We have survived three kids with two Christmas trees for quite some time, but if I've learned one thing as a parent. it is to never say "never"... The Friday after Thanksgiving, I began decorating our living room. I always put a tree with white lights and red and gold trimmings up in our front window. I like being able to decorate a tree myself and have a room look fairly clutter-free (except for Jeff's many guitars that is... Well... I guess I should say it is fairly 'kid free'- though again, let's face it- that is nearly impossible in this house).
As always, the kids loved watching me decorate and were excited dancing around and singing carols. The Bigs would hand me the ornaments and appeared to understand that this was 'mom's' tree. They didn't even try to put them on the tree themselves. It seemed to be a huge success until I looked down and saw the newest addition to our family walking around with the most curious little smile on his face.
And so I stepped back and watched... There is nothing quite like watching a child experience the lights and beauty of that first Christmas- and let's face it, last year at two months old, he hardly knew what was going on around him. It was hard to just watch him- spy really, but I did. He walked to the tree slowly and then... well his curiosity got the best of him. He reached out and I firmly said, "No." He looked at me, probably surprised that I was there, pulled his hand back from the ornaments and shook his head 'no'. We repeated this quite a few times until I thought- "YES! He's learning! He won't be touching the tree ornaments! We are four for four! I am the best mom in the WORLD!!!
It wasn't long until I noticed I was wrong... The lure of the lights was too much for him and he was back! I realized that one added child is a bit much for me and I cannot possibly be by his side every time he reached for a bulb to tell him 'no'. It also would have been unwise to let him pull off glass bulbs and clap them together... And so, I remembered getting this baby gate from Jeff's sister years ago from when Joey was a baby. I went to the basement and sure enough, there it was, still in the box (Joe- of all our kids- was hands down the easiest baby- I think that's how God gets you into wanting more... the first one is so easy!). I opened the box and it was perfect! We actually were able to get part of the gate around our living room tree and save the rest of the pieces for our family room tree. Problem solved! I had won the battle! And then I was off to put up my 'Christmas in the City' village. It sits upon our piano so I don't have to worry about Sean touching that... yet!
I love reading your blog. I'm sorry I don't tell you enough. You have a gift that I know you spread to your students. You have a beautiful family. I admire your positivity. I admire you as a writer, as a teacher, and as a mother. God bless you. Love, Grazia
Do your kids love the little village? I took my 2 1/2 year old to the a store similar to Home Depot a week or so ago, and they had all kinds of mechanized little village buildings, and she spent 1/2 hour looking at all of them. She thought it was the most amazing thing.
Your tree is beautiful and I am in love with your village. So glad you have the gate, it's a good idea. I would love to know what goes on in their brains when they see a tree like that for the first time.
It's getting to me... I don't know if it's the sleep deprivation or the crazy schedule of being a full time working mom and having four kids at home... but it's getting to me. I am so tired. Last night I was up at midnight with Sean, then at 2:30 with Joe who was sick and threw up, I got back to bed at 3 and slept for 15 minutes until Sean woke up again. I let him cry for 45 MINUTES until I could take it no more, staggered into his room and nursed him. And then I was up before six to start my day which looks something like this.. Wake up, shower, get ready for work prior to kids waking up... (praying that they don't wake up) then waking the bigs who can dress themselves, and getting Zach changed and dressed, then downstairs to make breakfast for three bigs while putting together pump parts to take to school (that were drying over-night), clean up from breakfast, meds for Zach which now include a breathing treatment (from last Tuesday's doc apt), shoes on a...
Well, we knew this day would come. Prayed that it would be clear and it was. On Sunday night I laid with Cobi as I have (more so in recent weeks). He asked to go outside at one point and he was out longer than usual. I called for him to come inside and he didn't come. I had been cleaning the kitchen and I thought perhaps I had let him inside. My brain isn't the best. I ran upstairs and to all his favorite places, but he was nowhere to be found. I grabbed my shoes, wrapped my arms around me and went out to the cold calling for my baby, in a panic. He came to me slowly from out in the darkness and when we got inside I sat with him, wrapped my arms around him and cried. As promised. He had told me. This was it. Somehow I went to school and made the call. The last appointment of the day was at 5:20pm and since Joey wasn't getting home until 6:00, I took it as a consult and then also booked the first appointment for t...
So some of you know that I have two blogs. This blog- which has reflected on my day to day adventures with my living children, things I love and the occasional "Pause" blog where I remember my angels. My other blog (That I refer to as my 'Pause' blog) has been an entire blog about my angels-a therapy to me in a sense- how they've changed me, restored me and helped me. I have met a huge community of mothers who have lost children and have been nominated by two of them for this Honest Scrap award (for my 'Pause' blog) The idea is similar to the last 'award' I wrote about, my new friends stated in their blogs that: The award is about bloggers who post from their heart, who write from the depths of their soul. In order to accept the award I must nominate seven fellow bloggers as recipients, and then list ten honest and interesting things about myself. So- although I was nominated on 'Pause'- I'm writing on 'Days' because I have sh...
We have survived three kids with two Christmas trees for quite some time, but if I've learned one thing as a parent. it is to never say "never"... The Friday after Thanksgiving, I began decorating our living room. I always put a tree with white lights and red and gold trimmings up in our front window. I like being able to decorate a tree myself and have a room look fairly clutter-free (except for Jeff's many guitars that is... Well... I guess I should say it is fairly 'kid free'- though again, let's face it- that is nearly impossible in this house).
As always, the kids loved watching me decorate and were excited dancing around and singing carols. The Bigs would hand me the ornaments and appeared to understand that this was 'mom's' tree. They didn't even try to put them on the tree themselves. It seemed to be a huge success until I looked down and saw the newest addition to our family walking around with the most curious little smile on his face.
And so I stepped back and watched... There is nothing quite like watching a child experience the lights and beauty of that first Christmas- and let's face it, last year at two months old, he hardly knew what was going on around him. It was hard to just watch him- spy really, but I did. He walked to the tree slowly and then... well his curiosity got the best of him. He reached out and I firmly said, "No." He looked at me, probably surprised that I was there, pulled his hand back from the ornaments and shook his head 'no'. We repeated this quite a few times until I thought- "YES! He's learning! He won't be touching the tree ornaments! We are four for four! I am the best mom in the WORLD!!!
It wasn't long until I noticed I was wrong... The lure of the lights was too much for him and he was back! I realized that one added child is a bit much for me and I cannot possibly be by his side every time he reached for a bulb to tell him 'no'. It also would have been unwise to let him pull off glass bulbs and clap them together... And so, I remembered getting this baby gate from Jeff's sister years ago from when Joey was a baby. I went to the basement and sure enough, there it was, still in the box (Joe- of all our kids- was hands down the easiest baby- I think that's how God gets you into wanting more... the first one is so easy!). I opened the box and it was perfect! We actually were able to get part of the gate around our living room tree and save the rest of the pieces for our family room tree. Problem solved! I had won the battle! And then I was off to put up my 'Christmas in the City' village. It sits upon our piano so I don't have to worry about Sean touching that... yet!
I love reading your blog. I'm sorry I don't tell you enough. You have a gift that I know you spread to your students. You have a beautiful family. I admire your positivity. I admire you as a writer, as a teacher, and as a mother. God bless you. Love, Grazia
ReplyDeleteGood idea on the gate! My mom has a huge Christmas village that she puts out sometimes at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteDo your kids love the little village? I took my 2 1/2 year old to the a store similar to Home Depot a week or so ago, and they had all kinds of mechanized little village buildings, and she spent 1/2 hour looking at all of them. She thought it was the most amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful and I am in love with your village. So glad you have the gate, it's a good idea. I would love to know what goes on in their brains when they see a tree like that for the first time.
ReplyDelete