This I Know To Be True

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5

Life isn't horrible, there are just some junky things right now (and really, doesn't everyone have some of that in their life?).

But this is my comfort and what fuels my hope.

Merry Christmas!!

Lots and lots of craziness going on, so much so that, at times, the meaning of the day would pull away from me. But the kiddos were hilarious this year (we had to wake up Ainsley at 7:00 because the Three were starting to attack the presents) and John and I were able to occasionally catch a glimpse of how every year with these guys is only going to be more and more fun.

The wee ones opened presents for about 15 minutes before they started to melt from breakfast not happening on schedule, so they contentedly took a food break and had fun watching Ainsley open her gifts. Johnny went berserk about his huge Tonka dump truck until his sisters received their babydoll strollers, whereupon the truck was abandoned so he could join in the fun of racing stroller-laps around the house (he used the old one). Big sigh from his dad, but the kids were all doing their tolerable happy-screams and, well, maybe sweet-Johnny will grow out of it. If not, he's going to be a great dad.

So I leave you with our Christmas card picture and wish I could figure out how to post the one I really wanted to use instead (if someone can help me figure out how to download something from Shutterfly?????). The cards have seriously been addressed and stamped for a few days now - just haven't had time to seal them. This info will certainly drive a couple of my close friends bonkers...

This is what is going out - I love how Johnny is just about to take off. Fortunately you can't see the front of Lizzy's dress because she had just played in and soaked herself in dog-dish water.

Right when we were starting, Gracie decided she did not desire to take a family picture and threw a sweet little tantrum. This is right afterward, when she must have realized we would send a family photo out with our without her in it (or with her in it as she is kicking and screaming on the floor). That Gracie.

Oh My

I can hardly handle the pigtail/blue eyes combo. It breaks my heart over and over again.

The orange marker is a nice touch.

Going Insane

Two of my sweet little cherubs believe that proper sleep is a waste of my time and energy. I've been to tired to post (even though there are about 8 that are in the "draft" phase of existence). I've been too tired to do: laundry, shop for Christmas, exercise, blah, blah, blah.

And that takes care of most of my whining for today. I'm going upstairs to let them out of their cribs since they've now had 1 1/2 hours of Happy Dance Party in there.

Of Moose And Men

I used to be a Christmas decorations snob. Maybe more...opinionated is a better word. I pooh-poohed the tacky, the bizarre, the outright gauche. It isn't as if I have the perfect Southern Living house, good grief certainly not. We put up a tree, hang some greenery outside, and sometimes I remember to get out my few pieces of Portmeirion china that I really do love. That's just about it, and one year we didn't even get a tree - we had a Christmas poinsettia we put some ornaments on. In my dream world I would have a beautifully decorated home and host a fab Christmas party and then, right when I'm enjoying my daydream, my pragmatic side kicks in an rudely reminds me that I am a lazy person who would HATE taking down all that stuff. And it's true. And that's the main reason why I don't put up a whole lot of decs. I am lazy. Hope you just enjoyed that rabbit trail.

A few years ago my snobbishness began to wane when I was listening to someone who was a REAL snob rant about the tacky and I got a little indignant. I began thinking, "These great folk are all fired up to put up the plastic Santa they'd had for 30+ years and, well, they have the right". So bring on the purple lights and the huge tree covered with 30 strands of white lights with 1 strand that blinks. Bring on the sleighs from the 70's and the santa's "hanging" from the roof and the blow-up penguins and the yards filled with every_single_mish-mash one can get from Home Depot. You know why? Because we are now one of "those folk".

Last year we got a knock on the door around midnight. Honestly, who the frick knocks and runs ON OUR DOOR???? Lawd help them if one of our kids had woken up. I opened the door and spied nothing but a small box on the porch. Mmm...cookies from the neighbors. Some broken, some of the not-preferred variety, but who cares? Why in the world would they be delivering cookies this late at night? Mmm....cookies.

The next morning, we're backing out of our driveway to go to church when I said "WHAT IS THAT!??!?!?". It was this:


A moose. A moose whose head waggles back and forth and has lights on it. Lawn art. In my yard.

It took a couple hours to figure out who did it and the hooligans then made certain to tell me the trouble it took to put the thing together, go out in the wee hours in the cold, set up the moose, realize they didn't have the correct extension cord, go home, knock-and-run (these guys...ahem - MEN are of the age that sprinting is not appreciated), and do it all while under the influence of beverages. Grown men. Not grown-up, but grown. And they've changed my life. How? Because a certain now-five-year-old was 100% delighted to have a Christmas Moose, and felt loved because some boys wanted her to have one, and I can't deny her that joy. The Moose was lovingly stored in our basement and set up last weekend to the wonderment of our kids. The Trio love it, Ainsley loves it, and I love it.

So please go discover your inner Griswald and decorate the crazy out of your house. Our kids go insane and squeal when we do the "let's search for lights" drive, and the more lights and lawn ornaments, the better. They scream "KISSMAS IGHTS!!!" every time we pass a house and, believe you me, it is fun. In their eyes, those are the coolest families in the universe. I just wish I wasn't so lazy or we'd be close behind. The moose is perfect for right now.

General Goings On

I was locked out of the house today by this sweet-faced cherub:




He did it to John over the weekend and I had forgotten about it. Otherwise I may have been more wary while unloading the kids, especially since the wind-chill here today was in the single digits. I attempted in vain to communicate with my smiling son who, to his credit, kept trying to open the door for me and Mrs. Pookie as I'm yelling "Johnny!!!! UN_LOCK_THE_DOOR!!! C'mon Honey! Unlock the door for Mommy!!! Oh my STARS PLEASE unlock the door!!" as I'm holding Lizzy or Gracie - I don't even remember who it was now - and idiotically pointing to the deadbolt. As if the kid could understand what I was talking about. I'm sure this won't be the last time the neighbors hear this one-sided conversation, and hiding a key somewhere outside freaks me out. Can't and won't do it.

The Boy is now relegated to being last out of the car.

Caffeine Update

I'm addicted to soda again. I am so unbelievably weak, but my justification comes from the weekend of sickness horror. My stomach still has not completely recovered and my beloved coffee is on the list of things my digestive system does not appreciate (Coffee! Oh how I love you and still have a couple sips in the morning, even though I know I will regret it.)

But the lovely bubbles that soda offers. Now, soda bubbles are NOT on the list of things I can't tolerate and that makes me happy, too. So I've fallen off the wagon. Again.

Round Three

It's Round Three (in the last 2 months) of the Nasty Germs vs. Laird Household bout and we're losing. I changed at least 22 diapers yesterday and only 3 were Gracie's. I ran out of bags to put them in. It's so gross.

Having never had to deal with...ummm...golly how do I put this without being gross...well I can't...diarrhea of epic proportions, I went online to see what to feed them to help stop the fountains flowing. Okay, that probably crossed the line. Sorry. It's just so sick. Anywho, I chose some things off the list of suggested food and beverages and the only thing that hasn't been 100% rejected by my crew is that yogurt that helps with the digestive system. Even toast, which they usually tolerate, is being snubbed by everyone but Gracie. And since Gracie is like a vacuum cleaner when it comes to food, she doesn't count.

At least I've taught them to say "Tummy hurts" before they have a blow-out so I can be prepared for an immediate grab and race to the changing table before there's a real mess.

That's something positive.