The post-Christmas purge

Is it just me?  Am I the only one who feels a sudden and urgent need to clean, organize and purge the minute Christmas is over?  Maybe it's a natural reaction to all the excess - to need to rebalance with a reduction of some sort.  On the 24th, I always sit on the couch and stare in wonder at the beauty of our 9' tree, the warm glow of the lights, the colorful gifts beneath, but as soon as the 26th rolls around, the tree suddenly seems a monster consuming our living room, the toys have taken over, the Christmas knick knacks seem to be attacking our once peaceful house.  And every year on the 26th, I am totally over it.  I need to clean and get organized for the next year!

So this year, my purging and cleaning project ended up being the playroom.  We had a monstrous entertainment center with a 350-lb TV (from before the days of flat screens) and loads of AV equipment (a VCR and old Xbox, etc.) that was NEVER used taking up a large portion of that room.  I had been hinting at Brett for some time now that I would like to get rid of that monster, and he had been giving me lots of push back.  The problem is that the entertainment center was too big to get down our stairs (it really tore the walls up going in and we swore it would never go out in one piece).  So, a few weeks ago, I visually reorganized the playroom, then went to Ikea to get what I needed to make it happen.  And Brett finally agreed to attack that monster up there.  He took the entertainment center apart piece by piece until it was just a pile of wood, screws and hardware.  Sadly, it had been a relatively expensive piece from Bassett, but we decided it was not worth ruining our walls to get something out that was of no use to anyone, since TVs don't need those big entertainment centers anymore.  Our neighbor helped Brett carry the 350-lb TV down the stairs, down the sidewalk, and back up his own stairs into his playroom!  We were so glad to find a home for it!

With all our newly reclaimed space, we put in a larger (adult-sized!) table and chairs for art projects and homework.  Previously we just had a toddler sized table, which has been great, but we are ready to move on to something bigger at this point.  We also got some storage units for managing all the toys up there.    And two book ledges for forward book display. The kids really flock to the little library now that their favorite books are front-facing and easy to access. Pierce sits in the Elmo chair and reads all the time. It's so cute.



Our "library" using $10 photo ledges from Ikea.

  

Our new school room for art projects, homework, puzzles, crafts.  This is a dining table from Ikea along with chairs for both little people and normal people.  The storage unit (also Ikea) is just removable plastic bins for drawers - easy for little kids to use and replace.

  

I also bought these plastic storage cups for crayons and markers from Ikea.  They were meant for storing kitchen utensils, but they are perfect for arts and crafts.  The easily pull off the rail and sit on the table.  $1 each.

So, I can breathe a sigh of relief as we have tackled one major project to start the new year fresh! We spend a LOT of time in that room, so it is a real blessing for the kids and me to have it organized and functional. Brett did all the work since I am not supposed to do any heavy lifting and I also am not in the least bit mechanically inclined. Thanks, Brett!!!

Thinking about Christmas

Like most Americans, I do love this time of year! I love the decorations, the lights, the freshly made cookies, the joy in finding at least a couple cute Christmas cards in your mailbox each day, the time off from work and school, the excitement at church for the coming of our savior, just the entire buzz. But with all this joy, the holidays also bring stress, expenses and decisions to be made about what Christmas will be for your family. Will it be entirely commercial? Entirely spiritual? Or a combination of the two? We have been trying to balance all this for the past few years, especially as Sydney gets to be big enough for making real lasting memories, for setting expectations, and for forming her own values. We have really worked to simplify the commercial and gift-giving aspect in our house and to build meaningful family traditions that do not revolve around “getting” things. But it’s not easy. It’s a battle against the messages our retail and commercial society is sending. I’m not sure how successful we’ve been. But we are trying, and we are mindful of our purchases and choices during the season. In our house, we don’t put a lot of focus on Santa and making lists for him, threatening with him watching to encourage good behavior, elves on the shelves, and so on, mainly because we don’t want to make Christmas all about GETTING those gifts from SANTA! Last year we tried implementing the gift of 3 idea: Jesus received three gifts at his birth, and so our kids also received three gifts. However, we did three from “Santa” and three from us. So, really, six. Which is less than Brett got as a child (far less from what I hear), but certainly still a LOT. Then you take those six gifts (bought within a budget, of course) and add them to the dozens of gifts they get from extended family, and our children are still being spoiled rotten. (To be fair, they have 7 grandparents and 7 aunts and uncles, so the gifts multiply quickly!) I’m not sure how we get around this entirely. Anyone out there have other suggestions? I read on a blog recently that a mom gives her children: one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing to wear, one thing to read. I love the idea!

Another thing we’ve been doing the past few years is to give more to charity than we spend combined on all our friends, family, and entertaining. Last year, we bought a “stepping stone” for the construction of a new orphanage in India through Homes of Hope. This year, we included the kids in the charity process to try to start teaching them about giving. I gave them the gift catalogue I received in the mail from World Vision and let them choose a few gifts each. It had lots of neat things to choose from, and pictures of each option, so it was easy for the kids to select. Sydney selected giving to the clean water fund and buying two flocks of chicks. Pierce picked donating toys and fruit trees (with some guidance from me!). Brett chose to give to the emergency food fund. And I chose to give school supplies to schools in developing countries. That was fun shopping! Then, as a family we bought a goat through Heifer International and sponsored a girl for a year in one of Home of Hope’s orphanages in India. Plus, we will give to our church tomorrow at mass. These gifts are so productive over the course of a year when compared to the things we give our children. It is really a joy and a privilege to be able to give these kinds of gifts which will continue to nurture people for years to come.

I’m curious about other families’ favorite Christmas traditions and also about what you do to keep Christmas both meaningful and affordable! I know many American families finance their Christmas indulgences, but I can’t imagine the stress that would bring come January! What do you do to stick to a budget? How do you determine your budget? Do you think your kids are being spoiled? What charities do you enjoy supporting? Leave a comment or send me an email if you want to share!!!

Merry Christmas, friends and family! Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday!

Christmas festivities

Like everyone else we have been busy with all the fun things you get to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas. There are so many great Christmas traditions to enjoy with children! Two weeks ago, we visited Santa at our church. Pierce, still skeptical, at least did not scream and cry this year. He even mustered up the courage to tell Santa he wanted “Trucks and treats” for Christmas. So simple and so cute!

This is me easing Pierce into Santa's lap! :)





Sydney was an angel in our church’s Christmas pageant. She had one line (that all the angels said together), and she enjoyed dressing up in white with wings. St. Nicholas came to visit the kids and tell them about his life in the fourth century and how he inspired the modern secular “Santa Claus.” That was a treat!

This weekend we made gingerbread houses as we do every year. The kids LOVE this activity! Can you blame them? Pierce actually did all of the decorating on his this year – what a difference a year makes. Last year I think we basically did his for him. The houses are now a more mangled version of the pictures you see here since the kids are nibbling at them every chance they get. These are from Trader Joes ($7.99), and I think they are so much cuter than the other options out there.

Someone is sneaking a snack while I'm trying to take the picture!

Pierce was SO proud of his house. Love the cheesy grin!

Voila: the finished products. Pierce's.

And Sydney's.

My memories of making gingerbread houses as a kid involve graham crackers and hours of engineering in order to assemble a horribly ugly and unstable boxy structure. It was fun and I'm sure we learned some geometry and such, but honestly, this quick 3-step assembly is more my speed! Especially with a 2 and 5 year old!

Happy Holidays! Hope you are enjoying the fun of the weeks leading up to Christmas as much as we are (and that you are more organized than I am!).

Technical Difficulties and other things...

Brett's computer died a few weeks ago. Because of that I have not been able to update my blog because I use his computer to download all of our photos and then we push them (magically) to my computer (because my photo card reader has been broken for a long time). (Excuse the horrible run-on sentence! Yikes!) You'd never know that Brett earns his living working on computers by the sad state of things around here lately. I know I am soon due for a new laptop myself, but other than the photo card reader problem, this 6-yr old machine seems to work just fine. So, I'm pushing back on Brett's suggestion to replace it just yet. I think it has at least another year in it!

Anyway, life has been very busy since Halloween really. I’ll try to play catch-up this week and post about our new backyard, our beachy Thanksgiving, Christmas activities, Sydney’s acting debut in our church’s Christmas pageant and so on. For now, about Sydney’s new school…

Sydney started at a new school last week! St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Apex. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “What? In the middle of the year? Right before Christmas? Why?” We just didn't feel she was in the right place at our local public school for a number of reasons and we found a great local Catholic school with one opening in a kindergarten class, so instead of waiting until the fall to compete for that spot with several other families, we went ahead and switched her! So far so good. Her new school is smaller (2 classes per grade instead of 8), which I love. She wears a uniform, which I love. Her teachers are really kind and caring Catholic women, which I love. The school teaches one grade ahead for all students and provides additional accelerated material for those needing a little more of a challenge, which I love. And her schedule is much earlier (8am to 2:50 pm as opposed to 9:15 am to 3:45 pm), which I also love. (Ok, I do NOT love the sound of my alarm at 6:00, but otherwise, the earlier days have been great.) We are more productive and it just works better. She has time to play and just be a kid after school instead of rush rush to dinner and bedtime (her bus was getting her home at 4:30 previously). So, for now, we are all happy. The tuition payment hasn't hit the bank account yet - we may feel a slightly diminished sense of joy at that point, but I'm sure it will pass. :)

The first day of school:



On the third day of school, Sydney got to participate in their class "play" - the ABC's of Christmas. She quickly memorized her lines, "K is for the kings who traveled from the East to come celebrate the first Christmas feast."

Mommy's little helper

It's funny how your kids take on habits, likes, interests and skills, and how they aren't always the ones you thought they would be for each child. For example, you would think that of my two children, a boy and a girl, the girl would be more inclined to be mommy's little helper around the house. And the boy would be too distracted with manly pursuits like playing trucks to notice a domestic chore that needed tending to. But, no, I tell you, that is not the way the cards have fallen in this house. Sydney is a wonderful daughter, but she is not too keen on helping out around the house and never has been. She'll do it if you ask her (multiple times), but otherwise, forget it. Pierce, on the other hand, has recently become my little helper. It is hilarious how he has so much initiative and really tries to help without me asking. He loves to take the recycling out to the bin in the garage, he carries folded laundry to the proper bedrooms without being asked, he helps me unload the dishwasher by putting all the kids' dishes away while I do the adult dishes. He loves to watch me cook and to "help" measure and scoop and stir and knead (and make big messes). Yesterday, I was getting ready to make a loaf of bread and Pierce said, "Wait mommy. I help you. I make the bread." I said ok without really looking at him and when I turned around he was in the fridge. "Pierce, shut the door. You don't need to be in there. Close the door please." And when I turned around he was right next to me, placing the yeast and ground flaxseed on the counter top. Those are the only two ingredients I get from the fridge to make bread. He knew exactly what to get for me. I was so proud and surprised! Later that day, our ice dispenser was going a little nuts on us and we had crushed ice all over the floor after trying (unsuccessfully) to fill a bottle with ice. Pierce saw the ice and immediately said, "I get it," and ran to the pantry. He came back with the dust pan and broom and set to sweeping up that ice (also unsuccessfully, but what a valiant effort!). I love that little boy.