Christmas Dollar Days - The Joy of Giving

Today was my family's second annual Dollar Store shopping extravaganza.  Last year, as I tried to think of ways to allow the kids to give more without breaking the bank, it popped into my head...  The Dollar Store.  They could each pick out and buys gifts for all the important people in their lives for $10-15.

The items range from pink snow globes to chintzy flashlights; "diamond" paperweights to highlighting pens.  Sometimes the gifts they pick are quite strange, yet somehow they still fit the person they are intended for.  The kids are giving and they want to.  Shopping with them is really a priceless sight. Granted, the dollar stores stress me out a little (my kids will never forget the time I flipped out at the check-out and accused the cashier of stealing a dollar from me - disclaimer - I was pregnant!), especially at the holidays, but it is shadowed by the glow of my kids buzzing about with the joy of giving in their hearts.

Last year, everyone who received a trinket or other cheaply made item from said store loved it.  It didn't matter if it was something they would ever want or need, it mattered that their, Godson, Grandson, Nephew thoughtfully picked out a gift for them, because he wanted to.  Because he loved them.  Because he understood that Christmas was about loving and giving.  I'm thinking this year will be the same.

Merry Christmas!  Happy Giving!

Snow Day 2010

So, Saturday and Sunday were the days of the big blizzard.  Over a foot of snow followed by ten below wind chills.


Sunday morning started out like this:

Fun!  Church was canceled and the boys played in the snow for hours.  They also did much of the shoveling.  My daughter and I watched through the window, nice and cozy inside.  Could the day get any better?    Sure it could!  We could have hot chocolate and watch the Packers pummel the Detroit Lions.  It's gonna be a great day...


Then... the cable/phone/internet service went out.  Wait!  I haven't set up my fantasy football team yet!  I asked my sister to text me updates of the Packer game until I remembered we could listen on the radio. (Apparently I've forgotten about old-school technology.)  I texted my sister, "At least we have power."  Then, finally, not too long into the game the cable came back.  Yes!  So we settle down to watch the Packers... get pummeled by Detroit.  Hey! Something does not feel right about this day.

I got tired of the Packers horrific showing and went outside to unearth my cars from the mounds of snow that were strangling them.  When I came in for a break to get warm, Dan was putting batteries in our boombox to find out what was happening with the Packers.  The power had gone.  Drat!  I jinxed us. 

After 2 hours of no power, I packed some bags and made possible overnight plans for us, just in case.  It got dark.  We lit candles and the boys ran around with my baby girl and her Hippo flashilight. They were having a blast.

We saw lots of utility company trucks scurrying from transformer to transformer trying to find the problem.  The power came on. Yay!!!!!!   Turned on lights, blew out candles. Then, the power went off.  Drat again!!  We re-lit the candles and made plans to go out to dinner and have a belated celebration for our oldest son getting his black belt in Taekwondo.  (All the while the candles were lit, my little girl kept singing Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.  That was pretty sweet.) Then, boom! The lights went on.  Yay!  No blowing out the candles just yet.  And, the lights when off.  Triple Drat!!!

Okay, this is getting too long.  We went out to a fun dinner and came home 2 hours later (going on 7 hours of power out.)   We drove into our neighborhood with much anticipation.  Quadruple Drat!!!!  The street lights were still out.    But, the untility trucks were still to be seen, so we had hope.  We decided to stay home and risk it.  I bundled my baby up in 3 layers of jammies and put here to bet with her light-up lullaby dolls.  The boys and I set up our "Sorry" game in the living room with lots of candles.  

We all snuggle under a blanket, read the directions and... Boom!  The power came on.  No!!!!!!  The boys all wanted it to stay off, they were having so much fun.  So, we kept the ights out and the candles on and played our game for 2 hours.  The house gradually warmed up and, as it turns out, we had a very fun and memorable day.  I think we will never forget it.  No more "drats," just fond memories.

Christmas Tree Time

In about a week, my kids and I will venture out to find our 2nd "real" Christmas tree. I can't stop thinking about our experience last year with our first "real" tree.  And so I am inclined to repost last year's musing.  Enjoy!  And... Merry Christmas!

Ornaments of Life - Dody's Daydreams, December 18th, 2009

We've had a fake Christmas tree for 10 years. It was easier when we had three preschoolers. No chasing kids through massive tree lots while my hubby and I bicker over the "right" tree. No falling needles to be eaten and choked on. No forgetting to water the tree because I have laundry and spit-up and diaper rash on the brain.

After the boys got bigger, it was a habit we were in. We have the tree, so why go pay $40 for another one, real or not?

Then came the kittens. The kittens loved to climb and bat at things and play! The Christmas tree became their own private amusement park. We tried to deter them by squirting water at them. That was only a temporary fix. When we slept, they played. Every morning I found misplaced and broken ornaments. Eventually, several branches would accompany the glass shards on the floor. By New Years Day, they had left their permanent mark. The fake tree we had used for 10 years was unrepairable.

This Thanksgiving, my hubby picked up a new fake tree, by my request. However, it just didn't sit right with us. It was time to create a new Christmas tradition. I returned the plastic tree, tightly stuffed into it's box and two weeks later we ventured out into the snowy night to buy a real tree.

The experience was great. No arguing, a warm campfire, a tractor-pulled hayride through the beautiful tree farm. It was perfect.

The next day we erected our gorgeous tree. (I'm certain it was the best one on the lot and only fools came before us, why else was is still there waiting for us?) With three little helpers, it seemed almost magical how quickly the tree transformed. Lights and garland and ornaments were flying onto the tree.

An ornament my son made as a toddler, another that his brother made in pre-school, another that was a gift from my stepmom; "Oh, I love this one." "Grandma bought these for us, one snowman for each of us." "Oh look, a handcrafted angel from Stella!" "Nana helped you make that one." "You made this one with your Aunt Jamie." "Mom, remember these from our old neighbors." "Ahaha... this one is from my sister. I miss her." "Baby's First Christmas, one for each of you."

The memories of our loved ones and past Christmases flooded every open space on the tree. Many of the people from these memories aren't here anymore, but these decorations, these ornaments, these precious trinkets, they represent life. My life, my children's' lives, my relatives lives. This tree may be a living tree, but it wasn't truly brought to life until it was donned with our treasures.

The kids are already planning which ornaments they will take with them when they grow up and move out. The memories will live on with them for years to come.

Maybe I am just more sentimental this year, maybe it's because our tree is living, maybe I am intoxicated by the smell of pine; but I know that I am smitten with this tree that is very much alive.

I Am Thankful...

My little sister (over a decade younger than me) seems to have influence over me in many ways. Especially in the blogging world. She did a "thankful" post, so now I shall follow suit.

I am thankful for my husband.  It's not always an easy road, this marriage thing, but he is committed to me and his love for me is real.  I cannot imagine my life without him at the center of it.

My children.  Each child of mine is adored more than I can express.  Each is very different from the other yet still very much MY child.

A girl.  I have a girl.  It is an unbelievable experience that I thought I would never have.  It is a treasure.  She is a treasure.

My Mom.  She is incredible.  She is wise and strong and goofey and corny.  I take after her in the way of the latter two.  I have the best mom in the world.

My sisters.  Sherri, Michele, Jamie...  You have all made me a better person and loved and accepted me, no matter what.  Jamie helps me get through each and everyday, processing with me via text, the benign and the bunk.

My friends, specifially Karen & Tonya.  Always, always there for me.

I am thankful for people.  Dad.  I love my Dad.  He always makes time for me and his grandchildren.

Bob. (my stepdad) He's my big teddy bear.  I love being with him.

Dawn. (my stepmom)  My other mom.  There is so much love!!!!!!!!!


People.  And my cats.

Sappy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!

Dody

The Best Mom in the Whole World

Happy Birthday Mom!

My kids tell me I’m the best mom in the whole world. I believe that they really think it is true, but I know the truth... My mom is the best mom in the whole world.

Starting from my earliest memory, my mom’s unconditional love has shone constant, like the sun on the brightest of days. She never backed down from discipline and always expected me to live up to the potential God instilled in me. She has modeled eternal priorities and has never been bashful about her true passion in life… Jesus.

We’ve endured things together. They’ve all been markedly harder for her than me, and I’ve watched her handle, with God’s strength and grace; betrayal & divorce, the early and unexpected death of her beloved father, court battles with my dad, financial hardship, job instability, the death of her first born daughter, the divorces of two other daughters… Yet she has never lost grasp of God’s joy in her.

She is my hero. Yes, she is a real person with many flaws and quirks, but she, aside from God, is most responsible for every good thing in me. My mom is the best mom in the whole world.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you with all my heart.

Dedo

Dinner or Leaf Pile?

(As previously required for me to express, sorry for major blogging drought. Party Foul!)

So, during the last two days, I was faced with the same decision, twice!  Dinner or leaf pile?  Both times, I chose leaf pile. 

We have a huge maple tree in our backyard that drops leaves a bit late in the season.  The kids wait and wait as they see nearly all the other leaves in our and surrounding counties succumb to the season and drop to the earth.  They wait, and they watch our maple.  In late October, it finally decides to let the leaves lighten to shades of yellow-ish green.  To be honest, our first fall in this house, I felt whamboozled that my glorious maple only kinda-sorta embraces the leaf changing phenomenon by barely, whimpily and subtlely altering leaf pigmentation, then clinging to it's leaves until the freezing weather comes forcing me to clean up it's massive shedding while I get chilled to the bone.  Talk about a party foul!

Anyway, I digress.  The leaves have finally, mostly fallen.  And, I guess I've unnecessarily complained about it being November when the leaves fall because it's actually been very mild here this year.  So, two days in a row I was faced with the choice of making dinner for my family, or playing with them in the massive leaf pile.  Both times I chose the later.  Was there really much of a choice?  I only really cook a dinner two or three a week if the family is lucky, once if they are not.  So frozen pizza and Burger King it was. 

But you see, who cares?  We got to do this...

 

and this... 

 

I think I made the right decision.

I rest my case.

The Girl Who Shopped

Once upon a time...

a girl went shopping.

She found a bag of really  

cool rubber-bandy thingies.

 She wanted them.

She wondered how much they cost.

 She was... SHOCKED!

Could this be right?

"I better check the other side," she thought.

 "Do you know how much these

rubber-bandy thingies cost?" She asked.

"I guess we're not buying them, huh?"

The End.

I'd Be Lost

I'd be lost without my handy dandy cell phone.  Truly lost.  

It's smudged and chipped.  It's been through many falls.  It almost landed in the lake three weeks ago.  Oh my gosh! I would have died.

(My wallpaper is Grover in a chrysalis. Not a scarf, a chrysalis, as so beautifully done by my 4-year-old God-daughter who recently had her own caterpillars transform into butterflies.)

It's been said that every time a woman has a baby, she loses a quarter of her brain.  I have four kids. Do the math.

Actually, I must be pretty smart to use my phone to compensate for my brain degeneration, though I would argue my brain is just fine and it is the pure chaos of my life that leaves me mentally challenged.

My phone has a calendar.  Each event on the calendar can have a reminder alarm.  I use this on every event in my life.  (To think my calendar used to serve more as a record of the past since I never forgot my appointments.) As an extreme precaution, I even use it for my set work schedule.  When the alarm sounds, my husband will say, "What's that beeping for?" I usually say, "I don't know. I have to check."  It could be anything from "I have to go to work now" to "remember to wash your children's sports uniforms."  

This phone also wakes me up every morning.  I'm all for consolidating gadgets because we have so many possessions in our house with six people living here.  Alarm clock was acting funny. Tossed it.  Use the phone.

My little sister and I  hate talking on the phone, but love sharing random daily happenings from the benign to the intense to the strange.  We text... a lot.  It's how we stay connected and close.  I love my phone for this!

My phone takes crappy pictures.  But, hey, it takes pictures.  You see, I have four kids.  They are adorable and there are always things to take pictures of.  However, I have yet to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to take my camera with me when we go out, so I don't usually have it.  At least I have my phone.

Did I mention it is also my mp3 player?

I'd be lost without my LG.  I love it!

Coloring: Rated E for Everyone

My baby loves to color.  She likes to see the color appear as she strokes the crayon on the paper. And, she likes to see how many crayons she can hold in her miniature, pudgy hands, then let them drop to the table and roll to the floor.  That's a very fun game.  And sometimes we'll catch her chewing on a non-toxic Crayola. (Bad baby!  Ok, not really.  She's an angel. I could never call her bad.)

And her mommy loves to color too!  (That's me.)  I just can't seem to help myself from coloring on the pages with her.  My favorite art is the mix of toddler scratches and creative coloring/shading on the pages of a coloring book.  Maybe I'll frame some one of these days.  "The Mommy/Baby Art Collaborations," I could call them.  Maybe I could put them on display at some free and innovative art gallery.  I can see it now.... the flash bulbs of reporters, the interviews, the national coverage...   Oh. Ach hem.

Anyway, I'm just saying... I love to color with my baby.

The 8 Question Query (from my baby sis)

My sister recently responded to an 8 question blog request from a friend. She extended the challenge to me, so here goes:

1. What are your top 2 cities in the world? (It's okay if you've never been there!)

London

Moscow

I've been to both cities. Well, mostly London, which I LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My Moscow experience was the airport, a cab ride on the freeway past IKEA to McDonald's, and back to the airport. Does that count?  I want to really see Moscow though.  I am fascinated by Russia and it's history. Such an interesting, artistic culture mixed with success, oppression, pain and brilliance.

2. Are you doing what you love or doing what you have to?
 Yes and no.  I love being a mom and I love my job.  One of my biggest passions lies in worship ministry, which I am not doing.  I have to trust God's timing on that one.  I miss it.

3. Coffee or tea?
Yes!  See T is for Tea.

4. Describe the moment in your life when you felt the most loved.
This question is a little too deep for my generally light-hearted blog.  My God makes me feel the most loved, usually through rough times and intimate moments.  My mom, hubby, sister and children make me feel most loved too.  

5. Who do you think had the single biggest impact on your life so far?
The death of my sister.

6. What song lyrics say exactly what you're feeling right now?
"I hate that stupid old pick-up truck..."

7. Pro sports or college ball?
Dude.  Pro all the way.  Go Packers!

8. What book do you really, really want to see made into a movie?
Hmmm.....   Hmmmm.....  I never really get to the good books until they've already been made into a movie.  I'd love to see The Shack as movie, but it would be impossible to capture.  It would dumb it down to our visual limitations.  Not acceptable.  I guess I'll wait until Heaven...

Nerf Initiation

My little sister is engaged to a kind, wonderful, conservative boy.  Okay, he's not exactly a boy.  He is a recent college grad entrenched in the madness of the upcoming election, and he is stationed in D.C.

It seems reasonable that he hasn't found the time to journey to Wisconsin to meet his future sister and brother-in-law, nephews and niece.  But, I would like to submit to you that his busyness has nothing to do with it.  I think he's afraid of this...

And this...........

(Yes, that big boy is my husband.)  

Mr. Wonderful... we are waiting to meet you.  What's the problem?  Are you scared of a little Nerf dart?

Actually, we've seen pictures of his semi-automatic Nerf, of sorts, and we only have these little guns, so there is seemingly reason to falter. Still... there are many of us. We are not afraid.

Seriously though, once the Nerf-pelting is over, which is just a normal part of our day, we cannot wait to hug the future Uncle to my children and welcome him right in.

School Supply Stress

School supply organization, recycling (as in using last year's supplies which are still usable) and shopping is getting more and more stressful each year.  I have three boys in school and the oldest is now in middle school.  For him we had 2 full backpacks, a crate and a bag's worth of supplies to cart in on the first day.  Also, everything needed to be labeled.  Insanity!!!

I actually made a spread sheet for shopping and detailed list for each child.  I purchased items at 3 different stores and returned the ones I found to be more expensive to Shopko. (Wal-Mart is the overall cheapest, but the grocery store is where I made out on the loss-leader sales.)

I spent around $80 this year on everything, including a 2GB flash drive and a TI calculator. That is actually pretty good.  I accredit this to my recycling, ad watching and all-around awesomeness.  In moments like that, my kids sometimes ask, "Do you feel like Supermom right now?"  Had they asked me, I would have firmly and resoundingly said, "Yes!"

Despite that feat, all the inventorying, labeling, sharpening, sorting, appropriating, distributing, packing, delivering, re-organizing and discovering what was missing was just a tad anxiety inducing for me.  So glad it's over.  Until next year...

The Girl and The Orange

Once upon a time, there was a little girl...

and an orange.

The girl picked up the orange.

She played with the orange.

The girl, loved her orange.

Then, the girl became interested in her toes.

She tired of the orange and threw it down to the earth.

Poor orange.

Ode to the Alphabet Blog

Alphabet Blog, Alphabet Blog

When life was draining, you weren't a time hog.

Patiently waiting for each new letter

You never pressured me for each post to get better

You accepted my ramblings, you accepted my coos

you even were ever accepting of the strange, odd truth

Where I would have let Blogspot wane to the side

you filled my thoughts with the next letter in line

Oh Alphabet Blog, I'm sorry it's done

Perhaps we'll meet again, You were so much fun.

Z is for Ziploc

Did you know that Ziploc is in the dictionary?

Okay, I know, I'm busted. I was looking at Z words in the dictionary. I had this last letter left and I needed a boost to complete my alphabet blog. Sue me.

Still, Ziploc is in the dictionary as a trademarked product. Weird, wild stuff. I guess it makes sense. I would expect "Kleenex" to be in the dictionary. It is. The word ziplock is also in there as a real word for a sealing plastic bag.

When I went to Russia to visit and help resident missionaries, we brought ziplock (varying brands of plastic sealing bags) for the American missionaries. They aren't in the stores over there. I was told they will go as far as washing them and reusing them several times. I must admit, I don't blame them. I probably use them everyday. And, if I ever run out of them, you can be sure they are at the top of my shopping list as a must-have.

Thank you Mr. Ziploc (or whoever invented the first self-sealing plastic bag)! I love you magnificent twentieth-century, indispensable invention.

Y is for mommY

I don't care at all if you think that this manipulation of the alphabet blogging is lame. Today my 19-month-old daughter said, "Mommy." She has been saying Ma and Mama and sometimes even Mom, but today is the first day she said... Mommy.

There is something so yummy and delightful about hearing a little baby call you Mommy.

I love the letter "Y!"

X is for Xanthous

Xanthous. Xanthous. Cool word.

This could be considered a cop-out on the letter "X" except that yellow is my favorite color! It is light and cheery and beyond earth. It glows down on us from the sun far away. Yellow is vast and comforting.

Yellow is sunshine and joy. Scrambled eggs and butter. Macaroni & cheese and lemonade.

Also, as the xanthous sun has shown down on me over this summer, my hair has become more and more xanthous.

;-)

W is for Wii

The Wii has become a staple in our family.

The kids' grandmother stood in line, outside a Best Buy store, in the winter cold, at the break of dawn to acquire it for them one Christmas. (If she only knew how much we'd come to love it and rely on it.) The games started simply with Paper Mario and Wii Sports. The former for the kids, the latter, perfect for the whole family.

My husband and I used to bowl with the kids once in awhile. That was always fun. We later found ourselves sneaking in some rounds of bowling while the kids were at school.

Wii began to acquire many games over time as my husband and I scooped up used copies from Blockbuster for cheap.

When I was pregnant, I admit, I let the Wii system become the boys' babysitter. I had all-day sickness for three months and I was much more concerned about my survival than their eyes, brains, or future.

Once the baby came, I again allowed it to become their babysitter. "Shame on me!" I say with no conviction.

Anyway, the Wii has remained a vital part of our family. It even came on vacation with us to our little cabin, though I am glad to say the kids did not ask us to hook it up until 4 days into the vacation. Way to go boys! Then we all bowled and the kids went on to play the latest Super Mario game, which we hid in our suitcase to surprise them with.

Sometimes we're strict with time limits and days off, especially during school. But, honestly, this summer was kind of a free-for-all.

I have to say my favorite part of the Wii is hearing my 9-yr-old playing Lego Rock Band, belting out the likes of "We Will Rock You" or "Picture to Burn" from the loft upstairs. That is pure joy!