Last weekend we attended Cody's college graduation at K-State. Besides being at K-State, it was a great day! It is amazing that he and Steph are grown up and starting their lives as adults. Cody's family is wonderful and when we are all together it is just like we are all family and always have been. It was almost odd to me how "easy" it all was. I think we are all so lucky to have gained more family on both sides! I am also very proud of Cody for already having a good job to start in January.
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| Can you tell my kids LOVE Cody! |
Christmas is quickly approaching and we have a long list of Christmas Traditions in our family. When Raelynn was first born I was determined to start some traditions of our own while also maintaining those I had a child. I have successfully done that and now am wondering what I was thinking! Raelynn is now adding some of her own as well. Our traditions begin the day after Thanksgiving. Each of the kids get to go shopping for the year's Christmas ornament, we decorate the house and then we go downtown to watch the arrival of Santa Claus. Another tradition is our Elf on the Shelf. Most people are familiar with this, but to sum it up it is this little Elf doll that, according to the story, watches the children during the day and then reports to Santa at night. He is full of magic but if the children ever touch him he will loose his magic. The fun for the parents is where the Elf will be when the children awake the next morning;. It is definitely a challenge but this year it is almost a competition. With facebook documenting the creativity of parents and Pinterest overflowing with ideas, it has become a very big part of our late nights. The kids jump out of bed in the mornings to see where the Elf is and this year he is ornery. We have found him hanging from fans, making snow angels in sugar on the counters, sitting on the floor looking at the kids scrapbooks, in cupboards, hanging from the microwave, peaking out of drawers with the contents of the drawer all over the floor and who knows where else. The Elf appears December 1st and then magically disappears the night of Christmas Eve when he makes his last report to Santa. We also do the 12 Days of Christmas. Starting 12 days before Christmas, the kids get a surprise in their stockings each day. This is big project for me because the gifts start out small and get bigger as we get closer to Christmas. It is so hard for me because the gifts have to be equal, not too big/expensive and not all candy or sweets. It is another part of our exciting mornings. Raelynn is really into Christmas. It is all wonderful to her and her favorite holiday by far. Coop, however, just keeps referring to it as Halloween so I am not sure but I am thinking Halloween makes a bigger impact on him. Anyway, last year right before Christmas Raelynn said she wanted to adopt a family for Christmas. I don't remember where she had gotten the idea but I just remember it was too close to Christmas for us to get it all together. I told her last year if she saved money all year I would let her adopt a family this year. Well she never forgot and in November we adopted a family. There are specific items you are required to purchase; an outfit for each family member, a gift from their list and a GC to a grocery store for their Christmas dinner. So we chose our family and Raelynn began shopping. She did a great job and had fun doing it. I loved that she has chosen to do this and she said it was going to be her tradition. This week we delivered the gifts to the organization that we adopted the family through. I had spoke with Raelynn's teacher and she had agreed to let Raelynn miss the first few minutes of school so she could deliver her gifts. I thought this would be such a great learning experience for her but with my sensitive daughter it did not turn out as well as I had thought. We went to the organization and Raelynn got to see some of the children that benefited from this organization as they came in. Unfortunately, after actually seeing these kids she became very sad. As we left she asked if we could go get them some more presents and if they could come to our Christmas. It was so touching but also I think a little disturbing to her. Every since then, when she asks for something or we are at the store and she requests to buy something she also asked the price and if it is too expensive. She has offered to pay half of some things with her money and has said on multiple occasions she loves our home and just never wants to move or have to leave. Although this all may seem sweet and great that she is learning that we have to be grateful for everything we have, it is also disturbing to me that my 6 year old is so concerned with our financial well being. I worry about that enough for the whole family! I am just hopeful that teaching her this lesson does not cause her ulcers in the long run!!! Everyday I realize my daughter is me exactly wrapped up in a 6 year old's body!
So as I have one learning life's lessons, the other is just plain learning! We were headed home on Tuesday night when Coop saw a semi. He saids, "That's a Milk Truck! It takes milk to the grocery store." I glanced over and sure enough it was. I ask him, "How does the milk get on the truck?" "The worker guys load it on the truck" he replies. "Ok, but where do the worker guys get the milk?" I asked smiling from his last answer. "They get it from the store Mom!" I laugh and say, "No they take it to the store but the milk really comes from cows." Coop looks at me completely confused, "Cows can't stir and some of that milk is chocolate milk!!!" Of course I laughed and we discussed it a little further. Later that evening I am telling Raelynn and Terry about it and Coop asks, "how do they get the milk out of the cow?" Raelynn replies with little hesitation, "out of those little wiener things". Terry and I laughed and Terry explained the proper terms. Oh my kids are such city kids!!!!
So we are on the home stretch to Christmas. We have to finish out this week and half of next and then back to Scott City for Christmas. It will be so nice to have a break because literally we do nothing why we are there except eat :)! It is awesome. We cannot wait for some great family time!!!
