Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
My Favorite Alexa-isms...
My daughter's wisdom and observations never cease to amaze and entertain me! Here are some of my favorites from the last two months!
Shoveling...
One evening the snow was really coming down as we drove home from dinner at a friend's house. Upon arriving home, Billy began shoveling and putting ice melt on the driveway so it wouldn't be too bad in the morning. I went ahead and put the kids to bed, explaining to Alexa that dad had to shovel the snow off the drive. When she woke up the next morning, Billy was already outside shoveling the snow that had continued to fall through the night. She asked where he was and when I told her, she exclaimed, "He never went to sleep?!"
'Da Hood...
The kids received the movie "Robin Hood" on DVD for Christmas. While watching it one afternoon, Alexa said, "we've been there." Confused, because I certainly do not remember ever being in Sherwood Forest, I asked her where. "Robin Hood!" she replied. I smiled, explaining that Robin Hood isn't a place, it's the name of the character. "Yes it is!" she adamently responded. "I heard 'da hood' in Columbia!"
(I'm not sure where in Columbia my daughter heard about 'da hood', but I've long since realized that her memory is far better than mine and its just better not to question!)
"Our Son"
You don't realize how much kids pick up on your intonations and your expressions until you hear them repeated...while staying at the hotel the night before we flew to Utah, Brody was in a crazy mood! The four of us were standing in the bedroom talking when Brody suddenly bolted into the main room. The exasperation evident, Alexa sighed and exclaimed, "I'll go get our son!" Billy and I cracked up! Upon realizing what she'd said, she quickly corrected added, "I mean my brother!"
Not snow nor sleet...
And lastly, our first Sunday after Billy had left town, the roads still looked pretty icy from the storm the night before. I told Alexa I wasn't sure if we would go to church (we had been to the Saturday night service, but Alexa likes going to Sunday School) because the roads looked icy.
"Mom," she said in her sternest tone. "Everyone else has ice outside their houses and their still going to church!"
Reprimand taken, we got ready and went. Upon pulling in the parking lot after a relatively smooth drive in, she simply said, "See? Told you we could get here."
Shoveling...
One evening the snow was really coming down as we drove home from dinner at a friend's house. Upon arriving home, Billy began shoveling and putting ice melt on the driveway so it wouldn't be too bad in the morning. I went ahead and put the kids to bed, explaining to Alexa that dad had to shovel the snow off the drive. When she woke up the next morning, Billy was already outside shoveling the snow that had continued to fall through the night. She asked where he was and when I told her, she exclaimed, "He never went to sleep?!"
'Da Hood...
The kids received the movie "Robin Hood" on DVD for Christmas. While watching it one afternoon, Alexa said, "we've been there." Confused, because I certainly do not remember ever being in Sherwood Forest, I asked her where. "Robin Hood!" she replied. I smiled, explaining that Robin Hood isn't a place, it's the name of the character. "Yes it is!" she adamently responded. "I heard 'da hood' in Columbia!"
(I'm not sure where in Columbia my daughter heard about 'da hood', but I've long since realized that her memory is far better than mine and its just better not to question!)
"Our Son"
You don't realize how much kids pick up on your intonations and your expressions until you hear them repeated...while staying at the hotel the night before we flew to Utah, Brody was in a crazy mood! The four of us were standing in the bedroom talking when Brody suddenly bolted into the main room. The exasperation evident, Alexa sighed and exclaimed, "I'll go get our son!" Billy and I cracked up! Upon realizing what she'd said, she quickly corrected added, "I mean my brother!"
Not snow nor sleet...
And lastly, our first Sunday after Billy had left town, the roads still looked pretty icy from the storm the night before. I told Alexa I wasn't sure if we would go to church (we had been to the Saturday night service, but Alexa likes going to Sunday School) because the roads looked icy.
"Mom," she said in her sternest tone. "Everyone else has ice outside their houses and their still going to church!"
Reprimand taken, we got ready and went. Upon pulling in the parking lot after a relatively smooth drive in, she simply said, "See? Told you we could get here."
December Recap - Christmas in Utah!
We arrived in Utah on Monday the 22nd after a relatively smooth flight, despite the pilot announcing upon take-off that our 'alternate landing' would be Grand Junction, Colorado if we couldn't get into Salt Lake due to the storm! We did sit on the runway for 40 minutes after landing because another plane that was delayed was in our spot, but luckily Brody slept through it and Alexa was patient! When we left Iowa, the wind chill registered -30. When we stepped off the plane in Utah, it was 35 degrees. Never in my life did this Texas girl think 35 degrees would be considered warm, but with a 60 degree swing, it was definitely appreciated!!
Our trip was a whirlwind of activities and we enjoyed every minute! The kids loved spending time with their Komo and Komobu (or bopba and bopba as Brody calls them - don't ask me why!!) as well as their Halmoni (Hal-me to Brody).
It snowed almost every day we were there, but instead of the small pellet like sideways blowing snow that seems to be the norm in Iowa, it was the large, fluffy flakes that delicately dance to the ground...the way snow is supposed to be! Unfortunately, on Christmas day, when Billy and I chose to go skiing in hopes of enjoying the mostly empty lifts, the Iowa snow found us! After about an hour, we took a break and I laughed out loud when I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror - large clumps of ICE clung to my hair, my hat, my goggles...pretty much everything that faced the elements! Despite the fact that only one lift (other than the bunny slope) was even open, we braved the white out conditions for about another hour before I traded the one on one time with my husband for alone time in the lodge with a cup of hot chocolate! He made a few more runs, and then we headed back to his mom's house for a much anticipated korean dinner!
We definitely indulged on the korean food, enjoying it as often as possible to make up for the lack of options in Iowa. People are always surprised when meeting my children that they are 1/4 korean-they don't exactly look it, especially Brody...however, I don't know many other five and two year olds who can eat their weight in rice and seaweed! I also discovered on this trip that both my children love turnip kimchi (basically pickled turnip-yet I can't get them to eat green beans!).
On Christmas eve, we drove down to Thanksgiving Point to look at their drive through light display! They did an awesome job, and every time Brody saw a Santa display, he would say "Ho Ho Ho!". He also did this repeatedly while sitting by his Halmoni's stuffed Santa from the movie "Polar Express!" Too cute!
Our Christmas morning celebration came bright and early so that Komobu could enjoy the festivities before heading to work. The night before, we had left cookies for Santa and an apple for the reindeer, and all seemed to be appreciated! Santa delivered a large toy horse for Alexa (as promised) along with a Dora doll, while Brody was overjoyed with his Thomas the Train set and Handy Manny tools. Halmoni, Komo, and Komobu played the roles of doting relatives well, leaving Billy wondering how in the world we were going to get all of the toys back to Iowa!! Surprisingly, all but two items fit in the suitcases!
We did a bit of shopping the day after Christmas, stocking up on our Utes gear (Sugar Bowl '09!) and then made the trek out to Stansbury to visit our old neighbors and indulge in the breakfast menu at Virg's! When we first moved to Stansbury and Billy was working odd hours, we would have an early breakfast together at Virg's one morning a week as he was coming in from work and I was getting ready to leave. Later, it seemed we ate there almost weekly on Saturdays, with the same waitresses serving us the entire time we lived out there and always commenting on how much Alexa was growing...
Saturday we took the kids ice skating...an activity that both were slow to warm up to, but after a while, neither wanted to leave the ice! Brody particularly cracked me up with his eagerness and excitement, though they both crashed in the car afterward!
Sunday evening we took the kids downtown to see the lights at Temple Square. It is truly an amazing site, as indicated by the photos!
Tuesday afternoon came all too soon, and before we knew it, we were on a plane, heading back home. The vacations are great, the goodbyes are hard...but we'll gladly repeat it all at the next opportunity to head west...or south!
Our trip was a whirlwind of activities and we enjoyed every minute! The kids loved spending time with their Komo and Komobu (or bopba and bopba as Brody calls them - don't ask me why!!) as well as their Halmoni (Hal-me to Brody).
It snowed almost every day we were there, but instead of the small pellet like sideways blowing snow that seems to be the norm in Iowa, it was the large, fluffy flakes that delicately dance to the ground...the way snow is supposed to be! Unfortunately, on Christmas day, when Billy and I chose to go skiing in hopes of enjoying the mostly empty lifts, the Iowa snow found us! After about an hour, we took a break and I laughed out loud when I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror - large clumps of ICE clung to my hair, my hat, my goggles...pretty much everything that faced the elements! Despite the fact that only one lift (other than the bunny slope) was even open, we braved the white out conditions for about another hour before I traded the one on one time with my husband for alone time in the lodge with a cup of hot chocolate! He made a few more runs, and then we headed back to his mom's house for a much anticipated korean dinner!We definitely indulged on the korean food, enjoying it as often as possible to make up for the lack of options in Iowa. People are always surprised when meeting my children that they are 1/4 korean-they don't exactly look it, especially Brody...however, I don't know many other five and two year olds who can eat their weight in rice and seaweed! I also discovered on this trip that both my children love turnip kimchi (basically pickled turnip-yet I can't get them to eat green beans!).
On Christmas eve, we drove down to Thanksgiving Point to look at their drive through light display! They did an awesome job, and every time Brody saw a Santa display, he would say "Ho Ho Ho!". He also did this repeatedly while sitting by his Halmoni's stuffed Santa from the movie "Polar Express!" Too cute!Our Christmas morning celebration came bright and early so that Komobu could enjoy the festivities before heading to work. The night before, we had left cookies for Santa and an apple for the reindeer, and all seemed to be appreciated! Santa delivered a large toy horse for Alexa (as promised) along with a Dora doll, while Brody was overjoyed with his Thomas the Train set and Handy Manny tools. Halmoni, Komo, and Komobu played the roles of doting relatives well, leaving Billy wondering how in the world we were going to get all of the toys back to Iowa!! Surprisingly, all but two items fit in the suitcases!
We did a bit of shopping the day after Christmas, stocking up on our Utes gear (Sugar Bowl '09!) and then made the trek out to Stansbury to visit our old neighbors and indulge in the breakfast menu at Virg's! When we first moved to Stansbury and Billy was working odd hours, we would have an early breakfast together at Virg's one morning a week as he was coming in from work and I was getting ready to leave. Later, it seemed we ate there almost weekly on Saturdays, with the same waitresses serving us the entire time we lived out there and always commenting on how much Alexa was growing...
Saturday we took the kids ice skating...an activity that both were slow to warm up to, but after a while, neither wanted to leave the ice! Brody particularly cracked me up with his eagerness and excitement, though they both crashed in the car afterward!
Sunday evening we took the kids downtown to see the lights at Temple Square. It is truly an amazing site, as indicated by the photos!
Tuesday afternoon came all too soon, and before we knew it, we were on a plane, heading back home. The vacations are great, the goodbyes are hard...but we'll gladly repeat it all at the next opportunity to head west...or south!
Friday, December 26, 2008
December Recap - Before Utah...
I love Christmas! I love the music, the decorations, and of course the time set aside to really focus on why we celebrate Christmas to begin with...to remember exactly how much God loves us and to remember the reasons we have to be thankful.
Last year, we had a great Christmas celebration in Texas, but I didn't feel like I had a chance to really celebrate at our own house due to the pending move. This year, I will admit - I was more than a little annoyed by the timing of the whole "you're moving to Ohio" announcement because it once again split my focus between enjoying the Christmas season with my family and knowing the season of change that would begin as soon as Christmas was over.
Nonetheless, we broke out all the decorations and I was so thankful my husband even volunteered to put up our Christmas lights, knowing he would have to take them down on his one full day at home between returning from Utah and leaving for South Carolina. It was totally worth it for me though to see our festive home each evening! This house was really fun to decorate, and we could have had a much larger tree with our vaulted living room ceilings, but knowing this would be our only Christmas in this house, we stuck with our alpine trees which have been very versatile in their ability to look great regardless of the space!
Alexa was really excited about our pending trip to Utah, so we created our own advent calendar by cutting the shape of a Christmas tree out of green butcher paper and then attaching red round ornaments (craft foam) numbered for each day remaining before leaving for Utah. On the back of each ornament was an activity that we would do together. Some days were simple activities, like picking out a Christmas book from the library or making Christmas cards for grandparents, other days focused on going somewhere, like to a Christmas party or to look at lights, or going to visit Santa! We both had so much fun, I think we may make it a tradition! Brody loved the activities this year, but next year, I think he'll appreciate 'the count down' even more!
I always tend to underestimate exactly how much needs to be done around the Christmas season, and this year was no different. Between helping to organize and supervise the kid's activities at Billy's unit's Christmas party, deciding to bake homemade bread (a new endeavor) for all of the teacher gifts, teaching my kids on Wednesday nights two songs to sing in the church service the Sunday before Christmas, and for some reason deciding that the best time to have our countertops refinished was the week before we left for Utah, it was a crazy few weeks! But, everything got done and went surprisingly smoothly!
Friday the 19th was supposed to be Alexa's last day of school, as well as the last day for the countertop guys to be at our house, and Billy's farewell luncheon. School was cancelled due to snow, and rather than try to entertain both kids in a construction zone, we headed to the mall to play before going to Billy's farewell luncheon. We arrived before the mall officially opened, and while waiting to catch the elevator, were pleasantly surprised to have Santa approach and start talking to the kids. Despite the fact that the mall attendees/photographers had not arrived yet, he invited us over to his big chair, where he took all the time in the world chatting with my kids and reading them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." It was truly a "Miracle on 34th Street" moment, and his advice to either leave an apple, or sprinkle some oatmeal on the snow Christmas Eve so the reindeer had a snack too seemed to make a permanent impression on Alexa! The photo quality is not the best since it was taken with my phone, but it really captures the moment!
Billy's farewell luncheon was really nice as well - everyone that spoke had really nice things to say about him and his commitment and contribution to this unit during our short time here (though I know it totally embarrassed my too modest husband!) I'm always proud of the hard work he does and the sacrifices he makes that allow me to stay home with our kiddos!
Because we were leaving on the 22nd to head to Utah, we celebrated Christmas at our house on the 20th. The kids got to open their presents from us and from the family in Texas that had sent items to our house. There's nothing like watching their excitement!
I read an interesting article in a Woman's Day magazine about "Nutcracker moments" - those moments shared with our children that we dream about and build up to be 'perfect' and then are disappointed when the kids decide to well, be kids! This year, I focused on truly enjoying the moments as they happen, however they happen! One such moment was the Sunday before Christmas when I had picked out a cute little sweater and pair of pants for Brody to wear so I could take pictures of him with Alexa all dressed up by the Christmas tree. Instead, Brody saw his Tigger sweatshirt and sweatpants folded in his chair (because I hadn't put the laundry away yet) and no amount of pleading or bribery would deter him from his clothing of choice. It wasn't worth tears, so I managed to snap one photo of the two kids in the kitchen before loading up in the car, and I will cherish it, because I know years from now, I will look at this picture, and still hear that sweet, yet determined little voice saying, "tidur!" (tigger)
The Sunday service was sweet, with my 3-6 year olds dutifully belting out their two songs, my own little angel not one to be shy on stage! We snapped a few photos, but I was grateful that another mom had her video camera so we can have the moment permanently!
Last year, we had a great Christmas celebration in Texas, but I didn't feel like I had a chance to really celebrate at our own house due to the pending move. This year, I will admit - I was more than a little annoyed by the timing of the whole "you're moving to Ohio" announcement because it once again split my focus between enjoying the Christmas season with my family and knowing the season of change that would begin as soon as Christmas was over.
Nonetheless, we broke out all the decorations and I was so thankful my husband even volunteered to put up our Christmas lights, knowing he would have to take them down on his one full day at home between returning from Utah and leaving for South Carolina. It was totally worth it for me though to see our festive home each evening! This house was really fun to decorate, and we could have had a much larger tree with our vaulted living room ceilings, but knowing this would be our only Christmas in this house, we stuck with our alpine trees which have been very versatile in their ability to look great regardless of the space!
Alexa was really excited about our pending trip to Utah, so we created our own advent calendar by cutting the shape of a Christmas tree out of green butcher paper and then attaching red round ornaments (craft foam) numbered for each day remaining before leaving for Utah. On the back of each ornament was an activity that we would do together. Some days were simple activities, like picking out a Christmas book from the library or making Christmas cards for grandparents, other days focused on going somewhere, like to a Christmas party or to look at lights, or going to visit Santa! We both had so much fun, I think we may make it a tradition! Brody loved the activities this year, but next year, I think he'll appreciate 'the count down' even more!
I always tend to underestimate exactly how much needs to be done around the Christmas season, and this year was no different. Between helping to organize and supervise the kid's activities at Billy's unit's Christmas party, deciding to bake homemade bread (a new endeavor) for all of the teacher gifts, teaching my kids on Wednesday nights two songs to sing in the church service the Sunday before Christmas, and for some reason deciding that the best time to have our countertops refinished was the week before we left for Utah, it was a crazy few weeks! But, everything got done and went surprisingly smoothly!
Friday the 19th was supposed to be Alexa's last day of school, as well as the last day for the countertop guys to be at our house, and Billy's farewell luncheon. School was cancelled due to snow, and rather than try to entertain both kids in a construction zone, we headed to the mall to play before going to Billy's farewell luncheon. We arrived before the mall officially opened, and while waiting to catch the elevator, were pleasantly surprised to have Santa approach and start talking to the kids. Despite the fact that the mall attendees/photographers had not arrived yet, he invited us over to his big chair, where he took all the time in the world chatting with my kids and reading them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." It was truly a "Miracle on 34th Street" moment, and his advice to either leave an apple, or sprinkle some oatmeal on the snow Christmas Eve so the reindeer had a snack too seemed to make a permanent impression on Alexa! The photo quality is not the best since it was taken with my phone, but it really captures the moment!
Billy's farewell luncheon was really nice as well - everyone that spoke had really nice things to say about him and his commitment and contribution to this unit during our short time here (though I know it totally embarrassed my too modest husband!) I'm always proud of the hard work he does and the sacrifices he makes that allow me to stay home with our kiddos!Because we were leaving on the 22nd to head to Utah, we celebrated Christmas at our house on the 20th. The kids got to open their presents from us and from the family in Texas that had sent items to our house. There's nothing like watching their excitement!
I read an interesting article in a Woman's Day magazine about "Nutcracker moments" - those moments shared with our children that we dream about and build up to be 'perfect' and then are disappointed when the kids decide to well, be kids! This year, I focused on truly enjoying the moments as they happen, however they happen! One such moment was the Sunday before Christmas when I had picked out a cute little sweater and pair of pants for Brody to wear so I could take pictures of him with Alexa all dressed up by the Christmas tree. Instead, Brody saw his Tigger sweatshirt and sweatpants folded in his chair (because I hadn't put the laundry away yet) and no amount of pleading or bribery would deter him from his clothing of choice. It wasn't worth tears, so I managed to snap one photo of the two kids in the kitchen before loading up in the car, and I will cherish it, because I know years from now, I will look at this picture, and still hear that sweet, yet determined little voice saying, "tidur!" (tigger)The Sunday service was sweet, with my 3-6 year olds dutifully belting out their two songs, my own little angel not one to be shy on stage! We snapped a few photos, but I was grateful that another mom had her video camera so we can have the moment permanently!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
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