It's time to bid this blog adieu...

But don't worry...I'm starting a new one.  A better one.  One that merges all of my many many blogs into one.  See you there? 

Typical cookie conversation

A: Mom, remember those cookies that we made to take out to people? Did you take all of them out?"

M: No, there are some on top of the fridge.

A: Oh, couldn't I just have one? Please?

M: Well, ok, I guess.

A: Two, couldn't I just have two cookies?

Smart move kiddo. Don't they learn the most amazing bargaining tactics?  And you could insert crackers, gum, cheese, or any other treat into the cookie slot...

Christmas portraits outtakes...

I am a serious perfectionist with my Christmas cards - thus I never ever send them out.  I just want them to be unique and cute and fun and Christmassy and all that great stuff and they never work out.  This year I decided no matter what I would do it.  And so I came up with a plan and took some pictures for it and got it designed.  Now let's hope I get it printed, addressed, stamped, and sent!  Phew!  Anyhow, here are some of the pictures from the session we did that I thought were sweet but I'm not using them on the card.  I borrowed Marisa's white paper backdrop and set it up in my kitchen since it's got the most windows.  Even though I love my outdoor sessions more than anything I still think these turned out waaay cute. 

p.s.  if you haven't heard from me on facebook or through email and you'd like to get a card...comment with your address so I can add it to the list!

Here's our happy Asher!


And beautiful Peter...


My rascally older boys...


And cutie-pie Andrew. This second pose is just like him - he always has to do something different...


And my first born - Elijah. And I must say he can make some really funny faces...


Now, after looking at all of that beautiful luminescent skin...here we two old geezers are...


Merry Christmas, ya'll!

Jolly Old St. Nicholas...

Now, first off, to each his own about whether or not to tell your kids about Santa Claus but in case you are a fence sitter I decided to share why I love sharing the idea of Santa Claus with my kids...

Here are a couple quotes from random people I found on some forum...

"Some things are difficult to teach. Like altruism, unconditional love, dedication to a cause, sacrifice, etc.

Santa Claus is the personification of many qualities that are difficult to find in people. At least as unwavering virtues. Parents want their children to know him and love him. Great experience with giving, hoping, receiving and yearning can lead to terrific introspection. Even for very young children."

"Santa Clause is spiriturly real, he is the spirit of giving..."

And this is from a study done by child psychologists on this very subject...

"While Santa may not be a flesh-and-blood person, the cultural truth of St. Nicholas is key to a child's developing imagination, Smith said.

"Santa Claus is a shared cultural image of benevolence and kindness and you don't want to undermine that," he said.

"With Santa Claus, you are trying to enrich the child's life by sharing something that you both enjoy," he said. "Santa Claus embodies the whole idea of the Christmas season as the time of caring, togetherness and magic."

Smith said that a child's belief in the story of Santa Claus enables the child to develop a sense of wonder about the jolly character and use their imagination. Using their imagination to consider the possibilities is key to problem solving and other mental tasks down the line, he said.

"Santa Claus is a loving, merry person who cares about kids so much that he wants to bring toys to kids throughout the whole world," Smith said. "If you take Santa Claus out of the picture, you diminish that child's sense that they are special.

"We know that Santa is not real, but the truth of Santa is the shared cultural commitment to kids, to bring happiness into children's lives," he said.

Some parents may think teaching their children to believe in Kris Kringle is setting them up for big disappointment when they find out he doesn't exist.

Smith said that children who discover Santa isn't real rarely blame their parents. In fact, the most common response is to keep the story going so they not only continue to get presents, but because they recognize the joy their parents get from the experience, he said."


And here is a great thing from my friend Kathy's blog post about this very same thing...

All our lives, truths are placed before us in symbolic form - not to deceive us, but to impress the truth upon us more convincingly. And, of course, when we are very young we comprehend only what we can see, feel, hear, smell, or taste."


In the end...I tell my children about Santa Claus because in an increasingly dangerous and toxic world, why not let their be another MAN of goodness, love, purity, and kindness?  We need more good men out there - more goodness in general.  So we will always celebrate and LOVE Jolly Old St. Nicholas at our house...