Charlie Brown Christmas

Dear Kidlets, 
It was 1978 the other night.  Eating grilled cheese and soup on trays a little too close to the TV after decorating our Christmas tree watching a Charlie Brown Christmas.  It is without a doubt on the melancholy side.  Poor Charlie, but fortunate us.  Christmas 2008 is the first time I spoke with your birthmom Jo Jo, Henry.  You know this.  Not a one of us will ever forget.  Special season for many reasons.  

Daddy and I kept nudging each other. 
Love you, 
Mama

Is Santa Real?

Dear Elfies, 
Oh!  The holidays, they can throw the best of us off and when the best of us are at our worst the sweetest Christmas pictures are hard to accomplish.  Hazel, it was you this time.  You were off your smiling game...  We went for Santa pictures.  Mommy told you both ahead of time that you do not have to sit on Santa's lap just stand near him...I mean why would I ever require you to sit on some guy's lap you don't know?  Wouldn't I normally saying that is not a good idea?  However, Henry, you let me know you were going to and so was Hazel.  No wait in the Santa line was perfect for the mood we were feeling in the late afternoon the day before Christmas Eve.  Hazel, you were not wanting to go near him so Henry hopped up on his lap and froze, forgetting to smile for the picture before a reminder from the sidelines.  Hazel, I sat you next to Henry...Hazel you stopped screaming when we told you that Santa would give you a candy cane and exchanged the wails for a sad getting through it expression.  

After, you both got your candy cane and the pictures were done, you'd think you'd be happy...Hazel you were but Henry let Santa know it wasn't fair that the only candy canes left were broken.  

Santa shook the bag and said, "That's all I have so if you want one, take one."  Subtext, "Or get the hell out of here kid!"  Whatever, Hazel yelled, "Thank you," and was willing to give Santa a high five.  Speaking of Santa.  I'm pretty certain we won't be able to crank another year out of the narrative. 

   At the Independent Adoption Center Christmas Party you declared that Santa was weird because his beard is just too white.  He, however, had large unbroken candy canes of various flavors...you gave him points for that.

Hazey, you could care less...wouldn't go near Santa but you did try to color pictures and I came around the corner to get our coats and you were entertaining a room of people by dancing to Frozen's, "Let It Go!" 

Hazel and Nick

You both enjoyed all of the kids, running the halls and coloring pictures together.  It was good seeing Hazel's birth brother and his brother, Nick and Ryan. 

Nick, Keegan, Ryan and Henry...Hazel in the way back

Hazel and WW

After the party we had a very nice dinner with your birth mom WW, Hazel, Nick's family and our best buds Eunice and Keegan.  Wendy bought you a great little tent just your size and Henry a remote control car.  So sweet.  We gave her an angel and a little sign with words about being family forever no matter what.

Henry, you later told me you did not trust the IAC Santa, more about the white beard making him not real, it should have a little brown in it.  
Then, this year a school chum mended a major fissure in a no Santa tale another scrooge from school tried to put in your head.  I loved the reasoning your buddy B came up with to not believe K.  The other day in the car you told Mommy that K told you and B that there is no Santa Claus, he isn't real.  Well, You and B were not buying that...and I don't know if K asked you all to prove it or not but B's logic in support of a Santa being real was, "There has to be a Santa Claus or else it wouldn't be fair if your parents eat all those cookies by themselves, so there definitely HAS to be a Santa Claus!  Parents wouldn't do that."  That worked for the time but now you've asked me every day since.  Not wanting to lie, I pulled a switch-a-roo and asked, "What do you believe?  It only matter's what you believe."  When a persistent, "BUT IS HE REAL," screamed across the car I thought quick and said, "YES, St. Nick was a real guy and over the years it has taken on bigger and changed meaning." Shew.  But Sorry B...the parents do eat all the cookies, we even throw some out the back door if we can't eat them all.  It may be worse finding out the latter than the true facts on Santa, or lack there of.  Love, Mommy     
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

Santa No!

Dear Kids, 
I took you to get your picture taken with Santa this week.  We met the twinks there to hang out and ride the train after.  Henny, you did a great job this year but Hazel was all NOOOOOOOs!  She screamed so her visit was short but Henry stuck around to let Santa know that he wanted a gravity suit.  Santa looked confused.  So don't get mad at him if of all the things he brings down our chimney this year the suit is not one of them.  

Henry, Sylvie, Hazel, Etienne

Love, Mama

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Dear Hen and Zizzle Zazzle, 
Christmas!  Christmas! Christmas!  Fortunate doesn't describe it.    This year was a celebration to mark our lives moving forward...past the years of struggle, doctors and disappointments and into the years of raising our two wild things.  Our tree went up a couple of days after Thanksgiving and while Skittle is oblivious to what is happening she loves the lights and paper flying as presents are unwrapped.  Henry on the other hand you were SOOOOO excited and couldn't wait for Christmas to arrive.  Hmmm...I am trying to figure out here what I want to tell you... I don't know at what age you'll want to read some of this blog so I'll tread carefully.  I took you to the library again this year to see the Santa presentation.  It was fun, and you got a sort of weird picture with Santa.  We also saw Santa at the Children's Museum and got a cute picture that I need to scan.  You've really started stepping up as a big brother.  You helped Hazel open her gifts by carefully putting her hands on the paper and holding gently as you pulled the paper.   

You held her closely so we could get some nice pictures by the tree.  

You also wanted her to have matching Christmas jammies with you so I took it a step too far and dorked up the entire family in red.  I could not resist with the three into four factor.  

Santa Claus brought all types of wonderful surprises for you.  He went to town on Spiderman fun with a web shooting action figure, under-roos, and super tuff crime fighting sweatshirt.  You like wearing the under-roos and exposing it from under your shirt and zipping around the house to defend against crazy stuff, like Laser Baby.  

You got a backhoe building thing, a mummy to excavate, a constellation bug light, a book of Curious George tales, a whoopie cushion, a giant floor puzzle and some Pit Droids.  Grandpa Tim sent you a cool inflatable globe and binoculars!  

Skittle, you got a cute little treasure chest that plays music when you put the coins in, a book, "If I Could Keep You Little," a pretty little outfit and some other fun baby play things.  You just kept smiling and smiling and smiling.  

The best present this Christmas came from Mommy and Daddy.  Mommy sewed a tent for you, Henny, and Daddy and I built you a framework.  It was made to sit just behind your bed to make a little snuggle pit cave, as you like to call it.  The inside has planets on the ceiling and back wall and a side wall has a map of the United States.  YOU LOVED THIS!  Just seeing the pipes you screamed, "PIPES! Alright!" 

You went to business when we started putting it together.

We put some Christmas lights inside and some pillows and blankets and you holed up there the rest of the day even having Daddy put a movie on his table for you to watch.  I am so excited about this.  Daddy and I want one for ourselves.   

You also took your jobs seriously this year of passing out the presents and keeping the paper in a nice pile away from the goods. 

Once the presents were all discovered you were able to play in the big pile of paper.  

Next year will only be that much more exciting as you begin to understand more and more around you, thought you're already pretty with it.  I so love sharing Christmas at home as a family.  And Santa told me to tell you he loved the cookies!  
Love, Mama    

Buuuuuuurrrlizzard of 2012

Dear Hen, 

Wow!  Just after Christmas our area of the Midwest was waiting on a blizzard!  It was a one day event so I think I'd more refer to it as a big snow but no matter, we suited up and headed outside to roll, throw, fall, binocular spy and build in the snow.  The great part is the temperature wasn't as frosty as all that snow would have one think.  We were comfortable building our snow person.  I have so much fun with you, my boy.  You're silly.  You stopped in the middle of putting eyes on our snowman to tell me that you had to pee, with a grin.  

I asked if you wanted to pee in the snow, and you did, but needed help getting your snowsuit open and stuff.  I gave you a little hand and turned around.  You were quite proud of the bright lemon snow you created.  

You are crazy accurate!

Then later you were laying on your belly licking the snow you stopped, looked startled up at me and said, "Hey, this isn't where I peed is it?"  

I said, "No! It was over there, but that is still gross!"  You shrugged and sighed with relief and before returning to licking said, "Don't eat the yellow snow."  ...and with that my love grew a little more.  I guess you come by your grossness honestly.

Love, Mama 

Thanksgiving and Christmas Tree Time

Dear Henry and Hazel, 
This is a little over due.  Thanksgiving this year we were stuck at home due to a contagious stomach bug daddy caught.  We were feeling really sad.  It was our first Thanksgiving without visiting to family, our first Thanksgiving without GG.  This made spending our first Thanksgiving with you so bitter sweet.  Mommy did pull it off though.  For the first tie I fixed a Thanksgiving-esque meal; baked whole chicken, from scratch dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and rolls.  Our good friends Heather and her sister Lise felt sorry for us so they dropped off a pie with homemade whipped cream and yummy cranberry sauce.  Amazing!  You ate some of everything as long as you didn't have to look at it.  

We played the eating game and you would close your eyes eat it and hide your eyes to then guess what you just ate.  You ate a man's share.  

It turned into a cozy cuddly weekend.  A few days after we couldn't keep from getting a Christmas Tree.  Daddy's funky bug had cleared up and you have been so excited about the approach of Christmas it couldn't come early enough.  We went to Twin H farms to pick a local tree.  You love their shaker and spinner that wraps the tree up.  You ran through the tree barn and ducked in and out of the trees. 

Once we picked one, which was actually very quickly done you guarded it with mean gnashed teeth an menacing hands on your hips.  

As they shook the tree you shook around on Daddy's lap while Hazel winced at the loud noise snuggled inside the baby carrier on my chest.  I did convince you to allow me to take a couple of pictures with Hazel before we left and before your melt down escalated.  At home you helped me roll the tree off the roof of the van and set it up inside. 

It was easy.  We wrapped it in lights and decorated until you were about to drop. 

Henry's "collection" of ornaments.  They fell off last night and he yelled at me when I dispersed them through out the tree.

I am glad that we are all healthy and happy this year.  We are full of gratitude this year; for you both, your birth moms, our family, and the gift of life in general.  I love that you love Christmas and the feeling of the season too.  I love that I can hange Santa Claus over your head from time to time to change your behavior. :)
Love, Mama