Update

Jonah is doing better thanks to the meds. Isaac has conjunctivitis - a.k.a. pink eye. Given that it's highly contagious, we were given a "shareable" prescription because at least one of us is likely to catch it. Oh joy.

I would just like to sleep...all night...with no interruptions. Probably not likely, but a girl can dream, right?

Sick

I promise I'll be back at some point to post about Christmas and add new pics. Unfortunately both of my boys are "infected" right now. I took Jonah this morning for what was supposed to be his "well" check - turns out he's not so well. He has an ear infection. As we were checking out at the dr's office, I noticed Isaac's eye had some...er...stuff...in it. I thought maybe it was just normal stuff, but it wasn't long after we got home that I quickly discovered that no, it's not normal - not normal at all. Soooo...we are going back this afternoon to get Isaac checked out. Two doctor visits in one day - what a great way to spend Christmas vacation! Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon and my boys will be back to normal - whatever that may be - sooner than later. In the meantime, know that we did have a wonderful Christmas and I'll be back when I can to write all about it.

Oh - and if I don't make it back before then - Happy New Year!! May you all be richly blessed in 2009!

Thoughts on Santa

I want to introduce you to a book I just discovered that I think is a great way to explain Santa to your kids. As a Christian parent, we have a choice to make. Do we let our kids believe in Santa or not? I have friends who absolutely refuse to acknowledge Santa in their household. Their children do not receive gifts from Santa, they don't take their children to see Santa or be photographed with him. One of the reasons for this is that they are afraid that when their children discover the truth, they will realize that Mom & Dad have "lied" to them. If we allow them to believe in Santa, only for them to find out the "truth" later on, how then can we expect them to believe in Jesus? Will they not think we might be lying to them about Him, too?

I am of the mindset that Santa is ok. He's a fun way to celebrate Christmas and to let your child experience a little magic and fantasy. Of course we emphasize that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and that the REAL reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. If we allow His love to permeate our lives so that our children are able to see and feel it, I just know there will be no question in their minds that He is indeed alive and REAL!

I could go on, but I actually think the book explains it much better. The title is "Santa, Are You for Real?" The author is Harold Myra, who just happens to also be the President of Christianity Today, Inc.

The review from Amazon says this:

In Santa, Are You For Real?, children will discover that there really was a Saint Nicholas. Through colorful illustrations and a heartwarming story, children - and parents - will learn who the real Saint Nick was, when he lived, and why he gave gifts. Most importantly, you'll see how the original Saint Nick set an example for us today by keeping Christ at the heart of Christmas.

Written by Harold Myra, President of Christianity Today, Inc., this trustworthy story is accompanied with fun, whimsical illustrations.

You can also read the book in it's entirety here.

Whether or not you choose to allow your kids to believe in Santa or receive gifts from him, this book is a great explanation of a real person who did exist at one time.

Believe

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm a fan of the blog, Bring the Rain. Angie Smith is the blog owner and she is the wife of Todd Smith, a singer in the Christian group, Selah. She has an awesome post over there now titled "Believe" - and I want you to click on it and go read it right now. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Awesome, huh? It's a great reminder of what truly matters as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Question of the day

Why is it that when you strategically plan a special event around your child's naptime, he refuses to go to sleep?!!

AARRRGGGHHH!!

Ok, I feel better now. :-)

We will now return to our regularly scheduled blog.

My little reindeer

Jonah had his Kindergarten Christmas program this morning. It was all about the "symbols" of Christmas. Each class was a different group of characters and Jonah and his classmates were reindeer. I was very pleased that one of the symbols they focused on was the nativity scene and all the kindergartners sang "Away in a Manger!" Of course they sang a song about Hannukah, too, but as a former music teacher myself, I unfortunately know that in the public school system you have to be careful about having a "well balanced" program.

Anyway...

Out of the 21 children in Jonah's class, 3 were given speaking parts. Jonah was one of them! I've included a video of his part and a cute picture of my little reindeer below.

I love how they stuck the 3 little soloists right in front of Jonah. I mean, I know he's tall and everything, but, he was the star, people! :-) I do have the whole song on video, but for the sake of saving time uploading, it's shortened a bit.

Stomach bug of 2008

Yeah, I probably don't need to say much more than that...but, I will anyway. Last night - midnight or so - Jonah comes stumbling into our room. He tried so hard to make it in time...his bed, the hallway, our bedroom floor, the bathroom floor...all fell victim. Did I mention all of our bedrooms are carpeted?

Poor kid hasn't eaten a bite - not even nibbled a cracker - today. Fortunately there've been no more...um, incidents...since last night, but he feels rotten. Thank you, Lord, for Motrin and Lysol...oh, and Resolve.

Chad had to teach Sunday School this morning and I really had to be there, being the pianist and all. Sooo...he quickly taught his lesson and left early to come back home so I could get there for the service. Apparently this evil bug is making it's rounds - as our music minister prayed that the "Lord's Lysol" would cover us all. That oughta be some powerful stuff....Lysol of the Lord. Yep - gimme some of that!

My prayer is that, not only for Jonah to get well quickly, but that this bug completely and totally bypasses Isaac. At least Jonah can talk and tell me when "it's coming", you know? I soooo don't need to deal with that with a 1 year old who hardly ever even spit up.

Ok, sorry. Didn't mean to gross you all out, but it's that time of year for giving and sharing. I promise this is one thing we really don't mean to share!

May you all be blessed graciously with the Lysol of the Lord during this season of cold and flu and other...stuff. :-)