Elfin' Around

I've seen this on a couple blogs already and had to try it out for myself, but I had to spread my own cheer around! Just click on the link below and enjoy!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1116671189

A Simple Splurge

Anyone else love McDonalds fountain pop? I just love getting my large Coke, easy ice, with a side cup of ice (to dump in later - to get more pop initially). What I think makes it "the best of the best" is the straw. McDonalds straws are a bit bigger and give you just the right amount of liquid in each sip. I'll usually ask for extra straws to keep in my truck to use when I hit another fast food joint, with the hope that their drink would come just a tiny bit close to McDonalds. It is most often a disappointment. Thus, I do appreciate that tasty soda pop from the Golden Arches.

Birthday Blessings to my Dear Boys

It's over, and I'm sad. Tonight was the last birthday celebration for Will & Adam. No, they didn't have a bunch, just a couple, but it was spread out over just the right amount of time.

They are now four, or as Will says, "Two & two." Four is not that great of a milestone for a person in their whole span of life, but for me, as their mother, I am ecstatic. (Actually, every birthday my kids have, I am overjoyed.) But 4 will be a good year, I know it. These boys already know that four is wonderful, because now they get to have a "whole vitamin", instead of just a half. Big stuff for the little guys. But now, as Dad reminded them, they have an extra minute tagged on to their timeouts. They will move from the "Under the Sea" room to the "Garden Room" in Treasureland. And now that Adam is 4, he is pumped to "beat up." His cousin Josh told him how: you just "pull on one of these" (back collar), "making them fall" and then "roll like this (back and forth) on the ground."

I have to say thanks to my mom and dad for making birthdays so special for me and my brothers growing up. Going out for breakfast with Dad to Golden Bowl, balloons and a special placemat at the table, wonderful presents, and picking out the restaurant for dinner. Now that my brothers and I are all grown up, on our birthday, one never forgets to call the other to send birthday greetings. It is your day - your special day.

I have tried to continue this special tradition in my own little family. So, at our house, we have balloons and streamers and Dunkin Donuts and presents and a trip to a favorite restaurant for dinner. And Grant is now getting in on all the fun. He is such a thoughtful little boy. He bought special presents for them. And he even made up a treasure hunt for Will & Adam to find them, writing up clues and taping them up all over the house. He couldn't wait for the late-sleeping Adam to get up.

Will & Adam finally get what having a birthday is all about. They get excited for the parties; they get excited thinking someone might call them to sing "Happy Birthday"; they get excited opening up a present. Their happiness spreads to everyone in the room, especially their mother.

This November birthday season we have had wonderful experiences - being the leaders at preschool on their special day, getting Crocs and their first and second Webkinz, a mother's first true birthday cake, rough-housing with boy cousins, sharing their day with Uncle Bryan, and many other things. It is fun having both of them celebrating together. Double the fun of it all!

Spewing out Some Thoughts

I have some amazing, inspirational friends.

I was reminded of this the other night, after helping out at one their fundraisers. One of my friends, along with her husband, who lost their baby to heart defects, has a foundation to give to other families, with children who have congenital heart defects, experiencing financial strain and such.

Another friend of mine, among other wonderful things, plans a party for her kids for most every holiday or occasion. Many of these girls find time to serve at church and school for multiple ministries and events. Another mother of four is truly Super-Mom, serving her family, home, church and others with ease, always giving and giving, without losing it and keeping her cool.

They are unbelievable people.

Can I consider them my friends though? Or let me rephrase that, do they consider me their friend?

I have been a lousy friend lately. In the midst of my "illness" and other situations I've been experiencing, I have alienated them. What did I do? How did this happen? I have pushed them away, all by my own doing. I have made excuses to myself. (My thoughts are awful to me; I hate it. I've been trying to find the right meds over the past year, and I'm frustrated.) I have used my children as a crutch - not being able to get out or answer the phone. I was sick of hearing some of the advice they doled out, when they didn't know the whole story. But it was my fault for not expressing that to them; I just removed myself from those situations. One of them doesn't call at all anymore because she doesn't want to come across as hounding me. I am a bad friend.

Maybe a lot of it has to to do with the fact that I don't know how to be a good friend. I am not a "good sharer", but you can't share if you don't see your friends. It may have started in grade school with a group of girlfriends, our clique. If you ticked off the "leader", she would choose the other girl to be her best friend. So, you couldn't say your true feelings if something bothered you about her. It could be the fact that I have never been picked to be a bridesmaid at any of my friends' weddings. I've always been shocked when not chosen; I thought we had been better friends.

What do I do now that I have alienated them all? And do they even want me for a friend, knowing this is the way I am? Do they put on a good front when they see me, with casual conversation, like they do for all of the other people who are just acquaintances? Do they have enough good friends already, and I'm kidding myself that I'm ever going to be close to them? Will I ever learn how to be good friend?

Thanks for letting me ramble. It's been on my mind for some time now. And since I'm not a good "sharer", I put the "pen to paper" and let it out to the web. Maybe this will be my inspiration to get going, to jump start my friendships again. If it's not too late.

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree!

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. The meaning of it all is so beautiful. The lights everywhere warm my heart. Shopping for gifts, mostly online again this year, is a blast.

A highlight of the shopping season is finding the perfect ornament for each of my children. I have to thank my mother-in-law for starting this grand tradition with her kids. My husband's collection of ornaments is so unique, from scuba gear the year he learned, to a set of waders to represent him putting in the pier each spring. She does it a bit for her grandkids now too.

I start searching the internet in September, thinking of things my kids have accomplished throughout the year, hobbies they enjoy, unusual traits about each one of them. Some of my more unique finds have been a blue helmet to show the 9 months my little Will had to wear his mis-shapen head helmet; or the Lego ball creation I found on eBay this year for Grant; or I have taken one of their old pacifiers and hung them on the tree to represent the year they got rid of the nippy. I get more excited about finding and purchasing these than any toy for them. I know they don't appreciate it as much as I do, but I hope someday they will (or at least I hope their wives do, like me). Yesterday, as they were getting their new ornaments, Adam opened his "boy with blankie" ornament, he said he didn't like it. Oh well.

So, yesterday was the big ornament hanging day. The boys, Dave and I did it while Gise was sleeping. Boy, would he get in the way. They were so excited, for the first 15 minutes, at least. They were hanging them everywhere, with a bit of help from Dad. After it was all done, we looked at how great it looked. Will says he loves the Christmas tree - that it is beautiful.

Yes, it is beatiful, but upon further examination, we noticed it is a true hazard - a hazard to the little guy sleeping upstairs. After a little discussion with my husband, it was decided (by him - love you Dave) to just keep an eye on Gise and maybe he won't even touch the tree.

Ha!

After one ball ornament was heard broken and crushed in the middle of our floor, all the ornaments ended up on the top half of our tree. This isn't something new in our house; we did it a couple years ago when the twins were at this stage. Here is a picture of our beautiful Christmas tree:

Maybe we need to raise ornaments a bit higher! Anyway, enjoy the season! We certainly already have and will some more!!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a pretty fun day. These kids wake up ready to trick-or-treat. The anticipation is immense, truly immense waiting for 5:00pm to roll around. As we headed out the front door, our excitement exploded out of us as we headed for the first door. They were shy. What?! You are not going to be making me ring all the doorbells tonight! No, they got over that. And the excitement didn't last long. Adam wanted to go home after about a dozen homes. "Just five more minutes." "Just ten more minutes." "At the end of this street." (Come on, kid, go get some candy for your mommy.)

This year no costumes were being bought in this household. They chose from our costume box and hand-me-downs from cousins, except for Mr. Grant. He wanted to be a Lego. It was a blast planning and making this thing. At one point I didn't know if it was going to happen. I started coming up with ways to ease him into a new costume and having him let go of being a Lego. Lo and behold, we did not have to resort to this unhappiness. (Spray paint primer was the cure.) Here's the little cutie!

This kid is so confident - doesn't give a rip about what others think of him. I was nervous for him. Nervous he would see all these Superman's and pirates and Power Rangers and long to be one of them. He just kept moseying along, ringing doorbells. You know what? People kept commenting on how great he looked - how creative, they would say. They had said that people don't just make costumes anymore. He said a little thank you each time someone complimented him, but it was his mother that was beaming inside. I'm a good mom.

And here's some more pictures of the other little guys. Happy fall y'all and enjoy!