Adventures with two...

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours...

Ornament Swap '07

Had a great time making these ornaments for a swap I signed up for online. There were over 800 people in the swap! Luckily there were only 10 of us in each group so I made 10 ornaments. They are made with all recycled or reused materials: tartlet cups from Grandma's kitchen, old tinsel found in the Christmas box, clips from an old curtains rod, ribbon that was tied to pillows I bought last month and papers used from past projects.

I love how they turned out! Click on the pictures to see them up close.

**Updated to add: Check out the other ornaments made by everyone in the swap at http://www.flickr.com/groups/holidayswap07  So many great ideas, I can't wait to get mine in the mail!

Growing old

Em has asked about Bella, our cat that we had to put to sleep this summer, several times in the past few weeks. I think she's still trying to make sense of why she isn't here any more. We've talked about how she passed away and isn't able to come back to live with us. I don't bring up the subject, but Emmie seems to a few times a week.

In the car the other day on the way to daycare she asked:

Em: Mama, where Bella go? I want to hold her.

Me: Well honey, remember Bella died and so we can't hold her even if we want to.

Em: Oh, no, what happened, Mama?   

Me: Remember Bella got real sick. (Pause...what the heck do I say here? She's only 2.5, I'm not ready for this yet!!) Bella was really old, honey and sometimes when you get old your body just doesn't work anymore. Bella's body wasn't working and she died so we won't be able to see her anymore. (Thinking...aughhh, what do I tell her?)

Em: (Looking out the window and thinking for a bit)  I no want to be old, Mama.

Me: (reeling) Honey, you won't be old for a really long time (pause...thinking, do I just leave it at that??)

The story continues however when later that night while singing bedtime songs, Em requests  the "Pumpkin song", which is really "Thumbkin". So we start singing the song...

"Where is thumbkin, where is thumbkin...

Where is pointer, where is pointer...

Where is middle man..."

Em stops with a horrified look on her face and says in a truly distraught voice, "Oh, oh, Mama! My finger too old, it not working any more!" I quickly reassured her that her fingers were all working properly and tried not to fall off the bed laughing. 

I've learned that two and a half is only the beginning of profound questions, I better get working on my answers.

A Christmas Tree!

This past weekend, we went hunting for our Christmas tree at a tree farm with Grandma and Grandpa R. We drove through the rows of trees to cut yourself, stopping a few times for trees that might do, only to run back to the car since it was SO cold and we had left Em's snowpants at her daycare.

Soon enough Em had to go potty (of course!) and so we made our way to the only available bathroom, the porta-a-potty. Tom took her in but a few minutes later they returned and Em told me emphatically, "I no go potty on dat cold potty, Mama!" Luckily, she didn't have to go that bad I guess.

The hunt continued and we moved to the pre-cut tree section, again braving the elements in tiny doses. Finally, Tom found a tree and we decided it would be just right. Em and I ran back to the car to turn on the heat! I didn't even get one picture of us by the actual tree, since we were too cold and wind blown.

We snuggled up in the car and Tom brought us a candy cane. As you can see by the twinkle in her eye, Em discovered that she loves "Tanny Tanes". She smiled with every lick.

We had a great time decorating our tree* once we got it up. However, Em was very particular about what Tom could put on the tree telling him at one point, "No Daddy, this one dan-gus (dangerous), you don't drop it!" (Finger wag included!) And also, "This one real 'pecial' Daddy, you don't touch it!" Poor Daddy, I guess she thinks he's got butterfingers or something?!

She takes delight in every SINGLE thing we find these days, whether it's silver beads that go on the tree, a "pecial" ornament, tinsel, decorations we've put up or lights around the neighborhood. We're enjoying all that is magical about the season through her eyes.

*Notice the cluster of ornaments Em has going on the lower, left hand side of the tree.