On the outside it says:
To: ELF Please write back :-)
She is SO sweet! She also left a second note asking about the headband.
Priceless...... :-)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Please Don't Let Her Grow Up
Lilly is almost 9 years old. She's in 3rd grade, she goes to daycare, she's dying to be grown up, she loves fashion and cell phones, her favorite TV show is "Friends". She's beginning to doubt the existence of Santa.
Now we've had the discussions before: you have to believe in Santa for Christmas to be fun and magical; if you don't believe who knows what will happen?! But, like all kids at one time or another, she comes home from school and asks me why some kids say there isn't a Santa. I go through my usual schpeel and she sits there and nods at me. "I'm going to keep believing Mommy," she says, "I just don't think it would be fun if I didn't." Ahhh, staving off the inevitable just a little while longer!
On Christmas Eve we were all running around making sure we got the gifts to bring to Murmur & Papa's, grabbing the cookie trays for the neighbors, etc. etc. for our trip to the Reedy's for Christmas. We all finally packed into the car and happily went from neighbor to neighbor passing out plates of Christmas cookies and off to the farm we went!
After hours of goodies, hors d' oeuvre's, presents, games and merriment (complete with Murmur playing Christmas carols on the trumpet) we headed home to get the little ones in bed so that Santa wouldn't skip our house. Logan passed out less than 5 minutes down the road as we completely expected. Lilly is a night person like me so she was looking around outside at the Christmas lights. Suddenly she started to giggle to herself.
"Guess what I did," she smirks.
"What?" I say.
"I left a note for the Elf. AND I left my broken headband for him to fix. I can't wait to get home to see if he wrote me back and see if he fixed my headband!" (As a side note, if you aren't already familiar with the story of The Elf on the Shelf I strongly suggest you check it out.)
"Crap!" I think to myself and cast a sideways glance at Brandon. I can see he's thinking the exact same thing, "how the hell are we going to pull this off!"
I know it's a test. I know that she left it there on the piano and didn't say a word because she knew that we would have no way to mess with the note or the headband since we were on our way out the door. We HAVE to keep the classic kiddy deception alive! So I quietly search through my purse for a piece of paper (which is a rarity in my purse, by the way). I finally tear a piece of paper out of my Christmas planner, swiftly find a pen and begin scribbling a note with my left hand in the light cast off the streetlights every 100 feet or so. Yeah, not easy.
As we pull up our driveway, and she is still awake - OF COURSE, I tell her to make sure she stays in her seat until Daddy gets Logan out of his car seat. "We don't want to wake him up you know," I waive my finger at her. "OK," she says. I grab the keys from Brandon and run into the house, quickly mentioning something about having to change Logan's sheets super fast, swing by the piano, grab up the stuff she left for the elf, run into the bedroom to stash it in a secret hiding place, leave the note "the elf" wrote on her bed, and get into Logan's room and start changing the sheets.
She comes up the stairs a few minutes later and wanders into her room. Screams and shrieks come wailing from her room. "HE WROTE ME BACK! LOOK DADDY! HE WROTE ME BACK! AND HE TOOK MY HEADBAND! OH MY GOSH, THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"
Ahhhhhhh, we did it. We pulled it off. She still believes.
A parent's job requires all kinds of tasks. The payoff is the best thing EVER!
I still haven't gotten a chance to look at the note she left our elf. Once I do I will post it here.
Nik
Now we've had the discussions before: you have to believe in Santa for Christmas to be fun and magical; if you don't believe who knows what will happen?! But, like all kids at one time or another, she comes home from school and asks me why some kids say there isn't a Santa. I go through my usual schpeel and she sits there and nods at me. "I'm going to keep believing Mommy," she says, "I just don't think it would be fun if I didn't." Ahhh, staving off the inevitable just a little while longer!
On Christmas Eve we were all running around making sure we got the gifts to bring to Murmur & Papa's, grabbing the cookie trays for the neighbors, etc. etc. for our trip to the Reedy's for Christmas. We all finally packed into the car and happily went from neighbor to neighbor passing out plates of Christmas cookies and off to the farm we went!
After hours of goodies, hors d' oeuvre's, presents, games and merriment (complete with Murmur playing Christmas carols on the trumpet) we headed home to get the little ones in bed so that Santa wouldn't skip our house. Logan passed out less than 5 minutes down the road as we completely expected. Lilly is a night person like me so she was looking around outside at the Christmas lights. Suddenly she started to giggle to herself.
"Guess what I did," she smirks.
"What?" I say.
"I left a note for the Elf. AND I left my broken headband for him to fix. I can't wait to get home to see if he wrote me back and see if he fixed my headband!" (As a side note, if you aren't already familiar with the story of The Elf on the Shelf I strongly suggest you check it out.)
"Crap!" I think to myself and cast a sideways glance at Brandon. I can see he's thinking the exact same thing, "how the hell are we going to pull this off!"
I know it's a test. I know that she left it there on the piano and didn't say a word because she knew that we would have no way to mess with the note or the headband since we were on our way out the door. We HAVE to keep the classic kiddy deception alive! So I quietly search through my purse for a piece of paper (which is a rarity in my purse, by the way). I finally tear a piece of paper out of my Christmas planner, swiftly find a pen and begin scribbling a note with my left hand in the light cast off the streetlights every 100 feet or so. Yeah, not easy.
As we pull up our driveway, and she is still awake - OF COURSE, I tell her to make sure she stays in her seat until Daddy gets Logan out of his car seat. "We don't want to wake him up you know," I waive my finger at her. "OK," she says. I grab the keys from Brandon and run into the house, quickly mentioning something about having to change Logan's sheets super fast, swing by the piano, grab up the stuff she left for the elf, run into the bedroom to stash it in a secret hiding place, leave the note "the elf" wrote on her bed, and get into Logan's room and start changing the sheets.
She comes up the stairs a few minutes later and wanders into her room. Screams and shrieks come wailing from her room. "HE WROTE ME BACK! LOOK DADDY! HE WROTE ME BACK! AND HE TOOK MY HEADBAND! OH MY GOSH, THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"
Ahhhhhhh, we did it. We pulled it off. She still believes.
A parent's job requires all kinds of tasks. The payoff is the best thing EVER!
I still haven't gotten a chance to look at the note she left our elf. Once I do I will post it here.
Nik
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
And Depression Sets In
I know that many people are rejoicing the end of the holidays - no more hustle and bustle, no more parties, no more gift wrapping....but I am depressed. I dread the end of the holiday season. It is my favorite time of the year. I feel that Christmas spirit, sing carols in the car everywhere I go, put lots of time and effort into each gift I buy, and pray for snow. I love the anticipation as the clock ticks closer to Christmas Eve and we watch a different Christmas movie every night. I love getting pictures of my friends kids in the mail attached to Christmas cards and Christmas letters. I never want it to end. I want to be in a perpetual winter wonderland.
So for all of you happy that the Holiday Season is over, congratulations. For me, I'm in a slump, a fit of depression that sets in every year on December 26th and takes me a few weeks to get over.
Humph.....
 |
| The magic of Christmas morning |
So for all of you happy that the Holiday Season is over, congratulations. For me, I'm in a slump, a fit of depression that sets in every year on December 26th and takes me a few weeks to get over.
Humph.....
Saturday, December 25, 2010
No One Gets Christmas Day Off in Our House
Today, Christmas Day, my sweet little boy pulled out his first tooth. We have been calling him shark boy for some time now as his two front bottom adult teeth came in behind the baby ones. He's been wiggling....and wiggling....but it didn't look like it was going to budge.
All Christmas Eve and this morning he has been twisting and pushing on that little baby tooth and finally this morning he yanked it out...half a root and meat still attached. A little too much for Momma to take (I'm a wimp when it comes to loose teeth), but Daddy thought it was really cool.
So Merry Christmas Logie, last night Santa made his way to our house and tonight we await the arrival of the tooth fairy!
All Christmas Eve and this morning he has been twisting and pushing on that little baby tooth and finally this morning he yanked it out...half a root and meat still attached. A little too much for Momma to take (I'm a wimp when it comes to loose teeth), but Daddy thought it was really cool.
So Merry Christmas Logie, last night Santa made his way to our house and tonight we await the arrival of the tooth fairy!
What Does Status Mean to You?
Obsessed with designer jeans? Gotta have all the newest electronics? Getting a big boat? Go on a fantastic expensive vacation? Feel the need to let all of your friends know your credit card limits? Feel the need to let all of your friends know all of this?
Are you in High School? Did that even matter then?
Irritating...that's all I have to say.
Are you in High School? Did that even matter then?
Irritating...that's all I have to say.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
1 Gift, 2 Gift, 3 Gifts.....ARE PLENTY!
When I was a kid I used to wake up on Christmas morning to a room overflowing with gifts. Everything I could possibly want and more. Like most kids I anxiously awaited the BIG day. When it was all said and done I was so happy with all of my presents. I really appreciated how lucky I was. But I don't know if my parents ever knew it.
Now, raising my own kids, I find myself in the situation most parents find themselves in this time of year - how much is too much? As I wander the toy aisles or brainstorm at home about what to get the kids this year i create a list a mile long. I want them to get everything they want. I want them to get everything I think they should have. With the re-release of many of the toys that were popular when we were kids, Brandon and I struggle not to buy our kids all the stuff we never got.
Every year as we spend countless hours wrapping dozens and dozens of gifts, I begin to freak out, wondering if we have bought enough to transform the living room into a virtual elf storage room, the magical room it was for me when I was a kid. I usually run out and pick up "just a few more things" to make the day more special.
Then comes Christmas morning. As they come down the stairs, and begin to get a peek of the gift-fest below, their eyes widen & they jump and squeal with excitement. "Mommy!" "Daddy!" "Aaahh, look what I got!" Yes, that's what we were hoping for.
But 2 weeks later, when several toys have yet to be touched, and others are tucked half under the couch with the twist ties still attached, I make an announcement. It is the same announcement I've made year after year, "Next year we're not buying this much!"
And this year, we're actually sticking to it!
TO BE CONTINUED....
Now, raising my own kids, I find myself in the situation most parents find themselves in this time of year - how much is too much? As I wander the toy aisles or brainstorm at home about what to get the kids this year i create a list a mile long. I want them to get everything they want. I want them to get everything I think they should have. With the re-release of many of the toys that were popular when we were kids, Brandon and I struggle not to buy our kids all the stuff we never got.
Every year as we spend countless hours wrapping dozens and dozens of gifts, I begin to freak out, wondering if we have bought enough to transform the living room into a virtual elf storage room, the magical room it was for me when I was a kid. I usually run out and pick up "just a few more things" to make the day more special.
Then comes Christmas morning. As they come down the stairs, and begin to get a peek of the gift-fest below, their eyes widen & they jump and squeal with excitement. "Mommy!" "Daddy!" "Aaahh, look what I got!" Yes, that's what we were hoping for.
But 2 weeks later, when several toys have yet to be touched, and others are tucked half under the couch with the twist ties still attached, I make an announcement. It is the same announcement I've made year after year, "Next year we're not buying this much!"
And this year, we're actually sticking to it!
TO BE CONTINUED....
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
SO Annoying
I can think of little else more annoying than an alarm clock. That beating, rhythmic "EH....EH....EH..." has got to be one of the most recognized (and disliked) sounds in the world. I suppose it is so awful because of what it signifies: the start of the work day, a signal to get out of your warm, comfortable bed. It's rare that the alarm clock is a signal of something fantastic to come (save for when you're getting up to catch a plane to Disneyland when you're a kid!) Perhaps if we only heard the alarm sound when we got a massage, or were eating our favorite foods, or someone was handing us a check for a large sum of money we would behave like Pavlov's Dogs, salivating at the sound.
Nik
Nik
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