Goodbye Elf on the Shelf

Ernie, our Elf on the Shelf, has been MIA.  He has not shown up.  Truth be told, I am over it.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being a Mom who tries to make Christmas magical.  We love our Advent calendar activities.   I love sitting under the tree each night to read a Christmas book with my children.   But the elf - I just can't do it anymore.  I see online the efforts that parents take to place their elf in some kind of stage set every night - that's 24 different scenarios to plan.  They all seem to involve either the toilet, marshmallows, powdered sugar or straws.   It seems that the elves are always misbehaving, while trying to encourage the children of the house to behave.  It just feels like a lot of work with a little bit of a "big brother is watching" creepiness.

So here we are, December 4th, and no Ernie in sight.   While my children have not asked about Ernie, William has told me about his friends' elves.  I can feel the question mark just hovering in the air.  The elves themselves are cute but I wondered how I could transition Ernie to just be a part of our holiday decorations.    Today, it hit me - I will elevate my children's status at the North Pole and Ernie will retire to live with us.

So this is what my children will see tonight:

What a huge burden lifted!   I will no longer have to wake up in the middle of the night, remembering that I forgot to move Ernie or have to make up an excuse why Ernie hasn't moved (he's sick, its his day off, that's his favorite spot to sit, etc.)  I am a free woman!    Actually, for today, I am:

Yours very sincerely,

Cornelius Glisten

Director, Elf Dispatch

P.S.   Interested in retiring your elf?   Copy and paste this:

   Dear          -

Congratulations!!!!   On behalf of the Department of Naughty and Nice, the Elf Dispatch Division, we are pleased as peppermint to formally announce that you have been placed on our MANGER list (Mostly Always Nice, Giving Everyone     Respect).    This is a huge accomplishment, something that you and your parents should be extremely proud of!

Your award for being on the MANGER list is that Ernie your elf will now live with you permanently and no longer has to report back to Santa each night.  Ernie has been waiting a long time for this – to be formally adopted into your family!!!

Tonight, Ernie is hidden for you to find (he likes to make a grand entrance).  After that, you may play with him whenever you like and treat him as member of your family. 

Being on the MANGER list comes with responsibilities too.  It means that Santa has confidence that you will continue to make good choices – in fulfilling your responsibilities to your family and at school and most important – in how you treat other people.  Treat them with gentle kindness, seeing each person as God created them.  Everyone makes mistakes and you will too.  Learn from your mistakes and seek forgiveness and you will remain on the MANGER list forever.

Not everyone knows about the MANGER list, so keep it top secret!  Elves at your friends’ houses may still be traveling back to the North Pole and that is fine.  There’s room for everyone on the nice list.

Yours very sincerely,

Cornelius Glisten

Director, Elf Dispatch

Big and little thanks

Suitcases have been packed, unpacked, packed and unpacked here.  We just returned from a quick family trip to Louisiana to appear in court to finalize Finn's adoption.  I  am giddy that Finn finally has our last name and that our social worker visits and calls to our very unorganized attorney are  done!   We showed the big kids where Finn was born, visited an AMAZING playground and of course, swore under oath to love Finn forever and ever.  Every parent should have to do that!

Our plan was to return home for two days, unpack, and repack for our Thanksgiving trip to the East Coast.   And then Mother Nature spoke loud and clear and I had the joy of picking my kiddos up from school to share the news that we were not going to Gigi and Pop's house for Thanksgiving.   Eeks!    I truly think I would have given in to anything to curb their sadness in that moment and since they didn't realize the scope of that (and therefore didn't think to ask for something like a dog or an iguana), off to the McDonalds drive thru we went for shakes AND fries.

I've seen many lovely gratitude lists going around Facebook this week.  I too am so very thankful for the big blessings in my life:  Bart and the kids, family, friends, health, faith, shelter, etc......... but I thought I would list some little things that I am thankful for too because sometimes we tend to overlook the little things. So here it goes:

1.  Leggings.  I love the trend of long sweaters and leggings with boots.  It does not matter if you have been snacking on the Halloween treats for the past few weeks, you can still jump on this trend.  Lets face it - women's fashion is not always comfortable, but the leggings are!

2.  Chupa chup lollipops-  the hotel in Louisiana has a large glass bowl of these.  You remember I talked about them back here.   The big kids loved trying every flavor and they provided some quiet time for baby cakes.

3.  Sesame Street songs.   I love the way Finn dances when he hears them.  Its his personal top 40.  Need to quiet a baby on an airplane?  Cookie and Elmo to the rescue!

4.  Trader Joe's gingerbread men.   Yum.  Just trust me.  So cute, so yummy, such a fun little giftie to take to someone's house.

5.  Crushed ice.  Its no secret that I love drinks - iced tea, pepsi, water.   None of it is tasty without crushed ice.  Our ice machine has never worked, we've had it replaced a few times but its just a manufacturer's defect in our brand of refrigerator.   So, we buy ice.  Yesterday, we ran out and I thought I was on a desert island.  I can not be my best self without crushed ice.

6.  Chapstick.  Old man winter is starting to show his face.   I always defend myself from his blustery winds with that old familiar black and white tube.

7.  HGTV Magazine - by far the best magazine I have ever subscribed to.   I can not wait for this to arrive in my mailbox every month.    It is FULL of ideas and paint colors.  Beautifully done.

8.  Scarves.   Its one of the few reasons to look forward to winter.  I would probably be embarrassed to count the number of scarves I own.  Its enough that they have their own drawer in my closet.   If you see me anytime this winter, I will be wearing a scarf.

9.  Needlepoint.  I am thankful to have a hobby that I love that results in something lovely to share with my family.  I'm starting to be one of those old ladies who carries my needlepoint everywhere.  I'm okay with that.

10.  My calendar.  In the day of tablets and smart phones, I'm still old school when it comes to my calendar.  I like taking pen to paper and flipping open a book to make an appointment.    My calendar is made by erincondren.com

That's my list!  I hope you are thankful for the big things and the little things this Thanksgiving and that you are loved and beloved.

In the thick of things

Yesterday, I was driving in the car and got weepy about my life as a mother.  I was thinking about how one child is soaring high right now,  one is struggling with homework, one is trying to choose a high school and one is frustrated learning limits.    Parenting is hard, but I love it.   I love that Bart and I are their first level of comfort.  We talk things through, we hunker down to do math, we find tutoring programs and figure out new chore incentives - they know we are always on their team.    This is the good stuff.  The funny, the hard, the frustrations, the celebrations, the questions - its all good.  Motherhood is a holy privilege and I am forever honored to fill that role for four growing souls.

Halloween re-cap

Did you have a Happy Halloween?  Our Queen of Hearts, Lego guys and Raggedy Andy had a blast.

No, I did not make the Lego costumes.  Bart made them.  Those costumes became his life's work for about three weeks.  I love this man!

One of my favorite parts about Halloween is the sorting of the loot after trick-or-treating.  I don't like how much there is but I do like remembering how I used to sort with my siblings when I was little and how exciting it is for a child to look over their vast spread of candy.    So I look over and William is doing this:

He organized his Halloween candy into 9 individually labeled ziploc bags and put it all in one larger freezer bag.   In case you're wondering, categories were:  salty, chocolate, gummy, Wonka, tart, peanut butter, lollipop, Butterfinger (large amount this year) and KitKat (his favorite).    I love this kid.  He takes organization to a whole other level!

Happy November everyone.  Let the holiday season begin!   Tomorrow I will start sharing some of my favorite holiday finds.

8475 X 543

I've been noticing a trend at my house.  Bart is now the go-to guy for help with math homework.   Apparently my children think I stumble through life without doing any math. How do I go the grocery store all by myself?!   Or calculate prices at a Gap sale?!   Last night, Owen was worried because Bart had a meeting and he needed help with math homework.  I offered my assistance and he actually stammered and said things like "you're so creative Mom" and "you're so good at social studies."  Then when he went to go get something from his room, I did the two math problems on another sheet of paper.  Yes!   I can do 5th grade math!    

Owen returns, I briefly flash my work so he can't see the answers and leave him with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.  Fifteen minutes later, his math was done and compared with Mom's "answer sheet."   And then this happened:

I'm a rock star!   I really hope that Caroline doesn't ask for help.  Seventh grade math might be beyond me.  Go out and use your math today kids!

These shoes were made for walking

I saw a car magnet the other day that said "0.0  I don't run."   A soulmate!    Or should I say sole-mate?

I don't dislike runners of course.  If you run for fitness and you love it, have fun.   But the hype around running, that is what drives me crazy.  So many posts and pics uploaded from half marathons, full marathons and beyond.  And why do runners get medals?   Lets think about other occasions where adults receive medals - the Olympics, a Nobel Prize, active duty in the military.  Yes, those all seem on equal footing with a half marathon turkey trot.   I feel bad for the person who trains and struggles to run a 5K - its would almost be embarrassing to post about that meager distance.    I have no runs under my belt, not even a mile.  I'm okay with it.

I do however like to walk and today I wandered in to the runner's den, Fleet Feet, to be fitted for a new pair of walking shoes.  It was the first time I bought a pair of shoes based only on comfort and not style.   That is harder to do than it sounds.  Just like it is hard to choose a paint color without being swayed by the name, it is hard to choose a shoe without noticing the color.    Jane, my lovely salesperson, asked me what I liked about pair 1 over pair 2.  I blurted out "they're pink and orange and the others are Buzz Lightyear colors."   I think she is used to dealing with serious runners.    After measurements and practice walks down the sidewalk (awkward) and many shoes later, I found these:

Not the cutest, but by far the most comfortable.  In an effort to make them a bit more stylish, I swapped out the gray laces for blue ones.  And now I have no reason not to get walking.

Thank you Jane at Fleet Feet for welcoming this non-runner into your world .    Now where's my medal?!

Baby books

I'm a big fan of record keeping, especially for my children.  A few years ago, I was still using my film camera and had all of my children's pictures edited and in albums.   They love looking through their albums.   And then I went all digital and Finn was born.   I have not printed one picture for him and have not touched the albums since! The process of printing and sticking the pictures down seems so cumbersome in this high tech, instant share world.    Last year I made photo books for the older three children for Valentine's Day - one year in one album.  But poor Finn - I really need to make a baby album for him.

What I have kept up is their baby books.  To keep it simple, I have four copies of the same book:

The illustrations are darling.  I originally bought it because it was adoption friendly - not pre-printed pages with info. that adopted kiddos don't necessarily have.   There's lots of room for writing whatever you want.

I love to write little snippets in these books - favorite outfits, first words and special friends.   Yesterday, when thinking about Halloween, I decided to write down each of the costumes that they have worn over the years.  It took a bit of research through pictures to find 12 for Caroline, 10 for Owen and 7 for William.

So many memories with each costume.  I remember when Owen was 2, Elmo costumes were everywhere but he deseparately wanted to be Cookie Monster.  I remember staying up late to win an eBay auction so that he could proudly parade in the blue fur.

Oh gosh - look at that face.   ME LOVE RECORD-KEEPING!  (say in Cookie Monster voice)

Dear Land of Nod, I love you

This post pays homage to my favorite store - one I have never stepped foot in - the Land of Nod.   I love, love, love when their catalog arrives.   The rooms are beautiful, the toys are of the best quality and the descriptions are so clever.   Lets get right to my favorites shall we?

The smore-the-merrier-plush-campfire-set  

Now that's my kind of camping!!!  How cute would this be for a metropolitan camper?

Indoor explorer pup tent

  Or would this one be better?

A teepee to call your own

And since Finnegan is on the nice list, I'm sure Santa will bring this on his sleigh:

Happy Pop Up

I have loved the Rainbow Happy Tree for two years.   Maybe Santa will bring it to me.  I have been very good.

Rainbow happy tree

Do yourself a favor, grab your yummy drink and spend some time looking through their entire website.  Read their knock knock jokes on every product page.  I could list so many more items that I love.  I feel quite sure that if I went in their store, I'd want to move in.     

I leave you with this - a mere sampling of the goodness awaiting you in their holiday shop:

All of the colors of the rainbow ornaments

Thank you Land of Nod for brightening my mailbox and delivering the most beautiful presents under our tree!

The Ferris Wheel

Top of the Ferris Wheel,  2013

I have always wanted to ride a ferris wheel with a boy.  At our church's fall festival, I had my chance - with two boys!   When we were stopped at the top - I looked at their faces and I just had to capture it.  They were excited to share their new perspective from atop the world, a little apprehensive about the next step and both said they were glad I was with them.  I thought how much life feels like that ferris wheel.   A ride of thrills and uncertainties, of courage and faith.

Lately, I have looked at my sons (at least the two who can walk and talk) and I worry that I am not doing enough to raise the men I picture them to be.  Someday I want to sit in the front row at each of their weddings and know that I have raised a man who is so smitten with the woman standing next to him that he can't imagine life without her and so sure of the God that he stands before that he can't imagine life without Him.  I want to know that all three boys will confide their secrets in each other, as brothers should, and that they learned to treat women with respect by the way they treated me and their sister.    I know they won't be perfect, but I hope they welcome mistakes as ways to grow and suffering as a way to learn compassion for others.

When they ask someone how they are doing, I want them to stop and listen for the response.  I want them to see each person they encounter as God's intended creation and honor that by seeing the best in them.  I want them to work hard at something they love and feel the satisfaction of of a job well done - whether it's raking leaves at home or running a company.  I want them to be scout leaders and Eucharist Ministers, good neighbors and son-in-laws.   While I want them to find careers that they love, I hope they'll realize that riding a bike with their baby strapped in will bring them more happiness than any day at the office.

I am on top of the ferris wheel with my boys - the best part of the ride.  I am the woman in their life and I know that won't last long.   Their dad is the perfect role model for them and I feel blessed and grateful.  I know though that my role is huge.  I know that I will need courage and faith for sometimes life is going up, sometimes down and sometimes it is still and waiting.  Either way, its a thrill to be along for the ride.

Good bye bunny friend

We've had a death in the family.   My bunny under the desk, Doodles, died peacefully this week of old bunny age after eight years in our family.  I loved Doodles.  In a house of loud chaos, he was quiet.   The strong silent type.  Absolutely expressionless.  Second, he was litter trained.  Oh sure, sometimes those pellets that looked remarkably like his food, but weren't, fell out of the slats in his cage, but for the most part - easy to care for.  Third, he was funny.   Racing around in circles and twisting in the air.  If you have never seen a bunny do that, it's impressive.  Fourth and most important, he was my children's first pet and they adored him.  He started off as Caroline's kindergarten class pet and we volunteered to take him home for the summer break.   I told Bart that for my birthday that year, I wanted to keep Doodles.  I was crazy smitten.   Could he call the teacher and ask if we could keep Doodles?  Now you are probably wondering why I didn't just call her.  I don't know exactly.  I think I didn't want to hear her say no.  The kids and I loved that rabbit and I knew that all bunnies are not as friendly as Doodles.  So my sweet husband called and as luck would have it, the teacher was transferred - to a school with a no pet policy.  Happy dance - Doodles was ours!

Doodles was the honored guest at many child planned bunny birthday parties, was taken to many school show and tells and survived our house fire because he lived in the basement.  He lived with our neighbors for three weeks after the fire, moved with us to our rental house and was the first family member to move back to our rebuilt house on the corner.

Sweet Owen found Doodles, he had just died laying in his bunny bed.

So, what is a mother to do?  Plan a bunny funeral of course.  I laughed so hard when I saw Modern Family this week because Cameron planned a huge funeral for a fake pet.  While I didn't go that far, we did have a eulogy (written by Owen), a pallbearer (William) and a flute solo (Caroline).  We also decorated his casket (a men's shoe box) and made a stepping stone to mark his grave.  The finishing touches were sprinkling his favorite nibble ring treats on the box and a flower in his food bowl. Maybe we did cross the line to crazy a bit.   I do have to admit that I find myself sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch looking at his stepping stone.  Its weird that my bunny friend is buried there.

What crazy things have you done for your pets?   Please tell me so I know I'm not alone!!

Giving

Sometimes giving is something huge - a birth mom to an adoptive mom for example.  Sometimes giving is not as big - making dinner for a sick friend or calling someone for their birthday (shout out to Aunt Disney Dottie.  Happy Birthday!).

A few days ago, I hurt my toe/foot when I dropped a stack of books on it while decorating for fall.  The hazards of decorating!  In the past two days, three friends have brought me my favorite drinks.  It brightened my day and made me feel both known (for my beverage obsession) and loved.

That, my friends,
is giving.   Give to someone today!

45

 Grainy beach pic of me in 1971 (with my dad & brother).  Wish I still had that rockin' poncho

Today I am 45.  That is super old in the blogging world.  Most bloggers I follow or gravitate to are in their late 30s or turning 40.  But they are writing what I want to read about - home keeping and babies and crafts and organizing solutions.  So, an age is just an age.  Most of the time I talk about wanting to freeze my kids' ages but today I want to freeze my own.  45 is great.  I adore my husband in a kind of way that is almost unbelievable and even more shocking, he feels the same way about me.  My body is young enough to not be aging too much but with enough minor aches to make me appreciate my health.   I embrace the new shape my body has taken- it means I am not a teenager - I am a mother who is active enough to stay healthy but prioritizes my children first.  I have a baby to snuggle and a teenager to teach and two crazy boys in between who bring me worms and bugs.  I live in a house that is done but not enough done to mean there aren't fun decorating projects on the horizon.  We are financially stable, making enough money to provide for our family but not enough that we don't get to enjoy the satisfaction of saving for something.   I have two living and healthy parents and two living and healthy in-laws.  I have friends who I can laugh and cry with and who will bring me a fountain Pepsi when I have a sleeping baby.  Really, life is good.  I will definitely turn 45 again next year.  Happy Birthday to me!

A Good Read

I've declared my love for the public library many times on my blog and today I dive back into this passion.  Summer is winding down and it sure did fly by.  With lots of baby nap times, I feel like I've fallen short on the fun, family activities this summer.  Enter, the public library and these nifty book club bags.  First, I love a novel idea (get it?  Haha!)  Second, I love anything that comes in its own storage tote.

At Sunday dinner, I announced my family book club plan (which was not met with enthusiasm by all members present).  Bart, however loved the idea and marched off to a doctor's appointment the next day with his copy of Clementine in hand (I really love this man).  Caroline and I read our copies, Owen read his and William was forced to read it on the last day before our book club "meeting" but then declared it "awesome."  He now wants to pick the next tote.

The magical tote of happiness also included a booklet of questions for our book club meeting.  The questions dove into feelings of inclusion and friendship and also funny questions like "if you could have a food name, what would it be?"  All and all, another successful trip to the library.  And one more summer childhood memory for Cupcake, Havarti and Twinkie.    Thank you Sara Pennypacker for a fabulous book!

I heart Rosemary

Ever gone on a trip and felt like you found your second home?   That's the way I feel about Rosemary Beach, Florida.  On the drive home from last year's Spring Break trip to Disney, we drove up and down highway 30A to scope out a new beach home.  Not a beach home to buy, but a home beach.  Know what I mean?  I mean the same beach that we will go to any time we want to go to a beach - so our kids can say "lets go to (insert favorite shaved ice stand) or visit (insert favorite toy store)"   That's a huge part of childhood memories I think - familiar places, a sense of belonging.  When we stumbled upon Rosemary Beach last spring, we could not wait to go back.  And so in June, we spent a lovely week there - and it was amazing.  Exactly the kind of beach town we love.

And we had some family pics taken with my in-laws and I love how they turned out.  Our photographer was the super cute Cocoa.   The kids had a great time - during a family photo shoot - imagine that!

Until we meet again Rosemary - I can't wait!

Paddington

With the birth of Prince George of Cambridge at St. Mary's, Paddington, I was reminded of one of my favorite childhood characters, Paddington Bear.   My own Paddington bear, made by my mom in the late 70s, was one of those items lost to our fire that was hard to get over.   At the library this week, I realized that although my boys knew who Paddington was, I had never read them the chapter books.   Shame on me!  I wondered if it was too late for Owen - maybe he is too old?   I checked out a copy and a few nights ago, I started reading to them.     I wasn't sure what they thought of it until the second night when they jumped into pjs asking "are you going to read Paddington?" The nostalgic, England-loving, closet librarian in me was rejoicing.    Even though they can both read well on their own, there is nothing quite like cozying up and being read to.  It's become a favorite part of our day.   Plus we've learned some pretty cool British terms.   So turn off the tele, finish your scone, don't get your dabs on the window and snuggle in.  The tube is leaving the station!

The Great Kate Wait

When I received word by phone this morning that Kate is in labor, I was giddy.  Of course William did not have time to call me himself - it was an alert from my Royal Baby app.   I hope my birth announcement does not get lost in the mail like my wedding invite.  That was tragic!  Oh, I'd give anything to be perched on an aluminum ladder outside of the Lindo Wing.  What a beautiful couple they are - inside and out.  How excited and nervous they must be to meet their baby.   I can just picture William timing contractions and retrieving more ice chips.

As for me, I am passing the time with my own royal baby-  who knows - maybe he will grow up to be a head of state!  



Best wishes Will and Kate!  Thanks for sharing your baby with the world!

June 19

One of my favorite things is to give a baby a bath in the kitchen sink.  Finn's personal little hot tub.  Couldn't love it any more!

June 18

My quilt is done!   I feel like shouting it from the rooftops.  This project has been so fun but never ending.  Years of collecting polka dot fabrics, cutting squares, recutting squares after the fire, cutting triangles, piecing it all together and binding it.  Today, my baby crawled across a finished quilt.   I have checked it off of my resolution list.

And check out this awesome giveaway on one of my favorite blogs, Whatever!

June 17

Going to try a blog challenge I read about.  Posting a picture and caption every day.  Some days there will be time for more - but summer is busy for moms isn't it?

This is an invitation that William gave to Caroline to a party on the bunk beds.  When I found out gum would be served, I of course said count me in!