Two Words

In heaven...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

The Crash Site

Like a slow motion crash scene...
Only, the crashes aren't entirely real. It is a favorite thing for Owen - pretending to crash. He has it down to a science, where he can pedal his tricycle around and cut the wheel sharp enough that he will fall, with enough speed to fall but not enough to do real damage. And then he can pose himself under his bike and say "Crash!" He was kind enough to pose for pictures as well. He does very well on the 2-wheeler with training wheels now too, including the braking part that was so elusive at first. But he still loves to go too fast, and the other day he went flying over the handlebars for real after going too fast and cutting the wheel. Didn't phase him a bit. He rather enjoyed it, I think. Future mountain biker here.

The last picture is just me bragging about the homemade treats I took in for Owen's preschool exchange this year. Russian tea cakes. And they were good! OK, Natalie got Scotch shortbread cookies out of a bag for her treat exchange. Come on people, I only have so much homemade in me! And if I'm honest, it was most definitely wasted on the 2 yr old class... The tag had an adorable Russian doll on the other side. World Market had the best Russian gift wrap stuff this year!

A New Winter Sport?

If I can't be on the ice, at least I can get my exercise skate running!

Despite many misgivings about how the trip would turn out, we took all 3 of the kids skating the other day, and it was a success! We had not taken anyone skating in years...probably about 3 years, to be exact. It was such a brutal process when Jim had aspirations of hockey for Liam, and Liam was just not into the skating part. Natalie was too young the last time, and just screamed for Mommy (and Jim is the only real skater in the family - I am more of a threat to the kids on the ice than a help).

This time, Liam tentatively held onto the side for a lap or two (but it was significant that he went out completely on his own and plugged away at it without giving up), and then Jim switched him from hockey to figure skates and it helped tremendously. By the end, he had let go of the side and could go around on his own. After about 5 minutes, Natalie didn't want to hold our hands or the side, and she did a great job of getting around on her own as well. More of a walk than a glide, but it was VERY exciting that she didn't cry or whine, even when she fell. Woo-hoo!! Both of them have asked when we can go again. Maybe they are half Canadian after all!

Even I managed to get around the rink a few times, although I know I look like I'm doing a crab walk. I think I keep my left leg totally still and I just push off a bit with my right leg like I'm rowing a boat or something. Totally elegant and graceful, you can imagine. But I didn't fall. And more importantly, I didn't drag any of the kids down with me.

Owen...well, let's just say that his skating ambitions might exceed his physical ability right now. He seemed to want to run (go figure) and so he had a very hard time standing upright. But he didn't cry. And he got a lot of practice running in skates in the waiting area. One teenage boy saw him and told me so very earnestly "That's the next Ovechkin! Really! That is so great! I wish my parents had started me skating that young!" ha ha Funny that he picked Ovechkin...

He Sees You When You're Sleeping...

Is it just me or is this one Christmas picture that is totally creepy? Natalie was playing around with glitter and glue the other day while I was in the kitchen, and she asked me how to spell "watching." When she was done, this is what I found. It's a glitter Christmas tree with a big googly eye glued to the top of it (and other eyes around it), saying "I'm watching."

No wonder none of my kids want to sit on the Big Guys lap! Creeeeepy. It's all very Orwellian. "I'm waaaaatching you...I see eeeverything...." I think the only thing that made the hairs on my neck stand up more was the time Liam told me that his principal "knows everything." When I asked how she knew everything he said in a semi-whisper "You know...the cameras.." and pointed to the ceiling. I just got a shiver thinking of it again...

The Garlic Is Hung

Natalie has very sweetly confused "garlic" with "garland." She kept asking to hang the garlic on the tree, and now it's amazing how many times she has needed to mention the "garlic" on the tree. I know I'm bad, but I just cannot bring myself to correct her because it's so darn cute. I figure next year she'll probably know better on her own.

Owen has developed a love for singing lately, and has been belting out "Tinkerbells! Tinkerbells! Tinker all the way!" Not sure if he is thinking that Jingle Bells was written about the fairy, but it's likely, since we all know the fairies and princesses around here. And then when he gets talking about Baby Jesus (and yes, he DOES get to talking about Baby Jesus, at random times like when he and Jim were at the grocery together and Owen was shouting out loud to strangers about Baby Jesus) I have realized that it sounds suspiciously like Baby Cheeze-Its...I wonder...what he's really saying. I am surprised that he didn't tell the door-to-door magazine sales girls about Baby Cheeze-Its the other day. Instead, when I opened the door, not realizing who was there, he ran right out and grabbed both of their hands (2 girls, so he grabbed a hand from each one at the same time) and said "It's nice to meet you!!" It wasn't what I had planned on doing, to be honest...but perhaps it was more fitting with the Christmas spirit. One of the girls said, "Dang! I'm 2 months pregnant, and I think I'll just be dropping that baby off in a basket on YOUR porch - you're kids are so sweet." Uh, thanks...but uh, no thanks. I'm just sticking with Baby Cheeze-Its this year.

Random

Here is a first. Natalie and Owen were fighting the other day. No, that's not the "first" by a long shot. But this time they were fighting over...who got to play in the dust motes that were flying in the air when the sun was streaming in from the window. Good news: the sun was shining. Bad news: they were nearly coming to blows over who could play in the dust. If only they realized that there is so much of it to go around. Really, kids, pop on into my bedroom there and swipe your finger across my dresser and Go.To.Town. Really. Please.

In other news, the cat is out of luck when looking for an ally to keep him in the family. The other day while watching a show about dogs Natalie piped up, "I don't like cats." When I said "Awwww poor Tigger!" she stated matter-of-factly, "I think he could live in someone else's house. I want a dog." Watch your back, Tigger, watch.your.back!!

And a small note from the maturing eldest, while I was putting him to bed: "Mom, isn't it weird how you have babies when you're married. And you don't have them when you're not. It's the Mystery of Life! It's like there is a sensor that tells when you are married and then you have babies. Isnt' that weird?!" And I hesitated for a second or two, tossing things over in my mind, thinking of his age, thinking of my long-winded explanations, and I murmured, "Yes, that IS weird."