Life As We Know It

Let's have NaBloPoMo go out with a bang...

So, yeah... I missed 2 posts I think.  But, that means I kept up with the other 28.  That seems like a pretty good percentage.   

I got this email from my mom's group... freaking hilarious.  You'll laugh your... back... off for sure.

Holiday Traditions: Making it *magical*

I'm really bad at planning ahead for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, etc...  I usually end up grabbing something at the last minute, or getting a generic gift and putting little thought into it.  I wish I had the time and energy and willpower to be creative in these situations and make unique, special things to "spice up" the occasion.  Every once in awhile I pull out something great.  Every once in awhile.  A long, long, long while.  :)

Porter's 2nd Christmas is coming up.  As a parent, I really want to make Christmas really special and "magical" for him (and the new baby).  This holiday has, in recent years, become such a pain in my rear with shifting from family to family and trying to balance everyone we need to see. 

When I was little, Christmas always seemed really magical to me.  Some of the things I remember are:

• Listening to Christmas music all the time (especially Alvin and the Chipmunks!).
• Going to a tree farm and cutting down our Christmas tree
• Getting a new ornament every year (usually for Christmas), and when decorating the tree, looking at all our ornaments from years past.
• Going on special drives just to look for houses all decked out with Christmas lights
• Baking cookies with my mom and leaving them out for Santa with a glass of milk and carrots for the reindeer. 
• Spending Christmas Eve at my dad's parents.  I remember getting stockings and my sister and I would color and draw pictures. 
• We used to always get a chocolate advent calendar, which I seriously always looked forward to.
• Going to church on Christmas Eve for the candlelight service
• I remember anxiously waiting up Christmas Eve to "hear" the reindeer.  We always left our Christmas Tree lights on that night, and it just added to the magic. 
• Waking up way too early and finding our stockings and a gift beside it (usually a holiday bear or stuffed animal of some sort).  My sister and I would wake up and dig through our stockings while my parents slept. 
• Always getting an orange in the bottom of my stocking, which I never had any idea why but recently I found out there is a tradition about a Christmas Orange.
• My stocking was made by my grandma... the design on it was embroidered by hand (as was my sister and brother's).  Last year I found a stocking for Porter and my mom made his stocking, so we continued that tradition.  I guess I should find a stocking for the new baby so she can start on that!

Anyhow, I really want to start up some neat traditions of our own.  Ryan and I have continued the stocking and one gift from Santa (opened and sitting beside the stocking) tradition.  Last year we attended Westwinds *awesome* Christmas Eve candlelight service.  I look forward to that again this year. 

We've also added a few traditions of our own:

• Our gifts to Porter are kept to a minimum.  We follow the "4 gift rule" to this rhyme:  "Something you want, something you need, something to play with and something to read."
• This year I will help Porter set out cookies and milk for Santa
• This year I am going to do a 25 days til Christmas socks (scroll down when you get to the link) in place of the advent calendar. In each sock there will be a tiny gift/treat.  Something relating to Jesus, Christmas, winter etc...
  
• When Ryan was little he got new pajamas every Christmas Eve.  We're going to continue that as well.
• For most holidays/seasons I have books relating to that holiday/season and we have a book basket in the living room that we put the current books in to read.  I love buying books, especially from Scholastic!

Another thing I want to begin this year is having Porter pick out some of his toys to donate.  I want my kids to realize they are very, very lucky to receive new toys every year, and not take that for granted.  I want them to learn the gift of giving as well (and, it'll cut down on toy overflow!). I also think, when Porter is a little older maybe we'll take the kids to pick out new toys for Toys for Tots.

So... the reason for this post.  While I feel like I have a good base for setting up holiday traditions for Christmas, I wish I had "littler" things to do to make the holiday special.  Something that doesn't revolve around getting gifts.  I keep thinking about something with a note from Santa but I can't think of anything unique or "different."

Here are a few neat "magical touches" I found online:

• Santa's Bootprints
• Santa Clause Evidence Kit
• Personalized phone call from Santa!
• Personalized letter from Santa
• Track Santa Clause throughout the year
• 81 Christmas Traditions to do with your family

Anyhow... I'd LOVE to know what your traditions were/are.  Have you found/heard of any traditions that sound like fun to include?  What about other holidays?  Do you do anything special to make Thanksgiving special?  What about Easter?  I'd love to make Easter a little more about religion, but honestly we're poor examples of including religion in our everyday lives.  I read Porter his kids bible every night and we pray every night (nights that I put him to bed.  Ryan isn't "into" that), but other than that we just aren't all that religious and I'd love to include that more.  Like with Christmas... I'd love to include something religious into our Christmas traditions (other than just reading our Christmas books about Jesus' birth etc). 

So... fire away!

ExpectNet Poll

I created a new game at Expect Net. We may or may not know the gender of the baby... today or within the next few weeks. Hmm... mum is the word. So, go to the poll and enter your thoughts. We'll let you know the results soon!

Baby Barczak #2 Game

You get points for getting the gender correct LOL!  ExpectNet tallies up all the points. The penalty points are:

incorrect gender:	400 points
date & time:	5 points per hour
weight:	5 points per ounce
length:	10 points per inch

Just one more day left....

To get in on the Blogger Secret Santa!  Email Jess at jessporter22@gmail.com if you want to participate. 

Decorating Survey

We put up our Christmas tree tonight (I'll post pictures sometime soon, I promise).  As I was decorating (I'm the "main decorator), I kept thinking about all the things I was doing and wondering if everyone else did the same.  So, thus began my little 'decorating survey'.

1. White lights or Color?
2. Do you decorate the back of your tree?
3. Do you use ribbon or beaded garland or similar items?
4. What is your tree topper?
5. Do you put candy canes on your tree?
6. Do you have a themed tree (color, items etc)?
7. If you do have a theme, does your wrapping paper match it?
8. Is your tree the only part of your house you decorate?
9. Do you put lights on your house?
10. Do you have yard decorations?

Post your answers in the comment section!

Hey!

This morning Porter woke up in a cheery mood.  He’s talking up a storm now.  He peeked out his crib and saw his penguin book on the floor.  He says “Hey!  My penguin fall down! Amen!”

OMG that cracked me up.  1- it was a sentence… one that made sense! And 2- he added “Amen!” from his bedtime prayers to the end of it.  HAHA!

Then we were changing his diaper and I took his pj bottoms off to put lotion on his winter-scaly legs.  He was sitting on the chair and says “Hey!  My jammies o’er dare!” (over there).  He’s big into saying “My” and “Hey!” lately. Its too cute. 

Jess's Secret Santa Idea...

Jess asked me to post this on my blog.  This is copied straight from hers.  It sounds like a lot of fun!

Bloggers Secret Santa...

So here's something fun to get us all in the holiday spirit.

If you would like to participate I will need your information before 6:00pm on Wed. the 28'th.

Here's how it's going to go...

• You send an e-mail to me at jessporter22@gmail.com with your name, address, and blog address.
• On Friday, Nov 30'th I will e-mail you back with a name, an address, and that person's blog.
• It is then your (fun!!!) job to read that person's blog and learn a bit about them.
• After secretly getting to know your gift-recipient a little better, it's time to go shopping!  The money limit is going to be $15.  I'm assuming nothing we would ship would cost more than $5, so that makes it a total of $20 you'll spend on your gift.
• Include a note in the package to your gift recipient telling them who you are...don't forget to include your blog address!
• All packages must be mailed by Dec 15'th.
• Post about it on your blog when you get your package!

If you want to participate, drop me an e-mail with your info.  I will be giving your information to your Secret Santa only, and of course I will be sure that I *know* each person before I'm giving out addresses, so no worries!  :-)

This should be lots of fun!!!

So here's something fun to get us all in the holiday spirit.

If you would like to participate I will need your information before 6:00pm on Wed. the 28'th.

Here's how it's going to go...

• You send an e-mail to me at jessporter22@gmail.com with your name, address, and blog address.
• On Friday, Nov 30'th I will e-mail you back with a name, an address, and that person's blog.
• It is then your (fun!!!) job to read that person's blog and learn a bit about them.
• After secretly getting to know your gift-recipient a little better, it's time to go shopping!  The money limit is going to be $15.  I'm assuming nothing we would ship would cost more than $5, so that makes it a total of $20 you'll spend on your gift.
• Include a note in the package to your gift recipient telling them who you are...don't forget to include your blog address!
• All packages must be mailed by Dec 15'th.
• Post about it on your blog when you get your package!

If you want to participate, drop me an e-mail with your info.  I will be giving your information to your Secret Santa only, and of course I will be sure that I *know* each person before I'm giving out addresses, so no worries!  :-)

This should be lots of fun!!!

Tis the Month Before Christmas

*Disclaimer:  I did NOT write this.  I just found it online somewhere...

Tis the Month Before Christmas
Tis the month before Christmas, we’re all going nuts;
With so much to do, there’s no ifs, ands or buts.
Buy presents, hang tree lights, pop cards in the mail,
Send gift packs, thread popcorn, find turkeys on sale.

Decorations need stringing up all through the house.
And you haven’t a clue what to buy for your spouse.
School concerts, receptions, open houses with friends,
Long lineups, short tempers, tying up the loose ends.

With all our mad dashing, we’re reeling from shock;
Let’s stop for a minute and really take stock.
It’s crassly commercial, the cynical say;
If that’s true, that our fault-it’s us and not they.

Take time for yourself-though hard as that seems—
Enjoy your kids’ laughter, excitement and dreams.
Take a moment out now, don’t get overly riled,
Instead make an angel in snow with your child.

The shortbread can wait, and so can the tree;
What’s important to feel is a child’s sense of glee.
The holidays aren’t about push, rush and shove;
They’re for friendship and sharing and family love.

Hear the bells, feel the warmth, light up with the glow
Of a message first sent to us so long ago:
Peace, love and goodwill, and hope burning bright.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Samson

Well, my post today comes with lots of sad news.  This morning we had to have Samson, our oldest and sweetest dog, euthanized.  It was a rough morning to say the least.

Last night we got home late from Ryan's parents house (Yes, I missed my first NaBloPoMo Post) and found that Sam had been left outside all day.  For the past few days he's just been acting... weird.  Not himself. And when I brought him inside he was acting much less like himself.  He had his hips tucked weird and he just looked skinnier than normal.  He seemed anxious and skittish. 

He wouldn't eat dinner.  The second night in a row. (Ryan had even mixed in a can of dog food as a peace offering for leaving him outside all day). I brought him into the living room and coaxed him to lay down next to me.  Once he did, he urinated a little, unable to control it.  I knew something bad was happening. 

I spent the evening worried about him, petting him and wondering what I should do.  It was Friday.  Everyone (kids, dogs etc..) gets sick on Fridays in this house.  The weekend coming up, you know. 

I made him a bed in the kitchen with a blanket and put the baby gate up so he couldn't get into the living room and pee on the floor.  I was nervous to wake up and find him dead.

He was, in fact, alive this morning.  Still hadn't touched his food.  He had peed through the blanket in his sleep. I called the vet we normally go to and they were open 8-12 but told me they wouldn't couldn't get us in until Monday.  I called another vet that we used to go to and they said come on it.  So, the 4 of us (Ry, Porter me and Sam) hopped in the Durango and I hoped that we'd find a solution.  Ryan prepared me that what was happening to Sam was the same thing that happened to his dog Scooby and they had to put him to sleep.  I honestly expected to take him home today.

Basically, the vet told us that his prostate was enlarged.  She extracted his urine for him (squeezed his bladder, which was the size of a melon... meaning he probably hadn't been able to pee for a few days) and he was shaking in pain.  She said an enlarged prostate in a dog that had been neutered for so long would typically mean cancer.  A very aggressive cancer.  She said we could take him home but we'd have to bring him back every few days to have his bladder emptied.  Or we could have a catheter put in but it was difficult to maintain at home.  Testing was an option (to find out for sure if it was cancer) but benign or not, dealing with an enlarged prostate was not easy (surgery was more than likely required) and he'd more than likely be in pain. 

I never thought I'd have to make that decision.  I thought he'd die peacefully at home with us.  I thought he'd die in his sleep.  I felt comforted that the vet told us it was the best choice for him.  I felt like he has had such a wonderful, long life (13 years) and I didn't want him to spend his last days, weeks or months in such an undignified way.  He deserved better than that. 

I stayed with him when they gave him the shot.  They gave him a sedative first, which calmed him down and he layed down next to me.  I could tell he was anxious and in pain.  It was so sad to watch him take his last breath, and to know that in just an instant he was gone. 

So, anyhow, this was a rough morning.  I still can't believe he's gone. I can't believe I left the vet and left him there, on the floor.

He was such a good dog.  He joined our family over 7 years ago. I saw an ad for a "Free Lab- 5 years old" and I called about him.  His owners left him at the house when they sold it.  The new owners' kids were allergic.  So, thus began our journey with Samson.  He fit in so well.  I had always wanted a lab/retriever (he was some sort of mix).  I remember as a little girl always drawing a picture of a yellow dog coming out of a gift box at Christmas.  That year, he was my Christmas present from Ryan. 

He drove Ryan crazy with his stubbornness.  He'd act like he didn't know what you were asking him to do, even though you knew darn well he knew.  He was so sweet.  He could speak and shake.  He had this way of staring you down, almost as if he didn't want you to know he was looking at you (kind of in a bashful way... see the picture of half his face below).  He loved walks and car rides.  He acted 10 years younger every summer when we got him shaved.  He was 80lbs of a gentle giant.  He will be missed so much, although I know he's in a better place now and no longer in pain.  It will take a special dog to ever fill his shoes in this lifetime. 

I guess since everyone else is doing it

I'll join in.  Its 9pm.  We just got home from my moms and Porter is tucked in bed.  We had an awesome Thanksgiving Day (minus my brother totaling his car on the way there!).  It was relaxing and so great to just sit and BE. 

So, since my last post was quite bitchy and mean, and I hope that the lack of comments doesn't mean that anyone things I'm a total wench (or maybe it just means everyone else is married to mature men HAHA!), I should probably post the things I'm thankful for.  Everyone else is doing it, so I guess I should too. 

And, since I've been tagged and emailed by 3 different people about the "7 Random Facts" meme thats going around, I'm going to do my "7 Random Things I'm Thankful For" and hit both those birds with one stone. 

Here we go:

1. My family: My husband, children and our extended families (is extended like, mom, dad etc?  Or is that immediate?)  Anyhow, I am thankful for family.  For the love, laughter, joy, memories, and yes, even irritation, that they bring me.  I'm thankful that I have a husband that loves me for who I am, hormonal and crazy or not.  I'm thankful that we have family nearby who are just a short drive away.  I'm thankful that I have family that are willing and able to help out with Porter when we need them. 

2. My job. I'm so thankful to HAVE a job, and so thankful that I am able to work part time while Porter is so young.  I'm thankful that I have a job (well, two... err 3 if you count "Mommy" on that list) that I absolutely LOVE.  Teaching, Photography and Parenting are my passions in life, and I am so thankful that I get to spend every day doing something that I love. I guess along with this I'd add "education" and "talent" to that list.  Ooh, talent was hard to write.  I hear from so many clients that I'm "so blessed with this talent" and its hard to believe it when they're the only ones I hear it from.  But, they're the ones who matter, right?

3. A warm home and abundance of food.  Yes, that's two.  But they kind of go hand in hand, right?  Even though our house is tiny, its cozy and it has brought our family from an engaged couple here to an almost family of 4.  I'll be sad to leave this house, really.  I'm thankful we have full tummies every day. 

4. Fertility and Health:  I am so thankful that we are healthy.  I cherish Porter and this unborn baby so much, and not a day goes by that I don't thank God that I have them and that we were so lucky to be able to get pregnant easily and have so far, uncomplicated pregnancies.  I don't take this one for granted one bit.  I know so many people out there that want so badly to become parents and it isn't that easy for them.

5. Friends: Both near and far, new and old, "real life" and "internet life". I am blessed with some amazing friends in my life and so lucky that I have them to connect with and lean on. I'm so blessed to have met so many friends who share so many of the same experiences and life 'trials' as I do at this point in my life. 

 

6. God and my happiness and "peace" with life right now.  I guess this one I'd say runs right along with Heather's peace post.  There are so many things in life I have questioned, wondered, felt mad and angry and resentful about, and it only took me 23 years of my life to realize that it wasn't in my hands.  I am thankful for God and that I can know that whatever happens is in His plan and that I need to just trust Him.  There are many times in my life I feel depressed and hopeless.  I am happy that at this point in my life I can finally just know that this is right.  This is ok.  Everything doesn't have to happen all at once, everything doesn't have to be perfect every day.  I know that in the end, I will be in the right place.

7. The Internet: I depend on this way more than I ever thought I would.  I'd be lost without it- I need my daily dose of email and blogs.  It has made life easier in so many ways.

Wow.  I feel like I've left so much off.  I've read so many lists on blogs and with every one of them I think "OH that too!  That too!"  My list could go on and on.  I sat on #7 for a long time thinking of WHAT would be the LAST THING for my list.  Well, I guess it doesn't have to be limited to just those 7 things.  Those are just 7 of the millions and zillions of things I'm thankful for.