Puzzle Time

I love starting puzzles and watching the kids all day walk by and work on them here and there. At times, we would look over to see all of them around the puzzle and other times just one person over at the table working alone for a while.

John would do the same thing. I would see him stop periodically and put a piece in and then continue on.

Next up, a 3,000 piece puzzle of the Sistine Chapel. Who wants to stop by to help?

Uncle Dom

Dear Uncle Dom,
You said I never write about you so now I will. I was so thrilled you came home for Christmas. You are wonderful. You are thee funniest person I know hands down. God created you I think for the sole purpose of making people laugh. It is a gift. Thank you for surprising us and walking in the door. You made my year. I do not like when people are missing for the Holidays.
Thank you for being my brother. One of my favorite gifts you have is your natural and phenomenal way with babies and children. You are as confident with babies as any woman would be. You know how to play with young children and that is a gift. I laughed so hard the night you were begging me to talk to you because you said that all day you were a jungle gym, piggy backers, baby burper, lego builder, prince for the princesses. You melt my heart. Some girl won't believe what she has found when she finds you.
I am so proud of you. You live way too far away, but Florida has been good for you. Your football coach is right. You are a leader. You have way too many gifts, but you are using them wisely.

Uncle Dominic and Dominic

One of my best memories of you is you playing outside this summer with the kids in the old refrigerator box. You were out there forever and when I went out to see what you were doing with them you said, "I want to be little again." You were all squished in the box with four or five bouncing bodies all over you.

I love our tradition of you coming to see me in the hospital after I have a baby. I love our talks. You always love to "talk deep with Dom." I love that you bring me a shake. I love that I cry to you every time and you sit there smiling and tell me I am a good mother. It reminds me of dad. I love cooking for you because YOU LOVE FOOD.


I'll never forget the $100.00 you sent me for the birthday a long time ago. You were just a little kid so that had to equal $1,000,000 in little kid money. I promise I won't forget it.

I am so proud of you. I love you so much.

Christmas Pajamas 2010

Christmas is 100% for the parents. I LOVE every bit of it. I love preparing for it, shopping for it, decorating for it, talking about it, the dresses, the masses, Advent preparation, food, family, hot chocolate. I love taking my time picking out just the right thing for each child. I love watching their faces.


This year, we began the pajama tradition. To say that they squealed with delight would be an understatement. They kept hugging us and thanking us. Awesome.

I want to make Christmas wonderful for them. I want them to be generous with others, to think of others at Christmas, but I also want their Christmas to be wonderful in a childlike way. It should be. We are celebrating THE most important birthday in History.



I remember the excitement the night before. I could hardly fathom how large Santa must be. The mystery was oh so mysterious. I remember thinking about him in our home. I remember looking back at the Christmas tree and thinking when I wake up it will be different. I remember seeing the tree first thing in the morning with thousands of presents scattered everywhere. My mother was also so good at "stocking filling." I remember seeing them bulging with goodness. All the world was so right on Christmas day.
Dear Santa, I left you cookies and "Rienndeer" carrots. I love lego's and Star Wars so much. Thank you and God Bless You. Love Dominic and the girls.

Zellie hugging John after the opening her pajamas.

Content.

Thank You, Timmy & Hilary

How do you spell cute? Look what Aunt Hilary sent her goddaughter for Christmas.

You always find the perfect gift. I felt the love when I opened the package. Thank you.



We miss you more than you know. I still think you are coming home to surprise us. You are, aren't you?







Christmas won't be the same without you. WE love you. Dominic wore his Star Wars shirt to bed.

Comparison

I came across this little diddy a couple days ago.

To Bring Up Children without Comparison

One is everlastingly comparing oneself with another, with what one is, with what one should be, with someone who is more fortunate.
This comparison really kills.
Comparison is degrading, it perverts one's outlook.
And on comparison one is brought up.
All our education is based on it and so is our culture.
So there is everlasting struggle to be something other than what one is.
The understanding of what one is uncovers creativeness,
but comparison breeds competitiveness, ruthlessness, ambition,
which we think brings about progress.
Progress has only led so far to more ruthless wars and misery than the world has ever known. To bring up children without comparison is true education.

by Krishnamurti Foundation of American

I found this beautiful when I contemplate each of my children and their gifts and struggles. Because Our Lord would have just died for me or any one person for that matter, EACH person has such a definitive plan. From a child's very beginnings, we are comparing them to a chart and how other babies their age are doing. We then do this little method the rest of their lives. How beautiful it would be to take each child as EACH child and focus on them, their gifts, their talents, and what God intended them to bring to the table. That is my goal. I want to travel down the little road not looking left or right and just be. I want to find contentment that God is developing them and will bring to them what they need. God is forming them perfectly.

Dominic's Gingerbread house

Dominic wrapped up his last session of Boy-O-Rama with constructing his first gingerbread house. He has always wanted to build one so I'm glad he had this opportunity. Some year, I will get with it and make it a yearly tradition.






He was disappointed his didn't look like the White House or had "many stories", but none the less he had a wonderful time.



Mrs. Little giving the kids some great ideas! Thank you, Trish, for all your hard work!

Like I said...

Lots and lots of twirling.

It hasn't stopped since the big day. The dancing is incessant. We might have well just have performed on Broadway because they act like it. Everywhere we go, everyone we talk to, etc., etc. it is all about the Nutcracker.





Luckily, Zellie picked up on the needed moves and is now dancing quite gracefully with her sisters.

See her elegance and grace? Eyewear included



So, what fuel did I add to this fire? I took them to a real live version of the Nutcracker at the Lied Center this evening. How many three years olds do you know will sit for 2 1/2 hours motionless at a Ballet? Me. Pick me. Zellie did! Wide eyed and bushy tailed. She loved it.

She said, "The music makes me sleepy."

We went a couple years ago for the first time and would love to make this a family tradition.
John stayed back with the littlest two so I could take the big kids. Rose fell asleep at the end. It was a beautiful performance!