A morning with John Denver and the Muppets

Christmas really snuck up on me this year.  I just got my shopping done on Saturday (December 22nd), we never really finished decorating, and the house is a disaster.  Attempts to discuss the true story of Christmas with the girls end up with fights over nativity scene pieces.  So I'm having a hard time finding the "Christmas Spirit" this year.

While attempting to get my kitchen back under control, I put the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas CD in.  Near the end is a song called The Christmas Wish, and although I've heard it a million times (I love this album), it seemed to have special meaning this morning.  So I thought I would share the lyrics.  Merry Christmas!

I don't know if you believe in Christmas

or if you have presents underneath a Christmas tree
but if you believe in love
that will be more than enough
for you to come and celebrate with me

For I have held the precious gift that love brings

even though I never saw a Christmas star
I know there is a light
I have felt it burn inside
and I have seen it shining from afar

Christmas is the time to come together

a time to put all differences aside
and I reach out my hand
to the family of man
to share the joy I feel at Christmas time
For the truth that binds us all together

I would like to say a simple prayer

that at this special time
you will have true peace of mind
and joy to last throughout the coming year

And if you believe in love that will be more than enough

for peace to last throughout the coming year

Seth's Outback Birthday Adventure

Eating out with the Goodmans is never dull.  Tonight's dinner at Outback for Seth's birthday was no exception.  Oh yes, I decided to suggest that we take all three kids out to dinner at a decent restaurant. Am I crazy?  Possibly.  But Seth had specifically said he wanted steak for his birthday dinner, and I decided yesterday it was probably best if I didn't cook (cough-kill) it.

For the last 24 hours I've been instilling the fear of, well, anything I could think of into the girls regarding their restaurant behavior (yes, I have the best parenting skills ever).  That worked so well that Lizzie waited to start whining until the girls and I had been seated for a whole 10 minutes, and there was still no sign of Seth.  And it wasn't like I could call him since I apparently left my phone at home.  And that's just the beginning.  Here's the highlights:

• Seth got there, told me what he wanted, then immediately went back outside to take a work phone call
• Lizzie lost the blue crayon in the black hole (literally, there was no light) under the table and was on the verge of a meltdown when Anna graciously shared hers (after mommy told her to)
• I forgot to tell the waitress to bring the kids' food out with the salads, and not to wait for the entrees.  It was close to 6:00pm and apparently my kids were starving to death.  Because that snack at 4:30 was ages ago.
• Seth's steak was tough.  So tough that when he tried to stab it for the first time with a fork, the fork did not go into the steak.  It just smashed one end of the steak down, so the other end went flying up, and the crab topping that happened to be on that end went flying onto Seth.
• By the time his replacement steak got to the table, the girls were done with dinner and antsy.  We ordered them dessert, which was apparently on the house, yay!  (Also the cheapest thing they could probably comp.)
• I had told the staff it was Seth's birthday when the girls and I came in, and that must have been forgotten during the steak fiasco because she brought the check and there was no singing or birthday dessert.  Which was actually fine because Seth decided he wanted ice cream and cake at home.
• When we got home, Seth got out of his car and informed me he had another work conference call.  So the girls went nuts because they wanted to watch their daddy open his presents.  But by the time we got home and Anna finished her homework, it was time for bed and Seth was still yelling at people on the phone.  So Seth will be waiting to open his presents until tomorrow, when the girls can watch.

Makes you want to eat out with us all the time, doesn't it?  You know you do!  Actually, it really wasn't that bad, and Seth did have a good time talking to the girls and helping them do the activities on their kid menus.  And I had a good time because I didn't have to cook a thing.  Oh, and Xavier was there, he's just not mentioned above because he was quiet, smiley, and perfect the whole time!

Happy Birthday Seth!

Family Portraits - The Outtakes

As you can see from our updated family portrait on the left side of our blog, we actually did get at least one good picture out of our portrait session this week.  Actually, we got more than one (see some of the good ones here), but not as many as I would have liked.  Between the kids and the photographer, I think we had some missed opportunities for great pictures.

Here's a sample of some of the pictures that will NOT be making it into the Christmas card this year!  Seth and I also tried to get some taken of just the two of us, and those are so bad they aren't even going to be shown here :)

Anna's making crazy psycho eyes, Lizzie appears done with the whole thing, and Xavier is wondering what the heck is going on - and this was the first pose we tried.

Not sure why the photographer felt it was a good idea to have my really tall husband stand.  He kinda makes the rest of us look like midgets.

Not too bad, but look at Lizzie's eyes.  I don't know what she was looking at, but they look like they are going to pop out of her head.

I think Anna's in pain.  Or just gritting her teeth.

Family portrait time!

When Anna was a baby, I think I had professional pictures taken once a quarter. When Lizzie was a baby, it was at least twice a year. Now I think I'm doing good if I get them done once a year!

I told myself a few months ago that we would get portraits done at the beginning of November so that I could get Christmas cards out right after Thanksgiving. Considering today is December 4th, you can guess how well that worked out for me.

Today started out with a bit of a to-do list, and all of it (except maybe dishes) had to do with getting pictures taken. I had the realization early today that I had totally forgotten to get Xavier anything to wear for "fancy" pictures. Thankfully that was an early realization, so I was able to get that fixed. Next was laundry... the girls had clothes that fit the bill, but half of it wasn't clean. There were also children to wash, snacks to prepare, a big bag to pack with changes of clothes for everyone... you get the picture. Miraculously, we were out the door on time.

Now, at this point you might expect to see samples of pictures from our session. That is a legitimate expectation, but by the time we were done taking pictures, looking at pictures, selecting pictures, etc., the girls were climbing the walls, the baby was crying, and there was no way we were waiting another 15 - 20 minutes for them to print and for the cd to burn. I'll be picking them up tomorrow. For now, imagine three kids never looking in the same direction or smiling at the same time, and sometimes making crazy faces in what would have been an awesome photo for everyone else. And if you can't imagine it, I'll post a sample once I actually pick them up :)

Two Years

A lot can happen, or not happen, in two years.  You can realize two years after moving into your house that you still haven’t finished putting up pictures and paintings or cleared out what’s still in storage.  You can go from being a new stay-at-home mom, worried that you made the right choice to stop working outside the home, to knowing that home is exactly where you need to be.  You can discover that your grandmother needs more help than you thought, become her legal guardian to get her in a safer place, and learn more about Medicaid than you ever thought you’d need to know.  You can watch your first baby move from preschool to Kindergarten to first grade and wonder how she got so big.  You can watch your second baby who can barely talk become a preschooler who knows her alphabet and can add.  You can become pregnant and have another baby, and remember that you had forgotten how crazy life with a newborn is.  You can gain immense additional respect for your husband as you watch how he deals with rough situations in his life and how he loves your kids.

 

Over two years you can be bent to the point of cracking several times, and by the grace of God and the love of family and friends you will be saved from breaking.

 

Two years ago today I had to do the two hardest things I’ve ever done in my life: help Mom decide to turn off the machines, and tell my grandmother that her son was dead.  Two years ago today I realized that I can be strong enough to handle more than I ever thought possible, and that if I falter I have people supporting me who will never let me fall.

 

I know you’re watching, Dad, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the show for the last two years.  Comedy, tragedy, and everyday drama, we’ve had it all.  I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I’d be doing this without you there talking to me, laughing with me, laughing at me, giving me advice (requested or not), or just annoying me.  But I am doing it, I am living this life, and I can’t wait to talk to you about it all when I see you again.

 

Sidney "Mack" Tate

May 10, 1949 - October 25, 2010

A Rainbow Pirate Ship

Lizzie's birthday is coming up in November, and in an effort not to get too far behind because we are focusing on Halloween at present, I decided to go ahead and ask her what she wants.  Here is how the conversation went:

Me: Lizzie, what would you like for your birthday?
Lizzie: A boat
Me: A boat?  What kind of boat?
Lizzie: One that floats in the bathtub, and is thiiiiiis big [holds her arms out wide].
Me: Will that fit in the tub?
Lizzie: Sure.  It will just go like "whoop" [moves one hand in an arc motion] and it will fit.
Me: So, what should this boat look like?
Lizzie: Well, it should turn rainbow colors when you put it in water.  Oh, and it should be a pirate ship.  And it should have a driver.  And mates.
Me: Mates?
Lizzie: [looking at me as if I'm stupid] You can't have a pirate ship without mates.
Me: Oooookay.  Is there anything else you'd like?
Lizzie: A stuffed animal house.  It should have pictures of bears on the walls and have windows just this big [holding the tips of her fingers about an inch apart].  And it should be tall, like this [holding her hands above her head].
Me: Where would you put it?
Lizzie: In my room.
Me: Where in your room?  I don't think there's space for something that big.
Lizzie: The middle of the floor.
Me: Alrighty then.  Anything else?
Lizzie: Yes. A stuffed car.

So there you have it, folks.  Lizzie's wish list.  I'm sure I can find a pirate ship that changes colors in water somewhere on the internets :)

Hot Pepper Jelly

Today I made hot pepper jelly.  For some of you, making jelly is a normal thing, nothing to write home about.  However, I have never made jelly before in my life.  I canned tomatoes and peaches a looooong time ago with my mom, but I have never made jelly or jam.

After a bit of an equipment fiasco on Tuesday, I was ready to begin today.  While some of you may have other methods, here is how my jelly experiment went, in phases.

Phase 1 - chop chop and measure
I washed and diced an excessive number of hot and bell peppers.  The recipe I was using called for four cups.  Thank heavens I have one of those Vidalia onion choppers, there's no way I could have diced it all by hand, and it has a handy measuring thing on the side so you can see how many cups you've already chopped.

Phase 2 - wash three times
Not the peppers, me.  You see, Xavier decided he was hungry right around the end of Phase 1, and I figured I'd better feed him before I moved on to the cooking phase.  I washed my hands thoroughly once, and just to be sure I stuck my finger on the end of my tongue.  Still caused a burn, so I ended up washing my hands twice more.  I eventually want Xavier to like hotter foods, but at one month of age it may be a little early to start mixing jalapeno juice with breast milk.

Phase 3 - cook
Peppers, vinegar, pectin, and sugar, all together in a pot, with me staring at it intently waiting for it to boil.  The recipe was very specific about the type of boil and exactly for how long.  Thank goodness it was specific for beginners like me!

Phase 4 - pour into jars
I had the foresight to purchase a canning funnel and I used a ladle.  As it is, my kitchen counter is still extremely sticky.  I'm apparently messy.

Phase 5 - process
There was this debate about using the inversion method or the boiling water method.  I didn't have the debate, other people online who had already done the recipe had it for me, and it seemed the clear winner was the boiling water method. 

Phase 6 - take a picture and pat self on back
I did it!  My kitchen is a disaster and I have no idea if it tastes good, but I will soon be getting Seth to try it out and I'll let you know :)  And I have six jars of the stuff, so if anyone else is feeling adventurous...

Welcome Xavier Thomas!

Xavier Thomas Goodman

Born June 29, 2012, at 3:50am

Weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces

Measuring 21 1/2 inches long

See more pictures of Xavier's first days here

The Goodmans invade Williamsburg

For the past three years now, it has become a family tradition to vacation for a week in Williamsburg.  It might seem silly to vacation only an hour from home, but we have discovered that it is close enough for an easy drive, and far enough away to "separate" from our regular daily routine.  On top of that, we are Busch Gardens pass holders, and there are also plenty of other things to see and do (or not do, as we feel at the time) in and around Williamsburg.

This year this vacation was even more important because it was the last vacation before baby #3!  And considering I hit week 33 of my pregnancy while on vacation, the easy drive and laid-back pace made this particular vacation seem that much more attractive.

Some highlights from this year's trip include:

• Lizzie begging and waiting patiently to ride the Grover roller coaster... in the very first car
• Anna getting bored with kid rides and wanting to ride a "real" roller coaster with Daddy.  Didn't actually happen this trip, but she is tall enough to ride Loch Ness Monster and Verbolten now!  Seth is going to take her back later this summer to try it.
• A kid-free day for me and my mom so we could hit the outlet mall... where there is a Carter's outlet, so you can guess that I bought some baby stuff while I was there.  I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!!
• A day trip to the beach, since both of the girls have been asking me if we're going to the beach this year.  We almost got eaten alive by some nasty flies, but until that point we had fun.
• Anna's first application of fake nails, which did not last very long, but she enjoyed them while they lasted
• The girls playing mini golf with Seth, Lizzie for the first time, and Anna for what she says was her first time, but we know she's played before.  But this was Pirate golf, so that made it super special :)

See pictures from our vacation here.

It's hard to believe that the next time we go on vacation, we're going to have three kids!  Isn't that crazy?  But for right now, it's back to our regular routine... at least until sometime in early July :)

(And for those of you who are concerned, I did ride a couple things at Busch Gardens, but they were all easy kiddie rides.  As much as I might have wanted to, there were no roller coaster rides for me!)

Lizzie's most recent adventure

Lizzie has a history of injuring the right side of her head. When she was one month old, on her first Christmas, she scratched herself on the cheek so deeply with her fingernail that you can still see a mark there. When she was about 14 months old, she fell at daycare and managed to cut a gash near her right eye. That same weekend she fell at my parents' house and reopened the wound. She still has a small scar. Last fall at Busch Gardens she was trying to get out of the stroller and landed on her head on pavement. She got a huge knot and really nasty bruise on, you guessed it, the right side of her forehead, and somehow managed to get a gigantic stuffed Loch Ness Monster out of it.  And she's fallen and gotten bruises on that side of her head more times than I can count.

Today she decided to have the right side of her face meet the edge of one of our brick steps. I was outside pulling weeds out of the flowers around our mailbox, and the girls were coloring on the front porch. I heard Anna give a horrified gasp, and turned around to see Lizzie face first a couple steps down from the porch, with her forehead resting on the edge of the step. I ran over and there was blood gushing down her face.  I love head wounds.

Now here is where Anna Super Sister showed up.  She held the door for me to carry Lizzie inside, got me paper towels to help stop the bleeding, ran outside to get the portable phone (which I'd had outside because I was expecting a call) so I could call Seth and our pediatrician, got Lizzie a drink, and then when she heard me talking on the phone about taking Lizzie to KidMed, she poured the drink into a sippy cup and put on the lid without me even asking.  She also found and packed the diaper bag and found a stuffed animal for Lizzie to take with her.  So now I know she will take directions and also think things through in a crisis :)

Lizzie was a trooper through the whole ordeal.  She stopped crying pretty quickly, let me clean her face, and even held the towel against her forehead while I had to briefly use both of my hands to get ready to go.  My pediatrician's office had recommended we take her to KidMed, which is urgent care for kids, because if she needed stitches they could do it immediately.  She answered questions when the nurse and doctor asked her, and she let the doctor do some extra cleaning of the gash over her eyebrow and tape a cotton ball over it with lidocaine cream on it without flinching. 

When it actually came time to do the stitches, they brought in a scary looking backboard with velcro straps to hold her down if needed, but they didn't need it.  I held her hands and the nurse held her head gently, and she held almost perfectly still for the additional lidocaine shots and stitches.  She even smiled at some of the things the nurse said.  The nurse and doctor were very impressed, and so was I. 

She has abrasions on her cheek and nose and the stitches right at her eyebrow, and I know this kid is going to have additional scars because of this.  While she looks a little stunned in this picture, as soon as we got back from KidMed she was acting like nothing had happened, back to her same old self.  She rebounds quickly :)  And I am extremely thankful for my two wonderful girls who never cease to amaze me.

And Baby Goodman #3 is a...

Since the last thing I wrote on this blog in December had to do with the baby, I guess it's fitting that the next post, over two months later, was also about the baby.  It also shows that I haven't been keeping up with this like I should.

We had our 20 week ultrasound today, and we took the girls with us.  After the first couple of minutes Lizzie really couldn't care less, and attempted to take a nap on Seth's lap.  Anna, on the other hand, was enthralled by everything... the ultrasound machine, the room, the exam bed, the fact the lights were dim, everything.  And she was extremely excited when she found out her wish had come true - she's having a baby brother!  That's right, folks, Baby Goodman #3 is a boy!  And we have the pictures to prove it, which will be brought out at a suitably embarrasing moment sometime in the future.

And here is a more appropriate ultrasound picture for the interwebs.  Say hello to our baby boy!  We can't wait to meet him in person :)