Linda's Lunacy

Faith, Home, & Family

Playing Catch up!

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We had a very nice Christmas. The kids had fun. And are used to us having breakfast, homemade cinnamon rolls, and reading our devotion BEFORE stockings and presents. So there was no complaining. There may have been a couple “are you done eating yet?” but no whining “Can we open presents NOW?!” Thankfully, LOL

For a few years, I’ve been wanting to cut down to 3 presents per kid from Mom and Dad. But dh hasn’t wanted to. This year I had 4 presents for those kids living at home. I just bought them and wrapped them, I didn’t even show them to dh before wrapping like I usually do. lol And he didn’t ask if that was all, or why I didn’t get them more. Guess he didn’t miss the others or he lost count. LOL And there was not ONE complaint from any of the kids about there only being 4. So I’ll go down to three next year. If they didn’t complain about missing a few this year, they shouldn’t complain about missing 1 next year. We’ve never concentrated on the presents very much. We don’t ask the kids for a list, and they know that we give them gifts to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. So I don’t foresee any problems with them. DH is the biggest problem. hehehehehe

The in laws came over for dinner, as well as Kenn & Betty Sue. My Mother was unable to make it. (more later) And we had our traditional meal, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce and homemade dinner rolls. This year we also had a ham (dh’s Christmas bonus from work) and creamed onions, (’cause I felt like having them. lol) As well as 4 pies, pumpkin, apple, chocolate and cherry. Melissa and Hannah made the apple, and the pumpkin, except for the crusts, that I made. See, I’m getting better about letting them help. But I didn’t want to give up the crusts. lol

Melissa left Sunday, to go to her cousins house in another state for a week. She”l come home next Sunday, the 2nd. Come home safe Melly!! The teenagers always complain that the little kids are the noisy ones, the ones causing all the problems. But it’s funny, you take the teenagers out of the house, and everything is calm and quiet! Can’t quite figure THAT one out. lol

My Mother didn’t make it home for Christmas for health reasons. On the 22nd, she had a heart cath, and a stent put in. She was supposed to get out on the 23rd, but caught a stomach virus with a temp. So they kept her to make sure the temp wasn’t from an infection. She finally got out of the hospital on the 24th. The dr said he’d rather her stay in town so if something happened she’d be closer to the hospital. My brother lives in town, so she stayed there. She had to go for more lab work on Monday of this week, as well as yesterday. She’s supposed to find out today when the dr wants to see her again. They said her liver isn’t working right again. As well as thinking that her multiple myelomas are acting up again. And I’m not sure what else, as she doesn’t tell me everything. grrrrrrr! Or my brothers, either. She doesn’t want us to worry, so she doesn’t tell us. You now know what I know. SHEESH!!!!! Just tell me! It’s easier to know, than not to know! sigh We went to see her yesterday, and took her her Christmas present. We got her one of those automatic jar openers. She has arthritis in her hands, and has a hard time opening jars. So she really like it.

Yesterday we went to Walmart to pick up a few groceries. I also bought Mary Poppins on DVD, the kids are watching it now. (hence the long, uninterrupted post!) While in town, we went to the scrapbook store. DH got me a gift certificate for Christmas, so I went to spend it. LOL Now I’ve got my eye on something at Michaels for my birthday in February! hehehehehehe

Today we went to renew the registrations for our vehicles. Oh joy! Then we went to the library, which is across the street from the court house. I had to return one of the lost books I found. 1 down, 2 to go! sigh Then we came home and made mac and cheese from a box. I guess my kids are weird. They consider mac and cheese from a box a treat! lol So they ate mac and cheese in the living room while watching Mary Poppins. And I’m enjoying the piece and quiet. Mel’s not even here, sitting next to me, reading over my shoulder, bugging me until I get off the computer so she can go on! lol I told D last night that I wished I had my own computer, so I didn’t have to share with anyone! lol That won’t be happening, $$$, and if I didn’t have to share, I’d spend WAY too much time on it! lol So having my own computer wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing! lol

Ok, I guess this is long and boring enough. Is anyone still reading? lol I have to go spend a long, and boring afternoon working on laundry! lol

The Official Christmas Post

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I tried to cheat! I was going to copy and paste last years Official Christmas Post but I didn’t do one last year!! lol So much for cheating! lol

The Santa Thing

We started out having our kids believe in Santa. It’s what we believed when we were little. That lasted until Kenny and Melissa were 3 and 1. We did the whole thing. Cookies and milk (that were eaten by me lol) Visiting with Santa. Pics with Santa. Even if the kids were crying, I had their picture taken. If that was their reaction to S that year, I wanted it recorded. After the 3rd Christmas we talked, it just wasn’t working. We spent so much of our time talking about Santa, going to see Santa, checking the cookies to see if he had eaten them, etc. etc. We felt it took too much of our time away from the real meaning of Christmas. So that was the end of Santa in our house. We told the kids that we were just pretending, that Santa didn’t really exist. They took it fine.I guess being so young helped. There was no big dramatic scene, or anything. Now we tell the little kids that Santa is a pretend character, like Barney, Dora, etc.

And it really bugs me when my Mother tells the kids “Your Mom and Dad is Santa”. I had to explain it to her again this year. We are not Santa, We give our children gifts to celebrate Jesus’s birth. “Well, you still play the Santa part.” No, No we don’t! sigh sigh sigh Not sure why she can’t “get” it. But we go through this every year!

Just for fun, lol, I’ll list some of our family traditions for Christmas.

*Making (and eating lol) Gingerbread houses. Although, the 1st year, and other years, including this one we’ve used graham crackers.

*Making cookies together. About 3 years ago I found a set of Nativity Scene cookie cutters. So now the kids sugar cookie making and decorating is the Nativity Scene.

*This is our 3rd year for doing Advent. We have an Advent wreath with candles. And we read an Advent story book with just the candles and the Christmas lights on. Everydays story also has a devotional, too. There’s something really special about everyone sitting around, covered by afghans, reading Gods Word by candle light.

*Every year the kids get a new ornament for the tree. Sometimes more. This year, I got them each one, so did D, and so did my Mother. When they leave home, they take their ornaments with them. But it’s not just the “ornaments” it’s the family memories that go along with them that they get to take with them into their new homes. I had a hard time giving Kenn’s to him this year. But I sucked it up and handed them over. LOL I only kept one. lol So far he hasn’t missed it. lol

*Every Christmas, we have a Birthday Cake for Jesus. The kids usually have a hand in making it. We will have it tonight Christmas Eve for our snack. I tried last year to have the cake for breakfast Christmas morning, but it couldn’t compete with…

*The homemade cinnamon rolls we have for breakfast every Christmas morning. Often the only time I make them! So no more birthday cake for breakfast!

*We always decorate our house for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. In a prominent place, is the Nativity Scene that I made in ceramics class when Kenn and Melissa were little like 2 and under 1. I posted a pic of it last week. I’ll post a pic of my other favorite Christmas decoration later.

*The year before Calen was diagnosed with leukemia, we made those shoeboxes full of stuff for kids in (mostly, I think ) other countries. Samatian’s Purse, that’s the name of the organization. We didn’t do it while Calen was on treatment. Just trying to get ourselves through. We remembered this year, like 3 days before we were to have them to the drop off center. But we are going to go back to doing that. I should put in on the calendar for next October, so I’ll remember. lol

*One year we went Christmas Carolling with the homeschool group at the nursing home. Since we’re not very good singers, lol, we decided that we wouldn’t torture the residents with our singing anymore. So we’re on the lookout for some service project that doesn’t involve singing. lol

*We always open presents on Christmas Morning. None of that opening one on Christmas Eve for Dad. lol We always opened one on Christmas Eve in my family, but D’s family didn’t. O well. When there’s not a lot of presents under the tree, it works out better to save them all for Christmas morning.

Ok, I think that’s about it. Although it does feel like I’m forgetting something. lol

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!!!!

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Today we had Hannah’s 9th birthday party. She had an American Girl Samantha party. Hallmark carries party supplies for the American Girls, if your looking for them. Melissa said it wasn’t fair. When she had her American Girl parties, there weren’t any party supplies. She said she wants to have another Samantha party! LOL

Hannah got a lot of nice presents, a new bike, a Samantha & Nellie friendship locket, some bracelets, a new Barbie, $25. But she said the BEST thing she got was her new Bible! Aw, it warms the cockles of my heart. ( the kids laugh at me when I use that line, lol) We have a family tradition that when our children learn how to read, on the next occasion, (bday, Christmas, Easter) they get a Bible of their own. They have toddler Bibles, and story Bibles, but this is their 1st “real” Bible. An important milestone in their lives. She was THRILLED to say the least. And has been reading it every chance she gets. Aw, it warms the cockles of my heart. (c’mon, I don’t get THAT many chances to use it! lol)

https://lindaslunacy.com/2004/12/today-we-had-hannahs-9th-birthday/

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Today is Hannah’s 9th birthday. She acts so old, she should be 19 instead! lol Guess it comes from having an older sister. I don’t have any sisters, older or younger, so I wouldn’t know. I’m guessing. lol We went shopping this morning, because H’s party is tomorrow, Saturday. We left home at 9:30, stopped a couple of places, book store, health food store, Hallmark for party supplies. We made it to Walmart at 11:20. My Mother treated us to lunch at McDonalds, inside Walmart. At about 10 minutes till 2, while we were in the meat aisle, the electric went out. We went ahead and finished shopping, the meat aisle, bread, and veggies. That’s the route to the registers. I’m not obsessive with my grocery route. LOL Yet. LOL Anyway, when the electric went out, this old man in the meat aisle, said, really loudly, “Guess Someone didn’t pay their electric bill!” It was really funny! lol

We met up with my Mother in the front of the store. Then the store manager walked by and was telling everyone that some guy cut down a tree, and it fell on an electric line taking it down, and taking out the electric on that side of town. And they have no idea when it will be back on. I said to my Mother, well, we might as well get in line before everyone else in the store comes up here, too.

Well, 2 HOURS later, the electric FINALLY comes on! I stayed, because it seemed more time efficient to. And it turned out to be so. The kids, and my mother lol, were very well behaved. When the lines starting moving, the women in front of me turned around and said “I justed wanted to say that those are the best behaved children I’ve ever seen”. Thank you! I whipped out the digital camera and took pics. Of course LOL Then all the kids wanted to take pics. Hey, it kept them occupied! lol We had like 100 pics on the camera! lol Most blurry, because the little kids can’t understand that you have to hold the camera perfectly still. LOL I posted some of the better ones below. Notice my overflowing cart! It’s like that EVERY week! sigh We finally made it home at a few minutes till 5. We were gone ALL day! sigh Definitely put me behind schedule! But I survived! lol

https://lindaslunacy.com/2004/12/today-is-hannahs-9th-birthday/

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