Decorating the house wasn't a burden this Christmas. I actually looked forward to it! It took me longer than usual, but it's all good.
The boys made these beautiful arrangements from elements in our backyard. They surprised me with 4 of them before I realized what they were doing. I think next year we might be taking orders...lol! They've already got an assignment from our ward's Relief Society president to make centerpieces for the ward Christmas party next year :)
Buying gifts hasn't been a burden this year because we've definitely simplified things and the boys were ok with it. They still believe in the magic of Christmas, but there are still parameters that Santa has to follow too :)
We've done something almost every night in December that has to do with Christmas. Whether it was getting a Christmas tree, decorating it, watching a Christmas movie, reading a Christmas book, seeing Christmas lights...whatever it was... I did it without making the fancy advent calendars that I had my heart set on making. And you know what...I survived. I didn't think I would, but I did. I'm learning to let go, and give myself some credit for the things that I AM doing. We are all so hard on ourselves sometime. That internal battle is worse sometimes than anything going on externally.
I was just telling Shaun yesterday that we are getting to the point, at times I never thought I would be at, where my kids are more independent. I can tell them to go get dressed, brush their teeth, make their bed, put their clothes away, clean up in a frantic manner before we have company...and they can do it...and usually do a great job at it. I told Spencer the other day to go put Ellie on the potty while I was cooking dinner...and he did it. (She's a year ahead of schedule on the potty training than we were with the boys.) All those moments I was so stressed out because we had 3 kids to feed dinner to, 3 kids to change diapers at the same time, 3 kids to bathe, we don't have that anymore. And it makes me a little sad at times. But then again, I am so grateful for the young boys they are.
Tonight as I put Ellie to bed (because she screams when Shaun tries to put her to bed...she must just love her mama more), I was singing her favorite, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", stroking her hair, and when I got done singing, she wanted me to say prayers with her. We said prayers, then I said goodnight. She didn't cry this time when I walked out. She's cried a little for almost a week and a half since we took her paci away. All she knows is the puppy dog ate it, so it's not coming back. But she's growing up. A few things about Ellie at 2: She plays the high five game: Give me 5...up high...down low....too slow. She has the cutest little voice when she retracts her hand and says the "too sloooow" part. She loves to dance. She loves to follow the boys and do whatever they're doing. She's quite proficient at pointing a nerf gun at ya and mumbling "pshew pshew" gun noises. She loves to draw...all over the walls, doors, floors...oh yeah...paper too. Her writing device of choice is markers. Pencils are just boring and she avoids them at all costs...pens are the better option in her book. Her favorite shape to draw and say is circles. She loves to say, "watch" and "wook (look)"...probably because she has an audience at all times. The boys are so good with her. She is such a lucky little girl to have 3 brothers that absolutely adore her.
Spencer loves to read. He devours books. Every time we are in the car to go somewhere, he has to have a book. When he goes to bed, he's reading. He's so fun to have conversations with now. He's our late riser. He would sleep all morning if he could. I love his curiosity about everything outdoors. He makes awesome fires in the fireplace. Just tonight, he was outside hacking away at the lighter stump to use for starter wood so we could get a fire going. The boys have a fort they've built in the woods that's amazing.
Andrew is our rule enforcer. He would walk around all day with a nerf gun and pretend he's a security officer if I would let him. He's the one that taught Ellie to use a nerf gun properly when she was just a little over a year old. He loves anything to do with WWI or WWII. He's Mr. Speedy when I ask him to do a task. He has thrived this year in Classical Conversations and really come out of his shell.
Carson is our Star Wars guru. He lives and breathes Star Wars. If he could be a Star Wars character when he grew up, I think he would major in it in college... He has the cutest belly laugh when he thinks something is funny. He hates to clean his room and would much rather sit on his bed for the whole day in time out, than clean. Carson loves music. He has even learned how to play a couple of songs on the piano just by hearing. Looks like getting a piano might be in our future.
Tonight we went Christmas caroling at a nursing home for a cub scout activity, and my heart was just so full. The workers there had brought out the elderly, who don't have visitors for Christmas, to enjoy the music. When the boys were singing "Angels We Have Heard on High", and got to the "Gloooooooria" part, it sounded like angels...such beautiful, sweet, innocent voices. One little lady there said she had 5 boys, and they were all in scouts. She talked with us about how she used to volunteer, and do things with their troop. I'm so glad we got to go tonight!
Rereading all this...it's just a hodge podge of thoughts. But such is my life right now. I'm surprised at myself I even took the time to try and write anything down. So there's a little update on our family for the year 2013. Hopefully more hodge podge thoughts to come :)
