Christmas Traditions

I find it difficult to change my perspective of Christmas. In my mind I still see my mom baking sandwich cookies and hiding them so we don't eat them all. I see candles in the windows, a christmas tree with the pine needles beginning to fall. I see the re-wrapped christmas presents my sister has peeked in and the strange code on each of the presents, trying to figure out whose present is whose. I remember Christmas going like this:



Christmas Eve we generally went to a candlelight service at our church. If you went to the early one, it was filled with screaming children. After the service, sometimes we were able to open one present. Then we would wake up Christmas morning and open our stockings which were filled with candy, socks, make-up, shower gels, etc. Then we ate breakfast, pancakes, sticky buns, crepes..... Then we would open up our presents one at a time. I appreciate that now because it allowed us all to see what everyone else got and take time to appreciate each gift. But at the time, I just wanted to open them all. After the presents were open, someone would always go back to sleep. Generally, we all headed over to my Grandma's house for a big dinner and would meet up with uncles and cousins who were in the area.



Since getting married and having kids, the Holidays are a bit different. Over the past 4 Christmas's we've been travelling. We were able to have Christmas at home 2 years ago, but we were living in Nantucket at the time, so we still had to travel. Christmas at home, is what I'm looking forward to in the future. I hope to do some decorating, have a Christmas tree and presents sitting under it. Although, the way my husband and son feel about wrapped presents, I'll have to keep them hidden until Christmas.



We were blessed this year to be around a Christmas tree. On Saturday, we had an early christmas with my in-law's. They live across the street, so we spent the day decorating, cooking and opening presents. James was enthralled with opening everything possible. He gets that from his dad. I put all the presents under the tree to make it official and when James came into the room running, he wanted to open a few. We told him not yet and he was good about it. However, any adult that came around the house, James would grab their hand and take them to the presents thinking " I can't open any, but maybe you can".



Anyways, I hope to start some family traditions next year when James is old enough to understand. We'll have to teach him about presents and not to think every bag or box brought into the house is his. I look forward to doing some of my own decorating, baking more cookies, trying new recipes and have a Christmas tree with ornaments.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Daddy's Boy

James is turning into daddy's boy. Over the past 5 months or so, he's been very interested in spending time with Alex and doing what he's doing. So if you want to send us a present, just send us a box with something inside to put together and you will have made them both very happy.

Yesterday, James and I went to Alex's house project in Kiawah island and took him lunch. James had a great time running in between the posts and all over the house. He also enjoys throwing dirt up and on his head. When it was time to leave, he started crying because he didn't want to go. But his freezing cold ears and hands made us concerned so we left.

But anyways, here's a photo of us inside this house and one of the outside. This is house that Alex is hoping to sell within the next few months.

Frustrated Mom, Medically Healthy Child

So, Ryan has been showing us a different side again. Over the past 4 days and nights, he hasn't been eating or sleeping as much. Instead of sleeping from 6-5:30 am, he decides to wake up every four hours cooing and laughing and not going back to sleep. During the day, he won't sleep more than 1 hour. He's eating only half of what he was. But, he smiles, plays and is a joy to be around. He has really red eyes and yawns a lot, so I'm in a dilemma. Seeing as my body has finally adjusted to 6 consecutive hours of sleep, waking up every 3 or so isn't sitting so well. Plus, my sinus are still not fixed so I'm not feeling physically 100%. Anyways, I finally called the pediatrician and explained it all: He's not eating or sleeping much but he doesn't have a fever, rash and isn't fussy. So, they still wanted him to come in. So, I got there a few minutes early and within 30 minutes I got called back. Then another 30 minutes went by in the room before a doctor shows up to say " Well, he's medically perfectly happy". So, home I went on the verge of tears thinking, "I'll never sleep again".

Well, last night he went to bed around 8 or so and didn't make a peep all night. In fact, I got concerned that something was wrong because he wasn't making any noise so I did get up in the wee hours of the morning to check on him. He didn't wake up till 6 and my wonderful husband fed him and put him back to back. It's almost 9 am and I'm not hearing him. So, maybe we're back on schedule.

New Toys

I just wanted to make mention of my 2 new favorite kitchen toys. I recently purchased, at a very decent cost, a motion sensor soap dispenser. It drives me nuts to work with raw meat and then have to touch the soap dispenser with yucky hands when I need to wash. With my new soap dispenser, I just put my hand under the spicket and out comes some soap. It looks nice and takes up less space than my big container of soap. Anyways, you can find them at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

My next favorite toy is a digital meat thermometer. This one has a termometer that you stick in the meat and connects to an outside temperature reader / timer. It has some sort of heat resistent cord that sticks out of the oven. You set the desired temperature and estimated time and it beeps when it's ready. No more opening the oven door and getting your glasses all steamed up and nose hairs burned. That was from Target for $13.99. Quite worth the $14. Anyways, my new favorite toys.

Food, Food and more Food!

I guess the holiday feeding season starts out on Halloween when you stuff yourself with all sorts of candy. Then for us it continues in November with 2 birthdays, Thanksgiving and our Anniversary. Then further down the road, it's Christmas. So, starting to watch what you eat is never good in the fourth quarter. Anyways, I have it pretty easy. I get to eat Thanksgiving at my in-laws, so I don't have to cook a lot. This year for Thanksgiving, I cooked my first roast beef which turned out pretty well. I also cook a Bavarian Apple Torte and pumpkin bread. But that was just in 1 day. For James' birthday we just had leftovers, but I spent all morning baking and decorating a cake. There's no real point to this blog other than to talk about food. So, I have a great apple cheesecake recipe that I would be happy to share. But I am officially baked out for the next few weeks.

It's Great to be 2!!

Oh yes, when opening presents is fun and yet you're not quite sure why you're getting presents... James turned 2 today and made out like a bandit. He received a Radio Flyer Scooter which his little legs have a hard time pushing. But give him time and he'll get the hang of it. He receive a bunch of matchbox cars, tractors, Rescue Heroes and more cars. In case you couldn't tell, he loves cars and tractors. I made him a Firetruck cake which he enjoyed but didn't show quite enough appreciation for the 3-4 hours I spent putting it together. I'll remind him of that one day. I'll say "It took longer to make that cake than it did to deliver you". Maybe that's too much information for him. But anyways, it turned out pretty well. Except for the black icing. Apparently the black icing tastes a bit lit licorice and it turns your teeth and mouth black. Other than that, it was great, but nobody wanted to eat the tires anymore.

So, while James sat on Alex's lap opening present after present, he officially turned 2. So, I begin to think of the past 2 years. So much has happened and coming up on our 3 year anniversary (the 27th) we have made many life adjustments. So, here's a few:

1. I moved from my hometown of 25 years to Charleston

2. I had several jobs while living in Charleston

3. I moved once and am preparing to move again

4. Been through 2 pregnancies and births

5. Have been through the death of a family member

6. Have lived in 3 houses

7. Have travelled to Barbados, Bahamas, and Okinawa

And that's just the easy stuff. Needless to say, I am turning 30 in April and have been through and done a lot. I love my husband so much more now than I did when we got married. I love 2 little boys more than I ever thought possible. I see my more and more of my faults but I also see God's grace and mercy day after day. So, on that note, I'll end this blog. Enjoy the pics!!

Holdgate Island

Well, that's the name until we come up with something better. Alex and I just signed a contract for a 2 acre property with house in Charleston. It is a mini-island because it is surrounded by water and a little creek. We're surrounded by hard marsh and beyond that is the Stono River. "I didn't know you were looking to move" you might be thinking. Well, neither did I. Alex and I both agree that in the future we'd like a house with some land for the kids to play. We weren't actively looking but checked out areas every now and then if we saw something. Well, Alex saw a sign this week saying "Island for Sale". and checked it out. Later that day I got a call saying "Get the boys ready" to which I responded "Uh-oh". He then said "You're gonna love it". I do. We get to drive over a little wooden bride and it feels like you're in Gone with the Wind. Although, it's not a plantation or a mansion.

The story is, the builder got into too many projects and wants out of this deal. It's 3 lots and a house is built on one of them. We can build 2 more if we wanted, but that would take away the view and land. The house is 80% complete, so we get to pick our own colors, cabinets, fixtures, etc. We're very excited and are looking forward to design this house to our liking. So, I took some pictures today that I hope show the nice points of this house.

Discipline

Well it appears that James is entering the "Terrible Twos" stage. So now I am forced to acknowledge the fact that I need to get my facts straight when it comes to discipline. James has been such an easy child that Alex and I gave him a lot of room to explore and just be. Since bringing Ryan home from the hospital, we've been getting "He's still here?" looks from James. Well, just the first 3 months. He's used to him now. In fact, when I tell James we're getting ready to go out, he'll walk over to wherever Ryan is and try to pick him up. I guess he figures that Ryan isn't going anywhere but wherever we go.

Back to my point, James is also teething. This is the worst it's ever been for James. He screams, yells and fusses. Usually teeething gel works for the pain, but not the temper tantrums. So, today, for really no good reason, James decided to pull my hair, hit Ryan and throw things around. When he doesn't like my answer of "No" (which I try to use only when necessary) he will either 1: throw himself on the floor and do a snow angel sort of dance or 2: throw some item down or around the house. He has a really good arm and can hit things most of the time. Anyways, for most throwing issues we just smack his hand after he won't listen to us. However, there is a time for bottom spanking and these are those (in my opinion)
1. Outward defiance
2. Doing something that could hurt the child i.e. crossing the street
3. And in James' case, actions that occur when angry i.e. hitting, throwing, biting. For the time being, since he can't talk yet, a few yells are permitted since he's learning to express himself.

So, anyways, he had a rough 2 hours this morning but settled down later. So I'm in the process of finding some discipline books and books on potty training. Any ideas and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Sock Monkeys

What can I say?? They're fun! The hard part is telling the difference from their lips and their bottoms. I'm not sure why they made them look the same.

Grandma's Taking Us to the Zoo Tomorrow...

We got to go to two zoos while visiting my mom and dad in Texas. We went to an exotic zoo where you're pulled around by a tractor feeding all the exotic animals that stick their heads in the trailer. It was a lot of fun. We met up with my friend Leslie and her daughter Maya. Maya talked the whole time and James was content lining up the food pellets in the gap in the seat. The other trip to the San Antonio zoo wasn't as exciting. Being able to be up close and personal with exotic animals at one zoo and far away at another, doesn't compare. But both were nice. I think our favorite part of the exotic zoo was the mother kangaroo with her little joey hanging out of her pouch.

Halloween Time

Yes, it's the 31st and Halloween. We live in a Jewish neighborhood so we don't get too many trick or treaters. Half the candy we buy is not kosher so..... Also, I really don't like giving out candy. I don't mind buying the candy, but I feel awkward when different characters stop by my house and ask for candy. If they all came in for a party, it would be completely different, but they don't. They just knock, say trick or treat, stuff their bags and leave. This Halloween, we dressed up James in a Monkey costume, found at Target, and headed over to our neighbors house who let us in. Their 2 adolescent girls love James, so them, with all their friends hoisted James up the stairs to play with him. When we were leaving 2 girls walked in, one in a "school girl" outfit and the other in a Superwoman outfit, that was much lower cut than the real Superwoman would wear. If the real Superwoman wore it, she would fall out of while while spinning. Anyways....here I am writing while Alex is telling all the girls at the door to "take what you want". We always buy too much candy and never eat it. James now likes the Smarties, so those will be gone soon.

We went to the Carolina Coastal fair last night with our friends, James and Hillary. We ate fair food and watched the rednecks. Quite fun. James did well. Was quite mesmerized by all the lights. We pet the bunnies and fed the goats, of which one nibbled James' hand. Alex threw a dart and popped some balloons, so I got a yellow teddy bear. It was a beautiful night and fun to walk around. I must say that the appeal of carnival rides are lost on me. Maybe it's my sense of adventure that has diminished after having 2 kids. The thought of "What would happen to the boys if something happened to me" lingers in my mind when it comes to "dangerous" things.

Anyways, I'm off to enjoy the evening with Alex since both boys are in bed. Maybe we can watch a TV show between the trick or treaters.

Alex's Birthday Bash

And it was a bash alright. We had a lovely dinner and a great cake and somehow I managed to get it all done. The day started off well with Alex staying home for breakfast, which he cooked. Then early afternoon, my poor little son, Ryan, still constipated, started a fit. No doubt because his poor little bottom hurt so bad. So, Grandma Betsy took James with her so I could take Ryan to the doctor.

The plan was to start my pork at 4:30 and I was sure I wouldn't be back in time to start dinner. But I figured we could always do Chinese delivery. Well, amazingly, I got back in time to do the pork. And our friend, James Gardner came over a bit early to help with the cooking, so it turned out real well. We had pork loin, dumplings, gravy (a James Gardner specialty), asparagus w/ hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad. Ryan stayed asleep for all of the cooking, which was really nice.

Then once the family got here, Ryan woke up screaming because he hurt so bad. That continued on and off for about 2.5 hours. He didn't want to eat too much nor did he want to have anyone else but me hold him. I did manage to eat my food and watch Alex open his presents. But during this, James has a stinky diaper too, which gave him a sore bottom, so he started screaming. So, with 2 kids screaming, the cake was good and presents were excellent, Alex successfully turned 31.

Dr. Mom

Being a 2nd time mom, you'd think I'd know some special tricks for health issues. But I don't. James never had any medical issues that I only visited the doctor for his vaccination shots. However, Ryan has had many more dr visits. Nothing major, but worrysome things like jaundice, red belly button and most recently constipation. Starting yesterday Ryan would try to go to the bathroom and end up screaming with tears. Today, it got bad enough that I took him in the doctor and was told, "Yep, it's constipation". However, poor little Ryan was straining so hard he looked worse than I did when I was in labor. The good news is, he is taking some corn syrup to loosen things up and should be much better. He is also extremely tired, I'm assuming from all the pushing. He also gets a red belly button from pushing too hard, as I found out from the doctor.

Anyways, I don't visit the doctors / emergency room anyway close to my sister, Jamey. She seems to end up there every other week with one of the kids. I have yet to have an all-nighter with a sick child.

I also never get the flu shot. I figure, if everyone else does, I'm safe. I did post a picture of Ryan when he is feeling good.

Bad Recipes, New Furniture

Well, after spending a long time on a new pot roast recipe, I was greatly disappointed with the outcome. The meat was okay, though a little dry. The vegetables, horrible. I know it's bad when Alex won't eat it. I also tried a new recipe for a cannoli cake which turned out okay despite me mixing up the directions. But I have found some incredible recipes, all from Cooks Country, that have gone in my personal recipe file. These include meatloaf, macaroni skillet and hamburgers. So, if you're looking for a great recipe / cooking magazine, I give 2 thumbs up to Cooks Country.

On another note, Alex and I have been looking for a little bench to go in our foyer. We were hoping for one with storage underneath. Both Alex and I have problems keeping counter / tabletop space neat. So, baskets work for us. We just found one at a decent price at World Market and purchased it on Saturday. Yesterday, James decided to bang a big paintbrush on it while Ryan was being fed. After numerous attempts at "james, stop it" he finally stopped. I didn't notice till later, the little white dings in the wood. So, I guess it gives it personality and we can't return it. But that's kids, right? Buying something new and then having something major happen. Sometimes when we try to hard, things don't always work out. However, it's only a piece of furniture and now, one with character.

I don't do Diaries...

Yet here I am setting up my own blog and sitting here wondering what to write about. I just spent the past 2 hours or so putting together a pot roast and a cake, both new recipes. I got Ryan down to sleep and miraculously he's still sleeping. James helped me in the kitchen by eating the mini chocolate morsels and spilling water all over the place. So, after a new diaper and taking off his sopping wet clothes, he's putting his matchbox cars and animals in a basket. I assume he'll then pick up the basket and toss out the toys or chase our dog and cat around the house with it while screaming at the top of his lungs.

I'm currently trying to get rid of some nasty nasal congestion and I don't feel the affects of the antibiotics yet. Except, for being extra tired. Being tired is a part of mommy-ing, but feeling yucky makes the tiredness much worse. But babies need to fed, changed and entertained none the less. So, I wonder what parenting would be like if there wasn't sin in the world. That's my thought for the day or week. Would kids still be kids or would they always obey and listen and sleep and eat, etc??? Would parents just be more tolerant or would we know exactly what to do at all times? Would babies sleep through the night? Would parents get enough sleep?? But given that babies are born every day, parenting must not be too terrible, is it. I find that the little things, like a smile from Ryan at 4:30 am or James cuddling with me before naptime, makes the tiredness and frustration all worth it.