Merry Christmas!

3 Kids + 1 crowded van + 3 DVD players (HALLELUJAH!) + several boxes of granola bars and fruit snacks + 1 mommy (Daddy will fly up later due to work) = 1 wonderful trip to Wisconsin (I hope!!!!)

During this Christmas season I pray that we will all remember Jesus not only as the lowly baby in the manger, but also as our risen, glorified Savior. May God richly bless your family this Christmas season and throughout the coming year!

Love and blessings,
Laura

P.S. I'll be back on the blog by mid-January.

My Doomed Career

Today I put the "Wiggly Wiggly Christmas" movie on for Screech in order to get some Christmas baking done. I was inspired to dance along during the first number, which prompted a full-blown-screaming-tearing-Mommy's-clothes hissy fit from Screech. Funny, I would have expected her to laugh.

This reminds me of the time that Hubby was talking to our then-six-year-old niece about an upcoming Christmas concert that his musical family was planning. She asked worriedly, "Aunt Laura's not going to sing, is she?"

~sniff~ I guess I have no hope of making it in the performing arts!

Go Buy This Music! Now!

Josh Groban's voice has been stopping me dead in my tracks every time I have heard him on the radio for the last few weeks. I didn't even know who he was. (Not having television, I'm not exactly on the cutting edge of things!)

I love his renditions of classics like "O Holy Night" because they don't have any of the pretentious-sounding ad libbing that so many artists throw in as they attempt to put their own fresh spin on them. He simply sings them . . .and they're beautiful.



Go to iTunes (or your favorite mp3 store) right now and buy "O Holy Night". It will be the best 99 cents you've ever spent!

The Stealth Sickness

We've had some kind of stomach bug go through the house. I've nicknamed it "The Stealth Sickness" because a child will be fine and playing happily one minute, then will suddenly throw up without warning. This is followed by diarrhea. Lovely. Pete had it first a few weeks ago, and it lasted a few days. Then he got it again a few days ago, and then Drama Queen got it. This morning Screech told me that her tummy hurts. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least Pete and Drama Queen have the bowl technique down pat, so this minimizes cleanup. I have them keep a gigantic plastic bowl nearby at all times. A few days ago, Bunny watched as Pete, um, utilized his bowl. I would have expected her to be frightened or even disgusted, but instead she asked earnestly, "Is that cat food? Is that chocolate milk? What is it, Mommy?"

My son - the magical fountain of food. At least Screech didn't try to sample any!

We have had a few messes to clean up due to the stealthy nature of this illness. (They're better! Wait, they're not! It's all over now! Uh oh, here they go again . . . ) Early this morning, as I slept peacefully in my cozy bed, Hubby dealt with the aftermath of one of Pete's episodes. Pete had been bowl-less because we THOUGHT he was better. And this was after having had a huge dinner of a curried chicken and broccoli casserole. Emphasis on the broccoli, Pete's fave vegetable.

My hubby, he is a saint.

I didn't get halfway through typing this post when Screech started throwing up. Poor thing, it scared her to death. It freaked her out and there was a huge mess. The second episode (15 minutes later), she did her thing right in the bowl. I heaved a huge sigh of relief as she heaved in the proper place. Then she proceeded to wipe her mouth on a decorative Christmas pillow.

Free DVD

I just found out about a great deal. You can get a free DVD of the movie "Amazing Grace" just for registering for Walden.com. (Follow the link and click on the bottom left where it says, "Get free gifts!"

I found out about this through Money Saving Mom. Lots of good stuff on this site!

Prayer Request

Please pray for my dear friend, Tracey. She's close to my age and recently learned she has a type of breast cancer called Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. She has to have a bilateral mastectomy and chemo. I am just reeling from the news. In my mind I know that younger women can also get breast cancer, but it's still shocking to see it actually happen to someone I know and love. Tracey has two young children (ages 8 and 4). It sounds like her prognosis is good, though; the doctors think they caught it early. She is a strong Christian and has a lot of support, but I feel so helpless because I live so far away now. Thank you so much for praying for my precious friend!