Regarding Routines

I'm not sure who needs a schedule more: Micah or me. Even as I write this, it's nearing 2:00 am, way past my bedtime. I just finished working out our menu and shopping list and plan to take Micah grocery shopping in the morning. The strange thing about being up this late is that it's been unusual for me since we moved back to California. In fact, I had terrible insomnia that started at conception with Micah and I haven't been able to go to bed at a normal hour without the use of sleeping pills since. My theory has been that I had such a hectic work schedule that when I became pregnant and became a stay at home mom, I couldn't sleep due to lack of healthy stress. Oddly though, since we moved, I haven't had the need for a single sleeping pill. That's actually pretty big for me, especially since we've been planning to expand our family and that was one of the big things that I was trying to overcome.

So with that, since I'm sure I'll pass out as soon as I hit the pillow, I'll be brief in my entry and just say that I'm learning that *I* need a routine just as much as my toddler son does. I have come up with a rough draft of a schedule and plan to adjust and tweak it as necessary. I think this will be great in bringing us even closer together as a family and help us better fit in healthier habits like exercise and outdoor play. If it works out after a week or so, I'll post it.

One of the other hard things for me within the schedule is meal planning. The easiest way for me has been to go with the flow of the day and decide last second what we should eat. Unfortunately, that idea often leads to eating out far more than any person should. So, to save major time, money, and calories I came up with a list of our favorite staples for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks and then incorporated them into our new schedule.

So, with that, I'm going to bed, excited to start our new routine tomorrow and to see how it goes!

Magical Lemon Trees

I think the first time I ever saw a real lemon tree was on the eve of the wedding of my husband's younger brother, Mike, to my now cherished sister-in-law Robyn. I barely knew my husband's family at the time as I had only been married to Scott for exactly one week, but there was magic in the air that night. We were in Santa Barbara, CA at Cafe Zaytoon attending Mike and Robyn's rehearsal dinner. It was a mild autumn evening and we were seated outdoors. A special vegan menu under lemon trees lit with strings of white lights made for the perfect atmosphere. Live Middle Eastern music warmed the air. The immediate bridal party surrounded a firepit dinner table with much chatter and laughter. Even with the crowd, it was extremely whimsical and romantic. And as I stared up into the lemon trees arching over us, I felt like I caught a glimpse of the secret to a better life.

Photo credit: Cafe Zaytoon

My husband was raised in metropolitan Los Angeles, near the ocean. I was raised in the middle of a desert in Carson City, NV, and spent several years in the high altitude of Northern Utah. Even with completely opposite childhood experiences, Scott and I somehow managed to grow into adults so aligned in our thinking, that the moment we met, we were instantly two peas in a pod and the best of friends. Though so different in the beginning, we somehow managed over the years to choose the same religion, the same politics, even the same tastes in music.

The part that keeps it interesting for me, though, is that Scott's family adds such a quality of life that I had only thought about in my dreams. Looking up into the lemon trees in such an atmosphere is when it really hit home for me that my husband was offering and willing to make my dreams come true.

Looking back to when Scott proposed to me, I remember so many people advising, "Take it slow. There is no need to rush." We took it as slow as we could... but when you spend the first twenty-something to thirty years of your life searching for that person who has grown into the person you want to marry, I believe you know it when you meet them. It's as though you and he had been unaware of how the Universe was preparing you two to meet, but at that precise second when the time is right, you automatically have that spark of knowing-ness.

After we were married, Scott and I wanted to buy a home. We moved to Utah with the opportunity to do that. Though we ended up just recently moving back to Southern California, I'm not sure whether or not we can count our three year's time in Utah a mistake or if it was indeed the best lesson of my life. I found a lot of closure and answers in Utah that I had not felt I had when I moved to LA as a single person coming here for a job just months before meeting Scott.

Now that we are back "home" in Los Angeles, I have been reflecting on my life and making plans for our future. The first order of business, as soon as we are able to save up a little bit of money, is to plant our own lemon tree in our new yard. A symbol of a fresh, clean start.

Besides, had we not believed in the romance of a lemon tree those short four years ago, we may not have had our precious little miracle baby, Micah, who had magically come into existence during our time in Santa Barbara.

"Colored Toys"

When I bring to you colored toys, my child,
I understand why there is such a play of colors on clouds, on water,
and why flowers are painted in tints
—-when I give colored toys to you, my child.

When I sing to make you dance
I truly know why there is music in leaves,
and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening earth
—-when I sing to make you dance.

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands
I know why there is honey in the cup of the flowers
and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice
—-when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

When I kiss your face to make you smile, my darling,
I surely understand what pleasure streams from the sky in morning light,
and what delight that is that is which the summer breeze brings to my body
—-when I kiss you to make you smile.

– Rabindranath Tagore

Unlimited Sunshine

Looking back to four years ago, Scott and I were dating. I lived on the border of Brentwood and West LA, and Scott lived in Huntington Beach, which was a long commute to see each other, but when you like someone the way we liked each other, well, you really don't mind sitting in traffic on the 405 on a daily basis. If it were for a job, though, you'd say, "Oh that's too far to commute", and you quit. Oh, wait, I totally did that. I quit my job in Malibu to move to Huntington Beach to marry that boy.

And now here we are moving to Huntington Beach again right this very second. We are out of here. Sayonara, Utah. We will miss your lovely people who have inspired us to always pay it forward, your amazing scenery, and your Crown Burger.

But I wanted to take pause and note just one thing. As the last of our large things were being lifted into storage by the wonderful men in our ward's Elder's Quorum, I was sitting in the kitchen staring up at the one thing left on the wall that I needed to pack. It was this framed poster:

The first time I saw my new sweetheart's bedroom four years ago, the first thing I noticed was this poster on his wall. I'm not one for taking photographs, so if you can't make out what it is, it's a poster from a music festival.

Now, you know how people always joke about the stuff men bring into a marriage from their bachelorhood? Well, Scott's items included some really terrible CDs and about fifty different programming books (the very ones I tried to get him to throw out just yesterday, but he still clings to them). But this poster? I love it.

Here's the backstory as interpreted by me: Scott has a friend named Uriel. They have been friends since early junior high and he was one of Scott's groomsmen. In 2002, they apparently went to this music festival called Unlimited Sunshine. I know of zero details about this music fest, other than I probably would have liked to have been there, and of the list of the acts, I've only seen Modest Mouse live myself (coincidentally that very same year, 2002, but during the Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City... huge difference!). Anyway, the point is, after the concert, Uriel took a poster from the show, along with a ticket stub, and he had it framed for his long-time friend. To me, that was a touching story, and *I* have been attached to the poster since. I think when you're dating, you want to know that the person you're interested in is loved among his friends and peers, and that proved to me that Scott indeed was/is. That thoughtful act of friendship has inspired me since.

We have lived in this house in Lehi, Utah for three wonderful years. That poster has been on display in our kitchen since we first moved in. Many have complimented it, the contrast of the yellow against our royal blue paint, a darker version of UCLA's colors, Scott's alma mater.... though we all know Uriel is a staunch USC supporter and would probably rather see his work of art matched up against a crimson wall.

And now, we're going back "home" to the land of unlimited sunshine and are anxious to reunite with our beloved California family and friends. If you're in Utah, I am going to miss you, to the point where I might start to cry if I keep on about it, but I hope in three years we won't be moving back.

Easter Morning Summary

Micah's grandmother specifically requested an update of Micah's Easter morning, so of course we're always happy to oblige!

Honestly, last night was more eventful, but he was still pretty cute this morning. When Micah woke up, I waited downstairs and listened to Scott once again prep Micah with the story about the Easter Bunny.


And then suddenly, down they came, hurrying to see what was the Easter Bunny had left!:

We let Micah have a few minutes to play with his new toys and books before the egg hunt...





...but that playtime continued on and on and on, as Micah showed no interest in hunting for eggs. Scott and I finally scooped up all the real eggs (leaving the plastic eggs behind), peeled them, and made breakfast.






About two and a half hours after originally finding his basket, Micah discovers the magical candy-and-letter-containing eggs! As you can see, he's pretty stoked to find them! "YAY!!!" he's saying, mouth full of jelly beans from the last discovery!

Micah's First Time Coloring Easter Eggs!

Let me just start out by saying that after tonight, I now understand why my own parents made dozens of eggs each year, because there were some casualties tonight.... Delicious casualties. But when you only make just under a dozen hoping that they'll be breakfast the next morning, it gave me quite a headache every time an egg dropped.

In fact, I could once again relate to the cat on my grandma's old mug, with the tongue-in-cheek caption that reads, "I am perfectly calm."

Thankfully, Super Patient Scott stepped in and helped Micah dye his eggs while I got to stand by with the camera to snap pics.

First egg! Micah wonders what is going on...

See him reaching to touch?

Aw sad! Dad said not to touch the egg!

It's OK, Micah! Let's do some more!

Pretty! (Micah officially gets the point of it by the second egg.)

Half and half egg?! Dad, you're crazy!!!

Let's pair it with orange!

I love you, Daddy. Thanks for helping me dye my Easter eggs! Hugs!

Daddy loves you too, Micah.

Cheese! Good cheese. Real good.

Like father like son.

Micah admires his eggs.

My cutie pie.

Me: "Micah! You did it!" Micah: "YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

And now a video presentation of Micah and Dad coloring an egg orange:

Easter Videos for Grandma and Grandpa

Micah and I just returned home from the gym (he goes to the daycare while I work out), and we were surprised to receive an Easter surprise from Scott's mom and stepdad!

Scott and I discussed waiting until Easter to open it up, but Micah READ his name on the package (he's two... sorry, but I always have to point that out) and saw all the cute bunny stickers on it and begged us to open it. Sigh... I'm a weak woman when it comes to all things Micah, it's true. So I hurried and grabbed the camera and shot some videos so Grandma and Grandpa could see how appreciative he is of his Easter gifts!

(As I type this, Micah is happily eating his spaghetti using some rad dinosaur utensils that were in the package as well.)







I actually have four separate videos to post, but while the fourth was processing (which apparently takes an hour per video, Blogger!), I got an error message. I'll get that last one up later.

Scromie embarks on a garden

So, I have never had a green thumb. Far from it. I took Horticulture with Mr. Sonnichsen back in 7th grade at good ol' Orville Wright Jr. High, but I couldn't really get anything to grow in my row. Or at least not that I remember.

So, when I heard that Gordon Wells Jr. was going to be teaching a home gardening class this year in our Stake, my ears perked up. I thought - hey - I'll attend and see what I can pick up. The 6 week course was great, and I learned quite a bit in that time. And now it's the start of April, and it's time to begin the Spring Garden.

At this point I'm still not as prepared as I'd like to be. I bought almost everything I need and cleared out the garden area. The Halls across the way let me borrow their rototiller and it worked like a charm! The ground is very soft and loamy, which is great. Now, I just need to put some fertilizer in and rototill it over again.

Brother Wells states that I can just take 3 cups of 16-16-8 fertilizer and 1 cup of ironite and mix it together, and then sprinkle it all over the plot of land and rototill that in. I will be trying this. I also tried getting some elemental Sulfur from Highland Gardens, but they did not sell it. They said to go to IFA to get it, so I'll see if I can do that this weekend.

BTW - with the size of the sacks of fertilizer they gave me, that stuff is going to last FOREVER.

Anyway, as I was at Highland Gardens, they took me past some apple trees, and showed me a grafted Granny Smith, Fuji, and Golden Delicious apple tree. I was thoroughly impressed and thought about grabbing it to replace the dead one in the front yard (so sad...I know...but I had no idea how to spray). I'll be tearing that tree out and figuring out what to do with the spot in the yard. However, Laurie reminded me that fruit trees in the front yard decrease the home's value, so I found a spot in the backyard that I think will do very nicely. It's got good drainage, good sunlight, and will serve our neighbors well too, as I put it right by our common fence. Of course, I may not see much in the way of fruit this year, but I was glad to learn to plant a tree for the first time.

I also started some seeds today - Peas (Little Marvel), Spinach (Bloomsdale Longstanding), Swiss Chard (Lucullus), and Lettuce (Parris Island Cos). I have them sitting upstairs in a South-facing window.

Wish me luck! Hopefully these babies will take!

Monkey Business... Is Very Serious Business.

That pretty much sums up life with a toddler!



This morning, Micah hopped into our bed and wrestled us. (Though, Scott seems to hardly notice Micah's win, as he checks his email on the Crackberry.)



...and then in the evening, I took a bunch of cardboard, tons and tons of packaging tape, and slapped together a fort for Micah. It actually turned out pretty OK, and Micah was so excited about it, he was freaking out, screaming and hopping in and out of the fort, a reaction I didn't REALLY expect. His special pillow (the one I used to nurse him on when he was just a wee 5-pounder) fits perfectly right on top, for easy access in case he wants to pull it down and have a snuggle.


The fort's a tad homely right now, but I'll be honest... I'm going to give it a good 24 hours before attempting to decorate it. It'll be a test to see whether or not it's ripped to shreds by tomorrow night.
Hey, you saw how finely-honed his wrestling skills are... that kid is a force to be reckoned with. A pint-sized tornado! (I love that about him!)

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

Quick couple of stories, and then a bit of a camera dump...

I was in the laundry room, which is connected to the bathroom downstairs. Micah came in and said, "Potty." At first I had no idea what he was saying. He hasn't shown even the slightest hint of interest in the toilet, despite any attempts thus far. He thinks his potty-training toilet is where he's just supposed to sit while he brushes his teeth. I looked at him and tried to repeat what he was saying, but my inability to understand his toddler pronunciation only frustrated him.

"Potty! Potty!" he kept persisting... until finally, he unlatched the tabs on his diaper! Right then I knew he wanted to give the potty a shot. So I helped him with his diaper, lifted him to the toilet, but he got scared. He froze up, and started to hyperventilate. I put him back on the floor and he said clear as a bell (and for the first time EVER), "Oh my gosh!" Then he ran out of the bathroom--diaperless--, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

That was hours ago, and I'm still cracking up!

Story number two:

Yesterday we were at the hospital and the large waiting room for the labs was packed with a large variety of people. As we first sat down, everyone was quiet, and eyes were flitting around the room.... typical waiting room awkwardness.

Micah noticed the colored chairs in the middle of the room and ran for them. He then started naming the colors, and before we knew it, everyone was cheering him on, and he was cracking people up with how cute and friendly he was! Micah danced around the room, greeted everyone, tried to steal a flower pen or two from people trying to fill out their forms, and effortlessly read the letters from nearby signs, "E-X-I-T". Everyone ooh-ed and aww-ed. I was pretty proud of my carefree little man.


And now that I've done my duty of bragging about my baby, I'm posting a few pictures for his family that we've taken recently:

Micah after a bath:







Caught napping on the couch:



We got a LOT of snow this year. Oh boy.

Micah's crib transforms into a Big Boy Bed

Two nights before our trip to California, Scott and I were downstairs watching a movie when we heard a loud THUD, followed by screams of terror. We raced upstairs to see what was going on, and sure enough, Micah had finally escaped his crib for the first time ever. Fabulous.

The next night, it was the same thing, but less of a thud and the cries were more of a "come get me and love me" cry.

The night before we were planning to leave, we knew we all needed to sleep before our long drive, so we were worried that changing his bed from crib to toddler bed now would make it impossible for any of us to get any sleep. However, NOT changing his bed over made it equally restless. Plus, I think Micah could sense the anxiety in the air from all the packing.

As predicted, in the middle of the night, Micah jumped ship again! Scott, in total frustration, took the mattress from him crib and stayed in his room with Micah while Micah danced around and did all he could to fight sleep. At this point, I had had enough, so after just a few hours sleep, I hopped in the shower, packed up the car, and we left at 3:00 am for California. The good thing was that Micah both slept the majority of the 11-hour drive. (He's not one for long drives.) But we for sure beat the huge blizzard scheduled to hit, and we were seeing the first flakes of it just as we were leaving. That was an even bigger concern for us.

I have a "Christmas in California" post I've been needing to post, but for now let's just fast forward to after our trip. In California, Micah climbed out of the portable crib just once, but did well the rest of the two weeks. (I think he generally behaves better for his grandparents.) When we got back to Utah, Scott changed Micah's crib to Big Boy Bed:


Scott got it all ready for Micah for his nap and he did really well his first sleep in his new bed:



After the first nap, though, things were weird. The first night, I went to peek at him, and found that I couldn't even open the door, not even a teensy crack, because Micah had fallen asleep on the floor against the door! But I could smell that he soiled himself, so Scott *somehow* opened the door and got him up and changed a diarrhea diaper. Clearly Micah was upset and I cried about feeling like a bad mommy. Parenting is not for the faint of heart.

The next night, Scott went in to check on Micah and noticed that Micah threw up on the floor. Still clearly upset.

The third night, I peeked in at Micah who was asleep on the floor next to his bed, wrapped up in his blankie... but no signs of distress, so I let him be.

After that, he's been dandy! Napping and sleeping through the night just fine in his bed. In fact, I think he realizes now that it's so much better because he can now get up and play with his toys and not have to wait for us to rescue him!

Last night when I put him to bed, he placed the large Elmo pillow under his head and let me tuck him in tight with his favorite blankie and he went right to sleep like a good little boy.

I'm so proud.

Rock Band Wii Rocks Our World

I always swore we'd never have video games. Not that I necessarily hate them, just that after growing up with some rowdy brothers (and a pretty disrespectful ex) who literally spent their days in front of the television, violently throwing controllers and swearing up a storm every few minutes, I said, "Never in MY house!"

In fact, when we got married, Scott, an avid X-Box player, understood my feelings about it, and I can honestly say I have never once witnessed him turn that machine on, though I did hear that he and his brother secretly broke it out when he and his wife were in town visiting.

But when the Nintendo Wii came out, I finally relented with the rule that we choose non-bloody games and stick to bowling, boxing, and golf. I didn't mind some of the classics either, like Mario Bros. or whatever, as long as they were never a source of contention.

Wii Fit somehow made it into our house as well, and that obviously made it into my A-OK category. How could you not approve of exercising for fun?

For Christmas this year, Scott and I were agreed to getting each other ONE meaningful gift. I had read several blogs raving about Rock Band, so I ordered it online. When it arrived, Scott answered the door and written on the side of the delivery box for everyone to see was "RockBand Wii Special Edition". Great. So much for surprise, but he put it away for Christmas. We even dragged that huge box to LA in hopes that Scott would possibly find a good bandmate in his brother since I was not that excited about it, yet it went completely untouched due to our busy schedules. But once we got back to Utah, Scott got it out, and I'll admit, I was instantly interested.

Now that we've been playing with it for about a week, I actually have to pat myself on the back. Scott LOVES it! And I do too! The song catalog is totally perfect for our age group. Even Micah gets in on the action and dances... and someday he'll make a great little drummer in our family band. Scott is really, REALLY, good at singing so of course he's better at it than me... but who cares. We just have the best time playing together and it feels good to laugh so hard.

Breaking out the wagon and snowsuit

I'll just go ahead and let the pictures tell the story of how much Micah enjoyed getting out in the snow today and riding in his new wagon.

I love my little guy.

Flickr Meme

I noticed this great meme while perusing Sherpa's blog and immediately wanted to make one too.

I love it.

(Click to enlarge.)

Concept:

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.http://www.flickr.com/search/

2. Using only the first page, pick an image.

3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php (choose four columns and three rows, also choose individual URL's)

Questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Favorite drink?

7. Dream vacation?

8. Favorite dessert?

9. What you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. One word to describe you.

12. Your nickname.

Mistletoe Kissing Ball

This Mistletoe Kissing Ball is my own adaptation from a Martha Stewart creation. Though it's similar, the biggest difference really is that I made mine on a budget, choosing denim leaves instead of Dupioni silk, etc. saving quite a lot of money. (Estimated cost: 48.00 for the materials for six balls, $8.00 per ball.)

These mistletoe balls are especially perfect for hostess gifts for all of the many parties you are visiting this holiday season. They do take a little time and since it's already last minute and they are very detailed (but they are terribly gorgeous!)... so, craft! Craft like the wind!


Materials Needed:

4" styrofoam ball
Silver spray paint
Cup hook
Craft glue
12 Miniature pine cones with floral wire tied at the bottom (to attach to ball)
Silver glitter
White glitter
Miniature ornaments or 2 Beaded branches (I purchased discounted champagne-colored beaded twigs from Michael's Craft, marked down to $.59/each)
Wire cutters
1/4 yard light green denim
Floral pins (with white pearlescent heads)
Floral tape
Decorative ribbon in the color of your choice (for hanging)

Directions:

Begin by spray painting silver your styrofoam ball and cup hook. Allow to dry according to directions on paint can. Attach hook to ball using craft glue.

Prepare pine cones by dotting the edges with craft glue and sprinkling with silver glitter. After they dry, attach each one to the ball at random with glue on attached wire.

Pinecones attached to painted styrofoam ball.

Prepare miniature ornaments. If you purchased a beaded branch, remove beads using wire cutters, and allowing for at least one inch of wire to attach to ball. Separate beads evenly into two separate piles. Leave one pile plain, while glittering the second pile of beads.

Beaded branch in a champagne color, purchased from Michael's Crafts.

Wire cutters and plain beads removed from branch, leaving a one-inch wire stem.

To glitter the beads, first coat each bead with a thin layer of craft glue using a dot of glue placed on the tip of your finger. Roll in a bowl of white glitter and set aside for at least an hour to dry.

Glittered beads using craft glue and white glitter.

Once both groups of beads are ready, coat their wires in craft glue and attach at random to the styrofoam ball until almost completely covered (leaving a few small holes is fine).

Ball with beads and pine cones attached.

To create the leaves, first draw a leaf on a piece of paper, about one inch tall. Cut your denim fabric into strips and layer four at a time. Use clips to keep them from coming apart while cutting. Holding your template in place, carefully cut around template through all four layers. Each ball will require about 40 leaves, or to your liking.

Use a floral pin as the mistletoe berry. Use 1-3 pins for every two leaves. Wrap together using floral tape. (Pull floral tape taut to activate its glue to keep it in place). Randomly place mistletoe into ball, coating the floral pins with glue first.

Mistletoe leaves made from denim. Place two leaves together, secure with pin (left). Wrap bottom with floral tape (right).

Cut ribbon to desired length and tie with a bow at the top. Attach to cup hook on ball.

Santa Leaves Micah a New Car... Err... Wagon.

A well-known fact about owning a parent card is that one of the few privileges it affords you is the ability to negotiate just a bit with Santa... in the interest of your child, of course. We knew Micah would like a wagon, but since we'll be in Los Angeles for Christmas, we plead our case to the North Pole, letting them know that the beast would not fit inside our car coming back from LA. Even in our SUV, that thing would take up quite a bit of room. And Mama needs to take her huge trunk carrying just her ginormous hair dryer.

So...

We arranged for a drop off this morning, and I planned to take a few pictures. When Micah came downstairs, we cheered him on and freaked out over the fact that Santa left him a huge and wonderful gift!

When he finally got downstairs to see what all the hubbub was about, his face lit up and he said, "CAR!!!!"

Scott strapped him in and I pushed him around the front room and kitchen. He was pretty stinkin' happy!

Thanks Santa!!!

Scott's Dad, Rich Cromie, to be Featured on "The Ragtime Machine"

We're very excited to have received the following tidbit of news yesterday about Scott's very talented father, who happens to be an amazing musician, specializing in ragtime! Go Dad!

The University of San Francisco radio station will be broadcasting a one hour "The Ragtime Machine" on which Rich's compositions and his web site www.rrragtimer.com will be featured!

If you are in the Bay Area, you can tune in to KUSF on Monday 12/15 at 9:00-10;00pm (repeated on Monday 12/22 at 9:00pm). KUSF also provides online streaming on www.KUSF.org so you can listen live from the internet.

Show: The Ragtime Machine

Date: Monday, 12/15/08; repeat on 12/22/08

Time: 9:00-10:00pm

Station: KUSF

Stream: www.kusf.org

Personality.... I has it!

You know what I love about being a parent? I love that despite mine and Scott's personalities, Micah has his very own, *completely* separate of ours. He's always surprising me and making me laugh. And yet, he knows me so well, even when he can't communicate what he wants, he can hint impressively well... and get me to bend to his will.

Case in point: We put up a gate to protect our poor Christmas tree and its delicate ornaments. Well, Micah has been wanting to play next to the tree that he adores, so he thought of something pretty stinkin' clever. He took the one Christmas present I let him have early (more because *I* was excited about them, but turns out he's crazy about them too), his Yo Gabba Gabba Bath Buddies, and he threw them all over the fence that surrounds the tree. He then led me by the had to see, and hint that he would like to be placed inside so that he might be able to play with them next to the tree.



It worked. I like him very much. We'd totally be friends even if I weren't his mom. (Thank heavens I am...)

Christmas Tag

You know, after thinking about my last post, which was written in haste (ha, post haste... err, nevermind), I later realized that my thoughts about Santa may have come across the wrong way. I was trying to express the surprisingly hard decision on whether or not to tell our kids Santa is real. I didn't want to, Scott does. I was talking about my own change of heart, since I've had some bitterness in the past regarding Christmas and my own personal cynicism, and now I'm over those bitter feelings. But I just want you parents to know that I think whether you choose to tell your kids Santa is real or not, that is a personal decision just like all of the other MANY issues we have to consciously decide: Circumcision? Breastfeeding? Cloth or disposable diapers? Homeschooling? What do you feed your kids? Let them watch television? None of us know or even have the right to say what is good for other peoples' children (unless it's the obvious, like blatant abuse), just our own. And as parents, we do the best we can with what we have. What I intended to get across in my message, but failed, is that I thought telling your kids Santa is real is a-OK, and telling your kids that the "idea" of Santa as a symbol of whatever it is he represents is a-OK TOO!

Yay Christmas!

With that, I'm using Bethany's Christmas Tag to talk about myself. That is one of my many talents, and I am unashamed.

CHRISTMAS TAG

1. Do you like hot chocolate or egg nog?
Both? Utah has a brand of hot chocolate called Stephen's that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to give up. But I also adore eggnog. In fact, did you see my recipe for eggnog pancakes? They're so crazy delicious, Scott has suggested we have them every weekend.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree?
A little of column A, a little of column B. I think it's fun to come downstairs to the big toys unwrapped and already put together.

3. Colored or white lights on tree/house?
White.

4. When do you put up your decorations?
Right after Thanksgiving.

5. What is your favorite holiday dish?
So many... but I think I genuinely love brined roasted turkey for the effort that goes into it.

6. What is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood?
When we were little, my parents bought us special pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve, and we would do a ton together... my favorite possibly being Christmas movies... and then Santa would call us and tell us to go to bed.

7. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve?
No. I'm afraid Micah will want to stay up late playing with it instead of going to bed!

8. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
We like lots of fun little knick-knacks... every year we pick out new matching ornaments, one for each member of the family to hang on the tree as the last ornaments to go up.

9. Snow! Love it or dread it?
LOVE.

10. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The only present I remember REALLY wanting from Santa was a talking doll. I dreamt about her, I wanted her so badly.

11. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?
My family... and seeing that they have a really great and festive holiday.

12. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?
My buttermilk sugar cookies... and my mom's almond candy cane cookies she used to make for Santa every year when we were little.

13. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Nowadays... Driving around to see Christmas lights.

14. What tops your tree?
The same porcelain angel that was there when I was a kid. Directly underneath her are very old birds that were on my dad's childhood tree dating back to the 1940's.

15. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Giving... is it weird to feel uncomfortable opening presents to me? I'm admittedly not a fan.

16. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Silent Night

17.Candy canes?
Yay! So cheery!

18. Secret Santa?
Eh.

19. Favorite Christmas movie?
Since Christmas movies are the one thing I collect religiously, it's impossible to say. This year, my favorite has been to watch A Colbert Christmas over and over and over. I'm sure I've watching it 20 times already. I about die laughing every time. (Note the three children in this video; those are really his kids!)

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Colbert Christmas: Another Christmas Song

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

20. Can you ice skate?
We used to go ice skating often when we lived in Nevada. I can only assume I'm TERRIBLE at it now.

Christmas Doesn't Suck.

When I was a child, my parents made a big deal of Christmas. I suspect my dad was the instigator of all of the traditions I still remember and love... and this Christmas Eve will be the 20th anniversary of his death. The traditions and fun times pretty much went away, and Christmas was a struggle every year afterwards. I still remember that blue blanket we got him for Christmas to have in his hospital bed and how upset I was that we weren't going to be able to give it to him. I even remember exactly what I was doing at 2 am when we got the phone call from the hospital letting us know he had passed away. My brother, who was up late into the night making goofy sounds into a tape recorder with me, hid in the closet because he couldn't bear to hear the news.

And yet, losing a parent isn't even the worst thing to happen to me in my lifetime. Not by a long shot.

Anyway, that is neither here nor there. I'm choosing to make SURE my kids enjoy Christmas as much as I did when I was a young girl. My most personal feelings are that it would be tragic to indirectly victimize Micah for my own personal loss, if that makes sense... To not do everything in my power to make his Christmases nothing short of magical.

On that note, I have to say, that is the precise reason I am pro-Santa. Santa is a symbol of kindness and charity. As young children, we are *eager* to share and, consequently, we feel major satisfaction and worth. But as we grow older, we start learning to put up our walls, becoming more cynical about the world around us. My husband and I both believed in Santa... neither of us were hurt to later learn the "truth". In this world, that is such a piddly little offense compared to what else could possibly happen. Seriously... who cares that Santa isn't a tangible being with a huge elf-run factory located at the top of the globe. The fact is, he serves as a symbol, and we use symbols all the time in every day life, in our religions (a cross, for example), all reminders of the things that really matter. He's also a symbol of good cheer and humanity, and we need a whole lot more of that in this world.

And now that I've shared some very personal feelings, I will now revert back to my "mommy blogger" self... whatever that means.

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The Festival of Trees:

We like the Festival of Trees. Every penny earned goes towards Primary Childrens Hospital... how can you NOT want to support that?

We started off with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack where Micah got his first balloon animal (a blue dog) and he got to nosh on calamari. Yum!


It was crazy busy last night! By far the most crowded I have ever seen it. But we saw some great things. These peppermint trees were the only ones to impress Scott, really. He even gasped! The man loves his peppermint!

I loved this one... the tree is actually IN the Grinch's sack along with presents and other good things. Oh look, Scooby Doo is actually dressed as Max. Too perfect.

Oh my gosh, a TWILIGHT tree. Now that I see this, I wonder how many David Archuleta trees were on display. We only saw a few hundred or so out of possibly thousands of trees before getting in line for Santa. Check out the red and white flowers, the hands holding an apple, a red ribbon underneath the tree and a chess set. I'm a little embarrassed just writing about this. I'm sincerely surprised that the tree had not yet sold. Seriously.

There were some really... creative trees. This one is made entirely of golf clubs with a large tee and golf ball on top. Some sort sports themed display.

A Hawaiian-themed tree. I like it. Southern California is going to be fun for Christmas this year.

It was a really long wait for Santa.


A REALLY long wait. (Two hours!) When we got to the front of the line, they announced over the loudspeaker that they were closing shop.

This was the raddest Santa! The reason the line took so long is because he took the time to really talk to each child and made sure each parent got their perfect shot. I didn't get a "perfect" shot (I might see if Scott's mom wants to go with me to visit Santa in LA), but I adore this photo because it captures Micah's personality so perfectly. He's smiling with a huge double thumbs up. He was totally excited to see Santa, he really was! I even cried a little bit, overwhelmed by seeing my baby visit Santa.



Festival of Lights

No, not Hannukah. We're talking about the lights display way out south and a tad east, near Spanish Fork. For just five bucks, you can drive through this awesome stretch of windy road and be wowed by all of their many animated lights display. They even broadcast uninterrupted Christmas music over the radio so you can tune in while driving through. Thanksgiving Point has this too, but I wanted to do this one for old time's sake. I think I was just a young teen when my mom and her sister took me through this one.

Scott dressed Micah in some comfy sock monkey pajamas. So cute.
The lights were neat-o! These pictures don't even do it justice, there was SO much to look at. It was really cool.


I like this one... the horse is tied to a tree. You can't tell, but they do move.
See? Here's a good example:




The next morning when I got Micah up and was changing him, I asked him if he remembered the lights we saw the night before.

Micah said, "PRETTY!"

Aww...