Babies' First Christmas

Josephine Sychra and her wild hair . . .

Jennifer Shayne and her beautiful eyes . . .

Pretty adorable, if you ask their mother.

Christmas Morning

The girls were thrilled to walk in and see the Barbie house. And Joni was so sad it wasn't hers.
Santa brought us girls a "like" package. Had to be opened at the same time.

Josie sitting on her highchair. It became even more useful after we opened it up!



It just occurred to me that I never took a picture of the front of the house. I was video taping, but never took a picture. And I wish you could have seen how crazy the front yard must have looked to passersby seeing us out in our pajamas jumping on the trampoline . . . and the poor swing set being ignored.

Christmas Eve Part II

Mark and Missy put in two rounds of church - one right after another (Greenfield and Massena) - so they could attend with both families. That's really cool. Thank you. Missy, you look so tiny next to him.
Gracie outfitted in the adorable clothes Missy got for her. All the girls looked adorable in what Missy got them.
The sweet outfits Eddie and Jessie got for the twins. Sooooo cute! I'm in love with them in these jeans.

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Mom trying to do horns . . . it's such a fine art.

Jessie lookin' hot and feelin' bad 'cause Eddie wasn't there.
There's nothing sweeter than watching Mark with the girls. That's Jennie's checks he's playing with.
My beautiful babies right after mass. They had to get pictures taken before they could open up presents and it was a killer.

Happy Bday Joni!!

What you don't see is her missing the egg and it splattering on Mom. And what you don't see is Ann nailing it just like the pro. I catch eggs like it's my job.
Joni had a major failure during her shot attempt. Not Justin.
Jessie pretends she has no idea how to do this. I'm not buying it. Of course, I'm busy with my own.
You know it's a party when Dad is in on the horns. Choo! Choo!

Church Program in Massena

Gracie had her church program in Massena, and it was great. It reminded me of what our programs used to be like . . .only much better. My pictures from the actual program didn't turn out well, but she was a beautiful angel.

Christmas in Atlantic

Everyone knows that the mall Santas are simply helpers. But in Atlantic . . .well, he's the real deal. And when it's for real, it's enough to make a certain 4-year-old a little nervous. Standing next to the magic man and all.
The crew outside of Santa's cabin.
The horse-drawn wagon ride down main street was beautiful.

I think this is Jennie at the Dime Store. Can't say for sure.

So everyone did the annual trip to Atlantic to see Santa. And it was a smashing success. Never underestimate the importance of tradition. We all piled into the log cabin and laughed and laughed. I teared up watching Santa with the twins. He said it made his Christmas. It made mine, too. New this year was the wagon ride. Usually we go on a Thursday night, so it was cool to do that. Then the jewelery store - which I'm a bit overwhelmed by. That Oprah, really. Then the dime store, and the infamous story about a large pop - a story we'll probably always remember, or at least hear about. Then to the nursing home and dancing with old people and Santa. That was fun. And a reminder not to ever get old. Then onto the Redwood. I love that place. I love doing that whole day every year. It's truly real there. Truly is.

My Dentist Loves Me

And it's not just a fancy little saying on a sticker.

I Love That They Love The Fact That I Am Ridiculous

At Thanksgiving, I was writing on Mom's infamous bank calendar, filling in all the important events happening in December - the Christmas programs, Christmas in Atlantic, Joni's birthday . . .and the 9th was about the only open day. So I wrote it was my birthday. Grace saw this and called me out. I told her it was my half birthday. And instead of doing the math and figuring out that it wasn't, she decided to go with it and threw me a party complete with singing Happy Birthday, presents and hand-written cards. But my favorite part is that they made me breakfast - all my favorite things . . . Oreo cakes for eyes, a kolache for a nose and a cherry candy cane for a mouth. And don't forget the pepsi for the hair. I have to say, I love that they know what I love :) It was the best birthday ever! (Then Grace took a picture of Shane and I on our "after church" drive. Another one of my favorite things!)

A Photo Essay - Cutting Down the Tree

Despite the freaky cold weather, the girls had a blast on the snowmobile. They rode all the way down to Larry's to cut down the tree for Billy's. (In the background.) Mom spotted the perfect tree this fall while hauling corn.
Shane cutting down the tree . . . Mark "helping." They threw it in the back of the pickup, and as Shane was whipping the truck around in the snow, it must have fallen out of the back. We were halfway out of the field before we realized it. Grace thought that was really funny :)
So we thought in the field that it looked a little taller than it is . . .! But still perfect. Shane and I screwed with the crappy lights on Saturday night, and admitted defeat.
The twins in front of their first Christmas tree at Billy's. Every time Shane walks in he says, "It smells like cat pee in here . . ." It's not Christmas until the house smells like cat pee.

The Upcoming Wedding

After the concert Grace, Faith, Missy, Jessie, Josie, Jennie and I went to the mall to do Build-A-Bear . . . a gift from Missy for Grace and Faith's birthdays.

And it was adorable. Faith picked out a pink bear with a bride's outfit . . .and named her Faith . . .her favorite name. Grace made a rock-star poodle, which she named Avery. They had so much fun, and I feel like a bad mother because I never even let them walk into that store before.

On the way home, they were planning a wedding for "Faith." I guess they were working on the guest list, because Missy was invited.

This morning, I asked when the wedding will be held and they told me it's tonight. I asked Faith (the child) who Faith (the stuffed animal) was going to marry. And she looked at me very strangely and said, "Nobody. Just Faith is getting married."

The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should explain the concept of a wedding to her, but then I realized . . . she just may be on to something . . .

P.S. And in other unrelated, related news . . . Missy, it humored me that I embarrassed you last night at Dillard's. But really, how would I know if the ensemble worked if I didn't do an imaginary fitting? And how else would I attract the attention of the "old" guy? The hunt continues, but I do appreciate the full family participation in the quest.

Christmas in Any Language

Grace's teacher.

Our family following the concert.

Mark and Missy at Grace's desk.

Joni and Mark reading Grace's persuasive piece on why her turkey shouldn't be eaten on Thanksgiving . . ."there's fetters in my meet."

I know my children are well cultured thanks to the influences of their aunts (and their peeps) but really, I have to say, even I was impressed that Grace can sing "Silent Night" in Italian and "Jingle Bells" in Japanese. Can your kid do that? No, I didn't think so. Eddie, you would have been so proud that Grace also was involved with the Feliz Navidad portion of the entertainment.

I am alway impressed by Grace's ability to shine. She really is quite polished and articulate. And lovely. Mom called her a "rose in a weed patch." She did her lines and we all nodded our heads, and looked at each other, as if to silently say . . ."Perfection."

Other highlights . . .
*Shane's brotha from a different motha.
*The out-of-control maraca.
*The bathroom urgency - which I'm convinced was part of the performance, added for comic relief.
*Explaining who "Craig" is to Dad, and why craig has a list.

But honestly, thank you all for coming. It's really cool that you guys love those little girls, and they were so happy you all were there.

In other news - Mark . . .awesome coat - it's better than butter.

"Operation Craig" was a massive success. Sounds like it was a bonding experience for the men involved.

A Subtle Reminder for All My Girls . . .

"Comes the Dawn"

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...

Author Unknown

Typical Weekend Look

Santa's Helper

We have accepted the idea that Santa has helpers stationed around the state in order to help out during this very busy season. That would explain why Santa looks different at different places. And why we like some Santas better than others.

This particular helper was very friendly - and really looked the part, but a little too helpful. As Faith declared her one item she really wanted for Christmas, Santa asked, "What else? Do you like Dora? Do you want a Dora kitchen and a Boots flashlight? How about a Little Pet Shop? Oh, and I bet you like stuffed animals. Would you want a gold-plated ring that can only be found in India? Would it not be Christmas if you didn't get that trip to Disney World?"

Santa . . .enough already. I liked the Roudolf concept better - Santa's helper that doesn't talk.

Baby Love

If ever there was a reason to jump off a cliff, it would be family pictures.

Adorable little family, is it not? What one can't see is the hunt for four pairs of black, patent leather shoes. The nation-wide search for the perfect matching dresses for the twins. The time-consuming decision between black or white hose. The midnight ironing of a white dress shirt . . . that was placed "neatly" in a pile on the floor when he changed. What one can't hear is the breakdown Grace had because her hair, which originally was in an updo, didn't make her feel pretty. The constant grumbling from my dear husband, simply because he had to show up. (And, of course the fact that he had to sit like a girl.)

You know, I'm one of those wives who thinks her husband is really hot. I really do. And I'm always so perplexed at the sad fact that he won't smile for a picture. Still hot, don't get me wrong.

Shane and I were looking at the pictures and I told him, "Wow. We have a big, little family, don't we?"

So overall, semi successful adventure.

Christmas at the Junction

Horse-drawn sleigh ride. What an amazing night - weather was awesome and atmosphere was really cool. Despite missing a couple of hats and the race horses pulling the wagon, this really fun.
Seeing Santa for the first . . . but so not the last time this year. The twins made their TV debut on the local news later that night. I'm not going to go as far as to call Santa a dirty old man, but "Mrs." Clause had to be at least 15 years younger than Santa.
Oh, deer . . . that was really funny.
The carolers sang a song for the twins about baby's first Christmas. It made Mommy cry. Eddie and Jessie were really good company.

Missy, You're Getting Blamed for This . . .

Getting to gymnastics last night was no small task. In fact, it was quite the production.

The girls were delighted to borrow Missy's dance outfits from when she was little. They have been wearing them constantly.

Last night, I told them to go get their leotards on for gymnastics, and they both came down the stairs in the most hilarious outfits. Faith in the outfit she has on above, with the addition of the matching skirt. Grace in a two-piece, tummy-bearing, fringe number. Faith was deemed acceptable by my high standards of good taste, but Grace . . .not so much. That's when the break down happened. Grace is usually . . . for the most part . . . the one who demonstrates good sense . . . that far surpasses her mother's. But last night, she was devastated she couldn't wear "the beautiful" leotard. She said Faith gets to do anything she wants. And that she wasn't going.

But into the car I made them go, with the agreement that Grace gets to wear the rainbow, leopard outfit next week. Grace kept looking into the rear view mirror asking if her eyes "still looked weird." "Weird? No, honey." Good thing she didn't ask me if they were red and blood shot, because then I would have had to lie.

Also important to note is that Amelia did their hair - which was adorable - by the way. Coupled with the outfit - Faith was hard to miss.

Faith walked into the gym and her teachers started "ooohing." They told her she look awesome . . .like a rock star. That they "loved" her outfit and her hair. You couldn't wipe the smile off that little girl's face. You couldn't have bolted down the skip in her step. She FELT like a rock star. The whole hour she bounced and smiled and waved to her mommy in the window. The other kids were petting her, and twirling her hair the whole time. It was the best show.

After it was over and we were in the car, I asked Grace how her night went, because I witnessed some activity with a little girl twirling her hair in line, too. And she said, in her best 14-year-old, valley girl voice . . .

"Yeah, it was fine, but there was like this one chick who was like all up in my face. . . "

The perils of popularity.

Letter From Aunt Jessie

On October 26, 2006, I was working late at the West Des Moines City Hall. It was too late to still be working, probably around 8, when I got a text message from your mother. Sometimes your mom sends me random pictures of Grace and Faith but when I opened it up, I couldn't exactly tell what it was. A couple of seconds later, I realized that it was a picture of two lines indicating a positive pregnancy test with the caption, 'ssshh don't tell mom' Very excited, I called your mom to congratulate her and she asked me not to tell Grandma yet because she wanted to wait a while.
For a very long month, I had to keep this very important surprise! On Faith's birthday, we all went back to Grandma and Grandpa's for a party and your parents were going to announce it to everyone then. I hasn't your mom if it was ok that Grandma knew that I already knew about the pregnancy or not. She said to act like I didn't know and I joked that I'm not very good at 'faking surprise' but that I would try. After lunch and cake for Faith, your mom announced she had some news and I thought I knew what to expect. Your mom pulled out the sonogram picture and gave it to Grandma who looked at it for a second and said "A?....B?.....Twins?" Needless to say I didn't have to act surprised!
We soon started to pick out names! If you were boys, I really wanted you to be named Rosco and Rufus as it was a suggestion in the baby name book. Your mom soon started to like Lillian, the name I have 'called' for years, and Eva, the name Joni 'called'. She claimed she read in her baby name book that you shouldn't not name your children something because your siblings have called that name because they may change their mind or not have a child of that gender. To this day I don't know if she was serious or just doing it to get a rise out of us.
A few months later, I met your family for supper at Hy-Vee. I knew your mom had a doctor's appointment that day but I didn't know it was the day your parents were finding out if you were boys or girls. In the middle of dinner she says, "Are you going to ask what the babies are?" She then told me that you were little girls!
The first time your mom went into the hospital it was very early in the pregnancy. I told her I'd come keep her company after I got off work and asked if she wanted me to bring anything. She said no but called me back several times with different requests. That night I ended up taking to the hospital, teddy grahms, cherry nibs, scotcheroos, and hot chocolate. It was very random.
The last time your mom was in the hospital she wanted me to come down and help her take a shower. The nurses gave me the impression she was on pretty strict bed rest but your mom convinced me she was allowed to shower. She told the nurse she'd like to get cleaned up and the nurse comes in with a washcloth and a bucket and asks me if I had it handled. While I do love your mother and was concerned about your well being, I was not about to give your mom a sponge bath. We had to fashion a guard around her IV so it didn't get wet in the shower with a Target sack and a rubber band. We watched the season finale of Grey's Anatomy together before I went back home.
For the last few months of the pregnancy, your mom, Joni, and I had several 'last suppers.' Each time we went out we acted like it was the last time we would be able to go out to dinner together. Two days before you were born, we went to see Knocked Up which was a comedy about a pregnant lady so with the timing, it was especially funny. I was sitting next to your mom and could actually see you two moving around in there. Luckily, you only kicked her in the bladder once that night.

Jessica Clinton, Associate Planner
Development Services Department

Paying Homage to Eddie

For the record, I would call him by the right name if I knew how to spell it. After learning there is not a "w" in his name, I'm kinda stuck making up other names I can spell.

"Walking in Memphis" was on the radio this morning while I was driving in, and I was totally thinking about the Jungle Room. Who knew it wasn't his bedroom? Thanks to Eddie, I know better now.

And when I go to Graceland, I'm spending serious time talking to Elvis's grave, too. Just to be clear.

Eddie, I really need the pic of the grave. And the jungle room.

High School Musical . . . On Ice . . .

Does it get any better than this? This is the exact reason I prayed for girls. The Ice Capades . . . and prom dresses, of course. And I know I've come full circle, given my intense excitement that the girls scored rock star seats.

We had been warned about the $20 programs and $15 snow cones, but nothing could deter our pure delight.

Grace and Faith were totally into the show, and were so much fun to be with.