Is It Naptime Yet

With looking at buying a new house, the girls have mentioned how they want their own rooms. Really, Lilah has mentioned this, and usually it’s only been after a fight or because she wants alone time. Jon wants the girls to share a room forever, he’s always had to share a room. (Lived at home and shared with Jason, went on a mission and shared with companions, lived at home and shared with Jason, got married and had to share with me.) I had my own room for a period of time, so once they’re older I’m OK with them having their own room. It might be hard to give up my sewing room, but this child would only have their own room for a few years anyways, with growing up and leaving the house to go to college, right?
But as of right now, I’m pretty sure even if they had their own rooms, they’d be in one room all the time, and would miss each other.
Lately the girls have been playing and talking together extra late into the night, then I’m often woken up to hearing two girls talking or playing in their bedroom. They’ve been playing elaborate games and make believe with My Little Ponies and have been spending more time together than apart.
Seeing them together I can’t help but think of the time I spent in each of my sister’s rooms talking and being together and how I would fall asleep in someone else’s bed. Everyone’s bed was more comfortable than mine and I loved sleeping in my parents and Andrea’s especially. Having space can be nice, but it’s fun to be close with family.

Maybe I will keep my sewing room forever, or maybe if they have their own rooms they’d get to bed earlier and wouldn’t be grumpy on the days I have to wake them up.

So it’s half way through January and I have yet to post anything recently. I’m sure it’s not a big surprise, since I’m not very consistent.
Here’s what been going on in our lives.
-Jon’s father was in the hospital earlier this month because his heart was acting up. He was there for around 3 days being monitored and I’m not sure if they figured out what happened.
-I celebrated New Years on the strip with Sam. Matt helped her win tickets to Stevie Wonder, her favorite musician of all time. Since Matt doesn’t like staying up late, let alone staying up late on the Vegas strip in a room full of people, Sam invited me. Our girls had their sleep over a little early and on New Years Eve Jon had fun being with the girls and staying up late while I partied with Sam.
-We put Lilah and Eden in two local girl scout troops. They’re sister brownie and daisy troops, so for the most part they meet at the same school at the same time, but do not do the same things.
-We’re selling cookies, so if you’d like to buy, and we haven’t called you, let me know.
-We were this close to booking our amazing 10 year anniversary trip for an Alaskan cruise, then I decided we should buy a house instead. So we’re trying to buy a house, and yes there is a specific one.
-We’re trying to get the girl’s bathroom fixed so we can rent this place out. There are other things that will need to be done, but that’s top priority. Yeah, I didn’t want to fix up the bathroom just to leave, but that’s probably what’s going to happen.
-Getting a bathroom fixed is expensive.
-Buying a second house is expensive and scary.
-I’m hoping we’re better at fixing the next house. We’ll have to be and I think we will because the current home-owners have very different tastes than we do. Jon doesn’t agree to painting a room till we know how we’re decorating, so it will be interesting living there for the next year or so before we have money to do stuff and buy certain furniture pieces, like a couches and a new computer desk.
-Jon and I started a month of dance lessons. We’ve only taken one salsa dance class, and only danced with one another for 5 minutes, since they have you change partners, but it was tons of fun. When the girls are old enough to stay home by themselves, we might consider taking them again. For babysitting, I’ve bartered making 5 toddler dresses for my friend’s daughter’s wedding. Since I’m bartering, I don’t feel like I’m taking total advantage of a friend twice a week for a few hours each night.
-Our home-schooling co-op begins on the 23rd. I’ll be teaching chemistry. I’m a little nervous, especially since we might be moving during co-op. Chemistry is also really intimidating to me. I’m not sure what we’re doing, and the other teacher and I have just a week to figure things out. Yeah, we might be cutting it just a little too close. (We have idea’s, but haven’t hashed anything out.)

Both:
Bugging me about the advent calendar so we could start it on December 1st.
Bugging me about our nativity and wanting to set it up.
Helping your daddy by picking off the green tomatoes from the plants he brought in before it got to freezing temperatures.
Cuddling in our bed on Christmas morning, for just a few minutes, then going out and unwrapping presents.

Lilah:
Telling me to stop using my British accent while I was doing things around the house.

Messing up when you were giving your part in the Primary Program. You made a funny face and noise, then continued to recite your part wonderfully.

Always putting your hood on your head to put a coat or jacket on. You do it mostly to annoy me, since I don’t like you to mess up your hair right after I do your hair, but also because it’s easier to put the jackets on.

Cuddling with me at Church on Christmas Sunday.

Daddy got after me for saying the web was down. “The internet is not down, our connection is not working.” You then said, “Yeah the spider web isn’t down.”

Eden:
Holding your foot with your hand, by interlocking your toes with your hand, like how most people interlock their fingers.

Giving me the stink-eye while you were on the stand for the Primary Program, because I stuck my tongue out at you. You wouldn’t smile back, so I resorted to a more drastic measure. (You did give us a small smile right after you got on the stand and found your spot.)

Loving curly hair. You don’t care if you get a slightly less restful night.

Saying you were an expert about ice cream drumsticks, because you’ve had enough experience with them.

Saying “escape”, as in “es-scap-eh”, or how Dori first pronounces escape incorrectly in Finding Nemo. You say it instead of saying stop it. Lilah first gave me the reason that es-scap-eh was stop it in another language, then it was decided that it sounded somewhat like stop it when said fast.

Jon:
Having the girls do your job of picking off the tomatoes. Yes they can do it, but you were suppose to. Saying they needed to start earning their way, or paying us back through work.

Me walking into our room and turning on the light, you startling me when you spoke and said you were trying to take a nap.

Being patient with my while I was in and out of sickness, for a week.

I gave you a hug in some silly manner.
Jon: You are a silly wife.
Me: I think I’m getting sillier as I get older.
Jon: Should be fun when the dementia sets in.
(Then Jon apologized because having dementia would be really sad.)

Riding Lilah’s scooter around the house when they weren’t home. Tsk. Tsk. It’s something I don’t allow Lilah to do.

Wanting me to include Lacey highlights so here are a few:
Having two white hand prints on my rear end, and they weren’t from you.

This conversation that you so kindly posted to Facebook:
Me: Hey, what’s the opposite of accelerando?
Lacey: Ritardo?
Google: Um, no. Ritardando.

I was speaking in a very silly and bad French accent after your Christmas present from France arrived. I could not help it, and it ruined the surprise. You decided that I just can’t keep surprises, I want to spill the beans. You might be correct on that.

Christmas is always fun with family. It’s especially nice to have Jon home before Christmas. I love that he is usually able to have the week before Christmas off and always takes the time between Christmas and New Years, because he could work if he needed to, but it’s a good way for us to use his vacation and relax as a family. Having the time off helps us get things ready around the house, gives us time to help his parents, and spend time doing nothing, which happens a lot because he’s here and I just don’t want to do anything when he’s around. (We spend lots of time cuddling and watching movies.)

Jon went to work on Monday the 19th, then was off for the rest of the week. We were planning on helping my sister move or get settled in hew new house on Tuesday, but it just wasn’t a good day for her, so we went to his parents and set up their Christmas tree. Wednesday we went to Carolyn’s new house, and were not very successful in putting up ceiling fans or doing much of anything, but our ladder did help with putting up an air vent and Jon’s drill came in handy for my dad. We took time on Thursday to clean our house up and get it more prepared for Christmas and went shopping so the girls could choose gifts for one another. Friday we ran a couple errands and baked cookies for Santa. Saturday we visited his parents in the afternoon to drop off presents, then went to my parents for Christmas Eve festivities. After seeing family we came home, put on our new pajama’s, got the treats for Santa and the reindeer on the table, put up the Christmas curtain, and sent two girls to bed.

I was able to get everything prepared before the clock struck 12:30 pm, my only problem was a sleeping husband on the couch. (Last year was the first time he stayed awake the whole night.) I got Jonathan up and us into bed around 12:45 am.

Jon awoke first, did a few last minute touches, and put our breakfast into the oven. Lilah woke up and came and cuddled with me in bed and Eden soon followed. We spent around 10 minutes cuddling and waking up as a family. Lilah loved the small Christmas tree “that Santa must have set up” in the hall way and the Christmas music coming from the living room. We made our way out around 8:30 and the girls began finding their names on gifts and opening presents. We usually have a somewhat small Christmas, especially compared to what seems to be the norm: outlandish go into debt and spoil everyone rotten Christmases. I think we’re somewhat too practical. (Not that I don’t sometimes buy too much or we don’t get nice things.) We buy things for the girls as needed over the year, and have so little room, that buying a lot of new toys or stuff just seems impractical. We got things the girls has asked for, plus some clothes, a couple movies, books, and cool items for school. Lilah loves her new Razor scooter, and Eden loves her Wubble pet and real clay. They both received what they wanted and have enjoyed their new things.

My gift to Jon this year was a book of pictures from our National Parks trip this summer. I ran into problems making it and it was a labor of love on a deadline, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out. My sister Andrea helped me edit the written passages, since it was a surprise for my normal editor. When we took it to Jon’s parents to show it to them on Christmas day his mom thought it was our gift to them! We corrected the misinterpretation, but she would love a copy for herself. I’m planning on ordering a copy for each girl to have so when they’re adults they can have it for their own collection.

Jon bought me the latest Brad Paisley CD and planned on me getting a massage or spa treatment of my choice. He didn’t purchase anything because he wanted me to choose the place and treatment. Later that day Carolyn mentioned that Derek had given her Brad Paisley tickets, and I decided that is really what I wanted. So Jon and I will be going to Brad Paisley, and since it was more than what my original present was going to be, it’s also an early anniversary gift. I’m very excited and looking forward to my third concert.

After presents we ate breakfast and the girls and I rushed off to church. We came home for a short time to eat lunch, then visited Jon’s parents. After that visit we went to my parents to help prepare the Christmas meal and eat. My brother Glenn’s two daughters are in town, so it was the first time we were able to enjoy them being with our family for Christmas since they were babies, or about 7 years. Once the Kemple’s came the cousins had fun playing and the adults enjoyed spending time and being with family.

We came back to our messy home from the earlier festivities, cleaned the couch off and watched a little bit of The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, a gift for the girls since we just finished reading the novel by Dickens as a family, and went to bed.

We’re now preparing for the new year. It’s amazing how time flies.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a very Merry Christmas.

I wrote this Sunday night. I am now feeling 100% better, except my back aches from truffle and popcorn making. (32 batches down, only 20 more to go.)

I’m sure many people are rather busy in December. We are no different. Then you toss in random illnesses, and you have a pretty full month!

Last week was our busiest week. We had something. every.single.day. I did opt out of one activity, to give me some sanity.

Sunday: Church and a Christmas Performance at Anna’s church.
Monday: Last Day of Co-op and the family night performance for the co-op.
Tuesday: Cleaning of my home and not attending enrichment. (This was not so much cleaning as trying to put out fires around my messy house.)
Wednesday: Put lights on house, more stuff and Achievement Days for Lilah.
Thursday: Homeschool Christmas Party, caroling at convalescent home, and Lacey’s Choir concert.
Friday: Primary program practice.
Saturday: Ward Breakfast, Science Saturday, horseback riding lessons, and Lacey’s Mom’s night out.
Sunday: Church, but it was the Primary Program.

I know other people are just as busy, or more so, but I wasn’t feeling well, so it threw a wrench into everything I did. I’d take medicine, feel better, then the next day still be sick, but depending on the day, I’d have to take medicine to get through it, like my concert.

We haven’t put our Christmas tree up, but that’s because I’ll be making popcorn and truffles this week, and have yet to have time to sufficiently clean my home. We might get it out Saturday, and up sometime next week, which would be nice seeing Christmas is only 14 days away! When we were in school I’d complain about getting the tree up so late because it just was not possible before finals, then we needed to recoup and clean a little. Now I’m just too dang busy, or we need that little bit of extra space till I make and deliver 52 batches of white chocolate covered popcorn. (17 are for Jon, 35 are orders.)

I also have to start preparing my ‘not sure what science class I’m teaching’ for co-op, get registrations done, and accounts in order by January 1st because we start January 9th. Ick. I really have no idea what I’m teaching yet, and it’s rather stressful.

All:
Kissing at 11:11 am on 11-11-11. Eden did not want to kiss anyone, but we all kissed her.

Lilah:
Waiting till after breakfast to have your all day eating candy day, because you knew I wanted you to wait. (Same goes for Eden.)

Wearing your cowboy boots around the house to break them in, even when you were just sitting and reading. I need to add: Wearing your cowboy boots the moment you woke up in the morning, while still in your pajamas.

Being so excited to take horse-back riding lessons. Coming in around 10 am and saying you thought it was lunch time, because you could hardly wait to go.

Beaming after you had lead Boomer around the small corral. Loving your lessons.

Trying to wear your old jeans, now that Eden is also wearing the same brand as you. You’re used to only having to notice the name of the jeans, not just the size.

Wanting me to purchase you footsie pajamas.

Riding a horse!

Trying to convince me to let you carry in what I got at Old Navy, knowing there were presents.

Eden:
Being alright when two of the Girl Scout activities got canceled that we registered you for. 🙁

Playing with the rocks in a candle holder that I have and making them animated.

Sitting in the car with me to stay warm. Making a little hideout under the fully reclined seat. I’m not sure it was very comfortable, but you sat and read quietly while I took a nap and waited for Lilah’s lesson to be over.

Lying on your bed in your blue shirt, with blue sheets on, seeing if you would be camouflaged.

Not wanting to be come out and be kissed at 11:11 on 11-11-11. I had to take you from your room and drag you to the living room. We all kissed you, but I’m not sure why you wouldn’t give us any kisses. You did give me a kiss at 1:11. 🙂

Head-butting everyone, or really pushing your head into everyone. We call you Billy because of it.

Taking lots of core samples from the play-dough mountain I had used for science that day.

Jon:
Sending me monotonous reminders and signing them: Love Jonathan.

Not wanting to do anything that would make someone work on Vetrans Day, even though it would have been the perfect time to go to the Nevada State Museum.

Sending me old journal posts from when we were dating.

Telling me that to stay married you don’t have to love someone, you just have to tolerate them.

I suggested we get you all natural hair gel because I think you look cute with the wet hair look. You suggested a few all natural alternatives like olive oil and lard.

Recently I had called my sister Andrea to see if she would edit Jon’s gift for me. I had left a message asking for her help on a Christmas gift, but if she was too busy in the next 24 hours I understood. (I had to get it done so I could use a discount.) She called back wondering if I was needing pictures for the calendar I make for my parents. Uh, no but maybe it was a good idea to include other family pictures in there. It’s not like I don’t include pictures of other members of our family for the calendar. I have the other nieces and nephew in there for some of the holidays, and even a sibling or two, but most pictures are of my family because I take pictures of them the other 361 days of the year that are not holidays where we meet with the rest of my family. (Easter, 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas being the ones I take pictures at, though we do enjoy Thanksgiving together.) I did e-mail the other siblings and did get a few pictures from one. And the sister who said I should include others has actually not sent me any pictures of her kids. She has one day, so we’ll see if she sends them to me before I need to order them on Wednesday. (I do have a couple pictures of her kids already, but not any cute Halloween ones.)

Today I wrote the family letter that would be included in our Christmas cards. After I did a very short blurb about each of us, I almost began writing about our big family vacation to the different National Parks, but it just didn’t fell right. It was crossing that line from “here are some interesting things about our family” to, “look how great we have it we were able to take two weeks and visit all these cool places”. Its fine to mention them on my blog, because it is a journal, it’s even fine to mention it on Facebook because lets face it, FB is to indulge and be narcissistic, but it felt wrong putting it in the family letter. Really, if someone wants to know about our trip, they just have to read my blog, or interact with me. I’m sure I’ve brought it up, hopefully not annoyingly because it was a fun experience for us, but it’s hard to know what tone everyone will read the letter. I know I’ve mentioned past trips before to the beach and Disneyland, but those were such small inexpensive trips, at least compared to this one. Maybe I’m the hang-up. I know what it cost us and don’t want to come off as bragging. (We did camp and stay at a cabin for free so it could have cost a lot more.) I’m sure I have my moments when I’m not thinking and just talking, so I don’t need something in writing confirming my rude, uncoth behavior.

We’re in a world where everyone is wanting affirmation from everyone. Comment on my blog! Like my status! This can be good and bad. Good if we’re writing smart and thought provoking things, bad if we’re wanting to show off and brag. I admit, I love sharing good news, and I also love being witty and having someone like my status on Facebook, but I’m rarely thought provoking.

So here’s to a new level of narcissism in the world, and trying to participate in it a little less, at least when it comes to Christmas letters. (I’m totally posting good news about Jon’s job in a couple weeks.)

Th girls both had ideas of what they wanted to be earlier this year. Soon after Eden’s birthday she had been beading anklets and decided she would be an Indian and wear all these anklets and bracelets she was making. Unfortunately she couldn’t find them, but decided glow bracelets would work well. She color coordinated the glow bracelets to her outfit, and I got to wear purple and pink on Halloween night. Eden was often mistaken for Pocahontas, but the girls have never seen that movie. I think at one point we just started saying, yes, she’s Pocahontas.

Lilah went back and forth a little more. She was thinking of being a princess, if Eden changed her mind to also be a princess, she has wanted to be a bird since last year, but the fabric for bird costumes is pretty expensive, not to mention stuffing it, so she finally settled on being a mummy. A friend had posted his mummy costume on Facebook and told me what he did, so I was able to make Lilah an pretty cool mummy costume. It was time consuming, but it worked out well and lots of people liked it on Halloween night.

We brought Britta to Carolyn’s Annual Halloween work party, and had her spend the night since she didn’t have school and next day.

Britta as Rapunzel, Eden as an Indian, and Lilah as a mummy.
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The girls checking out their goods after the party.
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Lilah carved this pumpkin at achievement days all by herself, with a little help for scooping out the guts. Because she did it all on her own, she decided she would carve her pumpkin for Halloween also. She drew out the design and figured it all out on her own. I really did very little except give directions on what to do.

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We were carving our pumpkins in our pajamas, with an old shirt over them. Hence the marvelous fashion statements.
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Lilah is actually posing likes she’s carving her pumpkin, because I forgot to get any action shots of her carving the face.
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Eden choose the Bat Cat from our pumpkin carving book, and so I carved hers for her. I’m not ready for both of them to grow up just yet.
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Lilah wanted the traditional Jack O’ Lantern. She did an awesome job on her pumpkin.

I’ll admit it is fun to see them grow up and see them enjoy holiday traditions on a new level of involvement.

This is our front window. Lilah made the decorations on the left, and Eden made the ones on the right. I made the BOO! and the skeleton is from a Science Saturday project. It was headless and missing one foot, and cut out and put together by Eden. Eden colored her ghost light green, so it would look like it would glow in the dark.
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The cousins got to see one another after we trick or treated separately.

Kristi got to my parents before me, and I had told my mom to let her go on without us. We both went over to the popular streets that go all out, but with the crowd it was c.r.a.z.y. My parents never get a lot of trick or treaters, but this year it was dead on their street and area surrounding them. Usually you see a few groups, but this year it was nothing until we crossed over to the popular blocks. Lilah and Eden wanted to go over there, so we did, and they enjoyed themselves and loved seeing all the decorations. I did not let them in the haunted house, but that was mostly because it was a crazy long line and I didn’t want to be out too late.

My dad said Henderson had made rule that trick or treating was just from 6-8pm, because of it being a school night, and I thought that was totally lame. Parents should be able to decide how late to be out with their kids and teenagers will always be out late no matter what. We were in just after 8, and the couple doors we knocked on after 8 gave the girls a lot of candy because they were my parents neighbors and I’m sure wanted to get rid of some candy with the night coming to an end.

We came home and Jon had given out all our candy by 9 pm. We get a fair amount of trick or treaters in our neighborhood. It was also fun because our nice neighbors have moved back, and they decorated and dressed up, because they were having a party, and gave out candy too.

I just love Halloween.

We had our family pictures taken way back in September, and I posted most of them on Facebook, but have added a few for the viewing pleasure of my three readers. I had Eve cut off my hair the day of pictures. I was just so tired of long hair and not being able to do anything with it.

I always send the link out to family, so they can let me know which ones they like best. This might also influence our Christmas Card.
Let me know which pictures you like. You can click on them to see a slightly bigger size.

Family 1
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Family 2
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Family 3
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Family 4
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Girls 1
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Girls 2
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Girls 3
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Couple 1
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Couple 2
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Couple 3
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Lilah 1
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Lilah 2
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Lilah 3
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Lilah 4
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Eden 1
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Eden 2
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Eden 3
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Eden 4

Jon has this funny idea that we need centerpieces on our table around the holidays. When I was sick earlier in October he went to the store and bought some food supplies I was needing, and these gourds. Now I had purchased the two small sweet pumpkins, so I can make pumpkin pie with them later, and we had acorn squash from a produce basket, but he bought the other gourds.

After arranging them on our table, Lilah came over and thought they needed something more. So she added some Halloween rings they had gotten from cupcakes or something of the sort.

Then later in the month Jon wanted even more for our harvest centerpiece, so he bought Indian corn, and some of the other produce, such as apples, were just added because we had them.

Sadly, the little decorative pumpkin gourds are starting to wilt and decay. I guess that answers Jon’s question about them being saveable for next year. I’ll probably bake and puree the pumpkin this week, to make sure I have enough for pie, but maybe I’ll get something to have a nice Thanksgiving centerpiece, since we’ll be enjoying one with just us this year. (My parents are out of town and his family will be doing it on Saturday.)