No MQM This Week Either

Sheesh - even today got away from me. I'm taking another break from the movie quotes tomorrow - spending the whole day with my family. Troy's in town and everything.

Have a wonderful, safe, and Happy New Year!

I Call It...The Mother of All Blenders

Yesterday I opened up my new blender - a gift from my parents. I'd had two blenders go out on me in November, and since smoothies are one of our favorite snacks/meal-in-a-pinch around here, I'd asked for a new one for Christmas.

My parents were good to me.

Check it out:

Oh baby.

It's the Cadillac of blenders, easily the nicest thing in my kitchen.

My 19 year of refrigerator and 15 year old dishwasher and stove are jealous.

Couple of features to take notice of...

See how it's all one piece? No little crevices of food traps, and there's no disassembly for cleaning. This is absolutely my favorite part. Without a doubt.

The base is sleek and smooth for easy wiping down. And it's very very heavy.

The pitcher is thick polycarbonate, huge, and see that exaggerated pouring spout? Works like a charm. It's dishwasher safe, but I like the idea of putting hot water and a little dish soap inside and giving it a whirl, like the manual suggests.

The pitchers sits directly on the base - there's no twisting or fiddling with it to lock in place.

Mmmmmmm...smoothies for everyone!

Excuse me...I have to go blend something.

What new appliance would you like?

The Big Letdown

Yes, it's true, we had tears on Christmas Day. I had my happy tears over my ring and then Cameron (!) had a bad case of Christmas Letdown. At least that's what I'm calling it.

About two hours after the unwrapping and breakfast were over, Cameron sat down next to me and said tentatively,

"I'm bored..."

Excuse me? EXCUSE ME??????

This was from the kid who not long ago looked like this:

And this:

Looks like happiness on Christmas morning to me.

How could he possibly be bored? I dug deeper.

Apparently, there had not been a "big" gift along with the smaller gifts under the tree this year. In some years past, we've had a large gift - like the xbox, or last year it was the Nintendo DS lites and some accompanying games. He couldn't really think of any large gift that he wanted though. Was he disappointed that he didn't get a new gaming system? Not really...Grandma and Grandpa already have the Wii, and he's more into PC games ( Warcrack ).

Also, he "didn't really get what he wanted", though he absolutely could not name anything in particular that he would have liked instead.

And the cinnamon rolls had cream cheese frosting which ruined them.

And there hadn't really been any surprises...

And it was over so fast...

And, and...

By now the tears were flowing freely down his freckled cheeks. My first reaction was irritation, bordering on anger, and I began to plan an outing to a homeless shelter for this ungrateful boy.

He'd had a fabulous Christmas!!! The Warcraft Expansion Pack, Star Wars Legos and a Bionicle, two CDs, big army men and vehicle set that he had begged for, a scooter and how could he forget:

He also received a hoodie and pants and a beanie that he loves and won't take off.

What was going on?

We have closets and drawers full of toys that are not played with, movies that aren't watched, and the DS Lites from last year that only get played with every few months. Cameron is not lacking in things to do, he has not been deprived or made to do without. I'd say his life is pretty well charmed, wouldn't you?

Troy and I had gone over this endlessly, and the boys knew all along that Oliver was the big gift this year. I also knew that if we had splurged on a new gaming system (which Troy wanted to do) and had not gotten all the smaller gifts, he would have been upset about that. How big, how extreme, how superfantabulous does a Christmas have to be so that your kids aren't disappointed???

And then it hit me - a possible reason for all this drama. Cameron is growing up. There will never be another Christmas like the ones when he was little and everything was magical and $50 could buy his wildest dreams, and when the opening was over he'd collapse in a worn out heap. The kind of excitement over Santa that makes it impossible to sleep is gone. He's left with the "Is that all there is?" kind of feeling, that no amount of gifts can satisfy. The anticipation and the hype is finally bigger than the reality.

No wonder there were tears. I wasn't irritated any more, in fact I felt pretty bad for him. He didn't know how to put words to the awful, kind-of-empty feeling inside of him, and the only thing that made any sense was that he possibly didn't receive enough.

His tears dried and he felt bad that he'd made me feel bad (another sign of growing up), and then he and Troy got down to the business of the Expansion Pack. His smiles are back and he's played with his things -- the empty feeling went away. Oliver remains a very big deal around here.

Face it, the older you get, does anything really live up to the hype?

Who hasn't felt a little letdown after Christmas or Thanksgiving? Sure the tree or the table looked beautiful, but now there's the cleanup. And all that planning and preparation!

The movie wasn't that great...I could've waited for the dvd.

The wedding is over - now we have marriage.

Wedding night? Please.

Best vacation in the world - you still have to come home.

Does that make me sound like a glass half empty kind of person? I'm not, really, just thinking about Cameron and his first Christmas as a non-believer. It was kind of a hard day for him. The Letdown was tough.

The thought occurs to me (so how fortunate that I have a blog!!!), there is something that lives up to the hype - serving others, giving gifts, helping people. No letdown there. I need to teach my boys to serve others, to experience that kind of feeling.

Any thoughts?

What has been a letdown for you...and what has not?

A Few Things From Christmas

So...how was your Christmas? Was every wish fulfilled, every goodie eaten, every magical fantasy brought to life in a flurry of wrapping paper and bows? Or did you have a nasty case of Christmas Letdown that resulted in actual tears like my almost 11 year old? More on that tomorrow.

Aside from that, we had a lovely day. I had made cinnamon rolls the day before, so all I had to do in the morning was take them out of the fridge, let them rise while we opened presents, and then bake. Voila - Christmas Breakfast.

On Saturday, I had made a gigantic lasagna in my 10x15 Pyrex dish - big enough for us to eat over the course of many days. This was my best idea ever. I had french bread to make garlic toast and then any time we were hungry (and needed a break from the goodies), we just microwaved some lasagna and broiled some bread. Voila - Christmas Lunch.

I also had the foresight to do a big roast and veggies for Christmas dinner. My whole mindset for the day was to not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I put the meat, potatoes, carrots and onions in the crockpot around 10 am, and then sat back to enjoy my day. Voila - Christmas Dinner.

The only drawback to my stay-out-of-the-kitchen-on-Christmas strategy, was that I really did stay out of the kitchen, except to serve up plates it seemed. And with me out of the kitchen, well, the dishes just didn't get done. I walked into the kitchen this morning and saw with clarity, the flaw in the plan. We did in fact use plates, silverware, glasses, 9x13 pans, 10x15 pans, cookie sheets, serving spoons and cutting boards, and one very large crock pot, bearing the evidence that our roast was not the leanest cut of meat. Tasty, but not so lean.

Voila - Day After Christmas Dishes.

I'm on my second dishwasher load and working on the by-hand dishes.

Note to self: Next year, use paper plates, etc., aluminum foil baking pans...or just suck it up and do the dishes. Remember the huge lasagna though - that part was brilliant.

********************************************************

I received some wonderful gifts - a new flat iron for my hair, a blender, a new cutting board and a higher quality knife than I've ever owned, to name a few. Yes, I asked for these things - and I love them. I'm a homemaker and I need good tools. And my hair needed a new flat iron.

But the real surprise came from Troy. He gave me my ring again.

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in church and happened to look down at my hand. The center diamond on my engagement ring was gone. The prongs were all still in place, but the stone just wasn't there anymore. I was so sad.

I loved this ring. The diamond itself was tiny - smaller than the prongs that held it. I remember choosing the ring with Troy, when I was 19 and he was 21, and having the clerk explain that the prongs were white gold which would make the diamond look bigger. I never cared that it was small - I loved it. It was delicate and feminine and I thought it looked perfect on my small hands. And now it was unwearable.

I put the ring away in a tiny cardboard box that one of the boys had given me and buried it down in my underwear drawer. For a while I didn't wear any ring, and then I started buying these fabulous fakes from http://www.eleganzajewels.com/. Flashy and huge, they were inexpensive enough to own several, and I did. But eventually some of the plating wore off, and they became unwearable too. I think they had a guarantee, but I never went to the trouble of sending them back. For the last few months I've worn nothing on my ring finger.

Until yesterday. Troy, in a complete act of pure romance, gave me my original ring back. He'd dug through my underwear drawer and found the little box with the rings, still unsoldered after 19 years of marriage, and took them to a jewelers on the Saturday before Christmas. He chose a diamond - a little bit bigger this time - and had it placed in new white gold prongs. They soldered the engagement and wedding rings together, and polished it up like new.

When I saw the box, I was worried about what it might hold. Troy is notorious for going overboard and spending money that we haven't earned yet. I shook my head and protested that we were going to think about me getting a new ring around our twentieth anniversary. Not now...not with the new truck...not with the new dog...not with all the other Christmas expenses...I don't need it...blah, blah, blah.

"Just open it." he said, "You'll like it."

The boys were watching me, Troy was watching me. I prepared to gush and oooh and aaahh, and then find a way to return it - sensible girl that I am. I don't need...

And then I saw it. Polished and glittering, delicate and feminine.

"It's...it's my ring! You got my ring!"

And then I cried. And hugged him. And kissed him. And put it on.

I can't stop staring at it. It is the perfect ring for my hand, for me. That's true love, right there.

I gave him floor mats for his truck.

****************************************************

We weren't the only ones enjoying a new puppy for Christmas. Both are still waiting for their names, but you can see them here and here. Puppy love all around.

****************************************************

And in Oliver news...well, he's just the sweetest thing!

He's still sleeping a lot, and we find ourselves carrying him around like a baby. It's taken him a few days to learn to walk on the slick kitchen floor, and now he bounds across it like a bunny. At least until his feet fly out from under him.

It's been so fun to introduce him to our friends and family.

This is my niece, Olivia. I predict that they will be good friends.

He spends a good amount of time crashed in his pad.

And he's starting to play with and chew on his toys.

Sometimes though...it's just so hard to get out of bed!

Alright, enough of this furry, cuddly, wonderful nonsense. I've got a few more dishes to do.

How was your Christmas?

No MQM Tomorrow

What can I say...tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I have some wrapping and cooking and general get-ready-for-the-Big-Day stuff going on. I'm sure you do too. So between all that and the puppy lovin' that is taking up a considerable amount of my time, Movie Quote Monday just isn't going to happen tomorrow.

But I do hope you have a very nice Christmas Eve.

I hope you have some good time off work.
I hope you can be with the ones you love.
I hope you are wearing comfortable, cozy clothes, and eating delicious food.
I hope you have time to sit and look at twinkling lights and to count your blessings.
I hope you listen to Silent Night and feel peace and joy as you remember our Savior's birth.
I hope you feel His love.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!


I'll be back on Wednesday, telling my tales and answering more of the Oliver questions, such as...
What does he look like when he's sleeping?
Will I be changing the name of my blog to "Oliver's World"?
Puppy breath...thumbs up or thumbs down?
And the biggest question on my mind - Now how am I going to find the time to do the Dishes and Laundry?

Because seriously:

And They Called It...Puppy Love

I'd like you to meet somebody...

Say hello to Oliver.

He's a little shy and very cuddly.

He's sleepy. I mean really, really sleepy.

He's pretty much perfect.

All 3 1/2 pounds of him.

And he is ours.

Audiophile #3 - You

I guess music has ended up being the theme here at Dishes and Laundry this week. Today though, the audiophiles are going to be you! Show me what kind of music means the most to you. I'm blatantly stealing this little game from Pinklady, my cyber-friend up in Seattle - she called it: Do the Shuffle.


Here's how we play:


Grab your ipod or mp3 player, set it to shuffle and in your comment list the first 10 songs that come up. No skipping - even if you're embarrassed and would really rather not admit that you have that song. No judgement, I promise.

I'll go first.

1. Addicted to Love...Robert Palmer
2. Papa Don't Preach...Madonna
3. Super Freak...Rick James
4. It's A Sin...Pet Shop Boys
5. Wild Wild West...Escape Club
6. Bad...Michael Jackson
7. Body Language...Queen
8. Hot Legs...Rod Stewart
9. Wannabe...Spice Girls
10. Love in an Elevator...Aerosmith

There you have it. I'm obviously stuck in a decade, and it sure isn't this one.


Okay, your turn...go ahead...

Do the shuffle!

Audiophile #2 - Aaron

A year ago, my kids didn't listen to any music. Hannah Montana? Never heard of her. High School Musical? Huh?

But then last spring it all changed. At ten years old, Cameron stopped watching cartoons and became interested in a show on TeenNick called Drake and Josh. Cutie Drake was in a band and the show featured him playing his music. The boys were hooked. They watched and sang along, discovering this whole new world beyond the few Kids Bop cds I used to buy.

Then it was on to the Disney Channel where Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus, Cheetah Girls and High School Musical stars roam freely. And if you like them there, wait till you hear them on Radio Disney. Oh my. We listen to it every time we're in the car and every morning during breakfast.

Aaron, in particular, has been struck by how much fun the music is. He knows the words, has a few favorite artists, and enjoys all the bits of trivia and factoids about the singers.

He can tell me all about the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus - how old they are, where they got their start, etc. He knows all the real names of the High School Musical characters and what else they've done. He can name the song and artist after just a few notes.

I was exactly like that, rattling off information about Rick Springfield and Cyndi Lauper, and explaining why George Michael was so much better than Andrew Ridgeley. That Air Supply was from Australia and how Prince and Madonna were just misunderstood and I should be allowed to listen to them. How I wasn't paying attention to the words...I just liked the beat. And...

Whoops, this is about Aaron.

He loves all of the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus music. Loves. It.

The other day a song came on and I asked Aaron,

"Is this Miley Cyrus?"

"Mo-om!" His voice dripped with duuuhh. "You don't have to say her whole name. All you have to say is Miley. She's the only one. Just say Miley and I'll know who you're talking about."

Okay then. She really has arrived.

***************************************************

The other morning at breakfast he was listening to the duet that Miley and her Dad (Billy Ray Cyrus from Achy Breaky Heart fame) sing. Miley had some background vocals going on and it was perplexing.

"How does she do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make her voice go double at the same time? I can't figure it out."

"Well, honey, that's why she's a star!"

**************************************************

But here's the thing: I am loving this music too! It probably helps that Zac Efron and Drake Bell and Corbin Bleu and the Jonas Brothers are so darn cute, but the music isn't half bad either. The Miley/Billy Ray duet makes me tear up a little, and I can dance all over the house to the Cheetah Girls and the Jonas Brothers. Hannah Montana rocks!

I'm enjoying the same music as my kids. I mean, really enjoying it. Sometimes I find myself listening to Radio Disney and the kids aren't even in the car.

So does this make me a cool Mom or is it weird? My parents never ever listened to the same stuff I did.

Did yours?

Audiophile #1 - The Eighties

Down in my basement there's a big box marked "Wendy's Stuff". It holds my yearbooks and high school literary magazines (I was the editor. For as important as that felt back then, it means absolutely nothing now.), stacks (and stacks) of papers from creative writing classes and a thick, final-letter-that-was-never-mailed-to-the-boy-who-broke-my-heart. It's very dramatic and there are quite possibly, actual tear stains on this six-page dissection of a relationship gone wrong. Unfortunately, the offending boyfriend never got to read it. The tediousness of the "why?" and the "how could you?", and the total lie of the "I don't hate you" just might have killed him. Too bad...that was some creative writing that might have done some good...


My "stuff" also includes my Candy Striper smock, reports cards and various awards from school, handouts from church, journals, and every letter I received while I was at college. The box is my history - up until I got married, but I should probably get rid of half of it - it's just taking up space. Keep the yearbooks and the journals, toss the rest.

I was poking through the box 'o Wendy the other day, after Aaron and I had been talking about music. He's become quite enthusiastic about it in the last year (more on this later), and I knew that down in my box was evidence of my own love of music. From the eighties.

Tucked inside my sophomore yearbook was a thick stack of folded notebook paper. At the top was written, 1984 KIS'N FM - 97.1 Countdown. Oh, baby.


That's right, I've got the top 100 songs and artists of the year, carefully documented (in pencil), and saved with all the other Most Important Things in my life.


I also have a 1983 Top 40 Countdown List with a bonus Top 10 Videos of the Year. What a Feeling by Irene Cara was the #1 song and Michael Jackson's Beat It was the #1 video. Of course.

New Year's Eve Parties? Babysitting jobs? Stake dances?

Nah. I'll just sit cross-legged on the floor of my basement bedroom and listen to the radio for 8 hours, writing it all down, 'cause I, like, love music. And I'll want to know all this stuff later in life, like now, when the internet has made it just a couple clicks aways. Wasted youth.

Seriously. imagine the time it must have taken to listen to the DJs play every song and commercial. That's madness dedication. I looooooooved music!

Reading through the list is hilarious - I can sing a few bars (or more) from almost every song, and quite a few of them are on my ipod right now.

Here's just a partial list from 1984:

40. Running With the Night...Lionel Ritchie
39. If This Is It...Huey Lewis and the News
38. Like a Virgin...Madonna
37...Owner of a Lonely Heart...Yes
36. Somebody's Watching Me...Rockwell
35. Purple Rain...Prince
34. Almost Paradise...Mike Reno and Ann Wilson
33. I Feel For You...Chaka Kahn
32. Hold Me Now...Thompson Twins
31. Self Control...Laura Brannigan
30. Reflex...Duran Duran
29. Out of Touch...Hall and Oates
28. She-Bop...Cyndi Lauper
27. Jump (For My Love)...Pointer Sisters
26. That's All...Genesis
25. Say Say Say...Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
24. Lucky Star...Madonna
23. Drive...Cars
22. Heart of Rock 'n Roll...Huey Lewis and the News
21. Let's Go Crazy...Prince
20. Thriller...Michael Jackson
19. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go...Wham!
18. Sad Songs Say So Much...Elton John
17. Oh Sherry...Steve Perry
16. Dancing in the Dark...Bruce Springsteen
15. Caribbean Queen...Billy Ocean
14. Karma Chameleon...Culture Club
13. What's Love Got to Do With It?...Tina Turner
12. Let's Hear It For the Boy...Denise Williams
11. Stuck On You...Lionel Ritchie
10. Time After Time...Cyndi Lauper
9. Missing You...John Waite
8. Footloose...Kenny Loggins
7. I Just Called To Say I Love You...Stevie Wonder
6. Ghostbusters...Ray Parker Jr.
5. Hello...Lionel Ritchie
4. When Doves Cry...Prince
3. Against All Odds...Phil Collins
2. Jump...Van Halen
1. Hard Habit to Break...Chicago

Now that's some good music.

#22 is me at a Youth Conference Dance at BYU, wearing Jelly Shoes and a dress with ruffles.

#38 is knowing that my parents disapproved, but LOVING this song and pretty much everything about her.

#14 is my sometimes friend Shauna, who used to dress like (swear it!) Boy George!

#s 34, 12 and 8 is wanting to put on a dance in a small repressed town, and show those adults what it feels like to be young.

#24 is watching my friend Amy sing this into a microphone at the mall!

And #25 and 20 is watching Friday Night Videos to see the genius of him.

Where does this music take you?

(it's okay if you say that it takes you back to your mother's womb.)

Movie Quote Monday #12

Good morning. Are you ready to play?

Here's my first quote:

"Christmas? Christmas means dinner, dinner means death! Death means carnage; Christmas means carnage!"


Go.

Come and Play!

Remember Movie Quote Monday - I'll post the first quote a little before 8 am and we'll play until 10 pm.

Hope to see you there!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Years ago, my mother decided that she wanted to have a theme tree for Christmas. All the kids were grown to the point that she was no longer receiving the ornaments made at school, so by golly, she was making a fresh start. She got all new ornaments and created a Santa Claus Tree. She mixed clear lights and red balls with Santas of every shape, size, and color. It was fantastic - looked like something from the Festival of Trees.

Wanting my own beautiful and unique Christmas decor, the following year I created my little trio of trees. I had these three lodgepole pines (the same ones Cam used this year to go around our nativity) that I grouped together on our windowseat, and I decorated them with clear lights, pinecones, plastic berries tied with raffia, glittery tufts of dried weeds, and dark cranberry and pearly cream colored balls with raffia bows. I nestled those three trees on a blanket that looked like snow and set the two piece nativity beneath the branches. It was, and remains, the craftiest thing I have ever done.

Then I took things just a little too far. I wrapped every single present in brown kraft paper and tied a raffia bow (seriously, you can do almost anything with raffia) around the middle. Then with a hot glue gun, I added a pinecone, or a berry and some glittery dried weeds.

Merry Crafty Christmas!

Oh, how it's all changed! For one thing, that chubby-cheeked little baby in that picture up there is turning eleven in about three weeks. And we no longer have the trio out. We have a big artificial tree in the corner of our front room that is decorated with a mishmash of ornaments. There is no theme. The lights and the balls are glowing with every color and silver tinsel garland drapes between different ornaments that tell the story of our family.

Little angels for the babies we lost.

And now, one for Jeffrey.

We have a preschool gingerbread boy...

and puzzle piece wreaths,

golden pasta from my golden-haired boy,

a motorcycle for Cam,

and can you guess who this one belongs to?

It's a glorious tree - and no amount of raffia or color-coordinated ornaments and presents could ever be as fun to put together as this is.

At least for now.

What does your tree look like?

Theme or no theme?

Oh, Snap!

My sister-in-law, Elise, called me today and left a message about my recipe for the gingersnaps. There was a missing ingredient after the 1 Tbsp. measurement.

Um...that would be the ginger.

Yeah, I left out the recipe's namesake, the part that smells so divine and warms your mouth with its spiciness. The very reason for the cookie.

How embarrassed am I? Very.

Mortified, even.

So if any of you happened to make these without the ginger, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. You made Cinnamonsnaps, and I can only hope they were okay.

The recipe has been fixed.

Lesson that I have learned (the hard way): Read it, reread it, and reread it again. And then one more time. Sheesh.

Homework Update

As I was snapping pictures of nativities and cookies, Aaron wondered aloud,


"Why aren't you blogging about my handwriting anymore?"

Geez, give the kid a little online fame and all of a sudden he can't get enough.


So, as per Aaron's request, here's a quick update about his, um, handwriting and homework. Just in case you've been wondering.


The tears and drama (from him, not me) over his cursive practice have mellowed into annoyed acceptance. He's still not happy about it, but at least he's not crying, yelling, or throwing things.


He's agreed to do his homework at 7 pm every night. He usually lets out a tortured cry when it's time to get down to business, but it's quick and then he'll start working.

Look Ma, no tears!

His weekly homework load consists of a math page, spelling/word sorting, times table practice, two pages of cursive practice, and nightly reading. In my perfect world (ha!), I'd have him do everything that he could on Monday - just blow through the math and cursive pages all at once and be done with it for the week. Then all he'd have to do for the rest of the week is run through his flashcards and read every night. Simple! Instead, and because this isn't my perfect world, Aaron will just do a small part of each page every night.

I also wish he'd do his homework right when he gets home from school. It would be so much better (I think) to just get it out of the way and leave the rest of the day and evening to enjoy ourselves. Instead, it feels like we're just waiting for the "yucky" part of the day to happen. It kills our evenings, but he's pretty adamant about waiting until 7.

Why, oh why can't he see the wisdom of doing things my way????

Spelling/Word Sorting

One nice thing...Aaron has decided he likes to lie in bed and do his reading. It makes for a quiet, relaxed end to the day. He's also enjoying reading more than he ever has - which of course, makes my heart soar. He and Cam climb into bed around nine (honestly, it's closer to 9:20)and start their reading -- Aaron will read for an hour if I let him. So yeah, he's not getting to sleep at a good time for an 8 year old, but he's doing lots and lots of reading.

So I guess there's still progress and improvements to be made - though really, I'm the only one who seems bugged by the current state of things. And it's all such a huge improvement since September, I'm just grateful. Ultimately, I'm trying to keep things going smoothly, happily, and without the tears. Baby steps.

Cameron had a brush with a heavy homework load this week. He's missed school for three days with strep throat, and being the over-zealous helpful Mom that I am, I brought his work home for him to do. Seriously, is it a blessing or a curse that I work at the school?

Anyway, I gave him all the work that he'd missed and just the sight of it reduced him to tears. Head on the table, shoulders heaving - it seemed so overwhelming, stacked up like it was. But he slogged through it, and it took him maybe an hour plus some reading time. He admitted that it wasn't too bad after all.

And I thought that with having only boys, we'd skip the drama. HA!

So that's the homework update for mid-December, 2007.

Aaron will be pleased.

Would you rather do something [that you disliked] a little at a time, or all at once, just getting it over with?

Away In A Manger

When I was growing up, I always liked to help set up the nativity for Christmas. The pieces we had were painted ceramic, and I suppose that they were not expensive or of very high quality. But I loved them. I'd carefully unwrap them from their tissue paper and place them just so in the stable. Then I'd move them around a little...switch those two shepherds with the camel...put the sheep in front of the donkey...move Joseph just a hair closer to Mary. It had to look just right.


The stable was made of wood and it had bits of straw and irish moss glued to it in places. One of the wisemen was painted black and Mary's robe was painted blue. There were probably even a few pieces that were chipped or had places where the paint had worn off.


The set was discarded long ago - it wasn't like it was valuable or an heirloom in any way. My parents now have a beautiful nativity, the kind that is passed down to the next generation.


I have three nativities - and I think they're all pretty nice. The first one I got after my Grandmother died. It's not fancy, but I cherish it because it was hers, and she loved it.


The pieces are small - the entire 15 piece set fits inside an 8x8 cube box, along with two pieces of purple velvet. This is the top of the box:

My Grandma had wrapped all the pieces in Kleenex, and that's how it stays. The Kleenex is torn and falling apart, but it smells like her and her home. I can't imagine ever throwing it out in favor of crisp, new tissue paper. I miss my Grandma.

Here is the Family. Joseph is only about 3 inches tall.

And some of the other pieces...

It's priceless to me.


My next nativity set was made by my mother-in-law and given to us years and years ago. She was really into ceramics and (hopefully) made one of these for all her kids. She painted the pieces with a pearly clearcoat.

Cameron took over the setting up of this nativity. He's a lot like me...making it look right, with each piece in an aesthetically pleasing spot. He did this whole thing with the lodgepole pines and extra garland all by himself. It's sitting in a window seat in our front room. He did an excellent job. I think it looks really nice.


The only thing that I don't really care for in this set, is that Joseph has his arms folded. I like the outstretched arm from my grandma's set better. I don't know...the folded arms make him look bored or detached from the situation. He should be more welcoming to the visitors, saying "Come and see...". I'm probably the only one who thinks that. I really like the stable. It reminds me of the one we had when I was a little girl.

My last nativity is just this small two piece set. Does it count as a nativity if the wisemen and the camels aren't there? I don't remember where I got it, though it's possible that my mother-in-law made it as well. I love the closeness of Joseph and Mary and the fact that Mary is holding Baby Jesus, and how they are both just looking at Him with wonder and awe. 'Cause that's how it really is when a new baby comes.

That Baby Jesus is loose though. When I took the big piece out of the box and started unwrapping it, I couldn't find the Him! I frantically squeezed all the wads of tissue paper, worried that He'd gotten misplaced or thrown out. I found Him, carefully wrapped and down in a corner of the box. Whew!


And then because our house is small and the boys insist on using every single decoration, (also because we decorate one room and one room only), this peaceful scene of the Baby Jesus being held and cuddled and loved by His parents, is being watched over ...





by a giant, smiling snowman.






Do you have a nativity?

What makes it special to you?

Tastes Like Beauty...Rolled In Sugar

That's how Aaron described the flavor of the dough for the gingersnaps I was making. After a long Saturday morning playing in the snow, he and Cameron were helping me in the kitchen. I had mixed up the dough while they played, let it chill, and now Cameron was rolling it into small balls and Aaron was rolling those in sugar. Even the dough smelled so enticingly delicious, they couldn't wait for the first pan to come out of the oven. Aaron bit into the side of a ball.

"Mom...It tastes like...like beauty...rolled in sugar."

I think that's about the highest compliment you can give a cookie.

As a matter of fact, these cookies do taste amazing, both in dough and baked form. Something about that sweet cinnamon and the spicy, fragrant ginger, blended in a simple buttery dough - I think Aaron has described them perfectly.

They taste like beauty.



I only make these gingersnaps once or twice a year, always in the Fall or Winter, when the weather tells me to stay indoors and make comfort food for my family. These cookies just wouldn't do in the summer months, when frozen lemonade pies and all things strawberry should be eaten.


I doubt that very many people would name the gingersnap as their favorite cookie. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, or even a good oatmeal raisin would probably be their first choice. It is for me, at least until the weather turns cold. Then, there's just something about this delightful little cookie that warms my home and my mouth. I think they are delicious and utterly addictive. So proceed with caution.

**************************************************
Gingersnaps...aka "Taste of Beauty In Your Mouth"

3/4 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup light molasses

4 cups flour

4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream the butter, eggs, sugar and molasses. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then mix into the butter/eggs/sugars. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into small balls - about the size of a small walnut - and roll in granulated sugar. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.

**********************************************

See those cracks? That's where the chewy meets the crispy, crackly. You know, if you like that sort of thing. Just so happens, I do.

But if chewy all the way through is the way to win your heart, let them spend the night in a Tupperware. Turns out, I like them this way too.

Don't forget the milk.

Assuming you've never tasted these on a cold, wintery day...what kind of cookie do you enjoy?

Movie Quote Monday #11

Good Morning!

Thought I'd start things off with a little:

"John Connor gave me a picture of you once. I didn't know why at the time. It was very old - torn, faded. You were young like you are now. You seemed just a little sad. I used to always wonder what you were thinking at that moment. I memorized every line, every curve. I came across time for you Sarah. I love you; I always have. "


Go.

Come and Play!

Remember to stop by for Movie Quote Monday!

Game starts around 8am and will go until 10 pm.

See you there!!

I Dare You to Watch This

I went to my foot doctor on Wednesday to get another sclerosing alcohol injection. I got this one so close to the last one, in the hope that we can eventually shrink the neuroma (swollen nerve) into non-existence. I wasn't having much pain, this was just more of a preventative measure. Also, I've hit my medical deductible, so this injection is lots cheaper than the one he wants to give me in January.

And I captured it on video for you. Now you'll all know just what I've been complaining about. I'm pretty sure the doctor thinks I'm wacko, but that's just the price a blogger pays.

The video is spectacular, it really is, though if needles bother you in the slightest, please sit down before watching.

But definitely watch it. Definitely sit down.

The thing that he's holding up to my foot at the beginning is something to help deaden the nerve. It taps it really hard - feels like a little pinch - and that's supposed to make it hurt less. But it also looks like it breaks the skin a tiny bit. Maybe it's a quick injection of something, I don't know. It gets really good when he brings the needle in.

Are you ready?

Huh? Huh? How was that? Feeling queasy? Take a few deep breaths...it will pass.

It didn't bother me when it was happening, but whew, seeing it play back is something else.

Okay, to be honest, it did hurt tremendously 2 times - but even then, not for longer than a second. The rest of the time, even with all the moving around, angling to get at the nerve, and all the in and out, it didn't hurt, I promise. This doctor is good with the needle.

Afterwards, all three of the middle toes went numb and there wasn't any pain at all. I went out to my car, hoping I wasn't walking funny 'cause I couldn't feel my toes. No pain in the ball of my foot. That's what makes the injections worth it.

Today, the bruise doesn't look too bad, I guess, but the numbness has worn off and the injection site is really tender. I'm limping. That should go away in a few days, and then I'll be really pain-free, as the nerve continues to shrink. Overall, my foot is doing great.

Isn't it pretty?

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad, You Take Them Both and There You Have, The Facts of Life...The Facts of Life

Somehow we managed without Blair, Jo, Tootie, and Natalie. Mrs. Garrett might have come in handy though - she was one smart lady.

Over the past few weeks, and after several conversations with different people, I've had the overwhelming feeling that it was time to discuss a certain matter with Cameron.

It's time for that talk. The big one. Bigger than Santa. Bigger than the basic shower and wear deodorant every day sort of discussion. I'm talkin' straight up, Birds 'n Bees, how it happens, when it happens, why it happens and what all the parts look like.

He's turning 11 next month and I know that the school will be having Maturation Day for the 5th graders in the spring. He needs to know. He just does. He's remained (I think) very sheltered as far as what he knows about the subject, but it's only a matter of time before he starts hearing things and I just want to make sure his information is correct.

He did not want to have this talk. We tried about a year ago, asking him if he had any questions about where babies come from, or how babies are made. He started crying and asked us, "why are you talking to me like I'm an adult?"

Okay, so he wasn't exactly ready then. But that comment did tell me that he knew enough to not want to talk about it with us. We backed off.

But now, I've been feeling like it really needed to be done. The feelings have been strong enough and persistent enough that I'm calling it Mother's Intuition. Embarrassed or not, he was going to learn the Facts of Life.

I was probably 8 years old when I got the facts. My Mom was pregnant with my younger brother, so I'm sure my parents figured it was time to answer the obvious question - though I don't remember asking.

They had a book titled How Babies are Made, and I sat on the couch between my Mom and my Dad and read it out loud to them. Oh yes. The book covered the very basics, from the individual parts that the man and woman are bringing to the table, er, the bed, to conception and growing womb, ending with a blanket wrapped baby. The artwork looked like pieces of felt cut into very basic shapes - not a lot of detail. But it is etched into my brain, forever. Reading a book like that out loud to your parents will do that to you.


Time to do a little etching on Cam's brain.

I hit the library, confident that a book was still the way to go - though I would do the reading.

I found one by the expert herself,

but it was for very young children. And it didn't cover enough of the stuff he'd hear at Maturation Day.

This one was excellent - though just a touch too much information for our very first talk. It was mostly text, geared to young teens, and I'd definitely get this for him to read on his own in a few years. It was written to include morals and staying chaste, and waiting for marriage - almost with a little bit of guilt and threats at the end. Not completely the LDS angle, but close enough when paired with For The Strength of Youth.

The book I ended up using was this light-hearted, pragmatic (thanks, Sarah !) picture book by the guy who does the Arthur books. It covered all the subjects that I wanted it to, and the illustrations were appropriate. As we looked at all the drawings of the pieces and parts, I wondered if Marc Brown really just wanted to go back to drawing Arthur and his good friend, Buster.

I used this book as kind of a cross reference - something to back up the information, in a "see, this is that same stuff again" kind of a way. The Bird and the Bee became a little irritating after a while, but probably only to me.

Cameron knew that I had gotten the books from the library and that I was planning on having the talk. He protested, insisting that the only thing kids talk about at school is football, and he did NOT need to know about this. I gave him the option of having Troy read the books with him, and he tried to hide a smirk as he agreed to me.

I called him to the couch, and he ran to his room to get a blanket to wrap up in. It wasn't cold, he just needed a full body embarrassment shield. See, he can't tell me he doesn't know something. He flopped down on the couch, looking like a Muslim woman in full burqa gear. Only his eyes were visible under the deep hood of the blanket. We plowed ahead.

I read and pointed out specifics on the drawings, tracing pathways, and asking if he any questions along the way. He did not. He stayed covered for the most part. I asked if he wanted to keep the books for a while longer, maybe read them by himself, but he was positive that he knew all he wanted to know. Could he just go back to the computer and being a kid again?

Siiiiiiigh. I think it went well.

He did make two comments that made me laugh. First, I had told him that one of the reasons we were having this talk was because of Maturation Day - that I didn't want him to be surprised at school. Then one time, in the book, the word master**tion (just being careful of the ads) came up. He asked at the end,

"So at school, on Master**tion Day, it will just be like a review, right."

MaTURAtion Day, Cam. MaTURAtion Day.

The other funny thing was when we were talking about body changes and the hair that will grow on various parts, including his face. He nodded and said that a kid in his class already has a pretty big mustache. I wasn't surprised - some of these kids are big! Then he said that the kid is a girl! Oh no!!! I told him to be extra nice to her, that she's got some tough years ahead of her.

So anyway, he knows. First Santa, and now this. Good grief.

I need a Diet Coke.

At least he still kisses me good night and gives me hugs whenever I ask. I'm just going to keep on pretending that he's my little boy..who knows stuff.

How did you learn the Facts?

How have you taught the Facts?

The Prettiest Fruit

The Pomegranate.

Are you a fan?

I am.

See all these glistening orbs,

plump with the tangy-sweet juice?

They're called arils.

And I think they are beautiful.

My sister Rachel brought a bowl of these beauties as an appetizer on Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure I ate most of them. They're only in stores until January, so I've been treating myself every time I go grocery shopping. 'Cause grownups deserve treats too.

Don't be intimidated about opening up the pomegranate. It's easy and sort of fun. I like the tactile nature of certain foods, and the pomegranate satisfies. Just score the peel like you would an orange, and then it will break easily into sections. See how the arils pull away from the membrane?

Submerge the section in a bowl of water and gently push the so-full-of-juice-they-are-ready-to-burst arils away from the white membrane. The seeds will sink and the membranes will float.

Ooooh, I picked a good one.

Succulent and sweet.

Gleaming globes of juice.

(And crunch)

Okay, I'll admit that the seed will put off some people. But just crunch it up and think of all that healthy fiber. Plus, pomegranates are unusually high in polyphenols - a form of very potent antioxidants. The polyphenols are tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid.

But whatever.

I like them because they are tasty, tactile and totally tempting.

Beautiful.

With their bright color and angular lines, they look like rubies.

Pomegranate...I

You.

Do you?