Time to Blog

Wow, when I logged on to this, I realized that I hadn't posted on the blog since Nov 1. Sheesh! It's been busy around here. I have been enrolled in two courses, working on an internship as an administrator, and oh yeah, working a full-time job as a teacher. It also hasn't helped that our little digital camera came up missing for a bit.

Anyway, it's Christmas break, and we have our camera. With Christmas behind us already, we have plenty of fodder for blogging. Beginning with Thanksgiving, we went out to Hillsboro, to hang with my family, attend a riveting Blazers' victory over the Kings, and take the Camero for a little spin. It was a great time. The boys loved spending time with their cousins, which they always look forward to. Abby is so charming when we are with family. Those Thanksgiving Holidays are alway so short, but so sweet.

It seems as though the weeks that followed were the fastest and yet the slowest. Lisa and I have been incredibly busy with all that has gone on. With her being in the first year of this job, in many ways her schedule and events that she is committed to are all set by people in other positions. Next year, I don't think it will be the same, and she'll have a better handle on how to schedule her responsibilities. I choose to not attend any more school! Ironic that a teacher could HATE school so much, but I'm there. I believe that it generates a healthy level of empathy for my students. I'm tired of assignments and deadlines. Professors too; they have a funny way about them and seem to be a little out of touch with what's really important. I have never in my life been so grateful to have a Christmas break...it's truly a break.

Having Children at Christmas is awesome! It's more fun than being a kid myself (well, almost). I get to pick the toys, watch them open them, (let E-pa put them together) and then play with them too.

It has also been fun to work through the Santa thing with Ryan. He came to me after Thanksgiving, very frustrated, and declared that he wanted to go to the North Pole to see for himself whether on not Santa was really there. Near tears, he proclaimed, "I don't believe that Santa is real! Reindeer and Sleighs can't fly...it's magic, dad, I don't believe it. The only magic are miracles, and I don't think that Santa is a miracle." I'll never forget that precious moment, just he and I confirming his faith, there on the floor, in my closet. I explained that he is right. Miracles come from God, and yeah, there is no one man who is Santa. However, I explained that Santa is real...he is real because we all help to remember him as a Christmas tradition...that everyone is "in on" the Santa game. He asked "why?" Because it's fun. Fun for kids and fun for everyone who knows. It's not lying, it is a fun Christmas tradition that helps kids learn the spirit of giving. He loved knowing how and why we all play the Santa game. I explained that it isn't right to ruin it for anyone else who has fun believing.

Christmas is so much more fun when the kids know what's going on. They had a hard time being patient, but they did great, and I am proud to say that they were so gracious and grateful for the gifts that they received. Each of my kids were into different things, which made it easy to shop this year. Abby received a bazillion little Pet Shop toys. Will is into Star Wars guys. And Ryan is into Pokemon. Toys and Christmas...Wow!

Lisa and I put the Christmas gift funds that came to us into a new Canon XT digital SLR camera. Hopefully more pictures will translate into more frequent fodder for blogging. Thank you everyone for your gifts and Merry Christmas. Keep an eye on the blog. We have time for fun, sleep, and catching up on all of those little things we have had to pass over for the last month. That means I'll have a little more time to let you know what's going on.