Thursday, November 26, 2009

and the magic of the season begins

L expected Santa for Thanksgiving dinner. Now, I'm not sure where she got that idea. The best theory I can come up with is this one: N and I were talking about Santa about a month ago and I said we should wait until after Thanksgiving to write out letters and get into the Christmas spirit. She must have heard bits and pieces and came up with Santa's coming for dinner. I told her he probably wouldn't come. N was more direct, "He'll be too busy watching the elves making toys. Then he'll go golfing" But from time to time over the past few weeks L would ask if Santa was coming for Thanksgiving, and we'd have to tell her know.

For a brief and shining moment I thought about it. We could have pulled it off, and have friends willing to step up and make it happen. But, I know how these things work, if you do it one year, you'll have to do it year after year. And long after the truth is out, it will still be expected. And reality says I was just not willing to make a commitment to Santa for dinner for the next 5-10 years.

However, I wanted to do SOMETHING. I mean how cute is it that L wants to have dinner with Santa? So, when we came home from dinner w/family we found the following ltr in our door. With this letter was a photo of Santa (our dear friend James who came complete with suit at 10pm last night - after work and rehearsal- so I could take photos. )


Reactions - pretty quiet, but the you could see the wheels turning. And just before bedtime N turned to me and said, "Mom, that letter was just for me and L. Just so you know" I'm pretty sure the magic is working already.


Thanksgiving 2009


Dear Noah and Lucy:I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. I stopped by to say hello, but it looks like you are still at your Aunt Robbin’s house.


I just wanted to remind you to send me your wish lists, have your Mommy or Daddy mail them to me at the North Pole. That’s where the elves and are busy making toys for all the good little girls and boys. Are you two still being the great kids I know you are?

Have a wonderful holiday season. I can’t wait to see your tree when I come by on Christmas Eve. Remember, I always come after everyone is all snug in their beds.


Love, Santa

PS I sure do like your mom’s sugar cookies and don’t forget to leave a carrot out for the reindeer, they get hungry pulling my sleigh!


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

What keeps you up at night?

I know, I know, it's the bills and the job, it's the kids and the braces, and the commute and the gas prices, and the government and the health plan, and the Thanksgiving and Christmas plans (family or no family). I know about all that, but what about that crazy stuff that no one else thinks of, and maybe I'm the only one, who knows....

When the wind's a howlin' and the trees are shaking I wish my first thought was how blessed I am to be in a warm home next to a loving husband with children tucked all snug in their beds. But, I confess that is not my first thought. My first thought is What if the tree falls on the house, followed by and if it falls on the house will it fall on our room or the kids' room. And it just keeps going from there. What if all the trees (we really don't have any trees in that close proximity to the house mind you) fall on the house at once, trapping us all in. Will Patrick or I be able to get to the children? And what if power lines have fallen outside the house, so now there's no electricity to the house and yet live power lines dancing on the sidewalk. How will the firefighters get to us. And will I be one of those super-hero moms who lift the giant tree off my children's bunk bed with one hand while single handedly wrapping an ace bandage around Patrick's fracture leg or will I stand frozen in the midst of the disaster unable to move to comfort my crying children let alone move the trees.

And then there's the scenario where Patrick comes home later then expected from a meeting and so of course he's been in a car accident and one of the children has once again accidently unplugged the house phone and my cellphone battery will probably be dead so no-one will be able to reach me. And if they do it will be to ask me if he is an organ donor which, oh I'm sure he is, but what will his parents want, and how do I get to the hospital to sign the papers with two sleepy children in tow and do I call the in-laws to meet me at the hospital or do I let them have their last quiet night's sleep? Do I try and find a neighbor to watch the kids or take them so they can see Daddy.... and how much was that damned life insurance policy for anyway, and I'm not in any way shape or form ready to be a single parent and oh my.....

oh, there's the keys in the door. He's home.

So, what keeps you awake at night?

Did I mention that little teeny rash on N, that no one else can see....

Sunday, November 8, 2009

why I let Superman jump off furniture

Just look at that smiling boy.




Ready




Set






FLY!!!!!!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

baking cookies the Wohlmut Family Way circa 2009

1. Gather all ingredients and interested parties.

2. Referee disputes over who gets to put what ingredients in the bowl.

3. Take a deep breath and count to 10.

4. Ignore large piles of flour on the table, it all cleans up.



5. Ignore that extra scoop of sugar going into the bowl...no one eating these cookies is expecting to stay on their diet.


6. Let Noah crack the egg(s). Think..."the frosting will cover any shards of eggshell, won't it?"


7. Warn Lucy that the mixer will be turned on momentarily. Lucy should then proceed to hide in the bedroom with Daddy. Afterall, the mixer is "too loud!"


8. Find the stool so Noah can reach the bowl.


9. Have a quicky safety lesson about eletric appliances.

10. Make a quick sign of the cross and tell N he can turn on the mixer.


11. Wait,


12. and wait.


13. Try not to sigh audibly as N decides he too would rather hide in the bedroom w/Daddy and L until the mixer is off.


14. Mix ingredients, don't forget to add time in for interruptions from children every time you stop the mixer, "are you done with the mixer yet? Okay, don't turn it on 'til I'm back in the bedroom"

15. Listen to pitter patter of feet running down the hall, wait for door to close. And resume mixing.




16. Chill the dough for an hourLet N put the saran-wrap over bowl (amazingly he will be better at this then you are)




17. During this hour you will be required to play a variety of games, most having to do with dinosaurs. Or you may be asked to read the same book again and again to Ms. L.




18. Try and slip in a shower, you'll feel better.




19. Dough is ready!


20. Agree that the farm animal cookie cutters are just as Halloween-ish as Ghosts and Pumkins.


21. Roll out dough.


22. See N dumping a pile of flour on the table. "the duck needs a pond to swim in" (remember why you didn't want to get the farm animal cookie cutters out)
23. Take a step back from the table, breath and remember baking cookies with kids is not really about the cookies, it's the 'process'. Count to ten and repeat if necessary.
24. After about 20-30 minutes of kids pounding cookie cutters into the dough, making footprints w/the animals, arguing over who gets which rolling pin you should have enough cookies on a sheet to put in the oven.
25. Realize you just don't have the energy to make more then two sheets worth, breath...
26. Have Daddy strip children of their flour covered clothing, and clean them up.
27. Stare at the mess and wonder if the pick-up fairy has a cousin who does kitchens.
28. Remove cookies from oven.
29. Let kids have a cookie each, no matter how close it is to a mealtime.
30. Put remaining dough in the fridge, and plan to finish cookies after kids go to bed.
31. Look at kids eating their cookies, listen to their joy in talking about the 'turkey' and 'cow' cookies.
32. Smile...breath
33. Clean up and if necessary take another shower.