OK, I missed Glee for a very good reason tonight. We very much enjoyed some LIVE sounds of the season this evening at the Assumption Middle School Band & Choir Christmas Concert.
The choir was up first and I had a total flashback to our junior high Christmas concerts! One of their numbers was Pacem. That was the first choir song we performed for the Luck Junior High Christmas Concert in 1980. Who remembers it with me? Dona... Nobis... Pacem... Mr. Nygren insisted we sing a Latin song because it would help us concentrate on reading the notes and not be all concerned about the words. Good tip from a great choir teacher!
Back to the present...
The band performed 4 songs and, not that I'm a biased parent or anything, they sounded awesome! Such a step up from last year's grade-school concert. Very, very enjoyable AND I could even hear some of Carter's low brass parts on the baritone. I didn't get any pictures since it was a packed gymnasium and we were too far away, but I did video it and may get that loaded one of these days. It'll definitely put you in the Christmas spirit!
Now you know why I like the show Glee so much. I absolutely loved choir when I was in school (and obviously remember the songs) and now am looking forward to many more concerts starring, well featuring, Carter tooting his horn.
Hope you find a way to enjoy the sounds of the season!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Two Peas
Carter often hears how he looks like Daddy but Carter and I share quite a few traits as well.
I can't decide yet if they are good or bad. I just know hubby is going to ruin his eyes one of these days for how often he rolls them due to something one of us does or says.
Like both of his parents, Carter does like to tell a story. I've seen some of his writing assignments and they are not too bad. Tonight, though, I saw him rewriting a paper that was turned in last Friday and now was marked up quite a bit -- including a side note that mentioned something about the lack of a plot.
"What happened here?" I ask.
"Oh, I just had writer's block!" he says.
Nice. Good to know he's already got that excuse built in!
He got the new story done and said, "OK, it's time for Peppermint ice cream, Mom."
Nice. Good to know he already has that built in, too! I mean seriously, very nice.
Sometimes it's not too bad being two peas in a pod.
I can't decide yet if they are good or bad. I just know hubby is going to ruin his eyes one of these days for how often he rolls them due to something one of us does or says.
Like both of his parents, Carter does like to tell a story. I've seen some of his writing assignments and they are not too bad. Tonight, though, I saw him rewriting a paper that was turned in last Friday and now was marked up quite a bit -- including a side note that mentioned something about the lack of a plot.
"What happened here?" I ask.
"Oh, I just had writer's block!" he says.
Nice. Good to know he's already got that excuse built in!
He got the new story done and said, "OK, it's time for Peppermint ice cream, Mom."
Nice. Good to know he already has that built in, too! I mean seriously, very nice.
Sometimes it's not too bad being two peas in a pod.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Deckin' the Halls
It was a whirlwind of a day around here since we all were finally home for once! After church and Sunday School, I had to whip through my "Saturday chores" a day late so we could set up the Christmas tree!Yes, we converted long ago to an artificial one with built-in lights (that are starting to burn out) -- but our 4-foot wreath outside is real! During Thanksgiving weekend, Jim had already hung the icicle lights outside (that are starting to burn out), so it was my turn to get the indoors decked out.
First, I wanted to wrap the presents that have been taking over our bedroom in a huge pile. Got all those done -- including my Cricut so I guess I really do have to wait for Christmas to open it now! After that, Carter and I started hanging our favorite ornaments on the tree...
... while watching football of course. The Viking weren't on, but we kept seeing updates and were not too disappointed in this household when we heard Favre got knocked out of the game and T-Jack got to play. What a game! Now we just have to win the rest to finish at 9-7. ('Tis the season for wishes, isn't it??)
We got the tree decorated without any incidents...
... except when the tree almost ate Carter! Sylvester better look out. She's already been napping under there. Hopefully this year she won't attempt to climb it. She's way too big for that!
Plus, look at this pretty tree! I don't want it to fall over!
After the tree was done, we hung up a few more decorations and lights and called it a day. I'll get more done later this week. In the meantime, we have to celebrate our accomplishment with a shot of eggnog and some homemade Candy Cane Oreo Blizzards!
Oh yeah, we know how to deck the halls, alright.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Runnin' in a Winter Wonderland
Well the weatherman was right, darn it. We did get a couple inches of snow as you can see from these first sights that greeted me this morning...
The good news was that the snow had stopped. So it was just a pleasant 22 degrees with a windchill of 16. Not a bad day for a run.
My next-door neighbor Niki came over at 10:30 and, armed with my lucky new Twins stocking cap, we headed to Stevens Point.Part of the fun of the Frostbite 5 is people dressing up in funky winter hats and full-blown Christmas costumes, too. Some creative -- and fast -- elves were on the scene. And a Mrs. Claus kicked my butt!
We were lucky because they got even less snow up in Point and some of the streets we ran on were perfectly clear. So I was feeling good at the start of the race. In fact, with sunny skies to boot, the first 2 miles went great and right on my pace schedule. Then we turned up the river road -- street following the banks of the Wisconsin River -- and we had a mile of snowy running. I hate running in snow. I'm a Nervous Nelly about slipping and falling. So that part slowed me down a bit.
I had a small sideache from mile 3 to 4 but I breathed through it. I knew my time would be slower than my best "practice run" but I was determined to finish close to it. And I did! I guess it's my best personal time for a 5-mile race since this was my first effort. So yay me!
Would I do it again? You bet. It honestly didn't feel as cold as I thought 26 degrees would feel. I somehow managed to wear the exact amount of layers to be warm but not too warm.
I'm pretty sure it was all the lucky hat *(:^)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Prep Work
I have been getting excited for my upcoming race -- which is suddenly tomorrow already. I did some training over the past month or so and, coming into this week, felt prepared to do OK for my first 5-mile race.
But that feeling has been dwindling a bit this week as I've kept an eye on the forecast. Naturally, a race called the Frostbite 5 should conjure up images of running in frosty temps and even rain, sleet or snow. But I wasn't thinking that. I was just thinking I would do pretty well (for me) with any temperatures -- as long as the roads were dry. Now it looks like we're going to get 2-4 inches of snow overnight and into the morning!
So the prep work sort of goes out the frosty window. Now I have no expectations of making good time. But I do expect I'll have one heckuva war story to tell! That should make it fun in a cold, wet, possibly slippery way!
Ahhhh, why do we do this to ourselves??
Because we can.
Carter said he is trying a new exercise regimen, too. This for a kid who loves ice cream as much as his mother ... and eggnog and Christmas cookies, too. I guess it's better to start before Christmas than wait until New Year's when you might have to dig out of a bigger hole.
His basketball coach suggested they do 100 push ups a day. I couldn't even do 100 in a week! I said I'd do them with him as a show of support -- but not until after my race! I don't want anything hurting tomorrow... except maybe my pride if I fall on my butt or my face.
But that just makes for a better story anyway, doesn't it?
But that feeling has been dwindling a bit this week as I've kept an eye on the forecast. Naturally, a race called the Frostbite 5 should conjure up images of running in frosty temps and even rain, sleet or snow. But I wasn't thinking that. I was just thinking I would do pretty well (for me) with any temperatures -- as long as the roads were dry. Now it looks like we're going to get 2-4 inches of snow overnight and into the morning!
So the prep work sort of goes out the frosty window. Now I have no expectations of making good time. But I do expect I'll have one heckuva war story to tell! That should make it fun in a cold, wet, possibly slippery way!
Ahhhh, why do we do this to ourselves??
Because we can.
Carter said he is trying a new exercise regimen, too. This for a kid who loves ice cream as much as his mother ... and eggnog and Christmas cookies, too. I guess it's better to start before Christmas than wait until New Year's when you might have to dig out of a bigger hole.
His basketball coach suggested they do 100 push ups a day. I couldn't even do 100 in a week! I said I'd do them with him as a show of support -- but not until after my race! I don't want anything hurting tomorrow... except maybe my pride if I fall on my butt or my face.
But that just makes for a better story anyway, doesn't it?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Guardian Angels
There's been much media coverage this week about an unfortunate situation that occurred at Marinette High School. I know my family reading this normally gets Minnesota news, but they may have seen snippets of the coverage on CNN and, well, just about everywhere.
I followed the story especially close because I lived in Marinette for 4 years and still have friends there, including law enforcement personnel involved in the incident.
A teenage boy named Sam used a gun to detain a classroom and teacher for several hours before he killed himself when police stormed the room after failed negotiations. Prior to taking his own life, he shot the gun several times -- not at people -- but at items in the classroom. Of course, everyone is saying we are lucky no one else was hurt. But that's not entirely true.
Putting the hurt feelings of the classmates and teachers aside, can you possibly imagine the pain that Sam's grieving parents, siblings and every family member are going through? I can't even think about it without getting a lump in my throat. Then today, a friend of mine in Marinette shared the following blog post written by a woman named Sarah Kopf, a mom who had a chance encounter at the hospital with Sam's mother.
The Stranger and the Agony in Goodbye
Tuesday, November 30, 2010:
This morning, I walked down to the parent lounge, just like I do every other day, to get my daily coffee. I met eyes with a dark haired woman as I walked in. Her gaze hit me like a thousand pound weight. The pain in her eyes just washed over me. I accidentally overheard the conversation between this woman and another (the parent room is tiny) -- obviously distraught. New admits. (Three years into this, Nathan and I can read new parents and experienced parents from a mile away.) I heard the words “organ donor” and “brain injury” and “I just don’t understand why he did this to myself.” I was walking back to our room and it hit me: That is the mother of the boy who had held up the school and shot himself. My God… (I knew, based on the news reports, that he was down the hall in the PICU.) I tried to sit still in this room, but everything in me told me to walk back down to that room. Twenty minutes later when my coffee was finished and my heart was still aching, I did just that.
The woman was still sitting on the couch in tears. I apologized for walking in on them again and went to the coffee station. She said it was no trouble and said she appreciated a friendly face anyway. I turned to her, looked her in the eyes again, and said, “You don’t know me, but you look like you need a big hug. Can I give you a hug?” Another tear or two ran down in cheek. “Yes, definitely.” And so I gave her the biggest, longest hug I’ve probably given--- even to family. Her tears dripped on my neck, but I didn’t care. She said “My son is Sam, the boy…” And I stopped her and told her I knew that; I had figured that out based on what I overheard. We got talking. She expressed her pain and fear about going home to face her community and talked about how her two younger children, aged 11 & 13, were being affected by this tragedy. My heart absolutely melted for her, but I worked hard not to cry. I just let her talk. She struck me as a very warm hearted, sweet woman. It was obvious that she deeply loved her family. She told me she didn’t know how she didn’t “see it” and that she felt guilty as his mother. I told her the only thing I could think of, “He didn’t hurt anyone and didn’t want to hurt anyone. That is a testament to you as a mother. You couldn’t have predicted this. He internalized something; you wouldn’t have known. The solid lessons stuck with him. He only ended up hurting himself---and only God knows why. That is not your fault.” After we chatted a few minutes, she asked why I was in the hospital. I told her about Cole and about his struggle with cancer and cancer relapse. She looked me square in the face, her eyes lit up, and she said, “Does he need bone marrow right now? I can call downstairs and see if he matches.” I told her thank you, but no. (The fact that she was thinking of others at a time when her own heart was breaking was the one thing I’ll carry with me. Her son was downstairs in the O.R. having his organs harvested, and she was worried about MY son.) We talked a little while longer, I gave her another hug, passed along my deepest and most sincere condolences, and said goodbye. I left her with my guardian angel pin and also a coin that had the Serenity Prayer on it for in her pocket. She needed it today more than I did. God is already with me. I know He is with her too. I just hope she can feel it through her sorrow.
Quite a story, isn't it?
Dear God, please comfort both of these mothers and their families. And thank you for my "guardian angels."
I followed the story especially close because I lived in Marinette for 4 years and still have friends there, including law enforcement personnel involved in the incident.
A teenage boy named Sam used a gun to detain a classroom and teacher for several hours before he killed himself when police stormed the room after failed negotiations. Prior to taking his own life, he shot the gun several times -- not at people -- but at items in the classroom. Of course, everyone is saying we are lucky no one else was hurt. But that's not entirely true.
Putting the hurt feelings of the classmates and teachers aside, can you possibly imagine the pain that Sam's grieving parents, siblings and every family member are going through? I can't even think about it without getting a lump in my throat. Then today, a friend of mine in Marinette shared the following blog post written by a woman named Sarah Kopf, a mom who had a chance encounter at the hospital with Sam's mother.
The Stranger and the Agony in Goodbye
Tuesday, November 30, 2010:
This morning, I walked down to the parent lounge, just like I do every other day, to get my daily coffee. I met eyes with a dark haired woman as I walked in. Her gaze hit me like a thousand pound weight. The pain in her eyes just washed over me. I accidentally overheard the conversation between this woman and another (the parent room is tiny) -- obviously distraught. New admits. (Three years into this, Nathan and I can read new parents and experienced parents from a mile away.) I heard the words “organ donor” and “brain injury” and “I just don’t understand why he did this to myself.” I was walking back to our room and it hit me: That is the mother of the boy who had held up the school and shot himself. My God… (I knew, based on the news reports, that he was down the hall in the PICU.) I tried to sit still in this room, but everything in me told me to walk back down to that room. Twenty minutes later when my coffee was finished and my heart was still aching, I did just that.
The woman was still sitting on the couch in tears. I apologized for walking in on them again and went to the coffee station. She said it was no trouble and said she appreciated a friendly face anyway. I turned to her, looked her in the eyes again, and said, “You don’t know me, but you look like you need a big hug. Can I give you a hug?” Another tear or two ran down in cheek. “Yes, definitely.” And so I gave her the biggest, longest hug I’ve probably given--- even to family. Her tears dripped on my neck, but I didn’t care. She said “My son is Sam, the boy…” And I stopped her and told her I knew that; I had figured that out based on what I overheard. We got talking. She expressed her pain and fear about going home to face her community and talked about how her two younger children, aged 11 & 13, were being affected by this tragedy. My heart absolutely melted for her, but I worked hard not to cry. I just let her talk. She struck me as a very warm hearted, sweet woman. It was obvious that she deeply loved her family. She told me she didn’t know how she didn’t “see it” and that she felt guilty as his mother. I told her the only thing I could think of, “He didn’t hurt anyone and didn’t want to hurt anyone. That is a testament to you as a mother. You couldn’t have predicted this. He internalized something; you wouldn’t have known. The solid lessons stuck with him. He only ended up hurting himself---and only God knows why. That is not your fault.” After we chatted a few minutes, she asked why I was in the hospital. I told her about Cole and about his struggle with cancer and cancer relapse. She looked me square in the face, her eyes lit up, and she said, “Does he need bone marrow right now? I can call downstairs and see if he matches.” I told her thank you, but no. (The fact that she was thinking of others at a time when her own heart was breaking was the one thing I’ll carry with me. Her son was downstairs in the O.R. having his organs harvested, and she was worried about MY son.) We talked a little while longer, I gave her another hug, passed along my deepest and most sincere condolences, and said goodbye. I left her with my guardian angel pin and also a coin that had the Serenity Prayer on it for in her pocket. She needed it today more than I did. God is already with me. I know He is with her too. I just hope she can feel it through her sorrow.
Quite a story, isn't it?
Dear God, please comfort both of these mothers and their families. And thank you for my "guardian angels."
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Advent Conspiracy
I knew Carter was back to normal this morning when the first thing he wanted to do was rip open Door #1 on the Advent Calendar to get his piece of chocolate. Well, it is German chocolate (straight from the German Club at school) so I guess it's worth getting excited about.
When he first brought it home a few weeks ago, I warned him we'd be doing Advent a little bit differently this year. He's not just going to open the door, see what shape the chocolate is in, eat it and move on with his day. We're going to think a little more about what Advent is.
At my church, we are in the midst of an education series called the Advent Conspiracy. Sounds a little too controversial for a group of Lutherans who normally would only be up in arms if the coffee was cold or there was a "hotdish" with no hamburger in it. But that's not what it's really about.
Their website (www.adventconspiracy.com) says it best:
The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.
So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.
And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?
What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?
You see, the "conspiracy" is that there is something more to Christmas than the Black Friday deals and the spiked eggnog at the company holiday party. There was something more -- long ago -- and now we have to find it again. And, along the way, figure out how to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. Those are the 4 lessons of the Advent Conspiracy.
When you think about your favorite Christmas from childhood (or even adulthood), the reason it is our favorite memory more often than not has to do with a special event or person, not a new toy. In my family, I can guarantee we could talk forever about various "acts" in the family Christmas program we still put on for my parents each year. That has nothing to do with spending money, but has much to do with sharing love and sharing in the joy of Christ's birth.
One of the things I am concentrating on (with Carter) this Advent season is giving more to those less fortunate than we are. He donated food to the food pantry through a drive at school. We donated coats and snowpants to our church (which is giving them away to the needy this weekend). We have 2 sessions on the agenda for bell ringing. And each day that he opens up a window on his Advent Calendar, he has to tell me something he is thankful for.
Today I would have thought he'd be thankful for his health, that he feels fine again. But no, he said he was thankful for clothes and his winter jacket. Trust me, that does make sense today! Eventually, I hope he will realize with this exercise that God gives us gifts every day. Few are material things. But that doesn't mean we can't share them, right?
That's a start anyway.
When he first brought it home a few weeks ago, I warned him we'd be doing Advent a little bit differently this year. He's not just going to open the door, see what shape the chocolate is in, eat it and move on with his day. We're going to think a little more about what Advent is.
At my church, we are in the midst of an education series called the Advent Conspiracy. Sounds a little too controversial for a group of Lutherans who normally would only be up in arms if the coffee was cold or there was a "hotdish" with no hamburger in it. But that's not what it's really about.
Their website (www.adventconspiracy.com) says it best:
The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.
So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.
And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?
What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?
You see, the "conspiracy" is that there is something more to Christmas than the Black Friday deals and the spiked eggnog at the company holiday party. There was something more -- long ago -- and now we have to find it again. And, along the way, figure out how to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. Those are the 4 lessons of the Advent Conspiracy.
When you think about your favorite Christmas from childhood (or even adulthood), the reason it is our favorite memory more often than not has to do with a special event or person, not a new toy. In my family, I can guarantee we could talk forever about various "acts" in the family Christmas program we still put on for my parents each year. That has nothing to do with spending money, but has much to do with sharing love and sharing in the joy of Christ's birth.
One of the things I am concentrating on (with Carter) this Advent season is giving more to those less fortunate than we are. He donated food to the food pantry through a drive at school. We donated coats and snowpants to our church (which is giving them away to the needy this weekend). We have 2 sessions on the agenda for bell ringing. And each day that he opens up a window on his Advent Calendar, he has to tell me something he is thankful for.
Today I would have thought he'd be thankful for his health, that he feels fine again. But no, he said he was thankful for clothes and his winter jacket. Trust me, that does make sense today! Eventually, I hope he will realize with this exercise that God gives us gifts every day. Few are material things. But that doesn't mean we can't share them, right?
That's a start anyway.
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