About the Rising Cost of Lost Teeth

Little Miss V has officially entered the age of the tooth fairy. She has been wiggling several teeth the last few weeks with the hopes that one of them would land her jack pot gold! Sure enough, Monday, February 15th ,the last root stronghold gave way and out popped her first lost tooth! O the thrill in her eyes as she ran her tongue over the newly formed gap in her mouth!! She placed her tooth in a little treasure box and placed in under her pillow, anxiously wondering out loud what she would receive in exchange for her tooth.

Earlier that evening, Marty and I sat down together for a business meeting in order to discuss the "monetary trade off price" for baby tooth loss (that is a financial term that I totally just made up!!). Being the practical Momma that I am, I began by suggesting that V's tooth was worth 25- 50 cents. Thinking I knew my husband, I figured he would agree wholeheartedly and all other toothy discussions would be closed. However, I apparently underestimated the power of Vovie's finger wrapping skills and how said skills apply to her daddy! He countered by saying it was worth at least $5.00!! FIVE DOLLARS!!?!! I couldn't believe that extravagant amount had been applied to a tiny chewing tool that was no longer useful! I countered that my baby teeth had only been worth 25 cents and if it was good enough for me then it was good enough for our offspring! After minutes of battling tooth inflation, we formed an uneasy truce and came up with the new amount of $3.00.

And you know what?! Vovie was pleased as punch with those three green backs! I know because I was awaken from a deep and peaceful sleep by an excited little girl telling me that the tooth fairy had left her THREE DOLLARS! Can you believe it Momma- THREE DOLLARS?!?!

It occurred to me as I lay there watching and listening to her, that even if the tooth itself wasn't worth a lot of money, the big, gapped-tooth grin I was witnessing at that moment was worth a million!

About Snow

Snow Angel

Patrick the Snowman

Winter Wonderland

Snow! Winter just doesn't make sense unless there is the kind of winter storm that causes cancellations that force the whole family to stay at home, play games in front of the fire and sip hot chocolate! No winter is complete without the snow day that allows kids to stay home from school to sled ride and build snowmen.

Living in the south for four years only reinforced this opinion of mine. Although I appreciated the mild winter temperatures, I still could never quite reconcile to the snow "no show" syndrome that plagued Nashville. I'll never forget the year when it did, in fact, snow enough to cover the ground. Mac and Vovie wanted to go out first thing in the morning and play in it...but I told them to wait for a couple of hours; Alas! A "couple of hours" later and all of the snow was gone!!

This year, however, we have had our share of the white stuff!! We have already had five days off of school and have experienced sledding, snowmen, snow angels and hikes through the woods!

We've had SNOW much fun!!!

...Concerning Christmas 2009

It was the best of times and the worst of times. This was Mac and Vovie's year to truly embrace the magic of Christmas, yet they did so while their Mommy and Daddy were regurgitating their Holiday goodies!! I cannot describe to you the misery of lying on the office floor waiting for the next wave of nausea nor can I explain how wretched the night as the clock ticked away each precious Christmas minute. Nevertheless, in between bouts of fever and chill, moments of Christmas cheer warmed my mommy's heart...Vovie writing her daddy a get well note saying she would pray for him to get better and slipping it under the door of the office so she wouldn't disturb him...Mac walking unprompted over to his Nanny and giving her a big hug to thank her for the gift she had given him... Both of the kids tumbling out of bed with their heavy -lidded eyes and stumbling out of their room to see what Santa had left for them in their stockings...these memories and more were made even as the old flu bug tried to interfere. May the same Spirit of Christmas that allowed us to enjoy life even in the throes of illness, continue to weave It's love and peace throughout our lives in the new year.

About Christmas Eve Flu

Bah! Hum bug! Oh...wait...what I meant to say was Bah! Flu bug! Sweet husband of mine is camped out in the pastor's office waiting for the next wave of nausea to overtake him...Poor guy...apparently the stomach flu is the "go to" gift this year...it's certainly proven to be the "gift that keeps on giving!" May God keep our small kidlins safe from it's viral clutches...I want them to enjoy Christmas Eve to the fullest.

As wifey of an ill "Mr. Claus" it is my duty to keep him comfortable and comforted...but before I get off of here to do my Christmas duty, I must jot down something Mac said last night as we were driving to Nanny's house.

We were passing a beautifully decorated house whose Christmas display is outstanding. We reduced our speed to get a better look and as we gazed at the dazzling lights, Mac piped up from the back seat and said..."It's almost like the rays of the Sun!~~~~I love it!!

About A Happy Tummy

As I was taking the kids to Grandparent's house Wednesday evening, Vovie piped up from the backseat..."Mommy, my tummy feels happy!" What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, it sort of feels bubbly on the inside. It gets that way every time I go places that I really want to go!" Do you know what I mean? Has your tummy ever felt that way?"

I'm pretty sure at that precise moment, I had a glistening in the corner of my eye. My six year old daughter was articulating her feelings in her six year old perfect way... and it made perfect sense! I knew exactly what she was talking about and I told her so!

What she doesn't know is that she was giving me one of those "tummy happy" moments right then! It was a moment between mother and daughter that I have "hidden in my heart" to bring out and cherish when the time comes for her to "put away childish things." May that time be slow in coming.

About Christmas' Past

When you're a kid, it just can't get any better than a piano that PLAYS BY ITSELF!! I am a lucky woman indeed, to have a magical piano in my memory bank! The anticipation while Grandma Trimble rolled up that magic paper and placed it inside that piano was almost unbearable! At last though, it was ready...she would push the trigger and away it would jingle. Oh, the thrill!! I longed to be able to push down the keys and form a melody and play as well as that piano!

I am sure this piano played its magic all year long, but I remember it most vividly at Christmas time. In my mind's eye I can still see it's uprightness, sitting in the corner of Grandma's dining room. On Christmas Day it was always overshadowed by the large table that was in the middle of the room, laden with all sorts of delectable food. The piano waited patiently while our family's appetites were satisfied and all the dishes were cleaned; then, it took center stage as it entertained us with it's own hearty version of "Silver Bells." Grandma told me once as we sat on the piano bench together that Silver Bells was her favorite Christmas song.

The years flew by and two significant things happened...the piano's ability to play by itself ceased (faulty mechanism of some kind) and I actually learned to play the piano on my own! The piano became rickety and a little out of tune; However, that didn't discourage me from playing my own rendition of Silver Bells on it every Christmas.

Bittersweet flavors memories such as these...But I am thankful for them just the same...they challenge me to carry on traditions that will eventually be placed in Mac and Vovie's memory banks! So...(as I lift to the skies my glass of Jolly)...here is to Silver Bells and the magic playing piano!! Soon it will be Christmas day!! Cheers and Ding a Ling!!

About Her Kid's Christmas Conversation

As I was coming in from class last night, I walked past the closed bathroom door. I heard the low murmuring of my kids on the other side as they made their preparations to go to bed. In between teeth brushings I heard the following conversation: Vovie to Mac,"Mac- is Santa Clause real?" Mac to Vovie,"Beats me! All I know is he lived the same time as Jesus." Vovie to Mac,"Maybe Jesus and Santa were friends!" End of discussion.