Three days after Christmas. Three whole days. Today my tree and other Christmas decorations came down. I'd like to say I feel happier and more at ease, but that is soooo not the case. You'd think having that 7.5 foot tall tree that was starting to lean forward ever so slightly, packed up and put away would make me feel a bit less anxious, but that is soo not the truth.
Still dealing with Christmas dinner left overs, and Christmas dinner dishes (and we didn't even invite family over for Christmas this year and we STILL have too many dishes)! Once it again it also looks like Christmas threw up in my house, got into a fist fight, had a wild tantrum and then stormed out the door.
Now where that big tree stood is a large empty spot in my living room and I haven't a clue what was there before it was "TREE". Whatever it was, I must have gotten rid of it to make room for the tree. So I guess it's not a huge loss, but now it just looks so EMPTY there.
I have chaotic MESS all over my house now. It looked nice, ish, until I decided to take down all the Christmas stuff this evening. Why? Just...why?
I love Christmas, but I hate the clean up and tear down of it all after Christmas. I just wish there was a magic wand that could set it all up for me, and then take it all down again when it was time. Alas, there is no such thing so I have to do it myself. Well, I DO have jolly little 'helpers'. My kids do their very very best to help with all things Christmas, and I do appreciate that. Though it can be a wee bit over whelming when they HELP with things. You never realize how much patience you do NOT have and how big of a control freak you REALLY are until you decide it's a great idea to let your children help. Then it's grit your teeth and hold your breath and count to ten, and just SMILE and let them help you. Don't let them see your anxiety raising. After all, you don't want to discourage them from being helpful little helpers, right?
Today was kind of an exciting day for me. I started my new job. It's not really a whole lot different than what I do at home right now. Catering to a bunch of people who want this, and want that and they want it now and the way they want it and if I don't do it in a timely fashion then there will be consequences of the complaining variety. Quite similar to being a mom really.
I have to be at work pretty early (currently I have to be there at 7, but later I will have to be there at 5 or 5:30 in the morning) Good thin I like mornings.
However, this also means that the Husband Circus has to wake up and care for the kids, and since they are on Christmas break at the moment he has to STAY awake and feed them, and care for them all on his own...at the butt crack of dawn.
He's not a morning person. At all.
In fact my husband has a sleeping disorder and does NOT sleep well at night, so he sleeps in during the day, which is fine and we have always made it work. He didn't always have this issue, but he was injured several years ago and has struggled since then.
Last night I had horrible night mares about all of the terrible things that were going to happen while my husband was in charge while I was at work, so needless to say I did NOT sleep well last night.
I know my husband is FULLY capable of caring for the kids, but my brain was apparently not so easily convinced. When our oldest child was born, our daughter, the husband would care for her when I was at work, and I'd care for her when he went to work. He was always great with her. However, he hasn't had to do morning child care for MANY years.
I did wonder if he'd be able to perform to the best of his daddy abilities that early of a morning. They can be...pretty tough first thing of a morning!
Your eyes are barely open, they are wide awake.
They want cereal (or better yet, fresh cooked oat meal, not in the microwave) and you are still thinking about coffee and that first drink that you so badly need.
They are wanting to watch cartoons, and you are still trying to focus on the one kid in front of you not the 4 blurry versions that are in front of your face.
Not to mention the fact that the dogs need to go out to potty, and the cat is DEMANDING that you feed him right MEOW. MEOW!! Feed me MEOW DARN IT!! He is a VERY persistent puddy tat.
At least the other cat isn't so rude.
I must say though that when I got home from work today I was very surprised by what I saw.
My husband was laying on the floor with the kids building with Lego's with them. I was mobbed as soon as I walked in the door with hugs and kisses. They told me all about their day with Daddy. They watched cartoons, he made them OAT MEAL with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast (and rubbed in the fact that it was a better breakfast than what I make, which is hey look a bowl of cereal, hush up and eat it Mommy needs coffee...) He even put jelly on their toast. They are totally enjoying having Daddy all to themselves of a morning, and that makes my heart burst with happiness. They are all four so very adorable together.
He even had supper in the crock pot.
I didn't even know he knew HOW to work my fancy crock pot. The recipe was a NEW recipe that he looked up on line even.
Who is this man and what has he done with my husband?
In all seriousness, the guy is a great cook, he loves to cook. He was very proud of himself for working so hard today, and I was proud of him. I knew I married the big lug for a reason. He's a great guy, and a great Daddy. He loves our little circus acts as much as I do. I am hoping tomorrow goes as well for him. I am wondering how long it will take for the kids to get "used" to Daddy being home with them and decide to turn into the holy little TERRORS that they turn into for me on occasion?
They go back to school soon, so we probably won't get that far.
All my husband will have to do then is make sure they wake up, eat breakfast, get their clothes on, brush their hair and teeth, and get out the door to the bus. Then he can go back to bed.
I was all set to actually ACCOMPLISH STUFF when I got home from work, but it didn't happen. Instead I just made a bigger mess by taking down all of the Christmas stuff. Yay me! Now I'm too tired to care, and I just want to go to bed now.
The other part of me says "NO! You cannot go to bed and leave your house in an awful state of chaos, you started this, YOU WILL FINISH IT!! Then you can go to bed!! Mommies don't QUIT!"
Waaaah. But I wanna quit. I wanna quit and just go to bed. I don't care that I have stuff to do still.
But I do.
I want to make things a wee bit easier on the husband tomorrow, which means cleaning up MY mess so he doesn't have to tomorrow while he's caring for the kids. Because I'm thoughtful like that. He better never forget how thoughtful I am.
I'm still not going to vacuum.
Mom Circus.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Christmas Eve Traditions
My kids are getting older, and are understanding Christmas more and more. I have so many amazing memories from my Childhood that I love to share with my kids, well we've still yet to do the whole stomp through the Christmas tree field and cut down your own and bring it home, blah blah blah. I'm not in to real trees like my Mother always insisted we had. I'd say it's too much work, but putting up our 7.5 foot tall Christmas tree this year wasn't exactly a fun walk in the woods either!
Eventually the kids will get to experience a REAL tree...maybe. If I ever get that brave...*shudder* Pine needles.
Anyway, this year I've managed to take the kids caroling, to see Santa, see the Christmas lights, we even made it through a Bethlehem set up which was awesome. We've made holiday treats together, decorated the tree together, donated a toy to a charity, donated some canned goods, and my kids always dump whatever change they have in the cans at the store (we're hoping some year to sign up to be bell ringers but the list always gets filled up before we ever get a chance to get ON the bell ringing list! My husband has fond memories of doing that when he was young and he wants to share it with our kids and I KNOW they would love it).
This afternoon we delivered the goodies we had made for our neighbors. We had Christmas cards, cookies, fudge and Oreo balls, and Christmas ornaments made by hand. The kids had so much fun taking turns knocking on each person's door and shouting "MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR" as the door started to open.
It surprised our neighbors, and they were seemingly appreciative of the goodies we brought. The kids enjoyed giving and seeing the looks on people's faces. It made my kiddos happy to give to others.
We baked cookies at home tonight for Santa, cute little cut out cookies that are absolutely DELICIOUS. The kids did a great job helping in the kitchen.
We had the most lovely cookie recipe for these roll out sugar cookies! I found it over at allrecipes.com and WOW I love the recipe and plan on using it every year! They are just like the cookies I used to make with my Mother. Light, and crisp, but still just the right amount of soft! LOVE THEM! Check the recipe out HERE.
The kids had lovely bubble baths after our apparent new tradition of ordering pizza every Christmas eve, ha! They put on their new comfy cozy PJ's! Then we sat about opening a few presents that were under the tree.
We drank hot cocoa out of our new coffee cups, we had pop corn, and movies that my husband and I grew up watching during Christmas (the old Frosty, and Rudolph shows, I loooove those shows!!) We red the Night Before Christmas, we watched Santa take off from the North Pole, and we tracked him on NORAD for awhile before the kiddos had to scoot off to bed. The kids also sat our their Magical Reindeer oats for the Reindeer, and some carrots too. Also sat out cookies and milk too, after the kids decorated a plate for Santa's cookies like they do every year.
We got things cleaned up and ready for tomorrow morning. It's just going to be the husband and the kids and I for Christmas, which is nice. We're planning on having biscuits and gravy, home made for breakfast. (AFTER opening of presents, the husband tried to tell the kids they couldn't open presents until AFTER breakfast, you can imagine how well THAT went with the kids, ha!)
Even though the husband and I are having some issues with his mom, I still gave her a call today so the kids could wish her a Merry Christmas. She appreciated that, and I'm glad she did. She's currently up visiting her daughter in Iowa for Christmas (that's for the best, because at the moment, we don't really want her at our home for a holiday). However, she is bringing my niece down for a few days when she comes home and she asked if it would be ok if she brings her over for a visit, which of course, I love to see my niece and would never tell my niece I didn't want to see her. I do appreciate my mother in law asking though.
I guess I need to go play Santa. Then get my butt to bed!
Everyone here at The Circus, wishes you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS, Happy Holidays and whatever else you celebrate :) We just want you to have a joyous and wonderful time celebrating and spending time with family and friends!
Mom Circus
Eventually the kids will get to experience a REAL tree...maybe. If I ever get that brave...*shudder* Pine needles.
Anyway, this year I've managed to take the kids caroling, to see Santa, see the Christmas lights, we even made it through a Bethlehem set up which was awesome. We've made holiday treats together, decorated the tree together, donated a toy to a charity, donated some canned goods, and my kids always dump whatever change they have in the cans at the store (we're hoping some year to sign up to be bell ringers but the list always gets filled up before we ever get a chance to get ON the bell ringing list! My husband has fond memories of doing that when he was young and he wants to share it with our kids and I KNOW they would love it).
This afternoon we delivered the goodies we had made for our neighbors. We had Christmas cards, cookies, fudge and Oreo balls, and Christmas ornaments made by hand. The kids had so much fun taking turns knocking on each person's door and shouting "MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR" as the door started to open.
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| Cookies we made to pass out to the neighbors with ornaments, cards, and fudge! |
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| Fudge or Oreo balls anyone? I made the Oreo balls, but my neighbor made the fudge for me. |
It surprised our neighbors, and they were seemingly appreciative of the goodies we brought. The kids enjoyed giving and seeing the looks on people's faces. It made my kiddos happy to give to others.
We baked cookies at home tonight for Santa, cute little cut out cookies that are absolutely DELICIOUS. The kids did a great job helping in the kitchen.
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| I love baking with my kids. I promise my sons were in the kitchen too, but they weren't really in the picture taking mood, they are like that often and I don't push them to be in photos if they don't want to. |
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| I don't really care for frosting or icing on cookies. Growing up my mother was diabetic (she had been since she was 7 years old) so when we made cookies we tried to not add too much extra sugar so that usually meant no frosting, which is fine by me. So the kids decorated the cookies using sprinkles and then we baked them. I think they look adorable and aren't coated in a foot of frosting. |
We had the most lovely cookie recipe for these roll out sugar cookies! I found it over at allrecipes.com and WOW I love the recipe and plan on using it every year! They are just like the cookies I used to make with my Mother. Light, and crisp, but still just the right amount of soft! LOVE THEM! Check the recipe out HERE.
The kids had lovely bubble baths after our apparent new tradition of ordering pizza every Christmas eve, ha! They put on their new comfy cozy PJ's! Then we sat about opening a few presents that were under the tree.
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| I *finally* got to open the present that my husband snuck and bought me but refused to tell me what it was and he even had a friend of ours wrap it. I loved it! Snow man coffee cups, with hot cocoa mix and a smores kit. How fun is that? However, it's a present that benefited the husband too! He got a coffee cup out of the ordeal, and smores and hot cocoa, ha! |
We drank hot cocoa out of our new coffee cups, we had pop corn, and movies that my husband and I grew up watching during Christmas (the old Frosty, and Rudolph shows, I loooove those shows!!) We red the Night Before Christmas, we watched Santa take off from the North Pole, and we tracked him on NORAD for awhile before the kiddos had to scoot off to bed. The kids also sat our their Magical Reindeer oats for the Reindeer, and some carrots too. Also sat out cookies and milk too, after the kids decorated a plate for Santa's cookies like they do every year.
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| CUUUUTE little Mr. and Mrs. Snow man cups my husband got me for Christmas! |
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| Our family cups and popcorn |
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| Decorating a plate for Santa's cookies. |
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| a terrible photo of our reindeer chow. Some people put glitter in it, but we just use sprinkles and oat meal because we don't want it to hurt birds if they happen to eat it, and I don't think glitter is good for birdies |
Even though the husband and I are having some issues with his mom, I still gave her a call today so the kids could wish her a Merry Christmas. She appreciated that, and I'm glad she did. She's currently up visiting her daughter in Iowa for Christmas (that's for the best, because at the moment, we don't really want her at our home for a holiday). However, she is bringing my niece down for a few days when she comes home and she asked if it would be ok if she brings her over for a visit, which of course, I love to see my niece and would never tell my niece I didn't want to see her. I do appreciate my mother in law asking though.
I guess I need to go play Santa. Then get my butt to bed!
Everyone here at The Circus, wishes you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS, Happy Holidays and whatever else you celebrate :) We just want you to have a joyous and wonderful time celebrating and spending time with family and friends!
Mom Circus
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Crying Over Non Melting Chocolate
Ugh. Ugh. UUUUGGGHH. Agh. ACK! AAAAH!!!! (and a few explecatives rolled in there as well). As well as a "WHY WON'T YOU JUST MELT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS CHOCOLATE JUST PLEASE PLEASE BE GOOD AND MELT!!!!"
Those are the words, sounds, phrases being heard from my kitchen this afternoon. I hate melting chocolate. You'd think, something that melts so EASILY any other time....would melt perfectly when I NEED it to be melty.
However, chocolate apparently had a mind of it's own, and it hates me.
There are three things in this world that I cannot under ANY circumstances make (well at least without heavy assistance).
I cannot make rice, unless I have a rice steamer. Then I make awesome rice. Ask me to make it the 'ol fashioned way, and I laugh at you.
Do NOT under any circumstances ask me to make you fudge. I do not CARE what 'easy new fangled recipe' you try to give me, my fudge WILL NOT TURN OUT PROPERLY. It just won't. You will ALWAYS need a spoon to eat it, or you won't want to eat it at all.
I also, cannot melt chocolate. I just...can't. I don't know why, I just seriously cannot melt chocolate. I've tried all the methods.
Today I figured I'd make Oreo balls, which I absolutely love to make, if someone else will dip them in the chocolate for me that THEY melted, because I can't be anywhere chocolate while it is melting because my presence alone ruins it.
Last year...my chocolate NEVER hardened around my Oreo balls. They were ok, just the chocolate didn't harden. The year before? I just didn't have a clue what I was doing on making the Oreo balls, sooo yeh....that was a disaster.
This year? The Oreo balls themselves turned out FANTASTIC. I then went to melt the chocolate. *sigh* Again, no luck.
I was literally crying over my double boiler.
Sobbing, pleading...."Why chocolate, why don't you like me? WHY won't you just melt for me so I can make yummy delicious holiday treats for my family? Please? PLEEEAAASE??"
I called a neighbor pleading for her to come save my chocolate. (She was babysitting wasn't available at that particular moment). "OK...I can do this...."
I can't do this.
By some crazy miracle, I sort of saved my chocolate. I added a wee bit of shortening, and suddenly it smoothed out my once pasty chocolate. I was able to roll my Oreo balls in the chocolate.
They still don't look pretty. Not at all. However, they do taste yummy. I have nearly 40 delicious (though not the prettiest) Oreo balls to share with my family. Yay me!
Why on earth do I torture myself with melting chocolate?
Now I plan on working up some sugar cookies with my children. I can make cookies. I can make all KINDS of home made cookies! I LOVE home made cookies. Sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, oatmeal, whatever you name it, I can make it as long as it is a cookie, pie (well apple pie I ALWAYS forget the sugar), cake, I can even make home made fondant without any trouble at all. I make some mean buttercream frosting, and some amazing cream cheese frosting. I can bake breads, and muffins, my biscuits are sometimes less than desirable, but usually they turn out fine. I can make home made pancakes and waffles (though I usually don't because I feel it takes too long). I can whip up a fine batch of home made noodles (Mmmmm!!!) I can make home made gravies, and home made Salisbury steaks of the nom nom nom variety. I can bake meat loafs, and hams, turkey's, and whatever yummy dish you would like.
Just please, don't ask me to melt chocolate, make fudge, or make rice (without a rice steamer).
I will end up a puddle of tears in the kitchen, in the fetal position begging for a bottle of wine.
That's the rough part of the holidays for me. *sigh* Seeing all of the YUMMY treats that my friends can seemingly whip up sooo easily. Their stuff looks picture perfect. Mine? Well...they barely look edible.
At least they are done. The kids can't wait to eat them, so that's a plus.
I always avoid making so many holiday treats that I love. Like haystacks, peanut clusters, fudge, divinity (ok I'm not a huge fan of divinity anyway but it's just a holiday treat so many people make). Peanut brittle (I've actually never attempted to make that before, so I'm just assuming I wouldn't be able to make it!!) One good thing about not being able to make these treats? That means, fewer treats that make it into my mouth that get added to my butt, thighs and stomach!
Any who, if you are looking for an OREO BALL recipe (from over at the web site snackworks.com, please check out the link for one yummy recipe (and don't feel bad if they don't come out looking like the gorgeous Oreo balls they show online! And if you can't melt chocolate...welcome to the club!)
Is there a holiday treat that you LOVE but CANNOT for the life of you make?
Mom Circus
Those are the words, sounds, phrases being heard from my kitchen this afternoon. I hate melting chocolate. You'd think, something that melts so EASILY any other time....would melt perfectly when I NEED it to be melty.
However, chocolate apparently had a mind of it's own, and it hates me.
There are three things in this world that I cannot under ANY circumstances make (well at least without heavy assistance).
I cannot make rice, unless I have a rice steamer. Then I make awesome rice. Ask me to make it the 'ol fashioned way, and I laugh at you.
Do NOT under any circumstances ask me to make you fudge. I do not CARE what 'easy new fangled recipe' you try to give me, my fudge WILL NOT TURN OUT PROPERLY. It just won't. You will ALWAYS need a spoon to eat it, or you won't want to eat it at all.
I also, cannot melt chocolate. I just...can't. I don't know why, I just seriously cannot melt chocolate. I've tried all the methods.
Today I figured I'd make Oreo balls, which I absolutely love to make, if someone else will dip them in the chocolate for me that THEY melted, because I can't be anywhere chocolate while it is melting because my presence alone ruins it.
Last year...my chocolate NEVER hardened around my Oreo balls. They were ok, just the chocolate didn't harden. The year before? I just didn't have a clue what I was doing on making the Oreo balls, sooo yeh....that was a disaster.
This year? The Oreo balls themselves turned out FANTASTIC. I then went to melt the chocolate. *sigh* Again, no luck.
I was literally crying over my double boiler.
Sobbing, pleading...."Why chocolate, why don't you like me? WHY won't you just melt for me so I can make yummy delicious holiday treats for my family? Please? PLEEEAAASE??"
I called a neighbor pleading for her to come save my chocolate. (She was babysitting wasn't available at that particular moment). "OK...I can do this...."
I can't do this.
By some crazy miracle, I sort of saved my chocolate. I added a wee bit of shortening, and suddenly it smoothed out my once pasty chocolate. I was able to roll my Oreo balls in the chocolate.
They still don't look pretty. Not at all. However, they do taste yummy. I have nearly 40 delicious (though not the prettiest) Oreo balls to share with my family. Yay me!
Why on earth do I torture myself with melting chocolate?
Now I plan on working up some sugar cookies with my children. I can make cookies. I can make all KINDS of home made cookies! I LOVE home made cookies. Sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, oatmeal, whatever you name it, I can make it as long as it is a cookie, pie (well apple pie I ALWAYS forget the sugar), cake, I can even make home made fondant without any trouble at all. I make some mean buttercream frosting, and some amazing cream cheese frosting. I can bake breads, and muffins, my biscuits are sometimes less than desirable, but usually they turn out fine. I can make home made pancakes and waffles (though I usually don't because I feel it takes too long). I can whip up a fine batch of home made noodles (Mmmmm!!!) I can make home made gravies, and home made Salisbury steaks of the nom nom nom variety. I can bake meat loafs, and hams, turkey's, and whatever yummy dish you would like.
Just please, don't ask me to melt chocolate, make fudge, or make rice (without a rice steamer).
I will end up a puddle of tears in the kitchen, in the fetal position begging for a bottle of wine.
That's the rough part of the holidays for me. *sigh* Seeing all of the YUMMY treats that my friends can seemingly whip up sooo easily. Their stuff looks picture perfect. Mine? Well...they barely look edible.
At least they are done. The kids can't wait to eat them, so that's a plus.
I always avoid making so many holiday treats that I love. Like haystacks, peanut clusters, fudge, divinity (ok I'm not a huge fan of divinity anyway but it's just a holiday treat so many people make). Peanut brittle (I've actually never attempted to make that before, so I'm just assuming I wouldn't be able to make it!!) One good thing about not being able to make these treats? That means, fewer treats that make it into my mouth that get added to my butt, thighs and stomach!
Any who, if you are looking for an OREO BALL recipe (from over at the web site snackworks.com, please check out the link for one yummy recipe (and don't feel bad if they don't come out looking like the gorgeous Oreo balls they show online! And if you can't melt chocolate...welcome to the club!)
Is there a holiday treat that you LOVE but CANNOT for the life of you make?
Mom Circus
Monday, December 22, 2014
Love, the Gift That Keeps On Giving
Today was a truly interesting day full of highly unexpected blessings. Can't really go into details about the special blessings, but God knows what they are, and he knows I am thankful and right now my heart is full to over flowing with happiness, and yes there has been HAPPY TEARS cried tonight!! I am officially looking forward to Christmas. I'm not sure if I'm so full of positivity to say I'm looking forward to 2015, yet, but I am hoping I will get there (even if it IS after the New Year when I finally reach that point).
My daughter and I attended her Girl Scout troop Christmas party, of which I co lead with another mom. The girls had a fantastic time at the party, and the girls were even surprised with a visit from Santa Clause.
We had all been told originally there would be NO Santa, as the Santa house wasn't open on Monday's (which is right behind the building we were in).
So when I looked to my left while cheering on my group of kids during our game stations, and what do my wondering eyes did I see? But Santa, and one jolly elf. My jaw. Hit. The ground.
Santa came in the building with a big "HO HO HO MEERRY CHRISTMAS!" Of course, none of us knew WHO this guy was, or what he wanted. Thankfully, he was not some weird lunatic running around town, but a very kind gentleman who actually does volunteer at the Santa house, and knew that the Girl Scouts were having their Christmas party tonight and wanted to surprise them. We were all pleasantly surprised and the girls had a great time seeing Santa. I love it when people go our of their way to do something kind for others on Christmas, it makes the whole holiday even more special and cheerful for everyone.
We've been on the receiving end of a LOT of holiday kindness this year and I'm floored with the love and kindness, so many great people that we know (and some we don't know at all, or very well). We find ourselves constantly trying to pay it forward to someone else however we can. Thankfully I am married to possibly the most kind hearted man I've ever met. He would literally give you the shirt off of his very back if he thought that you needed it. I'll admit...some times, it has gotten on my nerves, but at the same time? I'm so happy to be married to someone who is so kind to others and wants to help those who are struggling, even if we happen to be going through a struggle ourselves. Nothing wrong with that.
It has rubbed off on my daughter, the being kind to others (which is a good thing!) She sees my husband and I help others whenever we can, however we can at that moment, even small things. She's been involved in the volunteer work I LOVE to do. Growing up I was always involved in my tiny little community somehow.
Helping to build our little community park when I was 8, throwing community Halloween parties by the time I was 13, and helping with the community Christmas parties, and gathering the kids together to go caroling or all of us pitch in to buy our bus driver a gift for Christmas. Piano playing for my Church, I was the assistant stage manager for a fundraiser for our local hospital one year (I loved that BTW, it was awesome). I even worked as a reception/secretary at our local community center for a summer, and that was by far my absolutely FAVORITE job ever.
I love working with people, helping in anyway that I can. I want to be involved in my community helping, feeling like I am making a difference and I want my children to be involved in that as well. (My sons are still trying to grasp that idea, their sister figured it out a lot younger than they have, but I know my sons will get there!)
This weekend I volunteered to photograph a fundraiser for a local dog rescue here in town that I volunteer with. I get to work with an amazing group of people who do so much for dogs in need, so I was honored to get to do pet photos with Santa this year! How fun that was!
Currently the kids and I are working on a little gift for our neighbors that we'll be handing out, hopefully tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, and I think the kids are too! Never to soon to spread love and kindness to those around you. The world needs more of that.
Mom Circus
My daughter and I attended her Girl Scout troop Christmas party, of which I co lead with another mom. The girls had a fantastic time at the party, and the girls were even surprised with a visit from Santa Clause.
We had all been told originally there would be NO Santa, as the Santa house wasn't open on Monday's (which is right behind the building we were in).
So when I looked to my left while cheering on my group of kids during our game stations, and what do my wondering eyes did I see? But Santa, and one jolly elf. My jaw. Hit. The ground.
Santa came in the building with a big "HO HO HO MEERRY CHRISTMAS!" Of course, none of us knew WHO this guy was, or what he wanted. Thankfully, he was not some weird lunatic running around town, but a very kind gentleman who actually does volunteer at the Santa house, and knew that the Girl Scouts were having their Christmas party tonight and wanted to surprise them. We were all pleasantly surprised and the girls had a great time seeing Santa. I love it when people go our of their way to do something kind for others on Christmas, it makes the whole holiday even more special and cheerful for everyone.
We've been on the receiving end of a LOT of holiday kindness this year and I'm floored with the love and kindness, so many great people that we know (and some we don't know at all, or very well). We find ourselves constantly trying to pay it forward to someone else however we can. Thankfully I am married to possibly the most kind hearted man I've ever met. He would literally give you the shirt off of his very back if he thought that you needed it. I'll admit...some times, it has gotten on my nerves, but at the same time? I'm so happy to be married to someone who is so kind to others and wants to help those who are struggling, even if we happen to be going through a struggle ourselves. Nothing wrong with that.
It has rubbed off on my daughter, the being kind to others (which is a good thing!) She sees my husband and I help others whenever we can, however we can at that moment, even small things. She's been involved in the volunteer work I LOVE to do. Growing up I was always involved in my tiny little community somehow.
Helping to build our little community park when I was 8, throwing community Halloween parties by the time I was 13, and helping with the community Christmas parties, and gathering the kids together to go caroling or all of us pitch in to buy our bus driver a gift for Christmas. Piano playing for my Church, I was the assistant stage manager for a fundraiser for our local hospital one year (I loved that BTW, it was awesome). I even worked as a reception/secretary at our local community center for a summer, and that was by far my absolutely FAVORITE job ever.
I love working with people, helping in anyway that I can. I want to be involved in my community helping, feeling like I am making a difference and I want my children to be involved in that as well. (My sons are still trying to grasp that idea, their sister figured it out a lot younger than they have, but I know my sons will get there!)
This weekend I volunteered to photograph a fundraiser for a local dog rescue here in town that I volunteer with. I get to work with an amazing group of people who do so much for dogs in need, so I was honored to get to do pet photos with Santa this year! How fun that was!
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| Just a small portion of the great people I get to work with (can you guess which one is me? No, I'm not the one in the Santa suite, but I was having a really bad hair day that day, yep it's me in the gray shirt). |
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| Santa #1 did a fantastic job as Santa, he's a hard worker that does a lot for the rescue group. |
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| My little foster pup, Pookie sitting on Santa's lap, she wanted to stay with Santa and kept trying to photo bomb all of the other dogs. |
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| Pookie and Little Bit two little dogs just looking for their Fur Ever home (hence the name of the photography stuff I do "Fur Ever Yours Photography", go find me on Facebook) |
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| When Santa #1 had to leave for work, Santa #2 stepped and did a fantastic job as well! Thank you for stepping in, we thought our Christmas goose was cooked when Santa #1 had to leave for work early! |
Currently the kids and I are working on a little gift for our neighbors that we'll be handing out, hopefully tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it, and I think the kids are too! Never to soon to spread love and kindness to those around you. The world needs more of that.
Mom Circus
Sunday, December 21, 2014
To Live and Learn
This morning was rather disappointing for my children. I had to explain to them (after getting them dressed) that they weren't being allowed to go to church this morning, because they had been sick. That was a hard conversation to have with them, and I was faced with three VERY deflated and hurt children, who even tonight are still stinging from said conversation.
They had the flu this past week, yes, that is true. However, by all standards they would have been allowed to go back to SCHOOL today had it been a school day, because they had been over any fevers long enough to make them allowable to go to school. Even with a cough and runny nose, that is not a valid reason to keep a child out of school per say. Fevers, and vomiting/diarrhea keep your kids out of school. Heck, even head lice in and of itself isn't enough to keep your kids out of school for days on end anymore.
However, it was decided (and not up to us apparently) that our kids could not come to church, due to them being sick. Glad we don't have a vehicle at the moment and are relying on the Church van to get to and from Church, because it would have been very embarrassing to actually ARRIVE at Church this morning and be told they couldn't be there. That would have sucked.
Glad we were told this before we left the house, but after I had the kids all dressed and ready to go. That was completely a waste of my time and completely devastating to my children to get dressed up in their Christmas best COMPLETELY and UTTERLY excited for the Christmas program tonight, and then have it yanked out from under them like a rug in those old cartoons.
They've have followed every rule I have had about 'getting better and not spreading germs' to anyone else and following proper hand washing/hand sanitizing, nose blowing, proper coughing procedures (cough into your elbow). They were set. Good to go.
No dice.
Sorry kids.
It was decided they were too big of a health risk to others in church (keep in mind by state guidelines they would have been allowed back IN SCHOOL).
This WOULD have been their first Church Christmas program they would have performed in. Now? It's just another year they were NOT allowed to participate for one reason or another (before it's been because of their age, or we had missed too much church so they weren't prepared, or the children that age weren't participating in the program that year, or they really WERE super sick and COULDN'T be there). As in, they LITERALLY had a high fever or vomiting that day.
I'm a bit miffed to be honest. My kids have little to no exposure to the elderly at church, my children are not dumb. They know to blow their noses and wash their hands and throw away their tissues and use hand sanitizer. They've been down that road during little brothers chemo days. They know how to NOT spread germs.
I too am WELL aware of the risks of the flu to others. Hello. I raised an immune compromised child from the age of 6 months to a year and a half, he's five years old today and guess what? His immune system is STILL not what it ought to be for a child his age. Thank you cancer, we have you to thank for that. So I'm very much conscious of keeping your kids healthy and away from sick people as MUCH as you can. However, I also spent nearly two years of my life feeling like a PRISONER in my own home because I lived in fear of taking my immune compromised child(ren) out into the world where the germs were (not to mention I had a child with seizures on top of it all that an illness would increase his seizure activity).
That was a tough TOUGH time for us.
I remember my twins' first Thanksgiving (which was right between his first chemo and his second chemo). My mother in law came to visit for Thanksgiving, we had TOLD HER not to come if she was sick because our son was immune compromised and it could make him really sick.
She came.
She was sick. With pneumonia, and she had it bad.
We didn't find this out until right before she went home, and she knew full well that she was FULL SICK and should have just stayed home. But she did not.
I was livid.
Fast forward to a month later and two chemo's later (and 1 in patient visit due to a fever spike that could have been from an infection in his body, but thankfully just turned out to be his immune system kicking back in after that last chemo). Anyway, fast forward to the boys' first Christmas.....
We ended up having to take our little cancer warrior to the hospital for another fever spike, on Christmas day. He had pneumonia.
I couldn't go with him to stay at the hospital I was too sick, so my husband went because HE had already gotten over the ickies (thank goodness). So he went with our son, while I stayed home SUPER SUPER SICK with two sick children as well. Miserable time. We didn't go anywhere at all, we just sat there in our sick misery. No company. No phone calls from ANYONE (nope not even our Church) to see if we were ok or needed anything. We managed. We survived. My son's pneumonia went away and he came home on New Years Eve. The rest of us got better too.
We didn't make it to Church much when our children were quite small, because A: Transportation was crap for us at that time, and B: I didn't want to put my son around a bunch of people who MAY or MAY not be sick. Sometimes when you are sick you don't know you are sick yet (like what happened to my daughter LAST Sunday when she randomly spiked a fever in the middle of Church. She didn't go to bed sick, she didn't wake up sick, she woke up grumbly like she always. I didn't expect her to come down sick, but she did (and I totally caught flack for bringing my sick daughter to Church, when she wasn't SICK when we left the house, I am not a mind reader I do not see the future, I did NOT know she was going to get sick in church or I WOULD have stayed home).
I understand no one wants to get sick, I really do. However, my kids were not a danger to anyone this morning. They would have been perfectly FINE going to Church this morning. They weren't sick with Ebola or anything. Their cough? Was from sinus drainage. Their sinus drainage...was clear, just drainage, no green (no infection). They were FINE.
They weren't welcome to come.
They were hurt. I'm hurt. I don't like to see my children hurting.
I feel like my parenting was being questioned. Like we were being judged.
I've lost count of how many times I've sat through a Church service and heard people all around me coughing and blowing their noses. Coughs that are all phlegmy and GROSS, and you KNOW someone is sick. No one asked them to leave...just saying.
It didn't help that this is the ONE and probably ONLY Sunday that I would have ever sent my kids to Church, WITHOUT me. I had a previous engagement this morning that I had to attend to, and the children didn't want to miss Church, they wanted to practice for their Christmas program tonight (which we all would have been attending later this evening as a family). So I had already talked to the Church Pastor and discussed the kids riding the Church van without me or my husband, and sitting in Church without my husband or I. (FYI they are NOT the first children to have come to our church at their age with no parent with them). It's not something I would personally make a habit of but I thought for ONE MORNING it would be ok. ONE MORNING.
I think they just couldn't find a single person that wanted to sit with my kids. I don't have bad kids, by any means. They are 7 and 5. When we go to Church they aren't in the main service area very much. They are well behaved in Sunday School and do as well as any other kid their age during the children's service portion. My sons, twins...love to pester each other (like siblings do), and so you often have to separate them. They also like to pester their sister, and she likes to boss them around, as siblings do. They are now reaching that age where they are aware of what is going on during service, that there is a routine a way of doing things. You bow your head and be quiet during prayers, you stand up and stand still when it is time to sing, and do your best to sing along and you hold your song book this way or look at the projector that way for songs. That there are at certain points in the service, times when it is ok to speak. Like when Pastor says "GOOD MORNING" he expects a nice loud "GOOD MORNING" back from his congregation (kids love that part). When Pastor expects an "amen" you can say "amen!" but otherwise...you use quiet whispery voice and color quietly on your paper and ONLY your paper (not the song book, not the Bible, not your Church pants, not the pew, not the chorus book, not the offering slips). When it is time to go to Children's service, you walk NOT run with the children's service director. You use quiet feet, and quiet voices.
They get that. They are old enough to understand, and do well with it.
They are, however, also children with sensory issues as well. Maybe, one day one of them has on a sweater that suddenly itches them this time (though it didn't last time), or they suddenly feel like their shoes are too tight, or the piano is too loud, the lights too bright, people are singing too loud (or too badly as my daughter calls it). They don't freak out (not anymore), but they do scramble to their 'safe' methods of dealing with over stimulating sensory input. Unfortunately for Circus Son #1 (sensory SEEKER in stressful times) that means he stems a bit, which unfortunately means he pokes, pinches or otherwise torments his brother or sister (which can lead to a squabble, which admittedly CAN be an issue if not dealt with SWIFTLY and sternly). Especially if Mom doesn't move quiet quick enough to get them prepared for whatever sensory over load need, needs to be dealt with. As they get older, these issues are LESS and LESS, thank goodness. We have always avoided PM services because evenings are *NOT* the best time of day for my children. If my sons are not in bed by 8pm on the dot, it gets UGLY. They are not night people. We only attend special PM services like the Christmas program because of their sensory struggles. They are reasons we avoided Church as well. It wasn't a positive experience for them in the past.
Today wasn't a very positive experience for them either.
But it was a LEARNING experience for them (and me as well).
I want to hold a grudge, I WANT to be super super super angry. Right now I AM upset, I AM HURT. (I spent a LOT of time sobbing with my children this morning over this). To watch them have to change out of their Christmas clothes back into PJ's was depressing. Not to mention I worked REALLY hard to get their Christmas clothes together this year, like SUPER hard because quite frankly, Christmas clothes aren't cheap, and our funds were LOW this year. So I worked so so hard to get them adorable clothes for Christmas, and they don't even get to use them. (We just wear jammies all day on Christmas day, because we stay home and lounge about enjoying family time on Christmas day). At least Daddy came to the rescue and kept them occupied and having fun this morning while I had to attend to a project this morning.
However, I don't have the time or energy for grudge holding. Besides, what does it teach my kids? To hold a grudge? I don't want that. I want them to learn the Christian thing to do. Forgive. Which, that is something I struggle with quite often. (Right now I'm struggling with forgiving my mother in law for a LOT of things, struggling to forgive my husband's ex employer, struggling to forgive my church as well, and struggling to forgive my step sister).
So Lord, give me strength to forgive tonight, because I DEFINETELY NEED IT. It's hard, sometimes to admit when our feelings, or our pride is hurt or has been damaged. Tonight I am definitely feeling my damaged pride and damaged feelings. It stinks. No one likes feeling like that. However, feeling angry makes you feel worse.
So in order for me to get past it, I talk about it. I get it out, I pray about it, and I will move on. In time. Hurt and pain don't go away over night, but it's no good to hang on to it either. You learn a lessons, forgive and move on and file it away in lessons learned for next time.
It's been a very long week FULL of disappointment for my kids. Actually the whole last two MONTHS has been full of disappointments for my children, for my family. So I think everything just kind of piled up and hit all at once. One big family, ugly cry fest.
I think back to when I was growing up. I went to a wonderfully small country Church. I loved my Church, I still do love my Church and I miss it with my heart every Sunday. They were all such an enormous part of my life, and I am so thankful for that Church of a dozen adopted grandparents. I was the only young child in my church for a long time. It was nice. I grew up hearing amazing life stories from these AMAZING folks. Some had lead such interesting lives, and I loved hearing about their life. The gentleman, Mr. Rodgers who ran the little small town store with his wife. He had been at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and the bombs made him lose a majority of his hearing. I loved hearing about the wild and exciting life that his wife and her three sisters had lead as they were young girls (their father had been a magician, and one of the girls had been his helper). I was just absolutely fascinated by the history these people taught me. I LOVED the closeness of our Church. The love I felt when I was growing up in Church was wonderful and I am incredibly blessed to have grown up when and where I did. I ALWAYS felt welcome. Whether I had a cough and runny nose (They made sure I had tissues and cough drops, and a glass of water during service, and I was always welcome to snuggle up next to one of these many adopted grandparents I had in Church!) Whether I was tired/cranky or feeling slightly over stimulated by everything going on, I NEVER EVER felt not wanted there.
I just wanted that same feeling for my children.
That's why I like the church we currently attend. It has much of the same appeal. Most of the time.
I have an IMPOSSIBLY hard time seeing myself at one of the many large churches in our town (which Churches we are NOT poor of in this town!) I just feel lost and alone in bigger Churches. However, I find myself feeling more lost and alone in our current church as well. I'm just not sure where I "fit in" anymore. There is like maybe ONE other lady at our Church that is my age (well two others if you count the pastors wife, but even she is quite a bit older than I am). So I am totally left feeling out of place and inadequate most of the time in Church. No one to identify with. The other kids that come to Church come with their grand parents. I'm the only mom who comes to Church alone with her children (my husband does not attend church, he has many reasons that he does not go). So I always feel pretty eye balled when I walk in with my kids, like they are INSTANTLY judging us the second we walk in, which makes me instantly mentally spazz out (Are my kids being too loud? Are they dressed ok? Are they walking too fast? Are they TOO happy this morning? Are they going to have any sensory issues today? etc etc). Simply because...I don't want to upset anyone. I find myself being way stricter with my kids at church than I am at home (not that I'm not strict on them at home, it just comes out more at Church because my anxiety is instantly up and I don't want my kids to 'mess up' and I feel like if they DO mess up we'll be talked about later and feel even less welcome). When in reality...kids DO mess up, and that's ok! It doesn't mean I'm not parenting them right, it doesn't mean they get to do whatever they want all the time. It means they are HUMAN, and they are CHILDREN and they won't always do every little thing perfectly right that others may want them to do. God loves them regardless, and so do I.
Any Church I've ever been to in my ENTIRE life has always made me feel like children are welcome, wanted, appreciated, NEEDED. I haven't felt that in a long time at my Church. I always thought it was because we just weren't going often enough, we weren't "in" yet so to speak. However, I've been attending that church since like 2004 or 2005 and I *STILL* don't feel "in". I used to get to help with all kinds of things, and I loved it. Now when I offer to help, I get told no thanks. It hurts.
I was so excited for tonight's Christmas program, partly because afterwards they were having a cookie exchange. I was so excited! I LOVE cookie exchanges. I had SIGNED UP (I never sign up for anything anymore because of vibes I draw off of others when I go to things.) I'm so glad I did not get all 14 dozen cookies baked. I would have been completely and utterly crushed if I had 14 dozen cookies sitting here waiting to go to the stupid cookie exchange and then be told we couldn't come to Church. We do not need that many cookies!
It isn't all bad though! There are so many reasons we DO love our Church. I am just going to work hard to not let this one (small in the grand scheme of things), incident ruin my love, or my children's love for church, our church. I just do hope they realize it's hard to grow your Church when you don't let young families feel like they are welcome and like their children are a burden/danger to everyone at your Church.
I found a post on a page I follow on Facebook for kids with Sensory Issues. I love this bulletin that particular church hands out to people with kids. It's brilliant. I have no idea where this Church is located, but it's something that I feel should be adopted by more Churches.
I wish I got more smiles of encouragement at Church.
Mom Circus
They had the flu this past week, yes, that is true. However, by all standards they would have been allowed to go back to SCHOOL today had it been a school day, because they had been over any fevers long enough to make them allowable to go to school. Even with a cough and runny nose, that is not a valid reason to keep a child out of school per say. Fevers, and vomiting/diarrhea keep your kids out of school. Heck, even head lice in and of itself isn't enough to keep your kids out of school for days on end anymore.
However, it was decided (and not up to us apparently) that our kids could not come to church, due to them being sick. Glad we don't have a vehicle at the moment and are relying on the Church van to get to and from Church, because it would have been very embarrassing to actually ARRIVE at Church this morning and be told they couldn't be there. That would have sucked.
Glad we were told this before we left the house, but after I had the kids all dressed and ready to go. That was completely a waste of my time and completely devastating to my children to get dressed up in their Christmas best COMPLETELY and UTTERLY excited for the Christmas program tonight, and then have it yanked out from under them like a rug in those old cartoons.
They've have followed every rule I have had about 'getting better and not spreading germs' to anyone else and following proper hand washing/hand sanitizing, nose blowing, proper coughing procedures (cough into your elbow). They were set. Good to go.
No dice.
Sorry kids.
It was decided they were too big of a health risk to others in church (keep in mind by state guidelines they would have been allowed back IN SCHOOL).
This WOULD have been their first Church Christmas program they would have performed in. Now? It's just another year they were NOT allowed to participate for one reason or another (before it's been because of their age, or we had missed too much church so they weren't prepared, or the children that age weren't participating in the program that year, or they really WERE super sick and COULDN'T be there). As in, they LITERALLY had a high fever or vomiting that day.
I'm a bit miffed to be honest. My kids have little to no exposure to the elderly at church, my children are not dumb. They know to blow their noses and wash their hands and throw away their tissues and use hand sanitizer. They've been down that road during little brothers chemo days. They know how to NOT spread germs.
I too am WELL aware of the risks of the flu to others. Hello. I raised an immune compromised child from the age of 6 months to a year and a half, he's five years old today and guess what? His immune system is STILL not what it ought to be for a child his age. Thank you cancer, we have you to thank for that. So I'm very much conscious of keeping your kids healthy and away from sick people as MUCH as you can. However, I also spent nearly two years of my life feeling like a PRISONER in my own home because I lived in fear of taking my immune compromised child(ren) out into the world where the germs were (not to mention I had a child with seizures on top of it all that an illness would increase his seizure activity).
That was a tough TOUGH time for us.
I remember my twins' first Thanksgiving (which was right between his first chemo and his second chemo). My mother in law came to visit for Thanksgiving, we had TOLD HER not to come if she was sick because our son was immune compromised and it could make him really sick.
She came.
She was sick. With pneumonia, and she had it bad.
We didn't find this out until right before she went home, and she knew full well that she was FULL SICK and should have just stayed home. But she did not.
I was livid.
Fast forward to a month later and two chemo's later (and 1 in patient visit due to a fever spike that could have been from an infection in his body, but thankfully just turned out to be his immune system kicking back in after that last chemo). Anyway, fast forward to the boys' first Christmas.....
We ended up having to take our little cancer warrior to the hospital for another fever spike, on Christmas day. He had pneumonia.
I couldn't go with him to stay at the hospital I was too sick, so my husband went because HE had already gotten over the ickies (thank goodness). So he went with our son, while I stayed home SUPER SUPER SICK with two sick children as well. Miserable time. We didn't go anywhere at all, we just sat there in our sick misery. No company. No phone calls from ANYONE (nope not even our Church) to see if we were ok or needed anything. We managed. We survived. My son's pneumonia went away and he came home on New Years Eve. The rest of us got better too.
We didn't make it to Church much when our children were quite small, because A: Transportation was crap for us at that time, and B: I didn't want to put my son around a bunch of people who MAY or MAY not be sick. Sometimes when you are sick you don't know you are sick yet (like what happened to my daughter LAST Sunday when she randomly spiked a fever in the middle of Church. She didn't go to bed sick, she didn't wake up sick, she woke up grumbly like she always. I didn't expect her to come down sick, but she did (and I totally caught flack for bringing my sick daughter to Church, when she wasn't SICK when we left the house, I am not a mind reader I do not see the future, I did NOT know she was going to get sick in church or I WOULD have stayed home).
I understand no one wants to get sick, I really do. However, my kids were not a danger to anyone this morning. They would have been perfectly FINE going to Church this morning. They weren't sick with Ebola or anything. Their cough? Was from sinus drainage. Their sinus drainage...was clear, just drainage, no green (no infection). They were FINE.
They weren't welcome to come.
They were hurt. I'm hurt. I don't like to see my children hurting.
I feel like my parenting was being questioned. Like we were being judged.
I've lost count of how many times I've sat through a Church service and heard people all around me coughing and blowing their noses. Coughs that are all phlegmy and GROSS, and you KNOW someone is sick. No one asked them to leave...just saying.
It didn't help that this is the ONE and probably ONLY Sunday that I would have ever sent my kids to Church, WITHOUT me. I had a previous engagement this morning that I had to attend to, and the children didn't want to miss Church, they wanted to practice for their Christmas program tonight (which we all would have been attending later this evening as a family). So I had already talked to the Church Pastor and discussed the kids riding the Church van without me or my husband, and sitting in Church without my husband or I. (FYI they are NOT the first children to have come to our church at their age with no parent with them). It's not something I would personally make a habit of but I thought for ONE MORNING it would be ok. ONE MORNING.
I think they just couldn't find a single person that wanted to sit with my kids. I don't have bad kids, by any means. They are 7 and 5. When we go to Church they aren't in the main service area very much. They are well behaved in Sunday School and do as well as any other kid their age during the children's service portion. My sons, twins...love to pester each other (like siblings do), and so you often have to separate them. They also like to pester their sister, and she likes to boss them around, as siblings do. They are now reaching that age where they are aware of what is going on during service, that there is a routine a way of doing things. You bow your head and be quiet during prayers, you stand up and stand still when it is time to sing, and do your best to sing along and you hold your song book this way or look at the projector that way for songs. That there are at certain points in the service, times when it is ok to speak. Like when Pastor says "GOOD MORNING" he expects a nice loud "GOOD MORNING" back from his congregation (kids love that part). When Pastor expects an "amen" you can say "amen!" but otherwise...you use quiet whispery voice and color quietly on your paper and ONLY your paper (not the song book, not the Bible, not your Church pants, not the pew, not the chorus book, not the offering slips). When it is time to go to Children's service, you walk NOT run with the children's service director. You use quiet feet, and quiet voices.
They get that. They are old enough to understand, and do well with it.
They are, however, also children with sensory issues as well. Maybe, one day one of them has on a sweater that suddenly itches them this time (though it didn't last time), or they suddenly feel like their shoes are too tight, or the piano is too loud, the lights too bright, people are singing too loud (or too badly as my daughter calls it). They don't freak out (not anymore), but they do scramble to their 'safe' methods of dealing with over stimulating sensory input. Unfortunately for Circus Son #1 (sensory SEEKER in stressful times) that means he stems a bit, which unfortunately means he pokes, pinches or otherwise torments his brother or sister (which can lead to a squabble, which admittedly CAN be an issue if not dealt with SWIFTLY and sternly). Especially if Mom doesn't move quiet quick enough to get them prepared for whatever sensory over load need, needs to be dealt with. As they get older, these issues are LESS and LESS, thank goodness. We have always avoided PM services because evenings are *NOT* the best time of day for my children. If my sons are not in bed by 8pm on the dot, it gets UGLY. They are not night people. We only attend special PM services like the Christmas program because of their sensory struggles. They are reasons we avoided Church as well. It wasn't a positive experience for them in the past.
Today wasn't a very positive experience for them either.
But it was a LEARNING experience for them (and me as well).
I want to hold a grudge, I WANT to be super super super angry. Right now I AM upset, I AM HURT. (I spent a LOT of time sobbing with my children this morning over this). To watch them have to change out of their Christmas clothes back into PJ's was depressing. Not to mention I worked REALLY hard to get their Christmas clothes together this year, like SUPER hard because quite frankly, Christmas clothes aren't cheap, and our funds were LOW this year. So I worked so so hard to get them adorable clothes for Christmas, and they don't even get to use them. (We just wear jammies all day on Christmas day, because we stay home and lounge about enjoying family time on Christmas day). At least Daddy came to the rescue and kept them occupied and having fun this morning while I had to attend to a project this morning.
However, I don't have the time or energy for grudge holding. Besides, what does it teach my kids? To hold a grudge? I don't want that. I want them to learn the Christian thing to do. Forgive. Which, that is something I struggle with quite often. (Right now I'm struggling with forgiving my mother in law for a LOT of things, struggling to forgive my husband's ex employer, struggling to forgive my church as well, and struggling to forgive my step sister).
So Lord, give me strength to forgive tonight, because I DEFINETELY NEED IT. It's hard, sometimes to admit when our feelings, or our pride is hurt or has been damaged. Tonight I am definitely feeling my damaged pride and damaged feelings. It stinks. No one likes feeling like that. However, feeling angry makes you feel worse.
So in order for me to get past it, I talk about it. I get it out, I pray about it, and I will move on. In time. Hurt and pain don't go away over night, but it's no good to hang on to it either. You learn a lessons, forgive and move on and file it away in lessons learned for next time.
It's been a very long week FULL of disappointment for my kids. Actually the whole last two MONTHS has been full of disappointments for my children, for my family. So I think everything just kind of piled up and hit all at once. One big family, ugly cry fest.
I think back to when I was growing up. I went to a wonderfully small country Church. I loved my Church, I still do love my Church and I miss it with my heart every Sunday. They were all such an enormous part of my life, and I am so thankful for that Church of a dozen adopted grandparents. I was the only young child in my church for a long time. It was nice. I grew up hearing amazing life stories from these AMAZING folks. Some had lead such interesting lives, and I loved hearing about their life. The gentleman, Mr. Rodgers who ran the little small town store with his wife. He had been at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and the bombs made him lose a majority of his hearing. I loved hearing about the wild and exciting life that his wife and her three sisters had lead as they were young girls (their father had been a magician, and one of the girls had been his helper). I was just absolutely fascinated by the history these people taught me. I LOVED the closeness of our Church. The love I felt when I was growing up in Church was wonderful and I am incredibly blessed to have grown up when and where I did. I ALWAYS felt welcome. Whether I had a cough and runny nose (They made sure I had tissues and cough drops, and a glass of water during service, and I was always welcome to snuggle up next to one of these many adopted grandparents I had in Church!) Whether I was tired/cranky or feeling slightly over stimulated by everything going on, I NEVER EVER felt not wanted there.
 |
| It's not the best picture, but it's a picture of a picture that most likely still sits on the back of the piano at my home Church where I grew up for 17 years of my life. That adorable couple to the left of the picture? That's Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers, I adored them so! I loved all of the people in this photo dearly and they are all HUGE parts of my life growing up. |
I just wanted that same feeling for my children.
That's why I like the church we currently attend. It has much of the same appeal. Most of the time.
I have an IMPOSSIBLY hard time seeing myself at one of the many large churches in our town (which Churches we are NOT poor of in this town!) I just feel lost and alone in bigger Churches. However, I find myself feeling more lost and alone in our current church as well. I'm just not sure where I "fit in" anymore. There is like maybe ONE other lady at our Church that is my age (well two others if you count the pastors wife, but even she is quite a bit older than I am). So I am totally left feeling out of place and inadequate most of the time in Church. No one to identify with. The other kids that come to Church come with their grand parents. I'm the only mom who comes to Church alone with her children (my husband does not attend church, he has many reasons that he does not go). So I always feel pretty eye balled when I walk in with my kids, like they are INSTANTLY judging us the second we walk in, which makes me instantly mentally spazz out (Are my kids being too loud? Are they dressed ok? Are they walking too fast? Are they TOO happy this morning? Are they going to have any sensory issues today? etc etc). Simply because...I don't want to upset anyone. I find myself being way stricter with my kids at church than I am at home (not that I'm not strict on them at home, it just comes out more at Church because my anxiety is instantly up and I don't want my kids to 'mess up' and I feel like if they DO mess up we'll be talked about later and feel even less welcome). When in reality...kids DO mess up, and that's ok! It doesn't mean I'm not parenting them right, it doesn't mean they get to do whatever they want all the time. It means they are HUMAN, and they are CHILDREN and they won't always do every little thing perfectly right that others may want them to do. God loves them regardless, and so do I.
Any Church I've ever been to in my ENTIRE life has always made me feel like children are welcome, wanted, appreciated, NEEDED. I haven't felt that in a long time at my Church. I always thought it was because we just weren't going often enough, we weren't "in" yet so to speak. However, I've been attending that church since like 2004 or 2005 and I *STILL* don't feel "in". I used to get to help with all kinds of things, and I loved it. Now when I offer to help, I get told no thanks. It hurts.
I was so excited for tonight's Christmas program, partly because afterwards they were having a cookie exchange. I was so excited! I LOVE cookie exchanges. I had SIGNED UP (I never sign up for anything anymore because of vibes I draw off of others when I go to things.) I'm so glad I did not get all 14 dozen cookies baked. I would have been completely and utterly crushed if I had 14 dozen cookies sitting here waiting to go to the stupid cookie exchange and then be told we couldn't come to Church. We do not need that many cookies!
It isn't all bad though! There are so many reasons we DO love our Church. I am just going to work hard to not let this one (small in the grand scheme of things), incident ruin my love, or my children's love for church, our church. I just do hope they realize it's hard to grow your Church when you don't let young families feel like they are welcome and like their children are a burden/danger to everyone at your Church.
I found a post on a page I follow on Facebook for kids with Sensory Issues. I love this bulletin that particular church hands out to people with kids. It's brilliant. I have no idea where this Church is located, but it's something that I feel should be adopted by more Churches.
I wish I got more smiles of encouragement at Church.
Mom Circus
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Kids Have the Best B.S. Detectors
I am not generally one of those parents that holds Santa over their kids heads. I don't believe Santa should be a weapon of discipline or whatever you want to call it. It should be something that is for our family, on the side FUN. Something extra we indulge in, on the back burner after celebrating and remembering the real reason our family celebrates Christmas.
However, I am known to say some random BS stuff just to see what kind of a reaction I can get out of my kids. Sometimes it works out humorously, other times...I don't get their goat and they totally roll their eyes and ignore my 'mom humor'.
Like, they don't get my movie jokes AT. ALL. Granted they are still only seven and five years old, sooo I cut them some slack on that one. Like the joke I made one day referencing the movie "Titanic" My daughter had thrown her sweet little arms around me and had loudly proclaimed "Mommy, I will NEVER let you go!" Of which I promptly said "Yeh, sure, that's what Rose said before she let Jack drown in the ocean when the ship sank 'I'll never let you go'" My daughter just looked at me like I was totally and COMPLETELY insane. Days later, she kept going on and on about telling her brothers "THE FIRST RULE IS" to which I finally replied "The first rule about fight club, is you don't talk about fight club!" Again, I was ignored and given the weirdest look EVER. Eh, I'll give them a few years, they don't know what those movies are yet, but they will, I will give them some time.
Anyway, this afternoon I was trying to get the kids amped up to help clean up the house, especially considering we've been sick for like two weeks now. Sooo as you can imagine the laundry is everywhere, dishes were piling up, the trash needed to go out, their were toys, blankets, books everywhere throughout the house. Total. Chaos.
So as they were playing "leap from the furniture pretending to be wild crazy monkey's" I said to them (after already trying to get their attention).
Me: "Hey you know Santa doesn't come to messy houses, he prefers CLEAN houses when he comes to deliver toys, because he doesn't want to trip over a toy and injure himself. I'd really hate to wake up on Christmas morning to stockings full of coal, and a law suite on my coffee table because Santa tripped over our messy living room and broke a leg, do we REALLY want to be the family that ruins Christmas because Santa broke a leg? I THINK NOT"
I paused for traumatic affect to see if the kids would be like "Oh yeh, mom is TOTALLY right let's not kill Santa and get this place cleaned up!"
No such luck.
*sigh* They just asked if they could have a banana because they were being monkey's at the zoo. FINE FINE FINE go ahead. Have your banana, Mommy shall do the hard work.
My kids have a very high functioning BS detector apparently.
To be fair though, they really did help clean up when it was time to get to it. They have sparkling clean bedrooms and they even made their beds, all I had to do was run the vacuum, which is something they usually do but I just did it to get it done quicker.
They gathered up their dirty laundry, put away their books, helped me move some furniture out of the living room so I could vacuum, and my daughter rolled up the rug so I could vacuum under it. So they did a very good share of house work today! Not bad for seven and five year olds. They even helped prepare supper (we had tacos). They were very busy little bee's.
Now I'm sitting here at ten O'clock at night listening to my drunk neighbor (well, I'm assuming he's drunk, because he usually is at this time, but hey he might not be drunk tonight). He is either drunk, or just redecorating his home at this time of night because he has been doing an awful lot of hammering and banging around over there, which stirs my dogs up and they bark like a pack of wild crazy dogs.
The kids have been asleep for two hours now, I've had two cups of hot cocoa, and am currently baking cookies and trying to find easy and quick recipes online to make, because I might possibly need like 14 dozen cookies by tomorrow night for our Church Christmas program. I don't procrastinate if that's what you are thinking. I've just been sick and not feeling like baking (or coughing all over everyone's cookies as I prepare them and I bet the people at the cookie share will appreciate that).
I've currently baked two and a half dozen cookies. Woo hoo! I'm on a roll. However, I took a short cut and found some frozen break and bake cookie dough in the freezer and I used that for those two and a half dozen cookies. I wish I had some cookie mix, but I have not bought any recently. Sooo the rest of the cookies will have to be the good ol' fashioned home made kind. Well minus the whoopee pies I plan on making, and they come from a box. Never made those before so we'll see how those turn out! The next time you see my hand hovering over ANY kind of sign up sheet (like the church cookie exchange sign up sheet) PLEASE smack my hand and tell me to BACK AWAY. To be fair, I did NOT know I was going to be sick this entire week. When I signed up I had EVERY intention of getting started on cookies RIGHT AWAY (I probably wouldn't have, and my only excuse THEN would have been straight out procrastination), but instead I was sick the ENTIRE week. Fun times.
I even need to make a couple dozen cookies to hand out to neighbors with their cards and Christmas ornaments (that I've yet to make yet, at least I have the cards done, ok?)
Tomorrow morning I have to miss Church because I will be photographing for the local dog rescue here in town, and I'm very pleased I can be there to do this for them. Later when I get home though, I will be a cookie baking FOOL!!
I have some kind of festive treat thing I was planning on making with pretzels, but not really sure how that's going to work out. Some thingish I saw on Pinterest, and I'm one of those people who eye balls a project once and then tries to recreate it...you know...without any instructions or anything. Usually do great with that when it comes to CRAFTING, but when it comes to cooking...well....they make recipes for a reason. I'm no Betty Crocker!
Well I'm just going to call it a night at two and a half dozen cookies. I'm tired. My sinuses are stopped up, and I have a long day tomorrow. Plus I had to take a break and figure out what our Elf on the Shelf, Toffee, was going to do tonight. He decided to go Snowman bowling (last night he was hanging from the chandelier). A few nights ago he stole a pirate ship and took it for a little joy ride. That same night, he also sat up a camera in the kids bedrooms to catch another elf popping to be silly. (Thank you Santa Spy Cam check them out on FB or search for their app on your smart phone or tablet. it's an app that is like the COOLEST app ever, totally check it out, my kids FLIPPED the next day when they saw the video of THEIR bedroom with a REAL elf peeking around their door frame to see if they were sleeping (and Toffee was sitting against the door frame that the other elf was peeking around). It was totally awesome, and super easy too! I'm not all that 'techie" and I figured it out.
Our Elf also spent a night non graciously tossed onto the entertainment stand because as I was going to move him, one of my sons nearly caught me so in a hurry I tossed him on the entertainment stand so as not to get caught, and well, he kind of spent the night/day there. Oops.
Mom Circus
However, I am known to say some random BS stuff just to see what kind of a reaction I can get out of my kids. Sometimes it works out humorously, other times...I don't get their goat and they totally roll their eyes and ignore my 'mom humor'.
Like, they don't get my movie jokes AT. ALL. Granted they are still only seven and five years old, sooo I cut them some slack on that one. Like the joke I made one day referencing the movie "Titanic" My daughter had thrown her sweet little arms around me and had loudly proclaimed "Mommy, I will NEVER let you go!" Of which I promptly said "Yeh, sure, that's what Rose said before she let Jack drown in the ocean when the ship sank 'I'll never let you go'" My daughter just looked at me like I was totally and COMPLETELY insane. Days later, she kept going on and on about telling her brothers "THE FIRST RULE IS" to which I finally replied "The first rule about fight club, is you don't talk about fight club!" Again, I was ignored and given the weirdest look EVER. Eh, I'll give them a few years, they don't know what those movies are yet, but they will, I will give them some time.
Anyway, this afternoon I was trying to get the kids amped up to help clean up the house, especially considering we've been sick for like two weeks now. Sooo as you can imagine the laundry is everywhere, dishes were piling up, the trash needed to go out, their were toys, blankets, books everywhere throughout the house. Total. Chaos.
So as they were playing "leap from the furniture pretending to be wild crazy monkey's" I said to them (after already trying to get their attention).
Me: "Hey you know Santa doesn't come to messy houses, he prefers CLEAN houses when he comes to deliver toys, because he doesn't want to trip over a toy and injure himself. I'd really hate to wake up on Christmas morning to stockings full of coal, and a law suite on my coffee table because Santa tripped over our messy living room and broke a leg, do we REALLY want to be the family that ruins Christmas because Santa broke a leg? I THINK NOT"
I paused for traumatic affect to see if the kids would be like "Oh yeh, mom is TOTALLY right let's not kill Santa and get this place cleaned up!"
No such luck.
*sigh* They just asked if they could have a banana because they were being monkey's at the zoo. FINE FINE FINE go ahead. Have your banana, Mommy shall do the hard work.
My kids have a very high functioning BS detector apparently.
To be fair though, they really did help clean up when it was time to get to it. They have sparkling clean bedrooms and they even made their beds, all I had to do was run the vacuum, which is something they usually do but I just did it to get it done quicker.
They gathered up their dirty laundry, put away their books, helped me move some furniture out of the living room so I could vacuum, and my daughter rolled up the rug so I could vacuum under it. So they did a very good share of house work today! Not bad for seven and five year olds. They even helped prepare supper (we had tacos). They were very busy little bee's.
Now I'm sitting here at ten O'clock at night listening to my drunk neighbor (well, I'm assuming he's drunk, because he usually is at this time, but hey he might not be drunk tonight). He is either drunk, or just redecorating his home at this time of night because he has been doing an awful lot of hammering and banging around over there, which stirs my dogs up and they bark like a pack of wild crazy dogs.
The kids have been asleep for two hours now, I've had two cups of hot cocoa, and am currently baking cookies and trying to find easy and quick recipes online to make, because I might possibly need like 14 dozen cookies by tomorrow night for our Church Christmas program. I don't procrastinate if that's what you are thinking. I've just been sick and not feeling like baking (or coughing all over everyone's cookies as I prepare them and I bet the people at the cookie share will appreciate that).
I've currently baked two and a half dozen cookies. Woo hoo! I'm on a roll. However, I took a short cut and found some frozen break and bake cookie dough in the freezer and I used that for those two and a half dozen cookies. I wish I had some cookie mix, but I have not bought any recently. Sooo the rest of the cookies will have to be the good ol' fashioned home made kind. Well minus the whoopee pies I plan on making, and they come from a box. Never made those before so we'll see how those turn out! The next time you see my hand hovering over ANY kind of sign up sheet (like the church cookie exchange sign up sheet) PLEASE smack my hand and tell me to BACK AWAY. To be fair, I did NOT know I was going to be sick this entire week. When I signed up I had EVERY intention of getting started on cookies RIGHT AWAY (I probably wouldn't have, and my only excuse THEN would have been straight out procrastination), but instead I was sick the ENTIRE week. Fun times.
I even need to make a couple dozen cookies to hand out to neighbors with their cards and Christmas ornaments (that I've yet to make yet, at least I have the cards done, ok?)
Tomorrow morning I have to miss Church because I will be photographing for the local dog rescue here in town, and I'm very pleased I can be there to do this for them. Later when I get home though, I will be a cookie baking FOOL!!
I have some kind of festive treat thing I was planning on making with pretzels, but not really sure how that's going to work out. Some thingish I saw on Pinterest, and I'm one of those people who eye balls a project once and then tries to recreate it...you know...without any instructions or anything. Usually do great with that when it comes to CRAFTING, but when it comes to cooking...well....they make recipes for a reason. I'm no Betty Crocker!
Well I'm just going to call it a night at two and a half dozen cookies. I'm tired. My sinuses are stopped up, and I have a long day tomorrow. Plus I had to take a break and figure out what our Elf on the Shelf, Toffee, was going to do tonight. He decided to go Snowman bowling (last night he was hanging from the chandelier). A few nights ago he stole a pirate ship and took it for a little joy ride. That same night, he also sat up a camera in the kids bedrooms to catch another elf popping to be silly. (Thank you Santa Spy Cam check them out on FB or search for their app on your smart phone or tablet. it's an app that is like the COOLEST app ever, totally check it out, my kids FLIPPED the next day when they saw the video of THEIR bedroom with a REAL elf peeking around their door frame to see if they were sleeping (and Toffee was sitting against the door frame that the other elf was peeking around). It was totally awesome, and super easy too! I'm not all that 'techie" and I figured it out.
Our Elf also spent a night non graciously tossed onto the entertainment stand because as I was going to move him, one of my sons nearly caught me so in a hurry I tossed him on the entertainment stand so as not to get caught, and well, he kind of spent the night/day there. Oops.
Mom Circus
Friday, December 19, 2014
Happy Wrapping (ways to end Christmas for your kids)
Last night as I was wrapping (erm, mutilating) presents with wrapping paper and tape. I got to thinking. Yes I know me using sharp pointy scissors and thinking at the same time is not safe, but I promise no one lost an eye or a finger.
As I sat there, I thought about my seven year old first grader and my five year old kindergartners. Going "Oh gosh, this is how it's going to happen, THIS is how they will learn the truth, that Santa...is a LIE"
So here are the ways I will ruin the magic for my kids on Christmas and they will EVENTUALLY figure it out far too soon.
I was nearly in tears last night attempting to wrap some of these gifts. My daughter had watched a commercial for a toy, and Santa had handed this little girl a present all bedecked in SHINY wrapping paper. My daughter hadn't cared one bit about the toy the kid GOT, she was hooked on the shiny sliver wrapping paper, she squealed "MOOOMMY!! I would so love for Santa to bring me something wrapped in SHINY paper! It's so BEAUTIFUL" You could almost see the tears of aw in her eyes.
Well crap. What's a mom to do. Of course I ran out and bought some SHINY wrapping paper (thank you dollar store you little cheap store you!)
So last night I sat and wrapped nearly all of her presents in bright and shiny silver wrapping paper! I hope she likes it. Just something small, that I over heard, remembered, and put in to place. Whether she will notice or not.....I have no idea. I even did a few shiny ones for the boys too.
I looked like a hot mess trying to wrap presents. Watching a scary movie, shoving cats and dogs off of me left and right (hope they didn't put a hole in the wrapping paper). Kept losing the darn tape, kept losing the scissors. To be fair, I had already lost both before I even SAT DOWN to wrap anything. TWICE.
Even though my wrapping is terrible as well as my hand writing. The wrapping is done and Santa is ready to come. I didn't leave behind any evidence, not even a scrap of paper was left behind.
Mom Circus
As I was sitting there with stuffed sprawled all over my dog hair covered living room carpet, I kept nervously glancing over my left shoulder down the hall way to see if I was about to get busted. It was scarier than trying to traffic reindeer during Christmas.
As I sat there, I thought about my seven year old first grader and my five year old kindergartners. Going "Oh gosh, this is how it's going to happen, THIS is how they will learn the truth, that Santa...is a LIE"
So here are the ways I will ruin the magic for my kids on Christmas and they will EVENTUALLY figure it out far too soon.
- My wrapping skills SUCK. They will eventually figure out that Mommy's presents she wraps for their BIRTHDAY'S is the same SHODDY wrapping skills that they receive for Christmas. It's the thought that counts darn it. I mean, the item IS at least covered in wrapping paper, so it's all good.
- They will realize that the VERY same wrapping paper we just picked out together at the store...is also the same wrapping paper 'Santa' used on all of their presents, even the ones from Mom and Dad. Oops. Poor thinking on that one, I will admit I do not think my wrapping paper selection through very carefully.
- If they ever closely inspect the presents on Christmas morning and see all of the flappin' dog hair stuck to the tape used to tape the wrapping paper on, they will figure it out. We have three white dogs....that isn't polar bear fur. Have you seen a polar bear's paws? Too big and bulky to wrap a present, my kids know that. Dog hair invades EVERYTHING in our house. You can't miss it. Ever, no matter how many times you vacuum.
- They will hear me wrapping presents. Not just the wrapping paper. They will literally wake up and come in and see what mom is cursing out this time. $%&# wrapping paper and tape!! Or they will hear the movie I'm watching and come seek me out (because of COURSE the remote gets lost in all the wrapping paper and I can't just get up and turn DOWN the TV, and what else would I wrap presents to other than a good horror movie? Nothing says tis the seasons like a bit of blood and gore.
- They will just randomly wake up and catch me in the act, and I will have literally NO come back. None. Nada. I'll just be BUSTED.
- I will end up leaving some kind of incriminating evidence behind. Like the wrapping paper. Or some bows. Or maybe even a present.
- My hand writing. I have the WORST hand writing on the planet, I hate it. It's ugly. My cursive writing is WORSE than my print. They see my hand writing ever day. They will figure it out. I cannot mask my awful hand writing, I've tried. I even try being "sneaky" and writing their names in "all caps", *sigh* No luck.
My Mother was/is like the all time PERFECT gift wrapper, she's even a diabolical gift wrapper at that. NOT ONLY does she make your presents IMPOSSIBLE and so so SO FRUSTRATING to unwrap, but she makes them look gorgeous while she's at it. So she tortures you on two different levels. One, knowing I can NEVER meet up to her standards on wrapping a present, and two? I will NEVER EVER find out what is inside that present because there is so much tape, layers of paper, boxes, etc. It's enough to drive a person INSANE. She's been doing this to me since I was two. My Mother is evil, but awesome.
I was nearly in tears last night attempting to wrap some of these gifts. My daughter had watched a commercial for a toy, and Santa had handed this little girl a present all bedecked in SHINY wrapping paper. My daughter hadn't cared one bit about the toy the kid GOT, she was hooked on the shiny sliver wrapping paper, she squealed "MOOOMMY!! I would so love for Santa to bring me something wrapped in SHINY paper! It's so BEAUTIFUL" You could almost see the tears of aw in her eyes.
Well crap. What's a mom to do. Of course I ran out and bought some SHINY wrapping paper (thank you dollar store you little cheap store you!)
So last night I sat and wrapped nearly all of her presents in bright and shiny silver wrapping paper! I hope she likes it. Just something small, that I over heard, remembered, and put in to place. Whether she will notice or not.....I have no idea. I even did a few shiny ones for the boys too.
I looked like a hot mess trying to wrap presents. Watching a scary movie, shoving cats and dogs off of me left and right (hope they didn't put a hole in the wrapping paper). Kept losing the darn tape, kept losing the scissors. To be fair, I had already lost both before I even SAT DOWN to wrap anything. TWICE.
Even though my wrapping is terrible as well as my hand writing. The wrapping is done and Santa is ready to come. I didn't leave behind any evidence, not even a scrap of paper was left behind.
Mom Circus
The Fever That Never Ends
This flu stuff, is miserable business. I've been sick for the past two weeks, and it's been every icky illness going around. Lovely. So tired of getting or being sick. I have currently coughed so much that my ribs are in a ton of pain.
Not to mention that my children have missed so much school. Son Circus #2 has basically missed an entire week of school. Son Circus #1 has been at school one and a half days this week (he almost made it all day yesterday, but I ended up having to go pick him up early for having a 102 fever). My poor boy.
I've been living on Advil cold and flu pills or Alka Seltzer cold and flu stuff and hot chamomile tea. The tea and Alka Seltzer knocked me OUT last night. I woke up at 5am because it felt like my arm was burning, it was Son Circus #1, he was burning up. He had crawled into my bed and he had laid his face on my arm and it was HOT. I quickly got him some Ibuprofen, and a cool wash rag. Soon enough we were both OUT like a light again. I don't even remember my alarm going off, I woke up at 7:30am and realized I had TOTALLY over slept (by like an hour and a half!!) so I quickly got up and got the ONE kid ready for school that is healthy enough to go to school.
Realized it was snowing too. Nice.
She got off to school, and now I'm home with my sons. Who I WISH were well enough to go to school. They keep fighting. Unfortunately, they both STILL have fevers, not high enough to be scary, but high enough to keep them home from school).
Today is the class parties, so the boys are disappointed they are having to miss them, but that's what happens when your whole family gets sickly.
I actually made a phone call to the pediatrician's office this morning. Upon describing what has been going on with my kids, yep...they've had all the illnesses going around, minus one. They haven't had *knock on wood* strep throat.
*** Well, that's as far as I got yesterday, before the ickies took over again, so carrying on from here! ***
I survived my daughters Christmas party at school yesterday. My sons were home sick with Dad Circus, so I ventured out to the school (thank goodness for cough drops), I delivered the hand made ornaments the kids and I made to their class mates, they were a hit, the kids loved them. The students were so sweet and sent well wishes for my sons that they would feel better soon (oh they will, they'll be back to school, next year).
Christmas break starts today. Today is a half day at school, and guess what? My sons are STILL home with a fever, which means they missed Polar Express day at school. Sooo they are laying around the living room in PJ's with blankets, and watching the Polar Express just like they would be at school. Only difference? At home they can get their fevers checked and pumped with Ibuprofen when needed to bring down the fevers! It's like the fever that NEVER ends! It ranges in how high, from 103 to 100 but it's still there, and it's annoying.
I figure SURELY by the time Christmas gets here they will be better.
Now, pardon me I have to go hack up a lung and blow my brain out through my nose.
Mom Circus
Not to mention that my children have missed so much school. Son Circus #2 has basically missed an entire week of school. Son Circus #1 has been at school one and a half days this week (he almost made it all day yesterday, but I ended up having to go pick him up early for having a 102 fever). My poor boy.
I've been living on Advil cold and flu pills or Alka Seltzer cold and flu stuff and hot chamomile tea. The tea and Alka Seltzer knocked me OUT last night. I woke up at 5am because it felt like my arm was burning, it was Son Circus #1, he was burning up. He had crawled into my bed and he had laid his face on my arm and it was HOT. I quickly got him some Ibuprofen, and a cool wash rag. Soon enough we were both OUT like a light again. I don't even remember my alarm going off, I woke up at 7:30am and realized I had TOTALLY over slept (by like an hour and a half!!) so I quickly got up and got the ONE kid ready for school that is healthy enough to go to school.
Realized it was snowing too. Nice.
She got off to school, and now I'm home with my sons. Who I WISH were well enough to go to school. They keep fighting. Unfortunately, they both STILL have fevers, not high enough to be scary, but high enough to keep them home from school).
Today is the class parties, so the boys are disappointed they are having to miss them, but that's what happens when your whole family gets sickly.
I actually made a phone call to the pediatrician's office this morning. Upon describing what has been going on with my kids, yep...they've had all the illnesses going around, minus one. They haven't had *knock on wood* strep throat.
*** Well, that's as far as I got yesterday, before the ickies took over again, so carrying on from here! ***
I survived my daughters Christmas party at school yesterday. My sons were home sick with Dad Circus, so I ventured out to the school (thank goodness for cough drops), I delivered the hand made ornaments the kids and I made to their class mates, they were a hit, the kids loved them. The students were so sweet and sent well wishes for my sons that they would feel better soon (oh they will, they'll be back to school, next year).
Christmas break starts today. Today is a half day at school, and guess what? My sons are STILL home with a fever, which means they missed Polar Express day at school. Sooo they are laying around the living room in PJ's with blankets, and watching the Polar Express just like they would be at school. Only difference? At home they can get their fevers checked and pumped with Ibuprofen when needed to bring down the fevers! It's like the fever that NEVER ends! It ranges in how high, from 103 to 100 but it's still there, and it's annoying.
I figure SURELY by the time Christmas gets here they will be better.
Now, pardon me I have to go hack up a lung and blow my brain out through my nose.
Mom Circus
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Christmas Craft -- Stocking Cap
I still needed ONE more ornament idea for my last kiddo after creating the Reindeer Ornament, the Candy Cane Ornament and the Snow Bowl game. I was totally and completely stumped. A friend showed me what she was making for her first grader to hand out to her friends. Normally, I don't like using an idea someone else is doing, but in this situation...I decided it was the most cost affective way to go. I already had all of the supplies needed, so I figured I'd go for it. My child is in kindergarten that would be using them, so I thought it would work out fine.
These ornaments only use two supplies, and they are very easy to make, BUT they are highly time consuming. I'm not even done yet, I need at least 10 more made myself, and I have until tomorrow to get them finished. They are, however, super cute!
Supplies:
- Yarn of your choosing (I recommend using a heavier yarn!)
- Scissors
- Toilet paper tubes.
Directions:
- You want to cut the yarn into about 3 or 4 inch pieces.
- You will also need to cut your toilet paper tubes, you will have to flatten it, and then cut the tube into "strips" these strips will then be the base of your hat. (you can see that in the pic above this step)
- Next you will loop the yarn around the thin toilet paper ring until you go all the way around it (That's the time consuming part!)
- You will take a piece of yarn and gather the yarn up and tie it together to make a pom pom ontop of the hat, and that string that you used to tie it together will also become the hangar to put it on the tree.
- You will want to use scissors to shape your pom on top of the hat. (as seen above)
Mom Circus
Christmas Craft -- Candy Cane Ornament
After we made the Reindeer Ornaments for my daughter's class, and created the Snow Bowl for a game in my sons class, I sat about making ornaments for my other kiddos. As I dug through my craft stuff I came across a lot of red, and a lot of white pipe cleaners, and my next ornament idea came to be.
Directions:
I think the kids will enjoy their Candy Cane ornaments! They were easy to make and it made several of them!
Mom Circus
Also see:
Christmas Craft -- Stocking Hat
SUPER easy. Each pipe cleaner, makes two candy cane ornaments!
Supplies:
- Red pipe cleaners (we used the big long ones so you can cut them in half to make two)
- White pipe cleaners (again we used the big long ones)
- Yarn
- Scissors
- *Note, you can add a bell, ribbon, button, etc to the candy cane to dress it up a little but my son decided he just wanted plain candy canes, you could also used colored candy canes to make the fruity colored candy canes.
Directions:
- First I folded each red pipe cleaner in half and cut it,
- I did the same with the white ones too
- Next I put one red and one white pipe cleaner together.
- I folded down the sharp ends on the top so no one would get stabbed with it.
- Next I twisted the two colors together to give that candy cane 'stripe' look.
- After that I bent the top of the pipe cleaners to look like the hook of the candy cane.
- Last, I cut some yarn and fixed it to the top of the candy cane to make it into a hangar for the tree.
I think the kids will enjoy their Candy Cane ornaments! They were easy to make and it made several of them!
Mom Circus
Also see:
Christmas Craft -- Stocking Hat
Christmas Craft -- Reindeer Ornaments
Every year I help my kids make something special to give to their classmates for Christmas. Usually it involves little goody bags with some fun treats in it, but this year we were on a bit of a money crunch so the gifts my kids give out had to be home made and with stuff we already had around the house!
Directions:
I decided we were going to go with Christmas ornaments. Kids love having their OWN ornaments to put on the Christmas tree, and I know several children who have their own mini Christmas tree's in their bedrooms (and my daughter will NOT stop asking for one of her own, of which I keep telling her No. No. No. We have a 7.5ft tall tree in the living room/dining room area and it is FULL of our hand made ornaments so in no way do you NEED a tree of your own in your room).
Anyway, we sat about trying to decide what types of ornaments to make for each one of the kiddos. As I sat looking at my tree (to see what ornaments we had made in previous years that might work). I noticed some made out of popsicle sticks. I was like, yeh, we can do that for one kiddo. My daughter chose that particular ornament to hand out to her class mates.
We started making Reindeer Ornaments.
Supplies:
- Popsicle sticks (we used plain wooden ones as we wanted a 'natural' look but they make some pretty colored popsicle sticks, and they make them in various sizes we used the smaller size for ours). You could also paint your plain stick if you wanted.
- Hot Glue gun, any glue would work, but hot glue just seemed more sturdy!
- Googly eyes (you can pick up a perfectly sized bag of these at the Dollar Tree, we prefer to use the two smaller sizes)
- Red pom pom balls, so we could make them look like Rudolph, but any other color would work as well.
- Jingle Bells
- Twine
Directions:
- First I glued the tips of two sticks together to make a V
- Next I glued another across the top, but down a little bit to give the "ears and antlers look"
- I then glued a red pom pom to the bottom tip for the red nose of Rudolph.
- Then I glued on the googly eyes above the nose.
- I then cut out the length of twin I wanted and fastened that to the top stick to hang it on the tree,
- Last I glued a jingle bell to that twine to make it 'jingle' when shook.
These were super easy and quick to make. They look really cute when finished.
You can also make Christmas tree's like this too, only you glue sticks together to make a triangle and then can glue a yellow pom pom to the top or a star and then use beads as ornaments if you want. We've done this in years past.
On the back of each reindeer I wrote who it was from and the year.
My daughter is so excited to hand these out to her class mates this year!
Mom Circus
Also See:
Christmas Craft -- Snow Bowl
Christmas Craft -- Candy Cane Ornament
Christmas Craft -- Stocking Hat
On the back of each reindeer I wrote who it was from and the year.
My daughter is so excited to hand these out to her class mates this year!
Mom Circus
Also See:
Christmas Craft -- Snow Bowl
Christmas Craft -- Candy Cane Ornament
Christmas Craft -- Stocking Hat
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