Jumping on the Bed

Night Prayers

Tonight I was putting Margaret Mary down for bed after a long hard day. Not only did the boys not nap well today, but Margaret Mary had sawed (with a toy plastic saw) into a sign Jason had been making.  (It's a common issue with Margaret Mary. We can't get her to think through her actions and she is constantly tearing up things, ripping them, destroying them somehow.)  I was praying out loud asking God to give me patience and to help me to be a good mommy and to forgive me of my anger. Margaret Mary opened her eyes and with the sweetest genuine voice, "Mommy, I have a hard time listening too. I just don't know what is right and wrong."  My heart melted and I gave her a kiss.  "Its hard baby, its hard."

I have no words of wisdom to summarize this post, but I just wanted to record it so I wouldn't forget.

I forgot to mention---

At a Christmas party we attended, there was a Santa there handing out presents. He called out the kids names and then they came up to sit on his lap and get their present. After a few names, Margaret Mary came up to me with a worried perplexed look on her face. Timidly she asked me "Mommy, have I been good this year?"  I couldn't help but smile. Had she been good? It's not that she has been bad, but I wouldn't say she has been "good" either.  I would say about 50/50.  She was obviously worried at this party when she discovered that only kids who have been good get presents.  I thought for a second and then told her that she HAD been a good girl and reassured her that Santa had a present for her. Even though it seems like everyday is a battle, she is good because she was made by God, because I love her and because she has infinite worth; nothing she could do could ever change that.  I have to admit though that even though we don't do Santa, I kind of like that my daughter had to examine her conscious a little.  Such a great picture of God and his love. Even though, by our actions, we don't deserve the gift of heaven, the gift of love, the gift of mercy; he gives it to us because he loves us. Because he made us.

16 Months Apart

When I became pregnant with Henry, I was pretty nervous. Excited, yes, but curious as to how on earth I would raise two babies 16 months apart.  It wasn't easy (and still isn't), but I am proud to say that Margaret Mary and Henry are such good friends. They play together all day long and laugh and laugh.  God sure knew what he was doing!

The play together, get in time out together... 

 

Please ignore the fact that Henry has a dress on. It's a long story...

Margaret Mary's List

Today Margaret Mary made a list of what she wanted to do today. I thought I would share:

1) Go to a playground.

2) Go to Samuel's house (a neighbor)

3) Make cookies

4) Pick flowers

What a sweet girl.

MM also has been saying a new funny word, "mini ha-ha." She sings about it, dances to it, gets henry to say it; we all think its pretty funny. Well, we asked her where she heard it, and she said "Frosty!" Jason, who considers himself a Christmas movie buff assures me, "Mini ha-ha is NOT in Frosty." Weeks go by and one day Jason and MM are watching Frosty and come to find out, it IS in Frosty." We all had a good laugh.

Part Three: Winston Salem

On the 29th we drove down to Winston Salem for another family Christmas party.  

We had a great time seeing my Memaw and other members we don't get to see that often.  I also got to take some pics of my sister and her boyfriend. I think they make a cute couple and its good to see her so happy.

Part Two: Happy Birthday Jesus

Every Christmas morning, we wake up and the youngest gets to open up the baby Jesus, whom we have wrapped in a special spot. It was Henry's turn this year.

 

Then we sang Happy Birthday, Joy to the World and let the kids hold the baby.  Margaret Mary is always so tender and cradled the baby Jesus in her arms.

Even though Henry got a chance to hold baby Jesus too, he was far more interested in incensing him. (That's what the toy tied to the string is, Henry's incense.)

The biggest reaction to the kids presents this year was Margaret Mary's nun costume. She has been asking for one for a while. In fact, when people would ask her what she wanted for Christmas, she would exclaim, "A Nun Costume!" She even wore it to Christmas Mass. I'm sure that we look like the geekiest family at Mass: Henry in his chasible he insists on wearing to Mass each week, copying the Priest's every move, and MM dressed up as a nun!  Not to mention Jason's suit and bow tie and my chapel veil!

We had a great Christmas morning and spent the afternoon and evening playing with our chickens and goats.  Life on a farm is never boring!

Christmas Part One

To begin our Christmas celebrations, we surprised Granny by driving to her house a day early.  The kids were great and slept almost the whole way in the car. Sweet Henry fell alseep reading "Good Night Construction Site."

 

One of the greatest perks of going down early was getting to spend time with our new cousin, baby Tony. Isn't he a cutie? We couldn't get enough.

The kids made Christmas cookies with Granny...

MM took a pic with Santa and opened presents. (Henry wasn't up for a photo shoot) My favorite memory of this party was that Margaret Mary had NO CLUE what she was supposed to do on Santa's lap; she just saw that the people who sat on his lap got presents out of his bag. When she sat on his lap, she waved for cameras and then kinda sat there. Santa kept on leaning his head in to hear what she wanted, but she just sat there.  (we don't do Santa, which is why she was confused).

One of the sweetest memories was walking in on Jason and Peter sleeping.  I love these boys!

We had a great time seeing family and headed home Christmas Eve to celebrate the Birth of Baby Jesus in our own home ....