Gingerbread House

We love to decorate a gingerbread house each year. In the past I have made them - complete with stained glass windows, and homemade candy pine trees. Last year, I decided that for a few years we need to use the kits. I had to talk myself into it a bit, and remind myself that this is for the kids, and they don't care what the quality of the gingerbread is, or the magnificence if the house itself. They don't care if it has a chimney, or windows. All they want is to slap some candy on. Oh, and eat candy. And eat frosting.

In few years (it's on my "when-Jane-is-in-kindergarten" list), I'll go back to making them. In fact, I have a vision of a large castle, with 4 small village houses surrounding it .... that may be some years away. In the meantime, the kits work just fine. I was a little disappointed in it's size - kind of tiny for all of them to share, but Rebekah was happy to watch this year (getting so big) and Jane mostly just ate - so it worked out.Yes, I let them lick knives. Terrible.


Jane's contribution.


Jacob LOVES to cook, and decorate cookies. Way more than the girls. He also enjoys a good craft project, so this was right up his alley. So cute to see how focused on it he was.

Not the most glamorous gingerbread house ever - but they sure had fun doing it.

We have a tradition that they can break and eat it on January 1st, although there's usually quite a bit of the candy that doesn't survive 'til then!

Are you kidding me?

This morning as I was making breakfast in the kitchen, Jacob walked in. Without saying a word, he threw up all over the floor. He threw up several more times in the morning. I didn't let him eat or drink anything after that (to rest his gut), and he seemed to do better.

I was going to leave him home with Rick, and go to church with the girls. Then I thought about it - how does a man having trouble bending over and only has use of 1 hand clean up vomit? We all stayed home from church. Too bad, because today was Jacob's last day in nursery. I wonder if they went to visit the Sunbeams class, and he missed it.

This afternoon, he sipped Gatorade, and didn't throw up again. I still didn't let him eat, but he also didn't ask for anything, which shows he wasn't ready. These things tend to be pretty short lived, so I am hoping by tomorrow he's over it. I admit, I am having trouble maintaining my good "these things happen" attitude. I'd really like to catch a break on the whole illness thing.

Tonight, just before dinner, Jane threw up.

Oh Christmas Tree

This morning when I woke up, I decided I'd had enough of the pine needles and took down the tree. So, I thought today would be an appropriate day to do a catch-up post about this years tree.

We always put our Christmas tree up on the 1st of December. In Brooklyn, we always had a real tree. The same guys would come down from Canada and we'd take hot chocolate to them, and Rebekah would practice her French, and we'd pick out our tree. It was wonderful.

Then when we moved here, had a garage to store a tree in AND they now make them pre-lit, so we bought an artificial one. It was a good tree, but I did always miss the great smell of a real tree.

Well, this year we got the tree out to put it up. It was Saturday, and we'd had a busy morning, but had a couple of hours before the ward Christmas Party to decorate the tree. After it was up, we noticed that the bottom section of branches were drooping, and also wouldn't light. So made a quick decision to scrap it (4 good years was reasonable), and go get a real one.

If we'd planned better, we could have gone to a tree farm, and cut our own. Instead we headed to Stew Leonard's for one.

It was FREEZING cold, but the kids were good sports.


We chose an 8ft noble fir - it really was just beautiful. I was shocked a the price, it seemed ridiculous to pay more for a dead tree than one I would plant in the yard! I considered a Frasier or spruce, but Rick and Rebekah encouraged me. Rebekah said "C'mon Mom, you know you love Christmas, get the tree you want." So we did, and I enjoyed looking at it's full branches and pretty shape all month long.

They bundled it up for us.

Then some poor guy about 3ft shorter than the tree put it on the car for us. He was strong, he hoisted it up there without even trying!

After buying the tree & getting out of the Stew's parking lot, we didn't have time to go home, so went right to the ward Christmas party with it still strapped to the roof.
That night Rick and I set it up, and added lights so the kids could decorate it in the morning (so much for that whole 1st of December tradition thing ....)

This is how they "helped" the next morning.

Eventually we got them dressed, and they got excited about decorating it. My ever-sweet Emily really helped Jane put on her ornaments. Jacob is always sure of what he's doing, and needed no help whatsoever.

Although Jacob was happy to have found the glass balls, he and Jane promptly broke 2 cutting his thumb. We decided to leave them off the tree this year.


I told myself I'd rearrange the ornaments after they were in bed, so they weren't all clumped in the middle - but didn't end up getting to it for a few days. By then, I had decided that I liked them where they were, because the kids had decorated it themselves. Rebekah and I had put some up higher as we were decorating it, so it wasn't so bad.

I'm glad I decided that, because Jacob & Jane moved them around all month long. Jacob frequently popped things other than decorations in there too (plastic animals, mail, a sock, etc.)

This is Jane's ornament that we added last year - baby's 1st Christmas 2006. We have one for each of the kids, and one for "Our 1st Christmas together." I put them on - and up high where no-one can reach. When they get a bit older, I'd like each person to put on their own, but for now I manage the fragile one's.
Ta-Da!

So now I'm trying to decide for next year. I loved having a real tree, for the smell, and it is really beautiful. Yet, it is a hassle to put on the lights, and it does make a mess. Hmmm, I'll have to keep thinking about it and decide. Have you had both? Which do you prefer and why?

Lights

Starting my "catch-up" posts with our Christmas lights. I always like to turn our Christmas lights on the night after Thanksgiving. Partly because it's how they do it on Temple Square (my favorite lights anywhere) and partly because Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I like to start it as soon as I can.

We usually put them up in advance, and then just turn them on that day, but this year I didn't get to it, (becoming a theme for me) so the whole family put them up that day. The kids were SO excited and eager to help. Despite my dream of having the entire house outlined in white lights (and nothing more), the people I live with love colorful one's, so we compromise with color on the fence. They were thrilled this year to add a snowman to our collection.

Jane "helped" by walking in the bare but dirty flower beds, and moving all the lights from where we'd carefully lined them up.
Jacob took his job as "extension cord holder" very seriously.

Right after this Jacob suggested that Rick stand outside holding the next one, while he went inside to plug it in - maybe in a few years buddy!
We sent our fearless Rebekah up the ladder to do the high one's in the tree. I had to show this awsone "butt shot" of her at work. This is also higher than it looks. She got most of them that way, but I still ended climbing the tree to get the highest one's. It's kind of a tradition, but while up there I was wondering about the weight I've gained and just exactly how much stress those little branches could take .... It's also the first year we've ever had all those leaves still on when we put up lights.

Emy helped with the one's on the fence.
Jane assigned herself the job of popping the bubble wrap the snowman came in.
Jacob thought the hat was the greatest.

The end result.

December Woes (or CVS loves us!)

So, I sent out a Christmas card, with my blog address on it, telling everyone we know to come to my blog for news & updates on our family - AND THEN DIDN'T POST FOR A MONTH!!

I have good reasons. December has not been awesome for us. Actually, we've had some really great days. We did some fun things, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wonderful - but our family's health this month has not been.

It started with Jacob and Jane being sick - the typical winter stuff coughs, congestion. It made it hard for them to sleep, so the 3 of us were up a lot at night. Then Jacob's became croup. He's my only kid who gets this. It's awful at night to hear him hacking away - I elevate his head and run the vaporizer, but we eventually reach the point where it's really hard for him to breathe and he panics (I probably would too), and I end up holding him most of the night, and trying to keep him calm. We got him on prednisone, and after a few days he was doing better, but he and Jane were still congested (i.e no sleep for Tania.) Rebekah had it too - but is big enough to take adult cough medicines & decongestant (and obsessed enough with not missing school), that she soldiered on.

Then, Rebekah was sledding with Jacob down our driveway and smashed her hand into our compost bin. I was pretty sure it was fine, and just bruised. I put an ace wrap on it, an ice pack and told her to take 600mg of Motrin. Two days later she said it was still hurting. I was 95% sure it was fine, and she was being a little dramatic, but since it was still hurting, and I wanted her to feel like I take her well being seriously, we went to the ER for an x-ray (it was a Saturday.) We waited 3 hours, but the x-ray showed it was fine, and she was happy with that (and finally stopped asking me if I thought it was broken.)

Right about the time Rick left for a business trip to Texas, it hit me hard. I was pretty sure I was holding illness at bay, but I think the extreme lack of sleep got to me. Of course I don't even have a doctor, but being desperate I found one from our insurance website. After an afternoon of searching for their office (their receptionist sucks at giving directions) and a few tears I was seen. I had a double ear infection and bronchitis. I could care less about anything else - I just wanted to stop coughing. I got an antibiotic and codeine cough medicine and was on my way. Erin W. took Jacob to her house to play the next day for 5 hours, and Jane and I got a great nap. Erin S. brought us yummy soup both of which helped me feel a whole lot better.

Rick came home - the kids started doing a little better and we thought we'd actually all be healthy for Christmas. So, December 20th Rick, the bigger girls and I went into the city to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Then we went to see the field of pennies, the Rockefeller Center Tree, and the Saks windows (thanks for the "Snowpeople" book Mum.) It was such a lovely evening, and so EASY without the little one's. We got home around 9:30pm. R & R left to take the babysitter home, and I decided to leave all the stuff I needed to catch up on, and just get some sleep (very unlike me.)

On my way up the stairs to bed, I heard Jane wake up. I went in to her room to get her, and she was holing her right ear, crying and saying "owie, owie." We were up until 4am. I took her in the next morning, and she had ruptured her ear drum! Poor little darling. I ruptured mine in 1998 and still remember it - so painful. Oral and Otic antibiotics for her.

It seemed a miracle that we were all feeling good by Christmas Eve, and we had a great day. Christmas Day too. We got an x-box for Christmas, thus ensuring that Rebekah will love us until the end of time. On Boxing Day (the 26th) we told Rebekah that she could have a bunch of friends over to play. They arrived at noon. At 12:20 I asked Rick to take down soda & the 2 glass bowls of chips to them, and I called to order pizza (which is why I know the exact time.)

I heard a gigantic crashing sound and Rick saying "Tania, help." I went to the stairs to see chips, blood and shattered glass everywhere and Rick in a crumpled heap at the bottom holding his hand. I hurriedly picked my way through the mess to the bottom. I took his hand to look at it. There were several cuts all over his hand and arm, a few deep one's on his fingers and one big v-shaped gash down the middle of his hand. I moved his fingers apart for a better look. I saw muscle and tendons. Usually I am a pretty calm person. I handle emergencies well. I am a nurse, blood and injuries to not upset me. I said "We have to go to the hospital, right now", and started to cry. Rick was going into shock. He was pale, sweating profusely, and losing consciousness. I took a minute to try to prioritize. I knew Rick had to go in ASAP. Should I call 911? Rebekah had friends over, my 3 other small children were there. There was glass and mess everywhere, I couldn't leave them in it - they'd get cut. Yet, I couldn't take them too. What to do? Rebekah said later "Mom, you freaked me out because YOU were freaked out - and you NEVER get freaked out." A good summation, I guess my calm judgement is impaired when it's someone I love so much.

I wrapped Ricks hand in a towel, bundled him up and got him in the car before he passed out and I couldn't lift him. Then I called my friend (& neighbor / visiting teacher) Juliane and asked her to come clean up the glass and keep my other kids safe. Then I took off.

I couldn't decide if I should go to the close hospital or the further away, but better one. I made a quick choice to go close - because I really thought he was going to pass out. I was half crying the whole way there. I pulled up to the ER and ran in for help. They brought a stretcher and got him into a room - then pretty much IGNORED him for 2 1/2 hours. I was furious. I kept asking when he would be seen. Finally I said to the nurse "Is he going to be next?" She said that he was put in a room because he was going to pass out - but that they were still seeing people from the waiting room in order of arrival. "But don't you go according to acuity (severity)?" I asked. She replied "I'm not going to get into it with you." I heard the Dr. go into the room next to us. The guy there had back pain. He wrote him a prescription (no x-ray or MRI or anything) and a note to miss a few days of work and sent him on his way. I was SO MAD. 'Back pain guy', is not more urgent than 'cut all the way through your hand'. They also saw people with a cough before him. The thing that made me the most angry, is that no-one ever actually looked at it. If they had just taken 2 minutes to look at it, they would have known it was bad and been able to take action hours sooner. When they finally did come in, the Dr. looked at it, (blood spurted all over his shirt) and he realized that it was serious. He called in the plastic surgeon, gave him a numbing shot for the pain, and dressed the wound. In the middle of all of this, I raced to get Jane (Juliane had taken her to her place) because it was way past nap time, and she can only go to sleep in the car or being nursed. She nursed to sleep back at the ER, and then slept on my lap most of the time. I also swung by the house and relieved bek of Emily and Jacob and took them to Erin S's.

The plastic surgeon arrived 2 hours later, but at least we felt like she was good. Of course, they had given Rick way too much of the numbing shot, and so the surgeon couldn't evaluate if the lack of feeling in his fingers was from the shot or from the cuts. Two more hours of waiting for that to wear off. In the meantime I went to pick up Em & Jacob from Erin's, raced home and got the 3 little one's into bed. Then I went back. He had cut the nerves, and was getting prepped for surgery. I think the ER nurse realized their mistake and as we were being wheeled out said "Sorry about the long wait." UGH, I'm still so mad. I am SO writing a letter.

Josh & Dave came to give Rick a blessing, and my family had a family prayer for him. (sorry everyone else - if I don't have your number memorized, I didn't call you from the ER.) They said the surgery to reconnect the nerves and stitch him up would take about an hour. I got worried when it went beyond that. After 2 hours, he was finished and in recovery. I stayed until he was in a room (around midnight) and went home for some sleep. He came home the next morning, and is doing well.

We saw the surgeon for a check today, and everything looks good. He'll go back next week to get the stitches out. It's painful, but he has Vicodin and Motrin. He needs to keep his hand in the fiberglass split they made in the OR for about a month to prevent him from straightening his fingers and tearing the nerve before it heals. It will probably be about 4-6 months before he has feeling in his fingers again.

So, it looks as if he will be fine, and I am relieved. It is, after all, his check writing hand and we don't want that to be impaired!

So December was not all merriment and fun traditional activities for us, but it was memorable! Four of the 6 of us were on antibiotics, 2 ER visits, 1 surgery, 5 trips to the Dr., 6 prescriptions filled and about 500 boxes of tissues. And a blessing - 3 friends who really came to my aid when I needed them the most (thanks Juliane, Erin & Erin)!

I'm getting better (I think) at handling the unexpected things that come our way - you know, LIFE! Still, we managed to have lots of fun and I'll try and post about them later, since I try to use this blog as a record for the kids of the things we do. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that the New Year proves to be a lot less eventful for us!

MIA

I have cute pictures, and stories to go with them - but we've been sick, and busy, so they'll have to wait.

Rick starts his vacation tomorrow, and I should be finished with all my "busy-ness" by Sunday afternoon.

Check back next week to catch up on what we've been up to this December!

Movie Reviews

After seeing the box office results (for yet another weekend) I thought I'd do this belated post.

The remainder of our Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful - very relaxing and lots of fun together.

On Friday we went to see "Bee Movie" as a family. I was fully prepared to spend most of the time in the aisle with Jane, and also Jacob but felt I couldn't leave them home with a sitter on such a family oriented weekend ....

Well, it was beautiful. The kids all sat happily to eat their popcorn (everyone but me, LOVES popcorn.) After she finished her popcorn, Jane crawled up into my lap and nursed herself to sleep - for the rest of the movie. Jacob sat still and watched the entire thing! Are we finally at the point he can tolerate a whole movie? It was SO great. The movie was cute (not outstanding.) We had dinner while we were out, and it was a fun family activity for freezing weather.

The next night we did leave Jacob and Jane tucked in their little beds with a sitter and took the older girls (Emily is so excited to be included as an "older girl") to see Enchanted - WE LOVED IT! Definitely a must see. There are very few movies that Rick, Rebekah, Emily and I could see together and all enjoy equally - but this one fit the bill.

So wonderfully done, and thoroughly entertaining. I could really see it again, and it will be added to our home movies (which I try to keep to a minimum) once it's released on DVD.

So, this weekend we are actually going to see the Vienna Boys Choir. I had wanted to see them when Rick and I were in Vienna - but they weren't there then, so now's my chance. However, I am working on my "post-Christmas-week-when-Rick-is-home-and-we-can-go-out-lots" movie list.

Here are the movies I want to see -- anyone seen any? What do you think? Any others you suggest?

Martian Child (is this even still playing?)

I am Legend

August Rush

P.S I Love you

National Treasure; Book of Secrets

(even though I don't like Nicholas Cage, I enjoyed the 1st one, and bek will want to see it with me.)

Emergency

Does anyone know how to get dark purple nail polish out of carpet, or off a painted wall? At first I didn't want to try acetone (nail polish remover), because I thought it would take off the paint. Then I got desperate, and tried it - it didn't take off the paint OR the nail polish. AGH! A lot came out of the carpet, but with acetone, but there's still a lot there.

First Snow

I have been WAY behind on winterizing the garden this year. The weather was so mild and nice for so long, and things were still blooming, so it was easy to procrastinate (something I struggle with anyway.)

We'd covered the patio furniture & put most things away in the garage, and had pulled dead stuff, and raked - but not much else.

I had $150 worth of bulbs in the garage, I didn't want to waste so finally on Friday, the kids and I planted most of them. We raked leaves again, and then on Saturday morning Rick & the kids planted the rest, while I ran errands. Just in the nick of time, because we had our first snowfall overnight.

Despite the fact that the two little one's are getting colds, and they all stayed home from church today - we just HAD to make the most of this new excitement. Rick shovelled while I played with the kids. Jane was thrilled with it, even though her mittens WON"T stay on. We slid down the hill in our neighbors backyard (our patio takes out most of our hill.) Jane's giggling was too cute. She also went on the double sled with Jacob a few times. Scary for me to let them go, but they laughed like crazy. After a while playing I ran in for the camera. By then, it was getting dark, so I just grabbed a few photo's. Jane stayed in with Rick then too, so none of her this time. I love snow!
Contemplating the hill. Sledding is always more fun with a friend.
After a while Jacob said to me "Mom, I love sledding!" So cute to see him be big enough to join in and go by himself (last year he needed to be on a lap.) I'm surprised he loved it so much - given his results ....
I think our house (all houses) always look so cozy with the lights glowing and their white roofs when it's cold and snowy outside. When it was almost dark we headed inside for hot cocoa with mini marshmallows.

Winter is going to be FUN!