Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Christmas 2011

Someday soon, I will have real Internet, not just iPhone, and I will add pictures to this post, but for now, I must get this post up before I forget:
*That I had completely blocked an entire pre-Disney shopping trip, and had ample provisions for a traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixin's. I was so happy, but did wonder about my mental state that I should have erased doing this from my mind?
*How Cara giggled each time a gift was brought out for her from under the tree.
*How K was almost in tears when I refused to allow him to spend all of his money on presents for his brothers and sisters. When I saw those tears in my big boy's eyes, I relented and took him up to the thrift store where he bought everyone a gift and only spent $40. Everything was in new condition and he was careful to pick something they would like. His gifts were some of the favorites of the day.
*I want to remember how sad it was to walk into an almost empty sanctuary on Christmas morning. I'm really sorry that more people did not come to Your house to tell you, "Happy Birthday," Lord. Are you sorry, too?
*That even though we had(thanks to cuponing) a huge M*tie C*vendars pie, everyone asked for my humble, homemade pumpkin instead.
*The look of excitement on Abby and Marina's faces when they opened their flat and curling irons. Sigh. I'm afraid they are leaving dollies behind forever.
*Watching Levi happily explore the chaos of the morning--his first Christmas.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Disney Recap and Christmas Forecast

Well, we are on the LOOOONG trip home to Texas. Disney was great, but very happy to be headed toward my sweet Levi and all the Christmas traditions. The only problem is we are flat busted broke. Spent right up until the last dime we needed for fuel for the return trip. All of our presents are bought, but it just occurred to me that I didn't buy our groceries for Christmas dinner. Oh, well, give us this day our daily bread. We might be eating deer jerky and cheerio treats for Christmas, but we will all be together.
The master's hip started to cause him pain about a week before our trip. We hoped against hope that it would miraculously recover, but that didn't happen. On the third day of Disney it gave up. He spent the rest of the trip in a wheelchair. I am really worried. His company insurance does not kick in until after the first of the year, but I'm not sure if there is a waiting period after that. Please pray that there is not. I really thought with his amputation three years ago, we were putting fibris displacia behind us for good. At first, I was just angry that it had reared its ugly head again, but as the pain has continued and worsened, I find myself hoping it is only displacia and not something worse. "At what time I am afraid, I will trust in You."
The fireworks and light show at Magic Kingdom was something to see, and the weather throughout our visit was perfect, but otherwise, I would not recommend a Christmas break visit. I have only been twice before, but this was, BY FAR, the most crowded I have ever seen it. If we ever go again, I will simply un-enroll the kids from school and go in late September or the first week of October--or whatever random week a travel agent can tell me is the least busy time of year.
It is my turn to drive.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Happiest Place on Earth

At the most wonderful time of the year. We are on our way to Florida at a high rate of speed. Some of you may remember that our reward for getting out of debt was a trip to Disney World. Sadly, this is not THAT trip, but, happily, my sister wanted to give this trip to our family for Christmas, so she financing around 85% of our holiday vacation. You can't beat that! This is my third visit America's fun capital--I went as a teen in the summer, in 2006 (7 months pregnant) in the spring, and can't wait to see what a Christmas visit is like. It is just eight of us speeding down the interstate. After much internal see-sawing, I agreed to leave Levi with his Ne-Ne (very dear sister from church) and Grandma. Levi, for all of his many virtues, is a terrible traveler. He will not remember it, and I would spend a good portion of my day sitting on a bench trying to figure out how I was going to heat the next bottle. Blech! But it will be the longest I have ever been away from any of the kids (with the exception of Rina)while still in their infancy, and I will miss him horribly. I know better than to think He will miss me. He will be too greatly spoiled.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Talk

In a week, she will be 11 years old. I started less than a month after I turned 11. I knew it was well past time to have "The Talk," but it never made it to the top of my daily to-do list, and she never asked any questions. Frankly, I took her lack of inquisitiveness as clear indication that she had probably already gained a good bit of knowledge from the Americ*n Girl "Body Book" I found at the thrift store last year, and her girlfriends. I know from their mothers that several of her peers have started.
But when we were at my parents' house for Thanksgiving, my dad wanted to know what kind of deals I had nabbed with cuponing. When I told him I hadn't stockpiled much--just sugar and maxi-pads--Abby asked, "What's a maxi-pad?" My folks were aghast that I hadn't had "The Talk" and were pretty insistent that I move it up on my list of priorities. I don't know why they had their panties all in a wad. Their version of "The Talk" was Mom putting on a National Geographic film and leaving the room. Afterwards, Mom asked if I had any questions (I would have rather gnawed off my own tongue than to ask them). Dad wasn't even home.
But I digress. A few days ago we got some very troubling, saddening news concerning a relative. I knew I could not put it off another day, and it needed to include considerably more than menustration. I grabbed the "Body Book" and we headed down to the Sonic where I ordered pumpkin pie shakes, took a deep breath, and said,"Sweetheart, we need to talk."
Abby, already uncomfortably suspicious--not accustomed to being served Sonic shakes for no good reason--groaned, "Why do I suddenly feel as though I should be sitting on a porch swing?" (The porch swing is a euphamism in our family for a serious heart-to-heart conversation because that is where Daddy always called us to when it was time for a come to Jesus meeting.)
I wanted to have that conversation about as much as she wanted to hear it, but I'm so glad I did. Contrary to what I believed, she knew NOTHING about ANYTHING. If she had started her periods, she would have been terrified--thinking she was bleeding to death. She was equally clueless regarding the s€x Ed portion of our discussion. I was actually incredulous at her ignorance, at first thinking it to be feigned due to the embarrassment of talking with me about such things, but no, the longer I talked, I could tell it was genuine. I felt a sense of satisfaction that the master and I have been so totally successful in sheltering our kid's innocence, but I also felt frustration that because of the world we live in, I cannot be so
foolish as to allow that niativity to continue.
She listened, eyes as round as dinner plates, mouth sometimes dropping open:
"That's amazing!"
"Ugh, Mom, that's so gross. I don't want my shake anymore."
"Mom, you can't be serious."
And finally,
"Mom, how are you ever going to explain all this to Marina?"
Oh, Lord, give me strength.