This is as close as I'm going to get to mailing out a Christmas/New Years card this year. So, Happy New Year from us!

Let me just preface this entry with saying that this blog has become a sort of emotional outlet for me. Consider yourself warned. I don't know if it's just the Holidays, or the post-Christmas lull, or just finally having time to reflect, but I have all of these thoughts swirling around in my head about life. I know, I warned you.

Sitting in church this morning I was looking around the auditorium marveling at the massive size of our congregation and just trying to single out people I knew from my seat in the nosebleeds. As I was searching for familiar faces, I couldn't help but notice a mother sitting for the first Christmas without her disabled son who passed away this past year. I couldn't help noticing a family friend's physical appearance and struggle following a stroke months ago. I looked at another place in the room that only a few Christmases ago I had stood and had one of my last conversations with a close friend who tragically died in Africa. He had wrapped his long, lanky arms around me and stated how motherhood had been good to me.

Leaving church I was reminded of my Granny as I passed the bus from the local retirement home and how I wished I had just one more chance to visit her there. Watching a movie tonight about a widowed woman spending her last days at a retirement hotel in London and a chance encounter with a young writer (Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont) has put me on emotional meltdown mode. I mean, good emotional meltdown mode.

Sometimes I am amazed at how easily I can shut out the world and the needs of others due to my own blinding self-centered needs. Self-centered needs meaning myself, my family, my kids, my job, my friends.........that kind of self-centeredness. The kind of innocent self-centeredness rooted in good intentions but one that is the most dangerous of all. A complacent view of the world, a conscious or unconscious attitude that I am doing all I can do and can give no more.

Today I know that God is calling me to do more, to give more. To be a woman, wife and mom less focused on my own needs, and more focused on Him. To be more aware of my neighbors: the hurting, the elderly, and the childless. I pray that I can instill in my children the aching desire to reach out to others. I pray that I can guide them towards an unwavering faith in a Creator so selfless that he sacrificed his own Son.

If He can do that, I know there is so much more I have to give.

Since I did a miserable job of documenting all Christmas festivities, and didn't even manage to get one cute matching pajamas on Christmas morning shot, I'm going to settle for bypassing all of the groggy, bleary eyed, up way-too-early, forgot to buy cute Christmas PJs photos, and opt for these day after pictures instead.

Waiting for dinner. If only Greyson could have climbed that thing.

Pre-dinner, forced, I'm super hungry smile.

Trying to entertain busy toddler with plastic screwdriver, lint covered peanut butter cracker, and smacking Dad in the face.

Quickly forgot all hunger pains upon tasting her "winner" soda.

Used playground

It may be a few years old and a little dirt-crusted and a little faded. It may look like I run a day-care (Dad, thanks for pointing that out). But this playground that had nothing to do with Christmas and everything to do with good friends clearing out their backyard has made my kids the happiest I have seen them in a long time. To quote my daughter, "It's like Dis-uh-knee-land out here!!!!" (insert pang of guilt)

If only I had known all I had to do was raid a friend's backyard this Christmas, I could have saved myself a lot of money. And just wait until Raegan sees the real Dis-uh-knee-land. I guess she might think it's like Heaven or something.

And I can't believe my son is running around with no pants on the day after Christmas. Crazy.

Thank you Mandy for the great pictures. Next time tell us you're pregnant BEFORE the photo shoot and we'll choose somewhere a little less humid. :)

Reasons today is a good day

1. Starbucks gift cards from my students. I plan on staying caffeinated the majority of the day.
2. Party at my daughter's school. Signed up for the heavy box of Capri Suns just for an excuse to have to haul them up to the class and attend the party. Yes, this makes me a pathetic person.
3. Safety latch on the junk/gum/mint drawer in the kitchen. Almost two years of having a son, and am just now purchasing my first latch. This just might be the worst day of Greyson's life.
4. Getting my teeth cleaned. Hate it, but love it.
5. It's almost Friday, and that means one day until my Granddad's dirty santa party. You haven't seen a ca-razy party until you've gotten together with a bunch of your C of C relatives. Good times.
6. Nothing else to say, just can't end on an odd number. I think that makes me odd.

Snoop Dog Strikes Again

This time, Daddy taught the 20 month old.

Greyson Snoop Dog from Gena on Vimeo.
Yo Dre
What up Dog
You gotta give 'em what they want
What's that, G?
We gotta break 'em off somethin'
Oh yeah
And it's gotta be bumpin'
City of Compton.

Like mother, like son. There's no instrument more beautiful than a cowbell.

Stringents Show

Thank you, thank you, thank you to these girls for playing at my recital yesterday. My friends and I (the Stringents) will be having our annual Christmas show at the Blue Door at 7 p.m. tonight. We'll be playing a variety of rock and christmas string quartet music. I know, what more could you ask for? Please bring your kids - they have a role on stage during our sing-a-longs. We will have coffee, cookies, and snacks to eat as well.

Blue Door
2805 N. McKinley
$5.00
KIDS ARE FREE

The table hang and variations

The originator of the table hang

Duo table hangers

Table hang with a side fall

One armed cowgirl table hang

Now matter how you swing it, this game is more fun than Christmas. And that's fun.

Nutcracker and Stomach virus

It's going to be a long night. It was either way too much chocolate for Raegan at the ballet tonight, or the dreaded virus has found a new victim. I'm praying for the first. Please, please, please, PALEEEEASE!

Sunday Update: It was not the chocolate, and was the stomach virus. I don't even want to type those last two words again. Me, Raegan, and Greyson have all gotten it. Luckily, it's a fast moving one, and I think we're all starting to feel better.

This is the last time I let Erick be a good Dad and take the kids to play on the toys at the Mall. That place is teeming with e coli and stomach virus germs. Yuck.

Thanks for the tag

Now I have something to write about today.

8 things about me

8 shows I watch:
1. Project Runway
2. John and Kate plus 8
3. Anything on Fox news
4. America's Next Top Model
5. Barney
6. Little House on the Prairie
7. The Amazing Race
8. Today Show (The first 15 minutes until a kid wakes up)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Mexican - doesn't matter where
2. Rib Crib
3. Zio's
4. Thai Palace
5. Chick-fil-a (Yes, it's a restaurant)
6. Charleston's
7. Goporum
8. Sushi Neko

8 Things that happened today:
1. Read 10 library books with my kids for 45 minutes on the couch. Best part of my day.
2. Took the pre-k snack to Raegan's school at 10 a.m. Cheese crackers. Raegan was not a fan of my last minute choice.
3. Tried to decipher the cause of the rash that appeared on Greyson's face. Still pondering.
4. Put on a necklace my parents got me for Christmas.
5. Accidentally insinuated that my accompanist at Group lesson was old. Told my students to "Announce their piece to her like they were talking to someone old." Ouch.
6. Gave the dog a bath. Strange crusty substance all over snout.
7. Danced to the Nutcracker in my dining room. Not pretty.
8. Listened to my husband play guitar.

8 Things I look forward to:
1. Late at night when the kids are in bed.
2. Making Erick dress like a cute little old man in 55 years.
3. Seeing my Grandmother and Granny in Heaven.
4. Getting to thrift store shop again someday.
5. Taking Raegan to the Nutcracker Saturday with Daddy.
6. Going to Colorado.
7. And hitting every Starbucks on the way to Colorado.
8. Building fires in my fireplace.

8 Things I wish for:
1. A cure for breast cancer.
2. More dates with Erick.
3. A deeper faith.
4. A happy and healthy family.
5. Tolerance.
6. Peace and quiet.
7. My kids to voluntarily say "I love you, Mama."
8. A dog that walks itself during the winter.

8 People I tag:
1. Andi
2. Katie S.
3. Kendre
4. Mandy S.
5. Sarah B.
6. Jeff and Dita - come on fire that blog back up
7. My Dad - ditto
8. Chellie

I love the message of this song.

Oh my

While I was sitting in my car getting gas, Raegan told me she wanted to cut her hair like mine. Maybe it's because she has been sick for a couple of days, or maybe because I have been feeling super motherly towards her since we watched heart wrenching toddler videos of her last night, but I told her she could.

Now you're trapped in the comment department, because you can't really insult my luscious blonde/brown hair and tell me that that would be a horrible mistake. But I'm feeling like I just made a horrible mistake. And she NEVER forgets.

So, if you are one of my friends that has instructed me to warn you before she gets that hair cut, consider this your warning. I'm just hoping that she thinks my length is to the bottom of my shoulder blade. I can handle that.