The Stake Christmas Devotional

I don't seek out musical things enough.  I used to resist performing so much when I was younger.  I don't like being a soloist very much but I so enjoy being part of a group, or accompanying.  Carol Smith - the Stake Music Chair, and wife of the Stake President, and all round fabulous person, asked me to play the flute for two different musical numbers - one a solo, and one for the choir.  I'm so glad I said yes.  I'm so glad she asked me.

Tonight was a great night.  We were all going to go as a family, but it just didn't work out that way.  I'm a little disappointed that Ken and the girls missed the concert, but there will be more.  I'm so grateful to be part of a church that asks so much of us.  I'm not sure who I would be without these opportunities to grow and better myself.  I'm so thankful for music, for Christmas music.  I love the celebration of Christ.

The solo that I accompanied was about Mary.  It was quite sombre but pretty.  Heather Regimbal was the soloist and she sang the song really well.  The choir piece was called Bethlehem Wind, and it was awesome.  The flute part was awesome.  I got to be surrounded by music.  I loved it!

Snow Day on Drugs!

What a day!  Today was the day that we were to take Alice to the sleep dentist in Vaughan.  The plan - be there for 9:30, plan on an hour and a half, a little recovery, then home around lunch - or thereafter, pick up Fiona, put her to bed, cuddle with Alice, pick up Kate.  No where in this plan was there a snow storm... no where!

This morning the accumulation was already awesome.  We had two calls from the dentist, and after being told to take our time, we were off.  Dropped off Kate early to Madison and her Mom, Melissa at the school.  (Melissa was there early doing the breakfast program - yes, Melissa is a saint!)  Dropped off Fiona at Michelle's - Amelie and Marisol were excited to play with baby Fiona, and off we went.

The route.  I used to always have the route planned out in my head and Ken would always check with me about said route, because I'm crazy?  I don't know, that was before kids and well, I obsessed over lots of things that I now barely have time to think about.  The route.  Google maps said to go south on Mount Wolf road - so we did.  We were going to go east on King Road and snake our way down and make it just in time.  That is until we got to King and there was a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocking the whole road.  We continued to go south, then east on Kirby, then south on Huntington Road.  Oh my goodness.

Prayer and Ken and just keep going, and burning rubber, and people going the opposite direction to be stuck at the bottom of a CRAZY hill.  From there it was Major Mack to Hwy 27, then to Langstaff, then Kipling, then Hwy 7, then the 407, then the 400 and then Rutherford and then we were there.  We left around 8:50 and rolled into the Dentist about 10:45.  (I really should post a pick of the route - went west to go east, and south to go north = CRAZY!)

The Dentist - Dr. Waxman, he was awesome.  His staff was awesome.  I am so glad that on the recommendation of Dr. Cornaby I kept paying for my dental benefits.  I'm not happy that Alice's teeth are so awful that we had to go to the sleep dentist, but sweet Alice with her "silver bracelets" on four of her teeth, her teeth are fixed.  I hope we can continue doing a better job of caring for her teeth, and I hope that her adult teeth will never be thus ravaged!

We left the dentist's office around 2:00.  Alice was awesome. So awesome.  I thought she'd be sobbing the whole way home, but she didn't.  She hadn't eaten since 8:00 the night before, but she was awesome.  She was groggy and drugged, but she was awesome.  (Ken gave her a blessing last night and we said lots of prayers.)

We pulled in front of the house around 3:25.  Melissa had agreed to pick Kate up.  Ken dropped Alice and me off at the house, and then got stuck, and stuck, and stuck, and stuck.  He never actually made it off our street, and finally returned about an hour later.  That's when I set off to get Fiona from Michelle's.  I waded through the school field, because even though the snow was past my knees, I just wanted to get to my baby and the thought of walking the streets to go around...  I dragged a little toboggan with me and wore a backpack to put Fiona's things in.

I got to Michelle's sometime around 5:00 in the dark, and Fiona had just fallen asleep.  I chatted with Michelle a bit then went to rouse Fiona.  I nursed Fiona and then we set off.  She wasn't keen on the toboggan at all, so I dragged the toboggan, and carried her.  I fell in the field once while I was carrying her.  Snow is cushy, but it scared me.  I prayed several times.  Alice was telling me stories this morning about the pioneers on the way to the dentist.  I don't remember the stories, but I thought of the pioneers as I was walking.  I was so grateful for my warm clothing, for my baby's warm clothing, for the relatively short distance I needed to travel, that the snow was light, and the temperature wasn't too cold and I was just grateful.

I got home around 6:00 - or a bit before and Ken set off to get Kate.  He got home around 7:00 and I snapped the picture of the three girls on the couch around 7:15.  I looked at my three beautiful girls, home safe and warm and I was just grateful again.

The driveway is shoveled, the girls are asleep, the plows will come sometime tonight (if they haven't already) and we will be warm and safe and together and I will be grateful.  Grateful that we were safe, that we had friends who helped and loved our kids, amazing access to great medical care, and a world filled with so many good people helping each other pushing stuck minivans down the street, and too much beautiful white snow.

Santa!

I don't know why I love my mall Santa photo so much, but I do.  I really, really do!  I think it was three years ago that I started buying the outfits a year in advance - post Christmas sale at Gymboree.  This year Alice and Fiona have the same shirt, Kate's coordinates.  Fiona and Kate have coordinating pants and Alice, well, Alice doesn't.  I think their Christmas picture outfits are fun.  I think next year I might go in a different direction though...  I was so happy the photographer caught this.  Fiona was none to impressed, even though I tried hard to do some brain-washing. 

She carried her Santa doll (from Auntie Wendy) around for a few days, and we looked at pictures.  Fiona even started saying Santa, and happily too.  We even had practice pictures...

First at a pancake breakfast fundraiser at Kate's school.

 

Then at the Ontario Early Years Centre Christmas party.

Yay for Santa pictures!  Yay for fun Christmas traditions!  We had a fun trip to the mall, complete with Grandma and Grandpa, subway sandwich for lunch and play time in the play area, rides on the rides, and a walk through the Disney store.  What more could you ask for?!

A Walk, A Parade, A Party

Saturdays can be dangerous.  If we haven't figured out what we're doing the night before, we often sit around debating what we should do and never end of doing anything.  Today we had lots planned for the bottom half of the day, but nothing to start.  It started out okay, but quickly deteriorated into a lot of little girl bickering.  The girls needed to get out, Ken and I needed to get out.  Kate was a particular kind of crazy today...  I decided that we needed to go on a walk.  It was after lunch and I couldn't wait until three for the parade, so off we went on a walk.  Alice and Fiona in the stroller, Kate being forced to walk because she wasn't doing what she was told.  Kate protested much.  Very much.  Somewhere just past the post office she finally calmed down enough to follow instructions and got to sit and ride in the stroller. 

As we continued walking there wasn't much change in temperament until we finally got to the trail that runs south of mill street, opposite the steam train.  As soon as we hit "nature" there was a sudden change.  The girls were suddenly different.  Everything was right with the world again.  It was quite magical, and I was kicking myself that we didn't just get out first thing!  I took a few pictures, and Alice and I ended up walking further and then up the hill by the funeral home to get home.  She was such a trooper.  Fiona had a little sleep in the stroller, Kate calmed down, and everyone was happy again.

We weren't home for long before it was time to get ready to go to Beeton to see the Santa Claus Parade.  We went with Michelle and the girls.  We were all sad that we had missed the Tottenham Parade.  It is a great little parade.  We went with expectations high that the Beeton Parade would be as good... it wasn't.  But, it was still fun, and I'm glad we went.

Afterwards we all came back to our house and had hot chocolate, donuts and tim bits.  We hung out for a bit, and then it was time to get ready for the Christmas Party in Orangeville. 

I should have asked more questions about the party.  I didn't realize it wasn't dinner, I didn't realize I had the start time wrong... oops!  We showed up without food to share because we thought we were late, and Kate was the narrator for the opening act.  Even after we realized that we were half an hour early, we didn't go get food - lame.  The girls ate a little, Ken and I ate a little, we watched a great show, with some incredibly talented friends, and it was fun, and really well done.  Kate was a great narrator!  Everyone kept telling me how awesome she was!

After the party, thinking it wasn't too cold, we decided to go to see the lights at Kay Cee Gardens.  We had a brisk walk - Kate thought she was going to die... but we still had fun. Christmas is so fun, and magical.  Kids make Christmas fun.  I love it when I hear people talking about how much they love Christmas music - especially when they aren't Christian.  Jesus is pretty special!

Fiona is 18 Months

She continues to grow and change and delight.  Tomorrow will be her first "legit" Sunday in nursery.  Ken and I are the nursery leaders so she's been with us since February - or whenever it was that we were called to serve there.  I thought for this post I'd list all of her nicknames.  At this stage, she has lots.  Who knows if any of them will last.

Fifi
The Feefer
Miss Blurberton (Kate's nickname)
Finona
Fifi-la-fou
The Feefster

Surprise!

Shawn! I love Shawn.  I would do anything for Shawn, including drive to Keswick and hang out with crazy women!  (Crazy women:Karin and Cheryl - high school friends!)  We had a fun evening of giggles.  I didn't sleep over, so I didn't get the standard issue jump suit, but I had fun celebrating Shawn's 40th. 

Shawn is sweet, and good, and kind, and has become such a dear friend.  I have some friends, and they bless my life.  It was fun hanging out tonight.  (Except that I bought a chocolate cake, and Shawn loves vanilla.  I will now never forget vanilla - and icecream cake too!)

Adventures in Babysitting

Sometimes I toy with the idea of doing home daycare.  I could resign my position and take in two kids and be home.  It wouldn't be as much money, it would be longer hours, and it would never stop... all year round... unless of course I tried to find teachers' kids to watch. And then I think about it and feel sick to my stomach, and realize that it isn't the right answer.

Days like today show me that maybe it could work, if it should. That being said, it was only a half day, and they were friends, and such sweet girls, and I didn't have to put anyone down for a nap, and it was just an easy day, and there are lots of days that aren't easy. 

Bridget, Alice, Fiona, and Abigail.  Their Mom - my friend Sarah was downtown selling bags for Christmas.  I was so happy when she asked me to watch her kids for the day.  (Morning...) We had a fun time playing!

Tree Time!