Christmas Eve 2005

Jessalyn at 4 months

Today I bring you the Friday 5 plus 3.  So I guess that would make this the Friday 8, for 1 week only!

1) What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

There’s no simple answer to this since I have a few. The first tradition begins on the first Saturday in December when I get together with the family to prepare our Christmas Eve tamales. Another is getting together with said family on Christmas Eve, scarfing down a boatload of delicious tamales and then the goofy Christmas carol sing along just before we pass out the Christmas gifts, and then of course the gift opening. Another favorite tradition is watching the move White Christmas from 1954. I just love that movie. And another event that is looking to become a tradition is just before Christmas, my girlfriend Kelly comes over and we make food gifts together. Oh and for the second year running, driving out to a neighborhood that really does up their Christmas lights. So fun!

2) A favorite cookie recipe?

Really you can’t go wrong with the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe. A classic and so yummy!

3) Share a story behind a special ornament on your tree.

At least 3/4 of the ornaments on the tree (and still packed away because they didn’t fit) are special. None of them really have a good story that goes with it. But there are a lot of ornaments I used to get every year as a gift from my grandmother. And now, my tree is full of ornaments I’ve been collecting for my 3 children over the years. They’re all special to me because each ornament for my kids represent that year. Most of them have pictures of them so I get to look at them year after year and see how much they’ve grown. If the ornament doesn’t have a picture, I went out of my way to get something that related to the year. One year Caitlin was really into Hello Kitty, so I got her a Hello Kitty ornament. Chris was into Toy Story so he goot a Woody ornament. Jess loves Tigger and so, well you get it.

4) All you want from Santa is….?

A KitchenAid mixer!

5) What’s your favorite Christmas movie and why?

White Christmas without a doubt. Bing Crosby’s voice is amazing, Danny Kaye is hilarious, The music is beautiful, the choreography is incredible, the sets are quaint, the story is sweet. That movie never fails to make my eyes water. I ALWAYS get a tear in my eye at the end when the General walks in and there they are, his regiment from the Army. Oh man, it’s so great. I just LOVE this movie!!!

6) Are you dong anything special for the holidays this year?

No more special than every other year. But it’s all special to me.

7) What’s the best toy you ever got when you were a kid?

I’d have to say it was the year I asked for Barbie clothes. By the time I was finished unwrapping everything, I think I had every outfit on the market for Barbie at the time.

8 ) Why is Christmas special to you?

I love gifting people. There’s just something wonderful about taking a few moments to think about each person on your list, and thoughtfully pick out something they’ll hopefully enjoy. It’s the perfect time to express gratitude for being your friend, family member, spouse, child… And it’s a time when everyone can sit around and share stories and make memories together.

I know not everyone reading this celebrates Christmas, but in our family we do. So I’m going to wish  you a Merry Christmas as well as Happy Holidays!

Wow, to say time flies would be an understatement! My first born is turning fourteen today. It’s hard for me to think back to the day I had her. It seems ages ago. But I’ll give it a shot.

As I sit here typing, it’s just after 7 a.m. Caitlin was overdue as my due date was November 26. It was a Tuesday morning; I was nervous and excited at the same time. Because she was late, I was being induced. Being my first child, her father and I had decided we wanted to be surprised so we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl. Either was fine with me of course, but in my heart of hearts, I wanted a little girl.

The nurses hooked me up to an IV and got the drip going that would start labor and bring my little one into the world. By 7 p.m. it was clear that things weren’t progressing well and we ultimately decided on a c-section. I won’t lie, I was bummed. They wheeled me into the operating room and shortly after, her father joined me. Now I have no idea why, but rather than giving me an epidural, thus allowing me to move a good portion of my body, they gave me a spinal so I could move only my head. Looking back, I can’t help but feel cheated because I couldn’t hold my newborn for several hours due to lack of bodily control.

Anyhow, I’ll never forget this. As they were operating, the Dr. asked me if I had names picked out. We did. If the baby was a boy, he would be Timothy, a girl would be Caitlin, obviously. So I’m there on the table and being pushed, pulled and generally turned inside out. Next thing I know I hear a baby crying and all I’m thinking is. “Would someone shut that kid up? I’m trying to have a baby here!!!” Then from somewhere behind the curtain I only sort of hear the Dr. say, “It’s a Caitlin!” My brain didn’t make the connection. Baby crying and “It’s a Caitlin” didn’t make any sense to me. I didn’t say anything, and her dad had to make me understand we had a baby girl.  In my defense, I was young, drugged up and exhausted.

I had no idea what trials and tribulations that child would put me through. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s really hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that she’s 14 now. My little baby girl isn’t a little baby girl anymore. She’s a beautiful, outgoing, independent, stubborn, amazing young lady. She makes me as happy as she makes me completely nuts, but I love her and I wouldn’t trade her for all the riches in the world.

I love you Caitlin. I really do.

1. What did you last replace batteries for?

   A Flip Camera

2. What have you thrown away that you probably could have had repaired?

This one is a lot harder than I expected it to be. The answer is probably a shirt that I threw out because the seems on the side and come apart. Now in all honesty, this was before I got my sewing machine, and before I knew I was getting one. So the prospect of hand sewing it didn’t really work for me.

3. Among items in your line of sight right now, what should probably be put in the trash?

A credit for Snapfish that I’ve already loaded into my account. A box that the replacement cable modem came in and has been sitting on the floor next to my desk for over a month. An potato chip bag that’s empty after Jessalyn polished them off. Some Taco Bell napkins, unused. A dried out marker. Gee whiz, I need to clean up around here!

4. When did you last use disposable cutlery while dining in your house?

Easy! Friday, October 10. We had 5 extra people here for dinner in honor of my son’s 12th birthday and so we used paper plates and platic utencils to eat dinner with that night.

5. Whose actions cause you to waste time you otherwise wouldn’t waste?

I’m looking at you my fellow Skype chatters! Actually I have no one to blame but myself. I’m the one with the power to get up and walk away from my computer and get busy with other things. Skype chatting is the biggest timesuck I find myself not walking away from.

Unfortunately I have no interesting stories to go along with today’s Friday 5. I actally have quite a bit to do around here today. Tomorrow is my oldest daugher’s 14th birthday. (Hold me) She’s having some friends over for the night and I really need to clean up this place before I go pick her up from school this afternoon. So I’m leaving the blog now, but will probably just close this window and open up the skype chat so I can get sucked into that and waste more of the day away.

It’s no big surprise that this is the time of year you’ll see many blog posts about gifts. This is another one. But I have a few thoughts you might not read in your typical gift post. Then again, maybe that’s not true. But, whatever.

I’ll start with a question. Is there someone in your life that’s a terrible gift giver? Maybe they’ve kown you your whole life, or at least a large portion of your life, yet they don’t seem to have a clue about you and the kinds of things you might like to have?

Just picture it, you’re sitting around the Christmas tree exchanging gifts. Everything gets passed out and you all take turns opening your presents. You reach for that beautifully packaged box and open it, only to find a book about gardening and you live in an apartment with no yard? Their reasoning is that you’ve always wanted to have a garden, so I got you this book on gardening.

Or lets say your kids grandmother bought your teenaged daughter one of those little makup sets intended for a 9 year old. Or your son gets a toy drumset intended for a 5 year old and he’s 12.

Let me be clear, neither my kids not I have ever received any of those items as gifts so I’m not being incredibly mean to anyone specifically. However, there might be people like that in my life. People that don’t seem to have a clue when it comes to gifting us. I think I’m pretty easy to buy for on the cheap. Starbucks cards, dinner at a sit-down restaurant, movie tickets, gift cards for craft supplies or makeup or books are always welcome. Bath sets as long as they’re not those horrible ones thrown together for the holidays you find at a store like Walmart. Quality bath salts, bath bombs, bubbles, lotions are always good.

I like to fancy myself a thoughtful giver. Sometimes I’ll buy an item that a person wouldn’t buy for themselves because it’s too expensive. However, it’s not so expensive that it would break the budget to give to someone as a gift. For instance, I have a family member that has always wanted something from a specific company known for its quality and high price tag. However, the piece I bought is going to be useful and it was very reasonably priced to give as a gift. It’s just not something he would buy for himself.

I’m sure there are times I missed the mark as well, and the person thought to themselves, what the hell was she thinking? Why would she ever think this was a good gift for me? Well heck, a few years ago I got Jason socks, underwear and undershirts. I also got him a Marshall MXL 990 as his “real” gift. Those necessities were something he desperately needed, but took a back seat to all the other things we needed to spend money on. It may not have been the most exciting gift ever, but definitely welcomed.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this. I guess I’m wondering what you do when someone misses the mark on your gift. I’m sure most people would answer, “Smile and say thank you.” Or what if you give something to mom and when she opens it you can just tell you failed. What do you do?