Christmas events

This Christmas is one that I, personally, am a little glad that it's behind us.  Jen and I both had a difficult time getting into the spirit of the season this year.  Just how much difficulty, you ask?  Well, as I write this, it is the 28th of December and our Christmas tree is still without ornaments.  Yep, we put up the tree mid-month, got as far as the lights... and ran out of deck-the-halls energy!  We squeaked through Christmas on a bare minimum level of activity this year, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing... maybe even refreshing!  Of course, it didn't help that 5 out of 6 of us were some sort of sick through the bulk of the holiday.  I'm hoping we have more holiday energy next year, but here are a few of the few photos we bothered to take:

Lily, looking pretty for her kindergarten Christmas program.

She enjoyed singing.

Dylan and Zachary (shepherd #1 and shepherd #2) in the church Christmas play.  Costumes were pretty low-key, but when we were debating what Zachary should wear, I suggested his sandals.  He was upset that they were trimmed in bright green with the brand "Nerf" prominent in bright green.  He said Biblical shepherds would not wear Nerf sandals.  We said, maybe he was an affluent shepherd named Nerf, with monogrammed sandals.  He chose not to wear the sandals, but we still called him, "Nerf, the keeper of the sheep"!

Dylan's second role (King Herod).

post-play cast picture

Lily wanted a "radio-controlled dog".  Meet Go-Go, the Fur Real Friends mechanical dog.  She walks, she wags, she barks... and nobody has to clean up the yard!

Story here:  The boys have had a very outdated Sony PlayStation video game for several years.  They wanted a Nintendo Gamecube this year, which is still outdated, but less outdated than what they had.  Our family is not sure we are Wii impressed, so the Gamecube is, in my opinion, still a great system for cheap.  They relentlessly bugged me for a few months prior to Christmas.  I wrapped just the power cord/transformer and kept it separate from the rest of the gifts.  Their hope was getting deflated as they got to their last gifts, and no Gamecube.  I was proud of them, though.  They were mature about it, and I felt just a little bad.  After everything was opened, I let them sit a few minutes.  Then, in the spirit of Ralphie Parker's Dad (from the movie, A Christmas Story), I produced one last gift for them (but too small to be a Nintendo Gamecube).  Slightly confused, they opened it.  Even more confused, they studied it for a moment.  In this photo, Zachary is just discovering the small words on the transformer body, "Nintendo Gamecube", and the realization is dawning on Dylan.  Much excitement erupted seconds after this photo!  Boys... you've been PONED!

As I was uploading photos, I realized that poor Benny wasn't represented in this year's Christmas photos.  Sorry, Benny!  You'd have to know Benny, but he takes so much parental energy that there isn't always any photographic energy left over.  He was really not into Christmas.  Not the gifts, not the unwrapping, not much of anything.  It doesn't help that he has had a nasty cold and hasn't been eating or sleeping well through the holiday.  I'll have to get a few pictures with his new toys, but for now, these are, unfortunately for him, about the only Benny Christmas pictures this year:

Benny is lately into trying on other people's shoes.  Here he is checking his look in sister's ruby Christmas shoes!

Secure in his manhood and happy with his look!  Love ya, Benny Jay!

deck the hallway

The kids are anxious to put up the Christmas decorations.  Me... not so much. 

So, Dylan, Zachary and Lily decided to do their own decorating.  Dylan made this Christmas tree out of K'NEX and construction paper.  They added tissue paper snow and the boy's Geo Trax train.  Lily contributed one of her teddy bears, a shoe box "gift" wrapped in red construction paper, and a plate of plastic cookies and milk for Santa from her kitchen set.

The exhibit can be found on display, for the rest of the year, decking the (yet to be finished) hallway between their bedroom doors.  Oh, and although it doesn't show in the picture, the exhibit also includes a K'NEX stand to hold a strategically aimed flashlight, placed on the other side of the hallway, to light the display in the dark.

Don't you love the creativity of kids?

just for fun!

My brother sent me this... probably as close as I'll ever get to seeing a leg lamp in that window!

Home for Christmas

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, from our home to yours. I hope you have a safe holiday season, and that you are able to celebrate with ones you love. I hope, too, that you have the greatest Christmas gift possible. . . Jesus Christ!


Here is a picture of the kids with our "Charlie Brown" tree. We are a little tight on space with our remodeling and the addition of two more kids, one with lots of baby gear, so we didn't put up a full sized tree this year. We actually really like our simple pencil tree, though.

A tradition that I started when Dylan was born, is to make an ornament that is significant for each kid every year. Well, almost every year. . . I missed a few. We skipped the bulbs and beads on this tree, and just used the sentimental ornaments this year. I was very emotional when I pulled out the one that we put on the tree last year, in honor of Longxiao, our future daughter. What a blessing to have Lily home this Christmas, to place that significant ornament on the tree, in person. And, her little brother is here, as well. . . a blessing we knew nothing about last Christmas.

I saw this video on another blog recently. I know it features China, but how wonderful it is to think of all the children of the world, adopted in 2008, that are home for Christmas this year. And yet, I can't help but feel a twinge of sadness for all the children who have no home for Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas! Jeff and Jenny; Dylan, Zachary, Lily, and Ben

My three stars

Tonight was the children's Christmas play at our church. It was titled, Heli, the Star of Bethlehem. Since I have some drama experience, I was one of the adults that helped put the play together. When we started working on it in the fall, it honestly appeared a little hopeless. But, the kids really worked hard, and we pulled it together.

Dylan was asked to take a speaking part this year, and at first he said he didn't want to, because he was too shy. I pushed him to take it, telling him that it is good to stretch ourselves sometimes, and do things that are hard. Once he started memorizing and rehearsing, he got excited about it. In fact, he wasn't feeling well this morning, but he was determined to be there tonight for his part. He did a great job, and I was proud of him.

Zachary sang in the kids choir. When Dylan stayed home from church this morning, Zachary also agreed, last minute, to be his understudy. He rehearsed in Dylan's place during the Sunday School hour, and spent a large part of the afternoon cramming to memorize Dylan's lines, in case he had to pinch hit for his brother. In the end, he didn't complain at all when Dylan performed, and his effort was for naught. I was really proud of Zachary for his attitude, and he seems to have a dramatic flair. Maybe next year. . .

Lily also sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with the group of younger kids. She didn't quite get all the words, but she was right up front, singing, swaying, and giving it her all. It was one of those evenings that make a parent want to say, "those are my kids"!

My three thespians

Lily (left, front) singing, "ting-ko, ting-ko, la la star"

Zachary (left, front), and Dylan (2nd from left, back)

Dylan, as "Polaris, the North Star"

distant greetings

What is the most distant holiday greeting you have received? We were surprised to find this card all the way from Shenzhen, China, in our mail box today. It is to Lily and our family, from the orphanage where she lived.

You used up ALL the glue...

Some have inquired as to the verdict on whether I can obtain and/or display a leg lamp in my home. It's not looking real good for "...electric sex, gleaming in the window". If anything, the post probably strengthened Jen's stance. It seems like the consensus is that it would be funny... in MY window, but not yours! Jen actually admitted that it would be funny... in YOUR window, but not hers! So, I still don't get it; if it's funny in another window, why is it not funny in mine? I'll keep working on it. There's always next year...

Fra-gee-lay... must be Italian!

Are you familiar with the movie, A Christmas Story? If not, it is the one in which the main character, Ralphie, wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, but his mom says "you'll shoot your eye out". In the movie, Ralphie's old man (I don't like the term, but it's used in the movie) wins a "major award", which turns out to be this leg lamp. To the chagrin of Ralphie's mom, the old man proudly displays it in the front window of the family home.

Here is a photo of the front of our 1920's vintage home. Here's the dilemma: Although it doesn't look exactly like Ralphie's home, it is from the same era. I say the front living room window is the perfect place to display a replica of the old man's leg lamp. I think it would be a hoot! I want one for Christmas. Jen says, "no way"! I say, "you have no sense of humor". She says, "that's not humor, it's tacky". I say, "that's the point... that's what makes it humorous"!

In all fairness, I must tell you that this living room has never been inhabited since we have owned the home. It is the part of the home that I am renovating, and I am WAY behind schedule. We use a family room addition off the back as our current living room. I am very close to having it to the point that I can wire, insulate and drywall this area, and Jen longs for it to be finished and the Christmas tree displayed in the front window. And, she deserves that... at least for a few years... but, then would it be funny to put a leg lamp in the window? She still says, "absolutely not"! Any opinions?

boxes, tags, and... Legs!

Ah... time for Christmas shopping, already. As I peruse the toy aisles and glossy catalogs with my children, I am in awe of just how many choices there are. I don't think there was such variety, or such fancy gizmos when I was a kid. I'm not that old, mind you, but it seems that toys just get more elaborate and busier to compete for attention. Our Adult Sunday School teacher was recently discussing this to make a point, and he illustrated it with the lyrics to the Marvelous Toy, a John Denver song that says, "It went 'zzzip' when it moved, 'bopp' when it stopped, 'brrr' when it stood still. I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will."

Yet, it is often not the fanciest toys that are the best. My Mom has often told stories of how her and her brothers cut windshields in cardboard boxes, put them over their heads, and steered them with pan lids... the predecessor to Power Wheels? I remember saving a lifetime of wooden popsicle sticks (not from the craft store, but ones half stained purple, red, and orange from eating the popsicle). My brother and I used them to lay out elaborate roads, driveways, and campgrounds for our Hot Wheels cars that stretched from one end of our ranch home to the other.

So, what are some of my kids favorite things to play with? Well, many days, Dylan aspires to be an inventor. He loves boxes. Any kind of box. He has many imaginative ideas for simple cereal boxes. Here he is pictured with his latest creation. To me it is a flattened cereal box. To him it is a "Magic Board". I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but you stand on the Magic Board and twist at the hips. The Magic Board glides over the carpet and the twisting motion actually propels him forward. He has been propelling himself through the house on his Magic Board for the past few days. I tried it and was able to move about a little, but I am not as proficient as he. It is great exercise and very imaginative. He has an outdoor prototype ready to test in our next snowfall. To me it is a flattened cereal box wrapped in a plastic shopping bag... to him it is a waterproof, outdoor, "Magic Snow Board". I love imagination!

Lily is a collector of trinkets. I am not sure what the fascination is, but she is enamoured with tags. Whenever a new product comes into our house with a dangling tag, it is her goal to acquire the tag. Yes, she has "real" toys, but they don't interest her half as much as tags. She likes to put them in little boxes, her little purse, or her Dora bag, and carry them around the house. Several times we have been away from home and she pulls a tag out of her pocket and shows me, "see, Xiao Xiao's". I find it cute, but maybe a little sad at the same time. I am not sure what the fascination is with the tags. My theory is that it represents "newness", and perhaps life in an orphanage rarely afforded her anything new. Nonetheless, they make her happy.

And, then there is "Legs". This character was an unnamed, mediocre, military action figure that originally belonged to Dylan. After his horrible accident, Zachary acquired him (at least this much of him), named him "Legs", and has completely rehabilitated him. I am amazed at what Legs can accomplish with just... well... legs! Legs can drive cars, trucks, and bulldozers. I've seen him battle pirates, command ships, and spacecrafts. He is currently one of Zach's favorite toys, and with the aid of a little imagination, there isn't much that Legs can't do.

So, as we head toward the store aisles and catalogs, into the land of glitz and things that go "zzzip" when they move, "bopp" when they stop, and "brrr" when they stand still, I want to give my kids things they will love and enjoy. But, in the long run, can I really compete with boxes, tags, and... Legs?