fun!


The next morning (about 8 AM), Chad took Daniel, Nathan and Leah back to the hiking trail to see if they could get farther without the littler ones. They'd heard there was a waterfall and wanted to see if they could find it. That's some cold hiking! They saw lots of ice, snow and mud, but Leah had to go to the bathroom before they got to the waterfall. It was probably OK since the trail was getting more difficult and they weren't really prepared for hiking.

I love this picture of Daniel helping Leah up the slippery trail!

Nathan suddenly became interested in leaves this trip.

When we got home, we noticed a wet spot in the bathroom carpet. Ugh. Chad took the back part of the wall off in the bathroom and found the problem(s). That leak has been at it for at least 2 weeks. And it of course couldn't be an easy fix...the parts are old enough to be hard to find. We are now considering replacing the whole tub and re-doing the surround. Merry Christmas, house!

Here is Chad's temporary fix after breaking into the wall. That board was first used under my daybed mattress when I was a kid. We've used it for many things over the years, but never as part of the wall! It's held up by packing tape. Anyone else have something they'd like Chad to come over and work on? He's really quite handy!

And look at my Sweet Sarah. She really likes those animals dangling above her. Here, she is talking to them. :)

In other news, Daniel's jaw has started hurting again. We made it a month. But it was a great month! He'll see the DR on Friday. He also has an orthodontist appointment next month. That will be fun.

Three

That's the temp this morning as the kids climbed onto the bus. Our thermometer says it got down to .3 during the night.

And the kids were all complaining as I forced them into hats.

I wonder if they'll ever realize that I saved their lives today? ;)

Near Death Experience?

As I was unrolling lights this afternoon, I got down to the last strand and saw a little 8-legged stowaway. I shook it into a bag and checked into what it was. I diagnosed it as a Parson Spider. On Spiderzrule.com this is what it says about parson spiders:

The parson spider is a nuisance in homes and is generally non-toxic; although some people may experience allergic reactions to the bites. The parson spider is about 1/2 inch long and may vary in colour from brown to black. The front segment of the body tends to be a chestnut colour, while the abdomen is greyish with a distinctive white or pink pattern along its middle. The body is covered with fine hairs, giving a velvety appearance. The parson spider is usually found outdoors under rocks or in piles of brush or firewood. This spider does not spin a web, but wanders on the ground in search of prey. Indoors, this spider wanders about at night and conceals itself beneath objects or in clothing during the day. Most bites from this spider occur at night or when it is trapped in clothing. While the parson spider is not considered venomous, bite symptoms are variable in severity. Some people may experience localized allergic swelling and itching in addition to initial pain. A few persons may experience excessive swelling, nervousness, nausea, sweating and elevated temperatures from the bites.

You thought the biggest risks involved in lighting a tree were electrocution or falling from the ladder, didn't you? Beware of those bins stored in the garage all summer - danger lurks!

*SNIFF*

I'm really sorry you don't have a scratch-and-sniff computer screen.

Here is our Christmas tree. Isn't it a beauty? It was only $25 at Home Depot. Love it.
Chad says it's a bush, but I think it's beautiful. But even better than its looks is the way it smells. My living room smells like a pine forest. It's wonderful! I made sure to put a new vacuum bag in the vacuum before cleaning up the pine needles that fell while we set the tree up. I want nothing to interfere with those little scent sticks when I go to vacuum in the next few weeks. (Incidentally, if you store your vacuum bags with your fabric softener sheets, you get the smell of freshly washed laundry the first few uses of your bags.)

And when I string the lights on (which is what I'm going to do after posting this and making sure Sarah is sleeping), I won't have to wrap the lights out on each branch and back again. Our Christmas tree last year had to be done that way to avoid having it look like a spool of wire. And if that presents a pretty picture, maybe you'd like to know that I also had to resort to twist ties to keep the lights on the branches. The worst part of all that is trying to untangle it all after all the good memories have been made.

OK...I'm going to go back to my heavily-scented living room. I wonder if these trees have been artificially scented? If so...what a great idea!

Post Script: I went out to string the lights, testing each strand before starting. When I got done and plugged them in, this is what I got. Figures. I ended up lighting this tree an equivalent of 2 times. I'm really going to enjoy those little twinklers now!

Running out of time

As I mentioned yesterday, my baby is three months old. The older she gets, the less time I have left to sit and cuddle. Three months of the best cuddle time are already gone.

I was sitting in the rocking chair this morning with Sarah asleep on my chest. Her soft, warm little body was completely relaxed and fit perfectly against me. It was so peaceful. However, I was mentally going through a list of why I should get up and get busy.

I have cookies to bake, lights to put on a tree, more laundry to do, a Christmas letter to write, calendars to make, a really long list of sewing, phone calls that have been put off too long, a shower to take, and I need to go to the bathroom.

At one point, I made a move to get up and then sank back into the chair. The jobs would not be affected by another 10 minutes of blissful rocking. (But eventually, that bathroom thing got me up.)

It feels like this is the worst time for Christmas to be looming. I am running out of time with my baby! This is my last chance to hold MY baby. Any baby after this will probably still be cute and soft and warm, but it won't be mine. If I'm blessed enough, I'll have grandkids, but I fully expect that bond to be different...and they won't be MINE.

When Joseph was a baby, I knew I was getting close to the end. I began to understand why youngest kids are spoiled. It's not because the parents are tired and don't care anymore, though that certainly happens. It's because the parents realize that the baby years are beginning to slip from their grasps and they are trying a little harder to hold on to them. That's why the 5-year-old is sitting on Mommy's lap during church, even though they are way past old enough to sit on the bench. (Learn it from me now, all you young parents - and quit judging those families for being bad parents. Your time is coming!)

And while I want Daniel to grow up and act older than he really is, I'm hoping Sarah will stay small a little longer and be my sweet baby. (It's so hard to believe that something so small and innocent is going to have me pulling my hair out in less than two years. How is that possible?) It's no wonder my kids are so confused; their mother is living in two worlds!

So, is there any way to push Christmas back a little longer (like a year), so I can cuddle my little one and still get my long list done in time?

Three Months!

Our baby turned 3 months on Friday! She's growing into quite a chubby little body. And I love it. There are not many things that are better fat...paychecks and babies are exceptions.

This video was taken this morning. She's turned into quite the little talker and I was trying to capture it. Unfortunately, she was more interested in looking at me. I did get her talking a tiny bit, but nothing like she can when she's trying to keep herself from the pits of boredom.

I know I'm a little (OK...enormously) biased, but don't you think she's got an adorable smile? You may notice the bib. We've been drooling a little while now, but she's started soaking her clothes and it doesn't seem like a good thing when the weather is so cold.

I snapped this picture one afternoon when I saw Leah sitting on Joseph's bed with him on her lap. She was slowly rocking him and he was sitting very still. She's definitely got the Mommy gene! You'll notice how much of her lap he takes up. A true family bond...I love it!

OK...some of you still haven't seen my new hair. It's kind of hard to show. And I'm gritting my teeth to put a picture of myself on here. I just would rather have the image of myself that I keep in my head; it's a little kinder. This was right before bed, too. (I have a whole list of excuses for this photo.) I was trying to keep my 2nd chin out of the picture. I think I almost succeeded.

Misguided Priorities

I just heard the "John Tesh" minute on the radio.

Apparently, people don't like to respond to emails right away because it gives the impression that they have nothing else to do. (In contrast, they reply to texts right away because it would be rude not to.)

Huh. I guess I can't hide it any longer. It's not that I don't have anything else to do, but rather that I just find checking my email more appealing. Which is really a puzzle, since I rarely get anything that needs responding to. So if you send me an email, expecting a response, it's not that I don't have anything else to do, it's just that I'm addicted to the computer screen. (Did that seem like a lot of commas for one sentence to anyone else?)

And now I'm back to putting my laundry away...in case you wondered if I ever do anything that I'm supposed to.

Surprised myself!

The scale was very kind to me this morning...even after I was not kind to my body. I really thought 3 donuts and a few brownies over the weekend, plus the snacking here and there during the Thanksgiving trip would have done more harm. And maybe it's still coming. I'm glad things are looking so good so far though.

This really isn't a good lesson for me. It's supposed to be a bad thing to eat the good stuff. Where is my depression-inducing consequence?

Christmas conundrum

We have a lot of family, between Chad and I. There are 9 families with cousins. I usually like to find a gift that I can duplicate 9 times and will fit all the age groups. (I think our oldest cousin is 14.)

The hard part is, with so many different families, come different likes and dislikes. So I think this family might like this, but that family will snarl and toss it aside. So then I think I could do this, but that family might wonder what I was thinking. And then I think, I could do this, but then realize that I'm not spending that much on my own kids.

So, what do I do to show all the families that we're thinking of them, without our time or effort going to waste because they either didn't like it and tossed it, or don't have a use for it, or ... you get my point.

Does anyone have any suggestions for good gifts? I know we could draw pictures and send warm greetings. I get that. I'm trying to actually think of tangible gifts that can be used/enjoyed for at least a small while. I don't have a lot of time to make things (6 kids of my own to create for with not so much time to do that), and my budget is a little smaller than other years.

Maybe there is a good family gift that everyone could enjoy? What are some things that your family has received that you liked? Games? Treats? What?

SEND ME YOUR IDEAS!

Alarm Clock

I've heard of alarm clocks that you plug in to the wall, clocks that run on batteries, clocks that wind up, clocks powered by potatoes, lemon juice and even water. What they don't sell in stores or catalogs are alarm clocks powered by mother's milk.

I have one of those. You could even set your watch by her. The first snatch of sleep a night can last up to four hours, but it's every two hours after that. Try waking her up to get her to eat more and lengthen the time between alarms. You really only waste more time that you could spend sleeping. (I suppose I'm thankful that it only takes 15 minutes to get her back to bed?)

We went to bed a bit earlier last night than normal. For most people, this means more sleep. For me, it means more feedings. I melted blissfully into the sheets at 6 AM, haunted by the knowledge that I didn't have much time left. I am tired! I think I need to find a way to adjust my alarm clock. Anyone know a good clock tinker?

Shaken Baby

Before my nap I had the house phone and my cell phone on the bed with me. I also had Sarah on the bed.

Eventually, Sarah woke up and wanted a snack before she'd go back to sleep. I finally got her to sleep again, including positioning her just right on Chad's pillow, tucking in the bedding around her and even putting my pillow on her (not her face!).

Then I started looking for my cell phone because I wanted to make a long-distance phone call. I could find the house phone, but no cell phone. I knew it was there somewhere! I kept patting the covers, feeling around and under and even peeking in the spaces by Sarah. I finally gave up the blind searching and decided to use my ears, too. I called the cell phone with the house phone. I could hear it vibrate, then I heard it ring. It appeared that Sarah could hear it, too, because she started to wiggle. Oh no! I don't want that! So I hung up and renewed my search efforts.

I concentrated my search closer to Sarah since it was obviously close to her. The more invasive I got, the more worried I was that she'd wake up. Off came the pillow, back came one blanket, then the next, then the sheet. Well no wonder she'd started wiggling as soon as the phone started to vibrate; she was on top of it! There's nothing like a soothing massage in the small of a baby's back to ensure a restful afternoon nap.

Finally getting published!

I ordered my blog books today. There are a combined total of 356 pages, spanning 3.25 years of blogging. It cost me $91 for the two books. That's the discount price as they have a coupon for the next 4 days.

So, regardless of my fame as a writer, I can always say I was published. It just came out of my own pocket.

It reminds me of some books I recently checked out of the library. They were based on LDS converts in England - the writer's ancestors. The writing was so bad (immature and unpolished) that I couldn't even get through the first 10 chapters of the first book. (And now I sound like a book snob.) I wondered how the writer even found a publisher for his work. Then I read the book flap and publisher info. The guy is a publisher! He publishes several magazines. He must have figured he'd break into the book world since he had the right "connections." We can't all be so fortunate.

So, I may or may not be a gifted writer (if this guy can get away with that level of writing, we should all try to write), but I am published - or will be. The difference is one copy compared to 100's or 1000's.

I am curious to know what the photos will look like. Many of them were flagged for quality in printing. Since I was focused on my blogging and not necessarily the pictures that were included, I let them all slide. They may be really grainy, but should support the text well enough. We'll see in about 3 weeks.

Youth is dead

Rebekah had a burning question this afternoon. She asked me if I died when I was a kid. I said of course I didn't die or I wouldn't be alive now, would I? She could see the logic in that (I think) but after the conversation went on a little further, I realized what she had really been asking.

She wanted to know if the KID died. She isn't able to make a connection between childhood and adulthood. After all, it's not like I'm a butterfly and went through a complete rebirth! I told her that I just changed slowly as I got older. I'm not sure she really understood. But then I started pondering her question.

I'm sure a part of me has died since I was a child. The innocence is gone. The wide-scale trust is gone. Much of the wonder is gone. Some of the naivete is gone (much still remains). In some ways I mourn the losses. The scriptures tell us to be more childlike. I have strayed far from that and would like to regain some of the purity and joy that comes with childhood.

But in other ways, I'm glad for the maturity that protects me from the incredible evil that thrives in the world and even my small community. I am often stunned at the hold Satan has got on people and the way he has of using these people to try to shame others into joining them. Truly, this can't go on much longer. Don't worry about unplugging your toaster to save energy and prevent the earth's resources from running out...it won't get that far before evil takes over or Christ returns to do a serious housecleaning!

So after thinking along these lines, I'm less worried about my youth being dead as I am about my children's youth being murdered. They are so young and inexperienced. I hope that our efforts as parents here at home will give them the protection they need to reach adulthood as healthy, happy people - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Wow. This post totally changed sentiment as I typed! I thought I was going to be witty and comical and ended up charging up my testimony. Go Freedom of Speech!

Rollercoaster!

It must be like wearing a warm, comfy blanket, because my body does not want to shed any layers of fat. And I've got plenty to shed!

I WAS at 177.8 on Wednesday. I guess I should be grateful I had any loss at all since I was over 181 on Saturday morning.

It's hard to not eat the yummy stuff. When I can see the food, I can't see my rear. And when I do see my rear, all I see is the food I ate when I didn't need to. WEAK! I am weak!

It really does help to have the b-day cake in the garage. Not only is it out of sight and harder to get to, but it's frozen! It's hard to sneak a slice of hard-to-cut cake.

Let's hope this week is more successful. There are no birthdays this week.

I. Must. Drink. More. Water.

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

Joseph turned 2 today! The kids have really been looking forward to his birthday. Leah even made him several cards/pictures.

We went to dinner tonight, as is our tradition for b-days. Joseph didn't actually pick the restaurant. He'll get to do that next year. Daddy picked it and we went to Texas Roadhouse. We'd once told the kids there was a restaurant that had peanuts and you could throw the shells on the ground. Now they've experienced it. It will probably be a while before we go back. It was VERY busy and we waited quite a while. We were there before 6 PM and thought we'd be beating most of the dinner rush. I think we were the dinner rush. Then the kids ate so many rolls and peanuts, plus the fried onion that we had a coupon for, that no one could finish their dinner (including the parents).

We waddled to the car and came home for presents and cake. When you're one of the youngest in a family, you have a lot of help opening your presents. And that's the easy part! Then you have to fight for the opportunity to play with the presents. We only gave Joseph 4 gifts and only one of them was a toy. Good thing it had 39 pieces; that's roughly 8 pieces a kid!

Then we had the cake. None of the kids knew what the cake looked like, though Nathan (for some reason) was sure it was a Curious George cake. This is what it really looked like. I was helping Joseph blow out his candle. I didn't want him to try to extinguish it with his hands, so I had my arms around him. When it came time to really help him blow out the flame, I failed miserably. I think I was just too far away. I can analyze what went wrong if I want since Chad was recording. We'll be able to laugh at Mommy for the next 30 years.

It was a big cake. We only cut pieces that didn't have ducks on them, so the cake was quite a show piece by the time we were done! We'll have dessert for the next week...it was two cake mixes in a 12" x 2" pan.

And now I fear for my weigh-in on Monday. I have been under 180 all week, but eating out tonight (it was the fried onion that I fear the most) and the cake may have been my undoing. I did stick to only one roll though and ate my salad with very little dressing and drank almost 2 huge glasses of water. I didn't have them "load" my baked potato and only ate half of the roasted chicken on my plate. And I ate less cake than I would normally eat. I guess we'll just have to see how it all works out.

Anyway, Joseph is a very cute 2-year-old. He's starting to repeat sounds and we can get him to say "things" when he's in an agreeable mood. (By "things" I mean, animals sounds; "ess" - that mean yes or this...interchangeably; ball - his first official word; and "lick-lick" - something that Leah felt she needed to teach him.) But this boy is very smart and understands WAY more than it looks like he should. And he's the best at throwing things in the garbage. Apparently, that's a skill you lose with age, so I don't know how long he'll keep it up. I'm just enjoying it while I can! He makes Chad help him "say prayers" at night, though all he's really doing is saying, "eh" when Chad pauses to have him repeat the words. He's got the CUTEST little face and his smile is killer.

Happy Birthday, Joseph! You're not a baby anymore!