It's "Operation Christmas Child" time again and every year we've participated, the kids always make me laugh with the things they say about it. We go over why some kids don't have any Christmas presents, why we are picking out fun things to send thousands of miles away, etc.
This year was no different. We ALL went to Target this time to pick out the gifts. Each of our children fills a shoebox to send. (The girls and I picked out Tate's stuff for him while he and David were off looking at manly things like tires and tools).
Reese picked up a little book to send. Which, yes, would have been perfectly fine. But I kind of steered her away explaining that we were sending to children her age and younger so #1-They might not even be reading yet and #2-If they were reading, it might not be in English.
This sparked the following conversation between Reese, Drue, and myself in the middle of Target.
Drue: I don't know anyone who doesn't speak English.
Reese: Alina doesn't.
(Alina is her little deaf friend at school)
Me: Well, Alina does speak English...she just does it with her hands by signing the words.
Reese: Oh, right. Well, everyone in the whole world speaks English...just in a different way.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Ask Before You Toss
I abhor stuffed animals.
I know...I know...what kind of cold hearted person doesn't like cute, cuddly, soft stuffed animals?
A mom whose house is being overrun by the little darlings, that's who.
I haven't always had an aversion to them. I loved my stuffed ET doll growing up, and Paddington bear, etc.
I finally hit my breaking point one day when I looked in the girls room and couldn't see their beds because they were covered with stuffed rodents, dogs, bunnies, and on and on. I know their room will never look like the cover of the Pottery Barn catalog, but this was just too much. I have to dig the girls out from under a mountain of these animals, just to kiss them goodnight. And have been known, on occasion, to accidentally tell a build a bear, "I love you, sweet dreams...".
I was forced to make the rule "Only 3 stuffed animals are allowed on your bed". The girls carefully went about selecting 3 special companions to sit upon their freshly made beds and to also keep them company at night. 3 has now been pushed to 4, because Reese has 2 special bears that are small enough to really just count as 1.
Occasionally I have to make a sweep through their room and remove the extra offending animal friends from atop their girly pastel quilts.
The other night I was tucking Reese in and as I fluffed her pillows, a small stoutly stuffed angel baby flew out from behind them. Hmmmm...so she's trying to hide them from me by sneaking them behind her pillows, I thought. I quickly grabbed it in one hand and tossed it into her closet.
Reese sat quietly observing this on her bed then said in an almost whisper, "That was my dream angel...I use it so I can dream about Jesus."
Of course, the dream angel was swiftly returned to her designated spot by a mommy who felt about 3 inches tall!
I know...I know...what kind of cold hearted person doesn't like cute, cuddly, soft stuffed animals?
A mom whose house is being overrun by the little darlings, that's who.
I haven't always had an aversion to them. I loved my stuffed ET doll growing up, and Paddington bear, etc.
I finally hit my breaking point one day when I looked in the girls room and couldn't see their beds because they were covered with stuffed rodents, dogs, bunnies, and on and on. I know their room will never look like the cover of the Pottery Barn catalog, but this was just too much. I have to dig the girls out from under a mountain of these animals, just to kiss them goodnight. And have been known, on occasion, to accidentally tell a build a bear, "I love you, sweet dreams...".
I was forced to make the rule "Only 3 stuffed animals are allowed on your bed". The girls carefully went about selecting 3 special companions to sit upon their freshly made beds and to also keep them company at night. 3 has now been pushed to 4, because Reese has 2 special bears that are small enough to really just count as 1.
Occasionally I have to make a sweep through their room and remove the extra offending animal friends from atop their girly pastel quilts.
The other night I was tucking Reese in and as I fluffed her pillows, a small stoutly stuffed angel baby flew out from behind them. Hmmmm...so she's trying to hide them from me by sneaking them behind her pillows, I thought. I quickly grabbed it in one hand and tossed it into her closet.
Reese sat quietly observing this on her bed then said in an almost whisper, "That was my dream angel...I use it so I can dream about Jesus."
Of course, the dream angel was swiftly returned to her designated spot by a mommy who felt about 3 inches tall!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Day
Now, don't be scared off by the title and think I am going to climb up on my soap box and talk politics...because with my luck, we are out of soap anyway due to the enormous amounts of laundry I wash in a week.
David works late tonight so he wasn't home to watch the election results with me. I switched the TV to the results around 7pm "just for a second" to see what the reports were so far. I thought the kids were going to freak out when they saw boring men dressed in suits rambling on about 2 guys they aren't too familiar with.
But to my surprise...they were actually INTERESTED! At ages 6, 4, & 2 they were INTERESTED in the Presidential Election! Grandpa John will be so proud. I thought that was really neat. Granted, Tate's only addition to the conversation was, "What Grandma dat?" when they flashed up Elizabeth Dole's picture...
I only started talking with Reese the other day about the President, because we voted at her school and she heard her teacher talking about it. So I reminded her who we voted for and she was cheering him on during the election coverage. She even wanted to make a sign for him to wave around.
Each time they announced who won in what state Drue would repeat the name they said and would ask, "Did they win?" to which I had to keep reminding her that they just won that state, we didn't know the overall winner yet.
Reese announced that she didn't want a new President. She said there have already been a lot of Presidents and there wouldn't be room on the wall to hang another Presidents' picture. I know these fine mens' faces don't adorn any walls in our house, so she must have been talking about a wall at school.
It was just neat sharing a little bit of history with them. (Did I actually use the word neat and history in the same sentence?). I told Reese that the man who wins tonight would be in her history book someday and she would have to memorize his name and everything. They think it is pretty cool that the winner will lead our country...but they think it's even cooler that he will get to live in the White House.
Drue and I were the only ones who made it til almost 9pm watching the coverage. Tates' fever spiked and he fell asleep in my lap. Reese fell asleep on the floor curled up under a blanket.
Reese did ask who I was going to vote for next time and I explained that was 4 years away and I didn't know who was running yet. I said, "You'll be 10 then, Drue will be 8, and Tate will be 6!". And I'm afraid that day will come all too soon for me....
David works late tonight so he wasn't home to watch the election results with me. I switched the TV to the results around 7pm "just for a second" to see what the reports were so far. I thought the kids were going to freak out when they saw boring men dressed in suits rambling on about 2 guys they aren't too familiar with.
But to my surprise...they were actually INTERESTED! At ages 6, 4, & 2 they were INTERESTED in the Presidential Election! Grandpa John will be so proud. I thought that was really neat. Granted, Tate's only addition to the conversation was, "What Grandma dat?" when they flashed up Elizabeth Dole's picture...
I only started talking with Reese the other day about the President, because we voted at her school and she heard her teacher talking about it. So I reminded her who we voted for and she was cheering him on during the election coverage. She even wanted to make a sign for him to wave around.
Each time they announced who won in what state Drue would repeat the name they said and would ask, "Did they win?" to which I had to keep reminding her that they just won that state, we didn't know the overall winner yet.
Reese announced that she didn't want a new President. She said there have already been a lot of Presidents and there wouldn't be room on the wall to hang another Presidents' picture. I know these fine mens' faces don't adorn any walls in our house, so she must have been talking about a wall at school.
It was just neat sharing a little bit of history with them. (Did I actually use the word neat and history in the same sentence?). I told Reese that the man who wins tonight would be in her history book someday and she would have to memorize his name and everything. They think it is pretty cool that the winner will lead our country...but they think it's even cooler that he will get to live in the White House.
Drue and I were the only ones who made it til almost 9pm watching the coverage. Tates' fever spiked and he fell asleep in my lap. Reese fell asleep on the floor curled up under a blanket.
Reese did ask who I was going to vote for next time and I explained that was 4 years away and I didn't know who was running yet. I said, "You'll be 10 then, Drue will be 8, and Tate will be 6!". And I'm afraid that day will come all too soon for me....
Sunday, November 02, 2008
What's in a Name?
Drue picks the most creative names for some of her stuffed animals. For instance, she named one of her puppies "Chocolates May Thomas Trains" and one of her little kitties "Lollipop Candy".
But she is not quite as creative when it comes to naming her actual baby dolls. I'm not sure if she just gets the name she hears them called on the commercials stuck in her little curly head or what.
It all started last year for birthday or Christmas when she wanted a Baby Born doll. She got one and cuddled with it and drug it everywhere, slept with it, etc. But when I would ask her what she was going to name it, she just looked at me like I was odd and would state the obvious, "Baby Born ".
Okey dokey then.
Next came Baby Alive. She eats, wets, does almost everything a real baby does except cry every hour and a half throughout the night causing you wake up with dark circles under your eyes. She's cute, with little blond pigtails and Drue chose to name her....Baby Alive.
"Don't you want to give her her own special name like Mary or Rapunzel or something?!" I tried to persuade her.
"No. She's Baby Alive".
Last but not least her newest addition...Baby I'm Yours. Her birthday gift this past year. This doll was supposed to do stuff too, like make certain noises when you press her hand, tummy, etc. But after we got all those blasted plastic ties,invented by the Devil himself, undone and pulled her out of the box, she didn't make any noises.
Drue grabbed her like a proud Momma and hasn't let go since. She won't let us return her to the store to get one that works. At first that seemed silly to me, but the more I think about it, it's just plain sweet. She doesn't see the imperfections in this doll or care that it doesn't do all the things its' supposed to. She just sees her perfect little baby, the one she'd been wanting and hoping for. And doesn't want to trade her for anything else.
I am a bit afraid to visit her in the hospital someday to meet her firstborn, however. "Mom, I'd like you to meet your granddaughter...Baby Girl !".
But she is not quite as creative when it comes to naming her actual baby dolls. I'm not sure if she just gets the name she hears them called on the commercials stuck in her little curly head or what.
It all started last year for birthday or Christmas when she wanted a Baby Born doll. She got one and cuddled with it and drug it everywhere, slept with it, etc. But when I would ask her what she was going to name it, she just looked at me like I was odd and would state the obvious, "Baby Born ".
Okey dokey then.
Next came Baby Alive. She eats, wets, does almost everything a real baby does except cry every hour and a half throughout the night causing you wake up with dark circles under your eyes. She's cute, with little blond pigtails and Drue chose to name her....Baby Alive.
"Don't you want to give her her own special name like Mary or Rapunzel or something?!" I tried to persuade her.
"No. She's Baby Alive".
Last but not least her newest addition...Baby I'm Yours. Her birthday gift this past year. This doll was supposed to do stuff too, like make certain noises when you press her hand, tummy, etc. But after we got all those blasted plastic ties,invented by the Devil himself, undone and pulled her out of the box, she didn't make any noises.
Drue grabbed her like a proud Momma and hasn't let go since. She won't let us return her to the store to get one that works. At first that seemed silly to me, but the more I think about it, it's just plain sweet. She doesn't see the imperfections in this doll or care that it doesn't do all the things its' supposed to. She just sees her perfect little baby, the one she'd been wanting and hoping for. And doesn't want to trade her for anything else.
I am a bit afraid to visit her in the hospital someday to meet her firstborn, however. "Mom, I'd like you to meet your granddaughter...Baby Girl !".
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Marker Madness
David brought the kids home one trillion boxes of markers from Target awhile back. Great!
One trillion boxes of markers of the non-washable variety. Not so great.
I wish he had also brought home one trillion boxes of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to help aide my task of scrubbing down walls, furniture, etc.
Yesterday I settled all the kids in the bath and began cleansing them of any and all evidence of the days' activities. I managed to scrub the large letter "D" written in ink off Drue's forehead but was not as successful at scubbing the indelible word "NO" off her shoulder, courtesy of Reese and a black non-washable marker.
Of course, the girls found this quite funny and in between their fits of giggles, I inquired as to the events which had led up to this moment. "Reese did it," Drue informed me. To which I informed her she was just as guilty because obviously she had sat there long enough for Reese to write "NO" (and rather well mind you) on her person. Drue had no comeback for that.
Frustrated, I laid down the following decree: "I'm going to take away all your markers until you learn to use them responsibly."
Puzzled, Reese didn't miss a beat, and sincerely asked, "But how will we learn to use them responsibly if we don't have them?".
It was then my turn not to have a comeback...
One trillion boxes of markers of the non-washable variety. Not so great.
I wish he had also brought home one trillion boxes of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to help aide my task of scrubbing down walls, furniture, etc.
Yesterday I settled all the kids in the bath and began cleansing them of any and all evidence of the days' activities. I managed to scrub the large letter "D" written in ink off Drue's forehead but was not as successful at scubbing the indelible word "NO" off her shoulder, courtesy of Reese and a black non-washable marker.
Of course, the girls found this quite funny and in between their fits of giggles, I inquired as to the events which had led up to this moment. "Reese did it," Drue informed me. To which I informed her she was just as guilty because obviously she had sat there long enough for Reese to write "NO" (and rather well mind you) on her person. Drue had no comeback for that.
Frustrated, I laid down the following decree: "I'm going to take away all your markers until you learn to use them responsibly."
Puzzled, Reese didn't miss a beat, and sincerely asked, "But how will we learn to use them responsibly if we don't have them?".
It was then my turn not to have a comeback...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Hollaway Halloween
Hmmmm...I never realized how many letters our last name shared with this day of fun. Interesting...and catchy.
Surprisingly, the kids didn't really badger me much today about when the hour would approach that they could go trick or treating. We had them all ready by 6:30pm and they were ready to hit the streets as soon as the last shoe was put in place. It was a beautiful evening for trick or treating. Much more pleasant than the frigid temps we've had in years past.
Patiently waiting until I gave the "let's go" signal. It was cute because they were lying there trying to make small talk. "Drue, what's your favorite food?". "Macaroni and cheese". "Ok, now ask me one....".
A lucky shot of him right in the midst of actually saying "Arrrggghhhh". Tate has been telling everyone he is going to be a "pidate" for Halloween turning his r into a d.
They look SO BIG to me in this picture!
We had a great night. David stayed home to pass out candy while I corralled our group around the neighborhood. This is the first year they have all three gone trick-or-treating. They did pretty well. We always practice a little beforeheand going through different scenarios. "What if someone only gives you one piece of candy? Do you stand there until they give you more? Do you holler cheapskate and egg their house? Or do you politely say, thank you, and be on your merry way?".
I helped scoop up dropped buckets of candy at least half a dozen times. Reese has been sick ALL WEEK long and was ready to head home before the other two. We dropped her off and I had the good idea to dump out the candy so we wouldn't have to scoop up so much when the buckets plummeted to the concrete. We no sooner left the next house, and Tate dropped out the ONE candy bar that was in his bucket!
The girls did great and remembered to say "thank you" and "happy halloween" to everyone. Tate could have used a bit more practice. A lot of people just held out the candy bowls for the kids to help themselves. The girls politely grabbed one piece and bid their farewells. Tate thought it was a free for all, and would continue to grab pieces until I jerked him off the porch. Tate also liked to run ahead for the first part of the night. But he soon got too scared of the skeletons and strange looking decorations and was content to walk next to me and even hold my hand on occasion.
I still walk up close to the doors with them, simply because the houses in our neighborhood all have a bazillion stairs leading up to their front door. Time after time Tate would be looking back at the house as he started to leave, and would almost miss the steps completely!
We really had a lot of fun. The night was over too quickly. And my little ones are now sleeping as visions of mini snickers bars dance in their heads...
Surprisingly, the kids didn't really badger me much today about when the hour would approach that they could go trick or treating. We had them all ready by 6:30pm and they were ready to hit the streets as soon as the last shoe was put in place. It was a beautiful evening for trick or treating. Much more pleasant than the frigid temps we've had in years past.
Patiently waiting until I gave the "let's go" signal. It was cute because they were lying there trying to make small talk. "Drue, what's your favorite food?". "Macaroni and cheese". "Ok, now ask me one....".
A lucky shot of him right in the midst of actually saying "Arrrggghhhh". Tate has been telling everyone he is going to be a "pidate" for Halloween turning his r into a d.
They look SO BIG to me in this picture!
We had a great night. David stayed home to pass out candy while I corralled our group around the neighborhood. This is the first year they have all three gone trick-or-treating. They did pretty well. We always practice a little beforeheand going through different scenarios. "What if someone only gives you one piece of candy? Do you stand there until they give you more? Do you holler cheapskate and egg their house? Or do you politely say, thank you, and be on your merry way?".
I helped scoop up dropped buckets of candy at least half a dozen times. Reese has been sick ALL WEEK long and was ready to head home before the other two. We dropped her off and I had the good idea to dump out the candy so we wouldn't have to scoop up so much when the buckets plummeted to the concrete. We no sooner left the next house, and Tate dropped out the ONE candy bar that was in his bucket!
The girls did great and remembered to say "thank you" and "happy halloween" to everyone. Tate could have used a bit more practice. A lot of people just held out the candy bowls for the kids to help themselves. The girls politely grabbed one piece and bid their farewells. Tate thought it was a free for all, and would continue to grab pieces until I jerked him off the porch. Tate also liked to run ahead for the first part of the night. But he soon got too scared of the skeletons and strange looking decorations and was content to walk next to me and even hold my hand on occasion.
I still walk up close to the doors with them, simply because the houses in our neighborhood all have a bazillion stairs leading up to their front door. Time after time Tate would be looking back at the house as he started to leave, and would almost miss the steps completely!
We really had a lot of fun. The night was over too quickly. And my little ones are now sleeping as visions of mini snickers bars dance in their heads...
Hannah Hoopla
I don't know where I've been for the past 2 weeks and why I haven't posted anything! I actually did this post one night, then lost it when I went to publish it. I just haven't been back to rewrite it I guess.
After going through a few choices for her birthday theme this year, Reese finally settled on Hannah Montana. This beat out American Idol and Littlest Pet Shop. She made a cute little Hannah. I asked her if she just wanted to straighten her real hair that night, or get the wig. Silly question. Of course we got the wig. Which she wore for about, oh, 5 minutes of her party.
Hannah and a fan.
I wasn't thrilled with how all her decorations turned out this time. I messed up the foam board limo, but stuck it out on the porch anyway for arriving guests. The gold tablecloth and stage curtain looked a little brown to me, but Reese kept assuring me that she liked the way it looked, so that's all that really matters.
Was I sad she donned jeans and a rocker tee for her party, instead of a frilly princess dress? A little. But we had a fun time.
After going through a few choices for her birthday theme this year, Reese finally settled on Hannah Montana. This beat out American Idol and Littlest Pet Shop. She made a cute little Hannah. I asked her if she just wanted to straighten her real hair that night, or get the wig. Silly question. Of course we got the wig. Which she wore for about, oh, 5 minutes of her party.
Hannah and a fan.
I wasn't thrilled with how all her decorations turned out this time. I messed up the foam board limo, but stuck it out on the porch anyway for arriving guests. The gold tablecloth and stage curtain looked a little brown to me, but Reese kept assuring me that she liked the way it looked, so that's all that really matters.
Was I sad she donned jeans and a rocker tee for her party, instead of a frilly princess dress? A little. But we had a fun time.
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