Merry Christmas, Friends

Sending love from our house to yours!

Baby Jesus is doing WHAT?

One night when I was three years old, my mother was getting me ready for bed, when out of the blue I said, "The baby Jesus not grahowing." My mother said, "What, sweetie?" I answered, "The baby Jesus not grahowing."

My mother paused, trying to decipher what was coming out of my mouth.

"The baby Jesus is not growing, honey? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Getting irritated, I said--slowly--"The.baby.Jesus.not.GRAHOWING."

"Crawling?"

"No!"

"Crying?"

"No!"

"Growling?"

"No!"

"Crowing?"

"NO!"

At this point, I had clearly had enough. And these words came out of my sassy little three year old mouth:

"WATCH MY WIPS! I SAID, THE.BABY.JESUS.NOT.GGGGRRRRAAAAAAAUUUHHHHHHH-
OOOOOOWWWWWIIIINNNNGGGG!"

Do you know I can still remember my mother clutching her stomach and gasping with laughter? 37 years later? She said the way my little mouth drew out that last 'word' just about sent her over the edge. For years after, my family loved quoting the "Watch my wips" line.

And to my mother's dying day, she never did know what I was trying to say.

To the corner, Baby Favorite!

I haven't been a very good blogger lately.

I really haven't been pouting since the whole weather incident. I promise. (Not much, at least.) I'm just tired, and not feeling great, and a little down in the dumps. You know, the usual holiday thing that a lot of folks experience.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but I miss my parents, sister, and relatives. But, moreso, I just get sad about my brothers--the one in the neuro care home (Paul) and the other who's mentally ill (Mark). We've been helping Mark move into a new apartment this week, and to see the way he's been living is just depressing. I won't disgust you with the details, but being around him gets me down. And not being around him but thinking about him also gets me down. So then I'm not really in the mood to blog.

But, on a cheerier note, I'm just about ready for Christmas!! Yay! Everything's wrapped, except a few stray gifts I'm waiting on from eBay, American Girl, and Amazon. The waiting is killing me! I know they'll get here in time, though. I'm just anxious to see them and put them under the tree.

And otherwise? My house is clean, everything's wrapped, decorated, baked... I'm all ready to go. I think I'm going to make my mom's Hungarian Chicken Paprikash for Christmas Eve dinner. It was our tradition to have that every year growing up, but I haven't had it in over 7 years since she passed away. I think it's time.

Rebeckah, I have to thank you so much for even praying for snow for us! You are so adorable and thoughtful. No, it never did snow, but it stayed in the high 30's/low 40's all week and was drizzly and cloudy so at least it felt Christmasy. That's better than sunny and in the 60's, right?! I'll take what I can get.

Can't believe there are only 4 more days until Christmas! Are YOU ready?!