My Sweet Mason

Mason is one funny kid. At just two years old, he really cracks me up. He has a terrific sense of humor that I have a feeling will blossom with age. He says things on a daily basis that really crack us up. He is all boy too. He has started having anatomy discussions with Ellie in the tub. I can honestly say, HE is the first to notice any differences in their "anatomy". I expected Ellie to ask questions but she has never brought it up. Leave it to a boy!
Mason is friendly. When we are out, he will pretty much always talk to people who say hello to him. And he is so fearless. When we are out, he will wander off with no concern for where we are. He loves to be outside and I am starting to notice that the only place he is truly able to entertain himself is when he is outside. He can always find a pile of dirt to climb or rocks to collect and put in a bucket. He is really a carefree guy. He is BUSY, but things don't get him very upset very often. Not much bothers Mason.
Mason's only real vice is his paci. He LOVES that thing. A few months ago, we decided we had to decrease his use of the paci so we put it away except for bedtime. It went pretty well. He sometimes finds a paci under his bed and he will come into the kitchen with it in his mouth and a big grin. {see above re: his sense of humor}. I will snatch it out of his mouth and tease him and say "We DO NOT have pacis unless we are sleeping! Let's put that thing away!" Most of the time, he laughs with me and we put it away. But sometimes it doesn't go so well.
On Thanksgiving Day, Mason was T I R E D. He had a MAJOR meltdown over wanting his paci. We decided it was time for the paci to go away for good after that fit. I really haven't been sure how to get rid of it. With Ellie, I just took it away cold turkey and she honestly NEVER cried at all. She asked for it at school when she saw other kids with it, but other than that, she was fine. I guess I have had a sense that Mason is a bit more infatuated with his paci than Ellie was. So hte problem has been: HOW to get rid of it. Nana, who I sometimes think should replace "Nanny Jo" as Super Nanny, had the idea to get rid of all the pacis but one. You see, we had been putting no less than 4 pacis in Mason's bed at night so that if he woke up he didn't have to look far to find one. So, we took Nana's advice on that. The other day, I gathered them all up but one and told him that Callie {the dog most likely to do something so mischevious} took all of his pacis and now we only have one. He really didn't care as long as there was still one. {Ellie however had lots of questions about HOW ON EARTH Callie got in the house and was able to get Mason's pacis??? I had to come clean with Ellie on our plan. Yes, seriously. I have included my 4 year old on my plan to fool my 2 year old out of his paci. I told her it's best for Mason!}
Today, PHASE 2 of the plan went into place: cut the end off the paci. While the kids were eating lunch, I snipped the end off of the one and only paci. When it was nap time, I handed him the damaged crack, I mean Paci. He put it in and took it right out. He looked at it and I said "Awe, it's broken." But I let him keep it. He messed with it, played with it, tried turning it upside down, but in the end he decided a snipped paci was better than no paci so he kept it for naptime.
My plan is to keep snipping it until he can't hold onto it anymore in his mouth and HOPEFULLY, he will give it up. Is this a copout??? Is lying to your 2 year old ok if it's for his own good? I like to think so! Wish us luck. Everything I have googled says this will work like a charm. But my kids are often sooo outside the "norm". Oh well, I hardly ever see college kids with pacis!

Happy Holidays!

***Pardon this post as it may seem a tad scroogy but I have to get some things out and, well, this IS my blog***

The Holidays have arrived. I love this time of year. WHO could not like this time of year? {Don't answer, Brandon} Good food, time with family, gifts, the JOY in children's eyes as you talk about what Christmas really is all about {and Santa}, crowds, cranky kids who stay up too late, squabbles over what kind of dressing or potatoes will be served and trying to figure out how we will be in 4 places at once. WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE???

My issue of late is decorating TOO EARLY. It seems like the lights go up a little earlier every year. For the love of Pete let Thanksgiving be about turkeys. And what about poor Halloween??? I hear "Oh I love my Christmas decorations and I hate only having them out for a few weeks." Seriously??? Ellie is majorly confused. She is sure "Christmas" is going to be any day now and that Easter should last for weeks on end. When I was growing up, there were people who put up their tree the day after Thanksgiving and they seemed over zealous to me. {Does that statement make me sound like I am 80?} But I have talked to people who decorated their house last week!

And then there is my sweet family. ALL the kids are here for Thanksgiving. We all try to alternate years with the in-laws and being home. Biz and I decided it's more fun if we coordinate years so we've worked it out to be on the same "schedule". My mom has traditionally viewed Thanksgiving as a day to provide everyone in the family at least one favorite on the table at dinner. {I actually think I recall a year that Biz had Chef Boyardee Roller Coasters} Of course we have our Pemberton traditional foods and now we have added some Fields and Dreadin traditions to the mix. We may need a few extra tables for all of the food!

I really do love the holidays. I try try try to keep my head straight and remember that it will all happen again next year so if this year isn't perfect, we can have a do-over in 2010. I have a feeling this year will be WONDERFUL, but far from the norm. I'm not even sure that we'll be able to manage a tree with all we are going to have going on. I had an idea today to do a planted live tree, keep it outside and then plant it!

Today is my last day of work for until December 7. WOOT! I am going to start packing non-essentials and moving whatever I can move. My goal for tomorrow is to pack up and move my sewing stuff. I'd also like to knock out as much Christmas shopping as possible. For the first time, Ellie has a definite list that has not changed so she should be easy. Mason is still a little tough to buy for because he isn't interested in anything for more than five minutes. But we will figure it all out.

The hardwood is finished. Brandon has been doing some work on the electric, but we have decided that it is best for us to hire someone to do the remainder so that person will be in tomorrow to finish all of the electric. CABINETS were installed last week. And OH are they beautiful! The cabinet guy will still have to come back in a week or so to finish hanging the kitchen cabinets and some other minor final details. The only major issue at this point is paint which has had some issues and is going to take some major fixing. Other than that, I *think* we are to the point of finalizing minor things. OH and plumbing. I am still holding out hope for mid-December but we shall see! I added some pics of the cabinets to the ALBUM.

The Reason for the Season

Ellie and I went to the mall today. Every now and then I take her to lunch with me as a special treat. Ellie has not been to the mall very much. We do not go to the mall very much. But I needed to get her some new jeans so off we went.
A visit to the mall is sometimes a system overload for Ellie since it's so rare. She saw a lot. With Christmas coming, everything is decorated and twinkly. We went to return some shoes and then to Old Navy to get Ellie some jeans. Ellie stayed with me, held my hand, never wandered, never got distracted... until we passed a furniture store window.
She ran over to the window and said "Look at this!" At first I thought she was going to show me a couch or chair we needed because we have been furniture shopping lately. But what had caught Ellie's eye was not Santa or reindeer or even a nice leather club chair and ottoman. No, what caught Ellie's eye was an almost life size {to her anyway} Nativity Scene. I actually almost started crying in the middle of the mall!



She was enamoured. She crouched down and was just entranced. She checked out every single figure so carefully. Then she asked to go inside.

She said a few words to Mary. I'm not sure what she said because she was whispering.


And then she started climbing over all the figures and I had to tell her to be careful. She insisted that she needed to see Jesus. And really how do you refuse a child a visit with Jesus???



As we walked away, Ellie let me know that Jesus could not be dead because when you die you have to lay on the ground with your eyes closed and your tongue hanging out. {too much exposure to dead deer???} So I had to explain that Jesus didn't die as a baby, but when he was an adult. This prompted: "Why did Jesus die?" I answered, "Um, so that you and I could live." But really that seems to fall short as an explanation to a four year old. I think I may need to get our minister, Adam, on speed dial!

Hissy Fits

Tuesday started out rough. Ellie is going through some tough times. It is so hard to be four years old. And I do say that in all seriousness. She is no longer a baby. She is so smart, yet her emotions aren’t quite up to par. Sometimes, I fear that she has a harder time because everyone expects a lot from her because she can spell and write the names of every person who is important to her, including all the kids in her class, she is starting to read, she is starting to do some simple math and on and on. So as adults, we expect her to act on this same level, but learning how to deal with emotions is SO. MUCH. HARDER. {I suspect this is something Ellie’s Daddy went through as well.} And I am going to be totally honest and say I probably didn’t. Not that I am not a smart cookie, but Ellie is just exceptional, even if she is my kid. In addition she is exceptionally dramatic.

So back to our morning…she was in Mason’s bed with him when I got finished getting ready. The first thing out of her mouth was “I want to go to Nana’s.” {I deal with this sentiment a lot and honestly, I’d have preferred to go to Nana’s that day too!} I responded “OH! We should call Nana and plan a visit for this weekend!” Certainly, this was not what Ellie wanted to hear. “NO! I want to go NOW! I don’t want to go to school!” I’ve reached a point lately that I just have to nip this stuff in hopes it will not get really going so I walked over and reached for Ellie. I put my arms around her and told her that this needed to stop right now or I would leave her in the bed {she doesn’t know she can get out on her own! She’s just not dare devilish enough to try!} She continued her fit so I got Mason out and turned to walk our of their room, closing the curtain {yeah there is no door on their room} behind me. She finally composed herself enough to get out of the bed but then it turned into wanting a waffle with syrup before we left. We didn’t have time for a waffle with syrup and she was going to eat at school just like she always does. {with a “snack breakfast” in the car} Things were pretty rough until we got in the car. She didn’t want to get dressed, didn’t want to put her shoes on, didn’t want to get her hair fixed, the shoes I picked just “really bother” her and on and on. Mornings like this have become the norm and to tell you the truth, I don’t know what to do. I try patience, I try yelling, I try time out, I try talking softly and hugging…nothing works. We’ve tried earlier bed, picking out clothes the night before, and detailing our expectations the night before. But 3 out of 5 days, our mornings suck. We leave the house frazzled, in tears {yes even me}, and I find myself telling her that this isn’t how our mornings should be.

On the way to school Tuesday, after such a horrible morning, I actually, spontaneously felt so grateful. I was thinking about the house. Then Ellie and Mason started singing along to the DVD and I just thought “This is so precious.” No matter how horrible the fits are, Brandon and I are so blessed/ privileged/ lucky? I am not even sure the word. Blessed seems overused. And it seems like more than just luck. Even on bad days, my life is way better than my little girl dreams.
Tuesday night, we tried a new plan. We talked in GREAT detail about our schedule for the next day. We picked an outfit and agreed on shoes {I actually had to promise to shop for shoes because she claims her Keds aren’t comfy???} and then we prayed. We prayed for a better morning, for Ellie to make good choices and for Mama to have patience so that no one cried or yelled. We actually ended up saying two prayers because I prayed first and then she said it was her turn and I should repeat after her: “God is great. Let us thank him for our food. And our bed. A MEN.” God heard our prayers. The last two mornings have been great.

***
The house is coming. A week or so ago, our builder said “We are looking real good to be finished the first week of December.” This week he threw a hissy fit and said we’d be pushing it to be in by Christmas if we don’t get going on the floors. Basically the progress of the house is in a bi-polar state.

Top Five

Monday night I when I came in the house, there was a weird smell. Some might call it an aroma. The fact that I couldn't place it tells how little "partying" I do in this stage of my life. It was wine. It seems that as Brandon closed the freezer after putting the bag of fish sticks away {always healthy dinner for our kids}, the wine rack somehow came off the top of the refrigerator and hit the counter, exploding in the process. This was the LAST of 8 bottles of wine that Brandon and I brought home from our trip to Rome in 2002. WHY we had saved this one I have no idea but it really pisses me off!
The kids and I arrived after much of the mess had been cleaned up, but that isn't saying much. When it was all said and done, Brandon said he'd been cleaning for like 2 1/1 hours. Over ONE bottled of wine. That exploded. Into a gazillion pieces.
In trying to be the ever "half glass full" {no pun intended} girl that I am, I have a top ten five list. Top Five Good Things About Wine Exploding in My Kitchen:
5. The sink and countertop were long over due for a cleaning
4. I semi mopped and swept the kitchen
3. The kids were parked in front of the tv for a little dinner picnic because the kitchen was off limits. They have never eaten so well.
2. Somehow, wine dripped UNDER the sink??? So that area got cleaned out and straightened as well.
1. I learned a valuable lesson: DO NOT save the awesome bottle of wine that you bought in Rome in 2002 lest it explodes when it falls from it's perch and you never get to enjoy it.

Things have settled down for us. We are planning/ hoping/ PRAYING that the house will be finished some time around Thanksgiving/ the first week of December. I will be off work starting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the first week of December so hopefully it will all work out. The major things still to be done are: hardwood and carpet, painting, upstairs mantle and stone around the fireplace, sinks, faucets, lighting and cabinetry. {Ok, that's a long list!} At this point, we are really dealing with small details. There is still a lot of work to be done so hopefully everyone will stay on schedule! I talked with the painter this morning and he thinks he will be finished by the end of next week. Hardwood is scheduled to start next week and I am still hemming and hawing over a decision on carpet but I will hopefully have that settled by tomorrow.
One minor point of interest: Brandon and the trim carpenter went to get the piece of wood for our mantle at the Mennonite saw mill. Cool huh? We wanted a rough cut piece of wood for the mantle and they had it. I'm excited about that!