Family Meeting

sample Cozi calendar

As part of Dream Weaver family tradition, we have a "Family Meeting" every Sunday evening.  Typically, after dinner and before all the kids get ready for bed.  The purpose of the meeting is to maker sure we, as a family, are all on the same page.  Spiritually, academically, socially, financially, and logistically.  My GOLD (True Colors) personality relishes in this meeting.  Looks forward to it.  Plans for it.  LONGS for it.  And is Oh-So, Ever-So grateful for the Cozi calendar app and the special role it plays in each meeting!  The rest of the family likes it, too. Me?  I am empowered by it!  But, alas, it is summer.  And I miss it!  Desperately...

The format of the meeting goes something like this.  Some one hollers at someone else to get the other some ones into the same room.  "NOW!". "Let's go!". "Let's get this started!" "Let's get this over!" (I'll let you pick and choose who says what...) Once the shenanigans of who is touching whom die down and we have Finn occupied with a Kindle, iPhone, or iPod and endless Easter Egg opening You Tube videos, we can get started.  Typically we open with a short praying thanking God for the blessings of the past week.  Then, we ask for each person to tell their favorite part of the past week.  Some weeks, it is remarkably difficult for the kids to come up with ONE thing to share.  Other weeks, we have to cut them off to ensure everyone gets to bed on time!  From there, Dad pulls up Parent Portal to check grades for the oldest 2.  This is an online grading system our schools use.  We can see the current grade for each class, plus what has been graded or what is missing, future assignments, absences, etc.  It is a GREAT tool, and it has helped us help Emma and Lara stay on track.  Jake is jealous and wants to be old enough that his grades are on there.  We still have some years...

After grades, we move to the calendar.  It takes orchestration - and outside help at times - to keep this crew moving forward!  2 working parents, 4 kids. (And get the grandparents in there too since they help out so much!  I feel lost if they leave town and I don 't have on-demand helpers!)  School commitments, work meetings and events, volleyball, track, dance, clubs, baseball, basketball, football, mother's day out!  Not to mention, doctors, dentists, specialists, therapists!  WOAH!  So, it has to be discussed - sometimes just to talk it out and make sure we have all the bases covered!  Mom opens the Cozi calendar and we go day by day for the week talking out each person's commitments, who is taking and or picking up whom, and if the meal planning has been done, what we are having for dinner!  (Sometimes this happens later with just mom and dad!). This is a very helpful thing for our family.  The older ones are mature enough now to be aware of their own commitments, and they can help make sure things are getting done; that they are in the right place at the right time waiting for the right ride.  In just a few short years, they will be added to the pick up and drop off routines as well!  (YAY! And NO!  All at the same time...)

So, it's summer.  There are no grades to monitor.  Days are not as busy (although this month's camp schedule was a BEAST).  Most travel logistics during the day fall to Nana the Wonder Sitter.  Everyone is staying up later, sleeping in longer.  The Meeting has just kind of fallen to the way side for now.  Last Tuesday evening I said to the girls, "Don't forget you have dentist appointments in the morning.  I'll come by to pick you up about 10." Both of their heads spun around.  They had no idea.  *sigh* Dang you "No Family Meeting" time.  (And they even have the Cozi calendar app on their iPods so they could look for themselves...). Britt and I still talk over the week, but the thought of stopping the summer crazies to get them in one place to talk logistics... Well, it's summer.  They are just not interested...

It will come back.  In a few weeks.  For now, I'll just say, "See ya later, Family Meeting.  Until summer ends, when we meet again." In the meantime, I will continue to spoon feed the kids the tidbits of family logistics they need to know at dinner time.  And pray with them at bed time.  And long for more normal days and weeks where Family Meetings can be a part of our lives again.

DATE NIGHT

This print available at Dream Weaver Prints!

Summer.  Summed up in one word: FULL.  As in: FULL of activities, FULL of family, FULL of fun.  A full car, a full calendar, a full onslaught of laundry.  Full bellies, full minds, full hearts.  For us, summer seems to get more hectic every year.  Make sense – kids get older, have more things going on, more independence for the older ones.  So, the management of this is really an ongoing, dynamic process.  Once again, I have to say how very thankful I am that I found Cozi a few years back (after making my own color coded Excel Spreadsheet calendar for YEARS!) to help keep me organized!  And without Nana the Wonder Sitter, well, all would be a huge mess.

The last couple of weeks were full of baseball, nature camp, baseball, friends over for dinner, baseball tournament, Father’s Day, Britt dressed as a Kangaroo, volleyball camp, sleepover wilderness camp, Kayleigh here from Texas, and looking forward to more baseball and another baseball tournament.  All of this can best be summarized in a few sunny and funny 

pictures and a short video:

Pirates end of Season Party

Last Pirates Game

Lara, Jake and Emma at Nature Camp

Lara's presentation at Nature Camp

Jake - warming up for Stampede Baseball

Me and "Kanga" Britt - March of Dimes Kangaroo-a-thon

Stillwater Stampede - 3rd place Eskimo Joe's Tri-State Shootout Tourney

Emma - Pioneer volleyball camp

Jake - Camp McFadden

Finn's Flags

Emma and Kayleigh with the Krazy Loom

(LOTS OF DREAM WEAVER PRINTS PRODUCTIONS IN THOSE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS!)

But the definite highlight of my summer so far?  DATE NIGHT WITH MY HUSBAND!  It’s been MONTHS.  And months and months. Since we have had the opportunity to be kid free and do something just for us.  Back on Valentine’s day, I was given this:

Last weekend, it finally was time.  We spent hours getting everything arranged for the kids.  The older 2 were with their Other Dad, but needed to come home and be cared for before we would get home.  The younger two would need care as well, so I hired a sitter to come hang out with them.  Nana the Wonder Sitter and Grandpa were road tripping south to pick up my niece Kayleigh from her mom.  I needed all 7 of those people to end up at one place at the same time while we were in Tulsa.  I made a spreadsheet.  It helps, I swear!  It was color coded, and had every phone number anyone on this carousel would need.  Quasi adults and adults each got a copy.  Digitally and in print.  There was NO WAY this was getting messed up!  I felt I had it all covered.  AND IT WORKED!  By late evening, all 4 of my kids and my niece were at Nana and Grandpa’s for the overnight.  #MommySuccess

So, what were WE doing is the big question, right?  Well, we left Stillwater mid-afternoon for a blissful, kid-free time in T-town.  That’s right, Tulsa was on the horizon and we wouldn’t look back.  For a few hours, at least…  First stop? GAS!  It’s so much cheaper in Tulsa (Sand Springs) than Stillwater.  This tank should last us a couple of days, right?  Then, the MALL!  We’re flatlanders in a flyover state.  The mall is a big deal.  Again, haven’t been inside one in YEARS!  And this one?  WELCOMED us!  Seriously – it’s like they knew we were coming:

Woodland Hills Mall

Wicked and OSU adorned the courtyard in the middle of the shops.  Yup.  All for us.  Even though we had agreed upon a STRICT “no shopping” policy, I somehow ended up with the CUTEST shark pajamas for Finn (dang you, Gymboree) and a fun baseball T (in Stampede colors) for by baseball lovin’ Jake (And dang you, too, Children’s Place)!  Time to get the heck out of there!  NO MORE SPENDING!  (I promised Britty I would sell extra stuff on the Etsy shop to make up for it, so go check it out!  I do custom graphics for just about anything!  What can I do for you?)

On to dinner.  Now, you know, we are on an ******** journey and we’re both droppin’ libbies right and left.  So, what’s a couple to do?  Why, go to CHEEESECAKE FACTORY of course!  All kidding aside, we had acquired a gift certificate to that restaurant last winter, and since cheesecake is may FAVORITE (all time, ever!) desert, I wanted to go there!  This was our first “cheat meal” (I hate that term) in FOUR MONTHS.  We knew we wanted to make good, sensible choices, especially since we KNEW there was cheesecake for desert.  CF made is easy for us!  They have an extensive (and delicious) “Skinny” menu.  (Again, small town dwellers that don’t get out much – we don’t know about these things!)  We chose from those items, and Oh. Em. GEE!  Love.  We ate it all (not really, I can’t eat like I used to).  Loved it all. AND had cheesecake for desert.  It was a truly wonderful experience.  And, YUM!

Next stop: Tulsa Performing Arts Center to see WICKED!!!!!  Back where it all started!  The first time we saw Wicked, I surprised Britt with a trip to Tulsa and tickets for his birthday in August of 2009.  We saw it once, and were hooked.  This past weekend marks the 5^th time we’ve seen it!  We’ve been changed for good and can’t help but to keep dancing through life as we defy gravity and spend one short day reveling in all things popular.

This performance.  Whoa.  Hands down, the best we’ve been too.  Tulsa, Wichita, OKC, Dallas, and back to Tulsa.  It was WONDERFUL.  Through and through.  The last time we say it was in Dallas for the girl’s 8^th birthday; that was 4 years ago.  (We’ve had a hectic few years…)  A lot of the costuming has changed (The flying monkeys got scarier!), and so has almost ALL of the choreography!  While we both have favorite scenes we were looking forward to that were completely different this time around, the show was fabulous.  This Elphaba (played by Emma Hunton) was by far the best I’ve seen.  And her chemistry with Fiyero (played by Nick Adams) was unmatched in anything I’ve seen – it made the show that much better.  Glinda (Gina Beck) had the best ad-libs and was very convincing.  The entire cast was stellar.  The dancers and ensemble were just incredible.  I was bawling at the end of Act 1 (typical) and still crying at the curtain of Act 2.  I can’t explain it, but this Musical has my heart.  I can’t wait to go again!  Where to this time, My Love?

We got back to our home in Stillwater in the wee hours of the night.  During intermission and after the show I had read texts from Nana describing the musical beds situation going on at her house, but I think they all finally got a few winks before Sunday morning rolled around.  We spent a leisurely summer day – resting, playing in the yard, doing chores – before wrapping the night up at church.  The twins are old enough to serve in the little kid rooms during the service.  How is that even POSSIBLE?  Sunday was their first time.  They did GREAT, and they loved doing it!  So proud of them as they start this new chapter of life.  This is a summer they will never forget as they step into the role as servants for our Lord with the Church in our local church.  They are the hands and feet of Jesus for these small fries in the yellow hallway on Sunday nights at LifeChurch Stillwater.  To sum it up: they are changing lives.  And because they are committed to serving, Britt and I added more to our serving plates as well.  That’s what leaders do, right?  Lead by example.  Love.  Serve.  Summer. Full of awe.

Lara and Emma - Swerving for the 1st time!

Our busiest time of the year

For a lot of people, the time surrounding the winter holidays is the busiest time of their year.  But not for the Weavers!  It always seems to be around April and May – the last 6-8 weeks of the school year.  We always have 100 things going on each week, and it is just a crazy time!  So, here we are again!  In the middle of just plain CRAZY!  But, you know we love it.  And, this is a GREAT time for a shameless plug for the most AMAZING calendar app around, Cozi.  I just love it!  Color coded, can text each family member, even had to-do lists and meal planning options.  Seriously.  Try it.  You won 't be disappointed.  I promise.  LOVE. <3

Let’s get caught up on what’s keep us elbow deep in calendar appointments these days…  There’s always work for the hubs and I.  And of course, with our new ******** biz jumping off the ground, we are always telling people about that!  I’ve got Dream Weaver Prints keeping me going as well!  So, those are the fun ways we are keeping busy and helping people out. Not to mention March of Dimes!  We got to lobby for babies and mommies at the Capitol earlier this month, and it's time to start thinking Team Finn's Fans for this fall!  Doesn’t get much better than that!

The Twisters are hurling fast towards being 12 years old.  It just donned on me today that we are a mere THREE WEEKS from their twelfth birthday.  How in the world did that happen???  They are truly my joys.  So different, but both loads of fun, considerate, smart girls.  The have their own interests, friends and activities to keep them busy.  We are right in the middle of volleyball season for Emma.  She really loves it and has signed up for a camp this summer.  Lara has added a dance class for the rest of the year and is honing her skills.  We hope to find a fun dance something for her to do this summer as well.  They are both participating in a kids’ mud run this Saturday – that should be a mess of fun!

Emma and Lara - Easter 2014 (age 11)

Jake is LOVING his baseball season.  And frankly, so are we.  Our Pirates baseball team is just awesome.  GREAT group of parents and kids.  The kids all work really well together and are having so much fun.  We had team pics recently and we are just loving the way they turned out.  Thinking I need to commission the photographer for some kid pics later in the summer…  Anyway – baseball is LOVE.  Jake is completely smitten.  His 8U team is going to go out on the field with the Oklahoma State team for a game next month, and he may not sleep before then! LOL!  He is also doing the mud run this weekend; he is on a team of first grade boys and he can’t wait.  I am sure there will be LOTS of pictures from this event!



Jake #13 - schedule card

Pirate Baseball Family March 2014

And sweet Baby Finn…  When do I have to stop calling him that? LOL!  He is just amazing us!  3 word sentences!  Noun, verb, object.  WHAT????  I know, right?!?  So proud of him.  He is still super stubborn and remarkable finicky, but such a fighter.  And winning!  Since we started the appetite meds 7 weeks ago, things have REALLY changed for him!  So much has changed!  His pre-school teachers can’t get over how much more outgoing he is.  He eats.  AND EATS!  And eats some more.  At school and at home.  He talks so much more. He imteracts with others.  He SLEEPS!  He sleeps well and consistently.  We saw the Occupational Therapist 1 weeks after we started the meds.  He basically didn’t qualify for services.  If we had gone in a week earlier, he would have.  I promise.  THAT’S how much he has progressed!  We saw the ENT a coupole weeks ago.  His ears are still great (one tube in, one tube out), and he looked at his tonsils.  We were curious if they were enlarged – perhaps contributing to the eating issues.  He is also a mouth breather and snores a bit.  The ENT wants to watch him and see.  They were a bit large last month, but it was the peak of allergy season around here, too.  I am supposed to check for apnea while he’s sleeping, but I’m scared to go in there and watch him sleep – I don’t want to wake the beast! LOL!  And this week we saw the endocrinologist.  And stumped him.  Literally.  It was fun.  And priceless.  We told him all of Finn’s medical history, then went into the story of our last 2 months.  In 7 weeks, Finn has gained 2 pounds (that’s 10% when you’re that little!  I haven’t even LOST 10% yet!), and has grown 1.5 inches.  IN 7 WEEKS!  He is now on the chart for height – still below it for weight.  He talked to us about height genetics and probabilities, and said Finn should be around 6’4” as a fully grown adult – barring any complications.  (We told him we did a height predictor for Jake and got 6’8” – 6’11” and he was shocked again.)  We told him we weren’t worried about him being 6’4” we just wanted him to not have complications.  He agreed that we just want to make sure Finn is healthy.  We continued to talk about our options and concerns, and as we told the Doctor about the developmental improvements Finn had experienced, he was truly surprised.  Had never heard of the meds making those kinds of changes.  He was really stumped.  And he’s the EXPERT!  The Doctor was completely prepared to do blood tests and get Mr. Finn qualified for growth hormones.  But, after spending time with is, thoroughly examining our boy, and listening to our story, he decided to hold off.  He told us to come back in 6 months (around Finn’s 3^rd birthday – when we will see ALL of his specialists again) and we’ll see how he’s grown.  I am ready for Finn to blow his mind again in 6 months.  Will you pray for that with us?

Finn - March 2014 (under 22 lbs)

Finn April 2014 - 24 pounds!

That’s where we are today.  While typing this post, I have had text conversations with 5 people about various topics, shared ***** with 2 customers, made plans for the 7 year old who is out of school next Friday, talked to my husband on the phone, and corralled my 4 kids as well as some neighbors & friends that have been in and out of the house 100 times in an hour.  WHEW!  #momlife never ends!  And I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Best. Husband. EVAH!

With six people in our house, it is ALWAYS crazy busy.  And noisy.  And chaotic.  AND FUN!  And you know why?  Because of my AMAZING husband!  He begs me not to call him that – for fear he will fall short – but I tell him over and over and over again, “Ain’t gonna happen!”  In my eyes, and in my heart, there is no one better at being the first in command at Six Dream Weavers!  My husband, my friend, my confidant, my love.

As usual, we have had a super busy last few weeks.  Between March of Dimes committee work, the March for Babies, Finn’s birthday, Emma’s volleyball, Lara’s dance, Jake’s flag football, Finn’s numerous medical and developmental appointments, traveling over Fall Break for a family wedding, work, school and church, I MISS MY HUSBAND!  I feel like I don’t get to spend time with him much these days.  We haven’t had a date in months, and I don’t think we have seen a movie (alone, together, in a theater) in over a year.  We try to have lunch together most days, but even then we are under the time crunch of work responsibilities, and all we do is talk about our crazy schedule!

So, I want to take this opportunity to brag on my man a little bit.  He’s been feeling the pressure of being the Leader of our family this month, and he deserves some applause.  He wears the hat of husband/father/provider very VERY well, and I want to tell you about it!

He is the Head and Spiritual Leader of our home.   His God given charge and one he takes seriously.  Most important job he has.  He prays with us and for us, and reminds us to keep the Faith.  He lifts us up and encourages us, even in the darkest of nights.  He starts every single day in the Word, and encourages me to do the same.  I love him so much for his example of being an Overcomer!  

But, the list goes on from there.  A little over 2 years ago he took over laundry duty since I was in the hospital.  I have never fully taken it back (I am in charge of towels and “miscellaneous” loads).  He is in charge of all things “outside” including the garage, the storage area, and the yard.  He is CFO.  That stands for Chief Food Officer (I loathe grocery shopping (ADD kicks in and I just want to leave), and while I am fully capable of “warming things up,” he is our head cook).  It stands for Chief Financial Officer (guardian of the checkbook, master of bills, stifle-r of on-line shopping).  And it stands for Chief FUN Officer.  He told me once long ago that his goal is to make me laugh once a day.  Most days, he far surpasses that goal!  Sometimes it is at our children’s expense (when do they “get” sarcasm?), but most of the time it’s just because he is so funny!  And so much fun to be around!  He loves to take the back roads and explore the unknown - traits I simply don't have!  He helps with household chores, leads our family meetings (ask me about this sometime – it’s a GREAT tradition we started (his idea) a couple years ago, and it works SO WELL for our family), helps keep our schedule in order (along with my organizing pal, Cozi!), and has the best logistics plans to get it all done when I just can’t see how it will happen.

I love the way he loves me.  And our family.  He is a giver in every sense of the word, and he truly puts my happiness and comfort, as well as that of our kids, before his own.  (Pretty sure he hasn’t had a new pair of shoes in ages.)  And he honors and loves me by loving my girls.  Emma, Lara and I were a package deal - with the added "baggage" of an ex-husband.  A deal he accepted with grace, humbleness and an open mind, but was genuinely overwhelmed by sometimes in the beginning.  Add two bouncing baby boys to the mix, and now and then, we wonder ourselves how we keep our heads above water!  But watching him parent, teach, and guide our babies – ALL FOUR OF THEM -- makes my heart swell with pride.  I admire the way he explains life’s ups and downs to them and how he comforts them when things don’t go their way.  He knows them each so well individually and knows just what they need and when they need it.  He can talk Emma off the ledge wen I don’t even want to try.  He helps Lara laugh at herself and see the joy in things.  He encourages Jake to try new things and never give up.  And, Finn would have cried A LOT MORE than he did the first two years of his life without his sweet Daddy constantly holding him and rocking him.

He is generous to a fault.  And not in a bad way.  We may not be able to even be in the same zip code as “The Joneses’” but if you need something we have, you can have it.  No questions asked.  We don’t always have money to donate or spend, but we have time, and a few talents, and he has shown me the importance of giving freely of those intangible things.  What an AWESOME example he is setting for the next generation!  I never fully understood what it meant to volunteer my time and get involved in something I believe in, until my husband showed me.  Now, I wish I could do more with my time!  He is an AWESOME fundraiser, and the time he spends at the Church welcoming everyone both make me so happy he is part of my life.

Now, don’t think for an instant it’s all perfect in the Weaver house!  Sometimes, we are tired, sick, and fed up.  We yell.  At each other.  Regretfully, in front of the kids.  Even at the kids.  We get frustrated with each other; with life’s circumstances; with too many kids (activities, homework, fights, OH MY!) and not enough time, money, energy.  But in the end, we know what really matters.  Each one of us, and the love we have for each other.  We are a family – and families stick together.  We may not agree on how to fold the towels, or what to have for dinner, or what “on time” means, but we will fight fiercely for our marriage, tirelessly for our kids, and ALWAYS look to God for the answers to our problems.  God promises to make absolutely every one of your life experiences – the joyful ones and the miserable ones – work for you.  I sincerely believe that with my whole heart.

We are so thankful for our parents who are wonderful examples (Weavers married 57+ years; Rickers 46+ years), our fabulous LTC LifeGroup who we get the privilege of doing life with, and all the people who know us, love us, and pray for us.  No, we’re not perfect.  But we are CONTENT.  And that’s a feeling I will take over perfect or happy anyway.  I wake up every day blessed to be in the place I am in, honored to have such an incredible (another word for AMAZING) husband, and to have more than enough under my roof and on my table.  My cup runneth over.

I love you, Babe!  Thanks – for everything! (You are AMAZING!  My phone even says so!)

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:31-33

P.S. We definitely agree on how the toilet paper rolls.  OVER!  ALWAYS.

Thursday Thoughts: Life After NICU

Today is the last day for WEEKS with nothing listed on my cozi calendar outside of work commitments.  This next couple of weeks are CrAzY ones! T-ball games, an appearance at an OSU baseball game, dance company auditions, recital, 5th grade graduation, talent show, the girls' birthday party they turned 11 on Tuesday!  Such amazing young ladies!), and more I am sure I am forgetting!  I love all the fun and festive activities, but the pace makes me a Mombie (Zombie Mom)!  Oh, and did I mention we are still trying to get those last pesky boxes out of the garage?  We're at the point with unpacking where we don't miss what's still missing.  We know its out there, but getting to it is hard..  I'm hoping for a burst of unpacking energy on Saturday morning...

In the meantime, it's been a time of reflecting on our journey with Finn.  We know of a young mother who's first baby is just a few weeks old and still in the NICU and she is frustrated with her predicament.  She feels it is so unfair.  We totally understand and sympathize.  We learned of a 9 month old preemie baby who died this week.  He was a triplet, with one baby dying in the womb before birth, and now he has joined his brother in heaven.  The surviving brother is doing really well, but we cannot imagine the immeasurable pain this family is suffering from.  It reminds us how blessed and lucky we really are.  We have been focused on Finn's lack of language,but compared to what a lot of our preemie parent friends go through, this is so incredibly minor!  Plus, we are hearing a lot of parroting this week, and he tells us no all the time, so he is getting there!

On this day, we are lucky enough to have our birth story featured on the Life After NICU page. We hope our story can help someone else cope with the roller-coaster ride that is life in the NICU.  We want to provide hope and peace.  We pray daily for other families on this journey.  We are privileged to be preemie parents, and blessed to know so many others on this emotional path.

Free Printable from Life After NICU

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is December 1.  Tomorrow we only have 23 more shopping days till Christmas.  Tomorrow starts one of the busiest months this busy family can have.  (I am still practicing my “NO”  from a few months ago!)  Tomorrow there are 3 craft shows and a community wide garage sale at my kids’ elementary school – and probably more I don’t know about.  Tomorrow Lara has a full rehearsal for Nutcracker Dream and I have to buy tickets (current count is 17!) for us and our friends.  Tomorrow the OSU Cowboy football team plays its last regular season game for this season.  Tomorrow sounds scary.  And fun. And BUSY. And perfect.  This is what I like about my life.  The tomorrows that are filled with crazy.  Memories in the making!

The USPS/UPS/FedEx elves have started filling our kids’ Christmas wish lists, and I have tried to find creative hiding places for the boxes.  The weather is looking good and the Husband is feeling better so Christmas decorating is on the weekend agenda.  There is no better time to get in the Christmas spirit, right?  It’s all fun and magical and filled with hope and sparkle!  

Sidebar – speaking of elves…  The “Elf on the Shelf” craze is in FULL FRENZY on my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feeds!  Here are my thoughts on it – in an Instagram: 

It's gonna be a long December... #elfontheshelf

My friend @hamby71 and I have been working on a Zombie version of the little pesky guy, and my husband has come up with a "Cracker" (what 5 year old Jake calls a Nutcracker) version.  I think it is super creepy - both the elf and the tradition.  And, I have a friend whose Elf now has severe burns from hanging out on the chandelier the other night and almost burning their house down.  Plus, this über busy, full time working, over volunteering, super mom of 4 does not have TIME to play with an elf every night and come up with crazy scenarios...  I do, however, have an amazingly creative and talented sorority sister/photographer friend who does.  She had a Facebook page for her Elf, Moss Moss.  Check it out here.  It won't disappoint my elf lovin' friends!

For our family, we put the emphasis on Jesus’ birth, and what that means for our life, but we also participate in the Santa Clause side of things, too.  In our house, each child gets 3 gifts – much like the Magi brought to Jesus in the form of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  We try to do something they need (like sports/activity equipment, shoes, etc.), something they want (activity, book, specific toy), and something to share (video game, board game).  As the girls have gotten older, that model has gotten harder to follow, and with Finn being so little, there is not a lot he can share with 10 year old twin girls!  But, we still try to keep it minimal.  Then, they get the “big” thing they really want from Santa (unwrapped, under the tree Christmas morning), and stockings stuffed with fun little goodies (which always includes a new toothbrush, and usually socks!).  The Man in the Big Red Suit follows the instructions of this conservative, tight budgeted Momma pretty well!  (The Grandparents and Aunts spoil them, but that’s their business!)

As far as we know as parents, Emma and Lara still believe in the magic that is Santa Claus.  We think.  Lara asked some serious and pointed questions last year, and I bet she is pretty suspicious.  Emma, who has asked questions, too, but not “deep” ones, probably believes more.  And Jake is still oblivious!  He’s just mad the Tooth Fairy has not had to come see him yet!  But, Britt and I have had a few random (very short) talks lately about what to tell them and how to tell them when they POINT BLANK ask about the existence and reality of this Santa Claus.  The first thing I will tell them is that no matter what comes out of this conversation, they are in NO WAY to relate any of it to either of their little brothers! LOL!  I came across this blog post on Cozi.com again today.  The Truth About Santa | Cozi.com  (Cozi.com is the family calendar web based software I use and LOVE!)  I remember reading this blog post last year, and I think it does a god job of relating what I want to tell my kids.  And the first few comment threads are full of good information as well.  Read it, and see if it might help you when the BIG QUESTION comes up at your house!

So, as we hurl towards 3.5 weeks filled with hot chocolate (although not here – it’s like 73 the next 6 days!), ornament exchanges, work gatherings, Dirty Santa parties, plays, ballets, sporting events and kids on sugar highs from the fun sugary treats we all found on Pinterest, keep this in the back of your mind.  “Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.”