Not so Calm, Not Very Bright.

I have posted before about how being educated does not necessarily make you smart. We proved it again on Christmas Eve. We took two toddlers who have been cooped up for several weeks, giddy with the prospect of Christmas to a Solemn Christmas Eve service. Right around supper time.

I was aware that there were carols and the mandatory solo of Mary singing "Breath of Heaven" but beyond that, all I was aware of were two squirmy bundles of energy.

At one point Sprout was attempting to climb me, while Spud had his head on my lap. Sprout stepped on Spud, words were exchanged, I may have hissed something threatening, then Sprout coloured for 2.7 seconds then decided to climb on his dad, meanwhile Spud told me he was cold, then tired and then he wanted a snack and started to cry.

This was all in the first 5 minutes or so. It went down hill from there.

We were fully ready to welcome Jesus at that point. Preferably in the second coming. Right at that moment. I am certain the thought was fervently echoed by those around us.

Next year we will welcome the King in the quiet of our own home.

We may not be all that bright, but we are learning.

Defenseless

I have a younger brother. I don't write about him much because really, there are enough stories to completely take over this blog. I'm narcissistic enough to want this blog to be all about me all of the time.

That being said, I have to tell you something about him. He is a great guy with a wonderful loving heart. He just doesn't show it much. That kind heart is buried.  Deep.  It's pretty much covered in concrete.  It takes an awful lot to get him emotional.

Until December 25th around 11:00 at night.

The mountain of concrete was reduced to sand with the feathery nudge of an impossibly small finger. Then the exposed heart was completely and utterly wrapped around that same tiny digit.

It's amazing how a six and a half pound bundle of pink can turn a strong capable guy into a quivering pile of jello. Amazing and perfect.

Congratulations Daddy.

No Time!

You know what?

It is the week of Christmas.

There are cookies to make, songs to sing, hills to toboggan, movies to watch, nachos to eat, lights to look at, services to attend, friends to visit, boxing day sales to attack and HOPEFULLY a new niece or nephew to cuddle.

So, no time to blog.  See you in a week or so!

Christmas Confessions

I have a few Christmas secrets. And since most of the Internet is busy at Boomama's I feel safe sharing these with all 3 of you.

*I hate wrapping presents. For three glorious years when we lived in Langley a local mall would gift-wrap all your presents for you, even if you didn't buy them there for a small donation to charity. I had beautiful presents for three years in a row and no one was the wiser. Until now.

* I spike my eggnog. With Ginger-ale. Do not knock it till you try it. You'll never look back.

* I do not ask my kids what they want for Christmas. They seem oblivious to the fact that they could request a gift. I do not get any requests, whining or begging. I plan to ride this pony till the tail falls off. If you know them and clue them in than you are dead to me.

* I won't let my kids eat candy canes. The sticky mess makes me cringe, so they are mint-deprived.

* I will not be cooking a traditional Christmas dinner. Instead we will be having what is easier and everyone likes better anyway. Chicken wings, cheese nachos, a shrimp ring and various other bar food. Thank-you M and M meatshops.

*I LOVE the song Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. If I tell you it brings back special memories will that make me seem less of a red-neck?

* This is our 5th year with a Christmas tree. It's our 13th Christmas since we've been married.

* There is a star at the top of my Christmas tree, but it is not your traditional star. The first year we ever had a tree we were living in Ft. Worth. Way Cooler had gone to a hockey game and I decorated the tree by myself and went to bed. When I got up the next morning I discovered that Way Cooler had put a star up for me. It was a picture of a Dallas Stars player from his ticket stub. That has topped our tree ever since.
Seriously.

*I've never watched It's a Wonderful Life. I have no plans to. Quite honestly, it sounds a little dull. Guy feels down, sees how he helps others, perks up again. Meh.

Now you have it. What's your Christmas confession?

The Body

On Sunday I skipped church. It was 752below 30 below with a 40 below windchill and Way Cooler wanted us to stay hunkered down. This is one of those times when submission is pretty easy. (For those of you panicking about the temperature, remember I'm a metric chick and too lazy to convert it for you today.)

So instead I baked bread, made granola, put together obstacle courses for the boys ( a sneaky way to get Spud's physical therapy done) and played waaay too many games of memory.

But I thought about church. Deep thoughts. Or as deep as a geek of very little brain can get.

I recently read Revolution by George Barna. It was a thin little book, both in size and content and in it he asserts that "revolutionaries" are not necessarily going to go to church. They are too busy living for God to waste time in a traditional church.

Pardon?

Are we reading the same Bible George?

I don't know about him, but I NEED the body. I need the deep teaching that comes from a man who dedicates himself to hearing from God and studying His word. I need the fellowship of believers who know me well and love me anyway. I need to serve others, both those who know Christ and those I have to share Him with. I need to prayfully tap into God's power that will enable me to love the prickly, the hypocrites and the hyper-needy. I need to remember that it isn't about me.

I do understand where Barna is coming from. Sort of. There are many churches out there where ritual has replaced relevance and many who fill pews today could hardly be described as revolutionary. However, North America is filled with churches. Filled. There are still MANY places where God is glorified and true community is lived out.

I read a blog recently where the writer was chronicling her family's quest for a church. They had been to over 80 and still hadn't found the right one. Quite honestly, if someone cannot find one church out of 80 where they can worship and fellowship together than the problem may not be with the churches. It might be them.

As for me, I will continue to attend the imperfect community of believers I call my home church. I need it too much to stop.

Unless of course the windchill is such that skin freezes in less than a minute and then it will be me and Robert Schuller. ( Don't judge me, I love the music.) But come Spring, I will be back.

Martha Who?

Well, today is Bomama' Christmas Tour of Homes so most of you will be busy doing that this week. I won't be joining in again. While I do have a tree this year, the rest of the decorating remains the same. So here it is, re-posted from last year, the reason I will not be participating in the tour of homes.

On Monday Boomama is hosting a bloggy Christmas Home Tour. This is where everyone with a blog can show off what their house looks like during the holidays.

I shall not be taking part. I'd like to, but I think I might get kicked out. Even by a sweet Southern Gal.
See, I'm not real good at decorating. In any season.
Let me prove it.
This is the extent of my Christmas decorations. Isn't it festive?

I think it really switches it up from the spring decor which is next picture. Notice the beautiful daisies and spring-y bucket. Look out Martha Stewart.

This is also the summer decor because we really don't want to get too carried away.

This last picture is of my fall decor. I really don't like fall because it means that winter is coming. So in protest of the season, there are no flowers.

Yep, I'm a decorating fool!
Merry Christmas.

Thanks Bob.

I remember when dinner was quiet.

I also remember when I ate hot food without 72 bajillion interruptions to fill water cuppies, mop up spills of said water cuppies and referee the odd squabble but quite honestly, hot food is over-rated when you can have the complimentary entertainment I get every night.

The other evening I had gotten up (yet again) to fetch something and when I got back to the table my kids were re-enacting this. Complete with dancing peas.



Who needs a quiet supper anyway?

Christ Was

This story didn't happen to me, but it is true.  It happened to a dear friend and I am taking a wee bit of artistic license with it.  

It was almost Christmas.  I was grumpy.  Tired, worn out and grumpy.  Oh, we had everything that we needed, but money was tight, bills were piling up, the kids were difficult and we lived in the land of the NEVER ENDING SNOW.  And here was Christmas.  I couldn't quite shake this feeling of weariness.  Dreariness.  Nothing earthshaking, just a lack of something.  It's probably something every young mom contends with.  But still, it was Christmas and I was NOT in the mood.

I decided to do something about it.  There was a family in town with nothing.  I was going to help them have a Christmas too.  I organized some friends to get them some presents and then remembered I had an old beat-up Wal-mart Christmas tree in the basement so I hauled it out to lend to them.

And there it was.  The writing on the wall. Well, technically not the wall, the box.

Christwas.

An upside down letter turned me upside down as well.

Christ Was.

A promise

A baby

A boy

A blessing

Missing

Found 

In favour with God and men

Teacher 

Healer 

Master

Messiah

Hated

Despised

Rejected

Wounded for our transgressions 

Crucified

Buried

Alive

CHRIST WAS

AND

CHRIST IS

Alive

Saviour

Coming King

CHRIST IS TO COME

What more could I ask for?

Nothing.

Canaqueont

OK, I promise this is the last time I post about the mess that is Ottawa until the new year, but I got this forward from my Auntie and it was too good not to share.  If you are not a Canadian it may not be as funny, but around here we need all the laughs we can get right now.

 

Seems reasonable, after all this is Canaqueont…

Toronto Maple Leafs Win Stanley Cup!!!

Canada was stunned Monday when it was announced that The Stanley Cup will be awarded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, possibly as early as December 6th.
The cup will be stripped from from 2008 playoff champions the Detroit Red Wings and be awarded to the Leafs, who didn't even make the playoffs.
How is this possible, Canadians ask?
Well, the Leafs have formed a coalition with eastern conference semifinalists the Montreal Canadians, and conference quarter finalists the Ottawa Senators, now outnumbering the Red Wings.
According to current Leaf coach Ron Wilson "the Red Wings have lost the confidence of the league and should hand the cup over immediately to our coalition".
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is cutting short a European trip to try to resolve the unprecedented hockey crisis that could force a second playoff series, or see an opposing team coalition take the cup.

 

A bit of Reprieve

Jennifer at Conversion Diary has this neat Friday thing where you do 7 quick takes.  Because we all need a break from my political rantings here goes:

--1--

Eggnog lattes contain coffee.  I did not know that.  What a horrid way to ruin perfectly good eggnog.  I honestly thought I was ordering steamed eggnog, just like my chai tea lattes which are sludge coffee free.  I think I'll just stick to the salted caramel hot chocolate from now on.

--2--

After several interesting conversations with Spud and his teacher I went to observe Spud in action at pre-school last Friday.  Action might be over-stating it.  All the other little kids were happily playing, building and what-not and my child was over by himself spinning on the carpet.  He can do that at home for free.  So that is what will happen.  We have made the decision in conjunction with his OT, PT and SLP that I will do some stuff at home, he will continue therapy but his pre-school days are done at the end of the month.

--3--

Parliament is prorogued.   After this week I totally take back everything I have ever said about Canadian politics being boring.  For my American friends who are utterly confused by this, here is an excellent article that explains the whole sordid mess. 

--4--

I am still unable to fix my feedburner mess.  Bleh.

--5--

Last night I helped set up for our Ladies Morning Out craft fair.  I carefully assembled all the pretty gift boxes the designer was using as part of her centre pieces, placed them out, put extra lids on them after she decided they needed something else and then brought them all back from all the tables and disassembled them when she decided she didn't like that way they looked.  I will NEVER EVER understand perfectionists.  EVER.

--6--

We went to Way Cooler's staff Christmas Party on Sunday night.  This was our first one since the career shift.  It was quite a bit more fun than some of his previous staff parties.  Not that conservative theologians don't know how to party, I am certain they do, just not the ones Way Cooler worked with.  At all.

--7--

I am loving doing the Jesse tree with the boys.  They may not be getting much out of it but it certainly is deepening my appreciation and understanding of how Jesus' birth is a culmination of so many events and prophecies that took place so much earlier in history.

Democracy Shmocracy

Whoo hoo.

Christmas must have come early this year in Parliament because it's not been two months since the election and we get the gift of a new government.

The nerd, the used car salesman and a guy whose only purpose in being in the government of our country is to get out of our country will now be calling the shots.  Together.

Gotta love democracy.

Oh yeah, this isn't democracy.  We didn't elect these dudes.  They must have missed the memo but they LOST THE ELECTION.

The best part about the new grand pooh-bah?  His own party can't stand him.  They are replacing him in May.  So then, the Prime Minister will be some dude that none of us were counting on when we voted in the first place. 

Apparently Larry, Moe and Curly don't realize that when the world is in an economic crisis it's best for countries to appear solid and stable.  Organizing a polite coup may not be the best way to inspire confidence in our economy.  Not that coalition governments aren't known for their rock-solid stability.   

The other alternative to this mess is for the unelected Governor General to dissolve parliament and call another election.  

So we could vote in another minority government.

I think I'd prefer a lump of coal.

Advent Conspiracy

Hey, have y'all seen this around?

What a SUPER idea.  Way Cooler and I have always down-played the commercial aspect of Christmas, mainly because we are super cheap.  However, now that we have kids, it has become even more important to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  

So, Happy Geek what DO you do to keep Christ in Christmas?  (Cue cheesey music)

So glad you asked.

The jolly fat guy?  We pretty much ignore him.  Our kids will be the ones ruining Christmas for all their little friends.  For that, I apologize in advance.

The boys get 2 gifts from us.  Neither are big.  They also get stockings which will contain crayons, underwear, toothbrushes and an orange or two.  Yep, we rock.  They may not think so in a year or two however. 

We exchange names in my extended family.  This year my I have my awesome sister's name.  I asked what they wanted.  They want a goat.  More than happy to oblige.

We will be doing the Jesse tree this year.  I learned about this last year from Shannon and was thrilled.  Growing up in a decidedly non-litergical background, I had never even heard of such a thing.  I cannot wait to make it an important tradition in our house.  I will be posting picture of all our ornaments later.

We ask for gifts that are not material.  My amazing M-I-L gives us a zoo pass every year.  I cannot count the number of picnics and outings we have had there this year.  It has given us a great deal of family fun and we are VERY grateful.  I am not totally grateful that my kids are now into snakes, but it's an issue I'll work on.

I am making Way Cooler's gift.  Stop laughing.  It's NOT A CRAFT.  Which is a very good thing.  When you see the Jesse tree ornaments you'll know why.

So, there you have it, some of the stuff we do to buy less and be more.

How about you?