A Couple QOTD

It's been awhile, but this week we had a couple of gems.
After I received an early Christmas gift of a pair of earrings, "Mommy, I'm so glad your ears are already punched." 
This morning my mom made fancy oats for everyone that included a grated apple. While she was grating F asked, "Granny Annie, why are you beating up that apple?"

Dear Santa

Translation for those not fluent in Kindergarten-ese:
He's been really good, he wants slot cars, this year has been excellent, and Red is our elf.
He read the letter and filled in the blanks 100% on his own while I was buying jeans to replace all the pairs that have recently turned into high waters.

Flipper

FFM is perfecting the flip turn. He used to twist first then try to flip.  He's getting it down, but is so excited when he does it right that he stops to hear the praise. Maybe next week he'll swim on and on...

Ache

I've started dripping tears at odd times the last 24 hours. I think thoughts (which a couple of days ago would have been totally irrational) along the lines of never letting my beloved 5 year old out of my sight. I am all out of sympathy for people who think current gun control is fine. I've heard their arguments, could see their side, but no more. I've been tipped over the edge.

I ache for the families. I ache for the children who lived through it and the parents who face the daunting task of repairing those children. I ache for and applaud the teachers who did everything they could to protect their charges. Travis commented, not in a heartless way, "I hope they {the children} are young enough that their brains just block it out and they don't remember." I fear it won't end this way and I fear this escalation of horror that cloaks our country and the world.

I support any action, governmental or otherwise, that will slow the tide of innocent children being killed. It was too many casualties 13 years ago at Columbine, and think how the tally has increased since then.

5 year olds are not equipped to battle this. They should be innocent, they are defenseless, and I want to make the world safer for them. When I was 12 I was in a position where I heard gunfire at school. It wasn't inside the school, but outside. The gunmen were people who were supposed to have guns. You know what, it was scary as hell. We lined up, crawled though the halls, and were evacuated. No one at the school was killed, but I still remember that day so clearly that I don't see how the children at Sandy Hook will ever forget.

I can't talk to F about this. We talked about Jessica Ridgeway and briefly about Aurora, but I can't talk about this. He shouldn't be scared to go to school and I don't see any way to prepare him. So it's all on us, as parents, to do something.

I'll support any and all means that will keep our nation's children safe. If adults have to make sacrifices to their rights, so be it. Our children have rights too and they can't vote for them yet. It's my job as a Mom to protect my family and I'm all in. I am open to changes from any quarter, from religious prayer to better health care and mental screening to changing how the public procures weapons.

Here is a small sample of the online places you can be heard.
We The People by the White House
SignOn Democracy in Action
Momsrising Where Moms and the People Who Love Them Go to Change the World
Contact your elected officials
Find your local government

Keeping up with the Season

I finished my last knitted gift this evening. I had a brainstorm that I'd handmake all of the teacher gifts this year. Then I added one or two more...the last one finished will be gifted tomorrow at a family get together. Nothing like cutting it close, I think it must be the knitter way this time of year. I had a good time knitting this gifting season, I learned a new technique and scored some divine wool on sale. There are two more pieces that didn't make the picture because they're already wrapped up.

I haven't been enthusiastic about baking this month. I think I'm still full from Thanksgiving. I plunged into the baking scene anyway to make sure we had treats for all our neighbors. I remembered a new cookbook I got this year that specializes in high altitude baking. A trickle of inspiration struck when I found a new sugar cookie recipe. Then I got a request for gingerbread cookies, so I started baking. I still want to try these eggnog cookies and F learned about Spritz and subsequently filed another cookie request. After those I'm done, no more cookies!

1st go at new sugar cookie recipe. Decor by F.

It's not all work around here. We are making good use of our symphony membership and attended the annual Colorado Christmas performance. Our seats are on an aisle very close to the stage and F was utterly transfixed as the Colorado Children's Chorale entered the theater right next to him. Like last year he really wanted to be up there singing with the kids. Maybe when he's seven (the required minimum age) he'll get past the steps and actually onto the stage under the bright lights.

Santa 2012

We visited a new Santa this year, but the joy and awe remain the same. FFM is SO excited to see ANY Santa, it brings tears to my eyes.

On the wish list this year: a camera, slot cars, and a Furby. FFM has been busy saving up for toys that he wants and he's figured out that these items are all "big" purchases so he learned how to work the system and is counting on them coming from the big man in red. I'm pretty sure he'll make out with 2 out of 3 which isn't half bad for a kiddo who's been really good this year.

Yesterday we had our first movie date in a long time. Travis has been out of town all week and he's been hard to reach by phone or Skype so we've been feeling a bit lonely. Movie dates always are fun for us and we saw The Guardians. Now not only is F's faith in Santa even more reinforced, but so is his belief in all other magical beings. This morning I heard all about how Jack Frost was playing on our deck last night. I love imagination!

Santa the past few years...from 6 months to last year, 4.5 years.

Busy Boy

Before school started Travis and I had some lengthy dicussions about the volume of activities FFM wanted to do. This child would be happy if he were in some organized group activity every day. However, we parents opt for at least a couple days off.

Swimming is going well.  After seeing the swimmers at the Olympics this summer FFM 'borrowed' my swim cap and now wears it for every lesson. He's refining his strokes and hopes to be on a summer league swim team next summer.

Piano is where he really excels. I'm constantly stunned at his skill and persistence for practice. He gets frustrated when he can't learn a piece in a couple of reads; this semester of piano he's been challenged by longer and more complicated pieces and he's learning to keep going instead of just quitting if it's too hard the first time. This fall FFM inherited my grandma's piano and it was barely in the door when he started playing it.

Somewhere FFM learned about choir and Sunday School so we've become pretty regular church goers. He sings at least once a month in service-our church is very musical with several choirs, bells, 3 piece combos, orchestra, and more. This weekend he sang in the angel choir for the Annual Advent Pageant. He loves choir and manages to be in the front row AND wear a tie for every performance. Notice he is surrounded by girls...perhaps one reason he likes choir so much?

Right before Thanksgiving FFM started 6 weeks of ice skating lessons. I really like this activity because it's on Saturday morning and Travis gets to take him. I tag along occasionally and try to stay warm while we watch him master basic skills like gliding, going backwards, and making tiny jumps. Soon we'll trade ice skating for ski school, just as soon as some snow arrives.

Even after all this FFM wants to go to more.  The school sends home fliers for after school activites every couple of weeks and the latest one was for a ceramics class. FFM asked to do it, and after even more discussion we said OK. Last Tuesday was the first day of class and as I stood in front of the school at 5pm waiting to pick him up I thought about how strange it was to be at school in the dark. When we got all loaded into the car FFM admitted, "Mom, I had a really great day today but it was LONG!" I was concerned it was too long a day but he was adamant about continuing. Mr. Social Butterfly had a grand time and can't wait to go back.

QOTD

A couple today that made my heart melt.
"Mommy, where does the sidewalk end? Can we read the book and find out?"
Yes. We read about twenty poems, including that one.

"I'm tired. I think maybe I should go to bed early tonight."
That was FFM, NOT me for a change!

Annual Tree Lighting

When you come to our house for the first time we will give you directions that sound like this: "it's the house just past the two giant spruce trees."  We love our big trees, even the one that will have to go soon b/c it's taking over the house. The other one, however, is prime for Christmas decorating.  It just looks like a giant Christmas tree.

The 2nd Christmas we were in this house Travis managed to get a few lights up on the tree.  Each subsequent year we've honed our technique (the tree is 30ft+ tall and on a slope) and added more lights.  I also found some large sparkly 'balls' to trim the tree so it's Christmasy even during the day when the lights are off.

Travis just left for a week long business trip, but before he left he managed to get the big tree trimmed. The rest of the holiday decorating was up to FFM and I.  We trimmed the tree, decked the halls, and sang some tunes today.  We had such a good time, even without Travis, that we were nearly late for FFM's advent pageant at church.