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Thursday, December 31, 2009
"My life - would suck - without you!"
We're packing to leave for our trip tomorrow (last minute things) and I just wanted to post quickly to honor our precious boy, Thunder.
It was exactly one year ago that you came into the world. There was so much love for you there. Your birth mom and your Grandma J were there to see you come. H worked so valiantly to bring you here. Your birth family adored you and held you and cared for you incredibly much.
Our hearts also ached for you - our precious boy. Such a joy your birth was and remains for us today. All of us are hopelessly in love with you. There is a special purpose that is marked with sacrificial love and it surrounds you all the time. Your birthday is a day of hope - hope endured and hope fulfilled.
Happy first birthday, Thunder. Our lives would suck without you.
Our baby is a now a toddler (so we make him make dinner) Us looking exactly as we usually do.
I'm sadly watching reruns of Glee which is the only way I could ever figure out the words to popular songs and the moment. We've had a few days of calm nothingness. All of Buck's (and Thunder's) friends are away on trips. We leave for So Cal tomorrow and I CANNOT wait. We will spend the first few days of 2010 in what I consider my home town.
Also, tomorrow, Thunder turns 1. It's hard for me that we weren't there for the first month of his life; but I'm grateful for it just the same. We'll spend the first 1/2 of his birthday on a plane (or in security screenings at the airport, thank you, terrorists). We'll spend the second 1/2 celebrating our precious boy.
It's been a wonderful year. We'll miss 2009 for a lot of reasons.
Our Christmas extravaganza Stockings were on the floor by the chimney with care :) Looking SO good - but this is a cute pic of Thunder and I. "Use the force, Buck" Thunder rips the paper (his favorite part)
A few days later and we're finally getting over the hump of crazy Christmas :) We had an excellent Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day (a holiday here in Canada and in the UK). RKZ has been home the entire time, which has been amazing. CSG (our good friend) was over to celebrate on Christmas and came over for the Broncos game yesterday. Mostly, we've been in our pjs and eating and watching TV (I've been watching movies like crazy).
We are now gearing up to go to California on the 1st (Thunder's birthday!) We can't wait - I'm thinking that today we will be putting away the decorations. Sad, because I like to wait for the Wise Men on the feast of Epiphany...but we'll be gone by then, so today is the day!
The boys waiting to see Santa at the Mall. I love all the little playgrounds they've set up now. It's like an afternoon adventure. Our Advent area. Buck explaining the Manger scene to me Thunder's favorite place - making a mess in his little kitchen (or mine, no difference)
Just back from the doctor - he took a swab for strep and then told me it's been nearly 2 years since my last "annual" check-up. I guess 2010 will be the year we all see the doctor (ha.ha.) Buck's last day of school before break and I'll probably go pick him up early - make it a MacDonalds' day.
I have finished Christmas dinner and gift shopping as much as possible. We have a party tonight (a sitter coming at 6) and I'm thinking we might only make a tiny bit of the party as it will be more fun to hang out together.
"Grandma got run over by the reindeer (input from RKZ)"
SNOWDAY!! Our boys in front of the Christmas tree. Thunder - he stands on his own for seconds now and loves to walk holding our fingers. He'll be on the go by February for sure (sorry, Mom!) Our boys looking Christmasy So cute.
Just finished decorating 15 gingerbread houses for Buck's class tomorrow. RKZ finished stuffing (with Buck) 15 gift bags. Is it bad that we included alcohol in the teachers' bags? Only the little shot sizes, but I thought it'd be nice to give them something they might actually want for Christmas (our class gift was a goat for a farmer in some other country...do what you want with that info). I have some weird throat illness, so I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. I am fine, but I never mention illness in our family in the posts.
Can't believe that it's almost Christmas 2009. We accidentally burned our Christmas candle to the nub tonight. It's that kind that counts down the days and you burn it each day until it reaches the next number. We WERE still on 14, so we let it burn a bit longer to reach the 21...unfortunately, we stopped watching at now, according to the candle, Christmas is gone.
This is the second song that the kids sang in Buck's Christmas concert. The entire grades PreK to 3 were up on stage singing. They sang "This little light of mine" and added the 'shine on Bethlehem.' Buck would never sing the "secret" part of the song to us. It was funny since I don't think he actually sings it at the show either. All of the parents and I were laughing about the fact that none of our children learned "Joy to the World" and they all actually become part of the audience for that song. I love how they all start looking around at the big kids to get a view of them singing. I also like Michael, the only little boy in Buck's class who seems to know the words - he has a big brother.
Last night we had another fondue evening with my girlfriends. RKZ escaped to a friend's down the street after the kids were asleep. It was a much needed winefest and small Christmas/Birthday celebration. Mostly, we talked about 3rd children. One of my friends recently had a 'surprise' 3rd child and little S (the baby) is only 1 month old. They were both in attendance. There were a lot of female discussions and RKZ was quick to ask "when the Sarah McLachlan music" was going to start.
We had a nice cleaning morning (BEWARE all you single people - we actually look forward to these!) and soon, RKZ and I have a date.
True to Canadian form, many of our friends have left or are soon to leave to a warm climate for Christmas: Arizona, Florida, Hawaii...so we have a busy weekend of last minute Christmas celebrations. I am very far behind as our Christmas cards haven't left our dresser yet, so don't be worried if you haven't received one.
I can't believe that Christmas is in 6 days. I am living in a time warp where these 6 days will stretch into infinity and everyone will be warm and fuzzy and fed for the 3 Christmas days we have as holidays this year.
We miss our families...and we have good friends who have a son in Afghanistan (a US Marine, although they live here), so I will miss them as we all sleep safely in our beds. God bless Tom. He will be sleeping next to a Taliban held city.
Buck's Christmas play was today - Something about a little star and how she was chosen to shine over Bethlehem. It was a very cute play - the lead actors were all in grade 1 or 2. There was the "Western Star" who was trying to upstage everyone and the little boy who played him was HILARIOUS. There were many Calgary Stampede jokes and a big cowboy hat and Western accent. Eventually, the littlest star, Sadie, was chosen for her humility. The actress who played Sadie was obviously chosen for her ability to 'project' across a large auditorium - she was excellent. I was sitting with 2 other moms of Buck's classmates and there were a couple of times that we were called back to the story through little Sadie's shouting her lines. It was awesome. No wilting violets at Buck's school.
True to the standard routine, each class came up to the stage to perform a song. Thankfully, there are two Christmas concerts at Buck's school, the first is grades PreK-4 to grade 3 and the second is grade 4 to 12. Ours was at 2:30pm and the upper grades perform at 7:30. Although RKZ couldn't make it to Buck's performance (someone has to pay for the school), it is nice to have the evening open to our normal routine. The thought of having Buck and Thunder awake at a concert at 7:30pm makes cringe. One of the moms next to me has kids in both the lower and upper schools and so she and her husband have to attend both shows. I should write "get" to attend, but we all know the truth. I'm thinking it might be different if they are all your own children.
Regardless, Buck's class sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", which is what this video shows. Buck seems a bit lost at the beginning, but I think it was the actuality that there were about 200 people watching him that has him freaked out. I love how all of the kids are concentrating so much on the actions of a song they've all probably known since they were 2. A bit after this song, the entire school came up and they all sang "This Little Light of Mine." I might post that later.
The best "behind the scenes" fact is that I totally stagemom-ed my way to the front to get this video. All of the preK parents were crammed into the front row to get video and pictures. It was also awesome and I was happy to take the lead on the crazy. Made me feel happy in a psychotic kind of way.
Here is our happy crue with it's dreams coming true :) Halloween Disney style: ages 9 months to 93!! Today is a "work day" in our house. I am frantically trying to do laundry, dishes, Christmas cards and keep the peace while Buck watches way too much TV and Thunder makes every mess imaginable. All of these letters keep saying how awesome it is to have a family and live lives of fullness and joy...and OF COURSE, I agree with them. But, every now and then I'd like to live a life of movies and drunkenness. I'd like to sleep until 10am and go out for a quiet breakfast with RKZ. I'd like to only be responsible for my own poop and cutting my own food. Every now and then. And then, Buck will learn the "extra" words to "Rudolph the Rednose Raindeer" or Thunder will cry when I try to leave him with a sitter, and my heart will break a little and I'll remember why I prayed for them.
Not today, exactly, but this is a pretty good life if you can get it.
I don't actually want to be in Beverly Hills. I was just playing around on the "In Style make yourself a model" website (because I have about 1000 other things to do) and I wanted to upload this picture of myself. I love this hair and I'm tempted to play mid-life crisis and go pay someone to make me look like this.
I probably won't, but it's good for a post.
The hair is from a young actress on a show I've never watched, but she was also in the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" which I just saw the other night. In the movie her name is "Bridgette", which I think is fate. Ha. ha. ha.
"I'd like to thank my lucky stars that I'm alive and well"
Thunder's baptism pictures. We're all so holy that we can't be photographed (ha. ha.) Daddy and Thunder Godparents (H9H & superman M) with Fr. Jerome and Thunder. Buck kept laughing OUT LOUD in church and telling Thunder he looked 'like such a pretty princess.' and asking 'Why are you putting him in that dress?' Needless to say, we'll be framing this family keepsake baptismal gown and not using on any other children :) It is Grandma Jody's wedding dress re-cut into a baptismal gown. It's beautiful...but, you know. Full immersion Baby!!
Classic Swiss Fondue 1 lrg garlic clove 1 1/4 c dry white wine 1 T lemon Juice 8 oz Gruyere cheese (shredded) 8 oz Emmentaler cheese (shred) 1 T cornstarch 1/4 cherry brandy (kirschwasser) 1/2 t grated nutmeg
rub pot with garlic (hand crushed); add wine to pot on med (wait for bubbles); reduce to simmer add lemon juice; add cheese in handfuls, stir constantly in figure 8 until melted; mix cornstarch and brandy in a bowl; add to cheese. Season and eat with everything!! This has been and will be our constant Christmas season food. Had it Wed with bookclub, having it tonight with company; having it next Fri with the girls...the fun and dipping never ends!!
I have a GOB of pictures to post, but I wanted to show you our weather. This week's forcast: 14; 3; -15; -13; 16 (all in Farenheit) Snow on three of the days. We don't mind too much because it feels like Christmas. Non-stop around here. We've started going swimming at the Rec centre some evenings (4 - 5pm). The boys love it. Buck can now go down the big waterslide on his own. He runs up the stairs (2 or 3 stories) and slides down for about one full hour with his friends. It's just weird to watch my little boy growing in front of my eyes.
Today is the feast day of St. Juan Diego - he's the Indian/Native man that Mary appeared to in Mexico (the Our Lady of Guadelupe guy). I'm posting pictures of our trip to Mexico city last year. This is where Juan Diego saw Mary and the eventual church that was built after the entire thing went down. The house built over St. Juan Diego's house. The Bishop kneeling before the miraculous image of Mary burned into Juan Diego's Tilma (coat) The entire area in Mexico city. The roof of the Basilica is made to look like the opened cloak. another image of the Tilma that is in the church our little family pre-Thunder.
I'm posting all of this because it's a year to the day that we thought we wouldn't be adopting Thunder. And then we spent Thanksgiving in Mexico and went to the church and prayed. I begged Mary to help. Today, Thunder is pulling all of my Tuperware out of the drawers. So, I feel very close to this crazy Indian Saint.
Help us build within ourselves a sacred little house, a temple of the Holy Spirit, so that we may bear witness to God's love, and help build a culture of life and a civilization of love. - Monsignor Eduardo Chavez Sanchez
Birth mom (H) and Omen (new boyfriend) are visiting. I write this so that I remember the weekend. I'll have a photo montage for you tomorrow. It's been a great visit. Snowed 20 cm (10 in) today. We're having a nice time in this alternate reality of a life we have going.
I guess if reality is like an alternate reality then it's really just reality.
