Being The Mom

Sometimes I really love being wrong... like when Adam lands wrong from a big jump and I'm worried that he might have a broken foot or a sprained ankle because he won't walk.  Thankfully, a quick trip to Urgent Care an an x-ray showed that everything is just fine, although he's limping around now.  I was happy to be wrong about that one. 

While waiting to see the doctor, Adam found a way to keep himself busy.  He said, "Das a really big earwax!"

And sometimes I really hate being right... like when I tell a cupcake-snatching Adam that if he doesn't stop eating so many cupcakes he is going to get sick and throw up... and then he does.  In the middle of the night.  And doesn't wake up to tell anyone, just rolls around in it until morning.

I would have been happy to have been wrong about that one, too.

Mesmerized

We might need a bigger swing set come spring...

Conversations

Leah is fascinated with the definitions of words.  She wants to know why it's called Christmas, why it's called TV, why it's called breakfast.  Some are pretty easy to explain, others (like tape or crepe paper, not so much).  My life is like a never-ending game of Balderdash.  We had pancakes for dinner the other night, but we couldn't just call that dinner.  So breakfast for dinner is officially called "Break-din" in our home now.

*****

Christmas is a time for celebrating.  Leah declared, "Mom!  We can have a pancake breakfast to celebrate Jesus' birthday!"  I think He'd like that.

*****

While decorating for Christmas, we reviewed the concept of a nativity.  I gave the name of each piece of the nativity as Leah studied them.  "This is a wise man... this is a wise man..."

Holding up the third character, she asked, "And is this the foolish man?"

 *****

Leah asks me to define words all the time, and then tries to use them in her conversations.  She wanted the definition of "scolding" and seemed to like my definition of "getting upset with someone because they aren't doing what you want them to do".  The next day, while lamenting over the lack of packages that were arriving on our doorstep with her name on them, said, "The next time I see the mailman, I am going to scold him!"

A Moment of Silence

Three weeks shy of her fifth birthday, Leah and I have come to the mutual consensus that she no longer has to take a nap every day. 

Doesn't mean she might not need it, but no nap has made for an earlier bedtime and a fun bit of "big girl time with Mom" every afternoon.  Of course, I'm still requiring a nice chunk of "quiet time", which I need to figure out the parameters for because, despite her hoping and pleading, not napping does not equal 2 hours of screen time every afternoon while your younger siblings sleep.

I made the mistake of telling Leah that she is a big enough girl to not nap anymore, and she seems to think that means she CAN'T take a nap anymore.  She actually sauntered over to the couch the other day (with the "I'm so obviously trying to do something you don't want me to do" look on her face that is generally reserved for misbehavior like chewing on her headband or sneaking an extra cookie) and casually said, "I'm just going to lay here for a minute with a blanket."  She wanted to take a nap, but it seems that now she thinks she is no longer allowed to.  I try to point out to her frequently how even tired old mommy likes to take a nap every now and again.  Okay, every day, but I guess that's a thing of the past for me now, too.

The transition hasn't been entirely smooth.  She falls asleep in the car anytime we go out in the afternoon, and she's a bit of a grump nearing dinnertime, but we'll get there eventually.  I'll sure miss naptime, though.  Boy did we have a good run.

I hope they call me on a mission...

...when I have grown a foot or two.

The Living Nativity

There is a local church that has a HUGE living nativity every year, and it has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions in Indiana.  Two years in a roll we have forgotten our camera, but a few pictures from our phones show what the scenes are like.  There are scenes that depict stories from the Bible, take you through the busy city of Bethlehem (guarded by Roman soldiers),

 to the stable full of animals and the baby Jesus, (this is last year's visit- look at tiny Adam!)

 past the shepherds being visited by an angel

and the wise men (complete with camels)

 and on through stories of Jesus' ministry on Earth, his death, resurrection and the Second Coming.  

In short, it is amazing. 

My favorite part is walking through Bethlehem- you weave through crowds of people selling fruits, bartering for goods and suddenly stumble upon a very pregnant Mary sitting on a donkey, her husband Joseph pleading with an innkeeper for a place in the inn.  It is heart-wrenching to hear his desperation, then turn to the next scene to see Joseph and Mary holding the baby Jesus in a stable full of straw and smelly sheep.  What an incredible entrance into the world for our Savior.

And of course, we all love the cookies and hot chocolate at the end.  And, as usual, Miss Emma slept through most of it.  Such a sweetie.

I have found that it is really easy to just not focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  There is enough shopping, traveling, and generally craziness to go around- the month could be here and gone without thinking twice about the birth of Christ.  But I love the moments like these that we find to pause and truly reflect on what we are celebrating, and that makes me love the Christmas season more and more every year.

You've Had a Birthday!

We always love kicking off December with a birthday celebration for Jason!  This year's festivities included a surprise lunch party at school, a dinner date at the local burgers and fries joint, and a pirate-themed treasure hunt/trivia game with physical challenges for presents led by two squawky parrots named Leah and Adam.  The kids were amazed by the ring of fire around his birthday cake, I was just glad the smoke alarms didn't go off! 

How grateful we are to have such a great daddy and husband as Jason!