Christmas is coming!

This week has been busy. We had our house restained. Apparently stain sets best when it is done at a temperature no colder than 50 degrees. After what seems like endless weeks of getting bids from contracters, we finally went ahead and scheduled. We thought we would be fine, since it was in the 70s the week we scheduled. The first day the painters showed up the temperature plummeted. It fell to the low 50s. I guess only time will tell if all the money we paid them will be worth it. I'm just glad to have the whole project overwith.

Mylie has learned to roll over from her stomach to her back, but she can't get as comfortable to fall asleep and she doesn't know how to roll back to her stomach. Adding to the problem, is the fact that she is in love with her feet and they are far too distracting to let her fall asleep, no matter how tired she is. I think she may also be cutting teeth, so she has been a bit crankier than usual. I gave her some rice cereal for the first time on Thursday and she wolfed it down. None of my other three were as successful with their first solid food. I was so proud. She has also been enjoying her new Jumparoo, which is a baby jumping seat that does not need to be hung in a doorway. Unfortunately, my boys are equally in love with it, so it gets to be a bit of a problem. Also, after my husband's many times of complaining about catering to a world of people with nut allergies (all of the kids' schools have a nut-free policy), I am now afraid Mylie will develop a severe nut allergy. Babies are not supposed to have any nuts until they are closer to 2 or 3, but yesterday while I was putting Andrew's shoes on him in the kitchen I heard Mylie screaming in the next room. I came in to find Zack force feeding her his 'peanut butter spoon.' She had no reaction, but who knows.... Zack could tell I was upset, and he was very confused, since he was sure he was being so kind to share his yummy spoon with his sister. He kept muttering over and over, "I sorry, Goo-goo." He can not bring himself to call her Mylie. He refers to her only as baby or goo-goo.

Maddie was home sick with another bout of the flu on Wednesday. Zack and Andrew both have coughs. My dad is convinced I don't wash their hands often enough. I feel like I wash their hands A LOT! They are just exposed to so many germs at school and nursery.

Yesterday my dad and Josh left for a last minute vacation to Frankfurt, Germany. When I say last minute, I mean my dad purchased the tickets on Wednesday and they left the next day. It was one of those Delta Last Minute vacation package deals. He was so excited, because he is always looking for a way to get back to Frankfurt. That's where he served his mission. I hope they have a fun trip and that they decide to bring me back some fun Christmas decorations. Germany makes some of my very favorite Christmas decorations. Maybe I love them so much because we had so many in my home when I was growing up, probably a result of my dad's mission.

I've been working on Christmas cards. After hours of work, I realized that my cards were really heavy. It turns out they cost almost a dollar to send out. So, my Christmas list got butchered. Let's just say, I will be posting our Christmas card on the blog on Christmas, so if you don't get one in the mail don't be offended. Just realize what would have been the postage for your card has been put into a special fund called: Andrew's birthday present fund.

Andrew is soooo excited for his birthday. He is telling everyone that it is almost December 'Nineteenf'. Thanks to the Christmas toy advertising extravaganza happening during every commercial break, Andrew has quite the list of things he can't live with out. He even has told me he wants a dancing Barbie.

Andrew has been very cute with Mylie lately. He always asks to hold her and says things like, "Hi, Mylie. It is me. Andrew. I am your big brother. Do you love me?" It is very sweet. She was crying and crying on the ride from my Dad's house recently and the sound was getting very grating on our nerves. I said, "Mylie, I wish you would stop crying." Andrew said, "Mylie, you need to be happy. Mom said she does not like you to sing your crying song. Okay?" His request did not stop the crying, but I thought it was cute that he called it her crying song.

Ben and I have, rather unsuccesfully, been explaining the true meaning of Christmas to our kids. My kids can't seem to get beyond receiving gifts. I hope that this is normal 4 and 6 year old behavior. I've been coaching Andrew to say that Jesus was born in a Manger in Bethlehem.

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Here is my conversation with Andrew from this morning:

Me: Andrew who was born in a manger?
Andrew: Mylie!
Me: Not Mylie.
Andrew: Tate?
Me: No, not Tate.
Andrew: I can't know.
Me: Do you mean you don't know?
Andrew: Yes.
Me: Where was Jesus born?
Andrew: In a hospital like me!
Me: No. Don't you remember that yesterday I told you where Jesus was born?
Andrew: No. I mean YES! In Befflaham.
Me: You're right, he was born in Bethlehem and placed in a Manger. We talked about how there were sheep and donkeys there too.
Andrew: You're joking mom. Those animals live on farms.
Me: A manger is in a barn, it is what farm animals eat out of.
Andrew: Oh.
Me: Do you know why we celebrate Christmas?
Andrew: So Santa can bring presents to the children of all the world. The children need to sleep like this (he closes his eyes and snores) so Santa can come down their chimneys and leave them lotsa lotsa millions of presents.
Me: That happens too, but remember we have Christmas to celebrate Jesus' birth. Do you remember where Jesus was born?
Andrew: Yes, at a party. At a party on a farm. With lots and lots of presents!
Me: The wise men brought gifts for Jesus, right?
Andrew: You're joking! Santa waited for Jesus to fall asleep and brought presents for him by his tree and it was his birfday party.
Me: OK, Andrew.
Maddie: Jesus wasn't even born in December. He was born in April.
Andrew (very upset): No, you're wrong! My preschool teacher told me Jesus was born on his BIRFDAY!
Me: Well, you're both right.
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So, no matter how many times we go over the story, the story goes over their heads.

We have also had several Santa discussions. They know they need to be extra good because Santa's elves are on strike, so even if they are a little bit naughty they will get crossed off the good list because Santa doesn't have enough elves to make toys for kids who are just sort of good. They know that elves are invisible and spy on them, and only adults can see the elves. Maddie told me that our Santa decorations also spy on them. Creepy, true, but I saw no point in correcting what could turn out well in my favor. Andrew and Maddie have found some of Zack and Mylie's Santa gifts, so now they know that Santa sometimes sends a magic check to parents to pay them back for the gifts the elves didn't have time to make, but that usually all Christmas gifts come from the North Pole.

When our neighbors put up all of their Christmas lights and decorations, Andrew and I were walking to Brooke's house. Andrew got very excited and said, "Look, Mom! A Christmas world!"

It is fun to see how excited the kids are getting. They love our trees and all of the decorations and listening to the Christmas music. Tonight we are going to make and decorate Christmas cookies. Don't worry, Dad, we'll all wash our hands really well first!