Carlson Crew: December 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Christmas Presents ...

Allie's favorite part about Christmas this year was driving around the neighborhoods looking at the lights. She would say, "Look Mommy, Look" over and over again. When Cooper would say, "Can we go home now?" Allie would protest saying, "More Lights MORE LIGHTS Pleeese"!

Cooper's favorite part about Christmas was playing with our 12 year old train around the Christmas tree and his new ride-on truck. Ever since we've moved into the house Cooper has been asking to open up the train. I've probably told him 8 times, we only get out the train at Christmas time. We also live in an active cul-de-sac with 10 other kids who all bike, scoot, and drive around in their various vehicles, so Cooper was thrilled that he and Allie have a new truck to share. This was basically their only gift from Lee and I.

My favorite part about Christmas is the music, I am so excited to get out the Christmas CD's and so sad to pack them away at the end of the season. My favorite CD this year was by Rick Springfield. What I really love is hearing the blend of secular and sacred music together so effortlessly in places of business, on the radio and in people's homes. For me it's the perfect blend of living out Jesus in your life alongside the joys and struggles of living in this modern day America. I just love that at Christmas time everyone can enjoy the secular tune of "Jingle Bells" and the sacred "Away in a Manger" no matter what their God view (religious view), in the close proximity of a few minutes. A life goal for me, to live out my faith effortlessly, spontaneouly yet subtly & noticeable day by day.

Lee's favorite part about Christmas this year was simply that he was home! He has had to work the 7 out of 10 Christmas's offshore. This year he was home by 3pm Christmas Eve and went back offshore Jan 7th. YEAH!!!! So ... if he remains on this schedule he will be home for the next 6 years! The song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" really resonates with us ;)

Of course, We are exceedingly thankful for God's best gift to us, Jesus! Baby Jesus is a bigger deal than Santa for our family during the holidays. We don't ignore the idea of Santa but we don't emphasize it either. We do take an annual photo with Santa and we do hang stockings on the wall (this year we forgot to open up the stockings until the day after Christmas). When random people would ask, "What is Santa going to bring you for Christmas?" or "Are you excited that Santa will be coming soon?" my kids would look at them strangely. Then I would explain that we don't emphasize Santa, instead we are excited about celebrating Jesus's birthday and giving each other presents. Yeah, yeah yeah, I know Jesus may not have been born in December - but all you people who make a big deal out of this don't make a point to celebrate his birth in the summertime - do you! I know that many people think we are crazy for "stealing the joy of Christmas" by not doing Santa or the elf on the shelf or creating reindeer footprints on the lawn. Let me assure you there is more joy, more excitement, more anticipation about Christmas than you can imagine in the Carlson home. It's not the plastic, pretend joy! It's the kind of joy, excitement and anticipation that arrives when you teach a 4yr old and an almost 3yr old that it's not all about them and what they materialistically want. It's about celebrating giving and realizing that God gave us himself. It's very cool that my kids kind-of get it . . . It's amazing that they can tell you which extended family member gave them which gift. There's no disappointment about not getting what "I" wanted. They realize it's not all about them, it's about what we are to each other and to God.
I am amazed at the ability to mold the hearts of my children. I am humbled and at times a bit burdened by this huge responsibility. However, I dare you to try to teach this kind of joy, excitement and anticipation next December!

I am also open to criticism, critiques, and suggestions ... I am simply a mom attempting to make a positive imprint on the developing hearts I've been entrusted to mold.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Cute Quotes!

Allie loves to eat speghetti noodles (now) and every time I say, "Ready to eat some noodles" or "eat your noodles" or "noodles are yummy" she says seriously, "No it's snakes". I think she really thinks she's eating snakes?

Cooper was in a bad mood and had been sent to his room a few times for various offences. Later in the day he cheered up and came to me and said, "Mama remember that "fit" I was in?"
"Oh yes, I remember." I said
"Well Mama, I just threw that fit away because I don't need it!" as he pitched his hand over his shoulder.
"You did the right thing getting rid of it, Cooper, Thanks." I tried not to laugh
He smiled and said, "yeah, That's what you gotta do Mama when you have a fit"
I said, "I'll try that next time I have one! Thanks for that good idea!"
"Yep, that's what Mrs. Manhall tells us to do at school and it really works!" He said proudly

On Cooper's birthday we sang the "Happy Birthday" song and then Cooper said, "Now I've gotta make a wish" so he closed his eyes for a few moments then said, "ok" and blew out his candles. We haven't talked about making wishes so he must have gotten that idea from somewhere else. I was so curious what his wish was, hoping that he didn't know that if you tell a wish is may not come true. So when I asked him what he wished for he said very frankly, "I wished that I could blow out my candles!" I chuckled to myself wondering if that was a real wish or what he thought was the official wish people always make before blowing out their candles.

The morning after Cooper's birthday he asked me moments after he woke up, "Am I four today too?" I said, "Yes, you will be four for a long time!" Then he said, "For like 100 days?" Excitedly I said, "No, not for 100 days but for almost 400 days!" He smiled and said, "Wow and when I'm 5 I'll be 5 for almost 500 days!" I laughed and said, "We'll see, let's just work on being a great 4yr. old today"!

The weather was getting colder and I started putting Chapstick on the kids before we'd go outside. One morning Cooper said, "Oh Mama, don't forget my lip chalk!". I couldn't figure out for several minutes what he was talking about. He finally said, " Mom, it's that stuff you put on our lips that smells good but you aren't supposed to eat it!" Finally I understood he was talking about Chapstick, but I think we'll continue to call is lip chalk, just because it's just sooo funny :)

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve

Love, Candlelight Christmas Eve Services!

There's just something about the simplicity and beauty of

Christ's light shining in us collectively.

After the Candlelight Christmas Eve service

we sipped on warm mocha's and looked at Christmas Lights.

One kid saying, "Can we go home now!"

Another kid screaming, "More lights, more lights, MORE LIGHTS!"

When we get home we open one present:

Christmas Eve PJ's!!!!

This was also a tradition for me growing up,

however my Mom usually made us girls matching Christmas Eve PJ's

(growing up we called them "Jammies" - short for pa-jama's).

Then another year my youngest sis, Heidi made all her

brother-in-laws matching Jammies. Cute and silly all at the same time!

I'm a little sad that I can't sew my kids matching "Jammies"

Owl's and Buzz Lightyear

don't quite cut it, but those smiles were great!

So a little wrestling and pony rides from Daddy!

Then we need to calm down and we played,

"Don't Break the Ice"

Then we needed to calm down again and work on a few "new" puzzels.

"New" to Cooper and Allie,

there are several advantages to having my business resources

to bring out "new" stuff for the kids to play with.

Allie is doing well learning how to do interlocking puzzels,

must have gotten this from Papa Hal, the puzzel master!

Another tradition Cranberry Tea and Carmel Corn!

Cooper and Allie enjoying Cranberry Tea, this year a first for them!

Hope you enjoy a wonderful Christmas!

Love,

The Carlson Crew

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Angels of encouragement in disguise . . .

So it was kind of a crazy day ... Saturday at Walmart, one week before Christmas, just had to pick up a few things and print my Christmas card photo's with the kids. It was about 11:15. Then the plan was to go home for lunch, naps etc...

We gathered our grocery items then looked at the toys because if everyone's good during the grocery shopping, that's the reward. We get to LOOK and DREAM about the toys for several minutes before checkout.

However, when we got to checkout my wallet was left in the car! Uggg - really this is horrible! I'd rather receive many forms of torture instead of leave the loaded cart in a hiding spot, get another cart to haul the kids out to retrieve the wallet, take kids out of the retrieval cart, walk and reload them into the hiding cart, and attempt to checkout again. It was my own fault!

It's close to 12:15 with no complaints of starvation. I'm tempted to print the Christmas card pic's but the fear of meltdown deters me to head for McDonald's inside Walmart first. I hate eating inside Walmart, but today I was desperate. A good move because the kids devoured everything in the 10piece nugget meal.

As they are eating Cooper asks me, "Hey Mama, why don't we ever buy the lunch for kids with the toy?" I respond, "That's a good question, But I've got a good reason for that Cooper. We have lots of toys at home and it's not healthy for kids to have too many toys. So that's why we don't get the lunch with a toy." He says, "Kind of like it's not healthy to eat candy for breakfast?" "Exactly, candy for breakfast is not healthy for your body and too many toys and things is not healthy for your heart" I say. He giggles because he thinks he understands and then proceed to mow down his fries.

Later on we strike up a conversation with an older couple seated behind us. They are eating McD's cookies and drinking coffee. A little quirky in a sweet way I think to myself. They chat with the kids and ask them questions about Christmas. We are all happy, fed and entertained by this lovely couple who then ask, "Which church do you go to?" I am a little amazed that they 1st ask the question so boldly yet casually and 2nd that there may see something in us that would warrant the question. I tell them the name of our church and the older lady says, "I just knew they were Sunday School kids. They are beautiful"! Then the older man says, "Yes I could tell, they just radiate don't they honey?" She nods.

I get a lump in my throat and my eyes go misty. I try to think of something to say before I lose it. I say, "That means so much to me, Thank you!" Allie is then on the go, so we clean up quickly and then say, Merry Christmas. I am pushing the cart to print the pictures, tears dripping down, nose running and embarrassed that a Walmart associate will stop me and ask if I need any assistance.

I don't think I'll ever forget this moment because of it's tenderness in such an odd place and time. This is the best yet simplest compliment towards child-rearing that I've ever experienced. It urges me to stay consistent, pray for them more, to try my hardest to not spoil them, to be persistent in preserving their innocence and get them to Sunday School on time ;) Later I tell Cooper in a whisper, "People can see if your heart is good, and those people at McDonald's could see that in you!" To Allie, I hugged her tight and tell her, "Mommy loves my good girl!"