This is testing week at BoyZilla’s school so he doesn’t have a lot of homework. Which, yay! is a break for Mom and Dad! So, how was he spending his time? He asked me if he could play games on my computer after dinner, to which I agreed, for a time limit of 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, though, I could hear that he was no longer on the computer. THIS is what he was up to:

My boy, the filmmaker

That’s him, trying his hand at stop-motion film. He’s got his Lego characters set up in a scene, and he’s moving them ever so minutely and taking frame by frame photos with my husband’s camera. He’s written a script, too, complete with shot and camera directions. I love it when he decides to express himself in such a productive and creative way. I love watching him learn like this. It makes me wonder, when I watch him write stories, or draw, or now, try his hand at movie making… at 9 years old? What in the world is this kid going to be? I think it’ll be amazing to watch.

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with Zöe, the cat. She just had her 19th birthday about two weeks ago, and she’s doing amazingly well:

19-year-old kitty

Kitty Glamor Shot

Not bad for 19, eh? She’s doing great. I’m kinda sad to admit that she is much happier being an only cat since our other one passed away six months ago. She eats very well, is still playful, and is way more talkative now that the other, more boisterous kitty isn’t around to overshadow her. I’m sad, knowing in hindsight that the presence of the other cat might have made her unhappy for a full 17 years, but glad that her elder years are so happy.

Like I said, it’s just another Monday. Thank you for indulging me by peering into our little slice of life this evening. I’ll be back on the knitting soon. I promise.

Teen Daughter, tooting flute

Just had to say, my camera KICKS BUTT.

I was sitting in the very back of our large community theater. My daughter, the one with the blue hair, was a small speck of a kid on the stage. And THIS, this photo? From my seat, all the way to her, with NO flash.

Not bad, eh?

Oh. And neither was the concert. Festival’s this Friday, and my fingers are crossed.

Before it gets too crazy, or too weird, or too insane to enjoy it all, I’d like to take you back. Back to a time when for me, and my family? It was about enjoying the season for what it was. A time of peace, joy, and love… as seen through the eyes of a child.

When my daughter was not quite 3 years old, she asked for the first time for her Christmas wish: a pink, triangle napkin holder. A what, you ask? A napkin holder. Triangle shaped. For her play kitchen that she had received the previous year. The fact that such an object did not exist was of little consequence to her; Santa would make one, of course.

Hoping to catch that request on video, I’m sure, my husband broke out the camera. And, well, two-year-old girls are fickle. On this day, a pink present was just about good enough.

I submit the following for your enjoyment:

The napkin holder? Miracle of miracles, Santa came through. (You knew he would, didn’t you?)

There’s nothing that Santa can’t make out of wood, don’tcha know.

It was my favorite Christmas. Ever.

Our daughter plays flute and piccolo, and is “first chair” stage right of the conductor.

This last number is my favorite of all. I hear the kids loved playing it, too. It sounded like a real challenge.

Way to go, Wind Ensemble! This mom is proud of you.

Luckily, my son is rarely bored. We’re constantly after him to keep his Legos picked up, and most of the time it’s a losing battle. Our living room carpet is literally a sea of plastic bits that probably came from some Star Wars themed fighting ship, and are always poised to be transformed into something else every day.

Well, today, he surprised us with this. Meet the Day Family!

The Day Family in Legos

Left to right are Steven, Diana, John and Trish. Aren’t we a good looking bunch?

I am especially tickled with the detail and time he took with LegoTrish.

LegoTrish

This is me, in my wheelchair, which he custom made. In my hands I am doing some sort of needlework, which was another touch he thought of by himself. (“Sorry, mommy, I could only find one knitting needle!”)

We’ve always taught our kids that my wheelchair is a part of me, and that it is not something which is a hindrance, but a tool that makes it possible for me to participate in life. I am their mom, and I just happen to be in a wheelchair. It’s not big news at our house, but it is such an integrated part of who I am that with every picture my kids have ever drawn of me, it is obvious that I am in a wheelchair.

So, it would be only right that the Lego Family would have a mom in a wheelchair, too… even if Lego wheelchairs don’t exist and 8-year-old boys have to stick them together with odd bits and pieces. And he did a pretty darn good job, too! Here’s a side view, for you wheelchair geeks.

LegoTrish side view

Not bad, eh?

Diana soaking up the sun on a happy day

Would I be up to the challenge? To help this little, wriggling girl know the difference between right and wrong, and to help her make good choices? Would I be able to share my knowledge with her without passing on the guilt of my own mistakes?

Would I forget to be so serious all the time, and teach her how to laugh? Would I teach her that the most wonderful places in the world are the ones you conjure up in your imagination? Would I show her how to be curious without being afraid?

Fourteen years ago, as all these things were crossing my mind, I could not imagine being here. Fourteen years on, with a daughter who now towers far above my head, but has the shyness of a child. One who is a giggling schoolgirl and an old soul all at once. We are a work in progress, she and I, and only time will tell me if I have done well. I think so, though, and so far I am very proud that of all the daughters in the world, God gave me this one. I am truly lucky.

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I love you.

Jumping for Joy

I missed my Christmas knitting deadline.

Elf hat in progress

Thank goodness it wasn’t a gift, but I was hoping to be able to wear my funky elf hat in Christmas morning photos. The same thing happened to me the last time I knit this pattern. I should know that starting this pattern in November just isn’t enough time, at least not at the Holiday Season. I mean, with everything that goes on at this time of year, there were days when I never even knit at all.

And this is why I don’t knit occasion gifts. I never make my knitting deadlines. So, I’ve for the most part decided just to never have any.

The thing is, I’ve started the decreases now, so soon enough the rounds on this hat will begin to go quickly. So will I wait til next Christmas to wear this hat? No way! Let everyone think I’m crazy when I show up wearing it when it’s done. (I was thinking of attaching jingle bells on the pointy end of the hat… maybe I’ll wait til Christmas for that part…) My coworkers already know that I’m weird, what with the other Santa hat and my eyeball scarf. So this one won’t be hard to wear to work, for sure. Except that it clashes with my purple coat. Oh well…

The weather has been really cold here! Ok, so we’re not below zero like a lot of folks in some parts of the country, but our area has relatively mild winters and it’s cold here! Our old drafty house isn’t helping. almost think I can feel the wind coming right through the walls sometimes. Yesterday was everyone’s first day back to school and work after the holidays, and even though the weatherman swears to me that the days are getting longer now, I don’t believe it. Not even the sun wanted to get out of bed yesterday morning. It’s supposed to get colder before we see normal winter weather again. I can definitely say I’m not looking forward to the rest of this week.

One thing I’d like to share before I go… my favorite Christmas gift. The kids went on a cruise with my in-laws this summer, and they had a photo taken while they were gone:

New photo of brother and sister

I love this photo. It’s on my mantle, on my computer wallpaper, and now on my blog. Now I can look at it anytime. I’m such a proud mama.

Goodnight.

(Well, you know the rest…)

This is the time of year when I just get crazy. So much to do! So little time! Christmas comes on the same freakin’ day every year, and yet, I can’t ever avoid the last minute hectic feeling. It’s like I’m singing in rounds all the time, except the song’s never over, and I can’t catch my breath. For instance, just this week alone:

My little boy is sick. Not just a little bit sick. He got sent home from school on Thursday morning, and we took him to the doctor right away, and though he looked awful he didn’t even have a fever and so they just sent us home and said, oh well.. wait it out. So we’re waiting. And waiting. It’s Day 5 now and really? We’d really just like him to be well already. We’re going back to the doctor tomorrow because the fevers that were nonexistent on Thursday? They won’t go away now. Not to mention the whoopsie tummy incident on my den carpet (right behind me, at the computer) that somehow made a red Slurpee live forever in monument on the rug. Ok so the carpet doesn’t owe us a thing, but I had been hoping to replace it sometime after my elderly cats weren’t around to leave their own monuments on a new carpet. Oh well, just my luck. Anyway, I’m really hoping BoyZilla gets well soon… I truly hate seeing him so miserable.

Second, the Christmas Cards. The cards are here, but still in boxes. The newsletter that I had been skipping the last four years suddenly got done this year (my daughter volunteered) but now it means an extra trip to Kinkos at some point for copying. Sigh. And is there anybody out there who can run to the post office for me? I need about a hundred stamps, quick. Thanks!

Third, the office potluck, scheduled for Wednesday, at a time when I already had a meeting on the top floor (a big deal where I work). I struggled all weekend to find something I could make in the crockpot for ease of carrying. Except the group couldn’t decide whether it was going to be breakfast or lunch. If it was breakfast then there are others who are the queens of breakfast casseroles and quiche, so I needed a sort of side dish, that was festive, and good for either situation. Not as easy as you’d think.

I settled on Potatoes Au Gratin with Asiago and Gorgonzola and cream cheese with turkey kielbasa. (Did I mention that people in my office don’t eat pork?) So I send the poor husband on a cheese hunt in the market (We’re simple cheese slice people and typically can’t even spell Gorgonzola) and after much searching he was successful. Yay! Gourmet cheesy potatoes! Except you know what? The boss tells me today that our potluck has been postponed. So has my meeting on the top floor, by the way, so I’m feeling all cheesed up and nowhere to go. Harumph.

My wedding ring has been broken since before Thanksgiving and it has been repaired and is waiting for me at the jeweler, except I can’t seem to get there, what with the sick kid and cheese quest and all. I guess it’s ok, though because my nephew already has the book I bought him for Christmas so I have to go get something else this weekend. One last trip to the mall. I guess I’ll pick up my ring this weekend.

So, as you can imagine, I’m a little stressed out. So much, in fact, that I got all teary-eyed at one of those Folger coffee commercials, you know, where the missing family member gets home for Christmas, and starts a pot of coffee for his sleeping mom and dad? Yeah that one. Totally bawled. I think I need a cuppa and a hug.

But, it’s not all bad… today the mailman brought this:

Gedifra Cashmere pink yarn

That’s right, Trish. Go pet the cashmere. It’ll all be over soon.

After the Stitch n Pitch on Saturday night, on Sunday, we had the pleasure of visiting with Marc, Jen, Caitlin and Calli, who we’ve been missing terribly over the last four years since they moved to Michigan. I’ve known Jen since she was 5 years old, and by some twist of fate, our two oldest children were born on the same day, 88 minutes apart. So, one of my oldest friends and I had birthday buddy daughters. How cool is that?

When they lived here we all even lived in the same town and our kids went to the same school. We all even used to hang out at the swim club together, so it seemed only right that since this weekend was opening weekend for the swim club, that, weather permitting, we should all hang out there, like always. It was such great fun to see them again and to let the kids play together. Of course I’m not the only one whose kids have gotten bigger over the last four years. It was fun to see how everyone has grown and how Jen and Marc’s girls are becoming such beautiful young ladies.

Jen and Trish

Diana and Caitlin

Baby Claire

Calli

Marc

Caitlin and Mara

Emily, Diana, Caitlin and Mara

BoyZilla strikes a swim pose

BoyZilla shows off his underwater handstand

Her Highness the Teen

Hot dog... yum!

So, we had a very full weekend! I was so glad to participate in so many fun activities, and will be sorry to return to a more “normal” routine tomorrow. I’m having my usual Sunday night dread of work, except that it’s Monday. Which is a good thing, I guess, because that means it’s a short week coming up. Thank goodness for that!

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This first one is what happens when you let the cat’s water bowl run dry; she’s not shy about getting her point across!

And this is what happens when you let BoyZilla browse among the electronic musical toys at Target on a Friday night:

Both kids came home with excellent report cards on Friday so we let them go to Target and choose a small reward. For Her Highness the Teen it was the Twilight DVD, which has now been watched a handful of times. BoyZilla picked a light sabre toy from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which is the new hot thing around here among 6-8 year old boys. I got another pair of headphones for my iPod. Exciting, huh?

Well, I guess I have some work to catch up on before morning gets here, which is already too soon from now. Ciao!

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