The Blogger's Resolution

Shame on me! 

I blogged a total of 10 times in 2010. sigh. 

And I had this profound thought, "If I’m going to create a blog, I should actually.... 

BLOG!"

Shocking concept for me, but it’s true. 

I’m tired of feeling guilty about not blogging, and I miss using it as an outlet for my thoughts too. After months of reading my friends wonderful blogs, I realized that there is a lot more I could be doing with this one. 

I’ve limited my blogging possibilities to cute-funny stories about my cute-funny kids and about our hectic and sometimes humorous life. If it wasn’t funny, I didn’t think anyone would want to read it. But life isn’t always hilarious, and there’s a lot more on my mind that I’d like to share.

So, I’m taking pages from some of my creative friends books and launching out on a new blogging campaign. (*A note of thanks to Jessie, Nancy, & Krista.)

Introducing the New and Improved Blogging Bylaws for  Candace:

Bylaw 1: Blog each day for 30 minutes or less (I should be able to eek out a 1/2 hour of blogging without hurting or neglecting my family.) This time limit is crucial for me or this won’t happen.

Bylaw 2: Blog with a purpose. Share what’s good. Share what’s important.

I’ve even organized a series of themes for the week to help me fulfill this bylaw. 
The daily themes are as follows...

• Sacred Sabbath - Spiritual insights or thoughts, FHE ideas, scripture study ideas, anything gospel related.  

• Home-Making Monday - organizing time, organizing the house, the car, the kids, the laundry, managing the money, or decorating and beautifying our home. 

• Parenting Tuesday - parenting books, ideas, teaching tools that are working for us, parenting struggles that we’re working to overcome. 

• What’s Cooking Wednesday - Recipes, cooking techniques, tips, & tools.

• Thoughtful Thursday - “Reader’s Corner,” or whatever is on my mind that I need to share with my friends *This is often a discussion post, and comments are highly valued.

• Family Friday - The goings-on of our hectic, crazy, hilarious & wonderful, fun-filled family life. 

• Stylin’ Saturday - Family and personal fitness, favorite beauty products (make-up, skin-care, hygiene, etc.), hairstyles (kids & adult), fun fashion finds (kids & adults.)

This blog entry happens to fit under the “Thoughtful Thursday” category, but we’re just gonna roll with it. ;D

Christmas 2010

Most Memorable Holiday Activity

Lauren: "It was being with my family and opening presents on Christmas. I just liked it."

Zach: Playing "Silent Ball" with all the family in St. George. "I didn't win, but I had fun."

Gabe: "Going to Grandma Hunny's house for soup and making gingerbread houses. I just really loved that soup!" *In fact, I don't think he did any gingerbread-house making, but he did have 3 bowls of soup!

Max: "Playing laser tag with my family, because I 'get' people a lot, and it really is fun!"

Jared: Loved the piñata at the Christmas Eve party. He really got into it this year - both hitting it and collecting the candy. Big fun for a little guy!

Matt: "I think it was Christmas morning, opening presents. Sorry to be so generic, but that was fun for me this year. I loved watching the kids open their presents." 

Candace: "Family Time! I just loved all the activities that we did together: the gingerbread houses, nativity, Christmas Eve party, the day at the planetarium and temple square... and the New Year's Eve Party." 

From the mind of Max

Okay, anyone who has a conversation with Max knows that he's hilarious. These are just a few of the conversations we've had this week...

SAFE!
Several of Max's friends have been asking to play with him outside of school, but since I don't know their families, I told him that he can't go anywhere unless I know that the parents and the home are safe. Well, apparently Max told his friends about this rule. So, when I picked him up from school on Tuesday he jumped into the van and announced, "MOM, Jenna told me to tell you that her Mom is SAFE!" and then he collapsed into his seat, like "That just takes care of the whole problem!" 

WORKIN' MAN
I let Jared have a taste of 24 oz strawberry banana shake as we drove in the car. I thought, "This shake is really thick, and the lid and straw are really well sealed, I think he'll be fine for a minute." WRONG!!!!
He THREW the shake at the window of the van. It was everywhere!!! The window seam, the carpet, on his seat, under the seat, on the running board and the into the wheel well where the door rolls open and shut.
NIGHTMARE MESS!!!
Max was my awesome helper. He fetched paper towels, ran Jared's clothes to the laundry and used his little arm to clean in the tight spaces.
I  LOVE HIM!
We finish and I say, "Max, go wash your hands now, okay."
Max: "Wash my hands??? Oh yah, 'cuz I'm feelin' a LOT of dirty work!"

YES, SENSAI!
Max:     Mom, why don't you let us take Karate lessons?
Me:      Well, we looked into it, but in order for all four kids to take lessons, it would cost $400 a month and that's just to expensive with all the other things you guys participate in.
(The wheels in his brain turn for approximately 2 seconds...)
Max:    Hmm.... Well, what if just ONE boy took lessons and then taught everyone else?
Me:      And were you thinking that boy would be YOUUU?
Max:    Yah.... Then I could go to Karate, and I would come home and teach my brothers everything! I'd be a.... Karate teacher!
(and then in 2 seconds more it was as though his idea became a reality)
Max:  (Nodding Matter-of-factly) Yah. I'm a karate teacher.

Lauren's Poetry

I attended Lauren's Dance Festival and Author's Fair today - I always enjoy this visit to the school. I really liked the book of poetry Lauren made this year, so I'm reprinting some of her poetry here.
Well done, sweet girl!

Wonderings

I do not understand:

Why girls like girly stuff.

Why sweets must taste so good.

Why math is sometimes hard.

But most of all I do not understand Popularity.

It's useless!

The person who invented popularity must have been sad.

Popularity makes one person famous and the rest feel bad about themselves.

I do understand:

Chocolate is delicious.

Telling a few delightful lies

Today, I wish I were not so normal...

I came from a different planet,

I'm not from earth.

I have many different powers.

I'm the best monster genius in the world.

If someone tries to tell me I'm wrong,

their words backfire on them.

Ticked Off

I'm ticked off.

Not snappy ticked-off,

Not angry ticked-off,

But bothered ticked-off,

Ticked-off that girls don't like monsters,

Ticked-off that my ideas only work with boys.

Smart

I'm Smart

Not nerdy smart.

Not smart-aleck smart.

Not brainiac smart.

But smart that correct spelling is important.

Smart that science is awesome.

Smart that intelligence is helpful.

I'm sad

Not crying sad.

Not tearful sad.

Not feeling bad sad,

but mournful sad.

Sad that my great grandmother is dead.

Sad that all my fish are dead.

Diamonte Poem

Dumb

Dummyhead, fool

Dim-witting, slowing, losing

Dum-dum, dumbo, sharp, bright

Clevering, brightening, thinking

Keen, intelligent

Smart

I Like

I like Halloween.

I like chocolate.

I like cake.

I like frosting.

I like Pirates of the Caribbean.

I like animals.

I like scary stuff.

I like Holidays.

I like fishing.

I like sports.

What's in a Name?

Lightning

Awesome

Unusual

Ruler

Excellent

Nice

Dumbo-or-die-in-3-days

We just arrived home from our 6-day-whirl-wind-trip to St. George & California.
Highs & Lows of the Trip:


Saturday: I completed my first triathlon and still felt well enough to go on a five mile bike ride with the family. Woo-hoo! Of course, I was eating humble pie when I couldn't get my biking shoe unclipped fast enough and took a humiliating spill on the trail. (I can't even photograph the bruises - they're in equally embarrassing places.) Max was pedaling his heart out for the first 4 1/2 miles of the bike ride. For a kid who just learned to ride without trainging wheels, he was amazing! But he came to an abrupt stop on the last 1/2 mile of the trail and it took three adults to get him home. I hadn't uttered one word of complaint he just hit a 'wall' and couldn't move another foot. He couldn't seem to recover. That night we drove to California for our Disney trip, and in the middle of the night Max developed a fever and was throwing up. Poor sweet boy!

Sunday: Church and driving forever...


Monday morning - our first day of Disney - torrential downpour! But it cleared by 11 am and Max had some extra rest and medication and wanted to brave the park. Obviously we slowed our touring pace a bit and made sure to break each afternoon for a nap at the hotel, but it turned out to be a good first day.


Tuesday: My favorite part was shutting down the park with my roller-coaster-riding-buddies, Lauren & Gabe, as the fireworks burst over our heads as though the show had been specially planned for us! Lauren develops a fever and terrible cough that night. Our fun is not going as planned. :-S

Wednesday: Max jumps out of his seat at the end of star tours and yells, "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" The woman sitting in front of us turned around laughing and said, "That's what it's all about, right there."
More fun at Disney and then Matt catches the virus, sigh... :-(

Thursday: I'm driving home, and all is quiet in the car when 
Zach suddenly says "Mom, you know what I love best about you?"  
Me: "What?" 
Zach: "Everything... you're awesome." 
(Be still my heart! I'm still swooning over that one.)


Well we're home... I'm sure we infected the entire theme park... maybe next time will be better.

2010 March Milestones

Matt: Walgreen's has signed on as the newest client in Matt's business. He's still working very long hours (I don't think he's slept in the last two days,) but when he surfaced this evening he said, "I REALLY like my job. I like the people I work with. I like what we're doing - the variety. I know I'm insanely busy, but I just really like my job." He's been trying to work ahead because we're taking the kids to Disneyland for Spring Break. Woohoo! He ran in his first 5K -  as part of his scouting with the Young Men. They've also been collecting for scouting for food and working on two fund raisers for camps this summer. He's also lost a total of 22 pounds since January. My husband is amazing!

Lauren just pulled out her own tooth - a baby molar. So fun to watch a child go from the panic and fear of a pulling their first loose tooth, to just yankin' it out themselves like it's no big deal. She participated in the Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and though she didn't receive an award at this fair, she was gracious and cheerful and we are SO proud of her. I'm also thrilled that she's started changing Jared's diapers whenever she notices he needs one - love that girl!

Zach received his wolf award and 5 arrow points in Scouting. Great job, buddy! He's being spotlighted in class this week as the "Fantastic Kid" and he's been making some new friends. He's had to deal with some bullies at school, but I think he's handle things really well and the problems have been resolved. (of course, Mom had to speak to the principal, and volunteered for recess duty, and she's kind of sorry for making those 2 boys cry.)

Candace played private eye and had a stake out of the school playground to see what was happening to Zach. I decided to do some extra volunteering and strengthen ties with the powers that be so the problems would stop - it seems to be working. I've been training for the beginner triathlon held this weekend in St. George (200 meters swimming, 5 miles biking, 1.5 miles running.) I'm so excited! I've had fun training and I hope to do a few more of these with my sister this year. I've had fun planning our Disney trip and I can't tell who's more excited about going, Matt & I or the kids. Of course, I'll have to blog about it. :D

Gabe has been so cheerful, and kind, and obedient and helpful this month! He will see something that needs to be done and then do it without being asked. When he finished a chore, he reported back and asked, "What can I do next?" If he asks for something and the answer is "no" he CHEERFULLY accepts it. Gabe has been awesome! He had his first spring soccer game tonight and had a lot of fun. And since our family has been walking to gear up for Disneyland, Gabe has proven to be an incredible runner. This 6 year old can run over a mile in flash. Go GABE!

Max REALLY wants the weather to warm up so we can go swimming. He's anxious for summer so his brother's and sister will be at home to play. He's learned to ride a two wheel bike with no help, and he's loving it. He asks to go riding around the church every day. Great job, Max!

Jared can finally go DOWN the stairs...and up... and down... and up... and down... It's like he's thinking that line from Shrek, "I've mastered the stairs. I'm the stair-master!" He has to bounce or dance WHENEVER he hears music. He's turning into a big flirt and likes to lean forward until his new friend gives him a kiss on the forehead. He's OBSESSED with going outside. We've even heard him say, "go out!" He's still charming us silly.

Dealing with Disappointment

The Regional Science Fair was held yesterday.

9:30 - 11:00 .... Judging
11:00 - 12:00 ... Presentation by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell
12:00 - 2:00 ..... lunch and science activities
2:00 - 3:00 ....... Break down displays
3:00 - 5:00 ....... Awards Ceremony

It was a long day filled with high hopes for recognition and glory at the awards ceremony...

But there was none.

When the grand champions were finally announced and Lauren realized that she would not be receiving any awards at this fair, she shed exactly two silent tears (which were quickly wiped) and you could see the wheels turn in her head a she seemed to come to a decision that she would applaud for the winners anyway. She was silent on the bus ride across campus, and I worried about what the evening would hold for our family. BUT by the time we reached home, she seemed to have passed through her sorrow and was talking and laughing with Max in the back of the van. She was cheerful the rest of the evening with no hint of bitterness or resentment and I had a strange realization...

I'm actually more proud of the way she dealt with disappointment than I would have been if she'd won an award. I'm surprised by how clearly I feel this. It's not a feeling of "sour grapes" or trying to sugar coat the situation. I am sincerely proud of her and thankful for this opportunity.

You have to understand a few things about Lauren - she was a VERY emotional young girl. There were times in the younger grades when she seemed to cry more often than not, and it was a weakness that she really WORKED to overcome. It hasn't been an issue for the past couple of years, but yesterday was a BIG disappointment and I feared BIG drama...

But there was none.

Lauren, I'm so proud of YOU

- proud of who you are, how you've grown, and the way you dealt with disappointment with grace and perspective.

I'm SO proud that you are my daughter!

2010: February Review

I've decided to take a leaf from my friend Nancy's book and do a summary post at the end of each month. Here we go:

Matt & Candace:We celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary on February 10th, though it took us a couple of weeks to get to the actual celebrating. We've both been plugging away at Weight Watchers and are each down a pants size - YAY! Matt is SWAMPED with his new business. That's great in many ways, but we really miss him at home. Please keep him in your prayers. His grandmother died on Feb. 23 and by providence he was already flying to California two days later. I joined him a couple of days later to attend the viewing and graveside service. We're really grateful for the opportunity to spend time with his family. The service was beautiful - Little Grandma would love it. Matt's faith in the gospel is so strong, I think it's given him a great sense of peace. The following picture is of Matt's Mom and her siblings at the viewing.

(Barbara, Melodee, Kit, Micheal)

Lauren: WINNER at the school science fair...and then a WINNER at the District Science fair! Way to go, Lauren!!! She'll be presenting her project at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair in March. We are so proud of her hard work.

Zach: Celebrated his 9th Birthday! I can't believe how much he's grown. Zach wanted a family celebration at Trafalga (special thanks to Uncle Joe & Aunt Naomi for that party ;D They gave us a family pass for Christmas - it was perfect!) We had a great day!


Zach's greatest wish is being fulfilled in connection with his birthday. Our family will be getting a Wii (as soon as any exist in Utah) I finally CAVED, though it won't belong exclusively to Zach. This is the joy on their faces at the news...
Gabe: Got another prize from the class treasure box because he's been so quiet and obedient. He got straight A's on his report card and we're so proud of his hard work. At Zach's birthday party, he managed to pull a 3 foot tall Elmo out of a claw game - I'm stilled amazed. As a side note, we'd like to congratulate Gabe on his upcoming marriage. He announced that he plans to marry Princess Leia "in the gold bazookey." (I'm insisting she convert and put more clothes on first.)
Max: Age 4 going on 25. I think that Zach's birthday celebration set him thinking about his own birthday, which is not until the end of July. He keeps saying, "Mom, it's taking SOOOO long for my birthday to come!" He was hoping Christmas or his preschool graduation would get here in the mean time, but no such luck. He had his first black eye (a first for the whole family.) Gabe shoved the ottoman into Max's backside, which shoved Max's face into the fireplace rocks. On another side note, we'd like to express heartfelt appreciation to the legion of guardian angels who frequently prevent blindness and concussions in our home.
Jared: WALKING!!! He'll walk across an entire room when he feels like it, but he's still more interested in speed so he often chooses to crawl. His favorite things to do lately are clap, grin while shaking his head "No," eat disgusting things out of the garbage and give BIG wet slobbery kisses. We ADORE him! His favorite experience this month was going to the Children's Discovery Museum. It's the first time he's been old enough to really PLAY there. He had a blast!
Final note, I think that we're all anxious for Spring to arrive. Let's hope that March will be sunny and warm.

Letter to Lauren

Lauren,

First of all, you are getting more beautiful every day. Such a beauty inside and out!
You've grown so much; I'm simply amazed at the young lady you're becoming.

When Jared was born, you said so passionately, "Mom, I love him so much! I just want to help you do everything for him (dress him, feed him, change his diapers) I really, really love him!"

And then you showed your love by doing all those things again and again. I can think of half a dozen times when I was desperately trying to fix dinner and Jared sat cranky and crying until you came and scooped him into your arms (giving comfort to him & me) and then he calmed right down and fell asleep in your lap.

This Sunday, I was racing to get the boys ready for church while Dad was at meetings. You came upstairs ready to go and I said, "Lauren, will you get Jared dressed?" and you said, "Of course." (And this isn't the first time that's happened.)

When we went hiking, Max had climbed to high and was paralyzed with fear at the thought of coming back down. Without being asked, you hiked up to him and sat down in front of him so he could lean against you as you crab-walked down the face of mountain. It took a long time to travel that way, and you were so patient with him.

In general, you've really worked hard to be more patient with your brothers and more cheerful. Grandma told me when you were golfing in the rain, most of the boys had gotten fed up and just wanted to drive the cart, but you kept playing with a smile.

You conquered your fear of the diving board and super-speed water slides this summer and now you totally enjoy them. I am so proud of you!

You've tried to be more responsible about chores without being reminded. At school, you're compassionate and kind to those who need it most - even your teachers notice it.

You really desire to do what's right. I'm so thankful that you're my beautiful daughter. I love you!

Love, Mom

Blog Name Change

I decided I need to be more cautious with our family blog. I think I was tempting fate by having our last name as part of the blog title. So I've been going through posts to clear out last names, school names, etc.

The new name fits us don't you think? ;D

Lauren & the DISTRICT Science Fair...

The District Science Fair was today.
6 1/2 hours of check-in, set-up,
judging without students present,
judging with students present,
open house to the public and then the awards ceremony.
And don't ask me how I managed to squeeze in dinner, kid's homework, and 2 1/2 hours of shuttling kids to and from the fair and piano lessons...
CHAOS!!!
We didn't get home until 10 o'clock, but it was all worth it.
Nearly 300 projects were entered into the District Fair and
40 students received honorable mentions with another 50 winners selected to go to the
Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
I sat snuggled with Lauren throughout the awards ceremony and as awards were announced, Lauren leaned over to me and said,
"I'll be happy if I win or if I just get an honorable mention."
I asked, "But you won't be happy if you don't win something at all?"
She thought about it for a second...
and looked at me with her big brown eyes and shook her head as though her little heart would be utterly broken if she didn't get any recognition for her work.
I told her, "Lauren, we're so proud of you for being here! You should feel really great about even coming to the district fair."
She nodded appreciatively, but her heart was totally set on more.
Each award was announced by announcing the school,
then the child's name, and then the project title.
EVERY TIME her school was mentioned, my stomach would clench and
I sat begging in my mind, "Please say Lauren next, PLEASE say Lauren!"
We watched over half a dozen of Lauren's friends called to the stage as honorable mentions and winners.
(Which was awesome, by the way, because last year not a single student from their school was chosen for any awards. So a BIG congrats to all of the those students -
you have done your school proud!)
However, every name called seemed to make Lauren's chances seem more and more slim.
80 projects - 80 of the 90 had been awarded at this point and the award ceremony was almost over.
I was in agony... I can only imagine what Lauren was thinking.
And finally...
HER SCHOOL...
HER NAME!!!

Lauren's project was one of the 50 winners!

Congratulations Lauren!

We are so proud of you! And happy for you!
And delighted with the perma-grin you've been wearing since your name was announced!
(She was stilling grinning from ear-to-ear when I tucked her into bed at 10:30)

Special thanks to Grandma Hunny and Grandpa who took the time to come down and show their support for Lauren. (FYI: I've since learned that my Mom was a science fair winner too. I had NO idea! Way to blaze the trail Grandma!)
And Best of Luck to our girl!

Lauren & the School Science Fair

Let's be honest... I NEVER participated in any science fairs, so when Lauren was required to do this for school, I felt nothing but panic. Of course, Matt has been traveling again so the only help for her project had to come from me, and anyone who knows me knows that science is NOT one of my talents!

Lauren's teacher sent home a HUGE packet of information including a long list of projects "NOT TO DO." That list wiped out every idea that sprang to my mind, but then I remembered working with Zach on the pinewood derby last year. I mentioned to Lauren that there are a lot scientific principles that go into making those cars. Lauren latched onto the idea of testing one of those principles/theories and that became the science project.

We built three cars with extra weight placed in the front, middle and back. I cut the cars and Lauren helped sand them, paint them and she assembled the race track. She went through 8 books and 2 videos about gravity and created her hypothesis. She managed the car racing while I did the timing and Max fetched the cars after each race. And she missed a family activity to stay home and finish putting together her display.

I heaved a giant sigh of relief when it was all done, but Lauren was so excited about her project that she could hardly sleep. And then she ended up sick the day of the science fair! She threw up early in the morning, but later on INSISTED that she felt better and "really wanted to go to school." The fair was in the morning so Max, Jared and I went to the school to "cheer" her on and see the fair. By the afternoon, Lauren was miserable and called me so she could come home (ironically, her call came between Gabe and Zach's calls to come home sick too - what a day!) Anyway, tonight I asked her if she knew her grade for her science project.

"I was one of the kids who was picked to go to the District Science Fair!" she exclaims.

I was simply hoping for an "A," but Lauren REALLY wanted to go to the District fair. Before the fair, Matt - aka 'Benedict Arnold' - had given meager praise that the "project might get a B." Hah! See what we girls can do without Mr. Wizard around! ;-)

Congrats again, Lauren! She is one of 10 fifth graders who's science projects will go to the district fair. (I'm still trying to get details.) Good luck to our cute girl!

Gabe's Patriotic Program

The first grade at Gabe's school has been working on a wonderful patriotic program since the beginning of the year, and Gabe has been singing the songs he's learned around the house a lot. He would even say things to me like, "Mom, I just LOVE the grand finally of my program... it makes me cry happy tears."

Well, on Wednesday night, we were finally able to see the program and the grand finally was the song, "I'm proud to be an American."

The school invited a Marine to post the colors for the program and the kids were able to shake his hand afterward. Some of the girls were so cute. They walked away saying, "I'm NEVER going to wash my hand!"

It was a great tribute to our nation and a reminder of how blessed we are to live here. Thanks for doing such a great job, Gabe - You bring happy tears to MY eyes!

Clear Creek Field Trip

I recently chaperoned Lauren's fifth-grade overnight field trip to Clear Creek. 24 girls... 3 teachers... 2 Mom's and 29 hours of snow shoeing, exploring, ropes courses, snow angels, burying teachers in snow, karaoke and dancing, science experiments, crafts, snow sculptures, movies & popcorn, squealing girls and dodge ball 'til we were sore! Whew! So fun... I'm soooooooooo tired!

Clever Max Quotes

Max is four years old - not even four and a half. However, he's so darn precocious I have to remind myself that he's still very young. Anyway, he's been cracking me up this week with funny comments. Here are a few:

Max: Guess what, Mom?
Me: What?
Max: I really really really really really really GOOGLE love you!
Me: Wow, that's a lot of love! I google love you right back.
*I swear only Matt would teach his 4 year old what a google is. (a number with 100 zeroes after it.) Anyhoo...

Max: Wow, Mom you're driving really fast!
Me: Actually, I'm not up to the speed limit yet.
Max: Oh, what if you drove a MILLION! (like "We should definitely try that!" ...then sighs) But that would totally be breaking the speed limit.

Max: Mom, I got to sit by Savannah today.
Me: That's great. Max, what do you like about Savannah... what makes her special?
Max: She knows who I really am.
Me: Wow! and who is that?
Max: I'll whisper it to you... I'm a vampire.
Me: (laughing) Well what do you like to do together.
Max: We play house.
Me: Oh, are you the Dad and Savannah's the mom.
Max: No, I'm the kid and Savannah's likes to be the dog.

Max: Mom, I'm a GENIUS at finding fings (things) and losing fings!"
Me: Yes Max, YOU are definitely a genius.

Me: Max, it's time to clean your room.
Max: (tapping his fingers to his lips thoughtfully) Perhaaaaps....?

Me: "Okay guys, what do you want for breakfast? Cereal? ... Eggs & toast?"
Max: (taking a pose on my bed like the statue of liberty) "JUSTICE FOR ALL!"
***I'm laughing and thinking, "that wasn't on the menu, but why don't I through in world peace for lunch."

Oh Max, I love you! Thanks for making my days a joy!

Deck the Halls!

Some people may accuse me of taking 'the cowards way out' this Christmas, but I'm NOT sorry! At least, I hope I won't be sorry. With Jared as my fifth child I am VERY WELL acquainted with the mischief that Christmas decorations inspire in toddlers.

They're like sharks in a feeding frenzy

tearing open wrapping...

chewing on electrical cords...

dismantling ornaments...

entangling themselves in lights...

thrashing the stockings...

and knocking down the tree... again... and again... and again!

Now, my other children were born much earlier in the calendar year than Jared, so once they were mobile for Christmas, there were months of extra maturity. That meant the fifth time-out for abusing the tree sunk into their wee-little consciousnesses, and the frenzy subsided. I'm convinced that my busy little Jare-bear won't 'get it' this year.

He's already notorious for knocking down the ficus trees in the living room and he thinks it's hilarious whenever I tell him 'NO.' The full-sized Christmas Tree (and it's ornaments) would not survive him this year.

The Proposal:
Scene: sitting around the dinner table the day after Thanksgiving.

Me: You guys, we need to talk about something. I've given it a lot of thought and I think that we should NOT put up our regular Christmas Tree this year.
Everyone: What! No! Why not? Etc.
Me: Now hear me out. I'd like to put up a small tree instead; one that can be placed out of reach from Jared. I just don't think he'll be able to leave the tree alone this year, and I don't want to spend the Christmas season fighting him off of it.

The Negotiation:
Matt: Well then, I'd like to get a REAL tree. I miss the smell of a real pine tree in the house.
Me: Okay, I think I can find a small one.
Matt: I think we need to set a budget; .
Me: Okay... do you think $30 is reasonable?
Matt: Yeah, but I don't want to spend more than $30 on this.
Lauren: And I think it should have colorful lights.
Me: Okay, we have a couple strands like that in storage.
Max, Gabe, & Zach: Can we decorate it?
Me: Yes, the kids can hang ALL the ornaments.
Lauren: Can I put on the ornaments I made?
Me: Absolutely! Listen, I promise I will do my best to let everyone have what they've asked for. PLEASE, let's do this JUST FOR THIS YEAR, and then next year he'll be old enough to control himself around the tree.

* They agree*

THE HUNT:
I was surprised by how many places no longer sell live Christmas trees or their stands!
On a random errand to Rite Aid this week, I found an adorable little Noble Fur for $19.95, but I skipped buying the stand because I thought I could get a better deal somewhere else.
Three stores later... no luck. I went back to Rite Aid for a stand on sale for $7. Spent $2 on some ribbon and came in under budget. YES!

DECKING THE HALLS:
Saturday morning was filled with Christmas Spirit. Matt and Max were collecting food with the Young Men organization to donate to the Food Bank (collected more than expected - awesome!) The kids saw the tree and said, "That's not a small tree; that tree is BIG!" Matt has named the tree "Tiny Tim." Love it! While Jared napped, the older kids pulled out the 5 totes of Christmas decorations, and I quickly strung the 'colorful' lights. The tree and stand were too large for the table I had in mind, so we placed it on the fireplace hearth where the giant ottoman could block Jare-bear's access to the tree. Lauren & I decorated the mantle, Gabe helped hang stockings, all the kids hung ornaments, and we snuggled on the couch to read half a dozen Christmas stories.


And then Jared woke up...


Okay, so the position of the tree needed a few more adjustments, but I think it'll work. And no one can say I didn't TRY!
I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and I hope the Christmas Spirit is spreading through your home too, no matter how you deck your halls. Happy Holidays!