Wordless Wednesday

Kidisms...

I'm sorry, but once again I'm going to put off my second 'traditions' post in favor of some good ole' kidisms because today alone, there were too many to pass up.

When we got home tonight there was a message from Grandpa Jim and Sinda asking the kids what they wanted for Christmas so after jammies were on and teeth were brushed I let them return the call. Here are some excerpts from that conversation...

Little A while telling Sinda that she wants a princess cash register for Christmas:

Sinda - "What do you want for Christmas?"

Little A - "I want a princess cash... A princess cash... A princess casserole!"

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Big A while telling Grandpa Jim what he wants for Christmas:

Big A - "I really want a John Deere Backhoe. A GREEN one, NOT a yellow one."

Grandpa Jim - "A John Deere Backhoe? Don't you already have one of those?"

Big A - "Now listen to me now! This one I really REALLY want. A Kubota tractor with two wheels in the front and treads in the back. You got it?"

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Little A answering the question of what we're doing for Christmas (now you have to follow this carefully...):

Grandpa Jim - "What are you guys doing for Christmas?"

Little A (out of breath and difficult to hear and understand because she's walking around my room in circles) - "I don't know."

Grandpa Jim - "Are you walking around?"

Little A - "NO!"

Me - "Yes you are, you're walking around in circles."

Little A to Grandpa Jim - "We're walking around in circles."

*PAUSE*

Little A to me - "Do you mean driving?"

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Little A telling Grandpa Jim goodbye:

Grandpa Jim - "Is it bed time?"

Little A - "Yes."

Grandpa Jim - "Are you all ready for bed?"

Little A - "Yes."

Grandpa Jim - "Are you tired?"

Little A - "Well... My mom's tired so I have to go to bed."

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....

....I'll blog it, tomorrow, it's only a day away!

So I had planned to tell you about the all we did this past weekend, to update my 'traditions' list and to post pictures of our 'traditions' but I'm just TOO tired. It's been a LONG day filled with doctor appointments and setting up more doctor appointments and hospitals and tests and red days and kids who are not listening and a mommy who is overtired and running out of eggs and a bowl of mandarin oranges on the carpet and... Yeah, you get it! So we're going to bed instead!

But before we do, I will share one little thing with you. Today I took Big A to the pediatrician because he's got some strange things going on with 2 fingernails and 2 toe nails, and because he's been telling me lately that his heart feels funny or that it hurts. Two different doctors looked at his toe nails and fingernails and neither of them know what's wrong so they've referred us to a pediatric dermatologist. Then they listened to his heart and chest and talked to him about the 'pain' and asked him questions and sent us to the hospital for an EKG.

I wasn't looking forward to going to the hospital with two kids but I couldn't find anyone to come sit with Little A while I sat with Big A, so I strapped her in the stroller and told her that if she didn't sit quietly she wouldn't get to open her advent calendar today. Desperate times, desperate measures...

Anyhow, we arrived at the hospital and went to the admitting desk where they informed me that Big A wasn't going to be able to have his test today because unless they are patients, kids under 14 are not allowed in the hospital. I very nicely told them that I didn't have a choice, and that no matter when I came I was going to have to bring Little A with me so they made the kids put masks on and they let us in. A mask is a small price to pay for being able to have the test today and not have to do this all again! The kids thought it was cool at first, but the novelty wore off quickly, I'd say within... Oh... 2 minutes.

They finally took Big A back for his EKG and Little A and I stood by quietly and watched. The tech (who had absolutely NO personality but had little breakthroughs of 'this is a five year old - I need to change my demeanor' every few minutes) got Big A settled on the bed and hooked up to the machine (ten pads with ten alligator clips) and started the test. She turned to him and said, "Don't move, don't talk, lay still, don't move your arm, lay really still, don't move...."

Big A looked up at her and said, "Can I breathe?" The tech kept moving the pads and hooking him back up and moving the pads and hooking him back up and... This went on for twenty minutes and finally Big A had had enough. He was doing so well for the longest time but he had to be SO still and I think he finally just couldn't take it anymore. I could tell that he wasn't doing well and then the silent tears started sliding down his cheeks. The tech had to stop when he started crying because the crying would raise his heart rate and the results of the test would be inaccurate.

It felt SO good to hold Big A in my arms when he climbed down from that table. I felt so helpless while he was laying on the table crying and there was nothing I could do to help him. Hopefully they got the results they needed and we won't be called back for more testing.

Please pray that all of Big A's tests come back normal and that whatever he's feeling is just a 'growing pain' or some sort of other five year old 'ache', and also that whatever is going on with his toe nails and fingernails is 'normal'.

THANKS!

Quote For The Day... Yesterday

"I'm getting dizzy, Mommy! I'm going around in squares!"

Bizarre Coincidence

Last night while I was trying to turn on the Christmas lights, unlock the front door, and wrangle two kids inside, I was going through the day's mail. It was a fairly typical pile of mail... Weekly ads, a Christmas card, other random crap, and then something caught my eye... A notice from the post office saying that this was their final attempt to deliver our certified letter.

HUH? Certified letter? So many thoughts were going through my head as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing... WHO would send us a certified letter? Scan the card some more... Why would someone on our street send us a letter? Scan the card some more... Final attempt? I don't really remember getting any other attempts made at delivering said letter... Scan the card some more... Health department?

Once inside I was able to take a minute to pay attention to this card a bit more and to actually READ each box rather than 'scanning' each box...

*Pause here for a bit of background...*

One of my duties at work is to send quasi threatening letters to people who are 90+ days past due with their bills. I send two copies of the letter, the original is sent certified mail, return receipt requested and a copy is sent via regular mail. When the signed certified mail card is returned, it's stapled to a copy of the letter and retained for our records. If the certified letter is returned as 'UNCLAIMED' but the copy sent via regular mail is not returned, it's fairly safe to assume (I know, I know... "You know what happens when you assume!") that the recipient did indeed receive a copy of the letter.

A month or two ago I was preparing these letters and ran across one that was addressed to someone who lives on my street. I thought it was interesting only because of all possible addresses in this county this person lived on my street, but thought nothing else of it.

*Okay, back to the story...*

I read the card more carefully and the first thing I found out was that it had been put in the wrong mailbox. As I read further, I realized that it had been sent from the Health Department.

And then it hit me... This final notice for a certified letter was for the certified letter that I had sent to this person while at work. I don't know the person and our addresses have only ONE number that is the same, but somehow this card got put into my stack of mail by the sorters at USPS.

Of ALL of the addresses on our street... Of ALL of the places this card could have ended up... Of ALL of the people would COULD have sent certified mail to another human being... It was a letter that I had mailed to someone as part of my job!

I wrote "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS" and put it back in the box... I guess I won't be seeing THAT signed certified mail card!

BIZARRE COINCIDENCE!!!

A New Tradition?

Tonight we headed out in the COLD with friends to attend a tree lighting in a nearby city. The description read something like this... "Gather in the park for carols and tree lighting, then proceed to the fire station for cookies, cocoa, cider, holiday music and a visit from Santa Claus!" FUN!

We arrived at the park at ten 'til six (the event started at 6) and were amazed to find open parking spaces RIGHT in front. We both wondered if I'd gotten the date right, but there were a few people milling around so we decided it must be right. We unloaded everyone, bundled them all up and headed to the stage at the center of the park.

They had speakers set up on the stage and the emcee started the 'show'. We could hear about every fourth word. I think he said something like, "Welcome holidays board new season members where guest fire truck tree," but I'm not really sure.

After he talked a group sang a few songs which we also couldn't hear and then a fire truck with it's lights on came and dropped off Santa. All of the kids were excited about that but there was one problem... None of them could actually SEE him over the adults. Santa led us in one of the saddest (lousy sad, not crying sad) renditions of Jingle Bells we'd ever heard and then came the moment we'd all been waiting for... THE TREE LIGHGINT!

Santa counted us down... 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... ONE! TA DA!!

Yep! ONE TREE! Here we were in this fairly large park in the center of this town and they lit ONE tree. I mean... It was pretty, but... ONE TREE! And then the masses headed across the street to the fire station. We decided not to try it with a fussy baby and tired moms who didn't feel like standing in that line, so we promised the kids we'd take them to see Santa when he comes through our neighborhood and we played at the park. I guess swings will cure anything!

Will this be a new holiday tradition to add to my list? Who knows... We may or may not give it another chance next year, but we had a great time with good friends, and THAT is what is most important!

Holiday Traditions

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

Really, it is! We have our house and yard decorated (or at least decorated enough to satisfy a five year old and a three year old), the shopping is 95% done, and the radio is tuned to a local station that plays Christmas music 24-7 from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas day! With all that said and done, it's time to sit back, relax, and think about our holiday traditions...

Okay, okay... Easier said than done (the sitting back and relaxing part) but the real crunch hasn't hit yet, so for the time being I am choosing to believe in my little head that I am going to have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy said traditions. Even if I don't have time to do that, I am at least going to sit down and relax right now and share them with you!

* Ornaments - Each year the kids pick out a Hallmark ornament. They start perusing them as soon as they hit the shelves in like... September or some crazy month like that. Lucky for Big A they have a different John Deere tractor ornament every year. Little A usually opts for a Disney Princess of some sort, this year it was Ariel.

We also get ornaments from my in-laws every year. B and I get one and each kid gets one. We have fun opening the Christmas boxes every year and looking back over all of the ornaments we have. We talk about whose they are, where we got them, who they're from, etc.

* Light Up A Life - This is an evening of music, inspiration and remembrance sponsored by the local Hospice. There are speakers, musicians, candles, tears and TONS of white lights in the huge redwood trees downtown. We bundle up in our warmest clothes and head out for this special evening.

* Lighted Boat Parade - This is parade of boats on the river. All of the boats are decorated with lights and Christmas decorations. It's another COLD evening, but still great family time!

* Christmas Lights - Closer to Christmas we all pile into the minivan, hit up the local Starbucks, and head out to "hunt for Christmas lights" as Big A puts it. We play Christmas music and ooh and ahh over the light displays we find.

The kids and I have another Christmas Light tradition. Around the corner (or a couple of corners) from our house, there is a man who goes all out. I mean ALL out! He includes the entire neighborhood, and it's spectacular. Every time the kids and I go out at night (or come home from Grandma and Grandpa's) we have to drive by and check out the "house with all the lights".

* Shopping For People Less Fortunate Than Ourselves - Since I was a young girl, my family has always worked together to help those less fortunate than ourselves at the holiday times. We used to select three or four families each year to play secret Santa to but recently have been donating to various organizations instead.

One thing I try to stress to the kids is how blessed they are and how much they've been given. We talk about how there are boys and girls out there with no toys, no clothes, not even a toothbrush. We look for opportunities to donate to others and we include the kids in this process. I take them shopping to purchase items for individuals in need and explain to them what we are doing and why. They are still young and have some difficulty fully understanding the concept, but I will NOT give up. I feel very strongly that this is an important value to instill in my children.

So there you have it... I've shared with you some of OUR favorite traditions, what are yours??? How does YOUR family spend the holiday season?