Ginormous Shoes

I'm trying to go with the flow.  Let things be and go with it.  The 3 kiddos, my husband, and my brother, who was visiting from the east coast for Christmas, all got sick.  Yet, Christmas came anyway.  It was good.  Not quite as I had envisioned but we worked with it in our most low-key way.  Literally, we laid on the floor in our pajamas mostly all day.  For days.  

We were happy and together.

My brother, Ben, is 25, a decade younger than me.  Seeing his shoes in our entry way gets me.  I don't know what it is about shoes that makes me thoughtfully sentimental.  His shoes are huge and something about seeing his shoes reminds me how life is moving fast.  My little brother now my big brother.  My son's smallish shoes in contrast to my brother's shoes...I am struck with how that is where my son is headed.  To ginormous shoes.  To becoming a man.  Gone will be the days when he will want to sit on my lap and snuggle when he is sick.  

Sometimes I get distracted with the things I'd envisioned.  Say, the camera working for Christmas.  Though, come to think of it, it was probably a good year for no-Christmas pictures (my husband just took a few with his phone including these two...)

I'll tuck it away in my memory.  The gift of being together.  Stuck at home for mostly a week now.  Watching movies, listening to music, snuggling, drawing.  Doing the really important things.  This is a shift for me because I tend to be motivated by performing, by getting my list done.  But I'm learning I need to let go of the doing and just be.  Be.  I'm hoping I get so good at it that by the end of my life I'll have morphed into a complete laid-back...hippie.  I've got a long way to go.  

Chance of Snow: 100%

Let it snow x3!

No school today.  I love snow days.  We're getting serious snow (maybe 9-12") and, looking out from my window, it's beautiful.  Our house feels warmer and cozier today.  The Christmas music is even more enjoyable.  My husband was out shoveling before I even woke up.  I was making the coffee, looking out the kitchen window and seeing him and Grace hard at work shoveling the driveway...made me happy.  Frosty was built before 9 am.  Snow forts this afternoon.  More shoveling still to come.  

The Christmas shopping is coming along but not done.  I am feeling no stress about it.  Although I did have a moment with the Mr. in Target.  He likes shopping more than I do.  He took the task of getting Legos so he went to store #1 in search of Legos.  Target was our #2 stop and he didn't seem to think they had "the" Legos.  I was losing it and said "You're killing me Smalls".  Not even sure what that means but it felt appropriate.  I think I said it after he suggested heading to store #3 for the Legos?  Grace has asked for cds and so I'm listening to music today.  What is good and lyrically appropriate for a 10 year old?  Found this "Top 10 Albums of 2012" list at Relevant Magazine.  I should keep my kids' wish lists.  They are telling and so them.  My favorite, from Jude's list, "a journal for a man". 

I didn't get my act together on Christmas cards or Christmas photos this year.  I'm trying not to feel guilty about it.  I love getting the cards in the mailbox.  I thought how I'd enjoy  writing a post on the topic of Christmas letters.  I think it was one of my brother-in-laws who suggested that someone should write more of the good, honest truth in their Christmas letter one year.  I don't think I can be the one.  Maybe you could?  

The truth is, even with all our crazy, awful unmentionables...this life is a beautiful one to be living.  I think I am learning to celebrate progress.  It is good.  

Talk of the 2-Year-Old

Our toddler.  She is loud, sassy, determined, and she makes us laugh every day.  I know they say that kids say what they hear.  True, but this girl comes up with some of her own material.  I've never heard some things she says from anyone else in our house.  Here's a short list of my favorite "Addie-isms":  

Wait a minute, you're not scary.

I neeeeeed it.

I not tell you nothing.

I not tell you my problems.

You be nice to me.

I no have "peanuts".

Just kiddin'.

It's loading.

I like to smile at you [when she's in trouble].

He's staring at me. 

[Sept 2012]

I'm here

The camera came back unfixed and so it was sent away for repair again.  Life's undocumented but life is happening.

Jude lost his first tooth Thanksgiving weekend.  He also said he doesn't want to get his hair cut because he wants it to grow long and shaggy like the older boys at church.  So, he's rocking a new smile and increasingly shaggy hair.

My girl, Grace, turned 10.  She isn't a fan of chocolate so it was vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting on her birthday.  Most of which she brought to school to share with her class but I did manage to eat 4 cupcakes that day myself.  My pants are too tight and I'm quite happy about it.  I currently weigh the most I ever have in my LIFE (other than pregnancy)...it's happening.  We bought Grace her first pair of "high heel" shoes and she's been clicking around the house. I don't think they came off for 12 hours yesterday.

I've got Christmas on my mind.  I love the season, the music and special activities.  We've been talking about how to make it special, keep it simple and help our kids grow in thankfulness and generosity.  Our plan is to do our first Christmas countdown (advent) with a mixture of family activities, acts of kindness, and small treats.

Our Christmas tree is up.  I had this great, fun, young, idea of sleeping in the living room under the Christmas lights with my honey.  He was game and pulled out the pillows, sleeping bags and blankets and set it up.  We laid on the living room floor for two hours until I finally said...What are we doing?  We have a comfortable bed in our room!  So we packed it up and went to bed.  Forget about being young and fun.  Crazy.