We started a new tradition today and it's one that's going to stick! In the aftermath of yesterday's holiday shopping extravaganza, I decided to do something special with the kids on July 25th. They are still too young to understand the "Christmas In July" concept (as are some adults, evidently. I pity them) A couple weeks ago, completely out of the blue, my oldest posed the question, "Mom, when is Santa's birthday?" Please note that I am aware of the correlation between Santa and St. Nicholas, whose birthday is traditionally recognized on December 6th. However, seeing an opportunity for something fun to break up the monotony of the summer months, I decided that our family would celebrate Santa's birthday on July 25th.
The morning started with green and red scrambled eggs, a piece of fruitcake, and a knock on the door.
On the doorstep we found a gift and a letter from our mischievous Christmas elf, Alfie. Alfie was with us the entire month of December, sending reports to Santa on good behavior and finding his way into all kinds of trouble! Alfie's letter described Santa's birthday celebration at the North Pole and came attached to a wonderful gift the whole family could enjoy.
After breakfast, I lit my favorite Christmas candle and turned on the Christmas tunes. As we listened to Bing, Dean, Frank, and Nat, we made ornaments for our trees and colored holiday pictures. We also watched the first of our Christmas videos, which the kids were anxious to see- How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Lunch time was uneventful, something I think will change next year, and afterward my own little elves headed to bed. D and I made some red and green popcorn and settled in on the couch for our Christmas movie- The Muppets Christmas Carol. It was brand new for him and became an instant favorite, which is great news for this Muppet fan!
When our movie ended, we broke out our new gift, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Wii. (Buying holiday items off of Amazon in the middle of the Summer can be very economical, by the way. Paid less than $5 for this brand-new game) It was a hit!
We're finishing supper and the kids are eagerly anticipating their reindeer cupcakes. We'll end the night with baths and Christmas books before bedtime.
Who knows how long we'll be able to celebrate Santa's birthday. Either way, July 25th will be a special day in our home. I can hardly wait for next year!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Christmas In July
My mom and I celebrated our 5th annual Christmas In July over the weekend. It has quickly become one of my favorite days of the year and is in danger of pulling ahead of the day after Thanksgiving. What is Christmas in July you ask? In our world it consists of two grown women, plastered to the television ogling everything Christmas from decor to gift ideas on QVC. It includes wonderfully smelling candles, Christmas cookies, a pine cone (our family's favorite Christmas appetizer), pots of coffee, and piles of Christmas idea books. It's our day to get a jump start on our holiday shopping and planning and we love it!
We've been told on more than one occasion that we're crazy, but I think the word "crazy" is highly relative. To me, crazy are the people running around like headless chickens the month of December, stressed to the max and burning up their credit cards to buy gifts in a pinch.
What was accomplished this year amid lots of laughing and even more eating? Gifts for eight teachers and the school office staff, a present for my sister-in-law, and I managed to pick up a couple goodies for myself- all from the comfort of my parent's living room. All in all, I'd say it was a successful day!
We've been told on more than one occasion that we're crazy, but I think the word "crazy" is highly relative. To me, crazy are the people running around like headless chickens the month of December, stressed to the max and burning up their credit cards to buy gifts in a pinch.
What was accomplished this year amid lots of laughing and even more eating? Gifts for eight teachers and the school office staff, a present for my sister-in-law, and I managed to pick up a couple goodies for myself- all from the comfort of my parent's living room. All in all, I'd say it was a successful day!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Birthday Boy!
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Daniel...Happy birthday to you!
Daniel, you are an incredibly gifted, talented, witty, charming, tender, and loving boy. You make us so proud! We couldn't possibly love you any more!!! Happy birthday, buddy.
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Today is our baby's birthday and the day can't pass without my thoughts turning to those events six years ago that brought him to us. I can scarcely believe that it has been so long. So many milestones have been passed and so many memories have been made. My baby is not a baby anymore. He looks more grown up. He acts more grown up. And more and more often, as I look at him, I see glimpses of the man he is going to be. Somehow, it manages to make me so happy and so miserable all at the same time.
Daniel, you are an incredibly gifted, talented, witty, charming, tender, and loving boy. You make us so proud! We couldn't possibly love you any more!!! Happy birthday, buddy.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Birthday Fails
There is a buzz in our home this week as we prepare for our final family birthday celebration of the year. Our baby boy turns six on Thursday and he, more than anyone else, is giddy with excitement.
I, on the other hand, am much more apprehensive this year. Our poor kid has had some pretty rough birthdays in the past few years and I'm just hoping this year will end the curse of bummer birthdays for my sweet boy.
Birthday 2009, we celebrated early with a big party at Chuck E Cheese, which I think was more of a bummer for me, just 3 weeks out from giving birth to our youngest. On Daniel's actual birthday, I arranged to take him to his very first movie. I had planned to have a family celebration that evening, but when we got home from the theater, everything changed. Isaiah, who was only 23 days old, had been having trouble keeping his formula down. It had lasted for a good week and we were under the impression his sensitive stomach just needed a gentler kind. But that day, I decided to call the doctor to ask a few questions and was told, under no uncertain circumstances, to immediately take him to the emergency room at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Panic set in and we were in motion. Hours into the process, I realized our poor birthday boy wasn't having his celebration that evening. Isaiah was admitted, we spent a restless night at the hospital, and handed our newborn over for surgery the next day.
Birthday 2010- On the heals of the previous birthday debaucle, we wanted to avoid any disappointments (and medical emergencies, I might add). Daniel was turning 5 and starting kindergarten shortly thereafter. This birthday was a big deal! For months we planned and made arrangements to surprise him with a trip to Disneyland. When the day came, his grandparents came for cake and presents. The next morning, we woke him up and told him we were going on a trip. He had no idea where, but being alone with Mom and Dad kept him from caring. We arrived at the hotel and showed him Disneyland through the window. He was ecstatic! This was going to be a birthday to remember! Was it ever......
Moments, and I mean MOMENTS later, we found a couple of red spots on his arm and one on his cheek. Thinking he had been bit by a mosquito, we continued on with our plans. Dinner in Downtown Disney, shopping at the Disney Store, and endless hours of jumping on the bed. But the morning light dawned on another birthday disaster. Daniel's face, arms, and legs were covered with red welts. Before breakfast we were headed to an Urgent Care to get hims some cream and an antibiotic for what I was convinced was Fifth disease. To understand the level of misery of this particular occasion, one has to be familiar with Daniel's extreme phobia of doctors. The mere mention of the phrase "doctor's office" had sent him into a sheer panic, not to mention the fact that the doctor visit was now in liew of Disneyland itself. We arrived at the urgent care only to find out that he was having a serious allergic reaction and a shot of antihistamine was the only alternative. We had officially entered the ninth circle of Daniel's own personal hell. We pinned a screaming, panic-stricken, 5 year old to the table, and the nurse administered the injection. Ten minutes later we were in the car and headed to "The Happiest Place On Earth" in complete silence.
I face this week with trepidation and hope that we can manage to avoid illness and all contact with medical professionals.
I, on the other hand, am much more apprehensive this year. Our poor kid has had some pretty rough birthdays in the past few years and I'm just hoping this year will end the curse of bummer birthdays for my sweet boy.
Birthday 2009, we celebrated early with a big party at Chuck E Cheese, which I think was more of a bummer for me, just 3 weeks out from giving birth to our youngest. On Daniel's actual birthday, I arranged to take him to his very first movie. I had planned to have a family celebration that evening, but when we got home from the theater, everything changed. Isaiah, who was only 23 days old, had been having trouble keeping his formula down. It had lasted for a good week and we were under the impression his sensitive stomach just needed a gentler kind. But that day, I decided to call the doctor to ask a few questions and was told, under no uncertain circumstances, to immediately take him to the emergency room at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Panic set in and we were in motion. Hours into the process, I realized our poor birthday boy wasn't having his celebration that evening. Isaiah was admitted, we spent a restless night at the hospital, and handed our newborn over for surgery the next day.
Birthday 2010- On the heals of the previous birthday debaucle, we wanted to avoid any disappointments (and medical emergencies, I might add). Daniel was turning 5 and starting kindergarten shortly thereafter. This birthday was a big deal! For months we planned and made arrangements to surprise him with a trip to Disneyland. When the day came, his grandparents came for cake and presents. The next morning, we woke him up and told him we were going on a trip. He had no idea where, but being alone with Mom and Dad kept him from caring. We arrived at the hotel and showed him Disneyland through the window. He was ecstatic! This was going to be a birthday to remember! Was it ever......
Moments, and I mean MOMENTS later, we found a couple of red spots on his arm and one on his cheek. Thinking he had been bit by a mosquito, we continued on with our plans. Dinner in Downtown Disney, shopping at the Disney Store, and endless hours of jumping on the bed. But the morning light dawned on another birthday disaster. Daniel's face, arms, and legs were covered with red welts. Before breakfast we were headed to an Urgent Care to get hims some cream and an antibiotic for what I was convinced was Fifth disease. To understand the level of misery of this particular occasion, one has to be familiar with Daniel's extreme phobia of doctors. The mere mention of the phrase "doctor's office" had sent him into a sheer panic, not to mention the fact that the doctor visit was now in liew of Disneyland itself. We arrived at the urgent care only to find out that he was having a serious allergic reaction and a shot of antihistamine was the only alternative. We had officially entered the ninth circle of Daniel's own personal hell. We pinned a screaming, panic-stricken, 5 year old to the table, and the nurse administered the injection. Ten minutes later we were in the car and headed to "The Happiest Place On Earth" in complete silence.
I face this week with trepidation and hope that we can manage to avoid illness and all contact with medical professionals.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Dora Undies
I remember fondly a time in my life when I would get excited only when something out of the ordinary and truly delightful happened. Graduating from high school. That was exciting! I won a radio contest once. That was exciting! Landing my first job. That was exciting! Getting engaged. Exciting!!! Buying our first house. Do you get the point?
I'm a "little" older now and have come to realize that life is a little less exciting and yet, for the oddest reasons I find myself in moments of sheer and uncontrollable delight as if Ed McMahon just appeared on my doorstep with a sweepstakes check. And seeing as he has been dead for quite some time, that would be extremely exciting...or disturbing.
I digress.
I found myself in such a state last week and, in the midst of my celebration, realized just how much my perspective on excitement has changed. What was I in jubilance over? My 3 year old going to the bathroom on her own.
Now, in my own defense, this mother has been in a constant state of diaper changing for the past 6 years so the fact that this single event moved me one step closer to a diaperless existence was a very big deal. I would be less than candid, however, if I didn't express that my joy was momentarily interrupted by a revelation of the fact that I have now been denigrated to celebrating basic bodily functions.
Gone are the days of relishing in the traditionally "exciting". New adventures, surprise gifts, world travel? Nah. I'm euphoric over Winnie the Pooh potty seats and Dora undies.
Or perhaps, I'm just enraptured by the little girl who wears them.
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I'm a "little" older now and have come to realize that life is a little less exciting and yet, for the oddest reasons I find myself in moments of sheer and uncontrollable delight as if Ed McMahon just appeared on my doorstep with a sweepstakes check. And seeing as he has been dead for quite some time, that would be extremely exciting...or disturbing.
I digress.
I found myself in such a state last week and, in the midst of my celebration, realized just how much my perspective on excitement has changed. What was I in jubilance over? My 3 year old going to the bathroom on her own.
Now, in my own defense, this mother has been in a constant state of diaper changing for the past 6 years so the fact that this single event moved me one step closer to a diaperless existence was a very big deal. I would be less than candid, however, if I didn't express that my joy was momentarily interrupted by a revelation of the fact that I have now been denigrated to celebrating basic bodily functions.
Gone are the days of relishing in the traditionally "exciting". New adventures, surprise gifts, world travel? Nah. I'm euphoric over Winnie the Pooh potty seats and Dora undies.
Or perhaps, I'm just enraptured by the little girl who wears them.
Friday, June 24, 2011
A "Few" Thoughts on the Subject
My husband and I were enjoying a leisurly evening last Sunday night, relaxing and watching television when our program was interrupted with news that Osama Bin Laden was dead.
Two things happened immediately. My heart and mind were reminded of that fateful day, almost ten years ago, when I was getting ready for work and news splashed across my television about the planes flying into the Twin Towers. I thought about the families of those victims in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. For them, I was glad. I was proud of our country. I was proud of our Presidents, both past and present. I was proud to be an American. I saw Twitter and Facebook explode with joyous exclamation of victory and celebration. And then something else happened.
Slowly, one by one. Comments started being made about the ungodliness of rejoicing in the death of the wicked (a portion of Ezekiel 18:23 was repeated over and over again). Christians starting faulting other Christians for their joy and I got angry, very angry.
I thought my anger was the response of my natural self and a bi-product of the emotion of the event and that it would pass. But the next day, as more and more of these "entries" started to pop up and believers started jumping on the proverbial bandwagon it continued to grow. Questions about the United States right to carry out such an action were posed. And the word "hypocrite" was being hurled at Believers who didn't "mourn over this lost soul".
We know that it is the Lord's will that none should perish, but that all would come to repentence and faith (2 Peter 3:9) and as followers of Christ this should be our loftiest goal. But there is nothing unbiblical about rejoicing in the victory of good over evil. I was stunned at the number of people saying how we should "Love our enemies". Indeed we should! We are commanded to. That's easy to do when your enemy is dead. I wonder how many of my brothers and sisters, who are so quick to call "hypocrite" were loving Bin Laden when he was alive. Love is an action, isn't it? Love isn't something you feel, but something you do. How many believers were combing the caves of Tora Bora searching for Bin Laden to minister to him while he was in hiding. How many Evangelism Explosion groups were pounding the pavement in Pakistan to lead him to salvation? How many Christians in the United States were on their knees daily over the past 10 years praying that Osama Bin Laden would come to faith in Christ Jesus? I don't know the exact number, but I'm certain, if anything, it was small. That's how you love your enemy. You don't wait until he is dead and then condemn others for having a smile on their face as a result. We need to be mindful of casting out the title of hypocrite. In my experience, it's those who choose to use it first that are the guiltiest of all.
Another thing that occurred to me was that, in all the discussion, there was no mention of the sovereignty of God. As if the United States acted outside of His will. Are we that naive, or dare I say arrogant, to believe that our country had any power to do this apart from God? Regardless of whether one thinks our country is honoring God, we must remember that God is in control. He sets up kings and deposes them (Daniel 2:21)He has determined the length of each of our lives. We will not live one day more or one day less than He, the Creator, has set. This included Osama Bin Laden. We have to consider the "possibility" (I say that tongue in cheek) that the omnipotent God, in his sovereignty, knew the depths of Osama Bin Laden's heart and the reality that while Christ indeed died for him, he would never accept that truth and turn from his wicked ways. (Don't bombard me with arguments for or against Calvinism at this point. Regardless of your own personal school of thought, not one person comes to Christ to the Father's surprise). Is it really so difficult to see that if God's purpose for Osama Bin Laden was to come to salvation through Christ and spend his remaining days leading lost, Islamic militant boys to the Lord that he would still be alive today? If that day was not his last day on this earth, no highly trained group of US Navy Seals, no predator drone, no nuclear device could have taken him out.
I agree that while the average American danced in the streets celebrating victory and revenge, that our hearts should have been aware of this poor man's fate and stirred by it. But we can still celebrate. We SHOULD still celebrate. Americans tend to have a very ego-centric world view. We are a super power. We are a force to be reckoned with. We can face any challenge and come through stronger. We are right and you are wrong. It is arrogance and I personally believe we will see in days and years to come exactly how weak and vulnerable we are. (But that's a post for another time) I am proud of my country. I love being an American and I thank God every day that I was blessed to be born here and have the life that I do, but Osama Bin Laden's death was not our victory. Yes, the United States was used as a tool and I am grateful to our leadership and commend our stellar military and intelligence community for their amazing work! But this battle is not ours to win.
In all the discussion of the "proper Christian response" to Osama Bin Laden's death, I've not heard one mention of the fact that he was first and foremost an enemy of the Jews. He hated Americans. Why? Because of our alliance with and involement with Israel. He despised us because of our presence in the Middle East and defense of a nation he was bent on destroying. He was an enemy of the Jews and of their God. America plays a supporting role in a battle that was waged in Genesis and the world has been fighting ever since. Those of us who are so quick to point the finger over the celebration of this man's death need to remember that this battle is the Lord's and he will come to the defense of his chosen people. We have been witness to this. The Sovereign God, the Creator of the Universe, who Was and Is and Is to Come intervened on behalf of his people and reigned victorious. For that we should take to the streets in celebration. Our God reigns!
Two things happened immediately. My heart and mind were reminded of that fateful day, almost ten years ago, when I was getting ready for work and news splashed across my television about the planes flying into the Twin Towers. I thought about the families of those victims in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. For them, I was glad. I was proud of our country. I was proud of our Presidents, both past and present. I was proud to be an American. I saw Twitter and Facebook explode with joyous exclamation of victory and celebration. And then something else happened.
Slowly, one by one. Comments started being made about the ungodliness of rejoicing in the death of the wicked (a portion of Ezekiel 18:23 was repeated over and over again). Christians starting faulting other Christians for their joy and I got angry, very angry.
I thought my anger was the response of my natural self and a bi-product of the emotion of the event and that it would pass. But the next day, as more and more of these "entries" started to pop up and believers started jumping on the proverbial bandwagon it continued to grow. Questions about the United States right to carry out such an action were posed. And the word "hypocrite" was being hurled at Believers who didn't "mourn over this lost soul".
We know that it is the Lord's will that none should perish, but that all would come to repentence and faith (2 Peter 3:9) and as followers of Christ this should be our loftiest goal. But there is nothing unbiblical about rejoicing in the victory of good over evil. I was stunned at the number of people saying how we should "Love our enemies". Indeed we should! We are commanded to. That's easy to do when your enemy is dead. I wonder how many of my brothers and sisters, who are so quick to call "hypocrite" were loving Bin Laden when he was alive. Love is an action, isn't it? Love isn't something you feel, but something you do. How many believers were combing the caves of Tora Bora searching for Bin Laden to minister to him while he was in hiding. How many Evangelism Explosion groups were pounding the pavement in Pakistan to lead him to salvation? How many Christians in the United States were on their knees daily over the past 10 years praying that Osama Bin Laden would come to faith in Christ Jesus? I don't know the exact number, but I'm certain, if anything, it was small. That's how you love your enemy. You don't wait until he is dead and then condemn others for having a smile on their face as a result. We need to be mindful of casting out the title of hypocrite. In my experience, it's those who choose to use it first that are the guiltiest of all.
Another thing that occurred to me was that, in all the discussion, there was no mention of the sovereignty of God. As if the United States acted outside of His will. Are we that naive, or dare I say arrogant, to believe that our country had any power to do this apart from God? Regardless of whether one thinks our country is honoring God, we must remember that God is in control. He sets up kings and deposes them (Daniel 2:21)He has determined the length of each of our lives. We will not live one day more or one day less than He, the Creator, has set. This included Osama Bin Laden. We have to consider the "possibility" (I say that tongue in cheek) that the omnipotent God, in his sovereignty, knew the depths of Osama Bin Laden's heart and the reality that while Christ indeed died for him, he would never accept that truth and turn from his wicked ways. (Don't bombard me with arguments for or against Calvinism at this point. Regardless of your own personal school of thought, not one person comes to Christ to the Father's surprise). Is it really so difficult to see that if God's purpose for Osama Bin Laden was to come to salvation through Christ and spend his remaining days leading lost, Islamic militant boys to the Lord that he would still be alive today? If that day was not his last day on this earth, no highly trained group of US Navy Seals, no predator drone, no nuclear device could have taken him out.
I agree that while the average American danced in the streets celebrating victory and revenge, that our hearts should have been aware of this poor man's fate and stirred by it. But we can still celebrate. We SHOULD still celebrate. Americans tend to have a very ego-centric world view. We are a super power. We are a force to be reckoned with. We can face any challenge and come through stronger. We are right and you are wrong. It is arrogance and I personally believe we will see in days and years to come exactly how weak and vulnerable we are. (But that's a post for another time) I am proud of my country. I love being an American and I thank God every day that I was blessed to be born here and have the life that I do, but Osama Bin Laden's death was not our victory. Yes, the United States was used as a tool and I am grateful to our leadership and commend our stellar military and intelligence community for their amazing work! But this battle is not ours to win.
In all the discussion of the "proper Christian response" to Osama Bin Laden's death, I've not heard one mention of the fact that he was first and foremost an enemy of the Jews. He hated Americans. Why? Because of our alliance with and involement with Israel. He despised us because of our presence in the Middle East and defense of a nation he was bent on destroying. He was an enemy of the Jews and of their God. America plays a supporting role in a battle that was waged in Genesis and the world has been fighting ever since. Those of us who are so quick to point the finger over the celebration of this man's death need to remember that this battle is the Lord's and he will come to the defense of his chosen people. We have been witness to this. The Sovereign God, the Creator of the Universe, who Was and Is and Is to Come intervened on behalf of his people and reigned victorious. For that we should take to the streets in celebration. Our God reigns!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Birthday Trouble
In my last post, I mentioned something of a conundrum that I am in the midst of over the birthday of our youngest son, Isaiah. Now, I realize that he is only going to be two years old and most likely doesn't give a rip what kind of birthday he has. However, seeing as I am running out of time to make these decisions exclusively, I intend on making the most of them.
I decided on Sofia's birthday theme when I happened upon an adorable castle cake in a magazine I was thumbing through. Much to my surprise, it looked "doable". So, I went with it. I purchased her party decorations from Birthday Direct and decided to order Isaiah's party goods as well to save on shipping (seeing as their birthday's are little more than a month apart). I spent quite a bit of time pouring over birthday themes and decorations- everything from Mickey Mouse to fire trucks and landed on monkeys. Before making my decision, however, I had to figure out what kind of a cake I could make to go with our theme. (Have I mentioned my OCD?) After running a random search for "monkey cakes", I came across this masterpiece. I fell in love and we were moving along full steam ahead.
However, in the last three weeks or so, Isaiah has absolutely fallen in love with Elmo, whom he lovingly refers to as "La La". It took me a while to figure out why until this dawned on me one day as Zay freaked out about seeing La La on his diaper. Elmo's Song
How stinkin' cute is that? But now, this obsessed little boy (no, I don't know where he gets that from) goes ballistic whenever he sees Elmo.
Therein lies the basis of my enigma. Do I do what I feel is the selfish mom thing and go with the monkeys or do I bag the monkeys and start over fresh with a La La party. Have I mentioned I already have an Elmo cake pan from Daniel's second birthday party? Perhaps it's not the selfish mom thing. Could it be it's the practical mom thing? Anyone? Anyone?
I decided on Sofia's birthday theme when I happened upon an adorable castle cake in a magazine I was thumbing through. Much to my surprise, it looked "doable". So, I went with it. I purchased her party decorations from Birthday Direct and decided to order Isaiah's party goods as well to save on shipping (seeing as their birthday's are little more than a month apart). I spent quite a bit of time pouring over birthday themes and decorations- everything from Mickey Mouse to fire trucks and landed on monkeys. Before making my decision, however, I had to figure out what kind of a cake I could make to go with our theme. (Have I mentioned my OCD?) After running a random search for "monkey cakes", I came across this masterpiece. I fell in love and we were moving along full steam ahead.
However, in the last three weeks or so, Isaiah has absolutely fallen in love with Elmo, whom he lovingly refers to as "La La". It took me a while to figure out why until this dawned on me one day as Zay freaked out about seeing La La on his diaper. Elmo's Song
How stinkin' cute is that? But now, this obsessed little boy (no, I don't know where he gets that from) goes ballistic whenever he sees Elmo.
Therein lies the basis of my enigma. Do I do what I feel is the selfish mom thing and go with the monkeys or do I bag the monkeys and start over fresh with a La La party. Have I mentioned I already have an Elmo cake pan from Daniel's second birthday party? Perhaps it's not the selfish mom thing. Could it be it's the practical mom thing? Anyone? Anyone?
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