This, too, shall pass

I love Christmas...it's after Christmas that I'm not so fond of. The boys haven't stopped fighting. They each want what the other has. They're never happy with what they're playing with. If Paul is playing drums, Luke wants to play, and if Luke is playing on his scooter, then Paul has to play with that. The temptation is to just put it all away, and let them play with all their old toys. They were satisfied with those before Christmas.

Anywho, Christmas Day was nice, but tiring. We were up at 6:30 opening gifts. Then we ate, and it was off to church at 10:30. After church we came home, put the boys down for a MUCH NEEDED NAP!!! and I got my dish ready for dinner at my sister's house. We were supposed to be there at 2:00 and we were a half hour late...oh well, life goes on. So on our way there, my husband called his family (they live on the east coast), and got an earful from his sister about how horrible we were because we gave her a shirt instead of a gift card. That just kind of topped off my day! Once we were at my sister's, we opened...

Jan. 6th - I'm now back to this post, only 10 days later! It's funny reading this, because things have calmed down so much. The boys are now playing nicely with each other, sharing their toys. We sent a gift card to my SIL so she can buy exactly what she wants. Now I'm just waiting to receive the gift that we gave her. She promised to send it back. So, all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas. I hope yours was well, too!

4 Days and Counting

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I think it has caused my schedule to become all out of whack. Yesterday, I kept thinking it was Wednesday, and I have followed suit today. It feels like Thursday to me. And for some reason I keep thinking that Christmas Eve is Sunday. Although I know Christmas is on Sunday, in my world it's Christmas Eve. I think having Christmas on Sunday is hard. You want to just get up and open presents and be lazy, but you know you really need to go to church. I wonder if God is offended if you don't go to church on Jesus' birthday especially when it's on Sunday. It's not a real deep thought, but none of mine are right now. I'm struggling to stay afloat with the shallow thoughts I have. Anyway, I hope everyone is finished with their shopping and that they are enjoying the Christmas season and not stressing over it.

Investing in real estate

Well, not real real estate. Actually cute little gingerbread houses. Our homeschooling group had a Christmas party yesterday at the park and all the kids made gingerbread houses. They were so cute! It's so much fun to watch kids of all ages do a project and see how many different ways that they turn out. Each and every one was unique to the child.

On an unrelated note (or maybe not, I don't know), it is HOT here! At the park yesterday, I thought I was going to die of heat stroke. (I might be exaggerating a little) But it was hot, and I was wearing a turtleneck and a sweatshirt and playing with the boys in the playground. Anyway, it doesn't really feel like Christmas when the weather is a balmy 70 degrees! The weird part is that last week it was really cold and foggy...typical Bakersfield weather. I guess we'll see if it lasts.

Fa la la la la la la la la...

A long lost art form...at least here it is. I love caroling! Our church group went tonight after our service. It's just so much fun to watch people's faces when they open their doors to your crazy singing. Always you get huge smiles...people like to have nice things done for them.

And I must say, with no modesty whatsoever, that we sounded good for a rag tag group of adults and kids. Even the guys chimed in! Though they pretended that it was silly, I know they had a good time.

So here's my recommendation: grab a bunch of friends, go caroling, and spread some Christmas cheer! You'll enjoy it, and so will the people on the receiving end!

Once an ear biter...

No, I'm not talking about Mike Tyson. I'm talking about both of my sons! My (mostly) sweet 5 year old and almost 3 year old. No, they weren't biting each other's ears. I think that would have been better in a sick kind of way. They were biting the cat's ears!!! Both of them!!! My husband freaked out, and they both got in very big trouble. No "Charlie Brown's Christmas" for them tonight. Lucky for them, I'm a softy, and I have secretly recorded it for them.

When in Rome...

You know how in some cultures something is really popular, while in other cultures the same thing, although it exists, is not nearly as popular? Well, when we lived in New Zealand, way back when, everyone used these. You almost needed to. But when we moved back to the States it was no longer necessary, and I don't even think we owned one anymore. I don't think I know of anyone who owns one currently. Not that it would be a major topic of conversation.

When I was pregnant I bought one, because it was on a list of things I might want during labor. So I did, because I remembered how nice it could be. But I didn't use it, so it got stuck in a drawer in my bathroom.

Well last night I was laying in bed...freezing to death! Finally my body warmed up, but my feet were still little (actually quite large) ice cubes. And I started thinking back to the days of living in NZ with no central heating in our little house, and how we always had electric blankets, because you would freeze to death if you didn't. Then it dawned on me...something else that I had used so many years ago, and had actually purchased 5 years ago. (Remember? The birth of my son?) Anyway, I got up out of bed, and dug around in that bathroom drawer and found it.

My HOT WATER BOTTLE! Oh my goodness!!!! I filled that baby up with hot water, jumped back into bed and put it on top of my feet. I think I was asleep almost instantaneously. It felt so good on my ice cold feet. I think the cat liked it, too, because she found her way over to my feet and laid right next to them all night.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that just because nobody in your culture uses a specific item, doesn't mean that you have to stop using it. Especially when it serves a great purpose. Like keeping freezing cold feet warm at night!