The Year of the Kindle

I know Christmas is long gone, but I was on a much needed computer break. So I am writing a post I thought I would write then, better late than never, right?

Dh and I really agonized over what to get for Christmas for our Banana this year. She's getting too old for most toys, and we aren't big on items most tween (I hate that term) girls would want. She couldn't even think of something she would like. Banana is our biggest book worm, and that's really saying something in a house full of bookworms. She has asked for new books every Christmas since she could read, so we were discussing different sets we could get her when the discussion turned to the Kindle. While it was out of our Christmas gift price range, we both knew she would love it. She loves nothing more than a new book to read and this would provide her with countless new reading. We justified the higher price by recognizing the educational potential. This year being what is has been, we have not made a single trip to the library, the Kindle lets us download new books from the comfort of our kitchen. So the added bonus of me having one less guilt trip about things I haven't been able to do lately made it worth the extra expense.
She l.o.v.e.s this thing. For almost a solid month she has had something new to read everyday. She has blown through reading material, but always there is something waiting. She hasn't had to reread the same novels over and over (you should see our Little House and Anne of Green Gables series, they are literally falling apart). There are so many classics available as well as older book series. She is currently finishing up the Bobbsey Twin series, looking forward the the Five Little Peppers series. Along the way reading novels like The Wizard of Oz, The Little Princess, and some short stories by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This is in one month and for free, except the cost of the device.
She isn't the only one, either. When dh started the research on the Kindle, he decided he'd like one too. So I bought him one for Christmas. He downloaded the Divine Office and the daily Mass readings and is taking the Kindle to Mass a little early to pray the Morning Office. He also is reading novels by an out of print Catholic novelist. At one point he had printed one of them off (100+ pages on our printer), now he has downloaded several, all for free. This is not to mention the few Zombie books he has thrown in as well.

Turns out Banana wasn't our only child enthralled with the Kindle, Bear was constantly borrowing her dad's Kindle. When it was in use, she would convince her gracious older sister to let her read over her shoulder as they turned on the "read to me" option. Listening and following along with stories together. Dh lost the use of his Kindle so much that he finally opted to use his Christmas gift cards to buy another for me (really so Bear doesn't borrow his). When it arrived he promptly removed all the girls' literature from his device and put it on mine. I didn't really think I would have time for it, but I have enjoyed the word games and picked out a few short stories. I like that it isn't back-lit. I am able to grab it when up in the middle of the night and it seems to help me get back to sleep.
When it came time for us to purchase a gift for Grandma we again settled on a Kindle for her. She, too, seems to be enjoying it. I must get my love of word games from her. Juju, too, seems to be taking after her.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

Joseph's first Christmas season with us brought giggles and smiles as he "mooned" St. Nicholas at our parish celebration. It brought warm, melt your heart feelings as I watched the young boy dressed in his finest, look with wonder at a church beautifully decorated for Christmas Eve Mass. To see him wonder at the singing of carols, the twirling of incense, the joy of those around him. There were feelings of gratitude and blessing to later watch him get the concept of presents. Opening each one to find the treasures. He has walked around this house for days with all of his trucks, trains, and cars. I was thankful we were given the opportunity to share in these festivities with him. What a different Christmas he must have had last year.

Today, though, he capped his first Christmas season by instilling fear, worry, and disbelief in a mom who had perhaps grown too accustomed to life with girls. I walked down the stairs to hear him crunching on something. Crunch, crunch, crunch. I look around to find little drops of blood and spit on the carpeted stairs, he munches away. I search to find the source of the snack he really seems to be enjoying.

Imagine my horror when I realize he is eating the bulbs off a strand of garland lights that decorates our banister. He was eating the glass lights!!! Chewing them into little ground shards!!! Five little lights he bit off, chewed up, and hopefully spit out. Quickly I scrambled to clean out any remaining pieces and he bit my finger, hard. There were tears of pain mixed with fear at what ramifications would come from eating glass. I searched the Internet and read the damage will mostly be to his mouth and throat, there was little evidence of any of that. I quickly fed him lots of bread (an Internet search yielded that suggestion), I called dh who did his own searching and calling.

The boy is currently happily napping, the garland has been removed, the stairs cleaned, and I am attempting to recover from the shock. Seriously, eating light bulbs off the strand. I just don't know where he comes up with these things.

** Update: After his nap, Joseph came to me with a piece of glass stuck in his foot. Those stairs I had just cleaned now had drops of blood to be cleaned once more. Then wouldn't you know it, I stepped on a piece myself and had to clean up another round. My poor white carpeted stairs will never survive these children.

An Apology

To my dearest third daughter, a doomed middle child, a girl forever caught between the older girls and little kids, my darling Bophie. I do love you very much, you are a blessing to me and to this family. Please forgive a mom who was very busy with Christmas preparations, gifts to buy, cookies to bake, trees to trim. With six kids this year I had to use a spreadsheet to keep the gifts straight. I was up many, many nights very late Internet shopping and then wrapping. It was hard enough to get Christmas cards out the door to a few friends. The fact that your name was somehow inadvertently left off the card while all your siblings names were there is no indication of your place in this family. It is an indication of how scatterbrained and overwhelmed your poor mother was this Christmas.
I hope this has been made up for by the fact that the garage pantry is still well stocked with Christmas cookies, that our house is still standing after all the decorating, that you got such wonderful presents that were wrapped so beautifully on Christmas morning. That you know I love you because I scooped you up at least three times each day to tell you how much I love you. That you are assured I love you because I show you with clean laundry, good food, tucking you into bed, reading you books, and endlessly providing you with art supplies.
To my credit, preparing Christmas cards on the Internet is not always easy. There were four different cards I was choosing between. I typed in our names over and over again. Then somehow the card I was working on disappeared and I had to begin all over again. It was late, I was tired, I had to get to other Christmas preparations. Please keep this in mind when you are in therapy, lamenting your middle child status. Remember you got that doll you wanted Christmas morning. You know the one that says, "I have to go potty," in four different languages. I fought hard to get you that doll. Your father said we had too many dolls. I insisted, knowing how much you wanted it, even if it was ridiculously expensive.

So, once more, I love you dearest Bophie. I love you very, very much.

A Snapshot of My Morning

• Get everyone up, dressed, and breakfasted.
• Start older girls finishing up school so we can start our Christmas break.
• Sort through box of new sweaters and dresses from Grandma for our Christmas pictures.
• Double check my Christmas sweater will arrive today for Christmas pictures.
  
• Locate appropriate pants, tights, hair clips, socks, skirts, undershirts, etc to go with sweaters for six kids so I am ready for Christmas pictures.
• Plan bath time, hair cuts, and laundry so we are ready for Christmas pictures.
• Walk around the house looking for any appropriate spot to hold a family of eight for Christmas pictures.
  
• Vacuum stairs in preparation for Christmas pictures.
  

and then:

• Clean up blood, and ice down goose egg on a little boy's forehead, because tomorrow we take Christmas pictures.

Four Calling Birds

We have some dear friends who refer to their youngest daughter as "the hen." For some reason dh has always liked this nickname. While yesterday was the day for "three French hens," I have four girls and we aren't French. So perhaps "four calling birds" is more apropos. Either way, the title was just an excuse to post a few pics from Christmas morning. After all it is still Christmas. We are playing Christmas music, enjoying the new fallen snow, and yes I am still eating Christmas cookies- there seems to be an endless supply of them around here.

Juju really enjoyed opening presents, any presents, whether they were hers or not. She just enjoyed finding out what was inside.

Bophie, our princess, needed a new stroller (mostly for Bella) as the old one had seen better days. She and Juju spent the morning racing their strollers around our first floor racetrack.

Bear's smile can light any room. She was the best guesser and knew package contents much too quickly.

Banana was delighted to finally get some new books to read. She found it hard to open new presents and preferred to lose herself in the first book she opened. I think she liked the doll too :)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Carol
by G.K. Chesterton

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast,
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world's desire.)

The Christ-child stood at Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.