Secret Pal 2009

Each year, one of our Christmas traditions is to make a HOMEMADE gift for another person in our family. We each put our name in a hat (sometime in October or November), pick out a slip of paper with someone else's name on it, and then SECRETLY make a gift for that person.

Last night we opened our gifts. It is amazing how much time and thought went into each present!

Nyah bought a bear from the Dollar Store and then made a scarf and hat for the bear. She also sewed a pocket onto the front of it to stick candy in. Carson was thrilled! Now he can take the bear and the candy to bed with him!


Carson was Nyah's Secret Pal this year. He tied a fleece blanket for her. It was so fun to watch him pick out the fleece. He settled on material with frogs that says, "Kiss Me!" He is not a very good secret keeper. I heard him tell Nyah, "I'm your Secret Pal", many times throughout the month of December!


I was Ian's Secret Pal this year. I decided to paint/redecorate his bedroom for him. It was really tough to keep it a surprise since he and Carson had to continue sleeping in there, so I gave him some Oreos to open up on the night of the unveiling!


Aaron had Cali this year. He made her a photo book of her year. It was a real tearjerker. He spent a lot of time and thought putting it together. He's such a neat dad!


Cali made me the coolest pair of fleece pajama bottoms. She went over to her friend, Mendy's house to sew them so that I wouldn't see her working on them. They are a perfect fit!


Ian picked Aaron's name this year. I think it is a lot harder for the boys to come up with ideas for each other! Ian gave it his all though. He got on the computer and made his dad a coupon book. They were adorable. Here are a couple examples:

I'll give you a 30 minute backscratch.
I'll get you a Diet Coke. (He means he'll just go to the fridge and grab one for him!)
I'll shovel the sidewalks when it snows.
I'll give you Swedish fish. (we aren't sure where he is going to get these!)
I'll play a computer game with you for 30 minutes. (Aaron thought this one was hilarious, as it is Ian who really wants to play the computer game. Aaron said, "So, Ian, I'm limited to 30 minutes, huh?!" "Oh, no. I'll play a whole game with you, Dad!" What a giving child! Ha! Ha)

This is the Life!

Being the mother of a 6-year-old boy, is kind of like eating a box of chocolates: you never know what you are going to get!

The other day, Carson came home from kindergarten acting very suspicious. He kept patting his coat pocket and doing nervous twitchy eyes. Being the intuitive mother that I am, I quickly asked, "Carson, what's in your pocket?"

"Nothing, Mom!"

I pushed harder, "Carson, I know there is something in your pocket. I need you to show it to me."

"NO! I mean, there's nothing in it." He quickly ran into his bedroom and reappeared without his coat.

"Carson! Go get whatever is in your pocket right now!"

He reemerged from his bedroom with a piece of paper. He slapped it on the counter and said, "I wish Mrs. Hyer wouldn't have written this."

On the counter was our family's first naughty note sent home from a teacher. Cali, Ian, and Nyah, never received a naughty note, so I wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Dear Mrs. Heber,
Carson and __________ were fighting on the rug when I was out of the room. Please talk to him about it."

What to do? "Carson, why were you fighting?"

"We weren't fighting, we were wrestling."

"Carson, you know you don't wrestle in school."

"Uh, we weren't wrestling, we were playing!"

What a talker! And all this from the same boy that told his entire Primary class of innocent little 5 and 6 year olds that, "There isn't a Santa Claus!" What was I going to do with this kid?

I decided to give the matter some time to sink in while I made Carson some lunch: his usual, a turkey and cheese bagel sandwich. I had to run some quick errands, so he ate the sandwich on the go.

I looked over at my "sweet" 6-year-old, sitting beside me in the car eating his sandwich. He took a bite, looked back at me, and said, "This is the life!"

I looked at my little guy at that moment and thought, "Yes, it is frustrating that Carson was "fighting" at school. It is also sad that he doesn't believe Santa is a big man in a red suit. But, he knows how to melt my heart with his smile and cute one-liners. He is right. This is the life!"

**By the way, the little guy lost his computer privileges for "fighting", but earned them back soon after by totally kissing up to his mom!

An Interview With the Tooth Fairy

After many tears and much wiggling, Nyah lost another tooth. She put the tooth in her tooth pillow and said, "I think I'm going to ask the tooth fairy to leave my tooth this time so I can show my friends at school tomorrow!"

Aaron's response was, "The tooth fairy will leave your tooth OR some money, but not both!"

"Well, I'm going to write her a note and ask her!" So, Nyah wrote the tooth fairy a letter with her request and also some questions for the fairy to answer. When I got home this morning, Nyah met me with a huge smile at the door. "Look what the tooth fairy left me!" It was $5, her tooth, and her note, which she proceeded to read aloud:

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I have some questions:

Q: Where do you live?
A: In an apartment in Santa Barbara, California

Q: What do you do with the teeth?
A: Glue them together to make big teeth to give to old beavers that lose their teeth.

Thanks!
P.S.
Q: Can you leave me my tooth?
A: Just this once. Those old beavers realy need their teeth replacements.

**Our children are definitely going to need therapy!

The Polar Express

Grandma Joannie took Nyah and Carson on a Grandma Date to The Polar Express. The kids have always wanted to go, but it is kind of pricey so we've always weaseled out of it. Grandma surprised them with tickets. When they got home from their night I asked them how it was:

Grandma Joannie: Well . . . why don't you see what the kids have to say about it.

Nyah: Well, we got a bell. It was okay.

Carson: It was long.

To sum it all up, you pay $36 bucks a person to ride on a train jam-packed with people. They read "The Polar Express to you, give you a bell and some hot chocolate and send you on your way. An added bonus: Cute elves and a creepy Santa. Don't think it will be a repeat performance next year!