12 days of Christmas

We have a tradition here....the 12 days of Christmas...which is never actually "12 days". It is the 20 days of Christmas now. Every child open a gift a day (youngest to oldest) until Christmas Eve. We have had theme years and not themed years....expensive gift years and not so expensive years. This was the first year we had the "Readers digest condensed Version" of the 20 days of Christmas!! I am not sure why it has been our busiest year ever!! But was hard to find time for all to be together!! I have decided next year it will have to become a breakfast tradition. I do not mind waking my biggies up early to come to breakfast nearly as much as I mind waking up my littles at night to open gifts!!! Makes me realize that compromise must happen....but it CAN happen without compromising the tradition:) BTW...this year everone recieved one of those beannie pillows....koala bears and pigs and lambs and dragons and smowmen and reindeer and penquins and basketballs and footballs and camo and striped and solids...lol...you get the picture? Hopefully these will ease the space in the vans on the way to the beach!! Although I am just as likely to blog in the future about how horrible it is to clean up all those little beannie thingys!!!! But that is not today...today is squooshy and fun:)

Bell ringing

I was thinking of Christmas gifts...lol...who isn't about now?? I have been finished for several days but the checklist is still running in my head! I have also thought about last Christmas (and those before). Last Christmas two of my gifts were bells...not little sweet bells...one huge bell that is mounted outside my backdoor (it can be heard all over all over the yard ...our 7 acres and a little beyond) and one in the kitchen (a little smaller) that can be heard through the house. When the bell is rung....you better come! Has been a big relief to my vocal cords!!

A watched pot won't boil

Okay, I understand the concept here....but a watched pot does boil:) If it did not my children would starve. I am so glad that the littles love to be with me....but sometimes I think it is the love of food that has them in the kitchen under foot while I prepare meals. We have six barstools that sit across from my stove top....they are usually full(with a couple of kids balancing between the stools too)....I have plenty egg crackers, bowl stirrers, table cleaners, pot watchers and TALKERS. I cannot say how many time I have measured water into a bowl to realize I cannot remember if I had put 9 cups or 10 in?? The talking never ends. It is a wonderful time to teach "listners" to be quiet while another is talking and about taking turns. I gain all kinds of information from the tops of barstools:) My kitchen is where I spend a big part of my time...If I ever actually design a kitchen it will be a big old room with lots of space for visiting:) (and eating!!) Although the one I have seems to be working pretty well:)

You gotta laugh!

Sarah called after church Wednesday night and asked if her car would run without an intena? (This is my honor student with nearly a perfect 4.0 in high school) When asked why? She explained that one of the boys at chruch had broken hers off and she was not sure if should could drive it or not. lol My Dad said every driver should have a basic knowledge of cars and car care before driving. Although if we had ahd that talk I am sure I would not have included the intena in it!! My good friend Kelly said it was the "remote control car theory" lol....without the remote it will not work:)

No signal from Earth

Joseph loves watching the weather. He would be a great meterologist! He recieved a weather radio with a crank(so you do not have to have batteries) and a flashlight with the same crank. He listened to the radio trying to find a signal....then in typical Joseph deadpan voice replied, "There is no signal from Earth" LOL Thankfully he did find a signal!

Mean ole Seth

My teenage boys have picked at Seth until he is a mess ...although just to them. He is smart enough (thank goodness) to know that he can only behave this way with the big brothers. Now my big guys call him things like tough, mean, and crazy. I took this at Dad's yesterday. Caleb and Jacob "playing" with Seth!! And they wonder why he is this way???

musicians

This is Mercedez and Michael. Mercedez got a guitar from Papa. She was tickled to death! Michael "found" Sams piano....I am sure this little keyboard will certainly live a "musical" life! I just hope my hearing will live through my budding musicians trials...lol

Tomboy!

You can put a girl in a sweet dress but you cannot mask the tomboy.....no matter how hard you try! Today the boys were all playing football at my Dad's after opening gifts (you would not beleive the grass stains that now reside in our "Sunday Pants"! Tasha just could not stand staying anywhere near the side lines!

Santa Sam

Sam is one of my guys I really wonder about. Wonder what on earth he will do when he growns up. Wonder if this sweet, over sensitive, OCD child will make it? But today I decided he (and his constantly sliding glasses) are a sure shot as Santa when he grows up:)

kids in a tub!

Talk about rub a dub dub! We keep my friend Shannan's three oldest girls for a week while her hubby was in the hospital. Sarah, the picture taker, took this picture of the girls being silly! It looks like I have a set of twins and a set of triplets!! REALLY funny how much the girls look alike!

Sarah

Sarah "Smotherman"

Sarah is too funny! A few friends spent the night and had a little party with two of the girls "mentors" at church. Both the ladies have said that Sarah cannot be a "Smotherman" (which I find hilarious! There are so many of us and they think you can box us in?). But to give them credit....she is very very unique:) A funny, smart and sometimes off the wall teenager! She bought herself a digital camera and has taken some of the funniest pictures! This one is one of her self-portraits! BTW, Sarah is my second daughter by birth, although she and Chelsea(first birth daughter) are night and day in appearance and behavior....yet I am so thankful they are very close!

Seth's cousin Braden

Seth loves his cousin Braden. I imagine he has not actually seen him more than a dozen times in his lifetime, but Braden gives Seth his greatest desire...SHOES. Bradens mom Julie (Scotts neat sister) send us hand me downs. Ryan, Daniel and Seth are the beneficiaries of their generosity. Seth's most favorite shoes are these neat little boots that Braden sent. Seth wore them for his Christmas program....they were exactly like his teacher wanted. All the more important....they were Bradens! In Seth's mind...."Braden" equalls COOL:)

Caleb and Granny

We visited with my Granny last night after the pre-school program. Caleb took this picture with her. I am so very glad that she is doing so well. She is a very wonderful lady and I am so happy she is close to the house so we can visit her:)

Elementary Christmas Program

We have really had a veek of programs:) Today was the Elementary School Christmas Program. Every grade preformed 3 songs. The kids really had fun. I very very much missed my camera....Chelseass just was not the same:( Could not take my usual long distant pictures. But the kids all sounded wonderful! They were cute as could be!

John's band concert

Last night was John's 7th grade band concert too! Scott and I split between the two and took support groups with us:) The band concert is always a BIG BIG event and lots of people crowd into the auditorium at the High School. John did a great job...of course!!

Seth's Christmas Program

Seth had his pre-school Christmas program last night. He was a little Russian boy. the first year my grandmother has not made the costume. She is now in the nursing home ....but gave me lots of moral support. LOL. While making the costume Mercedez came through the living room and said, "MOM I didn't know you knew how to sew!". Obviously I do not sew much:) But I did take home ec in high school (even made a shirt with buttons holes and a skirt...lol). While I do love crafts, I do not sew too much. So this was a BIG thing for us. BTW, it did stay together through the entire show:)

Pile-on

This is always a favorite picture of mine....we do one about every year when I do my "Christmas Card" pictures. I have never used one for the card....but always laugh and enjoy it so much....usually show personalities:) This one did not disappoint!

my kiddos:)

My kiddos are usually good for pictures......usually:) This was to be my favorite, but Rosie looks like her best friend died and Caleb was goofing with the little pumpkin in EVERY picture! Such is life:)

camera-less

Well....sadly I am now pictureless. Not as sad to some, but I very very dearly love to take pictures of my children! After Lita's birthday party Zackery knocked my camera off the cabinet...accidently (although he was suppose to be in bed, was out running around....the table that is....on his way to the bathroom.....on his way to ask me a question....on his way anywhere but to bed!). Anyway you put it ...it died! I am sending it off the be repaired (took 8 weeks last time!). Thank goodness Chelsea has given me hers to take school program pics, party pics, band concert pics....and did I mention Christmas? lol

"I don't know.."

"I don't know" are three words that drive me crazy! Sweet face Tasha (sweet as seen above) came crying to the kitchen last night after she should have been in bed....she was not so sweet faced then....more pitiful me faced! Why? She said Mercedez hit her. Why did Mercedez hit her? The first words out of her mouth..."I don't know". ugh! Mercedez room is a long way from Tashas. Mercedez almost never hits....which leads the question what would provoke her? Obviously Tasha! Or just in this case. I can ask any injured person in this house "why" and the answer is always "I don't know". And I don't know why...lol!

Christmas Tree Hunting

We drove to my Dad's today to hunt at tree for the porch outside (I have several with alergies who would die if we had a tree inside!). The little ones went with Scott and I and they had lots of fun hunting a tree and bringing it home:)

My Dad's House:)

My parents bought a little farm house and a big farm nearly 20 years ago. They built this house about 16 years ago. Mom and Dad both loved Christmas and their place is just beautiful at Christmas time (and all the time!). Since Mom died my Dad has had the job himself. It is, as always, beuatiful!

December is here!!

Ready or not Christmas is coming! Just a few weeks away! This morning my littles all donned thier chirstmas outfits and we took pictures in front of Scott's Santa and Reindeer:) I love this time of year....but it seem to just fly by!

Barbara Bush

Scott and I were so very lucky to get to see Barbara Bush at Freed-Hardeman on Friday night. What a lady! I wish everyone could have heard her speak! She was so very witty and talked about having humor in our lives....With my group you have to laugh! lol

Parenting teens

What is it that makes people believe that teenagers should "experience" things that we would not ever think of doing as adults? Why do parents believe that they are denying children the joy of being a teenager when keeping them from activities that are not best?

We talked some about this in class at church last night. In our church there are mixed rules about teenage activites. Many feel it is fine for thier children to go to dances. I mean, good grief, could you imagine the way our children would be outcast if they did not go to Santa Switch?? Scott and I decided long ago, when Chelsea was a baby, that dancing was not an activity our children would do (if we could help it) until they were married. I am not extreme (as some would think), my kids dance around the kitchen to music....I even do so, Scott and I twirl and act silly. But this is such a loooonnnggg stretch from hormones rubbing and grinding to a beat I do not want to see! What a temptation for a young man! I really do not care what others say, our young men ARE influenced by watching (and feeling) young girls! I do not wich my girls to be temptors or my boys tempted. Is simply NOT BEST. A sin? Maybe/ maybe not....but why on earth take the chance?

Why should we send so much time, well invested time, teaching our children how to be Christ-like, only to allow them to do things that adult Christians would never consider?? If is is uncomfortable for us as adults, something that hinges on not right, why on earth let our children? Our children will not grow up and find things uncomforatble if they are seen it all and done it all. There would be no modesty!

So why do people let thier children do these things? Because they love them ofcourse. They want them to fit in. They want them to feel special. They want thier kids to love them. Well, this is not the way. Christ is the way. Through Him our children will be set apart with confidence. Will be lights that shine through the darkness. They will be speical beyond all earthly glory. And someday will be so very grateful that thier parents guided them when temptation was so strong.

Parenting should not be so hard. Temptation should be easier to see. Right should be right and wrong wrong. But such is not life. Life is tempting....but it should be that we rise above temptation to see Heaven. Again I have to say, it is just not what happens to us that matters, but rather how we deal with what happens. As parents it is not what we are faced with, but much much rather how we deal with it. The uncontrolable we will not be judged for, the way be dealt with those things, those we will be held acountable for!

I really dislike some REALITY shows!

I truly cannot understand why Amercians stand back amazed that our children are not "turning out" well! Just look around at what is being taught to them! My son Caleb was telling me today about the newest sensation....a reality show based on revenge! ugh! I spend much time telling my children it is not "what" happens to you but how you react to what happens to you. Revenge is not exactly what I had in mind. Caleb and I had a long talk about the show(which he thought the premise was hilarious).....it, very simply, is not Christ-like to act in such a way. It makes (in the case of this show) the person exacting revenge much worst than the person who did the first act!

I cannot help but think some kids will go to jail for destrying property in the name of "revenge", something they see and find amusing on TV! This will definitely be a topic we will address in a family meeting...I would rather it not be my kids in jail:)