I am a big fan of traditions. I like starting them and I like continuing them. With every passing year, I treasure the repetitious rituals - it's what makes a holiday feel "right" to me.
For Christmas, one of my favored activities growing up (admittedly, I think I was the only child who enjoyed this - or maybe my brother's complete disdain overshadowed my sister's shared joy, I can't be sure), was looking at Christmas lights. Every year, typically after the Christmas Eve service, my family would load up in the van, head to Sonic for milkshakes (because there's nothing like a cold treat while bundling up from the cold . . . apparently) and cruise the neighborhoods, admiring or critiquing the handiwork of others.
Thus, I have been eager to continue the tradition with our own little ones and have been pushing this for the past week. And tonight was the night.
I prepped myself for the dreamy image in my head of a blissful family evening to go quickly awry - it always seems to with toddlers. For our two big kids, who are accustomed to watching a dvd during any trip longer than five minutes, I was particularly concerned.
Apparently, though, Harry Connick, Jr. crooning "Frosty the Snowman" is the exact ingredient required to distract children from the lack of animated characters on the screen before them and entice them to gaze out the windows at the colored, blinking lights. Either that or the "oohs" and "aahs" were simply sympathy admiration given in an attempt to match their mother's exuberance. Either way, I'll take it.
The cries of, "Look, it's the Mommy purple reindeer and the Daddy purple riendeer!" and "It's Santa! He's real and he's looking in our car!" were joy to a Momma's heart (for just one night, I didn't even feel the need to correct him).
And, yes, this evening of family togetherness was brought to you by Sonic, who, as always, provided the snacks.
Coupled with the spontaneous caroling at the dinner table for the past couple of nights (our children are loving "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer") and I would say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
1,000 Gifts:
1063. Family traditions
1064. Lights on the street reminding us of the Light of the world
1065. "Good-bye, Puppy! Have a special day!" said Emmett
1066. An evening of frustration ending with everything working as it should
1067. Plans, all asunder, falling back into place
20 December 2012
13 December 2012
Of Something More
With my husband gone for the evening, I find myself preparing to drown my loneliness in ice cream and chick flicks. Bringing my new favorite Blue Bell variety in from the deep freeze, I find myself wondering. Is this it?
Not, "Is this all the ice cream?" But, "Is this all of life?"
Looking forward to a bowl of sugar and milk and an evening on my couch. Is this all there is?
It's the same question I asked earlier this evening, as I changed another cloth diaper, putting another insert into the diaper pail, waiting to be washed and re-folded and re-filled and re-dumped into the pail. Is this endless parade of the same task all there is?
It's the same question I ask myself as I scurry through another December, determined not to be lost in the materialism, determining to let it all go and feeling as though it won't let go of me. So I find myself, only twelve days left, worried I won't have the packages in the mail on time - the packages I bought long before this ridiculous deadline. Is this breaking the same resolution year after year all there is?
It's the same question I asked myself a few weeks ago as I realized we're here. The American dream. We've achieved it. If the dream is a warm place to live, food in my belly and a family (pets included), with a little money to spare to satisfy our (smallish) whims - we're here. But is this really all there is?
And I find myself coming to the same answer: If I'm bored with life I must be doing something wrong.
It's like I have finally achieved all I meant to and now I keep waiting for something to happen and I don't even know what it is. I feel like Rose of Titanic fame, envisioning my entire life before me, an endless stream of the same. Glorifying God through it all, yes. Loving the little moments, the thousands of gifts, yes. But still feeling, truly knowing, that there is more to this.
And because I still haven't allowed myself to fully seek His path and let go of my own self-imposed to-do list, self-imposed expectations I imagine others have (or maybe don't even imagine, but the importance of their opinion is definitely sheer fantasy) and fully run after what I know He has laid before me, I remain listless unsatisfied, ready to just be home. Done with here and ready for there.
But I am still here. I still have a family I love, I still have friends who encourage, I still have the resources I need to do what He has asked - so maybe I should do something about this.
Maybe it's time to do something right.
1,000 Gifts:
1058. A warm December afternoon, shucking the coats and heading outside
1059. Tiny hands grasping orange fur
1060. The baby boy in my lap, giggling and nuzzling, in the warmth of the sun
1061. One bright spot of light on the wall, a ray breaking through the closed blinds
1062. This hope, a knowing, of something more.
Not, "Is this all the ice cream?" But, "Is this all of life?"
Looking forward to a bowl of sugar and milk and an evening on my couch. Is this all there is?
It's the same question I asked earlier this evening, as I changed another cloth diaper, putting another insert into the diaper pail, waiting to be washed and re-folded and re-filled and re-dumped into the pail. Is this endless parade of the same task all there is?
It's the same question I ask myself as I scurry through another December, determined not to be lost in the materialism, determining to let it all go and feeling as though it won't let go of me. So I find myself, only twelve days left, worried I won't have the packages in the mail on time - the packages I bought long before this ridiculous deadline. Is this breaking the same resolution year after year all there is?
It's the same question I asked myself a few weeks ago as I realized we're here. The American dream. We've achieved it. If the dream is a warm place to live, food in my belly and a family (pets included), with a little money to spare to satisfy our (smallish) whims - we're here. But is this really all there is?
And I find myself coming to the same answer: If I'm bored with life I must be doing something wrong.
It's like I have finally achieved all I meant to and now I keep waiting for something to happen and I don't even know what it is. I feel like Rose of Titanic fame, envisioning my entire life before me, an endless stream of the same. Glorifying God through it all, yes. Loving the little moments, the thousands of gifts, yes. But still feeling, truly knowing, that there is more to this.
And because I still haven't allowed myself to fully seek His path and let go of my own self-imposed to-do list, self-imposed expectations I imagine others have (or maybe don't even imagine, but the importance of their opinion is definitely sheer fantasy) and fully run after what I know He has laid before me, I remain listless unsatisfied, ready to just be home. Done with here and ready for there.
But I am still here. I still have a family I love, I still have friends who encourage, I still have the resources I need to do what He has asked - so maybe I should do something about this.
Maybe it's time to do something right.
1,000 Gifts:
1058. A warm December afternoon, shucking the coats and heading outside
1059. Tiny hands grasping orange fur
1060. The baby boy in my lap, giggling and nuzzling, in the warmth of the sun
1061. One bright spot of light on the wall, a ray breaking through the closed blinds
1062. This hope, a knowing, of something more.
10 December 2012
Of a List of Lately
This list has been about a week in the making, thus it keeps growing. Life will slow down someday, right?
- A couple weeks ago Joseph ate something that disagreed with him - it led to a late-night bath (which he loved), three changes of pajamas, and a cuddle session with Momma that lasted until 2am. And, yet, when he wasn't getting sick or sleeping, he was giggling and smiling. Happiest sick baby ever.
- That same week, we studied the 10 Plagues of Egypt here at home. As a result, Micaiah still talks about how we're all going to live because we put "blood" (in the form of a red ribbon) over our door (though Daddy's fate was questionable, because he was at work at the time and, thereby, not in the house), and the children continue to ask to drink blood at lunch (don't worry, we used Kool-Aid instead, because vampires aren't as cool as some people pretend).
- After a random suggestion by Micaiah, we planned an impromptu Saturday visit to the zoo last weekend. It was pretty much the best zoo trip I could imagine. Well, except for Emmett's insistence on calling the Bison "buffalo"- Mommy's still working on him. He's still not cooperating.
- While playing with the Nativity set last week, Micaiah (playing the part of Mary) instructed the Wise Men, "I don't want the stuff you brought; I just want stuff for the baby. I need water for the baby; bring me water!" That's our practical girl.
- Joseph has begun cruising around the house, walking along the edge of the fireplace (which is lined with pillows, lest you worry) and the couches. We predict walking before Christmas.
- Also, just in time for Christmas, Joseph's two front teeth. Wish granted.
- Last week, after I got out of class early, I broke Emmett out of his class and spent a little time playing in the nursery with just him. How fun it was to see what his little imagination comes up with all on his own, apart from influence from Big Sister. I almost never get an opportunity to have one-on-one Emmett time and those imaginary cookies coming out of the microwave (and refrigerator, and cabinet . . .) of the toy kitchen were just about the best I'd ever tasted.
- I had a rare good-Mommy moment when I created an impromptu lesson on Joshua and the walls of Jericho last week. We all marched around the wooden-block city of Jericho, shouted for all we had and watched the walls fall. We then watched the VeggieTales rendition of Josh and the Big Wall, because what Jericho lesson would be complete without the French Peas?
- We made a family (+ Adopt-a-Bison) made a visit to the annual Christmas Parade on Main St. The weather was perfect and the kids were perfectly content with the short half hour we stayed - they saw Santa (who Micaiah now insists is real) and each got a Tootsie Roll, what else could they need? After, we decorated Christmas cookies, for which Micaiah promptly created an eating schedule ("I will eat the star after lunch tomorrow, and then I'll eat the snowman after dinner . . .), to which she stuck perfectly.
And those are just the highlights . . .
- A couple weeks ago Joseph ate something that disagreed with him - it led to a late-night bath (which he loved), three changes of pajamas, and a cuddle session with Momma that lasted until 2am. And, yet, when he wasn't getting sick or sleeping, he was giggling and smiling. Happiest sick baby ever.
- That same week, we studied the 10 Plagues of Egypt here at home. As a result, Micaiah still talks about how we're all going to live because we put "blood" (in the form of a red ribbon) over our door (though Daddy's fate was questionable, because he was at work at the time and, thereby, not in the house), and the children continue to ask to drink blood at lunch (don't worry, we used Kool-Aid instead, because vampires aren't as cool as some people pretend).
- After a random suggestion by Micaiah, we planned an impromptu Saturday visit to the zoo last weekend. It was pretty much the best zoo trip I could imagine. Well, except for Emmett's insistence on calling the Bison "buffalo"- Mommy's still working on him. He's still not cooperating.
- While playing with the Nativity set last week, Micaiah (playing the part of Mary) instructed the Wise Men, "I don't want the stuff you brought; I just want stuff for the baby. I need water for the baby; bring me water!" That's our practical girl.
- Joseph has begun cruising around the house, walking along the edge of the fireplace (which is lined with pillows, lest you worry) and the couches. We predict walking before Christmas.
- Also, just in time for Christmas, Joseph's two front teeth. Wish granted.
- Last week, after I got out of class early, I broke Emmett out of his class and spent a little time playing in the nursery with just him. How fun it was to see what his little imagination comes up with all on his own, apart from influence from Big Sister. I almost never get an opportunity to have one-on-one Emmett time and those imaginary cookies coming out of the microwave (and refrigerator, and cabinet . . .) of the toy kitchen were just about the best I'd ever tasted.
- I had a rare good-Mommy moment when I created an impromptu lesson on Joshua and the walls of Jericho last week. We all marched around the wooden-block city of Jericho, shouted for all we had and watched the walls fall. We then watched the VeggieTales rendition of Josh and the Big Wall, because what Jericho lesson would be complete without the French Peas?
- We made a family (+ Adopt-a-Bison) made a visit to the annual Christmas Parade on Main St. The weather was perfect and the kids were perfectly content with the short half hour we stayed - they saw Santa (who Micaiah now insists is real) and each got a Tootsie Roll, what else could they need? After, we decorated Christmas cookies, for which Micaiah promptly created an eating schedule ("I will eat the star after lunch tomorrow, and then I'll eat the snowman after dinner . . .), to which she stuck perfectly.
And those are just the highlights . . .
29 November 2012
Of Pausing to Remember
While meandering through my day, I stumbled upon this little video posted to Facebook:
Watching sent shivers through my skin and, eventually, brought tears streaming down my face. And I felt absolutely ridiculous - crying at a crowd of people singing in the mall? Really?
I could not peg down what was so emotional for me in this display.
"Because this is how it should be."
I felt the words in my soul and knew them to be true. It was for this we were created. To bring glory to God in all places, among all people. Not to restrain our chorus to the church pew or the kitchen counter (where I am most found singing in our home, if at all), but to declare Him to the world in every situation in every way.
This is how it should be.
His people. And those who don't even recognize Him as Lord. Stopping to acknowledge His name. Pausing our busy lives to worship, right where we are.
Oh that I would be so bold.
Watching sent shivers through my skin and, eventually, brought tears streaming down my face. And I felt absolutely ridiculous - crying at a crowd of people singing in the mall? Really?
I could not peg down what was so emotional for me in this display.
"Because this is how it should be."
I felt the words in my soul and knew them to be true. It was for this we were created. To bring glory to God in all places, among all people. Not to restrain our chorus to the church pew or the kitchen counter (where I am most found singing in our home, if at all), but to declare Him to the world in every situation in every way.
This is how it should be.
His people. And those who don't even recognize Him as Lord. Stopping to acknowledge His name. Pausing our busy lives to worship, right where we are.
Oh that I would be so bold.
27 November 2012
Of Becoming a (Little) Man
A sight to see around our house lately is our little two-year-old coming into his own. Where once he parroted his sister and then began mimicking her words with his own twist, he has now branched out completely. He has his own thoughts, ideas and desires. And he is not so bad at expressing them.
The concept of a talks-a-lot big sister not letting her little brother speak for himself? Not for this guy. He'll shout to be heard. Literally.
In addition, this little guy is all boy. While, yes, he still asks to wear his sissy's headbands or colors with the pink crayon, we also find ourselves saying (much more than we ever have to with our little girl), "No hitting!" Because hitting, pushing and kicking are just his ways of playing, conveying frustration and being an annoying little brother.
Don't get me wrong, he is also very loving - willing to share his chocolate with me when I ask or putting his arm around his sister at dinner or giving his little brother just-because kisses or snuggling with Daddy during TV time. He definitely has a sweet streak - it just sometimes gets out-shone by his ornery side.
It's such a pleasure to watch him grow and realize he truly is becoming a little man. Oh that we would raise him right.
1,000 Gifts:
1052. Duck, Duck, Goose with six adults (four of which are 50 or older), a pre-schooler, a toddler and an infant
1053. Extended weekends
1054. A kitchen built for entertaining
1055. Beautiful Thanksgiving weather
1056. The smell of fall in the air
1057. Family traditions
Thanksgiving Weekend:
Playing outside with Grandpa - Joey's first time in the tree house. I love how it looks like the brothers are conspiring.
This is how we found them when Mom and I returned from our laidback version of Black Friday shopping.
Bowling for the first time. They loved pushing the ball down the slide.
They even both beat Daddy the first game (then again, he didn't have the aid of bumpers).
Love tiny bowling shoes.
Tickles from Grandpa.
Loved our family time.
Sights of the Season:
We open one Christmas-related book or movie every day of December leading up to Christmas. Love seeing these under my tree!
Joey's "First Christmas" ornament - perfect!
The concept of a talks-a-lot big sister not letting her little brother speak for himself? Not for this guy. He'll shout to be heard. Literally.
In addition, this little guy is all boy. While, yes, he still asks to wear his sissy's headbands or colors with the pink crayon, we also find ourselves saying (much more than we ever have to with our little girl), "No hitting!" Because hitting, pushing and kicking are just his ways of playing, conveying frustration and being an annoying little brother.
Don't get me wrong, he is also very loving - willing to share his chocolate with me when I ask or putting his arm around his sister at dinner or giving his little brother just-because kisses or snuggling with Daddy during TV time. He definitely has a sweet streak - it just sometimes gets out-shone by his ornery side.
It's such a pleasure to watch him grow and realize he truly is becoming a little man. Oh that we would raise him right.
1,000 Gifts:
1052. Duck, Duck, Goose with six adults (four of which are 50 or older), a pre-schooler, a toddler and an infant
1053. Extended weekends
1054. A kitchen built for entertaining
1055. Beautiful Thanksgiving weather
1056. The smell of fall in the air
1057. Family traditions
Thanksgiving Weekend:
Playing outside with Grandpa - Joey's first time in the tree house. I love how it looks like the brothers are conspiring.
This is how we found them when Mom and I returned from our laidback version of Black Friday shopping.
Bowling for the first time. They loved pushing the ball down the slide.
They even both beat Daddy the first game (then again, he didn't have the aid of bumpers).
Love tiny bowling shoes.
Tickles from Grandpa.
So proud of him for branching out and trying something new at Pops. The fact that it was mock Russian makes it that much better.
Getting Duck, Duck, Goose instructions.
Love her giggles.
Iconic Pops photos
Loved our family time.
Sights of the Season:
We open one Christmas-related book or movie every day of December leading up to Christmas. Love seeing these under my tree!
Joey's "First Christmas" ornament - perfect!
20 November 2012
Of the Splash Zone
Two boys, sitting in waist-deep water, facing each other in the tub for the first time.
The big one raises his hand, high over his head, and brings it down with sheer force, sending water over the two of them, as well as the Mommy seated on the stool nearby. Worried about the little one's reaction to sprays of water in his tiny face, I begin to scold the elder, while watching the face of the younger, prepared to console.
I hear a high-pitched squeal and begin my words of encouragement, but before they escape my lips, the squeal is accompanied by a giggle and two little white teeth shining out of a grin.
He loves it!
Tentatively, an itty bitty hand lowers to the surface. Can he re-create this?
Before he tries, big brother brings down his hand again. A bigger splash. A bigger laugh - out of both of them.
The littlest bring his own arm down a little stronger and is rewarded with the smallest of sprays.
And so they go, back and forth. Splashing. Giggling. Filling the floor with water and the air with laughter.
Brothers.
Doing what brothers do.
And a Mommy enjoying every moment from the splash zone.
1,000 Gifts:
1044. Witnessing a little boy's problem-solving skills
1045. Quiet time at the library
1046. A husband who will drive across town to turn the key in the ignition
1047. Leftover queso
1048. The way water splashes, covering a face
1049. A hard-working husband
1050. The adventurous spirit of our youngest
1051. Ice Cream for dinner after the kids go to bed
The big one raises his hand, high over his head, and brings it down with sheer force, sending water over the two of them, as well as the Mommy seated on the stool nearby. Worried about the little one's reaction to sprays of water in his tiny face, I begin to scold the elder, while watching the face of the younger, prepared to console.
I hear a high-pitched squeal and begin my words of encouragement, but before they escape my lips, the squeal is accompanied by a giggle and two little white teeth shining out of a grin.
He loves it!
Tentatively, an itty bitty hand lowers to the surface. Can he re-create this?
Before he tries, big brother brings down his hand again. A bigger splash. A bigger laugh - out of both of them.
The littlest bring his own arm down a little stronger and is rewarded with the smallest of sprays.
And so they go, back and forth. Splashing. Giggling. Filling the floor with water and the air with laughter.
Brothers.
Doing what brothers do.
And a Mommy enjoying every moment from the splash zone.
1,000 Gifts:
1044. Witnessing a little boy's problem-solving skills
1045. Quiet time at the library
1046. A husband who will drive across town to turn the key in the ignition
1047. Leftover queso
1048. The way water splashes, covering a face
1049. A hard-working husband
1050. The adventurous spirit of our youngest
1051. Ice Cream for dinner after the kids go to bed
19 November 2012
Of Getting Out the Tree
This evening as we jumped the gun on our Christmas decorating, it seemed as though the amount of involvement by various members of the family has truly grown exponentially. While last year we had an excited, but still not really understanding, three-year-old and a brand-new toddler who wasn't interested in much more than crawling around the greenery, this year brought an exuberant four-year-old with a plan and a penchant for hanging ornaments (our tree actually lacks the clustered effect one might expect by the decorating abilities of two children under the age of five), and a two-year-old who could not wait for it to be his turn with every new piece of memorabilia adorning the branches. I mean, he was into this thing - much more so than I believe his sister was even last year.
Of course, there was also the little crawler who was relegated to his spot in the corner, just watching the action, but when he was let loose, he was ecstatic by all the glimmer and flair. With a ten-month-old opening gifts next month, I think this will be, by far, the most fun first Christmas in our family.
In any event, I'll declare this season gets more fun with every passing year.
1,000 Gifts:
1037. Two kids bent in the dirt
1038. The two of them, working together, to rip open a letter from their cousin
1039. Chicken on the bone
1040. Memories hung on a tree
1041. The little guy, standing in his crib
1042. How excited they get to see their little brother
1043. How thrilled he gets to crawl after them
Of course, there was also the little crawler who was relegated to his spot in the corner, just watching the action, but when he was let loose, he was ecstatic by all the glimmer and flair. With a ten-month-old opening gifts next month, I think this will be, by far, the most fun first Christmas in our family.
In any event, I'll declare this season gets more fun with every passing year.
1,000 Gifts:
1037. Two kids bent in the dirt
1038. The two of them, working together, to rip open a letter from their cousin
1039. Chicken on the bone
1040. Memories hung on a tree
1041. The little guy, standing in his crib
1042. How excited they get to see their little brother
1043. How thrilled he gets to crawl after them
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