Yesterday was the day for class Christmas parties! Fun, fun! Ethan's class had a breakfast full of donuts with a bit of fruit thrown in and Grace had a "formal" brunch. The 3rd grade had been learning about manners and etiquette all week and the brunch was their chance to practice what they'd learned. They got to dress in their holiday finest and sit at a long table (aka a bunch of desks shoved together with a paper tablecloth....or maybe it was real. Can't recall.) and eat their bruch. After Ethan's class was done eating their breakfast, his teacher read us all 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Today is pajama day at school and they get to drink hot chocolate and watch The Polar Express. What a magical time for kids! Although I think I get more excited about Christmas now then I did when I was a child. The kids and I made a gingerbread house last night--1st one I've ever done. We decided we'd make it a tradition, the kids had a great time. Of course, as you can see from the picture, they did more icing-eating than decorating. And we have had to stick it in the microwave to protect it from the garbage disposal known as Tess. She ate FOURTEEN cookies off the bar the other night while they were cooling. It's always exciting at the Galentines!! But we sure have fun!
Anyone who has a kid between 5 and 15 will know what a "GNO" is....a girls night out according to the Hannah Montana song! Last night Grace and I had a GNO, or at least we tried to. The plan was for all 4 of us to go out to eat but I got home from the store after 5:00 and it was too late to attempt it at that point (Ethan was, as usual, very whiney and needed to be in bed early). So I was irritated and Scott said "why don't you and Grace go?" Great idea! It had actually never crossed my mind. I was craving Olive Garden and Grace loves their virgin strawberry daquiris so it was a perfect plan. Except that it was a Saturday night at the height of Christmas shopping season and there wasn't even a parking place. Scott asked if I went in to see how long the wait was....there literally WASN'T a parking space so I couldn't even go in and ask. So I thought fast and figured the one place there wouldn't be a long wait was Cracker Barrel! And I was right! So Grace and I headed to C.B. and had dinner and finished it with a frozen mug caramel sundae for me and hot fudge for her. It was wonderful. And the best part? Singing at the top of our lungs the whole car ride to the entire soundtrack of High School Musical 3 and Taylor Swift! We divided the HSM soundtrack into parts...I got stuck singing the boys' parts everytime, but luckily, I knew them all!! (I might be the only 33 year old who actually knows every single word to all 3 HSM movie soundtracks!) On the way home we had made it all the way through the 12 songs on HSM so we switched to Taylor Swift. There's something that warms a momma's heart about hearing her 8 year old belt out "...so tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy, that's fine, I'll tell mine that you're gay! And by the way...." Gotta love country music. Of course, it's not the best thing when your child is trying to pick a song to sing in the talent show. "Mommy, how 'bout 'Before He Cheats'?" Ummmm, no. "What about 'Picture to Burn?'" (here are some of those words: "I hate that stupid old pick-up truck you never let me drive, you're a redneck heartbreak who's really bad at lying, so watch me strike a match on all our wasted time, as far as I'm concerned you're just another picture to burn!!" Not exactly talent show material. Ha!!! One thing is for sure--the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! She loves to sing loud to the radio in the car!! I was driving with her last night and thinking about how fun it's going to be when she's a teenager! I hope she still wants a GNO with her mommy then!
Us crazy Galentines. We have this "thing" that makes it impossible for us to live without 4 dogs in our home at all times. I don't know what it is. My friends warn me each time I entertain the idea of getting another one. "Just have a baby and be done with it!" some of them say. But the doggie bug and the baby bug are different. I thought a puppy would be much easier than a baby. I was wrong.
I have to have quiet and dark to sleep. It's just a fact. And I have to have sleep to function. LOTS of uninterrupted sleep. Well, we adopted Tess, a 6-monthish old yellow lab from Atlanta Lab Rescue the Monday before Thanksgiving. She is too too sweet. She is also too too cross-eyed which drives me a bit bonkers. But that's neither here nor there. The first night we had her we put her in her "box" (crate) to sleep. About 90 seconds later came the whines, cries, barks, etc. So we let her out (under the pretense that she would wake the children, really she was going to prevent me from sleeping!!) and she came in our room. She hopped right up onto the bed and slept there all night without moving. Oh, how sweet, right? Wrong.
So it's been about 2 and a half weeks of Tess sleeping on my feet. I'm over it. I guess I should interject that we also have a 14 year old Boston Terrier, Maggie, who sleeps (well, LIVES) on our futon in our sitting room. She's old and crotchety, and she's also deaf and half blind, so there's no kicking her out. I've tried. I move her ever so gently to the couch complete with her blanket and she is scratching and crying at our door 5 minutes later. So that's pointless. Maggie has a major snoring problem and I used to be able to just holler her name and she'd quit. But now she's deaf so I have to actually get up and shake her and get her to change positions at least 5 times a night. Add a big lab sleeping on your feet and it equals no sleep. UGH.
We also have 2 other Bostons, Mia and Olivia, who race and chase and trip me and crash into my shins while they're traveling approx. 30 miles an hour. Mia and Olivia are also scared of the rain. They won't go out to potty while it's raining. It's been raining for 2 days. They are peeing on my floor. Tess isn't potty trained. She is peeing on my floor. Maggie has doggie dementia and from about 4-7pm every night barks INCESSANTLY (as anyone who talks to me on the phone regularly knows) and.....pees on my floor.
So here's my final thought: Maybe I should have taken my friend's advice and just had more babies....
Here's Tess on the $50 dog bed she won't use
Here's 14-year old Maggie
Here's Mia, or "BFM" (Big Fat Mia) as she's better known...
Last but not least, Olivia. She causes the least amt. of problems I think.
As I was putting Ethan to bed tonight, I was just about out of the room when he once again figured out a way to stall. He said "Mommy, can I tell you something?" I said "yes" (thinking "please hurry so I can get out of these germ-filled scrubs and into the tub). Here's how it went down:
Ethan: We made a star of David today at school
(a star of David? Let it go and say 'oh, that's nice')
Me: What's a star of David?
Ethan: An ornament.
Me: Yes, but what IS a Star of David?
Ethan: It's what they use at Hanukah.
(Do I really want to have this conversation now? Guess so....)
Me: Oh.....what's Hanukah?
Ethan: It's where they light the 8 candles, remember? We're going to every kindergarten classroom to learn about Christmas around the world.
(funny how I imagine they will not be making crosses when they learn about Christmas, but rather Santa or a Christmas tree....but whatever. That's a losing battle.)
Me: Well Ethan, there is only one Christmas no matter where you are in the world. You're learning about HOLIDAYS around the world. Christmas is when Jesus was born, so Hanukah isn't Christmas. Does that make sense?
Ethan: Well then what's Hanukah?
(well, here we go. How long is this going to take to explain?)
Me: Hanukah is the holiday that Jewish people celebrate at this time of year instead of Christmas
(can you guess where this is going?)
Ethan: What's Jewish?
(I should have taken a religion class in college or something, I'm not an expert on the Jewish faith!)
Me: Jewish is a religion where the people don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They believe He was a person and He was alive, but they don't think He was God's son.
(I think that was simple and to-the-point. Good job, me!)
Ethan: Ooooooh. So Jewish people are going to Hell?
(HOLY CRAP!! What do I say to THAT???? Think, think, think.....)
Me: uh, well, um, no, not necessarily. I'm not really sure Ethan, you know Jesus was Jewish. (and that will be easy for a 5-year-old to understand).
Ethan: HUH?
Me: It doesn't matter, Ethan. What matters is that if you believe in Jesus then you will go to Heaven. We don't need to worry about Hell.
Ethan: Mom?
Me: What? (PLEASE no more hard questions!!)
Ethan: Remember that one time when we had frozen rain called hell?
Me: Ethan, that was HAIL.
(well, I guess I didn't scar him too much. It amazes me how kids' brains can move from one subject to another so quickly. I guess that's good for us moms who don't know how to answer the tough questions in lilfe!!)
Here's a cute picture of the kiddos before their 1st basketball game last weekend! Unrelated, but cute nonetheless!
So Thanksgiving has come and gone and now we're in the Christmas spirit. Just wanted to take time to reflect on all of the things I personally have to be thankful for:
1. Jesus who gives me eternal life even though I might not always deserve it
2. Scott, who puts up with me even though I might not always deserve it (hee hee)
3. Grace and Ethan, who I knew I would love before they were born, but didn't have an inkling how much
4. My family, especially my mom, who wouldn't skip a beat if I asked her to dive off a cliff for me or my kids
5. My old friends who have been with me through all of the ups and downs life has to offer
6. My new friends who hopefully will be with me through all of the ups and downs to come
7. My job, which I sometimes wish I didn't have, but that I also realize some people would give anything to have
8. My puppies! They offer such a source of unconditional love and bring my family so much joy
There are many more "things" I am thankful for (Grey's Anatomy, the PHONE, facebook, ice cream....) but without even one of the above listed, my life would be much the poorer.
can't post an entry without a picture! ha!! Here are 3 of the silliest things I am thankful for!
I have great kids!! And luckily, they have the whole "Jeckyll and Hyde" thing downpat. At home, they might be fussing and fighting the majority of their wake time, but at school--angels. Ha! In September their school announced it's first ever (brand new school, just opened this year) students-of-the-month. There is one picked from each classroom (I think?). Grace was picked from her class! I was so proud and she.....forgot to mention it. I found out through the 3rd grade newsletter. Today I was at their school to attend Ethan's "Thanksgiving feast" and as I waltz through the front doors, I notice a bulletin board that says "Students of the month rock!" (sidenote--their school is called ROCK Spring Elementary and everything there "rocks"). I quickly scanned the board to see if maybe Grace's picture was up there, but instead I found Ethan! Last week they picked their second students of the month, and this time Ethan was picked!! Again....he forgot to tell us. So my 2 kids were in the first 2 batches of great kids recognized at their school. I am proud beyond words. Now if only I could make them think I was secretely videotaping them at home to show their teachers.....then maybe I would get to witness some of this excellent behavior!!
Last night both kids had basketball practice back-to-back. Ethan's is at 6:00 and I take him, then Scott brings Grace at 7:00 and one of us goes home with Ethan. This was the 3rd week, he knew the drill, but every week he cries that he wants to stay and watch Grace's practice so he can play with the basketballs. Last night as Scott was driving him home, he was crying about having to leave, then he started crying b/c Scott told him he couldn't watch TV when he got home b/c it was bedtime and evidently it went on....and on....and on. Finally Scott told Ethan to dry it up, to which Ethan replied, "I'm not going to stop crying. Ever! Because I know it drives you CRAZY!!" Well, Scott said he couldn't contain his laughter and he just burst out laughing at that comment. Which that, of course, sent Ethan into another tailspin of tears b/c Scott was making fun of him! (sidenote: those of you who had boys and thought "at least there won't be the whining and drama that comes with girls....think again, my friend!) So as Scott told me this story tonight, I thought of some pictures I have of Ethan mid-pout. Here are a few that I still had on my computer. Someday these might come back to haunt him!
Here's Ethan drying his eyes with his jammies after being told he couldn't be in the fashion show at his sister's slumber party! Poor baby!
Can't remember what this pouty pose was about--we were at my mom's house. Could have been any number of things! Ha!
This was in Knoxville at a hotel we stayed in. Ethan had just stuck his tongue out at Scott, so Scott had grabbed his tongue and pulled on it to surprise him (and hopefully deter him from doing it again). He was NOT amused. hee hee
This weekend I went to Brentwood to have dinner with 3 of my best friends from high school. It was so great to see them, and it made me realize how there are some people who you can go months, if not YEARS, without talking to and you pick up right where you left off. I guess there is just a "history" that doesn't go away. Friends that I have met as an adult are still important, but sometimes there are nerves or worrying about how this person will respond to this or wondering what that will make them think of me. When you've been friends since 8th grade, there's none of that. And I have to admit....I will listen to the teenagers at church talk, or my babysitters and I think to myself "my friends and I were never like that!!" But OH WE WERE. When I was at my mom's, I was looking for old pictures to post on facebook and I came across a shoebox of old notes (remember when you used to pass notes at school, long before the days of texting and email?) and I was shocked. We WERE that stupid!! ha!!! Oh the things we worried about and fought about and talked about....I guess that's teenagers for ya. But I'm so glad that these 3 girls that held such a big place in my heart as a teenager are still there!! We've all gone completely different directions geographically and in our careers, etc. but where it matters, we're still close.
Candi, Susan, me and Amy at Stoney River--YUM.
Yesterday was Veterans Day. I'm ashamed to say that before I married Scott, that day didn't mean as much to me. And I'm obviously not the only one....when I got home from work last night, I asked Scott if anyone at work said Happy Veterans Day to him? He said one person from the tech center (in Michigan) e-mailed him, but no one else acknowledged it. That's a shame. We live in a world where we are so self-absorbed, and if it doesn't directly affect us, it doesn't enter our minds. But what our soldiers do day in and day out DOES directly affect us, all of us. It takes a special person to be able to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of strangers. I couldn't do it. But I'm sure glad there are people who can. And do. So try to remember to thank your veterans--not just on Veterans Day--and thank God for your veterans everyday in your prayers.
and NOW I can see where Ethan gets his blinking problem! Ha!!
Grace wrote Scott a letter yesterday for Veterans Day. It was so sweet....and pretty funny!! Here it is....
War Eagle! Today we went to Auburn for homecoming. This is the first time Grace and Ethan have ever been to an Auburn game. Heck, it's the first one I've been to since I graduated! And the second one Scott has EVER been to (to say he's not a football fan would be the understatement of the century. He looked as though someone was sticking bamboo shoots up his fingernails during the game....Ha!) The kids thought it was so neat, at least they did for about 90 seconds and then they were ready to go walk around on campus. We managed to hang until halftime, watched the band perform and then left. As we were walking out the gate a man who passed us said "Galentine?" I had no idea who it was, but Scott turned and shook the guy's hand and immediately started smiling and chatting. Turns out it was Shane James, aka "Doc James", one of the medics who was in Somalia with Scott. I have found that when Scott sees one of the soldiers he was in combat with, even if they haven't seen each other or spoken since that day, there is an instant bond, an instant connection. Scott isn't one to shoot the breeze for the heck of it, but he stood and talked to Doc James for quite awhile. He introduced us to Shane and Shane introduced us to his daughter, etc. etc. Meanwhile, my kids and their friend Mallory were running wild in circles around these men, completely ignoring the fact a conversation was going on. Ethan stopped for a minute and Doc James said to Scott, "So, how's your thumb?" (which is where Scott was shot during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia). Scott took his hand out of his pocket, held out his thumb and laughed and said "Oh, it's still attached!" Right about then, I watched Ethan as he took Scott's hand in his, grabbed Scott's thumb, turned it over and looked at it, all the while having a puzzled look on his face. After a few seconds of this, Ethan kind of shrugged his shoulders, dropped Scott's hand and took off chasing his sister and friend again. It immediately struck me that Ethan was confused as to why Scott's thumb would be a topic of conversation. He knows his Daddy got shot. He knows where. But to him, Scott's thumb is as normal a part of Daddy as the hair on his head. Our children know us so well, know every inch of us, and it is so familiar to them that even the imperfections seem perfect to them.
