I am just sitting here, quietly, contemplating how much my daughter has grown this year. I don't mean her height or weight, though she has grown that way as well. She has matured this year, her thirteenth year.
A couple of days ago we received a package from my Mom. Haley loves packages. We had to open it.
Actually Haley's Big Sis grabbed it and started opening it, so I can't really put it on Haley.
My Mom had wrapped the presents inside and labeled them, of course. Haley can recognize her own written name now, so she new exactly which ones were hers. She wanted to open them, but I told her that we were going to wait until Saturday. "Saturday is Christmas Day, that is when we open presents."
That was a bit hard for her, but I asked her to put all of the presents under the tree. She felt important doing that, so it was OK. We have never put presents under the tree. I was fully prepared to hide them if there was a problem, but they are still there.
She sits in that room next to the tree. She sits in the chairs that flank the tree, or she sits on the floor in front of the tree. She has quite a collection of toys that she has been playing with while she sits there. If someone walks by she will point to the presents. She says "presents" or "Christmas" or her version of "Saturday," which really doesn't sound much like Saturday.
She hasn't opened them.
I think if any of us were to tell her that she could they would be open in a heartbeat, but she is being very patient. I think that she is showing a new level of maturity that I have never seen in her before.
We changed up the Holiday Season on her this year, first by having Thanksgiving here and having Grandma and Grandpa come to our house. Now we are planning to go to their house after Christmas. She knows we are going.
For a while she seemed more excited about going to their house than she was for Christmas. I have both occasions written on the calendar that hangs on the refrigerator. She points to the days that are marked Grandma and Grandpa's House, but she hasn't been pointing to Christmas. I have explained the timing to her several times. I say that we are going after Christmas, after we open our presents.
I think she has finally accepted it. In desperation about a week ago I actually put on the calendar the day that we would pack so that she would stop asking to pack her "case." I think she has come to terms with the timing.
I actually think she gets it.
I am so proud.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Year Without a Santa Claus
Spoiler Alert: If you believe that Santa Claus comes down your chimney and puts all of the presents under the tree and in your stocking you should probably stop reading this post and go get yourself a nice eggnog.
Our Christmas Eve's go something like this, we have dinner and then we open one present each. That present is almost always a pair of pajamas. This is also a tradition that came from my childhood family traditions. We put our new pajamas on and then before bed we read The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. I wrote about that tradition on this post.
A couple of years ago we added something to our Christmas Eve. I rented a movie that had come out in 2006 called The Nativity Story. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.
After we get our pajamas on we watch The Nativity Story and then we read The Night Before Christmas and then we go to bed.
I don't. I put Haley in bed and then I go to church.
I play hand bells in our church choir and I always go to the Christmas Eve service at 10:00PM. It is a time for me to truly reflect on why we celebrate this holiday. It is a candlelight service and it is beautiful.
I enjoy it.
I hug everyone before I leave and then I come home and get the presents out from their hiding places in the garage and I put them under the tree. I fill the stockings and then I go to bed.
Last year after I had made about six trips back and forth from the garage to the living room carefully, quietly placing the presents under the tree and filling the stockings I was coming in to the house for the last time when I heard a small sound like the coo of a dove...
I looked up and there was Haley looking at me over the low wall at the top of the stairs. I smiled at her and then went upstairs and gently nudged her back in to her room. I covered her up and gave her a kiss and closed her door.
I breathed a sigh and went to bed.
After the festivities the next morning Haley's Big Sis came up to me. She gave me a sheepish look and said "I saw Santa Claus last night."
"You did?"
"Yep." She said.
So the cat is out of the bag.
Our Christmas Eve's go something like this, we have dinner and then we open one present each. That present is almost always a pair of pajamas. This is also a tradition that came from my childhood family traditions. We put our new pajamas on and then before bed we read The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. I wrote about that tradition on this post.
A couple of years ago we added something to our Christmas Eve. I rented a movie that had come out in 2006 called The Nativity Story. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.
After we get our pajamas on we watch The Nativity Story and then we read The Night Before Christmas and then we go to bed.
I don't. I put Haley in bed and then I go to church.
I play hand bells in our church choir and I always go to the Christmas Eve service at 10:00PM. It is a time for me to truly reflect on why we celebrate this holiday. It is a candlelight service and it is beautiful.
I enjoy it.
I hug everyone before I leave and then I come home and get the presents out from their hiding places in the garage and I put them under the tree. I fill the stockings and then I go to bed.
Last year after I had made about six trips back and forth from the garage to the living room carefully, quietly placing the presents under the tree and filling the stockings I was coming in to the house for the last time when I heard a small sound like the coo of a dove...
I looked up and there was Haley looking at me over the low wall at the top of the stairs. I smiled at her and then went upstairs and gently nudged her back in to her room. I covered her up and gave her a kiss and closed her door.
I breathed a sigh and went to bed.
After the festivities the next morning Haley's Big Sis came up to me. She gave me a sheepish look and said "I saw Santa Claus last night."
"You did?"
"Yep." She said.
So the cat is out of the bag.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Countdown Snowman
We have a Countdown Snowman. Every day Haley puts an ornament on his Christmas tree and Snowman announces how many days there are left until Christmas. Snowman starts counting at 25 days until Christmas.
Snowman was not out 25 days before Christmas.
I didn't have enough C batteries so I opened the box and put Snowman in the garage and put C batteries on the grocery list. I eventually got the C batteries and then Snowman continued to languish in the garage until recently Haley saw him and the jig was up.
We have a love/hate relationship with Snowman. Haley loves him and frankly I think the rest of us hate him.
It's a cute idea, but imagine my child, who can watch the same video over and over again with a motion detecting sound making object.
To tell the story of the Snowman I have to tell the story of Rhonda.
Rhonda the Reindeer used to come out every year at Christmastime too. She doesn't anymore.
She was also a cute idea. An idea no doubt conceived by a well meaning person who didn't have a daughter like Haley.
Rhonda was a stuffed reindeer with wings and arms that moved as she played Christmas songs. Rhonda was not a motion detecting sound maker. Rhonda was a sound detecting sound maker. She would play more than one song, which I thought would redeem her, but unfortunately it didn't. The kinds of sounds that would prompt Rhonda to break into song were loud noises like claps, dropping things on the floor, sneezes, coughs, yells and the like.
Haley couldn't clap loud enough.
No matter how she tried Haley couldn't smack her own hands together loud enough to get Rhonda to perform. She tried, but I really didn't want her to hurt herself. I clapped for her for a while, but then my hands hurt. If Rhonda didn't start playing Haley would get upset and start crying. If she cried long enough she eventually got into fit mode and then when she screamed at the top of her lungs guess what would happen.
Rhonda would play.
The next step, which I am sure you could surmise was simply to scream at the top of her lungs. Rhonda would play a song and then stop. Haley would scream and Rhonda would play another song.
After enough of that to make me want to curl up in the shape of a ball and whimper, I got out two wooden spoons. I taught her to hit the two spoons together. Sometimes she could do it so that Rhonda would respond, sometimes she didn't, but at least her odds improved.
One year I got one of those plastic clappers in the shape of tiny hands that Haley could just shake. It worked pretty well.
The details are fuzzy, but at some point I stopped getting Rhonda out. At this point I am not sure if we still own her, but I think we do.
So Haley has some memory of Rhonda the Reindeer and when she wants Snowman to respond she jumps up and down and claps and tries to make noise. I have to show her again that all she needs to do is wave her hands in front of Snowman and he will count down the days for her, because it is motion detecting not sound detecting.
I put Snowman on the top of the refrigerator after she has listened to him tell her the number of days left until Christmas about ten times or so. That used to be pretty safe, but she is getting tall. I am afraid she can reach him. She likes to put the ornaments on the tree and then take them off of the tree and listen to Snowman count up and down alike.
I wish I could find a place in this house that he could live where he might tell us the days until Christmas every once in while, not so much that we want to throw him across the room. I haven't found that place yet, so I just turn him off.
Snowman was not out 25 days before Christmas.
I didn't have enough C batteries so I opened the box and put Snowman in the garage and put C batteries on the grocery list. I eventually got the C batteries and then Snowman continued to languish in the garage until recently Haley saw him and the jig was up.
We have a love/hate relationship with Snowman. Haley loves him and frankly I think the rest of us hate him.
It's a cute idea, but imagine my child, who can watch the same video over and over again with a motion detecting sound making object.
To tell the story of the Snowman I have to tell the story of Rhonda.
Rhonda the Reindeer used to come out every year at Christmastime too. She doesn't anymore.
She was also a cute idea. An idea no doubt conceived by a well meaning person who didn't have a daughter like Haley.
Rhonda was a stuffed reindeer with wings and arms that moved as she played Christmas songs. Rhonda was not a motion detecting sound maker. Rhonda was a sound detecting sound maker. She would play more than one song, which I thought would redeem her, but unfortunately it didn't. The kinds of sounds that would prompt Rhonda to break into song were loud noises like claps, dropping things on the floor, sneezes, coughs, yells and the like.
Haley couldn't clap loud enough.
No matter how she tried Haley couldn't smack her own hands together loud enough to get Rhonda to perform. She tried, but I really didn't want her to hurt herself. I clapped for her for a while, but then my hands hurt. If Rhonda didn't start playing Haley would get upset and start crying. If she cried long enough she eventually got into fit mode and then when she screamed at the top of her lungs guess what would happen.
Rhonda would play.
The next step, which I am sure you could surmise was simply to scream at the top of her lungs. Rhonda would play a song and then stop. Haley would scream and Rhonda would play another song.
After enough of that to make me want to curl up in the shape of a ball and whimper, I got out two wooden spoons. I taught her to hit the two spoons together. Sometimes she could do it so that Rhonda would respond, sometimes she didn't, but at least her odds improved.
One year I got one of those plastic clappers in the shape of tiny hands that Haley could just shake. It worked pretty well.
The details are fuzzy, but at some point I stopped getting Rhonda out. At this point I am not sure if we still own her, but I think we do.
So Haley has some memory of Rhonda the Reindeer and when she wants Snowman to respond she jumps up and down and claps and tries to make noise. I have to show her again that all she needs to do is wave her hands in front of Snowman and he will count down the days for her, because it is motion detecting not sound detecting.
I put Snowman on the top of the refrigerator after she has listened to him tell her the number of days left until Christmas about ten times or so. That used to be pretty safe, but she is getting tall. I am afraid she can reach him. She likes to put the ornaments on the tree and then take them off of the tree and listen to Snowman count up and down alike.
I wish I could find a place in this house that he could live where he might tell us the days until Christmas every once in while, not so much that we want to throw him across the room. I haven't found that place yet, so I just turn him off.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Night Before Christmas
When I was a little girl my Mom read The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore every Christmas Eve before we went to bed.
I didn't realize how important that tradition was until I was in college. My freshman year of college was the first time that I had ever been away from my family. The college I went to was not that far away from my hometown, but once I went to college I stayed there until Thanksgiving.
I went home for that holiday and then I went back to school. As Christmas approached I had a serious case of homesickness. My roommate and I were feeling sorry for ourselves and one night after we had gotten into bed and turned out the lights we started talking about our Christmas traditions.
I told my roommate that my Mom had always read that story to us. I can't remember why now, but I started reciting the story.
I had it memorized.
Word for word I recited the story like I had the book in my lap, but it was dark in our room and the book was back home.
The story has always been a part of Christmas. I have read the book to my girls every Christmas Eve from their very first Christmases. I can still recite it from memory so I can hold the book open to them so that they can see the pictures.
Last year Haley's Big Sis decided that she wanted to read it. It was kind of hard for me to give that up, but I did.
Today we received a box from my Mom in the mail filled with wrapped boxes. There was a copy of the book inside, it wasn't wrapped.
We opened the book and I realized that it was the kind of book that you can record your own voice into. I immediately thought that it would be so cool to have a recording of my Mom reading the story. I turned a page, but there was no sound. I thought maybe that she had expected me to record the story, which also would have been cool, I was disappointed though.
Haley took the book. She has a couple of books that can be recorded and she started pushing the buttons. Haley wanted to read the book so she started turning pages and that is when I heard my Mom's voice. I was afraid that she had recorded over the first few pages.
I asked her if I could look at the book. I read the instructions. It said that it works best in a room with good lighting. I turned on the light and then closed the book and opened it again. My Mom's voice told me that the book was a gift from her read in her own voice. We turned the page and the story began. We hadn't ruined it after all.
Haley has listened to the story, read by her Grandma many times this afternoon. It is sitting on the coffee table in the front room and the lights are on. She goes in to that room and listens to the story and then comes and finds me and says "Grandma read." or "Read book." She loves it.
So there is another tradition that has changed and changed again.
Thanks, Mom.
I didn't realize how important that tradition was until I was in college. My freshman year of college was the first time that I had ever been away from my family. The college I went to was not that far away from my hometown, but once I went to college I stayed there until Thanksgiving.
I went home for that holiday and then I went back to school. As Christmas approached I had a serious case of homesickness. My roommate and I were feeling sorry for ourselves and one night after we had gotten into bed and turned out the lights we started talking about our Christmas traditions.
I told my roommate that my Mom had always read that story to us. I can't remember why now, but I started reciting the story.
I had it memorized.
Word for word I recited the story like I had the book in my lap, but it was dark in our room and the book was back home.
The story has always been a part of Christmas. I have read the book to my girls every Christmas Eve from their very first Christmases. I can still recite it from memory so I can hold the book open to them so that they can see the pictures.
Last year Haley's Big Sis decided that she wanted to read it. It was kind of hard for me to give that up, but I did.
Today we received a box from my Mom in the mail filled with wrapped boxes. There was a copy of the book inside, it wasn't wrapped.
We opened the book and I realized that it was the kind of book that you can record your own voice into. I immediately thought that it would be so cool to have a recording of my Mom reading the story. I turned a page, but there was no sound. I thought maybe that she had expected me to record the story, which also would have been cool, I was disappointed though.
Haley took the book. She has a couple of books that can be recorded and she started pushing the buttons. Haley wanted to read the book so she started turning pages and that is when I heard my Mom's voice. I was afraid that she had recorded over the first few pages.
I asked her if I could look at the book. I read the instructions. It said that it works best in a room with good lighting. I turned on the light and then closed the book and opened it again. My Mom's voice told me that the book was a gift from her read in her own voice. We turned the page and the story began. We hadn't ruined it after all.
Haley has listened to the story, read by her Grandma many times this afternoon. It is sitting on the coffee table in the front room and the lights are on. She goes in to that room and listens to the story and then comes and finds me and says "Grandma read." or "Read book." She loves it.
So there is another tradition that has changed and changed again.
Thanks, Mom.
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Nativity
Another Christmas tradition.
When Haley was little I put out a small porcelain Nativity scene by Precious Moments. I really loved that scene, it was a gift from my Mom.
Haley has always loved little figurines that she can hold in her hand.
The first time I saw her carrying Mary and Joseph around I decided that it wasn't safe.
Luckily at that same time Avon had come out with a plastic Nativity scene that looked just like it. I gave it to Haley and it has been hers ever since.
Every year I get it out and set it up somewhere that she can find it.
This year it is in her bedroom.
Over the years I have found each figure in a different place around the house.
Sometimes she sleeps with them.
When it's time to put away the decorations we go around the house and gather up her figures and box them up for the next year.
Change is good.
When Haley was little I put out a small porcelain Nativity scene by Precious Moments. I really loved that scene, it was a gift from my Mom.
Haley has always loved little figurines that she can hold in her hand.
The first time I saw her carrying Mary and Joseph around I decided that it wasn't safe.
Luckily at that same time Avon had come out with a plastic Nativity scene that looked just like it. I gave it to Haley and it has been hers ever since.
Every year I get it out and set it up somewhere that she can find it.
This year it is in her bedroom.
Over the years I have found each figure in a different place around the house.
Sometimes she sleeps with them.
When it's time to put away the decorations we go around the house and gather up her figures and box them up for the next year.
Change is good.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Gingerbread House
Another Christmas tradition that has changed.
Our church has a wonderful tradition of making gingerbread houses together. We have a member that has taken on the job of coordinating the efforts to make the small simple houses on round cardboard bases. She has teams that make the dough and cut it into the proper shapes and then they use frosting to hold the pieces together. After the children's Christmas program every year people gather and pool together the candy that everyone shares to decorate their houses. It is a wonderful event.
We have gone a couple of years and the first years were fine. We have great pictures and great memories. This was back when Haley's Big Sis did the decorating and Haley was small enough that we could just hold her, or walk around with her. When Haley got older something happened.
This beautiful event was all just too much for Haley, she has never done very well with crowds anyway.
I think the combination two events one right after the other without a meal in between didn't help. Haley was hungry and the only thing to eat was the candy. That is what she ate. We tried to get her to stop, but then she started spiraling into melt-down mode and since Big Sis wasn't done decorating the house we stayed and let her eat more.
Can you say Sugar Rush?
Then when we got home with the house she still wanted to eat it. I wanted to use it as decoration for a while, but it became too much of a temptation and had to have an early demise.
So we don't participate in this particular holiday tradition any more.
Our church has a wonderful tradition of making gingerbread houses together. We have a member that has taken on the job of coordinating the efforts to make the small simple houses on round cardboard bases. She has teams that make the dough and cut it into the proper shapes and then they use frosting to hold the pieces together. After the children's Christmas program every year people gather and pool together the candy that everyone shares to decorate their houses. It is a wonderful event.
We have gone a couple of years and the first years were fine. We have great pictures and great memories. This was back when Haley's Big Sis did the decorating and Haley was small enough that we could just hold her, or walk around with her. When Haley got older something happened.
This beautiful event was all just too much for Haley, she has never done very well with crowds anyway.
I think the combination two events one right after the other without a meal in between didn't help. Haley was hungry and the only thing to eat was the candy. That is what she ate. We tried to get her to stop, but then she started spiraling into melt-down mode and since Big Sis wasn't done decorating the house we stayed and let her eat more.
Can you say Sugar Rush?
Then when we got home with the house she still wanted to eat it. I wanted to use it as decoration for a while, but it became too much of a temptation and had to have an early demise.
So we don't participate in this particular holiday tradition any more.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Chocolate Balls
Today we made chocolate balls. My husband's Mom has made chocolate balls at Christmastime for as long as he can remember. We enjoyed hers for several years and then we respectfully requested the recipe.
There is quite a process involved in making chocolate balls, it is kind of like a production line. My husband and I made them together for years and then Haley's Big Sis joined in the fun when she was old enough. This year Haley wanted to help too.
My husband measured out the ingredients that consist of graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, margarine, coconut and chopped nuts and Big Sis mixed them together. We gathered around our tall round bar table and began to roll the mixture into balls. Haley stood there expectantly dramatically sniffing the mixture and proclaiming that it "Smells good." Her Dad asked her if she wanted to help roll them into balls and she actually jumped up and down excitedly and said "Yeah!"
I took a bit of the mixture and worked it together so that it wouldn't fall apart in her hands and then I handed it to her. As she started smashing it between her palms I got a little into my hands and showed her how to rub her hands together to form a ball. She was using a little too much force so I made her another one and then I held her two hands and helped her to gently roll the dough. When a ball formed I told her that she had done it and she place it on the waxed paper. She was thrilled.
I asked her if she wanted to do it again and she said "yeah." I picked up some more dough and out of habit I created a ball and handed it to her. She immediately set it on the waxed paper, having judged it complete. That became our process. I would roll a ball for her and she would place it down next to the others. She had a great time and when all of the balls were formed she wanted me to help her wash her hands.
My husband took the tray to the refrigerator and Haley opened the door for him.
Later after the balls had chilled my husband began the process of melting the chocolate coating. Haley's Big Sis added the chocolate and supervised from then on. Haley would come by now and then and check on the process. At one point we needed a spoon and Haley went to the drawer to get one for us. She really was a big help.
We had a lot of fun this year putting together our favorite Christmastime treat. All four of us did it together.
Yet another tradition has changed, for the better.
There is quite a process involved in making chocolate balls, it is kind of like a production line. My husband and I made them together for years and then Haley's Big Sis joined in the fun when she was old enough. This year Haley wanted to help too.
My husband measured out the ingredients that consist of graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, margarine, coconut and chopped nuts and Big Sis mixed them together. We gathered around our tall round bar table and began to roll the mixture into balls. Haley stood there expectantly dramatically sniffing the mixture and proclaiming that it "Smells good." Her Dad asked her if she wanted to help roll them into balls and she actually jumped up and down excitedly and said "Yeah!"
I took a bit of the mixture and worked it together so that it wouldn't fall apart in her hands and then I handed it to her. As she started smashing it between her palms I got a little into my hands and showed her how to rub her hands together to form a ball. She was using a little too much force so I made her another one and then I held her two hands and helped her to gently roll the dough. When a ball formed I told her that she had done it and she place it on the waxed paper. She was thrilled.
I asked her if she wanted to do it again and she said "yeah." I picked up some more dough and out of habit I created a ball and handed it to her. She immediately set it on the waxed paper, having judged it complete. That became our process. I would roll a ball for her and she would place it down next to the others. She had a great time and when all of the balls were formed she wanted me to help her wash her hands.
My husband took the tray to the refrigerator and Haley opened the door for him.
Later after the balls had chilled my husband began the process of melting the chocolate coating. Haley's Big Sis added the chocolate and supervised from then on. Haley would come by now and then and check on the process. At one point we needed a spoon and Haley went to the drawer to get one for us. She really was a big help.
We had a lot of fun this year putting together our favorite Christmastime treat. All four of us did it together.
Yet another tradition has changed, for the better.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Christmas Traditions
Every family has traditions around the Christmas holiday, our family is no exception. The exception is that our traditions have changed over the years. I have already mentioned our Christmas tree tradition that has changed in this post and the fact that I decorate by myself. There are some other traditions that have changed as well, I will be sharing a few of those over the next several posts.
Some families put presents under the tree before Christmas day.
We don't.
We wrap all of the presents ahead of time and hide them, then on Christmas Eve after Haley has gone to bed I put them under the tree.
Haley must open presents.
It doesn't matter if the present is for her or not. If I wrap a present for any gift giving occasion I need to hide it immediately. I know this from experience. Haley has opened many presents that I have wrapped that were never intended for her.
If I go to a party and bring a gift home that I have received I have to immediately take it out of the wrappings and hide them away before I bring it into the house. If she sees the wrappings she launches into "Present, present, present."
Actually, truth be told, Haley must open boxes. They don't need to be wrapped. She always wants to know what UPS brings even if I tell her it is only soap. She has to see it. I have several boxes that I intended to keep to store things in that have been unceremoniously opened. So no unopened package is safe.
My favorite thing about Christmas morning when I was a kid was to come down the stairs and be blown away by the amount of presents under the tree. I remember a few presents under our tree before Christmas day. They were usually the ones that my brother and sister and I gave to each other, but all of the other presents were saved for that big surprise on Christmas morning. We are keeping that surprise alive in our house, I think there is some value in that tradition.
Some families put presents under the tree before Christmas day.
We don't.
We wrap all of the presents ahead of time and hide them, then on Christmas Eve after Haley has gone to bed I put them under the tree.
Haley must open presents.
It doesn't matter if the present is for her or not. If I wrap a present for any gift giving occasion I need to hide it immediately. I know this from experience. Haley has opened many presents that I have wrapped that were never intended for her.
If I go to a party and bring a gift home that I have received I have to immediately take it out of the wrappings and hide them away before I bring it into the house. If she sees the wrappings she launches into "Present, present, present."
Actually, truth be told, Haley must open boxes. They don't need to be wrapped. She always wants to know what UPS brings even if I tell her it is only soap. She has to see it. I have several boxes that I intended to keep to store things in that have been unceremoniously opened. So no unopened package is safe.
My favorite thing about Christmas morning when I was a kid was to come down the stairs and be blown away by the amount of presents under the tree. I remember a few presents under our tree before Christmas day. They were usually the ones that my brother and sister and I gave to each other, but all of the other presents were saved for that big surprise on Christmas morning. We are keeping that surprise alive in our house, I think there is some value in that tradition.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ticket to Ride
Haley loved the ride as evidenced by her brightly colored cheeks.
She loved that she could hear the Daylight's whistle from her seat in the plush festively decorated car.
She got very excited when Santa Claus came through the car with jingle bells ringing saying "Ho Ho Ho," but she was most excited to go shopping.
The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation set up a tent so that people can wait in line for the train out of the elements and also so that they can peruse the items that they are selling to support the building of the new roundhouse that will some day house the SP 4449 Daylight, the SP&S 700 and the OR&N 197. Haley gleefully took every written piece of information about her favorite engines which included the Newsletter that updated us on the state of the new roundhouse. The newsletter is well done and it makes us really excited to see construction begin.
Haley loves shopping. She kept talking about shopping for clothes, which she did, but shopping for anything with the Daylight, it's logo or the 700 and it's logo on it is her favorite kind of shopping. Haley bought two t-shirts and a new jacket. The first picture on this blog is one of the t-shirts she got.
This is the shirt that shows all three engines.
Here is her Daylight jacket.
I have been eyeing the jacket for awhile, I just really wanted to try it on her so this was the perfect opportunity. Haley also got a DVD about the Holiday Express.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A Time to Every Purpose
Last night I went out with four of my girlfriends. We talked candidly about ourselves and our families. We laughed a lot. I had a wonderful time. It was a well timed diversion.
I was out rather late and when I got home I watched television (Hulu) for a while before I went to bed. Haley woke me up twice in the night to be changed and tucked back in bed. So I was tired this morning and I slept in.
Apparently nothing happens around here without me.
Haley needed to be changed again when I woke up and she hadn't eaten breakfast. She came downstairs with me like she usually does in the morning and we had breakfast. Her Dad came in from the garage and started getting his lunch ready, because he had been up since morning and was on his normal routine.
Haley got up from the table and opened the freezer. She decided that she needed lunch too, never mind that there was still cereal in her bowl.
I tried to explain to her that she was eating breakfast and that she didn't need to eat lunch, just because her Dad was eating lunch, but it didn't matter to her. I offered her some of the grape salad that I had left over from a potluck that I attended last week. That sounded good to her, so she ate it.
I took a shower and got dressed and then sat down at the computer and she brought me a package of pasta. I went through the whole spiel again about how she didn't need to eat lunch, but she wouldn't quit. I reheated some pasta and sauce that I found in the refrigerator and set her up at the table again.
I don't know what I would do without a microwave!
She seems to be satisfied, for now.
I was out rather late and when I got home I watched television (Hulu) for a while before I went to bed. Haley woke me up twice in the night to be changed and tucked back in bed. So I was tired this morning and I slept in.
Apparently nothing happens around here without me.
Haley needed to be changed again when I woke up and she hadn't eaten breakfast. She came downstairs with me like she usually does in the morning and we had breakfast. Her Dad came in from the garage and started getting his lunch ready, because he had been up since morning and was on his normal routine.
Haley got up from the table and opened the freezer. She decided that she needed lunch too, never mind that there was still cereal in her bowl.
I tried to explain to her that she was eating breakfast and that she didn't need to eat lunch, just because her Dad was eating lunch, but it didn't matter to her. I offered her some of the grape salad that I had left over from a potluck that I attended last week. That sounded good to her, so she ate it.
I took a shower and got dressed and then sat down at the computer and she brought me a package of pasta. I went through the whole spiel again about how she didn't need to eat lunch, but she wouldn't quit. I reheated some pasta and sauce that I found in the refrigerator and set her up at the table again.
I don't know what I would do without a microwave!
She seems to be satisfied, for now.
Friday, December 10, 2010
It's Not All About Her
Haley is shy. We took her to a Psychiatrist a couple of years ago and that was his diagnosis. He never mentioned the elephant in the room, her developmental delay, he just said that she was Super Shy. I know where she gets it. I am shy. His theory was that because I am shy and when he was younger her Dad was probably shy that the combination of the two of us shy people made one really shy kid. The theory doesn't work for her Big Sis, but whatever.
I am shy.
When I meet someone for the first time I am quiet and I might not even look them in the eye. In the past people have thought that I was aloof. I don't share my feelings easily, ask anyone that knows me, if I start to talk about myself I turn a bright shade of red and my neck and chest turn three shades of purple.
Once I know someone well I open up. Some of my friends probably don't think that I am shy, but deep down I am.
Even though this blog is about my daughter, ultimately it is also about me. I can't write about my daughter without putting a lot of myself into it, especially because what I know about her is filtered through my understanding of her.
I am open in this blog, I am honest. I may not write about every little thing that happens to us, (obviously since I haven't written a thing in four days) but what I do write about is honest. I am trying to be more honest in my everyday life as well.
The person I was five years ago would never have been able to write a blog. I was a different person to everyone who knew me. It was exhausting.
In the last couple of years I have decided to be who I am, all of the time. There are people who thought that I had changed, but the truth is that I have always been this person, I just have not always let everyone know that.
It makes life somewhat simpler to be yourself. I don't try to filter myself for each person I am with. I let people know what is going on inside of me. I have friends that read this blog, but I also have friends that don't. They don't get as much information about Haley and our life together as my readers do, I have to remember that. I try to share our experiences with them like I do with you.
It also means that I am honest with my feelings sometimes when people ask me how I am.
Life is not always easy with a child that has special needs, sometimes it can be really hard. When people ask me how Haley is doing I usually say that she is doing really well, because she is. Everyday seems to bring new and exciting changes. Lately she has really been showing incredible patience. I think she is learning that when we tell her something is going to happen in the future she can believe us. That is a great improvement.
I like to share the joys, but sometimes I also share the problems. People smile and nod and I can tell that they are trying to imagine what it must be like for me, they won't be able to, but I appreciate the fact that they try.
All of this is to say that I haven't been writing for a couple of days because sometimes my everyday life takes over and even if I have time to sit down at the keyboard a cute little story doesn't always come to me.
I don't try to sugar coat my life for you, my readers, but sometimes it helps if I sugar coat it for myself.
I am shy.
When I meet someone for the first time I am quiet and I might not even look them in the eye. In the past people have thought that I was aloof. I don't share my feelings easily, ask anyone that knows me, if I start to talk about myself I turn a bright shade of red and my neck and chest turn three shades of purple.
Once I know someone well I open up. Some of my friends probably don't think that I am shy, but deep down I am.
Even though this blog is about my daughter, ultimately it is also about me. I can't write about my daughter without putting a lot of myself into it, especially because what I know about her is filtered through my understanding of her.
I am open in this blog, I am honest. I may not write about every little thing that happens to us, (obviously since I haven't written a thing in four days) but what I do write about is honest. I am trying to be more honest in my everyday life as well.
The person I was five years ago would never have been able to write a blog. I was a different person to everyone who knew me. It was exhausting.
In the last couple of years I have decided to be who I am, all of the time. There are people who thought that I had changed, but the truth is that I have always been this person, I just have not always let everyone know that.
It makes life somewhat simpler to be yourself. I don't try to filter myself for each person I am with. I let people know what is going on inside of me. I have friends that read this blog, but I also have friends that don't. They don't get as much information about Haley and our life together as my readers do, I have to remember that. I try to share our experiences with them like I do with you.
It also means that I am honest with my feelings sometimes when people ask me how I am.
Life is not always easy with a child that has special needs, sometimes it can be really hard. When people ask me how Haley is doing I usually say that she is doing really well, because she is. Everyday seems to bring new and exciting changes. Lately she has really been showing incredible patience. I think she is learning that when we tell her something is going to happen in the future she can believe us. That is a great improvement.
I like to share the joys, but sometimes I also share the problems. People smile and nod and I can tell that they are trying to imagine what it must be like for me, they won't be able to, but I appreciate the fact that they try.
All of this is to say that I haven't been writing for a couple of days because sometimes my everyday life takes over and even if I have time to sit down at the keyboard a cute little story doesn't always come to me.
I don't try to sugar coat my life for you, my readers, but sometimes it helps if I sugar coat it for myself.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
She Saw the Daylight
In our area we are blessed to have a steam locomotive that is operational and is run on special occasions. One such occasion is the Christmas season. Every year we like to take Haley for a ride on the Holiday Express that is pulled by either the 4449 Daylight or the SP&S 700.
We wanted to go this weekend, but Haley's Big Sis is not feeling well so we are planning to go next weekend. We bought our tickets this morning.
My husband always takes Haley train watching on Sundays and he really wanted to take her down to see the Daylight pulling the train today. He was concerned that she would be upset if she got to see the train without getting to ride it.
I didn't know what to tell him, but I said that maybe she would understand if he just told her the truth. He decided to take her.
When they got home Haley came in the kitchen and started telling me all about it. She told me that she saw the Daylight and that she walked and that she heard the engine's whistle. She told me that she could smell the steam and smoke and that it smelled good. Her Dad came in a few minutes later and prompted her to tell me more. He told me that she wasn't scared. At all. He said that she walked right along side the engine and never asked to go back to the Yukon.
He said that he really enjoyed the whole trip because she really enjoyed it.
I asked him if she was upset that she didn't get to ride it. He said that she wasn't. She talked about riding the cars and he told her that we had tickets for next Sunday. She said "tickets" and that was it. She was fine with it.
A few hours later. after she had spent the afternoon looking at pictures of the Daylight and the Holiday Express online she came downstairs and found me again. She started telling me how she had waved at the engineer of the Daylight, his name is Doyle. She told me that she walked and that she had fun.
Well, I will let her tell you herself.
We wanted to go this weekend, but Haley's Big Sis is not feeling well so we are planning to go next weekend. We bought our tickets this morning.
My husband always takes Haley train watching on Sundays and he really wanted to take her down to see the Daylight pulling the train today. He was concerned that she would be upset if she got to see the train without getting to ride it.
I didn't know what to tell him, but I said that maybe she would understand if he just told her the truth. He decided to take her.
When they got home Haley came in the kitchen and started telling me all about it. She told me that she saw the Daylight and that she walked and that she heard the engine's whistle. She told me that she could smell the steam and smoke and that it smelled good. Her Dad came in a few minutes later and prompted her to tell me more. He told me that she wasn't scared. At all. He said that she walked right along side the engine and never asked to go back to the Yukon.
He said that he really enjoyed the whole trip because she really enjoyed it.
I asked him if she was upset that she didn't get to ride it. He said that she wasn't. She talked about riding the cars and he told her that we had tickets for next Sunday. She said "tickets" and that was it. She was fine with it.
A few hours later. after she had spent the afternoon looking at pictures of the Daylight and the Holiday Express online she came downstairs and found me again. She started telling me how she had waved at the engineer of the Daylight, his name is Doyle. She told me that she walked and that she had fun.
Well, I will let her tell you herself.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
O Christmas Tree
When Haley was small we had a real tree and we had lots of beautiful Hallmark ornaments that we had given each other as gifts since we were married. We had those ball ornaments that will break if they touch each other. The tree was decorated with cute little figures. Haley loves little figures. She likes to hold them. She reached for one and pulled and the entire tree came down on top of her, breaking most of those beautiful delicate ornaments.
So now our tree is small, simple and unbreakable.
We have an artificial tree that is about five and half feet tall and we decorate it the same every year. I bought three sets of unbreakable ball ornaments that are blue, red, green and purple with gold designs. I bought six golden crosses which are also unbreakable and a set of 12 plastic icicles. That is all we put on the tree besides lights and a garland of sparkly gold.
I think it is pretty and the girls can help me decorate it; I don't worry about them breaking anything or putting an ornament in a wrong spot. It is easy and simple. It speaks to many compromises I have made over the years.
So now our tree is small, simple and unbreakable.
We have an artificial tree that is about five and half feet tall and we decorate it the same every year. I bought three sets of unbreakable ball ornaments that are blue, red, green and purple with gold designs. I bought six golden crosses which are also unbreakable and a set of 12 plastic icicles. That is all we put on the tree besides lights and a garland of sparkly gold.
I think it is pretty and the girls can help me decorate it; I don't worry about them breaking anything or putting an ornament in a wrong spot. It is easy and simple. It speaks to many compromises I have made over the years.
We decorated the tree today.
Haley got to help put the ornaments on.
I have to guide her hand because she can barely hold on to the ornament let alone find a branch and then leave it on the branch.
She put two on with my help and then she was happy to just hand them to me.
I like it when she feels like she is helping and she doesn't get stressed out because she can't do it herself.
Our tree is also quick, I think we decorated it less than thirty minutes. Again, no stress.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Next Thing
As I was helping Haley get dressed this morning she looked over at the tiny calendar that hangs on the wall by her bed and said "Christmas presents coming." So I guess that is what's next.
Then we went in to the bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth and she kept talking about Christmas presents. I asked her what she wanted for presents. She said "Green. Red."
"Oh, you are talking about the wrapping paper. What do you want to be in the presents?"
She thought about that for a moment and then she said, "Horses, mmmm, horses, dolls, mmmm, horses, mmmm, horses, cars, trains, mmmm, horses, horses."
Well, that was easy.
We went downstairs and she headed for the laundry room to see Shadow like she usually does. I got her shoes and her coat out of the closet and went around the corner to wait for her. She followed me around the corner and I looked up to see that she was carrying a box. I was startled. I looked at it. She had gotten out the box of wrapping paper. I told her we didn't have time to do any wrapping because the bus would be here soon and I put the box away. Then she got mad at me.
"Presents!" she yelled. Oh, joy!
"Haley, we will be able to open presents on Christmas Day, today is the 3rd so we have 22 days to wait."
"22 days."
"Yes."
Then we went in to the bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth and she kept talking about Christmas presents. I asked her what she wanted for presents. She said "Green. Red."
"Oh, you are talking about the wrapping paper. What do you want to be in the presents?"
She thought about that for a moment and then she said, "Horses, mmmm, horses, dolls, mmmm, horses, mmmm, horses, cars, trains, mmmm, horses, horses."
Well, that was easy.
We went downstairs and she headed for the laundry room to see Shadow like she usually does. I got her shoes and her coat out of the closet and went around the corner to wait for her. She followed me around the corner and I looked up to see that she was carrying a box. I was startled. I looked at it. She had gotten out the box of wrapping paper. I told her we didn't have time to do any wrapping because the bus would be here soon and I put the box away. Then she got mad at me.
"Presents!" she yelled. Oh, joy!
"Haley, we will be able to open presents on Christmas Day, today is the 3rd so we have 22 days to wait."
"22 days."
"Yes."
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Another Eye Appointment
Haley had an eye appointment yesterday. She did really well. She doesn't need a new prescription and her glasses are holding up well so I guess we will go another year with them.
There has been an appeal at our church for used glasses so I got out all of Haley's old glasses. It has been very nostalgic for me. Looking at them reminds me of all of the years that she has worn them. I thought it would be fun to look back at pictures of her in them, the only problem is that I don't have very many pictures of her wearing her first couple of pairs.
This is the first pair of glasses she had. She got them when she was four months old. Notice the straps. We had to strap them to her head. At four months old all she did was roll around and then when she crawled they would have fallen off it they weren't strapped on. It wasn't a perfect system however. Also notice that there are two pairs and that they are both broken. I am not sure if there was a design defect or if they were never tested for someone so small. She used to take them off and chew on them. I don't have any pictures of her in these.
This is the next pair of glasses that she had. Notice how the white part of the glasses wrap around the ear. Great idea, in theory. They are also quite chewed up.
These were so cute. She did better with them and I really liked the fact that they were metal. They seemed almost indestructible. The rubbery part on the earpiece is chewed up though. I do have a couple pictures of her in these.
The next pair lasted a long time. I loved the color on these, and that they are wire frames. I won't ever get plastic glasses for her again.
I have lots of pictures of her in this pair.
Then there is the pair that she wears now. She has had them since 2006. She is pretty good to them. She will put them on all by herself if we forget. I think she is used to them by now. I love the fact that they are blue, they go with her eyes.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Never a Dull Moment
As I typed that title I had the thought that I could have used it as the title of this blog, but I digress.
Haley is walking funny. I mentioned in my post about Thanksgiving weekend that she was walking around with one shoulder held higher than the other, a' la Quasimodo. It didn't stop when Grandma and Grandpa left, and it's freaking me out.
I watched her like a hawk yesterday before school and all evening.
I've been coming up behind her and pushing her shoulder down and then I kind of rock both her shoulders up and down. I have been giving her mini-massages. I asked her if her shoulder or her back hurt. Of course she didn't answer, I don't know what I was expecting.
I spent all day yesterday, as I decorated the house, worrying about her. I was planning to call her doctor. I was planning to call a chiropractor. That's what I do. I worry.
I even tried to follow her around the house with the camera and document it. She seemed to know what I was doing and made every effort to twist away from the camera at exactly the wrong moment, the moment I pushed the button on the camera to take a picture.
When I was undressing her before bed last night I took off her shirt and noticed that she was standing so cockeyed that her bra strap was falling off of her shoulder.
I started watching her again this morning the moment she got out of bed.
She was fine.
Her shoulders seemed level.
I couldn't quite believe my eyes. I watched her all through breakfast. Then I had a thought. What if it was her bra? What if she was trying to keep the strap from falling off her shoulder? She wasn't doing it when she wasn't wearing a bra, she was only wearing her pajamas. I watched her walk up the stairs and made a mental note to put the bra on her that has a racer back, I don't think the straps would bother her in that one.
She seemed fine after I got her dressed. She kind of started looking like she was cocking one shoulder up when I was brushing her teeth, but I could have imagined it. I sent her off to school.
I have been watching her since she got home and I don't see it. I asked her Dad if he thought her shoulders looked level to him, he said they did. So I will keep my eyes on her. She is going to wear the racer back bra for a couple of days though.
Man! If it's not one thing it's another. What's next?
Haley is walking funny. I mentioned in my post about Thanksgiving weekend that she was walking around with one shoulder held higher than the other, a' la Quasimodo. It didn't stop when Grandma and Grandpa left, and it's freaking me out.
I watched her like a hawk yesterday before school and all evening.
I've been coming up behind her and pushing her shoulder down and then I kind of rock both her shoulders up and down. I have been giving her mini-massages. I asked her if her shoulder or her back hurt. Of course she didn't answer, I don't know what I was expecting.
I spent all day yesterday, as I decorated the house, worrying about her. I was planning to call her doctor. I was planning to call a chiropractor. That's what I do. I worry.
I even tried to follow her around the house with the camera and document it. She seemed to know what I was doing and made every effort to twist away from the camera at exactly the wrong moment, the moment I pushed the button on the camera to take a picture.
When I was undressing her before bed last night I took off her shirt and noticed that she was standing so cockeyed that her bra strap was falling off of her shoulder.
I started watching her again this morning the moment she got out of bed.
She was fine.
Her shoulders seemed level.
I couldn't quite believe my eyes. I watched her all through breakfast. Then I had a thought. What if it was her bra? What if she was trying to keep the strap from falling off her shoulder? She wasn't doing it when she wasn't wearing a bra, she was only wearing her pajamas. I watched her walk up the stairs and made a mental note to put the bra on her that has a racer back, I don't think the straps would bother her in that one.
She seemed fine after I got her dressed. She kind of started looking like she was cocking one shoulder up when I was brushing her teeth, but I could have imagined it. I sent her off to school.
I have been watching her since she got home and I don't see it. I asked her Dad if he thought her shoulders looked level to him, he said they did. So I will keep my eyes on her. She is going to wear the racer back bra for a couple of days though.
Man! If it's not one thing it's another. What's next?
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