On Christmas Day in the Morning

If, in one word I could tell you what I wanted to give my family for Christmas, the word would be joy. I want them to feel loved, and give them joy from the moment they open their eyes until they close again that evening. We sought out the most perfect gifts and as always, there are surprises that take us to a whole new level. Maybe I need a bigger word than joy!

Our Greta and Jack didn't ask for much. Greta wanted several Lalaloopsies and Jack just laughed and said Pee pee when you asked him ....and I did, over and over and over. Same answer, every time. But they are such good kids and this was the year I am sure they will remember. From all of our traditions of Christmas Eve, and breakfast to the magic of what will be found in the glow of the twinkle lights. A child can only imagine this wonder, and our memories were all brought back to stir our souls as we giggled at their squeals of delight.

I got my treat on Christmas Eve. Funny story, really. After getting the kiddos tucked into bed, I came down the stairs to see a Lucite serving tray under the tree! Ooo, I loved it and looked at Sarah and asked, what it was and who would get it. She got this excited grin and said, "You'll see." Then Greta was upset so I went up to settle her down. Mom, Sarah and Mark brought in their Christmas gifts from their cars.

I came downstairs to find an incredible antique chair reupholstered in zebra for Sarah from mom, and a Lucite serving cart with martini lamp and Lucite ice bucket...and the serving tray under the tree. I have wanted this cart for years. YEARS. My mom had it for sale in the store and decided I should have it. Sarah had brought her the serving tray for mom, but in the end it was for me! I am still smiling. I love my Christmas gift.

Mom also brought the handmade teddy bears that Santa had given Sarah and me on Christmas long ago. One is wearing the dress Sarah came home from the hospital in and the other is wearing hand made baby clothes that I played with as a child. They sit in a sleigh that my mom adorned with satin ribbon and pearls. They made me smile then, and again this year. Is that re gifting? If so, I am OK with it.

Having my family with us on Christmas morning was very special to me. I think I would have been happy with a lump of coal from Santa since they were with us. And, after we dressed and picked out a toy for the road, we went to see Papa. He was so glad to see us. He has been through a lot the past few months. We reserved a new room that is furnished with a dining room table, and also new couches and chairs. It was bright and cheerful and away from everything else. It felt good to be there with Papa and though mostly closed, his eyes opened up frequently...big and bright, and most definitely full of joy.

Christmas Eve is My Most Wonderful!

It is. I love the feeling that Christmas is so close....Finally! Oh, we could hardly bear it this year. Each day we counted down and let the excitement build. Oh, how much Greta and Jack were caught up in the moments of the season. I almost feared that I had built it up too much....Maybe one Elf too many? He grinned at them impishly and tormented them by being cute, and kind of fantastic and at the same time kind of creepy showing up in his new spot each day. Would he push them over the edge or would he be the sweet little go between that they needed to contact the great man in red. Often I would hear them chatting it up with the Elf. "Can you tell Santa that I ate an extra bean?"

We left out sugar cookies, chocolate milk, reindeer carrots, and tiny sprinkle donuts for the tiny Elf....who left a big impression.
And, Christmas Morning exploded in our living room hours later.

This year, Christmas Eve was full of sunshine and mild weather. Derek and I had all of our shopping and wrapping finished, so we worked on tidying up the house, finishing the last grocery shopping and icing cookies with the littles. Aunt Sai Sai and Uncle Mark came to be with us this year, and also Gee! They arrived and we decorated cookies and flew Mark's helicopter. It has a camera on it so we can watch from inside on our TV. We saw way up on the roof where Santa would land.

The house was cozy with a fire and twinkle lights, good movies on and music. Derek picked up Boling's for dinner and we ate our favorites with cold beers and wine. Sarah and I made breakfast for the morning and loved every minute of this Christmas eve while the kids ran with balls of yarn around and around with a little Mimsy not far behind in chase. Their laughter was my icing.

They opened their Christmas Eve gift -pajamas and a plush 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack and Sally, to sleep with 'till morning. And then, even before 7:30 Greta asked to go to bed! We were all shocked and whispered in disbelief as Derek took them up to brush their teeth. Would it last?

Almost. Greta was tucked in after a story, but sobbed hours later because she couldn't sleep and she thought Santa wouldn't come. Derek told her she could play until her eyes felt heavier. And she did...and did for a while...and Santa waited and waited because her room is at the top of the stairs.

But, even though Santa is jolly and pudgy, He/She is quiet and set out gifts in the dark...waiting to see them all lit up in the morning. We all went to bed smiling.

And Christmas came!

Run, run Rudolph

Run, run Rudolph, originally uploaded by DerekandRebecca.

Happy 5th Birthday Dear Greta!

Happy 5th Birthday Dear Greta!, originally uploaded by DerekandRebecca.

This song never gets old...when you're 5. Let's eat!

Well, Hi there, Five

The little sweetie is 5! She wanted a Lalaloopsy party, and that was no surprise. We reserved the party room at Ben and Jerry's and invited all those we love to party with. It was a sugar cone party, so the littles got to sample flavors in itty bitty cups, and then help make a waffle cone followed by a tour of the deep freeze. They got to dip a sugar cone in chocolate and sprinkles and then eat their favorite flavor scooped into it. I made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting and fondant buttons. We had sparkling juice and mini lalaloopsies to take home. Little miss was so happy and so pleased to have this birthday. It was an event for me. I love this little lady and, like all mammas of their own, I am sure, I could go on and on about her. So much potential and love and sweetness in these little ones. We are blessed to have them in this world. Greta has made my world so much more beautiful. We laugh so much and bless her little heart, we sometimes cry together, too. I wonder where she will go and how many she will touch. I hope her friends count as high as her lalaloopsy collection. I wish the world for her this birthday and every one after.

Nibble Nibble

All things Christmas are delicious. I find there are so many traditions that come with this season that are, in the most simple terms, perfect. And these things make us smile. We went to the Lytle's for a Gingerbread House Party. We went in pajamas and Jack wore his brown boots over his footies and it made us all laugh. He thought it was most excellent. We decorated and nibbled the sugars and sweets and then made pasta and let the kids play until it was time for sugar plum dreams. We have the sweetest friends. I could just eat them up.

For the Love of God

The beautiful lights and displays around Kansas City are bringing fantastic reactions from Greta and Jack. When Jack sees a house twinkling with lights he gasps with horror and disapproval. I asked him what was wrong and he said he liked them. You just never know.

Greta has been equally entertained. She yells, "For the love of God!" When she sees a house with a nativity scene. She says they have "The love of God!"

For the love of God! Uggggg! Blarf! Gorgeous lights.

The Boy

Some would say he is all boy. He has, and always has had the biggest boy feet...Like Golden Retriever puppy paws. He has these soft brown eyes with perfect eyelashes and he has soft skin and a petite nose and mouth. He kisses me with long kisses and hugs with strong arms. He always has dirty fingernails.

But, a woman told him what a pretty girl he was at Costco. She said she liked her green coat. I just smiled at her and said thank you. As we rolled our cart past, Jack growled, "Me not gurl, me boy." Do many little girls wear green coats? I know his hair is longer than most little boys, but isn't it okay for boys to have longer hair? I only wonder these things because she was not the first nor last to make the assumption that Jack was a little lady.

He says the funniest things to me. He asked me, "Mamma, dis my wite hand?" I said back to him, "YES! Very good! That is your right hand!" "Den dis my wong hand, mamma?"

He wakes at the crack of dawn before the sun is up. He comes into our room and whisper/shouts, "It morning time yet?" We wake with him and have cereal to start the day. He is a morning person with outrageous bedhead and sweet breath.

He now sleeps in a "big boy bed" not a "cib". I cried the day we converted it. I made the kids cry. They thought something was wrong. Nothing was wrong it is all right...just happening too fast.

We Were Thankful and Now We are Jolly

Our near perfect November was topped off with a memorable trip to Louisville Kentucky to visit Grandma and Poppy. We loaded up a rented van with suitcases of clothes, toys and a bag of snacks from Joe Joe's and suited the van with DVD players loaded with Christmas movies. The trip was so great. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Columbia, we cheered passing by the Arch in St. Louis and then we continued the journey through Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. It is so beautiful there. They seem to have milder winters and much more rain, so the grass was green and there were even some green trees now and again. The hills are breathtaking. Greta and Jack were amazing passengers. No naps, no fussing, no fighting and no regrets. We had put the long trip off for several reasons, and now that the kiddos are older, they handled it with ease.

Thanksgiving was delicious. Grandma Jayne ordered the meal from an organic market and it was superb. I especially love that she didn't have to work in the kitchen all day and we got to relax together. We did my favorite Thanksgiving things - long and lovely naps in a quiet house and leftovers with pumpkin pie and whipped cream. I took my nap in a soft bed with Greta and she sat on the floor describing old family photos to me as I dozed off. I woke up as she had fallen asleep next to me and I just lay there and watched her sleep. There was a gorgeous light filtering in through the ivory curtains. It reminded me of being at my Grandmother's. It might have been the stillness of the house...a distant dog bark...pillows that smell like Bounce... Maybe I felt Mom Hodina close because she wanted me to on this family day.

I am thankful for memories and watching my first baby sleep on soft sheets making her own that she will cherish. A trip to Grandma's will surely be one of them.










And now I sit and write this overdue Thanksgiving story and look out to a darkening sky. Will we see our first snow? We have decorated our tree and are eager to have a reason for more hot chocolate and marshowshows. We have made special bedtime delays to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Charlie Brown Christmas. Our Mimsy hides in the tree and we know this not because we can see her, but we see trembling Christmas balls. If you do spot her, she is deep within the branches and her eyes are big and round. She is getting negative reports from our Elf on the shelf. But, there is still time to turn it around. A little cuddle with Mimsy during a snow storm would possibly win her some catnip on Christmas morning. I wake the kids from their naps with Christmas carols and even played them one of me singing long ago at the Methodist church in Clinton. They knew it was me. I sing opera to them only on occasion. It makes them wild...and climb the Christmas tree. I love Christmas music playing in the house. I think it feels like home. Always, always brings good memories.

Lap Heaven

our walk amongst the living

Tricks or treats, money or eats, you blockhead!

At long last...the Boo Montoh!

We reached maximum candy capacity even before Halloween night. We trunk or Treated, we went to a rockin Halloween party, Greta partied at preschool while Jack and I haunted the aisles of Target in costume. Starting the week before Halloween I filled the kids "spooky boxes" with monster crafts and scary treats for them to find each morning. And then came the actual trick or treating and the Lytle's Monster Mash. For two years now, we have started the night with Chili and mummy dogs out by the fire in the driveway with spooky Scooby Doo projected on the house and then go door to door. The weather could not have been better, it was warm and clear. The kids are getting older and watching them run up to each house was absolutely surreal to me. I remember so well the feeling of this exciting night. I remember each costume I wore year to year and the perfect pumpkins my parents carved. I remember the weather and the starry skies and running through wet grass and leaves. I remember what houses were scary and which ones gave you walnuts or pennies. I remember the smell of sweet success at the end of the night, sticking my head into my orange pumpkin to inhale the chocolate, and sugar glory before dumping it out to see with my own eyes and picking what would be eaten first and what would be saved for tomorrow. It is always a happy Halloween.

Halloween Bath

It was spooky and glowy oh, so cool. Take some glow sticks and jump into the tub with the lights out. We did this for our Halloween bath and what fun it was to have something new to keep their minds off of...."how much longer until Trick or Treat?"

Boo.

I Heart You Nork

On this day, Mimsy and I watched the live feed from NY Times Square. Derek is the Creative Director on a major project for Dell Computers that took over Times Square asking everyone what they would do if they had the power to do more, and letting them tell the world. There was an incredible response and we are so proud of him.

Mimsy says, with the power to do more, she would, "learn to twitter."

Making Room for Mimsy

Meet Mimsy. Isn't she something? She is our new kitten that came to us by two hipsters walking by our house on a sunny October afternoon. Two girls had heard her crying from underneath the base of the street light on the corner of 95th and our street. She was very skinny and very frightened. We gave them a box and they continued door to door to see if they could find her owners. Well, an hour later, she was ours and no longer homeless.

She hid underneath a chair for her first afternoon here and wouldn't let us touch her. She ate and drank and watched us. She played with her new tickle feather toy, but wouldn't let us get too close. By evening she was out of hiding and found affection with Greta. She watched Greta play games and read books on the ipad and inched closer and closer to her. And, then she was in Greta's arms and has been ever since. She pearls (purrs). She loves Greta and Jack and now, 2 weeks since our meeting she is right at home and we love her so. Welcome home little Mim!

Greta named her Mimsy. It made us laugh when she suggested it. She said, "I just made up that name!" I think it fits her perfectly....But, Jack on the other hand, insists that her name is Mimsy Alice. Alice is his contribution. I have no idea why. Dat a nice name.

We are making room for Mimsy. As I type this, Derek is cutting a little cat door in the playroom so Mimsy can take care of all her kitty needs in private. Currently her kitty box is in the hall bathroom and Jack said, "Dat tinks, bleh. Dat not go in here." I had to laugh at him. Jack has a sensitivity to smells but a soft spot for her other attributes. He sings her lullabies. He said, "Mamma, you sing her babymine, ok?"

I think she will find herself loved here. I am so glad she made it from such a dangerous situation near a very busy street and also with a red tailed hawk on our block...Derek says she reminds him of Jude. I think she was meant to find us.

Falling

Greta and Jack and I have spent a lot of time outside in the warm sunshine this October. The leaves have smelled so sweet to me. I take the ipad and set Pandora to Halloween Party and we let our imaginations run. Sometimes I just sit and watch them and listen while I scan through Pinterest. Sometimes I let my imagination run with them. We have lost almost all of our summer sand from the sand box as it has found its way to our wild, overgrown garden restaurant by sloppy waiters. Perfect timing. Soon we will be serving snow cones, anyway.

But today we camped out beside our pretend campfire. Leaves make great pillows and sleeping bags sleep two if you don't snore.