Christmas

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours has been fun and eventful.

At the Gentry gathering (my mom's side) on Saturday, Drew made it his job to go around and help everyone else unwrap their gifts. It was great to see everyone. A few of my cousins were unable to attend because of distance and new babies, but we had a nice time visiting with all who came.

We then drove to Peoria for the Miles Christmas. Andy's mom visited the Children's museum with us over the summer and commented how she had always wanted a dollhouse when she was a little girl. So the kids got together and got her one for Christmas. It was wonderful to see her face light up when we put it together:) We missed having Cassidy (our great-niece) there this year but the kids still had fun. It was so nice to visit with Denny and Barb, Debbie and Jade, and Charissa and Dan.

Christmas morning was magical. Drew was very enthusiastic this year. Last year he was so tired opening his presents that it was comical. Drew received a Big Wheel from Santa and Mirra received a LeapFrog table. Mirra's favorite part was all the paper. Andy got an iPod from Santa and I got a necklace and DVD player. The kids played with their toys until my parents and brother came. Andy grilled steaks (chicken for me, I know I'm a weirdo but I don't eat things that are bloody or even pink). Andy got some inflatable 'boppers' that Drew quickly made use of. He kept bopping Papa on the head and getting a very animated reaction from him:) Finally Papa's head became pink. We told Drew that Papa's head was hurt so he kissed him on the top of his head.

We went to Anita's that night to have dinner with her, Ryan, and Gram Ellington. My brother left that night, but my parents are staying for a nice visit for a few days.

With my parents here Andy and I had a chance to go out on a date. Charlie Wilson's War: LOT of f-bombs but a very good movie.

Mid-Marathon

We are half-way through our holiday marathon. We had a very nice time over the weekend at my parents' for the Gentry Christmas and then at Peoria for the Miles' gathering. It was great to see family and friends and to introduce Mirra to a few more people that are important to us. Pictures will soon follow, I haven't downloaded yet. We are now back home waiting for Santa;)

I have to share this little blurb that I read in my Parents magazine while on the road.

"Our family was at church when my 4-year-old son, Jeff, started to act out. I told him if he continued to misbehave he'd be in huge trouble and we'd have to leave. When he didn't stop, I had no choice but to pick him up and carry him out. As I walked toward the exit, Jeff turned to the congregation and yelled out, "Please pray for me!"
Rod Hanson; Park Forest, IL.

Merry Christmas to you all!!!!

Cash or Credit?

We were eating out for lunch today. As Andy opened his wallet Drew pointed to his credit card and says "cash". Not quite Buddy:)

Let It Snow

Drew and Andy had a chance to build a snowman last night. We didn't get as much as was expected over the weekend, but it was enough for a little fun. At least it wasn't like the snowfall we had before, which was accompanied by one of our sycamore trees falling. Amazingly we didn't hear it fall, but our neighbors told us they did.

We had a little excitement yesterday in our 'neck of the woods'. When I went to pick up Drew from pre-school there were two cop cars parked by the entrance to the drive. When I pulled up one of the school administrators passed Drew off to me with the information that our bank in little Clayton, Indiana had been robbed and to be careful. As I drove home I saw at least 6 law enforcement vehicles at the bank and the yellow tape running around it. The only information we got from the news was that a male threatened the teller but didn't show a weapon. He had not been apprehended as of last night.

Mommy's Letter to Santa

I got this in an e-mail from a Supermom friend of mine.

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms tha t don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, 'Yes, Mommy' to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting 'Don't eat in the living room' and 'Take your hands off your brother,' because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yo urs Always,

MOM...

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

2:00 a.m.

Yep....I jinxed it.

Yep, She's a Miles

Miss Mirra is a Miles alright, choosing the car toy over the blocks. This one has motor oil in her veins, too. I know I am jinxing it but she has slept through the night for 4 nights in a row with the exception of a binky call now and then.

We got to see Uncle Bee's new house in Kansas (for you Eastern alums that is east of Charleston). There are two young horses on the property right now. Drew was enthralled with them. "One black and one brown". He and Grammy fed them apples. We see horses all the time by our house but he has never been that close to them.


Now we await the holiday marathon to begin next Saturday. It will be fun to see family and I know I am anxious to see the kids with all the wrapping paper and festivities.

Mirra at 6 Months

We had our first snow of the season last night. Just enough to make things look pretty and not enough to make it difficult to get around.

Mirra had her 6 month checkup today. She is REALLY growing up fast! She is 16 lbs. 14 oz. and 26 inches long. Percentille-wise she is running right around the middle. Doc says she looks great physically and developmentally:) She is starting to babble more. The other night I was showing her a rubber duck and telling her what it was repeatedly. She said "guck". Andy and I just looked at each other and asked "did she really just say that?". Sure sounded like it. Of course whe wouldn't do a repeat performance:)

Drewisms

While watching the Speed channel Drew Says “No Stock cars, more Sprint cars”. He later points to the wings on the Sprint cars he says “Take them off”.

Asking Drew “Who are you” he replies “Drew Smiles”. Pointing to Andy, me, and Mirra “Daddy Smiles, Mommy Smiles, Mirra Smiles”.

Haircuts are Drew's least favorite thing in the entire world (therefore they are Mommy's least favorite thing also). We were stopped at a light near, but not within sight of, a place I had taken Drew to get his hair cut 8 months ago. Drew pipes up from the back seat "No haircuts today".