Xmas at last

I was told I was slacking by not having this post up by 11 am today. But...better late than never, right DAD.

Cold, but Beautiful

Lesson Time

We were looking at a tree.

(verbatim)

"Mommy...you should never climb trees all the way to the top
if you go to the top, it's TOO high
and you will fall
ahhhhhhhhhhh......(splat noise)
So that's why you shouldn't climb up trees
only squirrels
and bee hives, I guess
But then when you're going 'ahhhhhhhhh' down the tree
then the bees will get you and sting you
so it's better to stay inside,
and snuggle.
But sometimes, the bees will come inside,
and go "bzzzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzzz" all around in a circle
and its not where they're supposed to go
and that's why you shouldn't climb trees.
Okay, mommy?"

The new Bedtime Songs

The flip side

I look back at previous things I've written, and how easily I can shape things so that I remember the good times and the wonderful memories. It's not difficult - the cute moments aren't hard to come by and are so much more precious. And then you have weekends like this past weekend. I could show you the cute picture of them in the cart while we walked around Target window shopping at the toys: Brent up front, and Alex taking up the back of the cart. The few things we got were put underneath so that they wouldn't be destroyed before we got the counter. I could tell you how excited we were to splurge a little and buy them the movie "Horton Hears a Who" so that we could have a family movie night.

Or...I could write about how they both pouted that they couldn't have this toy or that as we walked the aisles...how they said they didn't want to see the movie anymore, they just wanted toys...how Brent's eyes welled up when he realized we were checking out and didn't buy them the toys they wanted...how no matter how much we told them that we were just looking around so we could tell Santa what they wanted because Christmas was in just another week or so, they still refused to budge on the tantrums.

I could share stories about the weekend mornings, when Brent and I are the only ones awake and we go out in the living room and curl up on the couch, watching cartoons, playing games on the computer together, and sharing breakfast and Oreos.

I could also point out that for the rest of the day, he had some bug up his little bum and there was one moment where I crossed the room and said loudly in his ear "HEY BRENT...CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?? Was I too far away when I was asking you 5 times not to spring around the couch near the corners of the coffee table...to add to the 1,536 other times I've told you that in the past week? Or how they both stauntly refused to eat barely any of their lunch and dinner, that I had used a REAL stove to cook, instead of the easy little box with numbers. By the end of the day my patience meter was at the red line.

"Guys...you're getting too wound up...settle down!!"
"Stop running, for the 9th time!!"
"Alex, stop pushing Brent around"
"Brent, stop teasing Alex"

"Alright, you know what??? EVERYBODY STOP!!!"
"Come over here"
"Please sit in front of me for a minute"

And I turned off the tv and put all their toys away and talked to them in the quietest of voices - that one you use when you're afraid to raise it or else it might turn into a series of chortled roars, with your eyes red around the edges and smoke seeping from your ears.

I told them how much I looked forward to the weekends so I could spend the whole day with them. We reiterated about the store tantrums and how fortunate they were and how much they had to be thankful for. We reminded them about how important it was to listen and not to run around so they wouldn't get hurt. And then I told them that we weren't watching the movie after all tonight, that they would have to wait and hopefully behave better tomorrow.

That was when they started paying attention.

And all of a sudden that awful present that they didn't want to watch was the most IMPORTANT movie they ever wanted to see. But... they knew better at this point than to push too much, at long last.

Sunday...I got my little angels back :) And the day got away from us with other things we were doing. But last night we all snuggled up and watched the movie, with root beer floats in hand. Mine made me cold, and Brent got me a blanket and snuggled up with me. I ended up falling asleep and missing the end, but they both filled me in after chiding me for watching it "with your EYES closed, mommy!!" I liked hearing their endings better though, what little I could understand through their excited babbling. I think I'll just choose to remember that part. The rest doesn't really matter anyhow.

Decorating

It is the most beautiful tree that I've ever seen.





I hope no one was counting, because there was just as much dancing and tickling going on as there was decorating.








Poised and Ready for Destruction:

Ever Thankful

I am thankful that he smiles so much, even when trying to look menacing.




I am thankful for family that always sticks by me.




I am thankful to have more to love.

I am thankful to get to watch two beautiful princesses grow into the strong women they will be.

I am thankful that there are always enough hugs to go around.

I am thankful for music to make the long trips go by faster, and that we always get home safely.

I am thankful that my life is streaming with beauty, both within me and around me

for new beginnings

for hope in the future

for the freedoms I take for granted, and for the ones I don't

For me, every day is Thanksgiving.