Katie Mei's first Christmas tree

I'm slowly getting the blog caught up with real life. I'm only about a week behind now. We decorated our tree last week, and unfortunately, Jay had already left so he wasn't able to enjoy it. He really doesn't like decorating the tree, anyway, but I think he likes watching the kids and I make our mess.

This was Katie Mei's first tree, and she already had a pretty good idea what to do. She has been to Lowe's so many times that she was quite familiar with the term "Christmas Tree" so she knew exactly what we were doing when Jay put it up the day after Thanksgiving. The folks that lived here before us left a 9-foot artificial tree in the attic. Though I'm not a fan of fake trees, I was delighted to have the pre-lit monster, and gladly look forward to not having to clean up needles like we did last year, and the year before, and the year before. And, for that matter, every year of my life thus far. I can still remember Mom and Dad making us pick needles out of the berber carpet when the tree came down when we were kids. The majority of the needles had to be up before they'd run the vacuum. How I hated feeling those needles press into my palms and even my knees through my pants. And just to carry on the tradition, I've made my own kids pick needles out of the carpet. Well, this year there will be no needle picking. Not only do we not have pine needles, we don't have carpet! Yay!

Back to my original train of thought....

Katie Mei really enjoyed getting the ornaments out, and was facinated by the angel tree topper. We have two angels, and the kids ended up choosing the red angel, not the purple one.


The kids each have their own boxes of ornaments that have been gifts or of their own making. When they eventually leave the nest, the plan is for them to take their boxes with them and start their own Christmas tree decorating traditions. So I started Katie Mei's collection this year with a little nativity ornament. She got to put it on the tree first before any other ornaments were hung.

It was kind of nostalgic for me to watch them decorate the tree this year. It was only five years ago that I had my first little girl with excited lit-up eyes, watch me as I showed her how to hang a hook on an ornament and then put it on a branch so it wouldn't slip off. Now, I look up to see that same little girl being the leader as she helps Jacob and Katie Mei get their ornaments on the tree. Merrilee is just growing up so fast. I have such mixed feelings~I'm so proud of her, yet so unwilling to let her grow up. I don't have much control of the latter, so I just have to stick with the former and rejoice in the fact that she such an awesome young lady already. A mom really couldn't be more pleased than I am with her!

Once the tree was pretty much done, Merrilee and Jacob left the scene to watch a Christmas TV show. I remember when we were kids and the week before Christmas there were a few Christmas "Specials" on TV. They really were special, too, because they weren't on every stinkin' night for two months before Christmas. My kids have now watched "The Year Without A Santa Clause" about 62 times and have the whole thing memorized. They've probably seen it more times in their short 5 years in country than I've seen it in all my 44+ years on the planet. The concept of a TV "Special" just isn't there anymore. So sad. It really was special to be able to look forward to watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, and know that if you missed it, you had to wait another entire year before you could see it again. Now ABC Family has got "The 25 Days of Christmas", and prior to that "The 21 Days Before The 25 Days of Christmas". Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Katie Mei wasn't quite as thrilled with the Miser Brothers, but she really was taken in by the tree. She grabbed a pillow and settled herself in front of the tree to absorb it all. It was such a beautiful moment. I wish my photos had come out better. But at least the memory of it was captured.

So Katie Mei's very last first time decorating a Christmas tree was so sweet. We've had the tree up for a week now, and the boxes are back in the garage until we pack it all up. Hopefully Daddy's shoulder will be doing better! All those boxes gotta go into the upstairs attic behind Merrilee's room once we're done with them. We're still moving in....

Wishing you a Merry 9 Days Before The 7 Days Before Christmas, Everyone!

Freezin' Floats! It's a Parade!

Today was the annual Leesburg Spirit of Christmas parade and I managed to get the kids up, fed, and dressed in time to see it. It rained last night, and the temp was about 41 when we left the house, but Jacob (always contrary to his mother's opinion) decided he didn't need a coat. So he froze his little patooty off. We three girls, always sissies when it comes to the cold, decided we were wearing out winter gear today. So much for Southern Georgia average temps of 65 this time of year.

The parade was supposed to start at 10 am in "downtown" Leesburg. Honestly, this little town is so tiny I wasn't really sure where downtown was, but I figured we'd find it if I followed all the other cars around. I got a break and saw a car pull of the road right in front of me behind a few more cars, so I followed suit and we were parked. Turns out, we parked right next to where the local radio station DJ was set up, and right where the folks were handing out ribbons for the parade. It was pretty nice having front row seats. Of course, there weren't that many people there, so almost everyone who wanted to had a front row seat. There were two or three little bleacher stands set up, so we felt like we were VIPs!

I made a little slideshow of all the parade photos just so Jay, who is out of town, could see what he missed. It's about 21/2 minutes long, so you can decide for yourself if you want to blow that much time of your life watching our little parade.

The funniest thing was that Jacob was freezing until realized that folks on the floats and in the cars were throwing candy to the spectators. Once he got wind of that, he forgot all about being cold. I was impressed with all the kids there. They were gracious about helping the little ones, like Katie Mei, get some candy. When they got more than one piece, they shared with the little ones and no one left empty-handed.

If you decided not to watch the slideshow, I'll share just a few of the special floats and memories....

Katie Mei's first parade-thrown lollipop

Our favorite friends, the Merekats, from the Chehaw zoo!

Confederate re-enactors firing their rifles (kids were a bit startled by the rifle shots, and then even more frightened when the canon was fired right in front of them!)

It may be a small town, but we do have our very own "Ghost Hunters" . Yep, they even have an entry in our local Yellow Pages!

This little girl kept sharing candy with Katie Mei and then begged me to take her picture when she saw me with the camera.

Finally, The Big Man! This was the only float that Katie Mei would wave at. I think we'll have to take her to the mall to see if she'll sit on Santa's lap.

So we had a good, though very cold time. It was 46 degrees when we headed home at 11:30 am. We warmed up with some hot tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

For a small town parade, we sure did enjoy it. Tonight is the Albany parade, and it's expected to draw about 40,000 people. Not my kind of crowd. I'm thankful we live in this little town that has leaders willing to go to the trouble to bring Christmas cheer to its small population.

Thanks, Leesburg, it was fun!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Jacob officially turned six today, but we celebrated his birthday on Friday because Grandma and Grandpa and Daddy were here. Jay had to leave for Quantico for several weeks and we didn't want him to miss the festivities. This was also the first birthday party Katie Mei got to really experience in a memorable way.

It was a gorgeous, though slightly chilly day, and the kids spent most of the time outside. Katie Mei loved helping blow up the balloons for decorations.

I finally got the dining room cleared out for Thanksgiving dinner, so it was the best place to decorate for the birthday. The dining room in this house is an extension of the living room, and it's really pretty. I love, absolutely LOVE, having so much window light.

Jacob and Merrilee came in from outside so we could sit down and have him open presents. He felt pretty special and enjoyed his moment in the spotlight.

The focus was mainly on Hot Wheels this year, but he also got a scoop truck he wanted, and a gift card for Books-A-Million.

Katie Mei was fascinated with the proceedings, and was a great sport about watching Jacob open presents and get toys. She didn't show any signs of jealousy at all.

This was rather refreshing, since my history with 2 1/2 to three year old girls has shown me that other things happen at birthday parties. Mainly this:

And this (click on the photo if you want the truly dramatic close up):

So this was a delightful sight as Jacob opened gifts. Katie Mei had a great time!

After openeing the presents, Daddy got to work putting together the track so the kids could launch and jump cars. All three kiddos had a blast, and even four days later, they're still playing with the Hot Wheels. Those toys are timeless!

The great thing about living in this neighborhood is the swarm of kids. I told Merrilee and Jacob to run around and tell everyone to show up at our house at 4 pm for cake. No paper invitations, no RSVPs, no stamps and snail mail. Just show up if you want cake. Parents around here don't care if I feed their kids red-dyed frosting just before dinner. They don't care if their kids play with explosive devices which sent confetti into the air. It's just great. I'm the strictest mom on the block, so whatever my kids can do is more than fine with everyone else. So we ate cake before dinner!

We sang Happy Birthday and launched confetti poppers into the air first.

Then we cut up the Spider Man cake. The bakery couldn't do the Cars design cake with whipped frosting (the black road wouldn't work with whipped, only buttercream), so Mommy, who is not a fan of buttercream, opted for a Spider Man cake with Whip instead--one of the benefits of being the one who orders the cake!

Daddy, who is still recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, managed to come outside for a little fun and festivities. Interestingly enough, he ended up playing chase with all the sugar-crazed kids afterwards, and slipped, cracking a rib on his right side. He wasn't feeling so hot over the weekend. Not a great way to head into three weeks of travel out of state.

Before everyone dispersed, I got a shot of some of the party animals. We're blessed to have such a great crew of kids here, but we sure do miss our friends back home.

Happy Birthday, Jacob. God bless you!

What's a Little Arthroscopic Surgery Among Friends?

Meet the happy patient waiting for the nerve block and silly gas.

Meet the surgical team: The anesthesiologist...

"I think I've got a booger stuck in here somewhere!"

"That's better. Now I'm ready to work!"


The surgeon and his trustworthy assistant.

"Mommy doesn't let me use knives yet. Can I use my plastic saw and hammer?"



Prepping the patient and discussing the potential outcome.

The paitent understands all the risks involved and is still willing to go through with the surgery.










And then...


The HORROR~ So gruesome we all had to leave! Poor Jay.
The kids and I waited in the waiting room for all 5 1/2 hours while Jay had his shoulder cleaned out. He had a little bone scraped, too, just for fun (only a couple hours were for the actual surgery; the rest was waiting for his blood pressure to resume normal parameters! Dude, you were nearly a slug for awhile there!).

Wild, huh?

When the surgery was over and Jay was stable enough for company, we got to go back and see him. Jacob commented "Well, at least he's still alive!" Yeah, at least!

You think Jay likes having his photos plastered all over a page on my blog? At least they're not nudies! He got to keep his underpants on during surgery! Women never seem to get to keep their underclothes on during surgery. Did you ever think about that?

Jay, at this point you're probably wondering how I got a photo of you on the operating table. Are you wondering if the surgeon emailed me a photo, or do you think they let me in the room to take a photo with my cell phone? Nah, it's not you. I snagged it from Wikipedia. I just thought it was pretty cool. Glad you're feeling better. You've been a good sport, and not the big baby everyone said you'd be. (And now you're wondering who "everyone" is, aren't you? I'll never tell.) Love ya! Glad you're feeling better and ready to take the bandages off tomorrow!

Hugs,

Petrie

Belle of the Ball

One little six-year old girl was a very happy princess last night. Merrilee went to her very first Marine Corps Birthday Ball and had the time of her life! We have waited several years to take her, wanting to make sure she was ready for sitting still during the ceremony and being able to eat like a grown up at a table with adults. She met all our expectations and more. She loved the ceremony, even though it was about 40 minutes total. When it was over she indicated that she was a little disappointed because she thought it would last longer and she wished it wasn't over yet. I had to remind her that the Marines standing up there at parade rest were pretty glad it was over so they could sit down.

Here's a photo from the pageant. A narrator recalls the history of the Marine Corps and significant campaigns, while Marines dressed in historical garb march out and stand at attention. Merrilee impressed me when they got to the Marines from WWII and she said "Grandpa John was in World War II!" Granted, he was in the Navy, not the Marines, but surprisingly she did recall that bit of information right away.

After the pageant and and the speeches from the VIPs, the cake cutting ceremony took place. A piece of birthday cake is always given to the Guest of Honor, the oldest Marine present (who, by the way was only five years older than Jay, and had been in the Marine Corps for less time!), and the youngest Marine present. Merrilee was ecstatic over this cake, however she noted that she didn't think it would be enough for all the people present! It was enough...I had two pieces because the wait staff couldn't give it all away!

Merrilee watched the entire ceremony very attentively from her Daddy's lap. It was so endearing to me watch them spend the evening together. Merrilee doesn't get to spend much time with her dad unless its to ride along on a trip to the hardware store or something. This was a very special night for this young lady. At one point she got down from his lap and came over to me and whispered "I'm Cinderella."

While she was standing on a chair next to Jay during the end of the ceremony and the playing of the Marine's Hymn, I could only keep thinking about the day he might be walking her down the aisle giving her away in marriage. That day is going to come way too soon. I love these two people so very much!

After the ceremony, we had a dinner of prime rib, beans (southern style and a little too spicy, even for me), and potatoes. It wasn't the best meal we've had at a Ball, but it was pretty good.

Then the highlight of the evening for Merrilee...dancing! She had such a huge smile that just wouldn't go away. She spun and jumped and twirled around and had the time of her life. Jay and I were smiling just because it was so delightful to watch her having so much fun.

The dancing ended all to soon (Mommy was tired and we still needed to go back to the Marine Base to pick up the other two kids from child care). Merrilee didn't complain at all about leaving, but she said she was even more excited about the Ball at the end of it than at the beginning, because it had been so much fun. It was so delightful to experience the Ball through Merrilee's eyes and enjoy her enjoyment of it. What a great kid! And what a great thing to have a Marine Daddy!

Fun Thanksgiving Craft Project

I know there are a couple of you homeschool moms, a preschool teacher, and some moms who like to do craft projects with their kids, who read this blog. So I'm posting our Thanksgiving craft project--a handprint placemat--here because it was fairly easy for my kids, took only 1/2 hour, and made a nice project that could be used as a gift for a family member or friend. (Mom, if one of the kids decides to give you his/her placemat, act surprised, okay?)

Anyway, I always like to incorporate some academic skills into craft projects, so I started by marking measured dots on the front of a regular piece of construction paper. We used fall colors. About 1.5 inches from a short end of the paper I made a row of dots every 1 inch. This end of the paper is the end that will NOT be cut all the way through. I did the same at the other end of the paper but closer to the edge, as this is the edge where the cutting will start. Then I told the two older kids to use their previously learned skill of using a straight-edge to draw a straight line between two points. They were told to draw the line from the dot at the NO CUT edge all the way through the other dot to the other end of the paper. Then they had to cut along their lines to make parallel strips all attached at one end. This was the background of their placemats.

I had already cut strips of other colors of paper. The strips were 1 inch wide. Each child chose two colors which were different from the color of their background. The strips were woven into the placemat using alternating colors. (No, that's not Merrilee's Diet Coke!)

After all the weaving was done to within about 1.5 inches of the open end, the strips were snuggled in tightly and the ends were glued to the background. This prevents the strips from slipping out later. I completed all this for Katie Mei because she's a menace to society when she gets her hands on scissors.

When the placemats were all glued in place, the kids painted their palms and fingers with brown paint and made brown turkey handprints on their placemats. (Katie Mei had just awaken from her nap and she was a sweaty mess, but she was happy being painted!)

Then they used red, brown, green, yellow, and orange paint to add finishing touches to their turkey prints.

After the paint was dry, I used clear contact paper to cover the front and back of each placemat. The kids now have a nice little wipeable placemat to use for the next couple weeks. And if the placemats are still in decent condition after that time, I have a nice momento of their handprints and artwork to put in their folder.

Happy Turkey Painting!

Petrie