Coal and Switches

Luke and Steve went to run some errands last Saturday. They saw a friend from church at Safeway. He asked Luke what he got for Christmas. Steve said, "tell him you got coal and switches." Ever the obedient child, Luke repeated what Steve said, having no idea what it meant.
On Sunday, Steve went to church very early to rehearse with the praise team, as it was his Sunday to help lead the worship time. Luke usually goes and plays with another boy before church starts. But, we elected to keep him home because there wasn't any Sunday school this week. Any child older than 2 was expected to sit through the service with their parents. Keep in mind, Luke has gone to church for more than 4 years and has never sat through an entire church service. There is almost always someone available in his classroom to watch him. But, feeling brave, we marched into the 'big church' as Luke calls it. Of course, he spotted several of his friends and wanted to sit with all of them. The place was packed and there wasn't room, so we chose a place near the front where he could see Steve singing. I managed to hold him through all of the opening songs so he could maintain his view of his dad. We finally finished and settled in to our seats when they announced that all the children could come forward to hear a story. I figured he would be afraid. But he surprised me with his bravery and insisted that he go up front. If I had known what was coming, I would have sat on him to keep him in his seat.
Our friend, Mrs. Plett, worship leader and most excellent kindergarten teacher, sat everybody down on the steps at the front of the sanctuary. Luke muscled his way in to sit beside her, then saw his buddy Brayden at the back, so he raced down the steps to sit beside him. Mrs. Plett announced that she needed 5 people to share what they got for Christmas.
"Oh, me, me!" Luke shouted from the back of the group. "I have something to tell you! Pick me!"
"Yes, Luke? What did you get for Christmas?" she said, handing him the microphone.
"I got coal and switches!"
Silence. "Steve?" Mrs. Plett asked, looking around for Steve to translate.
Steve and I were too busy sinking in to our seats. Did I mention it was a packed house?
"Oh, oh, I mean, Geotrax. I got Geotrax." He quickly corrected himself. I guess he wanted to make sure he told the truth. We are in church, after all.
I took solace in the fact that only Steve and I knew what he said. He really seemed to enjoy the spotlight, because he clamored for the microphone once again. Mrs. Plett did an excellent job of fending him off, though, and finished the story without further interruption.
He strutted back to his seat, clearly quite proud of his achievements.
I took him out in the narthex toward the end of the service because he couldn't keep quiet. Several people came up and complimented me on his 'cuteness'. It was obvious to me that they had no idea about the coal and switches. That's good news. Be careful what you tell a 4 year old, they might actually repeat it at a most inopportune time.

T'was a very merry Christmas

Steve and his Wake Forest jersey
Papa Dave

Grandma Nancy

Heather

A nearly perfect family photo

Andy

Luke

We are recovering from quite the merry day yesterday. Our big plan was to get up at the crack of dawn (because that's when Luke gets up), enjoy our Santa gifts, then pile everything and everybody in the car for the trek to my sister's house. Well, there was a wee bit of snow in the driveway. I can't remember the last time we had this much snow. Perhaps this is a first. Luke didn't want to stop opening gifts, but we convinced him that if he opened everything by 7:15 am, he would be quite distraught by midday. Surprisingly, he listened to us and we were able to put a few wrapped gifts in the car. Andy only cared about one thing: the brand new police car he found in his stocking. If that thing didn't cause more problems between here and Puyallup...good grief. We were all fighting about that stupid car. Who gets it, who doesn't, who is going to confiscate it...it went on and on. We arrived at my sister's and enjoyed a delicious brunch, lots of delightful gifts and good conversation. My parents were able to pick up my grandmother and bring her over, as well. I think everybody did very well, given the number of people involved and the amount of gifts that needed to be opened. Heather had more company arriving, so Steve and I loaded up the boys (and all of our loot) and followed my parents back to their house. Grammie was a good sport about all of the chaos. We relaxed, ate some more, played with the boys' new toys, ate some more. It was all very fun. We came home totally exhausted but thankful for our delightful family and somewhat cooperative weather for traveling. We spent most of today just trying to recover and the boys were busy enjoying their toys. They are totally in to trains and hot wheels cars. Very fun.

Ugh. Cabin Fever!

The snow was delightful, I'm so glad it made an appearance. However, it is intefering with my plans for the week and I'm ready for it all to melt. All sentimental notions of a white Christmas have been pushed aside...because I want to go back to my normal, mobile minivan-driving life. We are all just a little bit sick of each other, I think. Steve devised a brilliant plan to cope with the cabin fever: he took Luke to work with him for the morning. Hooray! Andy is having a good time playing with all the toys without any interuptions and I'm enjoying a nice stroll through blogland. We are a little worried that we won't be able to see my family for Christmas. Mom and Dad live at the top of a hill that could be a bit dicey if it is covered in ice and snow. My sister's neighborhood streets are covered in snow, as well. I think we'll be a bit sad if we need to postpone our Christmas day plans.

A Very Exciting Snow Day

Andy playing in the not-so-secret passageway
Luke enjoying his role as project manager

A sledding adventure

Too cute!

Steve decided to stay home from work today, given the road conditions. We were glad to have him around and he enjoyed some snowy adventures with the boys. Andy absolutely loved being outside. He didn't seem cold at all. Luke came in first to warm up and lost interest in going back out. Steve was surveying the neighborhood, trying to see what other generator owners were up to. Supposedly we are going to get quite the wind storm tomorrow, which always leads to extensive power outages around here. In his search for an extra gasoline can, he inquired about keys to our outdoor storage area. Suddenly it all came back to me: Giving in to Luke's multiple requests to put up the tree, fetching the tree from its home in the storage area, lugging the tree in its rubbermaid container up the deck stairs, allowing Luke to hold the only set of keys to the storage area...losing track of the keys in my haste to decorate the tree before any ornaments were broken. I have no idea where those keys are. Luke informed us we put them back in the key basket, but we sure can't see them. Resisting the urge to call a locksmith, Steve was struck with a profound thought. There is a secret passage way! This involved a little surgery on the carpet in a closet, but at last the hatch was exposed and the boys were fascinated. Luke was a little concerned for Steve's safety, but short of a minor cut, all is well. The door was unlocked and now the boys are having a blast running in and out of the closet. I was sweating bullets because I have Christmas presents hidden in the storage area. I couldn't imagine pursuading a locksmith to come out and rescue our loot in the middle of a storm. We needed some additional excitement around here...

Arctic Blast '08

Discarded strollers make excellent snow toys. Who knew?
This is Andy's second winter to play in the snow, but probably the first time he's really enjoyed it. He was so upset when we had to go in. Sorry, fellas. Mama is freezing!

Pausing for a photo op

We bought this gingerbread house kit at Costco. Luke got bored quickly and Andy only wanted to eat the candy, so we called it quits fairly early. It's a sparsely decorated house, but fun nonetheless.

We enjoyed our first winter storm over the weekend. Unfortunately, the freezing cold temperatures appear to be sticking around. It's too cold for school, too cold for outdoor play...the boys decided to make life interesting and come down with colds this afternoon. Ugh.

Happy Birthday, Grandma Nancy

Luke, Emily and Allison
Grandma opening her presents

Celebrating with cheesecake

We had a little party for Grandma Nancy over the weekend. She celebrated her 59th birthday (wink, wink). She didn't want to cook for her own birthday, can't say that I blame her, so Heather pulled together a little feast and we chipped in with the dessert. Thanks to the nice ladies at the bakery, we enjoyed a plethora of cheesecake. The kids had a good time together. It's always nice to come over and see what kind of toys the cousins have on hand. I was on a mission to collect some cute pictures for holiday gift-giving. I was somewhat successful, I suppose. Happy birthday, mom.

Steve and Luke's big trip

Luke/Darth enjoying the cousins' Star Wars paraphenalia

Getting ready to cheer for the home team, the Carolina Panthers

Sending mama a nice "hello"
Luke and Steve are on their way home from a week in North Carolina, but I thought I would post some of the photos they have sent. I just spoke to Grandma, she says they all had a wonderful time. I think they'll be exhausted, but I'm glad Steve and Luke were able to make the trip. Andy and I have enjoyed our time together, once we got over the weirdness of it all. He's had some monster tantrums today, so maybe he's ready for his family to be back together. I'm ready for a sense of normalcy, myself. I'm not ready for the sibling rivalry to resume, however.

Gobble Gobble

This is Andy, celebrating Thanksgiving in Eatonville. He is a happy camper this week, as his brother has gone away for a few days. Andy is playing with all of Luke's toys, messing up his stuff, watching whatever he wants...Steve and Luke went to North Carolina for Thanksgiving. Andy was a bit of a party pooper last year, so we decided to keep him home this time. We enjoyed a quiet and calm Thanksgiving at my parents' house. Today I am tackling all sorts of projects while half the residents are out of the house.

An Early Feast

We went to visit Grammie at her new assisted living place today. They were having a Thanksgiving feast for friends and family. The food was delicious, although I don't think they were prepared for such a large crowd. It was my first time to visit her since she moved in. My parents have been several times. I think it's nice and the staff seems very helpful and attentive to her needs. Our boys were total squirrells, so I didn't have a chance to take any pictures. I didn't feel sad until we went upstairs to see her room. I heard her say, "this is where I have to live now, Luke" and I nearly lost it. It seems to be the best option for everybody and she is in good spirits, but it is still really difficult to wrap my mind around. Is this really what getting old is all about? I will be going back more frequently as there are many more events to attend between now and Christmas, as well as some birthdays to celebrate. I hope it gets easier each time.

Who Dunnit?

We attended our first murder mystery dinner party over the weekend. What fun! It was an Italian theme, the murder victim owned the italian restaurant. We all played roles that connected us to the victim, also making us possible suspects. I was the widow and Steve was my son/aspiring pro soccer player/waiter. It was hysterical! Our friends did a wonderful job playing their parts and providing delicious food. I highly recommend the murder mystery game.

Cute Little Fellas

Luke says this is Seattle town.
"cheese!"

These pictures were fun to take, I couldn't resist their cuteness.

I'm not biased at all. Not even a tiny bit.

Happy Birthday, Steve!

We celebrated Steve's birthday rather quietly tonight. He opened most of his presents on Sunday when my family was here. We are over the moon for these sugar cookies. They are available at our local grocery stores and we just can't seem to get enough. Silly, I know, it's just a cookie. But it was the perfect post-pizza treat for the birthday boy. I think he enjoyed Luke's rendition of the birthday song the most.

Happy Birthday, Grammie Great!

We gathered at our house to celebrate Grammie's 86th birthday today. She was recently moved in to an assisted living facility. Although she was rather resistant to the idea, it seems like she is adjusting to the new routine...depending on what day you visit her, I guess. I must confess, I haven't been brave enough to take the boys by to see her, yet. I will have to work up my courage, I suppose. She had us in stitches tonight, saying exactly what was on her mind.

Go on, Grammie! Tell it like it is.

So Long, Wesser Dog

Although my previous post was written before I knew about this situation, it seems I am on a roll with the theme of canines and the after life. Our family in North Carolina said a sad farewell over the weekend. Long time family pet (and first born in this particular family, because we all know dogs acquired before babies are really just like...well, babies) Wesser went to the happy hunting ground. Wesser accompanied Steve and I on our first date, so she holds a special place in my heart. Apparently Steve thought he would woo me with a cute springer spaniel. It worked. I was wooed. She lived a long and happy life, but that probably doesn't make it any easier. So long, Wesser dog. We'll miss you.

Keepin' It Real

The scene: our breakfast table, oh-dark-thirty
The characters: wide awake, inquisitive, verbose Luke and extremely tired mommy

"Why is that dog on the front of the paper?"
"He died" (no need to couch it, let's be honest, right?)
"Died?!"
"Yes, died. All dogs die eventually."
Gasp! "Even our dog?"
"Yes."
"Will we get a new one?"
"Maybe. We'll be sad for a while, then we'll get a new one." (I'm sure he's headed for therapy at this point).
"Can he come back again after he dies?"
"Nope. Only Jesus did that."
"Well, what about papa's brother? He came back, I saw him."
This is when I realized that he couldn't grasp the concept of my dad having more than one brother. Hmmm...if we're confounded by number of relatives, how do we even attempt the really fun stuff like eternity?
"Papa Dave has 3 brothers, one in heaven and 2 here."
"Here? Where?"
"Well, not here. They live in Colorado. That's another state." This day is just getting longer and longer by the minute.
"Colorado. Oh, okay, got it."
He moves off to the couch with his chocolate milk. I return to my coffee and newspaper.
"What happens when you die?"
Did I mention it is maybe 6:15 in the morning? Unbelievable. I decided to be realistic, yet simple.
"Well, we believe that you either go to heaven or someplace yucky." I couldn't bring myself to delve into H-E-double hockey sticks. Perhaps after lunch, when I'm feeling a bit more perky.

"Someplace yucky? Where is it?"
"I don't know, I've just heard it is yucky."
"Hmm. I'll ask dad when he gets home, maybe he knows."
"Yes, let's ask dad."

"Mom, could we ask God for another baby?" Coffee nearly spews from my mouth.

That's our Lukester. Just keepin' it real.

Whew! We Need A Weekend from Our Weekend

Uncle Steve, Luke and the cousins getting this pumpkin party started. The kids love it!
Andy chatting it up with Grammie. It was nice to see her laugh a little bit.
Everybody say, "pumpkin guts!"

We didn't intend to be so busy this weekend, but it definitely panned out that way. I always estimate that time will stand still on Saturday mornings, no one will need anything and I'll be able to check several tasks off my "list". Ha! It was soccer Saturday for our family. Luke had a game in Enumclaw, so we loaded up and headed south. The other team scored repeatedly, as we don't seem to grasp the concept of defense yet. Luke would run as fast as he could to catch his opponent, but wouldn't quite attempt to take the ball away from him. Yet he dutifully returned the soccer ball to the referee each time his opponent scored another goal. I finally gave up. I realized winning was not as important to him as it was to me. Just to remind me of what really matters, we spent the late afternoon at my niece's soccer game. I guess you would call this 'select' soccer or 'club' soccer. She is the smallest and probably the fastest kid on the team. She definitely possesses some skills for an 11 year old. We were impressed. However, I was not too impressed by the attitudes of the other adults in the stands. After five minutes of listening to them gripe and complain about every single little thing and belittle the coach's knowledge, I had to get up and move. I went and stood at the fence to record some footage with the video camera. Suddenly, I was thankful for my little 4 year old and his care free attitude on the soccer field. He didn't care about winning or the choices his coach made. He was just happy to run around and be a boy.

We finished the evening with some spaghetti and pumpkin carving with my family. What a fun Saturday!
Today, Luke was scheduled to sing at the church where he attends preschool. Not a solo, mind you, but a group effort. I stayed home with Andy because I thought he would be a wreck after all the excitement of yesterday. I didn't watch the video yet, but Luke informed me that he didn't want to sing because all of those people were looking. That's totally what I would have done, too.

A Day On the Farm

We enjoyed a wonderful preschool field trip to a small farm in Enumclaw today. I packed our winter coats and hats, but it was surprisingly warm when we got to the farm. I was so grateful for the sunshine. A rainy day on a farm just sounds a bit...well, muddy. The first stop was a huge pit of corn, complete with a slide. Preschoolers of all shapes and sizes were wading, jumping, sliding, giggling their way through the kernels. I have invested in cars, trains, more cars, costumes, DVD's...I've had it all wrong. A vat of corn kernels is what I need for hours of endless entertainment. Who knew? They explored a hay maze, which Luke says was his favorite part. We also took a short hay ride, which Andy screamed bloody murder about. He must have been scared, because he couldn't wait to get off that thing. He was quite pleased to see the sand box full of dump trucks and diggers, though. I want to take them back again, just to play in that sand box. We wrapped up our adventure with the much-loved selection of the pumpkin.