Where's the spirit?

At Nana's before church.  That chubby cheeked little girl is now 17.9 lbs and 26 inches long, per her well check on Monday.  That's 75% for both.  At least she's not the 99% anymore!

Blah, for some reason I have not really been able to get into the Christmas spirit this year.  I kinda miss it.  I think it's mostly due to the non-stop pace of life I seem to be living right now.  Every evening I'm amazed the I've managed to get two kids fed, at least one bathed, and both in bed by 8:30.  The day to day just doesn't seem to have room for the extras like Christmas festivities.  Sure we've seen Santa, Luke and I discuss the same lights on the same houses on our same road routes every day, and I'm trying to have fun with Train the Elf. 

Hanging on Mom's tree- my first Christmas ornament

Except Train hasn't moved in two days.  I forgot Monday night, so yesterday I tried convince Luke that he was playing a trick on us and went back to his same spot.  I forgot again last night to move him.  Whoops.  I don't think Train should play the same trick three days in row, so I'm gonna have to swing by the house and run in before church tonight. 

He just had to be right in the action.

I think a part of my Christmas blah-ness is all this controversy about Santa and whether it's okay or not okay to do it.  First I read this article.  It bummed me out.  We did Santa growing up and it never occurred to me that people had this view.  It also made me think about what I was teaching Luke about the meaning of Christmas.  I asked him if he knew why we had Christmas.  His answer?  Santa. 

Fail.

I gently told him no, it's when we pretend that Jesus was born and we are so thankful that He came to save us that we celebrate each year.  It's almost like a birthday party for Jesus.  And then I read this article.  I felt so much better.  I really like what this girl has to say and am planning to read it frequently to keep it fresh in my mind.  I like how she meshed the two things and really would like to be more like it. 

She's actually asleep, but I thought it was so funny.  Can't you see this expression in 12 years directed pointedly at me?!

So all of that has been weighing my mind.  What else has been going on?  Just the day to day.  We had our company Christmas party on Saturday night and I had the best time.  It was a casino themed party and I won and iPad 2!  So thankful.

(excuse the messy background...but look!  Eyeshadow! And I teased my hair for the first time ever!)

The kids have been up and down health wise. You would never know it looking at Evan (except she doesn't sleep quite as well. Maybe teeth?) Luke has been having tummy troubles that I'm pretty certain is due to excess drainage. We've all been a little stopped up in the nasal area. Just been trying to stay positive about life, trust that I'm being taken care of and recognize when I am, and stay hopeful about the future. The lesson a couple of weeks ago at The Village was about how we are hard wired to live hopefully and it really struck a chord with me.

She just couldn't sleep one night.  :(

Sorry for the bummer of a post.  On a positive note, Luke has been his funny self.  Last night we were going over (again) why we had Christmas and he said it was because Jesus was boring.  Oh I laughed.  And then corrected him that it's just born, not born-ing, which is what he was attempting to say.  There is NOTHING boring about Jesus.  Just look at my life.  He's also convinced himself that going to the doctor is wonderful.  Last night instead of sleeping he was calling me, telling me he needed to go to the doctor because his back hurt and it needed to be looked at and fixed.  Apparently he's 3 going on 60.

Movie night on Friday...all three of us huddled under a blanket.  See, life isn't all blahness.  :)