27 December 2019

I have tied a sheet over some of the toy shelves upstairs.  The kids have a new game where they lay on the floor and pull the sheet out over them and kick it so it billows.  It really doesn't take much to entertain kids.

23 December 2019

A couple notes to capture some of the sweetness of the season.  The kids are all really excited to open presents and are very impatient about Christmas Day arriving.  They calculate many times a day how many days are left until Christmas.  Christmas has felt a little awkward to me this year as we are trying to figure out how fit into our new house and new community  with it - how to decorate and how to reach out to others to share our traditions.  It's been tricky but generally successful and we have learned what we'll do differently next year.

Advent in particular has been difficult.  It is our most favorite tradition but we had a hard time finding people who wanted to come over on Sunday evenings and sing with us.  One Sunday we ended up with nobody as the family we asked got sick and cancelled on us.  That Sunday we had Advent just ourselves and we sang whatever we wanted and sang over each other and sang all the time.  Rose Pink accompanied instead of me, and it was so much fun!  Yesterday was the last Sunday of Advent, and we had three families over.  It was a little crowded but very enjoyable.  Mr. Brown and I both loved listened to Rosebud sing the songs she knew at the top of her lungs.  She also gets up and dances and spins in circles when the spirit moves her while we're singing.  I love how she is all in to the experience.

10 December 2019

I am teleworking today and Bobo is downstairs playing by himself in the living room (nobody else is awake yet) and he is singing "We Three Kings" to himself.  I love how my kids talk to themselves when they're busy and happy.

As we are getting ready for Christmas, I've been helping the kids plan gifts for each other.  Last night I was working with Nut Brown, shopping online for his gifts for his siblings.  He had a budget in mind but struggled a bit with choosing a gift for Rosebud because his first choices were too expensive for his budget.  He finally settled on something and we finalized the purchase.  Then as we were talking I told him that Mr. Brown and I are going to be giving him one present and $50 for Christmas.  He said, "You're giving me $50!!! Thanks, Mom! This is so great!  This will make it so much easier!  I can use it to buy something nicer for Rosebud!  Thank you so much!"

5 December 2019

Bobo is rationing my kisses.  He told me that if I don't kiss him for a week, then he'll give me a kiss. I keep forgetting but fortunately he hasn't noticed yet.  He says that if I forget that he'll add a day to how long I have to wait for a kiss.

On the Monday after Thanksgiving, we went to the high school and talked with them about getting Rose Pink enrolled to start after Christmas break.  It went well and we are feeling pretty confident about this decision.  It will be a big change for our family but hopefully will turn out well.  She is super excited, while Mr. Brown and I are a little more cautious.