Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Blank canvas



Although some days and even weeks can last forever,
A year goes by so quickly.

It was nice to reflect back on how much happens and changes 
when you are living day by day.

We had our "candle light" (aka Christmas light) supper
 last night, complete with sparkling grape juice in 
fancy glasses that actually "clink" when you
"CHEERS"
We toasted to many things last night
some silly 
( "my hope for next year is I can be a princess"~Kadence Calahan age 5)
some serious
("to less cleaning & more playing" ~Jen Calahan age 35)
all wonderful.

Our 2014 blank canvas awaits....

Happy New Year!

one year. one song. our life. 

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Christmas magic with some help from above....


  


I previously posted about the "questions" and that maybe this was our last year of believing and how I wasn't ready for the magic to end........

I got this message from a friend and it was well written and helped me remember where the real magic comes from and that inevitably made me feel better because she's right!

here's my two cents: don't worry about the "magic." I don't think our kids will remember Santa Clause visits, etc. when they grow up (to be honest, I don't). But they'll remember how you made Christmas special . . . by letting Cohen put up lights outside, by you having your annual traditions (don't you buy pajamas for the kids each year for Christmas Eve?), baking cookies, going to Grandma and Grandpa's house and whatever is special about that gathering (food, card game, etc.). I think Christmas magic is created all on its own without forcing it. And I think that's more magical than believing in a guy with a beard.


That being said.

oh baby we had magic!

Christmas Eve we left around 2 for Church and family festivities...

We got home around 9:30 that night and Santa came while we were gone! 
(the ole I forgot the food for the party, I'll be right out gig, Mark was skeptical. Getting home late, Tired kids. Getting them to bed. etc etc. a million valid reasons why it was not a good idea...When we were leaving the party with tired crabby kids I was starting to get worried that this was headed toward "train wreck" status.)

What!? SANTA CAME WHEN WE WERE GONE?! WHAT?!


It was...


hands down.


the best Christmas ever.



You know I don't believe in coincidences cause I say it all the time but once again, it all comes together!

For instance: On Black Friday I bought each kid a movie. For Kadence was I was torn between two (one she'd never seen, The Croods and "The toothfairy" which she has seen) for some reason I went with The Toothfairy movie and was lately second guessing myself. I mean how exciting is it to get a movie you've already seen??Thursday, last week, Kadence all of sudden has her first loose tooth and it was a HUGE deal to her (aka : MOM EVERYONE IS GOING TO LOVE ME AT SCHOOL TODAY WHEN I TELL THEM) yup huge deal. She lost her very first tooth, Sunday Night at the end of a family Christmas party and she was so excited, so when SANTA gave her the Toothfairy movie only a day and half later it was awesome! (MOM! SANTA heard I lost my tooth and he sent me the Toothfairy movie! WOW wow wow)


At one point Cohen laid down and said 
"I Can't take anymore. This is awesome." 
"I can't do it. I can't open it. I can't take it. No way."


I will spare you any more mom loving details about the: "This is just what I wanted" "No way" "Wow" "Are you kidding me ?!" moments......

It absolutely could not have been any more magical.


I don't know your beliefs.

By no means do you need to accept mine.

Some people say that white orbs in pictures are spirits, ghosts, of loved ones.....

What are orbs? Chances are, you've probably seen them before--they are the curious translucent or solid circles (usually white) that appear unexpectedly in your photos. Orbs may appear in different sizes, as a single spot or as a multitude of spots grouped together.
Some people believe that orbs are more than dust particles or drops of moisture on the lens--they are proof of guardian angels, captured on camera.  When these "spirit orbs" or "angel orbs" appear near a single person or a group of people in a photo, it's a sign that they are blessed with the goodness, positive energy, and protection of angels.  When orbs appear in a particular location, it's also a sign that angels are hovering nearby and the location is particularly blessed.

Some people say it is just dust particles captured at just the right moment by the flash of your camera.

IF you go back up and look,
In many of my pictures from our night.
They are present.

I don't know about you, 

but........

I know where I stand.




and....

Sometimes you just have to believe.



*Now I need to go to bed....because tomorrow I have a feeling its back to reality.
Colds.
Runny noses.
coughs.
tired kids.
fighting.
tears.
maybe a few laughs.
perhaps an emergent trip to the dentist
ya know.
reality

MERRY CHRISTMAS.






Monday, December 16, 2013

If you just believe....


'We were dreamers, 
Not so long ago. 
But one by one, we 
All had to grow up." 

~ Believe: Polar Express

This might be it.

Kids are talking.

There have been questions.....

I listened.

I nodded.

I 'hmmm" and "huhed"  with the best of them.

He convinced himself, through his own logics, that indeed there must be a santa clause.


I must admit this is a milestone I hadn't put much thought into 
and one that indeed was a bit of a sucker punch.

I'm not ready.....

for the 

magic. 

to. 

end.

  

It's such a short window between when they really start "Getting it" and when they just plain "get it." 

He's so in love with Christmas. He single handedly put up 3/4 of our Christmas lights this year himself and when I got home tonight.....yet more lights!  Sure when you drive by you might notice the loops aren't even....but if you could see the pride in his eyes...well its no match for uneven Christmas lights.
There are these little parenting moments that are not captured in parenting books...like the moment you realize you can't carry your sleeping child in from the car anymore. They just happen....well this is one of those silent milestones. (yes I've seen the letters on pinterest and might I use the concept sure but that's not 100% of what I'm trying to capture) It's not just Santa. Its...

a chapter closed in childhood.

The ability to blindly believe in more than we can see.  

That's the magic.

and now......

Now I have teach him to believe.
That's harder.
(Magical in its own way...sure)
only harder.

Believing
(in others, yourself, in dreams, in the greater good)

well it becomes a choice,
and not an innate ability....


Do you see the difference?

So I feel this self imposed...

pressing need...

to make this Christmas more magical.

This is it.

My last chance.......
at pure
magic.

*Magic advice welcome.

Please.