Punkin Pie

Teamwork

All Dressed Up

Punkin Pie

Thanksgiving in the Garage / Black Friday

It has been two or three years since we went to Uncle Jerry's for Thanksgiving dinner. Uncle Jerry lives in a trailer smaller than ours, but he has an enormous garage with a coal stove to keep it toasty. So its nice for a big meal. Most of Lee's immediate family was there, plus a cousin I have never met, and Uncle Jerry.

Both of my sisters-in-law were there, and Jackie's two boys, my darling nephews, were there. I had a nice time joking around with Jackie. Jackie and I are pretty different, but having kids makes a good bridge, and I feel like we are getting closer. That makes me happy.

There was no fighting. That is huge. I am not sure if everyone is maturing, or if we were just on our best behavior for Uncle Jerry.

Uncle Jerry asked me to help him get a large print KJV Bible from my work.

Before and after we ate, we made our Black Friday plans. Lee's family likes to go out early for the sales. We decided to meet at 3am at Walmart. Lee and I let them know we would be a bit later than that, because we didn't want to wait in line. They were planning to get a good deal on a TV for Dad's new apartment. Jackie left her kids with Danny's mom. (Danny is her long term significant other/father of her kids. We like Danny.)

I waited in the car with Liv and the baby while Lee and Boo scoped out the deals - the baby was still asleep. Dad brought McDonalds out to the car which was pretty thoughtful. Then we all went in. We found some nice deals on $2 DVDs, then realized the line was looping around the store, and we didn't care about the $2 DVDs! Jackie and Danny did buy a bunch of stuff, though. Then we went to Kmart, where we bought Night at the Museum and Surfs Up for the kids for Christmas at $5 each. Not too bad.

Then I suggested we hit up Ollie's, where there were no lines and the deals always kick Walmart's butt. That was where we all hit the jackpot. Lee and I finished up the kids Christmas shopping and got something for the nephews, too. We got Veggie Tales bible reference books for $3.99 - they are $14.99 retail - and some other things for very cheap, too. We were very pleased.

We also found a few Dummies books for Lee that are related to his program at ITT.

After that, Dad treated us to Denny's. Julius sat in the high chair and ate tiny bits of pancake off the table. There was a table of grandmother's behind us who were impressed with his eating skills for his age. Well, he is a Bostwick, after all.

After that, we went to Big Lots. We helped Dad and Jackie pick out presents for our kids. We picked out a really neat crystal growing kit for Elijah, and doll furniture to go with the Barbie house Nana (as in my mom) got Olivia for her birthday.

During all of this running around, Julius was very good. He nursed in the car halfway through, but rode in his wrap the rest of the time. Impulse, our bad little cocker spaniel, had to ride along. He is terribly clingy and barks if we leave the house. Since trailers are thin enough and close enough that your neighbors can hear if you have a fight, the idea of leaving a barking dog behind at 3am did NOT appeal to us. He did all right, but he wanted to get out and go with us the whole time.

By this time, we were all exhausted, but Lee had to go straight to work. I am on the home stretch of this semester so will work on homework... or maybe take a nap?

Here are a few good pictures of the kids.

I got this smile by pretending to sneeze, over and over.

Snippets

Olivia: Mom, did the gobblers in your tummy bite the baby?

Me: Whahuh?

Olivia: repeats question

Me: I didn't have any gobblers in my tummy...

Olivia: Yes, you did the doctors took them out

Me: Oh? ohhh... [gallbladder... gobbler... got it] No, they did not bite the baby.

Olivia: Did they have eyes? Or teeth?

--

Olivia: Mom, you know what I am thankful for?

Me: What?

Olivia: YOU!

later that day

Olivia: Mom, you know what I am thankful for?

Me: What?

Olivia: You!

repeat ad nauseum

--

Elijah, to his paternal great-grandmother: Nanny, what are you thankful for?

Nan: Nanny doesn't have anything, Elijah. Except you kids.

--

This Thanksgiving, I am so grateful and happy. Although its our leanest holiday ever, our lives are so full of goodness and joy. I am becoming aware that many others do not feel the same way.  I will remember to pray for those who do not have the peace and assurance of God's love and protection, which graces my life like the twinkly lights on Charlie Brown's little pine tree.

The I Finally Figured Out How to Get My Pics off My Camera Post

Lee requested an early tree this year. We borrowed a seven-footer off Nan. Actually, the tree was given to me last year by a friend who no longer needed it. I gave it to Nan because it was too big for our apartment. She doesn't want to use it this year because she is short on space with Mom living with her. She got a corner-shaped tree instead. So I asked to borrow the big one because in our new house we have a nice big living room. Like Mr. Weatherby's Christmas Tree, it's just right.

Oohh, what have we got here?

Mashed potatoes and stuffing yuummmm.

High chair yummm.

Abbott and Costello, our adorable budgies. They are chirpy little fellows. If you get one when he is a baby, he can learn how to talk to people, but if you get two, they talk to each other instead.

Learning Styles and the Mystery of the Trinity

Elijah keeps telling me that he understands things with his eyes. I am not sure if this is the indicator of a visual learning style or just a trick of language. Maybe both. Today we were continuing an ongoing discussion on the nature of the Trinity - one of those things you have to get into their heads while they are little because its a lot easier to understand when you are five than when you are twenty-five. Elijah brought it up to me again.

E: Okay, I understand it now, Mom. Jesus is God. And He is His son.

M: Right, and there's a third person, the Holy Spirit.

E: Right. Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.

M: Right. Three persons. One God.

E: And Jesus is God's son. And God.

M: Right.

E: That's weird...

M: Yes. It's a Mystery.

E: God is magic, huh?

M: God is the only magic that is real.

E: Wait! I see it with my eyes!

M: ??

He proceeds to explain the Trinity to me in purely visual language of which I do not understand one iota.

And that's why you have to start young... right? Having conquered the Lord's Prayer - Lij and Liv can both recite it from memory, now - we are now tackling the Apostle's Creed. Maybe we will use the Rich Mullins song for a memory aid, Mommi - sometimes I have to hum the bars to remember my place. It's such a good synopsis of what we all believe as Christians.

When we have these conversations, Olivia listens with big eyes and bigger ears. I am pretty certain she is an audible learner. She is taking notes.

Sunday

I went to Mass by myself today. I had a bad attitude about life and needed readjusted. It really helped.

This afternoon, the children played with their "autobots" - the autobots were having an election to decide who their next president would be. Elijah was voting for Optimus and Blankie Blue One. Olivia was voting for herself.

As for me, I am rereading every book I ever read during my childhood, including all the Little House books. Wow, they are even more awesome than I remember. Here is what I am getting out of them:

First of all, if you ever have a bad attitude about your quality of life, re-read The Long Winter. The Ingalls were stuck with almost no provisions, hit by blizzard after blizzard from Octobr through April. They could only warm one room of their house, and they got warm at night in their bedrooms by snuggling under the covers. They ran out of firewood and had to twist hay into stick-shaped bundles to keep warm. They ran nearly out of food, and lived on plain baked potatoes. They ground their own grain in a coffee maker to make plain brown bread. It was awful, but they were just trying to stay alive. They really didn't feel sorry for themselves. Ma was grateful to Pa for the potatoes and the grain, and Pa was grateful to Ma for keeping the fire going all day. It is really inspiring and even convicting.

Second, their morality is beautiful. The way Ma watched over their words, what they read, and what they thought. Their selflessness in working for each other. Laura giving her salary so Mary can go to school for the blind. The way they raise the kids, teaching them to not even think of disobedience. It would all be cheesy, except that it was true.

Third, their education. The stuff they had to memorize is awesome. They did everything in their head: Math, history, Bible, grammar. I'm pretty bright, but just reading about it made me feel slow.

I remember when I was a little girl, I always looked at new technology with a sense of wonder and thought, "What would Laura and Pa Ingalls think?" After re-reading the series, I am already starting to think that way again...

Deep

Elijah: Mom, if you and Dad lost Julius, would someone else take care of him?

Me: What do you mean?

E: Like if you and Dad lost him, would someone else come and get him and take care of him?

Me: No, if we lost Julius, someone would find him and bring him back to us?

E: Why?

Me: Because he belongs to us and no one else.

E: Okay... but what if you and Daddy died... would someone else come and take care of me and Liv?

Me: Okay. If me and Daddy died, then Nana and Grandpa would take care of you.

E: Would they come really fast right away?

Me: Uh... uh... I could teach you to use the phone to call them.

E: Could I just run to another trailer and tell them my mom and dad died?

Me: Oh... of course you could, honey.

E: You could teach me to use the phone, too. Will you teach me right now?

Me: Uh... sure. First you have to learn Nana's phone number.

E: Can I have a piece of paper?

Me: Here you go.

E: Okay. What is Nana's number?

M: *dictates the number to him*

E: *writes down 'Nana: 7**-****'

Me: Got it?

E: Got it. *reads it back to me correctly* Now what is your work number?

Me: What?

E: Your work number.

*repeat whole process, writing down 'Mom Work', until Boo has a large print phone book in Crayola Brown and Type Paper White, including all grandmother's numbers and both parents work numbers*

E: Now I'm just gonna keep this on my desk.

Me: Inside your desk would be fine.

E: *frowns* No... can you get me a locker? Do you have any money?

Me: Well... not right now.

E: Well, when you get some money, can you go to Walmart and get me a locker? So I can keep this stuff safe? Unless you don't want to...

Me: Maybe we'll talk to Santa about getting you one for Christmas.

E: Or you could get me one for my birthday. Or you could get me two. To keep all my stuff safe.

Me, later: You know Mommy and Daddy aren't going to die, right?

E: *sighs* I know.

He's only 5 1/2... but he's deep. He's so precious. God give me wisdom and grace to know how to raise him up, please!

Election Day, and More Importantly...

Miss Olivia turned 4 today. During the last presidential election, I was counting the hours until her birth - the newspaper from the day she was born declares Bush as the winner. I love this darling girl. She is so spirited. She is always in a flurry, always wanting hugs. She is a lot like me, and I am asking God for the grace to be able to raise her well. Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter.

We got up this morning and Lee was too wound up to go to school. My history loving husband cares for nothing more than watching history happen with his whole heart.

We voted right after lunch. We took the three kids and explained the process to them on the way. We had to vote in New Cumberland because we didn't get our address changed in time (it's okay.) Elijah had some basic understand of what the election meant, though he does not understand the concept of a government.

After voting, we got our free coffee from Starbucks.

Lee took a nap in the afternoon, while the kids and I did schoolwork.

We watched the election coverage all night, Lee and I staying up even for the final speeches. It's over now. No more irritating campaign commercials. Now, as ever, we put the country and our lives in God's hands.

I am almost caught up with schoolwork.

This weekend we will celebrate with a party for Liv.

Boo's Prayer Tonight:

"Jesus, we're happy tonight. Nana and my cousins are not moving away. Our family is not going to be cut. Nana wants to celebrate Christmas and my birthday and Livvy's birthday with us. Thank you, Jesus. Amen."

The last two nights, his prayers were starting with "Jesus, we're not happy tonight..." so this mama's heart is much happier now. Much, much happier.