The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

Getting into the Christmas spirit this year has been so easy for me. In years past, those years that were pre-having kids, yet post feeling like a kid myself, I had begun to view Christmas as just an unnecessary amount of stress and over-indulgence. I stressed about dragging out all the decorations only to shove them back in their bins a month later. I stressed about fighting the crowds at the mall and trying to find the perfect gifts for the people that are always impossible to shop for. I stressed about how consumerism and greed clouded the story of Jesus' birth and how the quiet wonderment of the manger was drowned out in the hustle-bustle of rushing from one activity to the next unendingly. I guess I had become somewhat of a scrooge in many ways. I was going through the motions with a smile on my face but deep down it all seemed really quite pointless.

And then I had kids. And like so many things tend to do when you're a parent, my whole view of Christmas has changed. And I'm sure a lot of it is the age that Eli is this year being 2, almost 3 years old, and having Norah as well now. Suddenly, the magic of the holiday is back. Suddenly I can't wait to get the tree put up and hang the garland and fire up the Christmas music. Watching Eli as he runs downstairs to turn on the tree lights and shrieks with joy when he realizes that a stocking has his name on it and sitting on Santa's lap for the first time, and shouting as he points out all the "Christmas" houses lit up at night in the neighborhood, and belting out Go Tell It On The Mountain from the backseat is so refreshing. Listening to him tell us about Mary and Joseph and Jesus' birth on the way home from church each Sunday is precious. Knowing that he is at the beginning ages of being able to implement special family traditions that he will begin to look forward  to and depend on each coming year is exciting to me. Hearing his answers to Santa and others who have asked him "What do you want for Christmas" makes me want to cling to his innocence and bottle him up when he replies with things like "snow" and "snowmen" and "snow globes" He is too young to be caught up in the "gimmies" of Christmas, and yet perfectly old enough to take in all the wonder of the season.  I know this is a short phase and I'm sure in a couple quick years my children will be handing me long lists of the "I wants" for Christmas. So this year, I am trying not to miss a single moment. I have come to realize that it is completely possible and perfectly OK to be taken in by the magic and beauty of Christmas, while still keeping our focus on the real reason that we celebrate this season. It is about the baby that was born into poverty, that grew up to die a death He did not deserve, to save us from a debt we could not afford to pay. That is the gift that I am most thankful for this year.

Boys will be boys

So it turns out that the stereotypical concept that little boys naturally engage in bizarre behavior such as sticking random objects up their nose is absolutely true and not just something people say....at least not in this house. I can only guess that the dinner conversation went something like this inside Eli's mind:

  Eli to self: Hey look at these peas. They are green like my boogers.
  Self to Eli: Yes! Green and very round, just like the shape of the holes in your nose
  Eli to self: Maybe I should stick one up there and see how far it will fit.
  Self to Eli: Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that.

It turns out he can get it pretty far up there, as in almost to the point of no return.

And with the help of a flashlight, a nasal aspirator, tweezers, and a watermellon lollipop were were able to dislodge that sucker in a mere 15 minutes. To which Eli delightfully exclaimed,"there it is!" and popped that slimy pea right back into his mouth. Mmmm, yummy.

Happy 7 months Norah!

And yes, she is every bit the stinker that this picture implies.

You know you're a mom when...

you go out shopping at 4am on Black Friday and your first purchase is a buy 2 get one free case of Earth's Best organic baby food. And you know you're an uber dork when you actually say "Wahoo!" to the cashier as she rings it up and confirms that, yes indeed, that third case is actually free. And you know she thinks you're crazy when you act like you're lucky you got there just in time before it was all sold out because of course most parents would be heading to Babies R Us at this pre-dawn hour to buy toys and trampolines and dancing Mickey dolls, and are not bolting straight back to the diapers and food isle. And you know there's little hope for ever improving knowing that you spent the past 3 Black Friday extravaganzas being the first only person in line at Walgreens at 4am to snatch up those buy one get 2 free candles that are never going to run out. So cheers to shopping for whatever deals make you happy!!

Too funny

A couple of my recent conversations with Eli...

Yesterday as we were preparing to leave for Costello Thanksgiving at John's parents

Me: Come on Eli we're going to Grandma Anne's for dinner. And there's going to be mashed potatoes and stuffing and rolls and turkey. Doesn't that sound so yummy?

Eli: I want to pet it

Me: Huh?

Eli: I want to pet the turkey

Me: Oh, no buddy we can't pet it. We're going to eat the turkey, for our Thanksgiving

Eli: Oooohhh, that sounds like fun

And tonight around the dinner table

Me: What did you learn in Sunday school class today buddy?

Eli: Jesus!

Me: What about Jesus?

Eli: God!

Me: Oh, wow Jesus and God, thats really cool. Do you know where Jesus lives Eli?

Eli: Right there, (pointing) in the pantry

Not quite sure where that one came from, but we definitely enjoyed a good laugh. And a good reminder to work on our theology

Where did Norah go....?

is a question I find myself asking Eli a lot lately when I come back into the room after dashing upstairs to switch the wash or running some letters out to the mailbox. "Right there" he usually responds pointing under the coffee table or wedged between the couch and the wall. Norah is on the move and she is quick. She loves to follow Buckeye around in an attempt to grab onto her tail and this usually lands her stuck in all sorts of places as Buckeye attempts to hide from her.

Norah is twice distracted in this video by Buckeye noisily drinking from her water, and no, that is not me breathing heavily in the background. I would surely hyperventilate at that pace. Enjoy!

Happy 1/2 birthday Norah Dee

You are so beautiful, and so very busy. And you still have those big blue eyes that I love. Slow down a little, you are changing at warp speeds.