Double digits

Our sweet Caroline is ten.

TEN.

A decade old.

It happened just as fast as everyone told me it would.

In some ways I feel like she was new only yesterday - I remember her arrival so vividly - and at the same time it like she's been with us always.  It's hard to remember life before her - and that's okay, because it's so much better now.

These ten years of being her mom have been blessing beyond comprehension.  She is bright and curious.  She is compassionate and determined.  She is adventurous and kind. 

She loves playing barefoot outside, staying up too late to read "just-one-more-chapter", all things Harry Potter, show tunes, deep conversations and surprising people.  She doesn't much care for math, cleaning bathrooms or being asked to stop reading in the middle of a chapter.  She's also not a fan of putting her dirty socks in the laundry basket.

 

She's the girl who made me a Mom, and I'm convinced God has a big plan for her life.   I can't wait to see what happens in the next ten years.

 

December 15

December 14

December 13

Go-Go's 'hot cocoa bar' was a HUGE hit!!

December 12

Today's Advent gift was a snowman kit with homemade play-doh.  The kids had so much fun making these.  Charlotte went all out with the glitter (thanks Go-Go!).  Caroline made a Mary Poppins snowman.  And Henry made an alien, a snowman and finally a snow-dog. 

The kids were really excited the next morning to see that Martha had some new friends too!

December 11

Charlotte's class had a little Christmas play during school today.  She was a spectacular Elf #4.

December 10

December 9

I'm all for the convenience and paper-less-ness of on-line recipes, but lately I've been missing good, old-fashioned, hand-written recipes.  So, this Christmas, I'm writing a few down.

December 8

This year's production of  "The Night Shift Before Christmas" was a huge success!  The girls loved every minute, and we loved seeing them perform.  Henry's class got to sing too, and they were the best little bell ringers anyone has ever heard.

December 7

Making ornaments to give - today's Advent gift!  Thank you Go-Go!

December 6

Henry's preschool class has been learning about Christmas around the world.  This week they went to Sweden (Santa advent), the Philippines (Parol) Italy (stained glass ornament).  Hearing Henry say "Buon Natale!" like a little Corleone was a true highlight of my day!

December 5

December 4

Just like it is for everyone, December is a crazy time at our house - this week has been especially rushed and hectic.  But tonight we had the sense to stay up a little past bedtime so we could cram all 5 of us onto the living room loveseat and read Christmas books together.  It was lovely and much needed.

And, in EOtS news.....

Martha is about to get herself dis-invited to our house this Christmas - just look at this mess!   She's lucky the people who love her so much are so cute!

December 3

Our day began with an Advent gift meant for giving - some cards to send and ornaments to make and share.  The girls made ornaments between bites of breakfast and took them to school to surprise their teachers.

Our day ended with this sight......which just never, ever gets old.

December 2

Martha's back!!  She arrived in the night, and the small people in this house are delighted.  Henry just sat and stared at her for a while this morning.  Jason overhead him saying to himself in a perplexed voice, "I don't know how I'm going to solve this problem....".  We guess that means he's trying to figure out her tricks - hopefully, she'll be extra tricky this year.

 

Between Martha's antics and Go-Go's Advent gifts, it should be a little easier to drag these people out of bed each morning.  Today's gift was a Christmas book for each - thanks Go-Go!

December 1

Just like last year, I wanted to capture our Christmas season by posting a picture each day during the month of December.

I'd love to show you a picture of us getting our Christmas tree or doing our Angel tree shopping with all of Jason's side of the family, except I forgot my camera today.  I'm sad about that - we are quite the crew and cannot be expected to tromp through a Christmas tree field or shop our way through a Big R without raising the volume and a few eyebrows.  We are always accompanied by much fun and laughter.

I can show you the kids' first Advent gift of the season from Go-Go.  They each got an Advent wreath to hang on their bedroom door.  We can't wait to see what surprises our crafty, creative Go-Go has in store for us each day!

21 - 30: Better Late Than Never?

Well, it's safe to say that I fell off the thankful bandwagon.  What can I say?  One thing led to another, and now it's December 1st.

My OCD, attention-to-detail (yeah, that sounds better.....) won't let me move on until I finish this exercise, so here we go....

21:  I'm thankful for persistent Charlotte, who would not stop until every ornament was hung on our tree in the basement.  She even recognized the need for SOP, or Symmetrical Ornament Placement, (I'm sure that's a real thing - look it up) and got her little fanny up on a barstool so our tree would not look like it had been decorated by a 9, 7 and 4 year old.  Even though it had.  For that, and so many more reasons, I love that girl.

22:  I'm thankful for good help in the kitchen.  As soon as that corn starts popping, that boy will let you know!

23:  I'm NOT particularly thankful for how grown-up Caroline looks in this picture, but I am thankful that when we were taking pictures for the Christmas calendar she wanted one with her book.  I'm thankful she can't leave home without it and that I never have to bug her to read.

24:  I'm thankful that there is always a superhero around here when I need one.

25: I'm thankful for 1st grade art projects.

26:  I'm thankful for my sweet husband who makes things that are a big deal to me a big deal to him.  I'm thankful that he rakes the leaves into a big pile for the kids to jump in before raking them again to haul them away.  I'm thankful that he draws silly faces on our bathroom mirror to make the kids laugh.  I'm thankful that he brings home Sonic ice when he knows I've had a bad day.  I'm thankful that he sets up the basement Christmas tree, plays Mousetrap with Henry, keeps our cars running, deals with any and all rodent issues - and so many more jobs that no amount of Sonic ice would make tolerable. 

27:  I'm thankful for quiet evenings at home - they are a rare luxury around here, and I'm learning to adore them.

28:  I'm thankful for family Thanksgivings.  Ours was a little melancholy this year, without my Uncle Mark.  We carried on, thankful for good memories of the well-lived life of a wonderful man.  I think he would have been proud, and I know he would have loved the board games and caramel corn.

I'm also thankful for this picture from Thanksgiving.  That's Nana showing Caroline how to play the autoharp with Henry playing percussion on the autoharp case.  Because what version of Winter Wonderland isn't better without some 4-year-old drumming?

29:  I'm thankful that stomach viruses don't last very long.  I'd rather not discuss why I know this.

30:  I'm thankful for the season of Advent - the crazy, precious, hectic, light-filled, blessed season.  There's just so much to look forward to and such a perfect gift to celebrate.

20 - The Force

A few nights ago we watched the original Star Wars as a family.  It's a movie that will just always hold up in my opinion.  It is so nostalgic to me, and I love to watch it and realize how little of it I actually understood when I was young.

I loved the movie as much as I always have.  But even more, I loved the reactions of each of the kids to it.

Caroline actually understood all the ins and outs of the plot.  She thought ahead, predicted some plot twists and asked a lot of good questions.  The second the movie ended she begged to start The Empire Strikes Back. 

Charlotte had to be asked several times to stop talking so the rest of us could hear what was going on.  She was an invaluable source of ongoing commentary, and she especially had a lot to say about Princess Leia's wardrobe and hair choices. 

Henry was particularly fascinated with the droids, spacecraft and weapons involved.  Needless to say, the character development was rather lost on him.  He spent most of the movie building TIE fighters and X-Wings out of LEGOs and practicing his light saber sound effects.

I'm thankful for the diverse and remarkable personalities of these kids of ours.  I'm thankful for the stage and age of each of them right this very second. 

I'm also thankful that Henry didn't knock anyone out before we informed him that a miniature baseball bat is not an appropriate substitute for a light saber.  It was a rather close call.

19 - My Boy

Anyone who knows Henry would probably agree that he's an "all boy" kind of kid.  People are always saying to me, "He's just 'all boy', isn't he?"  He fits the boy stereotype in most every way possible.

It's hard to argue when you consider that his favorite things include:

• Tractors, combines, sprayers, planters, corn heads, bean heads....pretty much anything farming related
• Bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, backhoes, pavers....pretty much anything construction related
• Superheroes and ninjas (especially the teenage mutant ninja variety)
• Tools and being "a worker"
• Trains, boats, planes and trucks
• Taking things apart and putting them back together
• Good guys and bad guys
• Transformers and LEGOs
• Weapons of any kind....I'm not proud of this one, but it is what it is.

I love his rambunctious, curious, bull-in-a-china-shop boyness.  But today I'm also remembering to be thankful that Henry-at-4 is a little bit of a Mama's boy.  He's affectionate to lots and lots of people, but nobody gets kisses and hugs and I-love-yous like me.

Multiple times a day he will say to me, "I'm going to do something you'll really love!  Ready?"  And I'm rewarded with a hug or a sticky kiss.  Lately, he's been saying while we drive, "Mom, pass your hand back to me!"  And when I oblige he plants a big smacker on my hand.

Tonight at bedtime he told me, "I love THIS much!" and he put his hands behind his back until they met.  "I love you more than the fridge, more than a giant, more than this house, more than anything!"  

It won't always be this way, and that's the way it should be.  But, for now, I'm thankful to be his favorite girl.

17 & 18 - Standing on the Promises

Caroline has been asking a lot of questions since Sunday's tornado.  Mostly, they are questions I can't really answer like "Why did the tornado hit the houses in Washington but not our house?"

I'll admit I have some questions myself; there is a lot of devastation around us that I don't yet understand. We lost our power for about 14 hours on Sunday.  The kids treated it like a big adventure and camped out in the living room by the fire. I was glad they were having fun, incredibly thankful that our family and our home were safe, but I also felt guilty that all we lost was our electricity.

It's hard to sit at the beginning of suffering and see how anything good can come from it even when past experience tell us it can.  As Christians we know that God can bring good from the suffering we face in this life.  Sometimes that suffering can strengthen our character, serve as a witness to others or make us more compassionate.  Sometimes God has a blessing we could never have imagined waiting for us at the end of the hardest roads we walk.

The best promise is that while God is working to bring good from our trials we are not left to fend for ourselves.  Isaiah 41:10 promises, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Nana once told me, "You know, the longer I live, the more I realize that we will all be in the depths of despair sometime.  But I’ve also learned that God is there too……He got there before I did.”  That image of God, ready and waiting to draw us close and see us through, is so comforting to me.

I hope our neighbors are already encountering the waiting God and his goodness every time they turn around.   I hope that when their great loss threatens to overwhelm them they will be buoyed and blessed by the helping hands and feet of Jesus. I hope when they remind us that "the most important stuff in life isn't stuff" that we will listen, especially while we sit in our warm and stuff-filled homes. I hope the good that comes from this trial is better than any of them could ever imagine.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and

 not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

16 - Girlfriends

A few years ago I put one of those "25 Random Things About Me" on this blog.  One of my 25 items was this:  "I think good girlfriends are one of God's very best ideas."

It's even more true to me now that it was then.  I am so remarkably, fantastically blessed by all the smart, funny, compassionate, sarcastic, praying, helpful, talented women in my life.  I really don't know what I would do without them.

I'm convinced that when God created Eve he took a look at how she was wired and then designed her to connect with other women.

He knew she would need advice when Cain and Abel just could NOT manage to get along.

He knew she would need someone to vent to when Adam insisted on leaving his loincloth at the foot of the bedroll instead of in the washing pile.

He knew she would need a friend to help her brainstorm new ways to fashion those fig leaves into something cute to wear.

He knew she would need a listening ear for when she needed to re-hash a topic for the tenth time and Adam had tuned her out after hearing about the problem twice.

Today I'm thankful for the girlfriends God brings into my life.  I'm so glad he knew that we would need each other.

15 - Date Night

Jason and I had an unexpected, unplanned date night tonight.  We ate sushi, we went Christmas shopping and we finished entire sentences without being interrupted.  It was, and you'll think I'm exaggerating here but I assure you I'm not, glorious.

14 - Our Bailey Girl

Our dog Bailey just turned 13, which means she is of "mature age".  We're becoming more and more aware that the time we have left with her is growing short.  She is much beloved by our family, and I'm so thankful that she is the sweet dog of our children's childhoods.  She'll always be our Bailey girl.

13 - A good laugh

You know that line in Steel Magnolias that says, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion!"?

Well, today I'm so aware that it is so true.  I'm thankful for a good laugh when you don't think you feel like laughing.  Sometimes it's exactly what you need.

12 - My Someones

Today I'm thankful for all the someones that make our lives easier.  I've used the phrase "You're a lifesaver!" at least a dozen times in the past week and I meant it each and every time.  We are remarkably blessed with helpful, caring, praying, pick-up-the-slack people.

They are friends who listen and let you share.  Neighbors who keep an eye on your house and let you know when something is awry.  Other moms who give rides home.  Teachers who encourage our kids and communicate thoughtfully with us.  Church members who pray when you're facing a challenge.  People who love your kids and will open their homes to them.  Parents who are always willing to help in the ways you need, not just the ways they want.

I'm so thankful for all the someones that bless our family. I don't know what we would do without them.

11 - Our Veterans

I take a lot of things in my life for granted, and my freedom is very near the top of that list.  I know, but often forget, that so many people in so many corners of the world don't live under such a cover of safety and assurance. 

I take that freedom for granted because sometimes I think it's a free perk of being an American.  The truth, of course, is that it was never free.  It was earned and it is kept at a price not paid by me. 

I'm thankful today for the men and women whose courage and discipline safeguard our precious liberty.  That their duty often separates them from their family so that mine can be protected is a remarkable sacrifice.  May I never forget their selfless gifts.

8 - 10: Being Busy

I'm totally cheating by combining days 8 - 10, but I'm also totally exhausted.  I can't remember a more jam-packed weekend than the one we just enjoyed.  I'm so tired that even writing actual narrative seems like more than I can handle - I think I'll settle for bullet points.

I'm thankful for:

• Having friends over, especially the kind who don't mind that you didn't dust before they came.  And when they bring food and make you laugh a lot, it's even better.
• Teamwork - the United Methodist Women's craft sale was a HUGE success on Saturday.  Every year at this event I'm amazed by the hard work, talent and creativity of the women I'm blessed to be surrounded by.  God's goodness overflows.
• My People - Go-Go and PaPa kept the kids on Friday night then brought them home in time for Caroline's volleyball game on Saturday.  They stayed for the game with Jason, and since I couldn't be there it made me happy to know her cheering section was full.
• The 62nd annual pancake and sausage supper at Caroline's school - talk about community spirit!! The girls got the biggest kick out of knowing that this event has been around longer than their Grandparents.
• A girls night out with new, fun friends and looking forward to the next time!
• Hearing the kids choirs sing in church.   Those sweet faces, those sweet voices - it just never gets old.  
• The excitement of the Christmas musical - the girls are always so happy to go practice singing and dancing with their cast-mates. 
• Time with family - Justin, Kacy and sweet Norah (better known around here as Baby "Noree") came over tonight.  We've been missing them so it was a perfect end to our crazy weekend.  We hung out and caught up and tried to figure out how Norah can be so big when she was only born a couple weeks ago - or at least that how it seems! 
• A full, busy, sometimes exhausting life and the amazing people who share it with us.

7 - Nana's Wisdom

When I was taking pictures of Nana's cookbook yesterday, I came across a page titled "On Making Memories".  I've read it before, of course, but it's been a while.  It's what I'm thankful for today because it's a reminder I need.  I'm thankful Nana included this particular bit of wisdom in her book - it's almost like she knew we Lambs would need it someday.

(I need to mention that Nana calls all her grandkids her "Lambs".  I've heard her refer to us as "my Lambs" all my life - as a kid, it was just part of the vocabulary.  Only as I've gotten older have I realized how unique a phrase it is.)

On Making Memories

by Nana

"We all need to put a bit of effort into creating good memories for our Lambs.  We get caught up in the day to day struggle of living to earn money to buy things our Lambs think they want.  Sometimes we slip into the trap of spending so much of our time and energy doing things for them, that we tend to slack off on doing things with them.  It doesn't take much money - sometimes none - to make some very good memories.  These are usually stored in the Lambs' memory bank forever.  Remember, we're making memories all the time.  Whether or not they're good is pretty much up to us.  Something wonderful about good memories is the fact that they're so durable.  They can't be lost, traded or stolen, they don't need to be picked up or laundered, they don't wear out and they never need to be repaired nor do they require a paint job.  (Unfortunately, bad memories are just as durable.)  I'm not saying we shouldn't buy things for our beloved Lambs.  Of course we should!  However, the greatest gifts we can give them come from the heart - time, patience, a willing ear, lots of hugs and kisses, and telling them we're so blessed to have them.  By our actions, we can be visible symbols of the kind of constant, unconditional love that God gives us."

6 - Nana's Recipes

Almost two decades ago my Nana and her sister put together a cookbook.  It's 80 pages of their favorite recipes, quotes, writings and wisdom.

In the last week I've pulled it out twice to make her caramel corn.  It's a recipe I know by heart - but I get the book out every time anyway just because it makes me happy.  It's the saddest looking page you've ever seen - boiling caramel is splattered all over it and the book pretty much opens by itself to that page.  It's one of my prized possessions.

 

I also have lots of recipes written in Nana's own handwriting.  This is the one she brought to my wedding shower - it's my go-to recipe for any sort of "girls night" function.

I'm thankful that she took the time to share the recipes she loves - it's the reason I have tangible, in-my-kitchen, caramel-splattered reminders of my Nana.  I'm thankful that I'm still able to call her to tell her I used her pumpkin bar recipe for a church luncheon or when I need advice on canning pickles.  Mostly I'm just thankful that no matter how grown-up I get, I'm still my Nana's lamb (more on that nickname tomorrow).

5 - Write-In Words I Love

Jason's nickname for Charlotte is 'Words'.  If you ask her why she will tell you, without any shame or hesitation, "Because I talk a lot!"

Indeed.  

Don't get me wrong, there are days when I would pay cash money to hear myself think for a minute or two around here.  But mostly, I sort of love it - her inflection, her sweet voice, her dramatic recreations of stories.  I really love to hear her say any word ending in 'ing' because she never gets the 'g' on there. 

It's not that she can't, she just doesn't for some reason - maybe that 'g' just takes too much time to say.  She's got a lot of words to meet her daily quota, and a girl has to cut some corners (or letters) somewhere. 

So she might wear ear-ins and leg-ins to a wed-in.  Then after she's done eat-in her supper and read-in her book, she might be get-in ready for bed and sleep-in until morning.

Today I'm thankful for the all the words that fill our home and the sweet, noisy kiddos who say them.

4 - In The Spirit

I'm not someone in favor of going straight from Halloween to Christmas.  In fact, Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite days of the year - it is steeped in tradition and shared with some of my very favorite people.

I am, however, someone in favor of not having December completely suck the life right out of me (like it sort of did last year).  So today I'm thankful that my Christmas shopping is well underway, and I even have a handful of presents wrapped.

I'll be even more thankful when it's December 20th and I'm still in possession of my sanity.

3 - Found Money

It's probably against good judgement and it's certainly against good taste, but I think today I'll write about something that I would never talk about to someone considering parenthood.  If they were on the fence about boarding this roller coaster I'd refer them to Day 1 or Day 2 of my little Thanksgiving exercise.  Maybe they would look at those heartwarming moments and think, "Yep.  Having kids - that's for me!"

Here's what I wouldn't tell them.  (And if you don't have kids, but think you might want some someday, now is the moment to stick your fingers in your ears and hum.)  I wouldn't tell them that if your kid swallows something that isn't food, it is your job as a responsible parent to, um...recover...said item.

I'll give you three guesses how I know this, and the first two don't count.

On Friday afternoon Henry came into the kitchen to show me a dime he had found when there just happened to be a batch of caramel corn cooling on the counter.  He asked for some, and I pulled a few pieces to the side for him to try.  A minute later he looked at me with widened eyes and said, "Oh, no!  I ate the coin!"  It would seem he put the contents of the wrong hand into his mouth.

He was totally fine, just a little horrified at what he had done.  A call to the Pediatrician told us that a dime wasn't likely to cause any problems - we just had to wait.

Less than 48 hours later, the wait was over.  Today I'm thankful that the "lost" dime has been "found".  I'm thankful that in almost a decade of parenting, this was my first experience like this.  And I will really be thankful if we never lose anything in the same way again.

2 - Familiar Faces

Sometimes I look at our kids and it seems like not a single remnant of their babyhood remains.  That is  exactly the way it's supposed to be, even though it makes me melancholy.

But every now and then I catch a tiny, familiar glimpse of who they used to be, part of who they will be to me always.  Today I'm thankful for that.  And I'm thankful for the fact that Charlotte's little cheeks are as delicious as they have always been.

1 - Thankful Girl

I should start with some embarrassed commentary about how the blogging me from 2008 would be appalled by how very little I've written here in the last year.  There has been so much to say, but not much time to sit down and say it.  That makes me sad because I know there were things worth writing, things worth remembering, that are already forgotten.  Time and full-to-brimming days will do that.

But I'm mindful that even better than having much to say is having much to be thankful for.
And we have so much.
Much more than we need.
And much, much more than we deserve.

So I've decided that this November I'm going to write down those things that meet both criteria - deserving of gratitude and worth remembering. 

#1 - Thankful Girl

Every day after school Caroline brings home an assignment notebook that we have to sign.  And almost every day in the little "Notes" section she will have written a note to her teacher.  The note always says the exact same thing - "Thank You Mrs. P****!".

It's a tiny thing.  After all,  it only takes her a second to write.  And with 20-some notebooks to initial each day, Mrs. P**** might not even always see it.  But I always see it, and it makes me smile every time.  So it has become one of those tiny things that's not tiny at all.

I don't always model gratitude for my kids - some days I'm too busy, some days I'm too crabby, some days I'm just not paying attention.  So I sure am thankful when my kids model gratitude for me.

First Day

Even though I really didn't want the summer to end, first days are always fun!

Yesterday we met teachers and dropped off school supplies.  Caroline got her locker combination (can we pause to contemplate how she can possibly be old enough to have a LOCKER?).  We had practiced with a padlock at home so she had her locker figured out in no time!

 

Today was the big first day.  I tried to appreciate how easily they both popped out of bed and how cheerful they were as they got ready.  After our traditional first day cinnamon rolls and a few pictures they were on the bus and the year began.  Here's to a great one!