A SHIMMERY UPDATE

I know that you are all holding your breath at my decision. Although I have selfish tendencies (as portrayed in the previous post) - I could not very well not get the shimmer horse for McKenzie. It is hidden in my closet as we speak after last night's emergency run to ShopKo to get the sale price. However, Holly Hobbie is also on her way with an extra set of clothes and a Holly Hobbie christmas DVD to be strategically watched the night before. See how that works? Yes, my child is getting spoiled for Christmas. But, after a million times of telling McKenzie, "That looks fun.......maybe for your birthday or Christmas" all year long after each and every request......Christmas must be something worth waiting for. In fact, she really majorly wanted a princess book/CD set that we saw at Smiths last month. It was on sale for $3.50. Yes, cheaper than a happy meal, folks. She was so sweet about my "no" even through pleading eyes. I strategically snuck it into the cart under some books that were not to be purchased, while she wasn't looking. Then, while checking out, I sent her to look at the Halloween items close by, but far enough away so that she still couldn't see her dreams coming true as I bought it. That is quite the feat - hiding a purchase from a child who is shopping with you. Needless to say - that will also be wrapped under the tree in a couple of weeks. Christmas! Love it! Love the magic. Love the all-kids-sleep-in-the-same-room-the-night-before rule. Love the staying up late watching christmas movies and playing games. Love drinking hot cocoa, listening to music, and staying in P.J.s for an excessively long time. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Jason gets two weeks off for Christmas! Wonderful! This will be our first Christmas home and I can't wait to play it up real big for our kids. Christmas afternoon we'll go to Jason's parents home and be with family for a few days. Awesome! Can't wait. It'll be the best of both worlds.
Moral of the Story - It's going to be a Shimmery Christmas afterall.

Shimmer Horse

McKenzie wants this for Christmas

She tells me every day "Shimmer Horse Gift Set" as if in a transe (she repeated it over and over at the store and all the way home until it was permanently seared into her memory bank).

However, I would like to get her this

and this - with extra outfits to go with them.

Also, I don't want Christmas to become a put-your-order-in-and-that's-what-you-get so early in the game. Where's the fun and excitement in that? I'm not sure what to do. I'm also not sure why these are SO expensive (I mean, they are dolls - not real, live offspring). What I am sure of, however, is that I have way better taste in toys than McKenzie (sorry, my sweet pea - the truth is hard). O.k., the truth is hard. And the real truth is that I want to play with the dolls and their clothes. Jason, will you get me some Holly Hobbies for christmas?

So to all you moms about there - what do you do? Do you get your child the toy of their dreams no matter the cost for the cheapy looking thing - or do you figure out a way to get them what you want to get them?

Just Your Typical McKenzie Time

McKenzie decided to teach me ballet. She told me exactly how to place each limb of my body. Then, she suddenly threw a curve ball at me (as if talking me through a high extended leg lift on tippee toe wasn't enough - purposely not shown here). "O.k., now I'm going to go through the hole and if you fall over, I get a point, o.k.?"

o......k.......?





"O.k., now it's your turn".. No, she can't be serious. Nope - yep - she's serious.



What are we doing in the following picture? I don't know. Whatever McKenzie wants. That's the whole point of McKenzie Time, afterall. Sometimes kids need to feel like they get a say after all of the "eat this, line up the shoes, make your bed, empty the wastebaskets, no candy, watch cartoons, play with toys, get dressed"....all day (Yes, sometimes we do get dressed around here).


And so, you see, ballet skills that-are-sure-to-win-a-lead-role-in-The-Nutcracker-in-years-to-come are the kinds of things that my daughter learns at "preschool".

Coordination, creativity, and the love of a mama are just bonus.


Now what would possess a 29-year-old woman to spend her time doing silly things such as this? I do it in hopes that when McKenzie is a mother, the memory of her magical childhood will make her job as mom that much more enjoyable, and will in turn create a more magical childhood for her own children. That's the gift I strive to give her - the same gift my mom gave to me. And so the tradition continues. (It's like watching "The New Leave it to Beaver" done in the 80s where Wally, "The Beav", and the "Haskels" are all the adults now and have kids of their own http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFf-PuxvjkI Oh, I loved that show! Why don't they make 'em like that anymore?)

I'm so glad I got off on that tangent. Seriously. It was a good one.

Which reminds me...........My dearest Elisa Hassler, you need to view this link: http://www.tvland.com/video/index.jhtml?bcpid=174317557&bclid=202217716 (oh, and you have to scroll down to "Chain of Events") I can't BELIEVE you don't remember Eddie Haskell! That little trickster. This is why I sometimes lovingly call your girls "the Haskell girls". Because, well, when I am around them, I'll just be eating, minding my own business, casually glancing to the side (which I know I should NEVER do), when to my utter horror, something is inevitably and suddenly missing from my plate (sound of fork hitting empty stoneware). Those little Haskells! Bring them to me the beginning of December. I'll teach them a thing or two! And kiss their little cheeks.

End of tangent(s)
and end of post

Passion

I think we've found our new passion and purpose in life: we are gamers.

Game night number 2 Requirements: Bring a prop and a treat

Props included:
Amy - Jason's letterman's jacket (aaah)
Jason - an eagle scout sash
Cody - a monkey backpack
Bethany - wings
Jon - knit striped boots
Marci - a tie

This is way too much fun. I laughed a lot (sorry to any of you who got sprayed during an unexpected burst of laughter. sorry. Sorry, I said!)



And again, the kids were amazing. McKenzie and Ethan enjoyed it as much as we did. Asher was off and on - but pretty dang good for it being 2 hours after his bedtime by the time we were finished.

Priorities

Yesterday from approximately 9:34 to 10:42 a.m. our priorities did not include:

getting dressed


cleaning up


or personal hygiene - aka re-doing make-up or hair from the previous day (let alone applying much needed chapstick - bless my little heart).


Our priorities did involve:

turning off the t.v.


Accepting an invitation to a party


trying to get Ethan excited about said party even though it didn't involve raiding the bag of suckers.


and using McKenzie's home-made tickets to participate in party events which were, but not limited to:

pony rides


airplane rides (again, my utmost beauty on display. Is there anything to not be desired about those white feet?)


box car racing


coloring

and hiding

Now, I implore (with my imploring face) when McKenzie goes to school next year and we are forced to mingle more often with modern civilization, is it going to rock our world?

Game Night

Requirements: Bring a treat and wear a hat
Thank you Marci, Jon, Bethany, and Cody for coming! We had such a great time. We'll have to do it again sometime - like once a night (as they were about to leave, I meant to say we should have game nights once/week or once/month, but it came out as once/night. We decided that was a good starting point to decide whether we wanted to up it to twice/night).


Meanwhile, upstairs: Tinkerbell and toys. There were actually seven kids ages 5 months, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4, but of course they ventured downstairs here and there for some treats and some love. I was surprised at how well they did from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.! Seriously. We were able to get through a few games with very little interruption.

Serenity

Hot soothing jetted bubbles
Silent relaxation
Warm cocoa sliding inward
Peaceful meditation



What did you do during nap time today?