Let There be Peace on Earth

We weren't sure if we should talk to Luke about what happened last Friday in Newtown, CT. We thought he was too young. We kept the tv off, we didn't talk about it in front of him. And in the end, before we had a chance, before he even went back to school, he found out about it. We didn't know until a few hours after he had heard the news, sitting in his pjs in the recliner with John. He told him about how some guy shot a teacher, the kids in the classroom and then shot himself. We talked about it in simple terms. We told him school was safe (are we lying by saying that? Is school safe?) and he told us that he wasn't scared he was just really sad. He thought his friend wasn't telling him the truth, he thought it was just a fake story.

I wish to God it was just a fake story.

I am ashamed and sad that he didn't hear about it from us first. We can't live in a bubble but how much do you share?

None of it makes sense. But I do know that my faith in humanity was restored this morning at church. I was holding Ellie on my lap, she was whispering "I love you" in my ear and the congregation sang Let There Peace on Earth. Please, let there be peace on earth.

Still Too Little Woman

I have this little dream that one day in the near future, when the kids are about 10 and 11 that Luke and John will go off on a guy's weekend to do things that men do like eat fast food and play video games or whatever. While they are off doing that Ellie and I will get manicures and pedicures, have some kind of nice lunch that does not involve the words Panera or mac and cheese. We'll go shopping and then in the evening we'll watch some of my favorite movies like Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, How to Make an American Quilt, and maybe Now and Then.  (Funny how Winona Ryder has fallen from her glory days, huh?!)

So we were at the library this weekend and there was Little Women. Just sitting there on the shelf, as a faded VHS tape nonetheless. It begged for me to pick it up. So I did and we checked it out. I asked Ellie if she wanted to watch it with me today. "I don't like that movie. No thanks." Humpf. Okay. I showed her a youtube clip of it and no dice.

As we were cleaning up from dinner tonight Luke says, "hey mama, guess you're gonna have to watch that Little Women movie all alone. So sorry."

He went as far as to say it with cheer in his voice and real sarcasm. All I could do was laugh.

"Want to Play Hair Salon?"

They turn my head and sweetly say, "look down, okay?" " Turn your head this way sweety." "You like it? Your hair is so shiny, you want for me to brush and cone it?" And then she cones (how adorable is that?) right over my ear and says, "oops, sorry mommy. I hurt you? So sorry. You look beautiful. Let me just brush a little more, okay?" 

"Thanks for coming to my hair salon. You just have to cost me now. That will be Seven Dollars." 

Chiming in on Christmas carols

The kids have been singing Christmas carols pretty much non-stop these days. I am reminded that Jingle Bell Rock is NOT a song when I try to sing it. Also almost all second verses of any other song that they do know, they believe is wrong and also does not exist. However, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer they have down to a science.

We have to start the song by with naming off all of the other reindeer and then we go from the "but do you recall..." to a crescendo of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose...."

As we get to the part about calling him names, Ellie always chimes in that this is the sad part.

And when we get to "then one foggy Christmas Eve..." she says, "ohhhh, this is my favorite part!"

Maybe it's cuter in person, but let me tell you, it is c.u.t.e.

Indigo Blues

This song cuts me to the core. It applies to my life right now in many different ways that I can't even articulate so I guess I'll just say nothing at all. I know, this is a blog, you can't just not say anything. I'll let the song speak for me tonight though.

Here's what I find about compromise, don't do it if it hurts inside'Cause either way you're screwedEventually you'll find that you may as well feel goodYou may as well have some pride

"Can I help you make your bed?"

This is how they help. They get sidetracked by jumping on the bed which is just so much more fun than smoothing out the wrinkles. Until someone falls on someone else. Someday I will miss these moments of chaos.

Christmas is coming...

I know. I've been absent for far too long. Our summer was busy, our fall has been fairly unremarkable. We're working on settling into this new routine with two kids in school and the whirlwind that is life. The days bleed into nights, every day seems the same as before and yet we keep on charging forward.  We're all really excited for Christmas to get here and to turn the chapter on a new year of adventures for our family of four. 

Here they are hamming it up before a family Christmas party. Ellie picked out her gold sparkly dress with the leopard faux fur shrug. Luke picked out his classy clip-on tie covered in moose. They both take my breath away. I only wish I had taken better pictures, but nonetheless, they are adorable subjects.

Here they are at the party, snuggling up to their most favorite people in the world. 

Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance. Luke tugged on his beard. It's real. Santa also reminded Luke not to snoop and to be a good boy. Backstory: Luke was looking up on some high closet shelves and found a few hidden presents. Apparently, Santa saw it as he is of course, all-knowing. Luke officially believes. He told me last night that he peaked outside at the party to see if Santa's sleigh and the reindeer were on the lawn. 

Is it just me, or can you not stand the way she is holding that cup of milk either? So adult right? She kills me.

And then the night devolved to this.

Oh yes, we're excited and just a tad blessed.