The Last Christmas Gift

There's just something about saving the best gift for last.

And Stephen's encore....

A Christmas gift to remember (and one that will most likely make a reappearance next year).

Christmas 2009

the excitement...

the exhaustion...

the stockings...

the beef stew...

the hospital bill (ho, ho, ho!)...

the packages...

the tree...

the newest family member...

the big brothers with Daddy...

the joy of simple gifts (a measuring tape & marshmallows)...

the stories...

the sleep.

Assorted Conversations

The camera has not really been in use much lately, but my ears never get that luxury.

The boys worked on coloring and cutting out candy canes this morning.

Andrew: And mine has a shooting star!

Julie: Oh? I've never seen a candy cane with a shooting star.

Andrew: I just like to add pictures of things from God's creation.

And for those of you who have had the pleasure of listening to a Very Veggie Christmas....

Andrew: What's for lunch?

Julie: I'm cooking some kielbasa.

Andrew (with a puzzled face): No, not really.

Julie: It really is kielbasa. That's a kind of meat.

Stephen: What are you cooking, momma?

Andrew: It's kielbasa!

Stephen: Did Andrew say it's for killing possums?

And finally, it's a good thing this boy is so cute. As I tucked him in bed last night he informed me, "Momma, your belly is still a little big. Maybe there is another baby inside." Doug had sense enough to keep quiet, but that smirk on his face said a lot.

Andrew on Math

Andrew: Well, I just don't want to do math because counting makes me angry.

Julie: Well, if we had jelly beans I bet you'd like to count them.

Andrew: No, I would just like to eat them.

Two Months

Time flies by when you're having fun, and this little guy is a lot of fun: he eats, sleeps & poops, and to mark today's milestone, he laughed.

I celebrated his accomplishment by finally changing the sheets on his bed (for the record, everyone else's sheets are changed on a regular basis; Jonathan always seems to be inhabiting his during laundry time).

Waiting

"It's so very hard to wait for Christmas." Andrew

The New "Coal & Switches"

Santa is pulling out a new threat in the Hamill home this year: beef stew & dolls.

Apparently Nana's beef stew went over like a lead balloon and has been threatened as the stocking stuffer of the year. This, of course, instantly causes a great deal of grief. "But that would not be good because it would make a mess in the stocking and that would make me sad."

The only other thing that could possibly be worse, however, is the thought of receiving a doll. "If I get a doll for Christmas," exclaimed Andrew, "I will just throw it in the trash."

For some reason we've been receiving American Girl doll catalogs in the mail, and wicked mother that I am, I always ask the boys which they would like for Christmas. And the result is always the same: instant wailing! I finally called and requested to be removed from the mailing list.

Just this morning, though, I heard Stephen, the antagonististic brother, sweetly telling Andrew, "And you will have a present for Christmas and you will think it is a race car, but when you open it up, there will be doll inside."

I'm seriously tempted to have my parents bring some a couple of my old dolls to wrap up for Christmas morning. It would probably scar them for life, and they won't even have Oprah's shoulder to cry on.

Photo Time

Christmas Card Photo Session One

Christmas Card Photo Session Two

Christmas Card Photo Session Three

Let's just not bother.

Apparently the third times not the charm, at least in this instance. I'm not sure I can scrape together anything decent, but the experience did inspire a new song.

"The Annual Nightmare"

I feel my blood pressure risin'.

I see trouble on the way.

I see tears overflowin'.

I see bad times today.

Chorus:

Don't go around tonight.

There's bound to be a fight.

Christmas picture takin' time.

I hear children cryin'.

I hope the end is comin' soon.

I see little ones a-squirmin'.

I'm not in the Christmas mood.

Chorus

I hope we got one decent picture.

I think I will go and get a beer.

There's a reason to be happy...

Christmas comes but once a year.

All Smiles

A full belly, warm house, and a bright & cheery outfit make for one happy baby... with dimples to prove it.

The Sled

We found this lurking beneath our porch, a remnant of the previous owners. I doubt that it's had much use in the traditional sense, but it makes for a festive decoration.

The Cookie Exchange

This is one of my favorite holiday traditions, an evening of good food and laughter with a group of women - a big change from daily life with males (and under the age of 5 to boot).

I wasn't quite up to making baklava in handmade origami boxes this year, but Seven Layer Cookies are delicious no matter how they are packaged. (Thank you for introducing me to these, Kay).

Someone asked me last night if I had indeed followed last year's plan to freeze the cookies for Christmas Eve guests, but alas, my family lit into them and they were quickly consumed. Judging from Doug's eagerness to sample last night, I don't think this year will be any different.

And our favorite? It was a repeat from a previous year (generally considered a faux pas but under the circumstances, overlooked) - Oreo Truffles. The perfection combination of beautiful, easy, and delicious.

Winter Wonderland

We awoke to a dusting of snow Saturday morning

which of course meant snow cream for breakfast,

the perfect fuel for Christmas decorating.

The workers were enthusiastic to say the least.

Bath Time

This is not one of my favorite tasks, but Stephen has been begging to help give Jonathan a bath and since he seemed to have a certain aroma, we decided this morning would be a good time.


The fourth time around, I've discovered I prefer counter baths sans a baby tub (they are bulky and messy) for a quick, easy washdown.

Matthew amused himself by washing a small truck in the sink while I snapped pictures, then Stephen set to work with the washcloth.


Andrew preferred to pick his nose.

Fresh and clean and good for another week.

Stimulant of Choice

Coffee in the morning, coffee in the evening, coffee in the afternoon.

A Toy and a Book

We always let the boys take a couple of things to bed with them. Matthew stretched it a little:

four stuffed animals, nine books, and a bucket of Matchbox vehicles.

Bye Week

Technically it is not a week, only two days. But to this mom, it is a welcome break at a busy time of year.

I've been jotting notes on the things I need to do since I'm down to one fairly portable child. Or so I thought. Seems Mr. Matthew doesn't appreciate his chariot and much prefers a sling or my arms. That's okay, though; I consider it weight-bearing exercise.

I managed to accomplish most of my Christmas shopping throughout the year, but there were a few things left so we set off on the shopping-portion of the to-do list.

I had not considered the logistics of bottle-feeding and pumping in relation to shopping. Let me say that this was an eye-opening experience.

• How does one deal with warming a bottle while out and about? I don't know; Matthew had a cold meal (which he took but less-than-enthusiastically).
• Pumping in a parking lot? Logistically speaking, pumping and retaining some sense of decency while also trying to feed a baby is a bit tricky. The payoff is watching drivers and patrons in parking lots; many stories could be written on that subject alone.
• What to tote where? I think I got burned-out on the whole pack-mule aspect of motherhood after Stephen came along that I made drastic reductions to the things I actually carry. Cup & diaper to church; purse to stores; extras are left in the van. Since I've just got the one, though, I must be a reverting back to "First Time Mother" status (you know, the ones who carry the super large diapers wherever they go), as I left the house with 1 large diaper bag, another bag with the pump & accessories, and my purse. Everything stayed in the van but my purse, but I've discovered a purse will not stay on your shoulder while wearing a sling. What's a mom to do?

All in all it was a good experience; Matthew was a trooper, I picked up a few things, but it took a long time. Tomorrow we will move on to the craft projects. This should be interesting.

UPDATE: Matthew went to Virginia. Jonathan stayed with me. I've lost a little sleep lately; please forgive me.

Daddy's Helpers

Hopefully this was the last weekend of removing leaves, but unless the city comes to pick them up soon, they will once again be scattered over the yard.

In a few years Doug will have it made, though, with this helpful crew.

It may be a little while until this one can help, but I'm sure it won't take long to catch on to his big brothers' antics.

Heidi and Me

Apparently Heidi Klum and I have a lot in common.

She is a mother of four; I am a mother of four.

She gave birth five weeks ago; I gave birth five weeks ago.

She pumps; I pump.

She appeared in a fashion show this week; I...ummm...nevermind.

Thankful

Self-Service

Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands, especially when you're hungry.

Resourceful as he is, he helped himself to leftover potato soup that had been sitting on the counter all afternoon.

He finished it off and then proceeded to eat a "real dinner" of chicken and sweet potatoes.

One Month

It's not really possible, is it?



I remarked to a friend that he's already lost that newborn look. As a nurse she had cared for him in the NICU and she laughed, "He never really had it to begin with!"

He blessed us with a 7 hour stretch of sleep last night though unfortunately he woke at 3:30 to eat and wasn't much interested in going back to sleep. Since I wasn't going to play in the wee small hours of the morning, I spent the next two hours replugging the lad to no avail; Doug took over the duties but it was a lost cause.

But think, we got an early start to our morning.

School: Week Thirteen

We're going to declare last week #13 although in reality I've lost count. Things have been a little disjointed as of late. After a "Feeding System Malfunction" at the end of last week, I've decided that we will relax things a bit for the remainder of the calendar year. No need to add any more stress to the three-ringed circus.

My excuse was that our math lesson called for making peanut butter but that's forbidden around here. The reality was that I was really too lazy to get out all of our school supplies that day so we modified our lesson and combined it with snack time. How's that for multitasking?

Graham crackers and marshmallow creme...fractions never tasted better.


Unfortunately the marshmallow creme had egg whites so Stephen spread his with soy butter.

Poor Matthew couldn't have any of it so he got a bowl of corn Chex, counting "do...dah...do...dah."


And Jonathan settled for fingers...ten to choose from and always available.