Christmas Time

I can't believe it is time for Christmas. Each year it seems to come faster and faster. We are just about ready. Owen is excited - at least for what he can understand. I tried to explain Christmas to him. He asked me for a present the other day and I told him that in a few days we would go to sleep and while we were sleeping Santa would come and put presents under the tree and then we would wake up and there would be lots of presents for Noni, Owen, Uncee Ben, Mommy, Daddy, etc. He was standing on the floor while I was explaining and looking up at me with such inquisitive eyes and listening so intently trying to understand what I was saying. I finished what I thought was a brilliant explanation of Christmas morning to a two year old and he looked at me so innocently and said "what mommy". I screamed with laughter. I realized how ridiculous it must sound and he wanted with his whole heart to make sense of what I said. I just hugged him and told him that he would get some presents from Santa soon.

This past week was much like any other week. Owen and I went to our last Kindermusik class before the Christmas break. He still loves it so much. He participates in all the songs and follows the teacher around doing exactly what she does. She gave all of the kids a toy microphone for Christmas and a picture of the kids with their moms. Owen carries around the picture of us all day. The class has been good for him in so many ways. This class is about to end, but we signed up for the next semester. Hooray!

Angie and I taught our last class of the 6 week yoga class last week and then we had a drop in class this last Thursday and had 6 people show up. They clapped at the end of class and one of our students even gave us a Christmas present and told us thank you for the wonderful class and said she looks forward to coming all week. We were so excited! It feels so great to be making a difference for people. It is fun to get people moving and see the changes in the poses and the strength they are getting. We have another drop in class on Thursday and then we have a 5 week course, 6 week course and another 6 week course. Hooray for yoga!

Everyone went to the karate party last night with my dad and Kristi and the kids. Ben was Santa. He did a great job! Owen was so excited to see him and actually sat on his lap. He had no idea it was Ben and told him he wanted a choo choo track. Despite being a little nervous and looking a little skinny for Santa, Ben did a great job and all the kids loved him. There was tons of food including a pig! Yes, the whole pig (I have no idea if there is some preparation to cook and eat a whole pig, but as far as I am concerned, there was a whole pig on the table). It was hideous. We sat far away from the poor guy and Angie and I ate some pizza. Ben munched on the pork but said the skin (which was supposed to be "delicious") tasted like eating glass. See, that is hideous! Owen and Santa Ben

Owen got a blanket in the white elephant exchange and carried it around all night looking so proud of his gift. Once we got home I told him to carry in his owl and I would take in the blanket so it didn't get wet. He just stood by the car crying saying O carry it. I gave it to him and he marched proudly in.

After a long day it was time for bed. I told Owen to say goodnight, he wouldn't. He asked Ben to play with him in his "eeky room" (little room). Ben told him he had to go to bed. Owen said "daddy pay o eeky room, maaybe". I told him it was time for bed and brought him back to our room and closed the door. He started crying saying that he had to tell daddy one more thing. He says that all the time, when we leave someone so he can come back, when he is on the phone so he doesn't have to hang up, at bed time to avoid going to sleep. The thing about it though is that he never has anything else to say, he just smiles and you can see his brain thinking of what to say. He finally gave in and went to sleep, even without his "one more thing"

BEN: I had a request from my Grandma for a section on my blog for Ben since he is the only one of us without a blog. I figured I could do that, so this is Ben's update. Ben took two classes at Everett Community College this winter and ended up with a 3.8 GPA. He received a letter from the school yesterday congratulating him on "achieving a significant academic milestone". He is working at the office with everyone and doing a great job. He gets yelled at by Angie periodically but mostly because his desk is a mess. He just laughs at her and sings "Cinderelly, Cinderelly". The hardest part of Ben's day is deciding what he wants for lunch. When I am in the office he starts asking me around 10:30, "what's for lunch". The most alarming part of the story is that he gets to work at 10:00. Ben is living in the barn at my dad's house, (it is all fixed up as a really nice apartment, don't think that he is sleeping on hay) and he is freezing. We are working on getting a heater out there but it hasn't happened yet. He told me the other day he turned on his space heater and it said 39. Ha ha ha ha. Poor Ben. Ben is cold but happy and doing well.

As a final note - congratulations to Angie for getting her ring!! She and Steve are finally getting married. I am so happy for her and I am so glad that she has Steve. He humors her and her antics and you can see that he really loves her. I am glad he will be part of the family and I am glad to see her so happy!! Congratulations Ang - I love you!