And So This Was Christmas

We adopted our first Compassion child a few months ago.  It's been an experience, to say the least.  We've talked about him and prayed for him and looked up Ethiopia on the map so we have a better understanding of where in the world our child is.  We wrote to him and waited to hear back from him and while we waited, the children started introducing ours as a family of eight, 'just our older brother lives in Africa.'

You can imagine some of the looks people give because surely you know by now how not-shy my children are.  At first, even though it warmed my heart, it also caused me to stutter for a second or two, if I'm honest with you.  But after I realized how very much they think about their 12 year old 'brother', I just smiled and let them explain away to people.

Not long after we had hung our Compassion child's picture on the fridge and begun praying for him, Christmas stuff started playing across the airwaves.  We were in the car coming home from music class one day when a commercial break hit.  We heard about a local Christmas charity that was raising funds to give children Santa Claus presents and how these sad children lived right here in our town.  The very next commercial was about children in third-world countries fighting to live because of not having fresh water.

Thomas took all of two seconds to come to the conclusion that it was just silly to be worried about Santa Claus when there were bigger issues at stake.

I agreed with him.  And my heart swelled with pride that he got it at the same time it broke a little that he got it.

As December descended, we put up our tree and managed to toss about a few decorations, but we focused on our Thankful Tree and our Advent readings.  We watched a few classic Christmas specials and even took the kids to see Santa because, for the first time ever, they wanted to see him.  They told me after the fact that it was basically just to see if Daniel would scream.  For once, he didn't.

On Christmas eve, I filled the stockings with fruits and miniature cereal boxes, as our custom has become.  We tossed in a few goodies and trinkets for the kids along with their 'early breakfast' stuff and pulled out the wrapped gifts.  There were only two per child and they were far from glamorous.  At the last minute, we opted to put them all under the Thankful Tree rather than the Christmas tree.

Honestly, I was struggling.  I grew up with lavish Christmases and, even though I am usually pretty confident that we are sending the correct message to our children concerning Christmas, I feel bad when I see that scant scattering of gifts under the tree on Christmas.  It's the materialistic, American Dream aspect of my training that rears up and kicks at the simplistic idea of recognizing the season for Who it's really about.

Christmas morning, the kids came after us around 7-ish and we all went downstairs to see the stocking still hung by the chimney with care.  Except for Thomas' because the stocking hanger had over-weighted and fallen to the floor, stocking, stuffings and all.

The kids gleefully pulled out candy and cereal and books and stuff.  They took joy in one anothers gifts. They cheered as Daniel threw his oranges around screeching 'baaa!' (the boy loves a good ball to play with!) and we all giggled as he tried to eat his banana through the peel.

Not much was said about the pile of rocks we'd stacked under the tree.  (I'm still not sure what possessed me to do that...)  They took their little cereal boxes to the dining room and started to dig into their breakfast when, finally, someone noticed the wrapped gifts under the Thankful Tree.

They found the gifts with their names on them and finished up their cereal.  They loved the bible covers, underwear, flashlights, and the big one, a CD player for the girls room.

And we loved knowing that, even after all the gifts from grandparents and aunts and uncles, we weren't overrun with toys or children who believed they were owed these gifts simply because it was Christmas.

My children, I love that you didn't once complain or whine about our Christmas.  I love that you were thankful for each little thing you got and wanted to know about your 'brother' and what he might be doing on Christmas day.  I loved that, in the end, the toys fell to the way side and you all used your imaginations and built forts all day long.  I loved that my girls made the Monkey Bread this year for our 'second' breakfast and that everyone was glad to just hang out in their pajamas all day and snuggle in for a quiet Christmas at home.

Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

I woke up in the wee hours of the day to hear the wind howling around the corners of our home and the streetlight that filters through the crack between the shades and the window sill flickering as tree branches were blown to and fro.  The clock read somewhere between 4 and 5 AM and I buried myself under the covers determined to ignore the storm.

It worked.

Until I got out of bed and started my day.  The kids were a little pent up, and while not horrible, they were still more clingy and whiny, maybe a little more snippy with each other than usual.  I rolled my eyes, gritted my teeth, and pushed through with the necessary routines of our day.

We flew under the radar all day.  Most of the general chores were let slide because I needed peace in attitudes over peace in appearance.  I allowed more television than normal because I was tired from a late night of saying good-bye to a dear friend.  I allowed them to plan and execute the lunch menu.  It was a basically a very relaxed day in an effort to keep everyone as chill as possible since the weather was disagreeable and I wasn't much better.

It's the end of the day now.  Joshua is playing piano as the kids finish up their evening chores and we've all indulged in an ice cream sandwich or two.  I've been flicking through the pictures on my phone, smiling because they just have that effect on me.  The little things that add up to make our lives momentous in their own special way.

Left to right: Daniel scrounged some cookies from a random plate at a holiday party. Brunswick Stew. Thomas as Zacharia in our church Christmas play.  Daniel walked over to Anna and wrapped his arms around her.  My sparkley Keds.  Elizabeth peeking up from her newly made-up flannel sheeted bed.  Daniel was here.  Sarah Grace caught again with a book after lights out.  Peppermint bark. 

Did I Mention This Chapter Of My Life Can Be Overwhelming?

Occasionally I do things that I know I shouldn't do, but I've got this streak of pride that makes me believe I can handle the crazy.

Because, somehow, I believe that things have changed.  A few years down the road, a few more children tugging at the apron strings... perhaps it's not matured me as much as I would like to believe.

The thing is, I took all five children to the doctor's office with me today for a well check up for Anna.  As if that's not bad enough, the appointment was at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Which means that even though I manipulated the morning such that nap time was earlier than normal, the delicate balance was disrupted.

You're seeing it, aren't you?  The stupid shining through?

Oh, yeah.  I see you rolling your eyes at me.

"Aubrey! Don't you know better than this by now?"

Apparently not.

We arrived for our 3:30 appointment promptly at 3:35

As a home-schooler, I find I frequently forget about school zones and how they will affect my travel time.  Anyone else struggle with this?

I was slightly surprised when the receptionist called me by name the moment we walked through the door.  We've been with this doctor for less than a year and honestly haven't spent a lot of time there, thank goodness!  I smiled and hoped it's just her fantastic memory that brought my name to her mind so easily and not the shenanigans we are so capable of...

Y'all, I was tired walking into this thing.  I allowed the boys go to the play area where Daniel zeroed in on the only talking toy and hit the same button over and over and over and over and over...

You get what I'm saying.  I know you do. 

The girls gravitated to the complete opposite side of the waiting room and sat on a couch to look at books quietly.

Normally, I've absolutely no patience for allowing this kind of thing to happen.  If they are close together, they can all bask in the warmth of my approval. Or...they hum the chorus of 'Goodnight Siagon' in unison. But they were quiet and being really good and I was so tired, so I let it go.

We waited for less than five minutes before they called us back.  I should have known right then that things were not going to go well.  I scrambled to gather my chicks together and heard them through the door.  There were stragglers and it took us a long time to get everyone down the hall to the scales.

Things went smoothly for height and weight (40.5 inches and 37lbs, my wildflower of a 4 year old is!!) and we were led to an exam room.  Anna jumped up on the table, excited to be the center of attention.  Sarah Grace and Elizabeth scrapped for a second or two over the room's only chair, and Thomas walked around restlessly before I led him by the ear to exam table's step.  Daniel stayed on my hip and drooled relentlessly on my white shirt.

PSA: Mothers of young children should not own white.  Or black.  Or navy.  They show bodily fluids the most.  Your welcome.

Things settled down as the nurse took Anna's vitals and I thought we might be good to go.  I walked out in the hallway, Daniel on my hip, with Anna and the nurse for Anna's eye exam and was so glad that the older three told Knock-Knock jokes and played I-Spy while we were out of the room.

Daniel pulled at Anna's hair-bow the entire time and she still passed the sight test with flying colors.

Back in the room, Anna got situated on the exam table again and the nurse explained the hearing test she was about to give Anna.

"Just raise your hand when you hear the sound, okay, sweetie?"

"Kay."  She grinned and waved both hands to show she was capable of such action.

The other kids all looked curiously over at what was going on.  Anna giggled and told everyone it sounded a little like Mommy's cell phone ringing.  The nurse smiled and reminded her to raise her hand.

Daniel was gently jerking at my hair and I was trying to dissuade him with mere words so as not to make too much noise and distract Anna from her hearing test.

Her hands were flying up and down and all around and she was grinning and squealing 'beeep'....'beeeeeep'.

I think the nurse decided she could hear just fine.  That or she flunked her straight up.

A handful of questions about general health stuff and the nurse told us the doctor would be in to see us soon.  I finally turned my full attention to Daniel and the strands of hair he had stolen from my tender scalp.  One more tug earned him a thump to the hand and a reminder that Mommy said 'no'.

About the time Daniel dissolved into tears, I turned to see Thomas laying with his cheek on the floor.  What I mean to say is, his face was on the tile of the exam room floor.  Ew!  The phrase 'flu season' means nothing to these people.  I got him to his feet and reiterated my stance on faces on the floor of public buildings.

The girls began squabbling over who got to hold my purse and then Elizabeth told me she needed to go to the restroom.  Perfect timing, though, as the nurse was returning with a cup for a sample of pee from the patient.

Now asking a four year old to pee in a cup is not exactly something I want to clean up after, so I handed Daniel off to Thomas with instructions to feed him M&M's slowly until I got back and Anna, Elizabeth, and I headed off down the hall to the bathroom.  I asked a nurse to check in on the other three kids when she had a minute.

Several unsuccessful minutes later, we emerged from the bathroom with a still empty cup.  We got about half-way to our exam room when I realized a child was screaming.  In fact, my child was screaming.

I dragged the younger two girls the rest of the way down the hall and walked into the room where Thomas was holding a screaming Daniel, a nurse was holding an ice pack to the baby's forehead, and the office manager was standing trying to calm both boys.  Sarah Grace was still reading her book.

Daniel had tripped and fallen, hitting his head on the step to the exam table, so he was upset.  Thomas was distraught because he was the one on 'baby watch' and Sarah Grace was still reading her book.

We got the room cleared out of everyone but family and I managed to get the boys both calmed.  I directed Anna back to the exam table and Elizabeth back to the chair with Sarah Grace, who was still reading her book.  Thomas wandered over to the doctor's spinny stool and commenced spinning in wild circled while making wild boy noises.

After telling Thomas to sit like a tame child on the stool, I realized that Elizabeth was whining.  I looked over to find her begging to be allowed to sit down and Sarah Grace was still reading her book, thoroughly ignoring Elizabeth's pleas.

Ka-thud.  Ka-thud.

Thomas had obeyed the command to stop spinning but was literally shoving off the walls with his feet and wheeling from one place to the next with a slight body slam each time. 

I intensely advised Thomas that perhaps the best thing for him was to stand against the wall with his hands folded in front of him.

Then I realized that Sarah Grace was no longer reading her book, but giving Elizabeth a hard time, who was still whining about her sister not sharing the chair with her.  They were met with the same advice Thomas had received and I slid into the now vacant chair just as the doctor walked in.

She took in the scene and wisely ignored the older three children.

A few medical questions down the road and a slightly frazzled me trying to answer questions for the right child (wait, does Anna eat meat well or not?  Who is it that doesn't like milk?), Dr. C pulled her stethoscope and began listening to Anna's lungs, belly, etc.

Anna isn't afraid of this kind of thing but she occasionally decides to be wholly uncooperative.  Wouldn't you know it, today was one of those days.

I went to stand next to Anna and hold her hand and 'encourage' her with my nearness.  Daniel was encouraging too, and threw his sippy cup on the floor to better be able to support his sister.  The stinking cup broke and water went everywhere.

*Insert pause in medical exam while sweet Dr. C and I mopped up water*

The 'I' word was used and Dr. C mentioned that perhaps we should send the other children out in the hall while the army of nurses came in to administer the shots.  I agreed.  Dr. C left, assuring us that the nurses would be in soon.

I debated weather or not to inform Anna of what was coming up, and I finally chose to fill her in.  I quickly glossed over the 'shot' part and went quickly to the bag of M&M's I had just for her when it was all over.  She bravely stuck her finger in her mouth and started sucking it.

"I want Wah-Wah to stay with me," she informed us, invoking the pet name she uses for Sarah Grace.

Done.  So Thomas and Elizabeth left the room as the nurse brigade came in.  Sarah Grace and I manned either side of Anna's upper torso while two nurses prepared the immunizations and two other nurses were there for reinforcements.  We had to physically push her down and I held one hand while "Wah-Wah" held the other.  Daniel was on my hip, watching the entire show.

The screaming began before anyone ever touched her legs.  And Daniel, sympathetic to the core, wailed right along with her, looking for all the world like a bruised fighter with his newly blackening eye.

Anna screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed.  All but one nurse left and Anna screamed.  The nurse reached to wipe her tears with a Kleenex and Anna pulled away and screamed.  I reached out to help her sit up and Anna pulled away and screamed.

Daniel continued to voiced his sympathy.

Finally, I told her the dramatics ended now and she needed to sit up like a big girl.  Miraculously, she obeyed, but still refused human touch or Kleenex.  She snubbed and sniffled, but at least the screaming was over.  Daniel took her cue and eased up, too.

Then I realized that there were cries coming from out in the hallway.  Thomas and Elizabeth were 'playing', only neither of them were happy.  They were whining and wailing back and forth at one another, though neither were crying.  They must have felt me glaring at them because they both looked up with guilty expressions at the same time.

No words were exchanged as I stared them back into the exam room.  They wordlessly resumed their positions on the wall and, to their credit, were angelic throughout the check out process.

We made it to the car without so much as a peep from any of my chicks and were soon on our way.

I could go on and tell you how the ATM ate my card and then informed me it was Temporarily Out of Service and all the fun that went on with that and five children but we'll just end the afternoon's tales right there.

I came home and self-medicated with root beer, chocolate, and inhaled some calming essential oils, so my humor is now somewhat restored.  I know in a few days, it will be hilarious.  But for now, the sugar has taken the edge off just enough for me to get it all down.  For some reason, I deem this as a day I'll want to look back on at some point.

Or maybe I just want to open the book to this chapter and hand it to my kids and remind them how very much I love them.  

I'm not totally convinced that there was chocolate in the Garden of Eden.  In a perfect world, it's not necessary.  But given our fallen status, the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, gave us chocolate.  Just for days like this.

This picture couldn't be any more unrelated, but the straw/glasses was too cute not to tuck in somewhere. 

You think I'm joking, don't you?  You better believe that 'chocolate' is on my list of Thankfullies. 

This Week In Review

The days fly by so quickly that I forget to take the time to document the everyday hilarities that make up this wonderful life I am living. These growing up and discovering the world around us years makes for some great memories for a Mama who tries her best to forget the mundane fights over whose pretend cooking is prettier and tastier and the battles to maintain clean-ish bedrooms...or living rooms...

Y'all know you know what I'm talking about.  Scenes like this happen.  Embrace it.  Revel in it, even.  One day your house will be clean but there won't be sweet little feet running around and grubby little hands hugging your around the knees.

But let's not dwell on such things right now.  It'll just make us sad or nostalgic, depending on what phase of life you find yourself in.

We've spent the end of the week cycling through mild ailments: Sore throats, fevers, headaches, overly tired children.  Nothing major.  Thankfully, the strep test and flu test were negative, but there is no denying that some kind of laid back plague has descended upon the Freeman home.  There's not much to share concerning the last few days, but the beginning of the week had some laughs.  And a few things that I want to remember, too.

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I'm running around like a wild woman the other evening trying to get everyone and everything out the door in time for church.  I finally get everyone in the car and we're headed out of our neighborhood.  Sarah Grace, who was peeking over my shoulder out the front window, squealed a little and gasped, "Mama!  Is that the new punch buggy?"

"No, baby.  That's a Lexus."

Tell me this made somebody besides me giggle?

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Joshua built a fire for us one morning because cold has finally found the Southland.  I was working at not letting it die out when Daniel came over beside me and put his hands on his little knees, squatting a bit to peer at the fire.   

"Backup, baby, it's hot.  Hot!"  I warned him.

He looked at me and wandered off.  A few moments later he was back beside me with oven mitts on his hands.  We all had a belly laugh as he grinned and looked proud of himself.  Smart cookie, that one. 

************

We're really enjoying our Advent readings this year.  The kids have rally been listening and they know the answers to the questions we are asking.  Just as importantly, they are asking some really good questions.  I love seeing the wheels turn and hearing a question at a seemingly random time the day after a reading.  We've been reading Ann's Jesse Tree book for several years now, and I love the simple, beautiful language she uses to relate complex thoughts to a particular passage.

This is our first year to not actually use the Jesse Tree ornaments (I can't find them!) but it hasn't detracted a bit.  In fact, I think it helps the kids to concentrate on the story rather than on whose turn it is to hang the ornament and picking a perfect spot on the tree for it.  I'm thinking maybe next year, we hang the day's ornament in the morning, dwelling on it as the day goes by, then do the reading that evening.  The older kids already relate the image to the story, and I love that they do that, so I want to give the younger children the opportunity to do the same. 

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It's December 15th.  I still only have a tree and a few scattered things about.  We did get the stockings hung, but not before our elf punked us. (I haven't redone my mantle since Spring and yes, it's making me a little zany.)

I know a lot of folks have issues with The Elf on the Shelf for one reason or another, but we love our Fuzzy Fizzbee.  My Mom gifted us with our elf four years ago, and we have enjoyed him so very much! 

Since we don't toe the Santa line,  the elf was never about flying away to Santa each night, but rather a fun game each day.  Each morning, the kids get up and race around to see who can find our elf first.  Sometimes he 'does something' overnight, but usually he's just hiding or hanging out somewhere. 

I love laying in my bed listening to the whispered giggles as they laugh at the elf peeking in on our frogs or the fort he built from pantry items. 

Despite my lack of preparation for Christmas and the fact that Santa is just a story that is fun to pretend, my kids are totally jazzed about the holiday season and all it has to offer.  Christmas light rides, hot chocolate, family gatherings, making ornaments for the tree, whatever.  To them, it's still magical. 

And the best part is that they understand the true 'magic' of the season.  The Baby born of a Virgin, the Holiness of this time of year that was set aside to celebrate His birth and the impact that perfect plan has on each of our lives.  

Anna Is 4!

I've been spending all afternoon perusing through Anna's baby posts.  Y'all, I forgot how much that kid loved to be held! 

She still does.  Perfectly cuddly, that one.

She's spunky and opinionated and wears her heart on her sleeve. 

She has a quick sense of humor that keeps all of us giggling. 

Her imagination knows no bounds.

She loves to sing and to make up stories.

She adamantly refused to not do school this year and pushes to do more every day.

She is fierce and determined to have her way.

Her attachment to Taggie is paralleled only by her independence. 

I told Joshua when I was pregnant with her that she was different from the others.  She is very much her own person.

A person we love to giggle with and cuddle with and listen to.  Happy Birthday, Anna Joy!!

Christmas is Coming!

It was 70 degrees outside yesterday.  Christmas is less than three weeks away, and even though I vowed to have all my Christmas decorations in place by December 1st, I only have a tree up.  No stockings yet, not nothing except a jingle bell here and there, our Elf on the Shelf who traipses about my home in mischievous ways, and a tree.

Maybe if it were cold, which we all know I don't like cold weather, but maybe if it were cold, I would be more on the ball.

Maybe.  It seems to be a year of stupid me.

I was standing around with a friend of mine and her mom (how is it that was so uncool in 6th grade and now I love having my friends' mothers around??) the other night.  We were chatting about our (grand)children and the sweet little music recital they'd just finished and I was totally joking on my friend for being so over-committed she couldn't carve out an afternoon for cookie baking.  She threw my harassment right back at me.

"Hello Pot, I'm Kettle", she said.

"Ha!  I'm done!  I have nothing going on the rest of the season!", I retorted smugly.

"Oh, you're done with all your Christmas shopping already?" inquired her mother.

And that was when my heart stopped beating.  It suddenly dawned on me that I've done NOT ONE SINGLE IOTA of Christmas shopping.  I'm usually done or near to done by the time October rolls around, but this year...

And y'all, there are only 20 days until Christmas.  19 if you take into account the fact that it's just a shade after 10PM as I type this all out.

So that's what I'll be up to this next couple of weeks.  Trying to scurry in a shopping trip here or there or some crafting time to make something after the kids are sleeping.  And the nothing else on my calendar?  I forgot to take into account Christmas gatherings, birthday parties, and church Christmas play commitments.

I need a personal assistant just to get through the day.  Anyone want the job?  I pay in cookies...

Unsolved Mysteries

In a house with lots of littles, there tend to be lots of unanswered questions. 

Like why is there a measuring spoon in the sugar jar and sugar all over the counters and floor?  Not really a 'why' question so much as it is a 'who' question.

But then, aren't they all 'who' questions??

Why (who?) is there an empty bag of yogurt raisins in the pantry?

Why (who?) are there chunks of bread missing from the freshly made loaves on the counter?

I totally caught the perpetrator and snapped a picture before I pulled the little counter surfing monkey down.

Why (who?) is the milk in the reading nook?  The whole gallon! 

Why (who?) is there magic marker drawings inside the bathroom cabinets?

It's the little things like this that make a busy mama think her head will spin all the way around.  Y'all, I'm watching them!  I'm engaged!  And they still find ways to mystify me!

Tell me a recent unsolved mystery from your house.  I need to know I'm not the only one who didn't get eyes in the back of my head...