Wanna know what we did all day Christmas Day… 
…put together legos, legos and more legos!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Christmas Morning Part 2
The kids were so excited to open their presents!
Above Ryan shows off one of his new star wars figures. Below he is excited about his new slingshot. 
Arianna is excited about new clothes and shoes for Sara.
Above Chris shows off the gift from Ryan. Below Chris has his new mug…Everything tastes better with dog hair 
Above,Ryan is dressed up as a Ninja. Below Arianna is already building with legos.
We were glad to have Yaya and Papa with us for the festivities. They were the beginning of this goofy family tradition many, many years ago!
Christmas Morning Part 1
Our family tradition is that you can get up anytime after midnight for Christmas. Well Arianna was up at 12:01am. I guess she stayed up and watched the clock. So we were opening gifts while you were probably visions of sugar plums were still dancing in your head. This year we changed things up a little bit in that we didn’t leave special gifts under the tree. Instead there was a Star hanging on our tree for Ari and Ryan to follow to try to find the presents similar to the three wise men and how they found Baby Jesus. My husband is really good at making up clues. The kids enjoy following the clues! Ari keeps saying can we do this every Easter and Christmas?
Christmas Eve
This was the first Christmas Eve (that I can remember) that I spent with my Daddy. We enjoyed the time with family! 
Above is my Mema…she is one of the strongest women I know. I love spending time with her. I always learn so much from her!
We all shared a meal together. 
The kids were excited to open presents together. 
My Dad wasn’t feeling very well…he has been fighting Shingles in his face and eye. I didn’t even get a picture with him but thankfully there will be many more times together unlike what we thought this time last year!
More Christmas Happenings
This is our countdown to Christmas “thingy”. Each day they gave me a kiss on the cheek and they got to eat a Hershey’s Kiss. 
Ari making snowflake ornaments
The gingerbread house that Ari made
Goliath and Arianna were helping fill the puppies’ stockings.
First Snow
The kids were so excited that it was snowing back in December. Unfortunately what you see is what we got. The kids were hoping to make snowmen. It has been cold enough as of late to snow but we haven’t seen a drop since that day.
American Girl
My American Girl got her very own look alike American Girl from Yaya for Christmas (Thanks Yaya). This was Arianna’s favorite present. After she opened the present, she said…”I didn’t think I would ever have an American Girl doll.” This was her big wish for Christmas and I told her that it was very expensive and I wasn’t sure anyone would spend that much on a doll. When Yaya asked Ari what she wanted for Christmas and an American Girl doll was one of the three things Ari wanted…guess what…the rest is history. We have a new family member. Arianna named her doll Sara (meaning princess). Most days Ari and Sara can be seen sporting the same outfits:) Ari takes Sara with her most places.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Denying a Child Wisely
During my quiet time this morning, I had an epiphany...it is a disservice to my children that they are given so much. I am poorly preparing them for when they are older.
I am reading Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull. Here are some quotes from my current chapter...
" A hard thing in training our loved children is to deny him that which he longs for and which we could give him but which he would better not have."--wow, it is frequent that my kids get little gifts and indulgences.
"Wise withholding is quite as important as generous giving". Chew on that one for a while.
"Few grown persons can have everything they want, everything that love can give, everything that money can buy. Most of them have many reasonable wishes ungratified, many moderate desires unfilled. They have to get along without a great many things which others have, and which they would like. It is largely the early education which gives one proper control over himself and his desires. If in childhood one is taught to deny himself, to yield gracefully much that he longs for, to enjoy the little that he can have in spite of the lack of a great deal which he would like to have, his lot will be an easier and happier one, when he comes to the realities of maturer life, than would be possible to him if, as a child, he had only to express a reasonable wish, to have it promptly gratified."
"For this reason it is that men who were the children of the rich are so often at a disadvantage, in the battle of life, in comparison with those who have risen from comparative poverty."
I grew up wanting often. We didn't have very much and honestly I probably received the same amount of Christmas gifts in all of my childhood as my children receive in any given year. I tend to over-compensate with them. I love giving gifts, it is one of my love languages. I give my children way to much stuff out of love. But boy do I hope that changes now that I have come to this new realization.
My children enjoy their toys. But they do not treasure any of their toys. I can remember treasuring my doll that was rags and ratty hair because it is all I had. I can rememeber treasuring my one wrapped Christmas gift. I want my children to have that experience despite their wealth. (I wouldn't consider ourselves wealthy but our children definitely live in wealth between ourselves and the grandparents.)
"It is not possible that he should think as highly of any one new thing, out of a hundred coming to him in rapid succession, as he would of the only gift of an entire year."
I want my children to be grateful for all they have but even more I want them to be happy and content in adulthood despite not having all they desire. I hope that I can undo what has been done in the last 5 years and truly teach them to be content with a little and to better prepare them for adulthood.
I went through their rooms and the playroom to prepare for Christmas but now I plan to go through it again in light of this new teaching.
This new teaching will be a challenge for me but I hope to be able to look back next January and see a difference. I haven't unloaded my camera from Christmas yet so I haven't blogged about it. When I get around to blogging about that, you will see why changes are necessary. Arianna has a birthday coming up, it will be our first challenge.
I am reading Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull. Here are some quotes from my current chapter...
" A hard thing in training our loved children is to deny him that which he longs for and which we could give him but which he would better not have."--wow, it is frequent that my kids get little gifts and indulgences.
"Wise withholding is quite as important as generous giving". Chew on that one for a while.
"Few grown persons can have everything they want, everything that love can give, everything that money can buy. Most of them have many reasonable wishes ungratified, many moderate desires unfilled. They have to get along without a great many things which others have, and which they would like. It is largely the early education which gives one proper control over himself and his desires. If in childhood one is taught to deny himself, to yield gracefully much that he longs for, to enjoy the little that he can have in spite of the lack of a great deal which he would like to have, his lot will be an easier and happier one, when he comes to the realities of maturer life, than would be possible to him if, as a child, he had only to express a reasonable wish, to have it promptly gratified."
"For this reason it is that men who were the children of the rich are so often at a disadvantage, in the battle of life, in comparison with those who have risen from comparative poverty."
I grew up wanting often. We didn't have very much and honestly I probably received the same amount of Christmas gifts in all of my childhood as my children receive in any given year. I tend to over-compensate with them. I love giving gifts, it is one of my love languages. I give my children way to much stuff out of love. But boy do I hope that changes now that I have come to this new realization.
My children enjoy their toys. But they do not treasure any of their toys. I can remember treasuring my doll that was rags and ratty hair because it is all I had. I can rememeber treasuring my one wrapped Christmas gift. I want my children to have that experience despite their wealth. (I wouldn't consider ourselves wealthy but our children definitely live in wealth between ourselves and the grandparents.)
"It is not possible that he should think as highly of any one new thing, out of a hundred coming to him in rapid succession, as he would of the only gift of an entire year."
I want my children to be grateful for all they have but even more I want them to be happy and content in adulthood despite not having all they desire. I hope that I can undo what has been done in the last 5 years and truly teach them to be content with a little and to better prepare them for adulthood.
I went through their rooms and the playroom to prepare for Christmas but now I plan to go through it again in light of this new teaching.
This new teaching will be a challenge for me but I hope to be able to look back next January and see a difference. I haven't unloaded my camera from Christmas yet so I haven't blogged about it. When I get around to blogging about that, you will see why changes are necessary. Arianna has a birthday coming up, it will be our first challenge.
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