Merry New Year!

Well, it's over. Let it go-it's done. Just move on. No, not the Cowboys' season. I wouldn't waste a blog post on Jerry Jones if he paid me! I mean 2012. Whether you loved it or hated it, the old year has ended and the new one has begun. Just in time, too, because 2012 was getting so boring!

At any rate, we ended the year together, spending time eating and playing games with friends and family, and started the new year together, eating and playing games as a family. Not a bad end or beginning. Unless you ask the kids who hate black-eyed peas, because we had plenty of those!

Our new year started in characteristic creative style. While preparing the year-launching feast of "Hoppin' John" with aforementioned peas, ham, greens and cornbread croutons, we were each handed an "invitation" from the youngest child. They had been hand-drawn, then photocopied and cut out like tickets.

"4:00 Playroom for my 1 person show. Be prepared to be blown away with laughter." 

I spelled it as you want to read it. Here is a picture of the phonetically-spelled original:

With an invite like that how do you stay away?

So, I cleaned the ham juice off my hands and followed the rest of the family upstairs. We promptly returned to get the invites when we were met at the playroom with a gate and the stern words, "Those invitations were your tickets!"

She collected our tickets, assigned us beanbag seating, saying, "One dollar please. You may have a seat. Phones must be turned off please."

I pled the media angle, pointing out that I was documenting for posterity sake. No dice.

I will try to remember most of it.

We got a second round of: "Phones off!" And even a "Anyone else have a device?" Wow! She tried to take the phone but I pointed out that Broadway shows just request that they be turned off.

She then made her rounds inspecting each ticket. "I have to make sure you didn't cheat and have the right ticket slips."

Like there was a scalper in the foyer, hawking faux tickets to the kid's show!

At this point it was declared that the show would begin. I couldn't take any good pictures due to the media ban. I managed to snag one bad one at the end, but full costume effect was lost at that point. Imagine a seven year-old child in a purple and white ballet leotard, full tutu, high-heel Disney princess shoes, a Madagascar clown wig and a straw safari hat. Got it? Good. That was the rig she had on.

The only pic I was able to take, after most of the costume flew off, before I lost my phone again!

Our promoter/host/ticket-taker/performer began her show. She sat down and announced that she would begin the first of TWELVE Christmas carols to be played on a mini keyboard. NOOOoooooo!!!!!! We negotiated down to three, with an assistant required for a fourth. Whew!

She performed fully-recognizable renditions of all the three solo songs then asked for a volunteer. When only two people raised their hands and she declared, "You know if you don't raise your hand, I'm just going to call on you!"

The middle child immediately put her hand down and was, of course, chosen. She was asked to sing as accompaniment to the keyboard. In no way did the middle child see this as an opportunity to show off. Ha! where's the Looney Tunes cane when you need it?

The song ended and we thought it was done. 

No.

Next came the dancing.

Then we thought it was done. 

No.

Next came comedy hour.

She ended the show with a joke (actually a decent rule to follow). 

"Why did the cow do jumping jacks?"


Why?


"Because she wanted a milkshake!"

Rim shot.

After the show, she announced that she would be signing the invites in the hall if people wanted autographs (the red ink on the back of the invitation in the picture above). Who needs an agent?

We finished dinner and a game of Disney Trivial Pursuit, and watched just enough bowl football. All in all it was a good first day. Dinner and a show? And we didn't even have to decide "drive or take the train?" Priceless!

Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. I hope that you and yours had a wonderful day, filled with everything that is truly important. Based on recent world events and a heightened desire to really slow down and focus on our family and the true meaning of Christmas, we had already planned a very low key and non-traditional Christmas day. No formal sit-down with china and silver. Nary a tablecloth in sight. I was planning to make at least one traditional pie, but beyond that it was tamales and whatever else came together as we went along.

Due to an ill-timed line of thunderstorms, we got our family bonding time started a little sooner than we planned today. We went to bed just after midnight-certainly a record for we, the wrapping-procrastinators. Unfortunately, the storms came in with hail, lightning and window-shaking thunder at about 2:00 a.m. With the storm came all three kids. As the storm slowed down, they actually had the chutzpa to ask if they could go check their stockings. At 2:00 a.m.! Good effort.

One kid was sprawled on our bed perpendicular to our feet; one between us, there was a great shuffling of bed/chair/beanbag, etc. between the eldest and the hubby. Storms rolled in in waves until about noon, but we finally relented at 6:13 a.m. to the hourly requests for stocking inspection. We had stockings, Santa, our immediate family gifts, coffee and breakfast all done by 7:30. Wow. New league record!

The girls were all happy. All three. I felt like the mom in that commercial who gives her tween the boots she wanted and banners fall down all over the room proclaiming her the champion mom of all time.

*******Breaking News:

They got the American Girl dolls. Yup-we did it. Glad we did, because they were huge hits. So were the accompanying accouterments like equipment, clothes, beds, etc.

“I got McKENNAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!” Shouted the middle kid.

“Wait, wait! Is this NUMBER 27????? It IS! I got her! She looks just like me!” squealed the youngest.

The eldest got the Madden 13 game she wanted. 

“This is awesome-I knew I would get this!” she said, with a great deal of self-assurance.

The best part of the day, however, was seeing so many family members. All day, people came in and out. It was great to see everyone. When we hurriedly (because some family members had to beat the bad roads and had to leave early) sat down to eat, little voices thanked God for the day, our food, the snow and for sending Baby Jesus. Very special.

As the rain changed to sleet and then snow, the sleds that Santa brought last year, and that had not seen one second of action thus far (other than serving as backrests for the movie last night) finally were brought out to play.

Starting when there was a light dusting on the cars, the middle child had been stalking the front yard.

“Can I sled?”

Not yet.

~~~~five minutes elapse~~~~

“Can I sled?”

Not yet.

~~~~five minutes elapse and her sisters joined in~~~~

“Can we sled?”

Not yet.

This went on for nearly an hour. They finally gave up on sledding and just ran around in it for a while. We tried to tell them that the huge flakes dropping on the lawn needed time to build up, and if they churned all the snow up now, there would be less accumulation. Obviously we were speaking in Charlie Brown adult character language for all they heard.

Finally, the snow was high enough to sled. Down our lawn and our neighbors they went. I was shocked how much better the plastic sleds cruised than the cardboard pizza boxes we used in the past! They actually built up some speed on the slight accumulation and even worked for a little knee boarding and ill-advised snowboard attempts.

The Texas kids on our street got what they had been dreaming of: a White Christmas. They made angels, threw snowball, sledded, ran and romped with the dogs. Exhausted from the minimal sleep, excitement and snow play, all were passed out by 8:15. Successful day. It was wonderful. While it wasn’t as planned, it was as close to perfect as I can wish.

These things I now know:

-Wet-snow snowballs hurt when thrown in your face.

-Shepherd-mix dogs with furry feet love the snow.

-Terrier-mix dogs that look like Muppets do not.

-Dolls can still occupy hours of my kids’ time.

-Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story are still as awesome even after 527,000 viewings.

-Tamales on plastic plates taste as good as ham on china.

-Family is the most important thing.

Blessings to you all, may you have a fabulous rest of 2012 and a wonderful 2013.

Grace in the Face of Grief

After what happened in Connecticut on Friday, I found my creative spirit and joy snuffed out. I found myself crying spontaneously when I would see one of my girls spin around and laugh. When I would address a Christmas card I would think about those families who had already sent cards with smiling pictures of their precious little ones-maybe the last photos they had taken before their lives were taken. I would burst into tears.

When I went to get my own babies from their school on Friday, the little kindergarteners were sitting outside after their early release, waiting to be picked up from school. The sight of them gathered there, talking, laughing, being kids, started the tears for the ones who had been doing the same thing just hours earlier. When a policeman walked up beside me, saw the same kids and turned from them-tears running from his eyes, it started me up again.

I had to restrain myself from running into the school early to gather my girls and hurry home. When the release bell finally rang and the kids began pouring from the doors, I wanted to hug each familiar face-not just my own sweet ones. 

As each news update had been released, painting a more detailed picture of the day’s horror, I thought of the little ones I had just read to in my child's first grade class the week before. The same age as those taken. I thought of all of those individual sweet spirits. Each one an angel. What must they be going through in Newtown? It was unfathomable.

I have been praying since Friday. I have been questioning God, though I know it is not for me to know why. I have cried out that I don’t understand. I know to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

I know this and cling to it. But what happens when someone does not trust in the Lord with all of their heart…and their path intersects yours? And it's horrifying? What then? I know that we all have free will and I also know that God accepts me for my doubt and fear. I am human-and what happened breaks my heart

As I prayed and cried and questioned and prayed some more, I also turned off the TV, only watching the news sparingly. I turned in to my own house and family and friends and children. I made the decision to turn over the paralyzing fear and confusion to Him and it is getting better. God's Grace is good and it is healing me slowly.

We did have to have the discussion with the kids about what happened and they all took it in different ways. From a matter-of-fact shock over the terrible act, to a desire for details-an effort to grasp any reason why, to a desire to not hear any details at all again. Three kids, three responses and all took the answers in stride. A little more sober but fairly quick to bounce back.

This morning was tough. It was hard to let my three go to school although we are immensely blessed to have such amazing people caring for them. I had to direct that fear into prayers for them, the other kids, the teachers and staff. Most of all for the families affected by the tragedy. It was freeing to give it all over to God.

I managed to get ready today and make fudge and Christmas jammie pants for the girls and address the rest of our cards. I watched Christmas movies and talked to a friend. The fear, sadness, questions and confusion remain in my mind and I don’t know that they will ever go away completely. However, as I watched my girls sit on Santa’s lap and smile and joke tonight, I know that our life goes on and that kids are resilient-more than me. And I am grateful for every second we get to spend together. For that we are truly blessed.