Friday, December 22, 2006

Santa Visit, etc.

Ho. Ho. Ho. Isabelle was beyond thrilled to visit Santa Claus this year! He was at the local library, so we went to meet him there. Right away Isabelle was star struck. When she hopped on his lap, she told him that she is "3 old" and she wants a book for christmas (quite appropriate for being in the middle of the library). Ben was not phased by Santa's presence. Isabelle was so happy to meet mrs. claus too. Isabelle informed me that her job was to make cookies and then she asked where Santa's reindeer were? I told her the roof of course! (which reminds me I have to make some magic reindeer food for her to sprinkle on our lawn christmas eve). Isabelle and I made our frosted sugar cookies the last couple days. Her favorite ones to make were the snow man and the blue fish (blue tree. dont ask me. I just work here). Today we will make our ginger bread house. I made homemade chex mix for the first time. It was good but not great. I didnt have onion powder to include like it says, so I wonder if that makes a big difference. I caught Isabelle talking to our christmas tree the other day. This is the conversation that took place, " What are you doing with my tree Grinch? Don't take it home Grinch! You'll ruin it Grinch!" So anytime that Isabelle smells something (anything , food, a book, a candle) she announces that it smells like Strawberries! My Christmas wish which is very typical and overdone but quite true is I would like it to: SNOW. I remember last Christmas it snowed overnight and when I woke early in the morning, I looked outside to see snow and a bright red cardinal. very cool! So big news for Benjamin! He has tried his first (rice) cereal and aboslutley loves it! He was smiling and kicking while eating it. I could barely get it in his mouth. I think we got a little monster on our hands. hehe Boy, have we got a lot of use out of Benjamin's Reindeer outfit so far (thanks Sal). I wonder if Santa will have "alone" time to wrap gifts...time is fleeting.

The Nativity Cow

I don't recall there being a black and white spotted cow in most depictions of The Nativity Scene, but in this preschool program version, my daughter played the part. I can't even explain how joyful it was to watch her "on stage" for this program. Isabelle, started out shy when she first step out...but it didnt take long and she was "working the room" as she took over the show with her funny antics as she thrived on the attention. She was hilarious! Total Show Girl. Adding extra jestures and words (and volume) to songs, Thanking the audience...etc.... She had the whole room laughing and Noah and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Outtakes






Here are a few pictures from our photo shoot that didnt make it quite up to par for our christmas cards.


Sunday, December 10, 2006

Bendeer & Cheer


Lancelot enjoying our first big Snow!


My little Bendeer.


Sunday Sunday Sunday. It's Sunday morning. I feel kind of sick. (head, stomach etc). This house looks like a tornado stopped by and stayed a while. It amazes me that I feel that I spend my life cleaning, yet my house is never clean. Im starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the holidays all of a sudden. I haven't made my christmas cards yet (I'm going with an angel theme this year) and I have 9 dozen cookies (peanut butter balls) to make for an exchange on tuesday just to name a few things that should get done asap. Oh well, I guess all a person can do at this point is throw in some Christmas music and hope for the best.

It has been such a joy to see how much Isabelle is getting so excited for Christmas this year. This year she "gets it". She makes me sing Santa Claus is coming to town to her 50 times a day. I have lots of fun things planned for us to do tradition wise. Ive been looking all over for a christmas night gown for her and cant find one! The kind that look little house on the prairish. Red plaid, long with ruffles with a bow on the chest...kind of gown. We been watching a lot of Christmas specials lately. I never saw Polar Express until last week - We all loved it. Now Isabelle goes around with my paper puncher and punches the paper like crazy and says: heres your ticket! -Silly Girl. It's so funny to see her talk to and play with the ornaments on the tree like I used to when I was a child. I adore her imagination.

Ben had his 4 month check up this week. He's 15 plds and I think 12oz. He is doing wonderful. Got 3 shots poor little guy. He cried until his mouth quivered, it was so sad! I can start him on Rice Cereal anytime now. I think I might give it a try today. Wow, he is growing up so fast. My sweet little boy.

Daylight is arriving. It looks so cold outside today...

Monday, December 04, 2006

Two Deer

Two Deer in the Snow (a lesson in prayer) by Cheryl 12.03.06

Earlier in the evening, I was feeling very frustrated and sad. I was at my wits end with misc. situations throughout the day. I went up to my room alone for a few minutes (since I am never alone, I decided I needed to steal a few moments) and I got down on my knees and I prayed. I prayed and I cried. Tears were falling down my cheeks and my heart felt like it was actually aching. I ended my prayer and got up, moved the curtain over and looked out my bedroom window. We had a beautiful snow the day before and it looked so peaceful out there, I thought to myself wouldn’t it be neat if I saw a deer right now as a little sign that God heard my prayer and was with me. There was no deer of course. Silly thought, I know. I knew I just had to believe, it didn’t need to be proven to me. I went downstairs and resumed my evening activities, not with the greatest heart, but in better condition than what I was in when I went upstairs.

Well, at 3.a.m. this morning, Ben wanted to get up which is not unusual. I carried him downstairs to make him a bottle and change him. I placed him down and then went into the kitchen to make his bottle like I usually do. I had not turned any lights on yet. (outside in the country everything is pitch black at night, but everything was lit up outside by the moon & snow). I looked out the window that is above the sink and there and then I saw them. Two deer in the snow. They were in my backyard just wandering around. It felt like magic to see them there. (I dont see deer too often around here, especially never near the house). Ben was fussing that I left him alone and hadn’t fed or changed him yet, so I went and picked him up, held him and I continued to watch the deer. They came very close to the house and just poked around, looking for food and exploring. They walked so peacefully in the snow. I watched them for several minutes (and Ben was fine with that which is a miracle in itself). Then the deer went by the front of the house and stayed there a bit. That’s when I realized that I was watching them out of the window that was directly below my bedroom window. They were standing exactly where I had “hoped” to see a deer earlier.