Last Thoughts From 2010

In anticipation of our big bash tonight, I rearranged our breakfast nook yesterday to better suit our culinary entertainment needs. We never have enough room for all the food and drink, so this year, I opted out of having a seating area within the kitchen, and instead decided to bring a third table, giving us more surface space for serving. When Jacob and I came home from running our errands, I said, "We will have to eat dinner out somewhere tonight, because we don't have a table anymore."


"Mom," he said in his best detective voice, as he paced the length of each table, running his hand gently over them, "Either we no longer have a table, or our old table his hidden here under one of these sheets." Sheets. Yes, people. That's how sophisticated life is at our house. My oldest son, who is (without bragging) quite bright, cannot recognize a table cloth when faced with one! Oh boy...

Andrew, on the other hand, thought the new set up was great, and enjoyed his bedtime snack on a make-shift t.v. tray. It's just so easy to please them sometimes, I really wonder why we try so hard!

With those stories in mind, I thought it was time for a year-end recollection of some of the funny things my kids have said lately. Here you go:

Jacob: "Mom, have you ever heard of gamsters?"

Me, thinking it's some kind of new toy he is hitting me up for right after Christmas: "No..."

Jacob: "You know, like a gang of criminals?"

Me: "You mean gangsters."

Jacob: "Yes! Yes! Gangsters!"

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When Andrew sings "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," he says, "You'll go down in my...ste...ry!" Now, that's funny enough in and of itself, but the other day after singing, "you'll go down in mystery" about ten times, he said to me, "Mom, where is he?"

"Who?" I said.

"Mister Ree. Where'd him go?"

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While we are on the topic of song lyrics, let's talk about "Old Time Rock-n-Roll." I hope you've seen the video of him sitting on Greg's lap singing it (if you haven't scroll down a few entries and watch it. It's only about 30 seconds long). He LOVES this song. (It's also the song they played when he was drumming with the band a little over a month ago.) We watch versions of it on Youtube constantly. He thinks Bob Seger is my brother-in-law, Freddie. He sings the song, in part or whole, throughout the day, every day, but he has a couple of the words wrong. After, "call me a relic," Andrew insists that Bob is saying, "call me a whale" (instead of "call me what you will").

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Greg and I have been talking about getting a bigger family vehicle for over a year now. Greg, like my dad, needs to research everything fully before committing. This time last year, it was no big deal, because I knew we weren't thinking of actually purchasing until fall of 2010. I thought for sure 10 months would be plenty of time to look, drive and buy a car. I was wrong. As winter approached, and then arrived, I began to worry that another winter would go by and I would still be driving my sled-like Civic. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Civic. I don't want to get rid of it (we aren't trading it in), but we do need something that more comfortably fits all of us together, and all of our stuff, as well as something that is better in the snow. After last winter's mess, I hate to think of another season of slipping and sliding, especially with little ones in tow. Anyway, even with those pressures upon us, I still do not have a new car. Before Christmas, my mom asked Jacob if he thought that Greg would surprise me with a new car in the driveway Christmas morning. "Oh no!" he said. "We can't afford a new car until Greg pays off our light bill!" I guess all of that yelling Greg does about paying Penelec's salaries does sink in. It just isn't exhibited the way we want. Instead of turning the lights off when he leaves a room, he tells people we are indebted to the local electric company!

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On Christmas Eve, at my sister and brother-in-law's house, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. After we were done singing, Andrew wanted to know where Jesus was. By the looks of the tree, he had a lot of gifts to open!

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We drove through a local holiday light display a few weeks ago. While we were waiting for admittance, Jacob read the pricing guide. "$10 per car. $75 per monster truck." Wow. I wonder if they get many monster trucks at Lights on the Lake? (It really said motor coach).

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One night, while giving the boys a bath, Jacob was listing an incredibly long wish list. Finally, after the 100th item, I said, "You know what I wish for? Peace. I would love some peace." "Mom," Jacob said, "you'll get peace when you're dead." True enough, my dear. True enough.

And on that note, I wish all of you a peaceful new year, with much joy, prosperity, health and laughter.

Welcome, 2011!

A Walk In The Park

Yesterday was too nice of a day for winter to spend inside! The boys and I cleaned our yard a bit, and then Jacob rounded up the Weichel boys for a trip to the local elementary school playground. It felt so good to soak in some sunlight, even if it was tainted with the occasional gust of wind! The boys just loved the opportunity to flex some plastic gun muscle, and play with their new Christmas toys!

The boys created their own little militia. First on the agenda: secure the perimeter!

After the perimeter was secured, they laid claim on elevated posts for aerial views. The only problem with their plan was that they all took the same spot. It left considerable gaps in security.

Andrew decided that all that "security" talk was for the birds. It's Hollidaysburg, after all. He opted out of the high concentration job, threw all caution to the wind and went for a swing instead!

After some coaxing from his crew, he agreed to do one last grounds check from the top of the parallel bars complex.

Jacob, unfortunately, was taken hostage by his own team members, for speaking poorly of his brother. Theirs was evidently not a democracy, nor was the notion of free speech embraced.

When we arrived home, Andrew threw his arms up and put on a pair of big-boy Mickey Mouse underwear in honor of his victory over Jacob. Unfortunately, Mickey was peed on one too many times, and the Andrew's victory celebrations were cut short by a box of Luvs. On all accounts, balance was restored to the household.

Honorable Mentions

It just wouldn't be right of me not to tell you all about my wonderful Christmas gifts. Of course, you saw the beautiful quilt that Jacob and my mom made. I was very touched by that thoughtful gift. She gave me the "blueprint" that he used to direct her. It's very intricately drawn. I'm going to take it somewhere to have it framed. He really put so much thought into every detail, and mom said he was very specific while she was sewing. He can be such a sweet little guy sometimes!

I got many other very nice gifts too - PJ's, bath stuff, clothes - but my two favorite gifts are shown below:

My parents go us (OK, OK, I'll share it with Greg) this awesome food processor. Last year when I started my purification program, there were so many great recipes that needed a food processor. I borrowed my parent's processor for some of them, but many of them I simply didn't try. The machine is big and heavy and it was a pain to keep lugging it back and forth. I will be doing the program again in the beginning of January, and this year, I'll be able to make everything! I haven't tried it out yet, because between holiday parties and all that eating, I've been too stuffed to even think about cooking much of anything! Rest assured, however, that this baby will be put to good use very soon!

This, my new Garmin Forerunner runner's watch, is another fantastic gift. I used to drive different routes around town to track distances to run. I would estimate my pace according to the time it took me to run the route. It was a a fine methodology, but I only had 3-4 routes that I used because honestly, it was kind of a pain in the rear to drive a route before I ran it, especially because I needed to start and stop at my house (or work) to know accurate mileage. I don't like to "gauge" things. I like to know specifics, so I rarely just ran without having a predetermined route. It was limiting. Now, thanks to my dear husband, I can run wherever, whenever and know exactly how far, how fast, how many calories and my heart rate too! I can bring that baby home, plug it into the computer, and it automatically keeps track of my running record, which is totally awesome for a number of reasons. First, it's good to see how my fitness level is changing (or not), but also, I can easily look back and see how many miles I have put on my shoes, so I'm not guessing when it's time to buy a new pair!

I was only able to use it once so far, because we had wicked winds on Monday, with frightening wind chills. Then Andrew developed an ear infection and was home with me all day Tuesday. Today the kids are home with me too, so I won't be out, but I hope to sneak in at least an hour jaunt on Thursday and maybe close to that on Friday, to fend off the exorbitant calories I will take in at our New Year's Eve party. The day I did take it out, I loved it. I found myself looking at it constantly, just to see how my pacing was varying from song to song, how far I had gone, etc. It was a very thoughtful gift, from my very thoughtful husband (OK, I did ask for it outright, but I didn't ask for any one watch specifically, and I know he did a lot of research before buying this particular one, so he is still eligible for the brownie points).

Of course, my Christmas would still have been wonderful, even without the gifts, but hey, let's face it, we all get excited about new gadgets from time to time too!

Sunday Brunch

As you all know, my family has been having a big Christmas bash the Saturday after Christmas every year for decades. My mother's whole extended family always attends. This year, however, my Uncle Ted, Aunt Kathy and their boys, from upstate New York, are not able to make it. I'm sure it just won't be the same without them. Ted certainly has a way of making his presence known, the boys are two of the leading competitors in our games of Tonk, and Kathy's sweet smile and voice are always so welcoming. We were able to meet with them for brunch last Sunday at a local restaurant, one of my grandfather's favorite hangouts! We had a nice meal, were able to relax and catch up with one another. I suppose any time is better than no time, but we will miss them at this year's gathering. Wishing them a wonderful New Year, and sending all our love!

Pap & Jeanne. Yes, Jeanne, after 20 years of marriage, I'd probably be trying to inch away from him too!

Ted and Kathy, on the other hand, still seem to like each other after 20+ years of marriage!

Ryan and Meghan

Meghan and Patrick

Kevin and Terry

Andrew Sings "Old Time Rock-N-Roll"

Apparently, we have a true Bob Seger fan in the house...

Christmas Photos

As always, we had a holiday packed with family and activities, and the fun isn't over yet! We had a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of love. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, (many times, in fact!), I'll take the busy schedule, the shuffling and the juggling over the alternative any day. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends. I am grateful every day that my children are being raised in the midst of two close-knit families and have the experience of knowing, without a doubt, every single day of their lives, that they are loved beyond belief. That, my friends, is the gift God gave to us on the very first Christmas - love so magnificent that he was willing to give his only son to us, so that we may know Him. Family - comfort, mercy, guidance, a bond that only continues to grow and knows no boundaries. I sincerely hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas too, and regardless of your family situation, your economic status, or your social calendars, took time to truly recognize how God shows His love in your life. I know in our household, it's hard to look around and not see it!

On Christmas Eve, we made Reindeer food at my mom's house before mass.
One part oatmeal...

...two parts sprinkles, and one heaping helping of enthusiasm!

Sprinkle liberally on lawn. The boys were definitely up to this task!

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve, without at least one photo candidate for www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

After mass, we headed over to my sister and brother-in-law's house, for some quality Williams time!

Andrew was thrilled with his gift from Kiersten!

Brooke was happy with her cow Pillow Pet.

Jake thought his Spiderman alarm clock was totally cool!

Greg needed a "meatball," as he calls it (a little tap on the back of the head) to keep him in line and remind him not to be jealous, but rather to be happy for others. Men! (Just kidding, he wasn't jealous!)

Then we headed home to prepare for Santa's arrival. We thought it would be a great idea to have Andrew give his binkies to Santa, in exchange for a guitar (which we told him Santa would bring). He was willing enough. He and Greg gathered all of his pacifiers and put them in this brown bag with a letter instructing Santa to give the binkies to the babies who need them. He even went to bed without fuss, although we heard him over the monitor saying, "Santa take my D.D. Give it to the babies. Stick it in their mouths." We had to laugh about that! He went to sleep and slept soundly until about midnight, at which point, we stopped laughing. He was up at least 6 times between midnight and 5 in the morning, when we finally caved in and gave the binkie back. This is the third failed attempt at ending the binkie addiction. I'm done trying to get rid of it now. He can have it til his adult teeth come in, as far as I'm concerned. He only takes it in the crib. It's not impeding his speech, and he doesn't tote it around like I see many bigger toddlers doing (which I think looks ridiculous). If he needs that little extra comfort, so be it. Andrew got an extra gift this Christmas. He got to keep his binkies. And Greg and I will hopefully have some better nights of sleep by default!

Along with the binkies, we put out cookies, of course. As is only typical for my boys, they argued about who would set the plate on the table.

And continued arguing about getting their picture taken...

After they were all snuggled away, Greg and I set out the loot. Keep in mind that my parents, and both of my sisters' gifts are under the tree too. It's not all stuff from Greg and me.

Jacob was up at 4 a.m. Christmas morning. He was good, though. He did not wake us up. I got up at 545. After the 100th trip to Andrew's bedroom, I gave up trying to sleep and opted for coffee instead. I came down stairs to find Jacob watching cartoons by himself in the living room. He waited patiently (well, as patiently as a 7 year old can) until 730 to call my parents and summon the gang down to open presents!

"I know, Andrew! It's amazing!"

"I wish I could read, so I could tell which ones are for me!"

"Come on, guys! We want to open presents!"

Andrew's heart is big enough to love even the Grinch on Christmas!

Jacob drew a design for a Christmas quilt for me. Mom made it under his specific instructions. How cool!

Andrew got his prized guitar. His absolute FAVORITE gift!

Jacob had to use his rifle to "keep the peace" a couple of times throughout the morning.

Andrew also got a Scooby Do motorcycle, which he promptly used to run over everyone else's gifts!

Andrew was actually overwhelmed with the number of gifts he got, and at one point gathered all of his unwrapped packages and just sat with them on the couch for about 30 minutes! We took some of them and put them away for his birthday. Excess is excess. May as well spread it out!

My step-sister, Meghan and her fiance, Patrick were in for Christmas this year. It's the first time in many years that they have been home for the holidays, and we were glad to have their company on Christmas morning.

A static ball. That's one cool gift, if I say so myself!

And last, but certainly not least, we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast prepared by my master chef, Greg.

In the evening, we had dinner at my parent's house. They even purchased a free-range, organic ( and home-schooled, as they joked) turkey in honor of Greg and me! How sweet! Dinner was delicious, as was dessert. My dad and Patrick are both excellent cooks. The kids got to play some more together, and my mom and sister took the kids out to drive through our local "Lights On The Lake" Christmas light display after dinner. We're meeting more family today for brunch, and then will have a little down time to prepare for the annual "Sheehan Family" Christmas bash, which will be on New Years Eve this year, and his been extended to include the Williams gang as well. We will be ringing in the new year in style, and most importantly, surrounded by those we hold most dear!

Merry Christmas

I found an envelope under the little tree in Jacob's room. It was addressed to Santa and said, "please open" in the upper right corner. This is what was inside:

"Dear Santa,
There was a 13th thing on my list. It is not a toy. It is not a game. The 13th thing that was on my list was for everyone to have a Merry Christmas.
Love, Jacob"

What a wonderful sentiment from a little boy's heart. I think both Santa and Jesus would be proud!

I concur and extend his wishes. From our house to yours, Merry Christmas, everyone!

Little Sean

Jackie, Dave and their little miracle baby, Sean stopped by for a visit tonight. We don't get to see them often, and we were so grateful that they were able to squeeze us into their busy Christmas schedule. Sean is such a sweet little guy! He is truly a tiny miracle sitting right in our laps. For someone who the doctors were uncertain would even live, he sure can light the room with his smile! He's crawling and babbling, and amidst all of his exploring, he just keeps smiling and smiling! We know he has a lot of hurdles ahead of him, and that life can be overwhelmingly hard for his parents, but God could not have chosen a better pair to care for this little one. He is yet another example of God's love this holiday season, and surely one to make us grateful.

"Mom, who are those two crazy people?"

"Everyone get in the house! It's cold outside!"

"Um, this is what I think Andrew will look like if he keeps on licking his lips all the time!"

"That's right, Andrew, lick away. Lick, lick away."

Oh, and as a cute little side note, Andrew loved playing with Sean. He shared his toys, and helped Sean to explore his playhouse. The best part of the night, however, was when Andrew stooped down, face to face with Sean and exclaimed, "Sean, Old Time Rock-n-Roll!" He's a rocker, through and through!

It's Better To Have Loved

A friend of Greg's family passed away a few days ago. He and his wife were married for almost 70 years. Take a minute to process that. 70 years. That's pretty amazing. I can't imagine the emptiness his wife must feel after losing a lifetime partner. How strange would it be after such a long time to wake up without your spouse? To have your morning coffee alone? To have no one there for dinner, or to share idle chit-chat about the day with, or to snuggle with at night? After a meager 7 years in comparison (4 married), I cannot imagine my life without Greg. How much stronger will my emotions run after decades?

The old cliche, "I love you more each day" is true. Each day I learn a little more, share a little more, bond a little more. It's true with our children, our spouses, our friends and family. I hear a lot about other women's husbands, what they do and don't do. I think it's common for women to compare, at least on some level, the amount of help they get, the amount of romance in our lives, the feeling of being supported. It's also common to focus on the deficits in one's marriage. It's not healthy to compare or to dwell on what is lacking. However, I know that when I do succumb to comparison, in my opinion, my husband still ranks higher than any other. I know without a doubt that he loves me and supports me. He helps as much as he can and he's definitely the romantic one in our relationship! Just last night I got a full body massage completely unprompted. How many of you can say the same?

I'm grateful for every moment, the highs and the lows. Every single second together is worth the work it takes to sustain us. I thank God every day for blessing me with Greg, and I pray that, like the Stocks, we live long healthy lives, able to cherish one another into ripe old age. And selfishly, I pray that I die first, so that I never have to know that incredible loss. But as they say, "Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

Mall Mayhem

With cabin fever hot on our tails, I decided to enlist my mom's help last night and take the boys to see the mall Santa. It was quite the adventure. The line was outrageous, but the boys were amazingly well behaved. They had a lot of fun talking to Santa, riding the train and shopping for a little bit. I also have to give the Santa a big kudos. First of all, this was the best looking Santa I've seen in a long time. But moreover, he was very nice. We didn't pay for the outrageously priced pictures that they give, and you are not allowed to take pictures with your own camera within the confines of "Santa Land." So, my my mom snuck outside of the fence and took some pictures for us. Not only did Santa let the boys take a treat out of his bag, he also made it a point to look at my mom and prompt the boys to look at her too saying, "I think your Grandma would like a picture. Look over there." I thought that was really nice. Oh, and Andrew didn't freak out, which is another plus!

"Um, Jake, I think Santa would like you to share that Orange Julius with your little brother."

"Now Frosty, what a large package you have underneath you!"

"Andrew, tell Santa you want tons of Star Wars Lego sets for Christmas and I'll let you watch me put them together."

"Oh, OK. I suppose we can be nice to each other for a few more days."

"Oh, hi Mimi!"

"Let me get this straight, you want me to listen to my parents in exchange for gifts? I'm not so sure about that."

"All aboard the Polar Express!"

"Whoa, Nelly!"

"I just have one question..."

"How the heck to do you drive a train with no controls???"

"Dear Santa, please let us make it home safely."

"Hey! Get off the floor model beds, you lazy butt!"

"There's something soothing about Sears!"

What's the trip to the mall without buying a pair of skull and cross bone footie pajamas?