Christmas 2010

Wishing my children a very Merry Christmas today. I’m sure their day was filled with fun and family. Not only is it Christmas, but it is also their Papa’s birthday, so it’s twice the celebration. Plus, this year there were lots of babies added to their family, including a set of twin cousins and a new baby boy cousin. Just imagine how much fun it’s going to be in a few years when they’re all toddling around! Some of my fondest memories of Christmas were when my kids were small and still “believed” – oh the things they would say, they were so cute. I’m laughing remembering in particular my son’s observation in Walmart when he came upon the different colored Santas, and his “stuck in the chimney” comment ~ hilarious! My day was exciting too. I was so blessed to receive many wonderful gifts of love from all the spectacular people in my life, including my mother and my father. The only sad part of today is that my children received only half of the love they deserved this holiday.

Since they won’t see me, I sent them presents in the mail. I hope they received them as each and every part of their gifts was specially selected with meaning. I found a beautiful blue and purple scarf for my daughter, to match her beautiful blue eyes. Every time she wears something blue, her whole face lights up. She is also a voracious reader and she likes those series type books. There is a series called the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants that is written about a group of girls her age, one of them who sounds a lot like my daughter – into her school chorus and drama club. I found the entire four-book set on ebay in hardcover and in perfect condition. It fit perfectly inside this really cute gift bag that looked like a white snowflake adorned purse, complete with a chain shoulder strap. I also found the cutest photo frame covered with pink and silver fuzzies, so she can put photos of her and her friends in it and put it on her dresser.

For my son, I thought he would really enjoy one of those little remote control helicopters. I actually bought two – one for him and one for me. I’m hoping that we can spend some time together playing with them. I’m certainly having a ball playing with mine already. I would have liked to take him out to a movie, but since we’re just not there yet, I got him a movie pass for two so he can take a friend. He’s a big superhero fan – Batman, Spiderman, Rambo, stuff like that, so I got him the Dark Knight DVD. I really enjoyed that movie and have watched it several times. I’m hoping he will too. They each also got a little stocking ornament stuffed with mint and cherry chocolate kisses (the closest I can come to giving them actual kisses at the moment), chocolate coins, a candy bar and a plastic candy cane for their Christmas tree. Even the dog got a little treat – a Good Dog Biscuit Baking Kit, complete with a little bone shaped biscuit cutter. I laugh just imagining him begging for the treats.

I looked through some of the old photos of Christmases past, and posted a bunch on my facebook page. It was fun seeing photos of my kids hunting for and then decorating our Christmas tree, before and after photos of the presents under the tree on Christmas morning, and seeing their smiling faces as they opened their gifts.

There were so many happy times together with their mother’s family and with my family, all the kids dressed up in their Christmas clothes, laughing and opening presents. Oh, and the photoshoots that my ex used to take to get just the right picture of the kids by the tree for the holiday greeting card. Oh the patience, the eye rolling, and the tears. What great memories!

December 2010

It's beginning to look like Christmas! Snow is falling and piling up, it's almost time to get a tree. My kids loved going out to cut down a fresh tree. We would all go out together to the tree farm, pick out a nice tall, full one, that smelled good too, and then cut it down together. We would take turns pulling on the saw so that everyone helped. My son would help tie it to the roof of the car and we'd bring it home to decorate. They loved to put pine cones and angels all over it, and all the homemade or school-made wooden or paper reindeer ornaments. And of course, what is a Christmas tree without sparkly icicles and a big white angel on top. I've started to put out some Christmas decorations around the house. This year, I put two Christmas Candles in the front windows - one for each of my children. There are many stories about the origin of Christmas Candles and their meaning. I like the one that says they are to guide lost or wandering souls home to a place where it is warm and safe and welcoming.


Exciting news! My son has been nominated for Student of the Month at his school! I'm so proud of and excited for him. I hope he gets it. He's certainly earned it. His grades are excellent, he never misses school, and I'm sure he's respectful, courteous and responsible to his classmates. Not sure about the 'keeping his hands and feet to himself' part, but I digress ;) Seriously, he should be very proud of himself. I wonder if they give out those cool bumper stickers for their parent's cars - ha ha. I sent him a Congratulations card for his nomination, I hope he gets my card. Even if he is only nominated, it's still a great honor. Great job son! {Update: He got it, he's Student of the Month for December, very proud of him!}

The Christmas tree is up and full of those little snowmen, snow globes, angels and other little ornaments that have names on them. My friends and family have been giving me ornaments for the kids over the last couple years, so I put them up on my tree. This way they can be here with me for Christmas, in spirit anyways. My daughter has one of those names that you never find on the pre-printed ornaments, at least not spelled correctly, so hers are all hand-lettered. The tree looks really nice. I even have a few other ornaments that the kids made for me when they were younger, gotta love those school projects, and being a bit of a pack rat! Glad I saved all those things, they're fun to look at now that my kids are getting older.

Also went to church for the first time in a while, well, except for when I go to my grandma's church in Ohio when I visit her in the summer. I went to a Christmas Music Service; it was so beautiful. The choir was amazing. There was this one young woman there with a vocal range that was very impressive. I believe she is a music student from the Eastman School of Music at the University. I could hear her voice above the others, the same way I could always hear my daughter's voice above the others at her chorus concerts. Oh, and my daughter's school winter concert was last week. I sent her a text wishing her a good concert but she didn't respond. I'm sure she did great.