My girls

My girls sang in a quartet Sunday in church—a sweet song called “Little One” published many years ago in a church magazine.  They did such a good job and were so lovely—my heart swelled with pride and love and it was all I could do not to cry.  I am such a lucky mom.

I wish I had a picture.  They looked all grown up with their hair pulled back and each wearing a pair of my dangly Christmas earrings.  Of course if I had a picture, you’d see that they were wearing last year’s (still super-beautiful) Christmas dresses.  And then you’d know that I must have decided that I agree with Pres. Uchtdorf, and think that some sacrifices are foolish.  (I could have finished the new dresses, but I estimated that it would have taken me until 2AM Sunday morning, and I know that my estimates are usually way on the optimistic side.  So I decided at 9pm to put it all down and walk away.)

While I’m talking about my girls, I have two funny stories that I wanted to make sure to record.  First, Rachel.

I went to see the last Twilight movie a few weeks ago with a friend in the ward.  When I got home, Rachel was waiting with her questions.  Did I like it?  And more importantly, when could she see it?  I told her that I’d never given it a thought, and I had no idea how old she’d have to be before I’d let her see any of the Twilight movies.  And then she said,

“I have, I’ve thought a lot about movies I can’t watch!”

Funny, funny girl.

 

Now Jenna.

We were waiting in a line somewhere talking about Survivor.  The kids know I watch it every week, and they watch it often enough that they know how it’s played and often who the contestants are.  Jenna said how cool it would be to be on Survivor, and I said what I always say—that I could never be on Survivor, because I can’t handle going without sleep and food.  Then she said,

“Well mom, if I grow up and get on Survivor and get to the ‘Loved One’s Challenge’ I hope you don’t mind if I invite Rachel instead of you.  I mean, you’ll be pretty old.  And Rachel is just awesome!  And I’ll bet she’d be pretty athletic too…”

No problem honey…just that my only shot at ever being on Survivor just went right down the drain…

 

[For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, towards the end of every season on Survivor they have an episode where one family member for each contestant comes to participate in a challenge with the contestants.  Clearly, you will never see me there.  Not that I’m bitter or anything.]

O (NO!) Christmas Tree, O (darn) Christmas Tree

I haven’t had time to blog yet about our first Oregon Christmas tree; how I determined that we were going to have FUN getting it, and be like real Oregonians, and so one Saturday afternoon after the rain had stopped and before it started again (and before dark which happens here at about 4:30pm) we went to a Christmas tree farm.

[Oregon, as it turns out, is the #1 Christmas tree grower in the United States.  Followed, ironically, by North Carolina.  We had to drive approximately 8 minutes to get to the Christmas tree farm.  We passed several others on the way, as well as some tree lots.  There are LOTS of Christmas trees here.]

Had I blogged about getting our first Oregon Christmas tree, I could have posted pictures of how pretty the area was,

 

and how we walked up and down the hill with our tall measuring stick, looking for the perfect tree,

how there really is moss everywhere,

how we decided to cut an older tree and just cut it farther from the ground,

how everyone took a turn helping dad with the sawing,

how excited we were when it toppled over, how it had started raining again (earlier than the weather.com prediction), and how we slipped and slid as we carried our very heavy tree back up the muddy hill.

I would have told you that the kids waded in the pond to clean the mud off of their rainboots,

And that we decided to put the tree in the entry, thinking that this year with the mirrors there (hopefully they will be gone long before next Christmas) maybe that would be cool with the Christmas tree lights. 

If I had had time to blog I would have told you that it took over a week before we finally decorated the tree, and that as big as this tree was, we still had more ornaments than we could use. 

I probably would have explained that I’d just read that it’s better somehow (faster? better coverage? can’t really remember…) to put the lights on the tree vertically instead of wrapping them horizontally, so Russ tried it that way just for this year.

I’m sure I would have said that at some point every year I’m wishing for a pre-lit tree.

I could have told you that sometimes it was the tree that got decorated,

and sometimes it was Russ.

And that Josh doesn’t like decorating the tree, so he played around on the piano and then took pictures for us.

And that I still haven’t taken the time to take any good pictures.

But I didn’t, because I’ve been too busy to blog.

 

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In the middle of the night I thought I heard something, and I felt Russ sit up in bed beside me.  I worried that someone might be breaking into the house.  Russ didn’t get up and go anywhere though, so I decided that something must have fallen in the boy’s room above us.  And I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

 

This morning Russ got up and into the shower and I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  Just as I was convincing myself it really was going to happen, there was a knock on my bedroom door.  Darn it, I thought, Russ is in the shower and so I will have to deal with this!  I asked what they needed, and then I heard Rachel’s little voice coming through the door,

The Christmas tree fell over!

Ahhhh, I thought….that was the sound in the night.  No one was breaking in after all.  It was just the darned tree, falling.

And when we went in and picked it back up, falling again just for good measure.

By the time Russ was out of the shower we had it up again, and he & Jared spent quite a long time re-adjusting it in the tree stand.  He realized that it hadn’t been watered for a day or two and we think that’s one reason it fell.

I’m surprised at how few ornaments broke, considering a huge tree fell onto a wood floor.  A few of the ornaments that broke are part of sets, so the loss of one or two is sad but not unbearable.  There are a couple that I am hoping can be mended.

We swept up all of the pine needles (though I guess these are really fir needles, since this is a noble fir), bits of broken stuff, and sand from one of the broken ornaments, picked up all of the unbroken ornaments and set them in a box.  Russ & I re-strung the lights but I’d just borrowed the extension cord for something else yesterday so we don’t know yet if any of the lights are broken. 

Hopefully I’ll get the ornaments back on tomorrow (the rest of today is for sewing, duh!) and even remember to get a few pictures.

Right now Russ is on his way to the hardware store.  I think we’re going to tie the tree to the ceiling…just in case…

So much miscellany

1.  We’ve all had some pesky cold/cough.  The boys were home from church/school several days.  Russ had it last week.  I came home from church feeling pretty bad but felt much better by Monday, then not as good again yesterday.  Only Jenna seems to have escaped it entirely.

2.  On Thursday the kids went to school and stayed at school.  They went in their pajamas because it was “pajama day.”  They called once they were there and asked if they could stay for the pajama/reading/movie day.  They were entirely thrilled about it, and seem not to realize that as homeschoolers they have experienced any number of pajama/reading days in their lives.  At first I thought them staying at school all day would make my life easier, but that was laughable.  I’d already gotten up early to finish up the teacher gifts.  Then there came the call to ask if they could stay, and to say that they all needed their books and lunches.  So I got to round up books and make three lunches.  (They usually make their own lunches—I’m not used to doing that.)  After I’d delivered those to school and returned home I got a text from a friend helping in the classroom—Rachel needed her pillow pet, please.  By 10:30 I’d been to the school twice already.  They really did have a fun day—I love that the entire school gathered in the (hot) gym and sang Christmas songs together, and then they all watched Polar Express.  Though they only got through half of it…

3.  Teacher gifts.  We’ve never really had a teacher to give gifts to, so my kids were all jazzed at the idea of giving something to their teachers.  After doing a little bit of research online and thinking about it, I decided that one thing which seemed like it would be appreciated and we could manage (emotionally and financially) was to make home made whole wheat bread.  I also made a big batch of honey butter and added in a little peppermint extract as an experiment.  The kids were so happy to get to give their teachers something.  They even took something for the music/choir teacher (who we’ve spent a lot of time with this month) and then because I couldn’t leave anyone out, the PE teacher.  Rachel said the PE teacher was very surprised and appreciative.  I’m guessing she doesn’t get thought of as often, so it made me glad that we did it. 

4.  I still haven’t started the girls’ Christmas dresses.  That doesn’t bode well for me. 

5.  For the record, I clearly had NO idea how much time it takes to send out 100 Christmas cards/letters.  None whatsoever.  They are, however, done and delivered to the post office as of 4:52 yesterday afternoon.

6.  My kids have been far less interested in cleaning the house this morning than I had hoped.  I think I always have this fantasy that they will be aware that we have let things slide (sick/busy/school) and will be willing to dig in and deal with what we’ve ignored.   Not so much, though—it’s been a lot like pulling teeth except with less blood.

7.  Someone brought us “Secret Santa” treats 4-5 nights in a row.  First I’m super glad that it wasn’t freezing outside because I would hate for some kind person to slip on our super-slippery-when-frozen bridge and end up in the pond just because they were trying get away; fast.  Second, I’m not quite sure how to feel about being Secret Santa-ed.   Does someone think we need extra cheer this year?  They’re probably right, but truth be told I’m not sure I’m willing to be cheered.  I’m working on it.  The kids, on the other hand, were delighted and now they are dying to “ding dong ditch it” to take treats to everyone we know.  I see another batch of bread & honey butter in my future.

8.  At our library here (which I really love, and is less than 10 minutes from my house) not only can you self-check out your books, but you can pay your fines while you’re doing it.  How’s that for high tech?  Next thing you know they’ll be trying to give me cash back at the library too.  I’m still kind of bothered every time they offer me cash back at the post office…

9.  It’s surprisingly hard to decorate our new house.  In the other house we knew exactly where everything went and how it went there.  Here it’s a whole new ball game.  The tree is up, the stockings are actually hung this year (we can do it on this fireplace because we don’t have a mantel), but not much more than that.  I’d say I’m working on it but that would be an exaggeration.  Possibly even a gross exaggeration.  Something had better happen though, because the boxes have been out for days and they’re starting to make me seriously crazy.

 

10.  My visiting teacher brought me a poinsettia for my birthday.  (I do not particularly like poinsettias, but I do like my visiting teacher, and I would have accepted it graciously either way.)  It is still alive.  I count that a major (MAJOR) victory.

It’s all in your perspective

Every morning for the past 13 days I have started my day with 1/2 cup of coconut water.  I’ve had it at room temp.  I’ve had it chilled.  I’ve had it with and without a straw.  And each and every time, I have been, shall we say, less than thrilled with the taste.

Let’s face it.  Coconut water tastes bleh.  I tell Russ that it’s not like drinking sweat.  Not that I’ve ever had a drink of sweat, and sweat is surely saltier than coconut water which is not quite salty and not quite sweet either.  Just bleh.

[Now I must interject here and say that in this 13 days of drinking coconut water I have had almost NO stomach problems, and I think the two times I have had problems can be directly linked to the stress of playing for the elementary school choir concert—though I played acceptably—and eating soup that was just too spicy.  So I will be the first to admit that it seems to be making a big difference.  If only it tasted better.]

This morning I came into the kitchen to get my zantac and my coconut water.  After I took the zantac I remembered that I’ve slacked off on my vitamin D for a few days and so I decided to take that too.  (I’m hoping it helps with the seasonal depression that is so common in the pacific northwest.)  We have a liquid vitamin D from costco.  It is pretty tasty—Jared would drink it if I’d let him, but I tell him no, the dose is just 1 teaspoon per day.  I grabbed a teaspoon from the drawer, reached into the fridge, pulled out the bottle, shook, poured, and swallowed.

And as I swallowed if I could have shouted I would have been saying something like “YOWZA, what the heck was that????”  Cause it surely wasn’t yummy vitamin D.

I looked back down on the counter at the bottle I’d just set down and then the light dawned.  It wasn’t the vitamin D.  (of course)  In the first day or two after my agonizing night in the Emergency Room, I’d gone to Whole Foods in search of Some Things That Would Help My Stomach.  And one of the things I’d come home with was a bottle of liquid aloe vera spiked with other herbs and bearing the label “pleasant peppermint flavor.”  Well I will tell you, there was nothing pleasant or peppermint about the flavor, and I was supposed to drink 1/4 c. several times a day.  So yeah, I haven’t been taking that one.

But as I stood there trying to rinse the flavor of the aloe vera juice out of my mouth this morning, I had the thought “hey, that coconut water really isn’t too bad after all, is it?”  I mean…it could definitely be worse!  Maybe this will help me start liking it better…

Heartbreaking Contrast

This morning on my way home from exercising there was an interesting interview on NPR, the guest a woman who has just published an article saying that the cost of raising a child is $1.7 million and that that is why she and her husband have decided not to have children. 

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t want children should have them.  Heaven knows, parenthood is not a job for the faint of heart, and there are few (or no) guarantees.  At the same time, I could never put a price tag on the happiness my children have brought into my life.

___

Just a half hour ago the girls and I went out to the van to run something over to the school.  As I turned on the van we heard the news on the radio: a man armed with two guns shot and killed 26 people, including 18 little kids, at a Connecticut elementary school. 

I am heartbroken.  It was bad enough when someone in Portland killed two adults at a mall earlier this week.  But children?  Why on earth would anyone do that?  I cannot imagine the grief that these parents and neighbors are experiencing today, and I too will be hugging my kids tighter today…

The Twelves Have It!

Wishing you & yours a happy 12:12 on 12/12/12!

Chocolate Family Night

Mondays have suddenly gotten more difficult at our house.  After guarding them for Family Night for years and years, all of a sudden Josh has swim practice on Monday evenings and the girls have a color guard group.  We’ve been trying to have family night on Sundays, but this week we had tithing settlement & our home teachers came, and that was pretty much the end of the evening. 

On Monday I’ve been trying to serve dinner at 5:15, but I know that the girls will be hungry again by the time they’re back at 7:30, and Josh won’t eat before practice so he will be starving.  Last night as we were eating I decided that when everyone was back home we’d have a chocolate tasting party so that at least we were doing something together. 

Russ always buys  me a box of truffles at Costco for my birthday, so of course for the last few weeks I’d been watching the candy selection.  I was sad not to see the box of belgian truffles that I’ve enjoyed from our NC store, and eventually “suggested” a different package to Russ.  The next week I saw a woman at the checkout with a box of Belgian Chocolate Cups.  I asked her if they were fabulous and she said they were, so I figured our family should give them a try.  I brought them home and stuck them under the bed waiting for the right moment.

We had such fun trying out all of the different combinations—dark chocolate layers, pistachio centers, almond paste, crème brulee—these were far more exotic than our usual grocery store chocolate. 

Some parts were unexpectedly delicious.  Some parts were universally disliked.  (coffee flavored chocolate bean, anyone?)  Some of us ate only a few of our selection, while others were determined to finish them off before bedtime.

I’m pretty sure that most of the kids will never remember when they are adults that one night we sat around the table and tried out fancy belgian chocolates.  What I do hope they remember is that we (often) sat around the table, and that we laughed together and had fun together.  Those are the only details that matter…