Love is always open arms. If you close your arms about love you will find that you are left holding only yourself. -- Leo F. Buscaglia



Wishing you all a very blessed Easter!

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the palm of his hand."

Post-Christmas Update

I haven't posted in a while because our house was hit with the dreaded 5 DAY flu-bug that is going around. Unfortunately, the unwitting victim was LM - how sucky is that to be sick during Christmas? Here he is with his faithful nanny-dog, Holly. Last Saturday I took him to the Pediatrician's and he had a 103.6 temp - and the "well-educated" (but not too parental savvy) Dr. mentioned (in front of the sick but still observant child) that he "didn't have to take any Children's Motrin if he didn't want to". That was all the ammunition he needed and he used it a few times during the next 4 days or so.

Do you know how frustrating it is to try to give a stubborn child medicine to feel better? Medicine that he takes (Grape Flavored Tylenol or Motrin) when he's not even sick but now won't take it??? We have the liquid stuff, the fast-disolving tablets, the thin strips that melt on your tongue but not fast enough because the savvy, stubborn 4 year old still manages to spit it out...we have our own pharmacy here. I wish they would invent an Ibuprophen/Acetominophen patch - take that, you little darling!

Oh yeah, he was up at 3:30 AM on Christmas morning and just opened up some presents but was so miserable that I was able to get him back for a few more hours of sleep. He perked up later and actually thanked Santa for all of the wonderful presents!

Christmas Memories Part II - Favorite Ornaments

My Mom started a tradition of giving us a new ornament each Christmas since we were born until she passed away when I was 20. Most of the ornaments are Italian Glass Blown Ornaments and are some of my most prized possessions. I have not put them on our tree for the past 3 years - I was afraid that the LM would accidentally break one, but now that we have a bigger tree this year, I have decided to bring them out once again. Here are a few of my favorites.

The first one is Mae West - I believe she was the first or second ornament that my Mom bought for me - so she is up there in age (as am I). *Smile*

I think my favorite one is the little blue Eskimo - isn't she precious?

Christmas Memories Part 1- Hudson's Department Store

I grew up in Michigan, mainly in Dearborn (or "Dearbern" as it is pronounced in the area) and West Bloomfield - near Walnut Lake. Hudson's department store in downtown Detroit was THE store to go Christmas shopping in the early - mid 60's. The J.L. Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade would kick off the Christmas season and we went to many a parade. My Dad and Uncles would get us up really early, load us and ladders and wood planks in the cars. They would set up the ladders and planks in a primo spot to view the parade - us kids sitting up on the plank to see the parade - pretty cool, actually. Mom would stay home preparing the feast for 30 or so relatives.

One particular year, my Dad and Uncles sent us kids home from the parade in a cab as they were going to the annual Lion's Thanksgiving Day football game (when they played downtown at Tiger Stadium). I don't think our Mom's were too cool with that - can you imaging sending 3 or 4 kids home in a cab from downtown Detroit in this day and age???

O Tannenbaum

This morning the whole fam (Holly too) took a drive in the country to Ben's Christmas Tree Farm in Harvard,Illinois. DH mapped out a route taking country roads to avoid highways and busy roads. At one point LM said "We in the middle of no where"...where do they come up with stuff like that?

We got to Ben's in about an hour. What an adorable farm! They had two teams of horses pulling wagons; a little shed of goats and sheep and a warming shed with yummy hot chocolate. Santa was there too!

We cut down a beautiful White Pine, about 6.5 feet tall. LM helped Daddy cut the tree and drag it out of the woods. I think that I took a few good photos and hope to use one for our Christmas card this year.

I have uploaded them to flickr but I have to figure out how to put flickr on here. If anyone has any helpful hints, do tell!

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day
by Lydia Maria Child

Over the river and through the wood,
To Grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood,
Trot fast, my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound,
For this is Thanksgiving-Day.

Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barnyard gate!
We seem to go
Extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood;
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!