Christmas 2008

Christmas day is here! Our living room has been invaded by three very large bicycles, a train set, a K'nex roller coaster, and assorted electronics, not to mention candy wrappers and toothbrushes, courtesy of GranMartha. Five kids makes for a lot of wrapping paper! John has his work cut out for him with those bikes, and I've spent the better part of my day uploading, downloading and troubleshooting all the electronic paraphernalia. But isn't this exactly what every parent hopes to see on Christmas morning? Philip wasn't at all excited about that remote control airplane. Dad apparently knew just what to get. He knew what to get me too: a portable speaker charger for my Zune! Yea, John! If I had known how much I would enjoy my Zune, I would have asked for one long, long ago. John got a new chiminea, since he finally burnt the other to a crisp and made it collapse (the new one is cast-iron). Becca almost cried with joy over her new pink mp3 player (sorry iPod- Sansa is all the joy without the price!) and Nathanael practically fell to his knees the first time I installed the Star Wars game on his new Leapfrog Didj. May the Force be with you, my son.

We also enjoyed some time with friends today, and last night, a fabulous Christmas Eve turkey dinner, with just our family. Christmas 2008 has been a very fun season:

We walked in the Christmas parade with John Mark's 4-H Teen club (brrrr, it was cold, but small-town parades are the best!)

We had a Christmas concert by the Children's Chorus and Symphony (Philip volunteered for a speaking role; you'll have to take my word that this photo is of him, since we were in the balcony): A nativity play at church (Look- Philip again! He's such a wallflower) Becca taught the kids the songs and led them during the play, and she did such a fabulous job! Those are some pretty bored-looking sheep, are they not? But they were good sheep, and that's what was important.

And last Thursday night, we had the Christmas piano recital and dinner. All the kids performed, and John Mark and I played a cute arrangement of "Frosty the Snowman" as a duet.

I spent a good deal of time driving the older kids to all their social engagements earlier in the month, but John took some vacation over the past few days and the two of us have had some fun, impromptu shopping dates- with some great bargains to boot! And this weekend, Grandma and Grandpa will be in town for even more merriment. We hope that your season has been a merry one too.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Christmas Meme

1. Favorite Holiday Memory - Christmas Eve dinner at Gran's house, with presents and stockings afterwards. Ever practical, Gran always filled our stockings with oranges and nuts, and gave us clothes, but we loved it anyway :-)
2. Favorite Holiday Song - Cannot possibly choose just one: "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole... "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Bruce Springsteen... "Christmastime is Here" by Barry Manilow... this could go one for a while...
3. Favorite Holiday Cartoon - Rudolph. A Charlie Brown Christmas (John hates Charlie Brown). Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Clearly, I'm no good at this meme.
4. Favorite Holiday Movie- The Polar Express- love it!
5. Wrapping Paper or Gift bags? I like wrapping paper best, but I can use gift bags with a clear conscience.
6. Real tree or artificial? I'd love to have a real Douglas Fir, but after The Year of the Praying Mantis, we got an artificial tree.
7. When do you put up the tree? As soon as we can get it together after Thanksgiving.
8. More importantly, when do you take down the tree? As soon as we can get it together after Christmas
9. Favorite Gift received as a child? I had lots of "favorite" gifts... the art easel when I was 7, the white bicycle basket when I was 10, the Panama Jack shirt when I was 12 (except that it was yellow instead of pink). The most memorable year might be the year my parents got divorced and I got everything on my list, oh yes, I did! I got both Baby Beth and Bogart the Basset Hound. It was some year.
10. Hardest person to buy for? My stepdad. John. Men in general. If it's inexpensive, they have it already, and if it's expensive, I can't afford it either.
11. Easiest person to buy for? Becca! Except that I can't buy her clothes anymore (sigh).
12. Christmas cards? I try, oh I do.
13. Nativity Scene? Ummm.... yeah.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chex Mix! Sweet Potato Casserole! Pumpkin Pie! Peppermint Bark!
15. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes.
16. Angel on top of the tree? We used to have an angel, and I loved her, but then her lights went out and I was unable to find a replacement that didn't look like Scarlet O'Hara, and really, who wants Scarlet O'Hara on the top of their tree? I finally settled on a star, but the angel search continues.
17. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas Morning, except for when we go to Indiana, and then it's at least a two-day affair.
18. Best part of the holidays? Pretty lights. Christmas music. Kid concerts. Trips to see family. Remembering the Nativity story. I like shopping for the people I love too.
19. Worst part of the holidays? Getting out all the Christmas cra... decorations and putting it all back up again.
20. Weirdest Christmas memory? Everything's normal around here. Really.
21. Colored lights or white? Colored, but white is fine as long as there are lots of them.
22. Ever been Christmas caroling? But of course!
23. Ever been ice skating? Yes. Amazing Grace, that's me.
24. Candy Canes or Gingerbread? For eating: Gingerbread. For decorating: candy canes!
25. Christmas quirk? See #20. Everything's normal around here, remember?

Back to Reality

Home again! Actually we've been home since about 3:30am Friday morning; John has a presentation for the church which he's been working on for forever and he wanted to get back home in time to put some more time in on it. He's been at church most of the day today too, while the kids and I put away Christmas. We had a wonderful time visiting with my parents, and our vacation was long enough to actually get to relax and forget about all the problems and other obligations waiting for us back home. Here are a few highlights from Christmas Vacation '07:

My stepbrother Casey and his family live in Tampa and they joined us on Christmas Day:

Swimming with the cousins: The guys got lots of fishing in, and once or twice they let the rest of us come along. We were treated to a show by the dolphins, who showed up to feed at our fishing spot in the harbor. Here are John and Daddy D:

Nathanael:Philip and Ben:
And me. I keep telling John that he's better off just leaving me at home. I don't fish. But naps are good.
John Mark and Becca were not along for this ride because we had already sent them off to Cuba, where they had a mahvelous time with their Uncle Dave and Aunt Stacie. They went to movies, played games, played on the beach and went Scuba Diving. Didn't miss us a bit:
While they were gone, John and I escaped to Orlando, where we stayed in a Bed & Breakfast located in a bird sanctuary just behind Disney. It was a gorgeous area which we had no idea even existed! We went to Downtown Disney the first night, and then played at Epcot the next day. Here's John after we lunched at the San Angel Inn:Oh, he's really a fun date once he wakes up.

We fast-passed our way through Future World, browsed as many countries as we could visit in the World Showcase, went to the Christmas Candlelight Processional (which was narrated by Marlee Matlin and was fabuloso!) and finished up with dinner at the Biergarten (of course). Next day, back to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up JM and Becca, with just a brief stop at Sawgrass Mills Outlets and Legal Seafoods...mmmm!

While we were gone, GranMartha and Daddy D took the boys to Ft. Myers, where they played on the beach and visited the turn-of-the-century homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who were summer neighbors:

Just hangin' out with Henry:

Now, back to reality! But it sure was fun.

A Florida Christmas

We've been Christmasing in Florida, and it's a whole new experience! John Mark told his dad last night that this was one of the the best Christmas Eves he could remember- usually, he said, someone is making him clean or cook or wrap and here he was boating home with a nice catch of fish! The guys have had some great fishing days (Daddy D has been gloating over his 30" Snook) and my mom and I have been shopping fools. It's strange to shop for traditional Christmas treats with little kids wandering around the stores in swimwear and everyone wearing shorts and sandals. You won't find snowmen in Florida except on the wrapping paper, but all the palm trees are lighted and Santa is still everywhere, usually riding a sailboat instead of a sleigh.

We had The Great Unwrapping this morning. John got me the pink Zune I've been hinting about for weeks, and he was thrilled with his elaborate (and successful!) shopping deception at Thanksgiving. John Mark is currently reading how to make paper water bombs in The Dangerous Book For Boys; Becca is taking pictures with her new pink Easyshare camera; GranMartha and Daddy D are cooking; John is trying to dry out the bag of electronic equipment someone knocked off the boat last night; and the little kids are playing with all their Christmas booty. Later we will send them out to swim so they can work off the sugar overload. My stepbrother Casey and his family will arrive sometime today, and we'll all have Christmas dinner, stuff ourselves with pie, and then go on a tour of the canals to see the decorated docks and boats.

Tomorrow, John and I are taking John Mark and Becca to Ft. Lauderdale to catch the plane to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to see their Uncle Dave and his wife Stacie. The kids are very excited, not only because of their big adventure sans parents, but also because Dave, who is also a diving instructor, has promised to take them diving. John and I figured this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, and they are blessed to have such wonderful aunts and uncles. While they're gone, the little boys will stay with GranMartha and Daddy D while John and I take a few days and vegetate somewhere where there are great sunsets, warm breezes and good seafood. And maybe see a movie or two... or visit a theme park with NO KIDS... oh, the possibilities are endless! A Florida Christmas may not be a traditional one, but it definitely has its perks!

Scenes From A Christmas Play

Tonight was our church's Christmas party and nativity play, which is always a lot of fun:

Becca volunteered to sing "What Child Is This?" as an a cappella solo (which became a duet, thanks to sweet Kacey). She did a fine job this first time out, but it was a stressful day for her mother!

This is why the real Magi had servants to dress them.

I'm pretty sure that the real baby Jesus did not wear corduroy, denim and pink booties, but I don't think the real Mary and Joseph could have been any more pleased with their baby- look at those grins!

Joy to the world!

More Christmas Music

Last night the kids had their Christmas piano recital. Each of them played a solo and then a duet with their teacher, Miss Kim. They did a fabulous job, and their father was amazed, because he has come in on many a lunch break to hear them plunking away at these Christmas carols and promptly headed as far away from the noise music as he could get. It has been a busy month around here in the music department.

John Mark and I played a duet together too! It was my first time playing for an audience since music finals in college, and definitely the first time John Mark and I have tried anything like this. The piece was at the limit of his ability right now, but we had fun working on it together, with just the occasional squabble. The actual recital was a nerve-wracking experience, but we plowed through and if our critics can be believed, no one heard our mistakes. And that's all that counts, right?

Afterward, Kim and her husband Harish hosted a Christmas dinner for all the kids and their families in the church fellowship hall. Her studio, made up of almost all homeschoolers, now has 17 students- 19, if you count me and fellow mom Marcia, who also began taking lessons from Kim this year. It was a big difference from the little recital with three families which was held in Kim's living room last December! We had a wonderful time, and I am so relieved that it is over.

Christmas Concert '07

Today was the Children's Christmas Concert with the Symphony. The kids did a really nice job, but the orchestra music was a little too highbrow for a kid's concert. I wish the director would choose music that was more kid-friendly and Christmasy, considering the fact that the program is called "A Child's Christmas." I complain only on my blog however, because I don't want to be in charge! But how cool is it to have an entire symphony back up your singing when you're 12 years old?

There was supposed to be a candy cane hunt out on the square afterwards, but it was canceled due to rain, so we went to DQ for lunch with a new family in our church whose daughter is also in the chorus. I love days when you unexpectedly meet a new friend!

Tonight we are having a turkey dinner because the cooking bug bit me at Walmart earlier in the week and now I have a turkey breast that must be made, along with all the fixins'. I will coax the kids into getting the house company-clean by threatening to turn off the Christmas movie marathon they've been enjoying all afternoon. You're a mean mom, Mrs. Grinch...

The Rubbermaid Explosion

Friday night: The Rubbermaid Explosion

Saturday night: Whew!
We had a deadline: Sunday lunch at our house for our CARE group- AACK!- otherwise it's possible I may never have been motivated enough to get it all out this year since we will be on the road for the holiday. This is one of the fastest Christmas box turn-arounds we've ever had!

Notice the choir uniforms slung over the back of the couch in the top photo. They were the source of much wailing and gnashing of teeth in our household on Thursday night as we searched in desperation for two sets of red cummerbunds and bow ties. I was most dismayed with the prospect of being the only choir mom to report to the Lady-In-Charge at the performance on Saturday morning, "My kids have lost their uniforms!" I was even more dismayed with the prospect of having to purchase two more sets of cummerbunds and bow ties, but after a grueling two-hour house turnover, they were discovered at the bottom of a shopping bag in the laundry room. Like the Biblical woman who found the lost coin, there was much rejoicing, along with a finder's celebration at Sonic. And now, the house is clean and semi-decorated- a happy benefit of hosting CARE group. I am feeling much more merry!

Christmas Week Recap

Whew... it's over! I love the Christmas season, but I can't help breathing a sigh of relief when life goes back to "normal". I guess I can only take so much merry-making.

We had a low-key Christmas at home this year, just us. John made his splediforous turkey on Christmas Eve, and I read the kids their favorite Christmas Eve books: Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and A Cajun Night Before Christmas (once you've lived in Louisiana, you take a little bit of Cajun with you!) John and I got into bed around midnight, thanks to all the present-wrapping I did earlier in the month, and the kids slept in on Christmas morning until- are you ready?- 7:00! On Christmas day, we opened gifts, spent some time with friends, napped, and played with all our new toys. We couldn't have asked for a nicer Christmas... well, maybe snow instead of rain.

John asked the kids what their favorite new toy was and Benjamin really had to think through all the choices. He finally decided, "My Magnetix... and my magnifying glass!" Philip shouted, "My Barrel of Monkeys!" All that money spent on Christmas gifts and their favorites are a plastic magnifying glass (with a bug-holder, I might add) that cost $1.99 at TJ Maxx, and a Barrel of Monkeys. Go figure.

The sweetest moment was at Christmas service. Our friend Keith led the church in communion and asked, "What is Christmas all about?" Nathanael, who was sitting next to me, whispered, "Mom, I know what Christmas is all about!"

"What?" I asked.

"Love" he replied.

And he is right.

Later in the week, things got a little rough. John Mark came down with the flu and is still laid out. I got this fabulous new computer for Christmas, which is a very good thing, but it required all sorts of computer switch-a-roo stuff in our house, which was not so good. John spent the next few days in a perpetual bad mood (computers can do that to you). On the bright side, he is mostly finished, and on the very bright side, we have given each of the kids the exact computer access they need. That is a wonderful gift all in itself! The little boys got the bottom-of-the-barrel computer which (barely) runs Windows 98. It runs John Mark's old Jumpstart CDs and that's about it. The little boys are now banned from all other computers, much to the relief of the older kids. Becca got the computer which had been the kids' computer in the living room. She can listen to CDs and do her schoolwork on it, but no internet access. For that, the kids have to use the main computer in the living room, which used to be the computer in my office. The big boys do not have any sort of a computer in their room, due to a series of internet infractions over the past few months. They can only use the computer in the living room. And me? Well... I have this fancy-dancy new set-up with Media Center and a big ol' 19" screen... and no kids allowed! So is that a great Christmas present or what?

We ended the week with a visit from Grandma and Grandpa from Indiana and we had Christmas Part II, which was just far enough away from Christmas Part I that the kids were thrilled all over again. It's been another fun weekend. Tonight, John and I will go out to eat, maybe catch a movie, and vegetate in front of the TV while we watch the Big Apple drop. Not exactly the pinnacle of excitement, but I get to spend New Year's with my favorite people in the whole wide world... and that's something to celebrate.

Four Hundred Years...

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to Thee, O Israel

Four hundred years.

Four hundred years without a new word from God.

Four hundred years… of silence.

Israel waited.

Then it happened, in a way no one would expect. The first inkling of the surprise was given to an old priest and his aged wife, who were told they would soon give birth to a very special baby boy.

The next event would be even more bizarre… a virgin peasant girl gives birth to another baby boy in a stable far from home, surrounded only by her anxious husband and a few sleepy animals.

The Light of the World had stepped down into darkness.

It was utterly unbelievable…. and unimaginably wonderful.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!

Christmas Party!

Last night our church family held its annual Christmas party. This is one of the reasons we love these people- yes, they love God, but several of them are certifiably crazy too. (If I could show you pictures of Greg in the Green Elf suit, you'd understand.) It's always a fun evening. Here are a few photos:

Here we have Mary and Joseph. I'm sure Joseph's Deer-in-the-headlights look of fear is entirely biblical, even though Luke left that part out. Don't you think it would be accurate for the text to read something like:
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And Joseph was shaking in his sandals and collapsed in the hay bale when it was accomplished..."? Not very poetic, is it? I can see why Luke left it out.

Here is the assembled cast. Note the red and green shepherd and the dark brown camel, my personal favorites.

This is my My Ho-Ho-Honey!

Mommy didn't get to kiss Santa Claus because she would have gotten fake beard all over her lipstick.

Happy Thursday, ya'll! Now go wrap those presents!

Deck the Halls!

So, BooMama is having a Christmas Tour of homes, and I think Gee, what a great idea! Yes, the tour was last Friday, December 15, but hey- I was busy. So go take the tour at BooMama's. Look through all the beautifully decorated homes, and if your home looks anything like those, go take some pictures! But if your home is anything like mine, which is occupied by 5 very messy children and would make the decorators on HGTV cry, come back here, and I'll show you around. You'll feel right at home.

My modest home is not fancy enough to have a foyer, but it does have a short hallway as you come through the front door, which I love. I've always wanted a front entrance area to greet guests. I love my tree, on which I splurged $20 at Old Time Pottery. See the little village in the middle? It has fiber-optic lights that change from pink to blue to green to white... my 10-year-old son thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he spent every bit of his money to buy it for me a few years ago. It receives a place of honor every year.

On the right, my skates hang from the wooden coat peg shelf. I bought these at a yard sale for $1 and painted them (they won Champion at the fair last year!) But I never know where to put them, so they just hang on a coat peg. Maybe one day.

This crocheted Santa wall-hanging was my grandmother's. When I was a teenager, I thought the stuff in her house was so old-fashioned. Now I love it.

Taking a quick peek into the kitchen, we find the ginger bread houses. Yes, there are supposed to be 5 houses, but my perfectionist 13-year-old could not get his house "right", so he ate it instead. I was proud of myself for finding such a great place for them, well out of the reach of nibblers. You can also see out the window that there is no white Christmas in sight. Sigh.

On to the living room... on Boo Mama's tour, you'll see many gorgeous nativity scenes. Here's ours, which would be better described as "The Looting of Bethlehem".

Here we have the loveseat, above which is the mirror, which all the decorating books say "adds space" to your room. Don't I wish. And draped across the top of the mirror is the garland which is routinely "adjusted" by the kitty cat. I made these stockings for me and John the first year we were married. (Lest you mistakenly think I am some super-crafter, rest assured that you have now seen all of the Christmas decorations which I have personally created.)

On the table next to the loveseat is Rudolph. I bought him the second year John and I were married. He cost $5, which was quite a splurge for us at that time.

These are some of my favorite things. The cabinet belonged to my grandmother and is filled with quilts from both of my grandmothers, books, and normally, pictures. But this month, it has Santas instead of pictures. My mom made the ceramic Christmas tree and the carolers when I was a toddler and my dad was in Vietnam. For years, the carolers were the centerpeice on the coffee table in my Gran's living room.

Here's the obligatory Christmas tree picture. The tree looked a lot better when it first went up, but it's been "rearranged" several times by the children and the kitty cat.

So there you are... the down-home tour of my house. You're welcome to visit any time!

December Daze

I had a brief moment, last Monday, of rest. Then it was over.

TUESDAY - Homeschool Moms' Christmas Party

Like a lunatic, I signed up to participate in the cookie exchange this year. Why did I do this?? I do not like cooking, or baking, and it stresses me out to do it for other people. I have no idea what I was thinking. I made chocolate truffles (that were pretty yummy, if I say so myself, although they were not quite as pretty as the picture in the cookbook). I did come home with a large amount of other wonderful Christmas goodies, as well as Galloping the Globe, the geography curriculum I won in the white elephant exchange... but who knew that chocolate could cause so much stress?

WEDNESDAY- Mom's Taxi Service

Children's Chorus Concert at the Rotary Club. Doctor's Appointment at the same time. Take returns back to three stores amid all the lunatics at the mall. Take three teenage girls back to the mall to take pictures for the Purity Retreat. Praise Team rehearsal at church. Sigh of relief that this day is over.

THURSDAY- Piano Recital

I have to admit, even though I spent the day doing laundry so my kids would have matching clothes and clean socks to wear, this was wa-a-ay fun! The kids' piano teacher, Miss Kim, had all of her students and their families over to her house for the recital and a holiday feast. The adults ate at a table that looked like something out of Southern Living. She did all the cooking, fed the kids while the parents sat and talked, and sent us all home with gorgeous gift baskets and homemade goodies. Wow. And Nathanael played his first recital piece ever, called "The Snowman". Too cute!

FRIDAY- SATURDAY - Purity Retreat

Our church hosted a Purity Retreat this weekend for teen and preteen girls and Becca's friend Erin stayed the night with us. The girls made scrapbooks with different pages for each of the things they discussed. The books are beautiful and will be a reminder of how priceless they are as daughters of the King. Moms came in at the end of the retreat to eat dinner with their daughters and have a mothers' discussion about how we can help our daughters keep their commitments to be pure in a society that glamorizes promiscuity. It was truly a priceless weekend.

I also finally got all the sandals and flip flops out of the shoe basket, and I tied the sock basket to the shelf in the laundry room, to keep "Not Me" from dumping clean socks all over the laundry room floor again. I know, it sounds insignificant, but I have to enjoy the brief moments of Victory Over Chaos.

SUNDAY- Roadtrip with my Husband!

John has been looking forward to this day for months! He was given tickets to the Titans vs. Jaguars game at work, and we farmed the kids out to different friends from church and took off! The seats were in the club level, which was fun- we got to skip a lot of the long lines, park at the stadium lot and grab a bite to eat at the stadium restaurant. The weather was warm and sunny (in December??) and the Titans won, 24-17. Very fun.

Afterward, we ate dinner at the Melting Pot, where every course is served Fondue style. My hands-down favorite would have to be dessert... cheesecake, poundcake, brownies, marshmallows, strawberries, pineapples and bananas with your choice of chocolate. In fact, I would be perfectly happy to just skip the salad and meat and go straight from the cheese to the chocolate... After we finished the dessert plate, the waiter asked, "Would you like some additional dessert to finish off that chocolate?" Was he serious?? He was. I actually had to leave cheesecake on the table because I was so stuffed. Pure heaven.

And that was our week, blessed with friends, faith and lots of fun. I hope yours was blessed as well.