A couple of weeks ago our family took it’s first official vacation together to Branson, MO.  Just Matt, me, and Sam.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to be away from home with the two people I love the most.  We were relaxed, happy, and together.  Matt doesn’t have a ton of vacation days with being still somewhat low on the totem pole, so we opted for a short and simple get-away.  We took off on a Thursday night for the hills of the Ozarks.  We stopped in Rolla on the way and met up with a college friend and family.  It’s a strange feeling, being in Rolla.  It always reminds me of dating Matt and the beginnings of our life together.  We arrived at our condo, rented from a friend of mine, late Thursday night.

We awoke on Friday, had a little breakfast and then got ready for a day at Silver Dollar City.  Matt checked the weather and told us it would be the perfect day!  We got there extremely quickly considering parts of the Silver Dollar City parking lot are farther from the park than our condo (we could see the coasters from our windows.)  We unloaded and with Matt’s regards to the forecast, left the umbrella in the car.  We wouldn’t need it.  The park was busy, but not too busy.  Our first stop was the glass blower.  Matt and I enjoyed it.  Sam enjoyed the rest of the audience and kids. 

We then went on the train ride.  It was hilarious!  It’s early in the season and apparently the “actors” on the train ride are still new to their job.  The conductor got the day wrong and was corrected by the other performers, totally throwing him into laughter, which was funny to watch.  And that was only the beginning.  So, audience participation is what Silver Dollar City is all about, but apparently they don’t train their “actors” for what might happen when those audience members don’t respond in the expected fashion.  So, these two men were looking for their mom (who’s clearly dead as marked by the gravesite behind them) in a way to convince the conductor that they weren’t trying to steal from the train.  The conductor asks this sweet woman on the train if she’s the mother of these two idiots.  Now, there are two responses to a yes/no question.  Clearly they want her to say No, but she goes for the comical route, and says Yes, she’s the mother of these boys.  Apparently they don’t get many sarcastic/jokesters in Southern MO, so why bother preparing for this situation?  The three newbie actors had no clue what to do!!  They did their best to ad lib, but in the end gave up and sent our train on it’s merry way, without much of a plot or story, but with lots of laughter and memories.  It’s hard to describe, but believe me, it was hysterical! 

Sam knew no stranger on this trip.  He was happy to talk to anyone who bothered to stop and chat.  He high-fived the robbers on the train, etc.  His favorite part of the park was probably the kids foam area.  It’s so cool!  He wasn’t too into the water excitement surrounding the kids area, so we took him into the foam area.  It is covered with three or four stories of foam balls, with vaccuums and cannons and 100 other different ways to send the foam balls traveling around in this giant structure.  It was a bit overwhelming for Sam (which was a little disappointing for me.  I could’ve had a blast in there!), so we took him into a smaller section for younger kiddos, and he had his blast!  There was a wheel he could spin to send the foam balls tumbling around, and I think he would have played with that all day!

He didn’t get the chance, though, because the “beautiful forecast” started to spit on us.  Then sprikle.  Then pour.  We made our way to lunch before the big rain hit and enjoyed some BBQ under a big umbrella.  Sam, of course, loved the corn on the cob.  Then, we decided to walk around a little in the rain to see how we could pass the time.  We ended up at the Tintype Saloon just in time!  While waiting inside to get Sam’s portrait taken as a cowboy, it poured and blew something crazy outside!  Apparently there were severe weather warnings and what-not, but we were safe in a long line waiting for old-fashioned portraits.  Of course, we avoided the rain, but there was no avoiding the nap-time crankiness around this time of day.  The plan was to go back to the condo to nap, but the weather had other ideas completely.  Yet we made it through the long line of saloon girls, civil war soldiers and prairie girls, and got a nice picture of our little cowboy, barefoot. =)  By the time we were done, the rains were just behind us, and there was no longer a line for the photos. 

Matt and I got Sam to settle for a nap in the stroller instead while we did a little shopping: father’s day gifts, candy at the fudge shoppe, taffy, and a little T-shirt for our buddy.  When he woke up there was a little time left, which we spent going through the fun-house, which he enjoyed, the animal-petting area, and a little wooden train.  We had the amazing skillets for supper and then headed to the closing show.  We headed back to the condo as very happy vacationers, who made out very well in the “beautiful weather.” 

The next day we spent in Branson doing the tourist thing.  We started at the Landing, a wonderful outdoor shopping area.  We enjoyed the stores, and the fire and water fountains.  Sam took a little snooze while Matt and I enjoyed an outdoor lunch and beers at a yummy Irish pub.  After Sam woke up, he had a blast watching a man make him a balloon animal, and happily played with his frog on the way to the car.  We then went to the strip and rode the ducks.  I’d never been, and had always wondered about them, so Matt thought we should go.  If you like cheezy humor (which you must if you’re willing to take a trip to Branson!) then you’ll love the ducks.  If you tuned out the driver, then the drive is quite nice.  It was a beautiful day to be floating on the lake as well.  The ducks were a bit anti-climactic for my taste, but we enjoyed them nontheless.

We had to high-tail it off of the duck in order to make our reservations at Dixie Stampede.  We got there just in time!  Our seats were amazing.  Front row!  Right at the height of a horse’s rear!  The show was great.  It really kept Sam’s interest.  The performers can do some amazing things on horseback!  The food was just as awesome.  Sam was free as long as he sat on our laps and ate from our plate.  The server was sweet enough to give us a few extras for his mouth.  We had yummy cheesy rolls, creamy vegetable soup which was surprisingly good, a whole juicy chicken with delicious seasoned meat that just fell off of the bone, pork tenderloin, and a baked potato.  There were no utensils, but the food is prepared in such a way that it wasn’t bothersome.  They make it very easy and fun to eat with your hands, just like Sam.  For dessert was a delicious apple turnover.  Afterwards we walked around to the stables to look at all of the horses.  Boy are they beautiful.  Then back to the condo for night #3.  I think it was Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede that surprised me the most on this trip.  I’m not sure I have a favorite of all the things we did, but of all of them, the Dixie Stampede was an unexpected hilight!  I’d love to do it again.

The next day was our day at Table Rock Lake.  My friend Kim came down from Springfield (MO) and went with us.  It was a cloudy, overcast looking day, and the threat of stormy weather was always present by the dark clouds just a little ways away.  But it was a warm one, so the water felt good, and the clouds kept away the crowds.  This was Sam’s first swim since last fall, and he took his time to warm up to the water.  He wore a funny contraption which was basicly an innertube sewn into a 1-piece swimming suit, but it did it’s job and kept my little buddy afloat.  With a little singing and a tight grasp on Mom, we waded out into deeper water.  By the end of the day he was comfortable with it.  He enjoyed watching all of the boats parked at the marina, and had a good time bouncing in the wakes of those that were driving on the lake.  We ate a picnic lunch during which the sky cleared up and we had a beautiful sunny day.  Sam enjoyed playing in a shallow little area with his bucket, scoop, water, and rocks.  He was into dumping the water all over himself and his dad.  =)  We went back to the condo for a late nap, and then, reluctantly, packed Matt up to head home.

Matt, Kim, Sam and I had dinner at the Landing again, and, not that we planned it, we ate outside overlooking the fountains along the lake.  We couldn’t have timed it better as the big fire and water show took place while we waited for our check.  At another time or place I might have been frustrated at how long dinner was taking, but with beautiful weather and an impressive fire and water choreographed show, we had a nice time.  It was then time to sadly send Matt back to St. Louis for work.  Kim and I had decided to rent the condo for a couple of extra nights and play at the lake.  Sam stayed with us, too. 

It took Sam mere minutes to adjust to swimming in the lake this time.  He turned into a little fishy, literally overnight.  This time it was myself that was playing cautious, as my little man seemed to think he could swim on his own.  I wish I could describe how much he loved the water that day, but it’s just not possible to put into words.  We finally had to drag him out of the water for a late nap, since we had hit that “I’m so tired, I’m insane” moment, which just doesn’t mix well with “I love the water and don’t want to hold on.”  We headed to the strip for dinner at Fuddruckers that night, with a quick stop at the John Deere store for some fun things.

The next day we pretty much packed and drove.  As we drove through the hills, the car was full of happy travellers.  It’s hard to describe, but I just love that tired, content, relaxed feeling that you have after a busy, yet relaxing, vacation.  It sounds like an oximoron: busy and relaxing.  Only on vacation do the two words relate.  On the way home, it’s the perfect mix of sleepy and happy.  It’s similar to that feeling you get after a day of sunbathing and napping on a Carribean beach.  Who knew I could feel that way in Missouri!?  I’m just so thankful that our family is able to, first of all, be fortunate enough to go on vacations, and to have a great family location in beautiful landscape, just a half a day’s drive away.  On top of that, we were blessed with amazing temperatures and nothing but pleasant experiences with the people and places that we encountered.  No wonder we left in that vacationers bliss.  I love it!

Wow!  I haven’t blogged in quite some time.  I knew it had been awhile, but didn’t realize that it had been quite this long!  I hate to make excuses, but it has been a crazy spring!  I logged on today to write a little bit about our recent vacation, but it seems that in doing so it would’ve created some sort of time warp on here.  And since the whole reason that I blog is to archive our families experiences, it doesn’t seem fair to leave a large black hole from March until now.  (Luckily my photo archiving didn’t become quite as neglected, and since pictures paint 1,000 words, I’ll use them to help me write!)  So, I will now make my best attempt at filling in the gaps.  Reader Digest version.  Of course, I always attempt to be short and sweet, and always end up long and wordy.  We’ll see how this pans out….  Here goes.

 We had a lovely spring break that included a trip to the zoo on St Patrick’s Day.  Sam had a wonderful time watching the tigers play on a beautiful day – his favorite this trip.  This spring we had a fantastic Easter here at home.  Sam enjoyed coloring on eggs that we then dyed, and then loved “hunting” for them on Easter morning.  Of course, hunting consisted of rolling them off of the coffee table and not placing, but throwing, them into his basket.  Luckily, we were planning to peel them shortly to make deviled eggs!  He had a blast when family came to visit after church, and enjoyed playing with his new dump truck and book on wheels from the Easter Bunny.

April and May are a blur.  I had a crazy year at work (thus the blogging neglect).  Amidst the paperwork and running around, we started working on our deck.  The big boy needed quite the face lift.  Our first staining attempt just didn’t take well (shouldn’t say “our” since I was pregnant and Matt had to enlist other helpers for the fumy job).  So, we’ve been left with the job of stripping off old stain, cleaning and brightening (my favorite step due to my newfound love of pressure washing!) and finally, new stain.  We’re just about done with the new stain.  One more day to go and then I will be able to relax and enjoy my beautiful deck again!

And we’ve been able to take a few breaks from all of the work.  In the last few months I enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day.  Matt and Sam spoiled me nicely this year, and we had a lovely afternoon at my grandparents farm.  Not all went as planned, as my grandpa experienced a fainting spell at church and we had to put our plans on hold as we waited for tests and such from the emergency room.  Luckily, all he ended up with was a bladder infection, and we were able to enjoy a lovely afternoon of fried chicken and games afterward.   

My dad was also honored Carlinville Citizen of the Year.  It was fun to go and watch him as he was appreciated for all of his service to the community.  I’m so proud to have been raised in a family where giving back to the community is valued, and hope to follow in his footsteps in my own way.  The banquet night was cozy and small town, and made me kind of long for that small experience again.  For the time being.  Not enough to make me start looking at the local housing market or anything – I love my suburban life, and doubt I’ll ever go back.  However, I will always be grateful for those small town roots.  I also love that my parents as well as Matt’s still live in the town where I grew up, so we make it back pretty often.  I hope that Sam will get to experience the same small town charm often enough in life, and I’m determined to make the words “combine” and “county fair” part of his vocabulary as he grows up! 

What else?  My nephew Sawyer turned one, and he and Sam have become quite the buddies.  It won’t be long before they’re in cahoots (sp?) against the rest of us.  And, (how could I forget!?) we’ve also taken Sam on his first camping trip.  In the middle of May, we bought a new tent (bigger family, bigger tent, with room for more).  We took that new tent on a test drive at Beaver Dam State Park.  The first night we survived severe weather with barely more than a drip inside.  However, the world outside was flooded, including our campsite.  Amidst the rainy start and the cool weather, Sam had a blast!  We even dried out for some beautiful weather!  Sam was very respectful of the fire and it’s smoke, and loved the freedom of the camp site.  We made the best Monkey Bread ever for breakfast, enjoyed delicious foil packets for dinner, and had a good time with family as they came out to visit us.  There were roasted hot dogs and s’mores (isn’t camping really all about the food?)  We took a brief walk around the lake and, overall, just loved being part of nature for the weekend.  I hope to do some more camping this season, probably again in the fall when the T-shirts are perfect in the daytime and a sweatshirt and the warm fire keep you cozy at night.  Can’t wait!! 

And then a few weeks later, what I thought would never happen finally did…summer!  After surviving a school year for the record books, freedom at last!  I’ve been enjoying summer for a couple of weeks now, and I’m already in love with all this extra time with Sam.  We’re already becoming such good buddies, and he’s been such a sweetie!  It’s still awhile away (thank goodness) but I know right now that it’s going to be very difficult to give this up again in the fall.  I’ve already read a fantastic book, taken Sam to the zoo to pet Stingrays, and been on a wonderful get-away to the Ozarks.  I hope to blog more about Sam at this age, and about all of these fun smmer things later, as I finally have a little bit of time to do so.  Still, don’t be surprised if I’m still a little slow at it.  I’m going to enjoy this gift while it’s here.  It’s about living it up, and enjoying it to the fullest, and if there’s a little time to write about it too, then that’s just icing on the cake. =)

A couple of weeks ago Sam had his quarterly PAT visit. For those of you who don’t live in MO, PAT stands for Parents as Teachers. These visits are so wonderful for families with young kiddos, and give parents a format to ask lots of questions, see how their child is doing developmentally, and see where they are headed. The focus is development, and I often find these visits more worthwhile than the well visits to our pediatrician.  He had one of those today.

These visits always make me stop and think about this moment in time with Sam, and how he’s doing. Which makes this a good time for an update.

It almost seems silly to post an update these days, because he seems to change and grow almost as fast as I can type.  As his parent educator said, he’s all boy!  He’s a climber, spinner, roller, driver, and dancer.  He’s all about moving and seeing what his body can do.  He seems to get onto certain “kicks” every few days.  Recently he enjoyed his tip-toes, throwing balls, and this week it’s all about scaling the furniture.

He’s into talking quite a bit, too.  He’s at a stage that I can identify with better now, since I’ve seen many preschoolers develop from non-verbal to little talkers.  Sam uses a lot of jargon these days (my SLP friends would be so proud of me!).  We can have entire conversations (I think) in another language, with lots of feeling and expression!  Lately Sam enjoys the sounds n and d and exploring the vowel sounds that he can put in between.  The result ends up with “naughty” and “denadi” and other similar sounds.  Of course, we’re also into big boy words, like “hi” “bye” “no” “mom” “daddy” “up” “down” “dog” “yes” and “oh no!” and “help.” Then there are those words that he uses for the same purpose over and over that I just can’t quite make out.  He looks at pictures of our family and says “dee dee.”  I also hear “ouse” a lot, very purposefully.  What does it mean?  I dunno.

His excels in his fine motor.  I’m amazed at what those little fingers can do, and with such dexterity.  His grandma and I were amazed as we watched the kid stack an 8 block tower with his ABC blocks.  I screen kids at 3 and 4 to see if they can do this!  He loves to color and scribble, put things together, take them apart, and repeat.  He’s feeding himself more and more with a spoon and fork, and drinks fairly well from an open cup.  He’s got the techinque, but not quite enough control for mom and dad to give him anything but water this way.  He also loves to try and undress himself.  Lucky for us, we haven’t yet seen him try to do this when he shouldn’t!  Yet.  He also loves to “help” with laundry and hands me the clean dishes from the dishwasher to put away.  He’s interested in the potty and what happens there…  Yikes…Mom’s not ready for that!  Luckily, his communication has a way to go before we embark on that adventure.

Sam’s other favorite things include (other than the constant climbing), going outside, playing on our deck, the manhole covers in the front yard (endless fascination!!), anything with wheels (especially if he can ride it) and kids.  He still loves his books and points things out to us all the time.  He really seems to love his little index finger.  He loves “talking” on the phone, which he holds to his neck, not his ear, to talk.  It cracks me up!  He also makes me laugh when he waves goodbye on his way out of the room (like he’s going on a long trip!).  He likes opening and closing doors (luckily doesn’t turn the handle, but he can easily reach it now).  His favorite is when he’s on one side and Mom or Dad are on the other.  Blowing us kisses and giving high fives are his favorite social games right now, but these things only happen when it’s his idea.  (He has his mother’s issues with control already!?)

He’s also gotten his mother’s allergies, poor thing.  And dad’s sweat glands.  Dad’s fascination with detail and how things work and mom’s endless chatter.   Dad’s quick fuze and Mom’s crankiness when hungry.  That crazy sense of humor and love for all things silly…probably from both of us. =)  It’s so neat to see the combination of personalities, and it’s fun for both Matt and I to point a finger at the other and say “that is all you!”

He probably gotten his height from the grandfathers in his life, since he stays in the 96th percentile.  Still near the 50th percentile for weight.  Tall and skinny…don’t Matt and I both wish he got that from us.  (He did, but hopefully he can keep it going longer than we did). =)  Not sure where he got his lack of fear, but the kid’s not afraid of much.  Dark rooms, tall heights, and Santa Clause are all friends of his.  Someday I will enjoy taking him on many roller coasters.  I’ll let Matt handle the scary movies.  He’s now done with shots until he turns five.  I hope that all of our kids can handle baby shots like he has, but the odds of repeating such luck probably aren’t in my favor.

We’ve enjoyed watching our little baby become a kid.  We’ve learned which restaurants have their “Kids Eat Free” nights on which nights, who makes the best chicken fingers (O’Charley’s!), holding his hand and letting him walk rather than be carried, and we’ve loved the sense of freedom that came with removing the baby gate from the bottom of the stairs.  (Still have the top one…while he’s steady and safe on the stairs now, we don’t want him to have THAT much freedom quite yet!)

Speaking of freedom…I had my spring break this week, and I’ve had a blast taking my little man out and about.  We’ve had lunches with friends, fun in our yard and cul-de-sac with neighbors, walks to the playground, and a trip to the zoo, all in super nice weather. It’s been a great teaser of what’s to come this summer, and I can’t wait!  It’s hard to believe that Sam is just about 20 months old.  Twenty months.  It almost seems silly to be counting in months anymore, but am I ready for my kiddo to be “almost two” instead??  Yikes!

We’ve thrown our beads and eaten til we’re stuffed in honor of Fat Tuesday. Now it’s time to get down to business. Ash Wendesday is here. I’m not sure that all of those crazy Mardi Gras participants are nearly as excited about the next 40 days of the church season, but it matters to me.

In my faith in the United Church of Christ, I’m given many liberties. My church doesn’t dictate that I give things up for lent, but if I choose to, I can. So for a few years now, I’ve given things up here and there, as if I was proving to myself that I was a good Christian.

Then last year I joined a new church, in February, right at the beginning of lent. As part of my new member classes, our minister shared some insight into this “giving things up for lent” business. I’d almost forgotten the main reasoning behind this habit: sacrifice. He reminded me that there’s really no point if I’m not making a true sacrifice. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, for me. He gave his life for my sins. Makes giving up candy seem a little trivial…for me, anyway. What I consider a sacrifice is not what others might consider sacrifice. It’s important that I test myself in a way that is meaningful to me.

So, this year, I’m going to truly test myself, and I’m going to stick with it. I’m not giving up candy, knowing that as an added bonus I might lose a few pounds. Adding personal benefit somehow takes away from the idea of sacrifice. I’ve decided I’m going to give up Facebook. To others, it might seem silly. Even to me, on the surface, it seems like such a trivial little thing to give up. And maybe it is. I mean, of course, I can live without facebook. It’s not like food or water or other essentials. But truth be told, Facebook is my one guilty pleasure, and I often waste way too much time of my day on it. It borderlines addiction, especially in the middle of the afternoon when there’s nothing else demanding my attention…not immediately, anyway.

So, whether or not it might seem silly, it’s what I’ve decided to do. And let me tell you, it’s been HARD, and it’s only been one day. I’m hoping for sanity’s sake that each day it becomes easier, once I break the habit. We’ll see. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to just peek and see what my friends are up to, or what they think about my most recent status, proclaiming my upcoming task. I thought about what my status might be if I was able to post one right now, and found it quite ironic that I, for once, had an eventful day and wasn’t able to share it!

And, truth be told, I’m probably only blogging because it’s one way to kind of scratch the itch. However, with each temptation that I resist, I’m reminded of the reason I’m doing all of this in the first place. It’s supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to be a challenge. It’s supposed to hurt. It’s supposed to be all of those things, because it’s supposed to be a reminder. A reminder of all that Jesus Christ sacrificed, for me. I think it’s the least I can do.

It’s the hopes and dreams of teachers and students everywhere: A Snow Day. We hang on every word that the forecasters say, from November through March. If we catch even the slightest hint of snow, say “a chance of flurries” or, especially, “morning commute,” we might go to bed with our pajamas inside out, or (I just heard this one recently) put an orange in our freezer. All for the sacred snow day.

I feel a little less anxious for these snow days now that I’m part time, but nonetheless, when someone grants you a free day, you take it! You’re twice as lucky if you get two in a row, and triple the luck if it the weather allows you to get out in it. We had all three this week. Yesterday it was still falling, sleeting, and there was maybe a couple of inches on the ground. A great stay in your pajamas day. Today, we got a fresh 6 inches overnight, the snow had stopped, and we had a clean slate of snow all around us. We had to get out in it!

Now, I’m a bit OCD about snow. I like it pretty. In a couple of days you’ll hear my whine about how the snow isn’t pretty anymore. The salt and cars will have it all icky and brown, and the neighborhood dogs will have made tracks all through it. By the time that all happens, I’m ready to be done with it. I like the look of fresh, untouched snow. So, while I was anxious to take my son out to enjoy his first romp in the white stuff, I had to amend my snow expectations a bit, but that was a small price to pay for treating my son to some winter excitement.

Matt had taken him out back in November, when walking in grass was still pretty new, and the results were iffy. Knowing the slow and steady approach was probably the way to go, we headed out the front door, where the sidewalk was, thanks to Matt, already shoveled. Sam stood on steady ground, and I grabbed a handful and showed it to him, then tossed it in the air, and then let him play in another handful. That was all it took. Then he started playing in the snow in our landscaping and scooping it back onto the nicely shoveled driveway. He loved walking on the cleared paths of the sidewalk and driveway (while mom held her breath on the driveway, chasing to catch up with him to make sure he didn’t slip or fall). He was very chatty and impressed, kept looking all around. Then he crawled through some shallow snow at the bottom of the driveway and seemed to enjoy it. I decided it was time for the deep snow. We walked out into the deep snow (maybe 8 inches…) and I plunked him down. He loved it. He crawled towards me, enjoyed putting his hands down and watching them disappear into the snow, played with the snow in his mittens, and then decided to crawl uphill. In the snow that proved to be a bit risky, and pretty soon we had a face plant into it. That didn’t go over quite so well, but a quick warm up inside and a few swipes with a towel and we were back out for more. Not knowing how it would go over this time, I picked up some snow and threw it in the air a few times. He enjoyed that and we were back down the driveway and into the snowbank again.

I would’ve loved to stay out all day, but I never really prepared us for snow. We didn’t have snowpants or a sled (you kind of hate to buy that stuff in St. Louis, cause as soon as you do, you’ve doomed yourself to a dry or rainy winter with no snow, and you’re stuck with a pair of snowpants they’ll never wear). So, our options in the snow were a bit limited. We stuck to just exploring the snow for now, and once I saw a hint of a runny nose, we headed inside, hoping that the snow would last until we had the chance to buy a sled, and hopefully get Dad out there, too, so the whole family can enjoy the snow day. Until then, I’ll enjoy the fact that the back yard is still nice and pretty, just the way I like it. =)

It’s been two days now, and I’m still feeling some of the emotions that were so heightened on Tuesday.  All day long, I was hooked on the inauguration of President Obama.  Just typing the name almost gives me chills.  I was glued to the footage and couldn’t help but realize that, wow, we finally made it!  Our country made the right decision, folks, even I know we won’t all agree.  We didn’t elect a man because of his color, but because of the content of his character, and I love the character that Obama has shown to the American People.  We elected Obama because he is the right man for the job.  Obviously not everyone voted for Obama, but, hopefully, regardless of political party, we can all agree on this: that Martin Luther King’s Jrs. dream has never come closer to reality than when President Obama took his oath to become our President.  So many have fought for this moment; let us please enjoy it.

I was watching the Inaugural Parade when my son was waking up from his nap.  When I returned to the TV, I couldn’t help but think what history we were watching, and that, with each generation, we’re getting there.  I knew that there was no way that Sam could feel the weight of what his country just accomplished, but I take comfort in knowing that he gets to grow up in a more unified country.  I feel a sense of hope for our society and country, as many also felt.  I heard a lot of personal accounts of the day’s events as I watched on TV, and hope was the common thread.  So, now, my hope is that by the time my son is old enough to vote, we’re all colorblind.  This week we took a big step in that direction.  So, in the spirit of the Inauguration, and on the heels of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, let’s continue to celebrate, because now, out of all the despair that our county has been going through lately, with war and recession, we have something to draw strength from.  Let’s keep the spirit of this Inauguration going and celebrate our new hope!

I have finally had a moment to take a break from the holiday fun to write about it. We’ve had a blast this Christmas.

I guess I should go way back to the visit to see Santa. Sam and I went along with my brother to West County Mall on a Thursday afternoon. (I refuse to go on the weekend or at night!) There was no line, and we got right up to visit Santa. Sam thought he was funny, and gave him a few laughs. After he (we) told Santa what he wanted for Christmas, we posed for a quick photo and Sam got a little gift. It was a brief visit, but Sam enjoyed it and Mom was excited that we had another happy visit with the big guy, knowing that it’s a gamble at this age.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Sam was a trooper with several afternoons of shopping (something I probably won’t get away with again) and enjoyed when we sang Christmas carols (favorites: Away in a Manger, Rudolph, and Jingle Bells). He remained very sweet and gentle to the tree, but never missed a chance to check it out, especially when it was first lit each night. He said a few “santas” and we think we heard “Christmas” a time or two, but the cutest was when he would repeat “Ho, Ho, HO!” His was more like….”He ha ha.” The little perfectionist got tired of trying, but we enjoyed a week or so of it.

We began our Christmas celebrations a little early this year, since Aunt Rachel flew in on the 19th. That night after work we drove up and started the celebration. We had an enjoyable trip with the Schuettes (Fri-Mon), including opening gifts, visits with LeRoy and Patty, Julie, Stan and Emma, and a lot of just hanging out and enjoying being together. I can tell that Sam definitely knows his grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and he’s in heaven when they’re around. He loved, loved, loved all of the extra attention!

Sam’s little cousin Sawyer is getting old enough that the two are “interacting” more. I can tell that they remember and know one another, and Sam’s been heard to say “Sawyer.” We had to work on sharing (Sam, not Sawyer) and learned a few tough lessons, but I still enjoyed seeing the two of them together. They saw a lot of each other over the holidays. I hope we can keep it up.

This was his first major gift opening, and he enjoyed ripping up the paper and playing in it. He worked slowly, preferring to play with toys in between all of the unwrapping, and stopping to play with exciting things that he unwrapped. He got a lot of nice things that he loves (which I could list, but won’t, because it’s the people, not the stuff, that’s important.)

After we (reluctantly) sent Rachel back on her way to NY, we enjoyed a day or two of baking and grocery shopping, and Sam had a night of Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Leland while Matt and I went with Aunt Chris to see the Rockettes. We’d never been and really enjoyed it!

The next day was Christmas Eve. We have our traditions when it comes to the 24th. We drove up and went to the church service with Matt’s parents at their church. Afterwards we have dinner at my parents (Oyster Stew is the tradition, always served with another soup, the one we really eat)and this year we opened stockings, too. We enjoyed some funny new glasses that turn Christmas lights into fun shapes. Then off to Grandma Schuettes at her farm. We enjoyed getting together with the big family and catching up with everyone. We were glad that we got to stick around long enough to hear Paul and Christy announce that they have a baby due in June. =) After that we took our sleepy Sam home, and for the first time ever, slept in our own beds on Christmas Eve!

I decided last Christmas that from now on, or at least as long as Santa stops at our house, we will wake up at our own house Christmas morning. Matt and I have never done this. Family was very understanding, and I was very excited to start our own family Christmas traditions.

After Sam went to bed, Matt and I enjoyed getting everything ready for Santa and Chrirstmas morning. We finished our Christmas Eve with a nice bottle of wine. It was a nice, relaxing, and peaceful moment.

The next morning, we woke up before Sam! (We won’t be able to say that too many more times…). We put breakfast together and lit the tree, and when we heard the chatter from upstairs (at almost 8am!), I felt as excited as a little kid. =)

Gift opening was fun and laid back. Sam’s first interests were in his old toys, not in the gifts, but when he got into opening a gift, he stuck with it, from the first tear until all of the paper was off. We let him take his time, and Matt and I opened gifts to each other (we’ve never done this Christmas morning before!). Sam’s favorite thing to open was his giant box, which quickly became his favorite present. He played in that box for a LONG time, and then he continued to open more presents, while sitting in the box! We took some precious video and loved savoring the moments.

My parents and Stefan arrived for a late breakfast, another tradition: breakfast pizza slop. (Sounds icky, but it’s really just an endearing name for a yummy breakfast casserole). We enjoyed our breakfast and then opened more gifts. Sam was getting a little sleepy, but managed to get into the spirit again, especially when opening his other big box from Uncle Stefan.

While he slept, the big kids enjoyed their presents and assembling Sam’s. My mom’s new Wii took a test spin and my Dad’s new margarita machine was tested out..again and again! (We’ll get it right one of these days!). I enjoyed my new digital picture frame (Thank you Matt…it is perfect for this shutterbug!)

When Sam woke up he enjoyed taking his Cozy Coupe for a spin and playing with family. We let him stay up late and enjoy a nice Christmas dinner. I LOVED having Christmas at my own house. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I needed to be two places at once, and my own little family had time to enjoy Christmas on its own. Now that I’ve had it, I can’t go back!

We’ve enjoyed the days after quite a bit, too. A little shopping, a visit from Paul and Christy and Sarah, Jeff and Sawyer, as well as a visit with my Grandma Carol. We enjoyed taking Sam to the zoo for the Wild Lights display, and plan to take him to his first Blues game tonight.

We still have a fun New Years trip planned, and two more Christmases to go, but we’re also enjoying a few lazy moments when we can get them. It’s been a fun, amazing Christmas, one that will be hard to beat. I feel extremely happy, blessed, and thankful. That’s the warm Christmas feeling that I hope we all can feel this time of year. It’s a magical season, full of wonder, and we had a wonderful season this year. =)

We woke up Sunday morning to the year’s first snow.  This was also Sam’s first chance to go out into the snow.  As I headed off to church, Matt bundled up our little guy and headed out the basement door.  Apparently Sam was hesitant to step off of the patio, where the snow wasn’t sticking.  After trying to coax him into the snow, Matt placed him on his feet in the snow, and eventually Sam kneeled in the snow, not impressed.  Matt’s snowball tricks were a little more exciting, but not enough to warm him up to it (pardon the irony).  Matt also laid him on his back to see if he’d enjoy rolling or moving, and that was the end to the snow.  Oh well…in a few years, we’ll have a hard time getting him to come back in!

Later that day, when he was settled down for a nap, Mom and Dad elf went to work.  The goal: to get the tree trimmed and the ornaments on the tree and toddler-safe before he woke up.  This year we got a great tree, a fir.  I may never go back to the Scotch Pine again.  I love the shape, color, smell, everything.  We got it mostly decorated before the noises from upstairs were heard. 

Sam didnt’ pay much attention to the tree that first day.  He was more focused on his new Little People Nativity set (and eating baby Jesus) than on the tree.  Fine with me, it let me finish decorating and clean up the pine needles before they became Sam’s next snack. 

The next day the lights were off as Sam went about his business.  When dusk approached, I plugged in the tree, and Sam was in love!  He gazed at the tree and the ornaments, standing back to look at it, and approaching slowly.  He started to touch some of the lower ornaments, just barely, then pausing to look some more.  Then, he noticed the stockings hanging (which I’d hung after he was in bed the night before).  His hung lower than the rest, and proved to be too much of a hazard when hooked on the heaving stocking holder, but Mom and Dad’s stockings remain.  He likes to bat at them gently while smiling.  Nothing crazy or wild, just content admiration.  On the hearth below sits a stuffed Santa that talks when his hand is pressed.  Sam got quite into that and pushed his hand over and over, not with too much excitement, but again with quietness. 

When the tree was lit today, Sam was again quite impressed.  He immediately went for the stockings, the Santa and the tree, as if they are all connected in his mind.  He was riding his toys (backwards is his thing right now) and when he backed into the tree, he would scrunch his shoulders, squint, and get that “it tickles” grin on his face.  (I don’t know how to describe it, but I love it!)  He’s feeling the branches with his fingers, still gently, but without hesitation.

He’s picked out a few favorite ornaments now, and likes to touch them and turn them.  His favorite ornament, and the only one that he’s taken off of the tree, is an ornament that I’ve been hanging on Christmas trees since my own childhood: a home-made stuffed stocking with my name embroidered on it and a felt mouse sticking out of the top.  My Aunt Linda made it for me when I was just about Sam’s age.  I love that he’s chosen that ornament as his favorite.  Other ones that he seems to enjoy are a beaded snowflake given to him by Great Grandma Schuette last Christmas and a Mickey and Minnie ornament that is attached to a light and gives off a glow.  He also showes some interest in a Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham ornament (how fitting, Sam I Am!) because of the wheels, but luckily that one was just out of reach.  He also enjoys the shiny red garland that’s strung around the tree.

As he gets more comfortable with it, I’m sure we’ll have some adventures with the tree, but I’m glad that he’s been able to explore it gently these first few days, and we’ve been able to give him that experience.  As long as he’s safe, we’ll keep it accessible to him.  I’m excited that he’s taking in so much of the holiday season already, and he acts as if he’s piecing it together.  He loves to look at the lights on houses as we drive by, and is interested in jingling bells, and doesn’t even seem to mind his mom singing Christmas carols.  I’m just so excited to see Christmas through his eyes this year!  =)

I LOVE advent.  I love the hymns, the church colors, the advent wreath, the scriptures, and the sermon, all in preparation for the birth of Jesus.  I hate to miss a Sunday in December, because this season renews and refreshes my faith, and in a time when it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, I think it’s important to keep myself centered on the true reason for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ.

I find it important to write this, because I think it’s often missed.  I know I’ve missed it before.  But this year I hope to keep my focus on the story of the Nativity and celebrating the birth of Jesus as God would want us to do.  A few weeks ago, our paster presented a sermon based upon a website:  www.adventconspiracy.org.  I wasn’t even able to attend worship due to Youth committments during both services, but Matt’s description, the messages in the newsletter, and a visit to the website inspired me to make this my advent goal.  Advent Conspiracy hilights four things:  Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.  Pastor Ric’s wording was “to subsitute compassion for consumption.”

For some reason, this message hit me just right.  I know many of us have gotten caught up in the “giving” of Christmas, but what are we giving?  It shouldn’t be about what we spend or how much we buy.  This site encourages us to spend less, and give most to those who are in need.  I’m hoping to take this message and put it into action.  I’m looking forward to stuffing the bell-ringers buckets, shopping for the angels on the angel tree and helping our Adopt-A-Family at work.  These are all things I’ve done before, but with little focus and energy.  This year, it is my focus.  My goal is to not pass up one single opportunity to help another in need: whether a $1 donation at the check-out line or filling a paper bag with food, I want to do as much as I can.  I will still be shopping for my friends and family, but am beginning to do so in a different way, and I’m not going to let it stress me out or take away from my holiday joy, and I don’t want to let it overshadow the true reason behind all of the giving.  This year, some relatives and friends will be receiving gifts that are also for a greater cause, whether the environment or a charity.  I hope to do this as a model to myself, others, and my son. 

I’m going to worship more, not just at church, but as I go throughout the season.  I plan to make mental notes, every time I feel the stress of the holidays, as the number of shopping days tick down, to remind myself of what this is all about.  Amazingly, the stress goes away.  And, when worshiping fully, I notice that it’s so much easier to do the other three: give more, love all, and spend less.  I hope that others will remember this as the holiday season begins, and I look forward to an advent full of hope, love, faith, and joy.

This past weekend we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our families.  We left Thanksgiving morning and headed up to my parents for lunch.  Sam enjoyed walking around the house, playing with some new Christmas toys, and then his first Turkey Dinner.  He loved the mashed potatos, stuffing, and turkey.  The green bean casserole was okay, as long as the mushrooms and onions were picked off first. =)  After dinner, Sam settled in for a nice little nap, after which he enjoyed playing cards with the Koch family.  (Yes, he “plays.”  He has his own cards, which he arranges in his hands, lays on the table, picks up, walks around with, etc.  Lots of neat imitation!)

Later that afternoon, we went over to Matt’s parents’ for an evening with his Sarah, Jeff, Sawyer, Chris, Great Grandma Schuette, and John & Nancy and the girls.  We had a great, relaxing evening of catching up.  Sam stayed up late, but was a great sport about it, and gave us the chance to sleep in on black Friday.

Pre-parenthood, we were big Black Friday shoppers, mapping out our plan on Thanksgiving afternoon.  I’m enjoying not being out there now. =)  We had Friday lunch at Vera and Fred Emery’s and Sam stuffed himself!  His full sized paper plate was nearly full when he started, and all he left behind was some turkey and spinach/artichoke stuffing.  After eating his fair share of turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole (this one apparently made with less onion and mushroom) and broccoli-rice casserole, he ate an entire chocolate cupcake (no icing, thank goodness). 

With all of the family excitement, a nap was not going to happen!  Even the car ride didn’t put him out for long, but to our good fortune, he was a very well-behaved little boy.  I always love the Schuette gatherings:  so many people that the rooms are buzzing, the kids playing in bedrooms and closets, and, having it on Friday lunch this year, no one was in a rush to leave.  No wonder Sam didn’t want to snooze.

That night we continued our hang out at Don and Ginger’s and the little stinker was still chatting and talking to himself for at least half an hour in his crib.  Apparently there are more important things than sleep with all of this family and feasting around. 

We relaxed and had fun on Saturday, until it was time to haul the Christmas tree home (thanks to my dad’s boy scouts for the tree and my brother for the hauling).  One last dinner at The Pasta House, and our little sport had had enough.  Sam, bless his heart, got sick all over his car seat and himself.  (I wish I didn’t have to write it, but, unfortunately, it is part of our story…)  I don’t know what caused it, but, luckily, by the time we got home, cleaned, and put him to bed, this episode was over, and so was our Thanksgiving.  The next day…let Christmas begin!