J-O-Y

I don't get as much time as I'd like to write posts for this blog.  Things happen all the time that I want to write about, but it is the finding time to sit down and write that is the problem.  Sometimes, I like to challenge myself to tie two posts into one.  Like today!

Last night, Jim created "Daddy Ball".  The game involves putting two light sticks (we got when we went to see the lights at Hartwood Acres (AWESOME!)), together to make a circle.  Then, you try to roll 3 balls in such a way that they stay in the circle, but don't go past it, from across the room.

Today, I created "Mommy Ball", and Dylan created "Dylan Ball".  Mine involves trying to hit 5 cups down with various sized balls (you get 3 tries).

  Dylan's involves rolling a ball through a space made by propping a guitar on stuff, to hit over a heavy game propped up.  When I was able to hit over the game, but he wasn't, he decided his game was "not a very good game".

But, we had fun, and I was reminded once again how simple it really is to make your kid/kids happy.  You don't need to spend a lot of money on fancy toys.  You don't even need to be all that creative.  You just have to spend time with them.

Something completely bizarre happened this week.  Back when all the Christmas cards were pouring in (I miss getting mail!), we got a card from one of my ex-employers.  On the front, there was an adorable picture of her two girls.  On the inside, three smaller photos of them, and then a quote.

Sometimes Jim doesn't even see some of the cards we get.  If I get the mail, I confess that I might immediately put it in the Christmas card holder before he even sees it.  So, on New Year's Eve, I brought out the stack of cards and we looked through them, while drinking Rum & Cokes.  (Yes, we are wild and crazy party people).

When Jim saw ex-employers card, he remarked, "Wow, I can't believe she got the photos to spell out the word JOY"  "Huh?!", I remarked, while grabbing the card to check it out.  The three pictures did spell out JOY!  "Jim, there is no way she did that on purpose! She's organized, but she can't be that organized!"
"Well, there is no way that is a coincidence!", he stated emphatically.

(I don't know if you can see it in this picture.  I wanted you to see the card, but without showing the girls' faces)

I had to know, so I sent her an email.  Here is her reply to me...

Jen………..I gasped out loud when I read your email.  Honestly, I had no intention of creating “JOY” in the photos…….I just laid them out in a way that looked good to me.  Isn’t that funny?  I can definitely see it now and am haunted by it!  What does that mean…....I created joy without even trying?!!!!!!  I am seriously a little spooked by your revelation!


  (I let her know that it was actually Jim's revelation).


Isn't that CRAZY?  I think it's a sign.  A sign that JOY can be found anywhere.  In little moments, completely unplanned and unexpected.  Like, while playing "Mommy Ball with your 4 year old.

The Best Christmas Card

Yes, I know it is January, but I need to back up a bit. I need to point out something to you, and also to myself.

Dylan was born in November of 2006. Jim and I really wanted to get a gorgeous picture of him to send out for our Christmas cards, since there was no time for birth announcements. To say it was tough would be a huge understatement. Here are a few examples of the pictures that didn't become the card...



That first picture pretty much sums up the first four months of Dylan's colic- filled life for me... a big screaming blur.
This one didn't make the card either, but look at it...

See how far his little head is tilted to the left? At that point, we had never heard of the word "torticollis", and we had no idea what was in store for us and Dylan. When I look at pictures like these...




...I get sad, thinking of the painful stretches this little boy had to endure, the endless specialist appointments, the uncomfortable helmet that he had to wear. Then, I get mad. Mad that his pediatrician ignored my questions about his head tilting for so long. Mad that I didn't force the issue sooner. Mad that it took so long for us to start doing all the things that would help him.

This is the picture I chose for this year's Christmas card...

Many, many people, including some of you, thanked me for the picture, or commented on how cute it was. Yes, it is cute, and yes, he does have a great smile, but no one realized the significance of the card. Even I didn't, until Jim pointed it out to me. His head is tilted to the right. Not because his physical therapist, or his mommy or his daddy are forcing his head into that position. He is tilting his head to the right, because HE CAN. And that, is the best Christmas present I got in 2009.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wow, you want to talk about behind? It is the day before Christmas and I still have gifts to wrap, and a present to finish making. Then, there are the hundreds of blog posts in my head from the last week! But, I did promise Jonny's Mommy a link. See, a while back she wrote this post, about Christmas newsletters. She said that if she were to write one this year, that it would just say, "We did the same boring, mundane stuff we did last year". That was when the light bulb popped out above my head, and out came my Christmas card for this year. After all, we like our Christmas cards to be... original. (Click on it to make it bigger - the background is blue - don't know what's up with that).

The One You've Been Waiting For

Well, the Christmas cards have been rolling in. How nice to finally get mail that isn't bills, fliers, or catalogs for a few weeks out of the year! I love to get cards, but of course, I have a few opinions on Christmas cards. I know, shocking, right?! Now, those of you who have already sent me a card, please don't take this too seriously. I love getting ALL the cards, so please, keep them coming, and feel free to ignore this particular rant.
But, here are my thoughts...

1. This might be the most important one. Glitter Sucks!! I hate glitter. No glitter, No where, No how! I think my hatred of glitter began when I taught preschool. It seems that in a preschool classroom every craft must be made by pouring lots and lots of glitter all over whatever you happen to be making that day. Glitter on the table that you will put your arm in for months, because you can never get rid of all of it. Glitter on the floor that you will step on, then track everywhere you go until you swear someone is messing with you, because "How did it end up coming home with me!!" Glitter in your hair, your clothes, your food! So, that is why, when I open a Christmas card with layers of glitter on it, I cringe.

2. Cards addressed to Mr. and Mrs. James (and our last name). I know, I know, that is the proper way to do it. But, to being proper I say "Phllbbtt!!" I am not just an extension of my wonderful husband, James. I have a name, too. I gladly gave up my last name, (didn't care for it, anyway), but could I at least keep my first name?

3. As an only child, I have been complaining about this one for years... Cards addressed to Mr. and Mrs. So and So & Family. And Family! It was just me. If they couldn't remember my name, they could put "& Daughter", although remembering my name would be good for my ego.

4. I actually kind of enjoy those hokey Christmas letters people send. I like to know what people have been doing. What upsets me are the ones written by the woman of the house (most of them are), that gushes about each of her kids achievements, and her husband's new promotion, but there is not one thing written about her year.

5. Cards addressed just to my husband! Yep, some bleepity bleeper actually neglected to even acknowledge both me and Dylan on the card! This bleeper got a card from us last year, so she knows of my existence and Dylan's, so that is just so bleeping rude. When I expressed my disgust to Jim, he said, "What does it matter? You're never going to meet her anyway, since she lives so far away." "Lucky for her"-my reply.

And now, without further ado, this year's card...



If you can't read this, click on it to see it bigger.


Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Bah Humbuggin'

Let me start out by saying, I DO like Christmas. Christmas is good. But today I am just so NOT IN THE MOOD! I looked at the calendar this morning, and it suddenly dawned on me that Christmas is in about 2 weeks. Two weeks?!? How the hell did that happen? I envisioned bringing Dylan downstairs, all "Dylan! Look at the tree! And the lights! And the snowman! And the wreath! And the lights!" His eyes would get wide, his smile would get wider, and he would toddle around from one wonderous decoration to the next. Instead, it's "Look, Dylan. It's all the same old crap you've seen every day for the past 12 months! Yippee." We haven't taken a single decoration out of their carefully organized and labeled boxes.

I bought two gifts so far. Two!! Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I made a well intentioned and admirable pledge that is "ruining Christmas for everyone else" (Jim's words). At first he was all "Jen, I admire you for taking a stand, and sticking to your beliefs". Then, after about the fifth thing he wanted to buy said Made in China, his tune took a drastic turn.

We decided since Dylan would surely redecorate anything within reach by promptly putting the items in his mouth for a taste test, that we would start a new tradition. We would buy a small tree to put on a tabletop that would be Dylan's tree. Each year when he is old enough we would let him pick out an ornament for his tree and decorate his tree. Sounded good, until we searched every darn store in the vicinity for a tree and discovered the Chinese have cornered the xmas tree market. Grrrrr.

Moving right along to the Christmas card merriment. Every year, or almost every year, since being married, Jim and I have designed our own cards to send out. We both went to school for art, although Jim is a MUCH better artist than I am, we both are creative, I love photography, he's great with design, I write poetry. It should be simple. It's not. NOT, NOT, NOT! If I am designing the card, Jim has to have his input. If he is designing the card, I have to have my input.

So today was the day to complete the card. I took the photo of Dylan last weekend, with Jim's help keeping the subject in the shot - not an easy task with a newly walking toddler! I finished the poem to go with it last week. All we had to do was choose a layout on the Target website and order them. But, the 300 or so (I exaggerate a tad, but there's a lot) designs were snubbed, poo-poohed, and deemed unacceptable by my fussy, must have the best card ever, husband. He spent the better part of the day coming up with his own design, thank you very much, while I bit my tongue, and counted to..oh hell, I lost track. But, the card is done, and now we just have to pick them up, print out the poem, cut them out, find envelopes, label them, buy more stamps, and send them. Then, to decorate, string the lights, buy the gifts... I'm going to need alcohol - lots of alcohol.

I know you are dying to see the card now, but you must wait, like everyone else! (Evil laughter)