Christmas 2010

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. When you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."

Christmas 2010. Another wonderful year. Our family went to mass on Christmas Eve - Ethan sang in the children's choir. The really good thing about that is that it gets us to our church early. Mass started at 4:00, but children in the choir were to be at the church by 3:00. We got a nice long pew where we all got to sit together. By the time mass started, our church was completely filled! It is a big beautiful church. People were standing all around all the way back to the doors and in the hallways by the restrooms. And being there that early, gave 4 of our children a chance to fall asleep and take a nap while the choir sang Christmas carols.

After mass we took our children out to eat. It has become a tradition on Christmas Eve. It is one night when we take all of them to a restaurant - which is a treat. Plus, it is never crowded. This year they wanted to go to Cheeseburger in Paradise - again. That is where we ate last year. I love their food, so I was all for it. It was fun. Our children behaved for the most part and enjoyed their dinners.

When we got home, it was time to quickly make some cookies for Santa, make food for his reindeers, hang up our stockings, and check the internet to see where Santa's sleigh was last seen. When they announced that Santa was in Canada, our children ran around saying they had to hurry and get to bed. They all went to their own beds and most of them fell right to sleep. I think Ethan got up 7 times before 1:00am to check to see if it was morning yet. Jacob decided he was done sleeping in his crib around 1:00am too. I'm not sure how I fell back to sleep, but the next thing I knew, we had 2 boys standing over us with coffee in their hands telling Tom and I it was time to get up. It was 6:00am. We soon had 6 children and 1 tired, confused little boy trying to get us to get out of bed. We asked for a few minutes to enjoy our coffee and then we got up.

Santa was very good to our children this year. He always is. Our children don't really get gifts except on their birthdays and on Christmas, so we feel it's ok to "spoil" them a little. They're good. Plus, it's fun for us and I love seeing them so excited. Which they were.

We went to my sister's home that afternoon and had a wonderful dinner there with her family and our parents. It was a great night. We brought our nephew back home with us and the boys stayed up way too late. But that is what sleepovers are all about right?

So now I am trying to make room in our house for the new items. Getting organized and putting together a lot of donation bags for tomorrow. Tom thinks I am already "nesting" and he loves it. I think it's a little early for that, but maybe with each child it starts a little earlier.

Merry Christmas!

December Already?

"Don't look down on someone, unless you're helping them up."

Have I really not blogged since November? Wow! December is flying by. I am trying hard to stay relaxed and enjoy this time of year. I love Christmas! The music, the decorations, spending time with family, getting cards in the mail,...

December did start out a little rough this year. The stomach flu visited our home and stayed for a long time. It was very quick with each person, but we would get a day or 2 in between of no one acting sick. We would think we were in the clear and then someone would "get sick." The friendship between me and my washing machine has grown.

Along with the flu bug I got a sinus infection too. Not fun - but very common for me, especially when I am pregnant. I tried for about 2 weeks to get rid of the pain and pressure myself, but finally had to go to Convenient Care one evening. I was looking for some help and relief from pain, what I got was a lot of disappointment. Oh, I got the antibiotic from the doctor, but from the nurse I got some uncomfortable, unwanted comments. She could see that I am pregnant. She asked if this was my first. I gave her a little smile and said no, this is our 8th child. Her response? Oh, honey! Don't you know what causes that yet? You know there is a thing known as birth control. 

Are you kidding me? I am sitting there with tears in my eyes from the pain in my head and this nurse chooses to make me feel even more uncomfortable and thinks I need a "lecture" on having babies. Then she continues with telling me she wanted 2 and her husband wanted 6 so they compromised and had 4. Her youngest 2 are in college now and I better consider sending my children down South to college if I ever want to afford it. How was I going to have enough money to pay for 8? 

Really? Did I look like I was there to discuss my children's college funds? Did I look like I wanted this woman's opinion on anything except how to feel better? Because what she was doing, was not helping me feel any better. Why do some people think they have the right to voice thier opinions like this? As soon as some people find out how many children I have, they feel they have the right to make any comment they want to me.

Did I say anything? No. My husband said I should have, but I was in pain and this was a woman that I was looking to for help. I didn't want to have a conversation with her. I do wish that I would have grabbed a comment card. I believe this place does send a "How did we do?" form to your home to fill out after you visit. I'll be looking for it in the mail.

Most of our shopping is done, cards have been ordered and are ready to be picked up today, and visiting Santa is next on our list. Every year I tell our oldest I just need one more picture with all of our children with Santa. Well, I keep stretching that comment each year. And of course, next year I will need one more.

Baby 8 looks wonderful so far. Tests have come back great and now we wait until the end of January to take a peek at him/her again. My belly is out there, so more people are finding out. Our children are sharing the news too. They are very excited - and theirs is the only opinion that matters to me.

Merry Christmas!