Go Hop On Pop

A few weeks ago, Tanner came home with a book order. We have all seen these book orders, they are identical to the ones I used to bring home 25 years ago when I was in grade school. Yikes that number scares me. The kids bring these book orders home all the time, and occasionally I look at them and even less often I actually order from them. This time Tanner showed me the book order and said he had found the perfect gift for Aubrey, I listened, I’m not sure I really listened though, and I agreed that Aubrey would really like Curious George’s Christmas book and left it at that. A week later, he asked me for the money for the book, and I brushed him off and told him it was almost Christmas and I just didn’t have the extra money for extra things right now. I guess this was more important to him then I had realized, and in hind sight wish I’d taken the time to really listen to him and understand how important this was to him. Anyway, Friday he came home from school with a surprise for Aubrey. I assumed it was popcorn that the kids have been buying at school on Fridays. He called me into his room and pulled out this book, holding it like it was gold. My first instinct was to be upset but he told me that he had paid for it with his own money and would like me to help him wrap it for Aubrey. He couldn’t wait to give it to her for Christmas, so he wrapped it in some paper from the printer that he drew pictures on for her, and taped a bag of popcorn to it, and took it out and gave it to her. He then sat her down and read the story to her. Of course she loved it, I think Aubrey and Curious George have a lot in common. His little act of kindness truly touched me. I thought about giving him the $3 for the book, but he was so proud of himself and I didn’t want to take that from him. What an example of what Christmas is really about.
I’ve seen many examples this week of sweetness from my children. I spent the day wrapping presents. Aubrey was my official carry the present to the tree person, and she was really getting into the sprit of it. Aubrey came in and started wrapping up pieces of gum. Now if you know Aubrey, she loves gum and ocassionally I give in and let her pick a pack of her own. So she was wrapping her prized possession for everyone. There was a part of me that was screaming, don’t waste the paper, bows, tape etc. but she carefully wrapped up gum for everyone. She wrote her own tags with the kids names, it was hard to be patient spelling out the names for her, but I could tell it was important. Like a typical kid, she couldn’t wait so we all opened pieces of gum tonight, but it was her little way of sharing.
I have seen a kind older sister take a little sister into her room just to keep her out of trouble. Emma has been so helpful, she helped me fold laundry for over an hour this morning, while we talked, laughed and watched a Christmas movie. That there was one of the best gifts she could have given me.
I love my kids, and my sweet husband.

There is so much to say, I’m feeling so blessed tonight. I love this time of year, especially when everyone is content, and enjoying themselves. Tonight for FHE we watched Mr. Krueger’s Christmas. That movie is a classic, and the kids get all squirmy with feelings, and I must admit I find myself hiding a few tears when I watch it too. It’s not overly sad, just stirs the feelings.

Danny took Aubrey and Alyssa over to the table to start making Gingerbread cookies with them without the interference of the older kids who have a tendency to take over. Aubrey and I made the dough yesterday after church as a reward for her behavior at church. All they had to do was roll it out and cut it. (Aubrey has been struggling in church lately, I suspect it’s because I’m in primary and she knows there isn’t a lot I can do when I’m leading the music. So I have been doing a system with her, where she takes 5 quarters to church and it costs her 2 quarters to do something special with me after church. She has to have 2 quarters left when we get home or she loses that privilege, and Sunday she came home with all 5 quarters. Now back to FHE.)

The kids had so much fun making the cookies and decorating them. Danny started by making a cyclops gingerbread man. We’ve been reading the Percy and the Olympians series, and it inspired him. There were lots of jokes about biting the heads off of the gingerbread men, and everyone had a great evening. Alyssa loved every moment of it all. She decorated one side of her gingerbread man, and then turned it over and decorated the other side. One cookie lost its head coming off the cookie sheet and Danny couldn’t resist putting red frosting at its neck dripping down to look like blood. There was a Santa bread man made, creativity was flowing all over the place.

Good times, good kids, I love them, and I love the easygoing feeling that was in our home tonight. Now to go clean up the mess…

Aubrey and Alyssa worked out a system, Alyssa would take the unbaked cookie from Danny on a spatula and hand it to Aubrey to arrange on the cookie sheet.

The Cyclops Cookie

---

One last picture. Thursday night we went to the Carson City tree lighting celebration. Now if we could just get some snow, I might feel like we are ready for Christmas.

I drive Emma and Tanner to school every morning. There is a bus, but I enjoy the extra time I have with them and I really don’t mind, it breaks up the morning a little. But for the last 4 months that I have been driving them they run out to the van and fight over who HAS to sit in the front by me. They both want to sit in the back. So today Tanner lost and had to sit in the front, so I asked him why don’t you guys want to sit with me in the morning. Man when I was a kid we used to fight over who got the front seat. And very innocently Tanner says, we fight over the back because whoever sits in the back gets to sit in the front on the way home, and we like to be the first to talk to you on the way home from school. Gosh, sometimes they can be so sweet.

The ever popular Christmas decorating FHE was tonight. The kids have been bouncing off the walls all night long and just getting through dinner was a challenge. We are such awful parents we even made them listen to a lesson and sing some Christmas songs, then we let them go crazy and decorate the tree. Grandma T even got crazy with us and let the kids dog pile on her for a picture. The tree, although not the perfect Christmas window tree I always envisioned, the ones with the coordinating colors and beautiful ribbons, but a tree with many memories. There were many discussions of who made what ornament, and I remember that ornament. I used to think I might have one of those professional trees someday, but now I think that I will miss all of my old ornaments and all the memories that are associated with it.

Today Tanner was baptized! There was a great spirit about it, and he has been all smiles all day long. Grandma and Grandpa T are still here visiting and were able to participate. Grandpa gave a talk on the Holy Ghost, and I knew he was speaking words from his heart and from his life experiences. I feel that Grandparents have so much to offer their grandchildren, and are a wonderful gift, they have lived so much and know so much, if only we are willing to listen to what they have to tell us.
Tanner came home and put on his scout shirt, he’s so excited to be a Cub Scout. He’s growing up and as much as I might want to stop it in some ways, I’m also so glad that he’s making great choices and is progressing in a way that I want to see him grow.
I took some pictures but they are all taken staring into the sun… so everyone looks like they are grumpy. There are some with me in them, and maybe I could be persuaded (bribed) to post them, it would have to be good though.

Some of the things that went wrong today. Alyssa has been potty trained for a long time now, completely trust worthy to the point where I don’t even bring a change of clothing for her. She was playing in a classroom with Aubrey and told Aubrey she had to go potty, so Aubrey found me, and by the time I got back to Alyssa she was in the process of well, going. I had been shopping the day before, and hadn’t unloaded the Christmas bags, and had some tights in there, and a friend gave me a pull up so all was well with that in the end. Tanner and Danny both forgot extra underwear, oops… and towels… another oops I probably should have had those covered, but we made the most of it and it made for a memorable day!

I feel like I should be out shopping, being black Friday and all, but I just don’t have the heart to do it this year…
Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday. It was a perfect day, of course we missed family, hopefully everyone had a good Thanksgiving also. I did most of my cooking on Wednesday afternoon so most things except the turkey which I love to smell on Thanksgiving morning was done, and just needed to be warmed up.

It’s been a challenging week with sick kids, field trips, and prep work for Tanner’s birthday party. Today I found myself in a situation that I personally could not get myself out of, and had to call a friend for help. I really have a hard time asking people to help me, but I was so grateful for the kindness of a friend today. She was willing to drive to the store, pick up treats for Tanner’s classroom and take them in for me, and even took care of my Aubrey and picked her up from preschool for me. Thank You!
I must also thank my wonderful husband today! He swooped in and saved the day when I had given up. He does this a lot, and is so positively fabulous, and my best friend, and I would be lost without my wonderful man who is always so willing to play along with my crazy plans. My crazy plan this time involved making light sabers for all of the birthday guest, but when I couldn’t find the right pieces for the project, he had a solution and just took care of it. Thank You Danny! I love you!
Now on to Tanner’s party. Can I just say that every guest was truly charming and respectful and lots of fun to have here. Tanner had a blast. I really had to take some deep breaths with 11 boys and 3 girls running around with light sabers bopping everything they came in contact with, but that is what I wanted to make them for, and I’m glad they were able to enjoy them.
Now for some pictures from the party!

Danny even made a little light saber for Alyssa, who wasn’t feeling too well.

All is quiet now, and I can relax, tomorrow I’m going to go see Twilight with my friend from forever who is in town and I’m so excited. The kids are watching a movie, Alyssa I think is feeling a little better, and I’m ready for some sleep.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

What to say? Tanner is an absolute joy! Heavenly Father couldn’t have sent a better kid, he’s so good with his sisters, patient, and loving, and a great example to them. He often takes Aubrey into his room and engages her in a game of Star Wars, or he’ll take Alyssa out to the trampoline with blankets and play forever with her.
Tanner has a great sense of humor, and is always good for a laugh when he senses the mood of the family might not be the best. He’s usually willing to help with chores around the house with minimal complaining, and is just a friend to everyone.
Tanner turns 8 today and will be baptized soon, I know he is ready for that, and looking forward to it. What a great kid, Happy Birthday Tanner!

4:44 am and I hear a little pitter patter of feet coming down the hall. Alyssa comes into the room, Danny is tuned to react to screaming, but I’m tuned into pitter patters. I rolled over and told Danny he had a little friend by his bed, she asked to snuggle, so he picked her up and tucked her under his arm pit and went back to sleep. Then we heard that sound that we all dread hearing, someone was vomiting. I knew when it was over by the scream that it was Emma. Of course we went down there and took care of her, tucked her back into bed, and went down there again in an hour to do the same. Then again, and again, and eventually the sun came up and we could assess the damage. This story is sad because today Emma’s GT class was going to take a trip to the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. Emma has been talking non stop about this outing for weeks now, and she knew she would be unable to go. I called her teacher at 8:00, and told her Emma wouldn’t make it, but that Tanner and I were still going to come. So Tanner and I took an adventure to Reno, I don’t often get one on one time with Tanner, and I enjoyed his company. He enjoyed putting the coins into the parking meter, we watched Reno’s Christmas Tree drive into town, and watched them put it up. We got to see them setting up the Ice Rink, and enjoyed the entire day. The concert was fun, they really tailored it to children, playing scary songs from Phantom of the Opera, Bach, and the theme song of Jurassic Park. We got demonstrations of different instruments making different feelings. Emma would have loved it, too bad she couldn’t make it, life is full of disappointment sometimes. A local resort in Reno is having the Reno Philharmonic Christmas Concert in December with dancers and lights and all sort of fauna that I’m going to try and get tickets for so that Emma can enjoy the Philharmonic also.

On another topic, Friday is Tanner’s 8th birthday! And I’m having a Star Wars party for him. I have never been able to stay awake for those movies, and I guess I lack an appreciation for them. I know flame away, how could I not watch Star Wars? Believe me it wasn’t hard. So Tanner says you can make me a Death Star cake, sure I say, mental note-check what a Death Star is. For those of you who are Star Wars impaired like me it’s not a star… So I’m in trouble here, how do I make a cake for Star Wars? Sigh. How do I get into these things? So there is this blog I love to go to it is called cakewreckers.blogspot.com or something similar, I’d have to go look it up, but it shows horrible cakes, and all the mistakes people make. The whole site cracks me up, it’s worth a trip to, but I should just submit my cake now to this lady for her ridicule and let her get it over with. I will have a good attitude. Hey Target sells action figures, can I stab those into a cake? Tanner is very excited, he had his baptism interview on Sunday and he is ready and excited to be baptized on Saturday the 29th at 10:00am. I’m proud of him, he’s good natured and a joy to be with.

Doing pickup duty this morning, I ran into this little guy. As badly as I felt, I had to introduce him to the vacuum. Poor guy didn’t even see it coming. He is longer then a quarter in size, and has 10 legs, so what does that make him? Any ideas? I think I will be cleaning out under beds, and other hiding places because my little visitor gives me the creeps.

I went and researched this little cutie, go here to read about him. He is called a Wind Scorpion.