Quotes From My Notes

Dear Santa,

For Christmas I want a sparkly horse and I want it to be kind of big. And I want a game and it’s called Monster High. You can get me whatever you want and it’s supposed to be pretty. OK Santa?

And a Princess. I want a lot of stuff, Santa. I want a princess that’s got a sparkly dress. And I want to have a sparkly, sparkly, sparkly, sparkly, sparkly, sparkly, sparkly princess. It will look so pretty that it will burst my eyes.

Love, Maddie


Eddie gets out of his bed. I'm checking on you cause you're not in charge, daddy's in charge right now. So I'm going to tell you a secret. It's about I like you. (Then up to my ear.) I like you.

Eddie comes into our room late at night after being asleep for a couple hours. My sleeping is hard tonight.

Eddie, where did you learn to dance so cool like that?
Oh, In my cool place ... Oregon.

I was eating popcorn getting to the bottom and was digging in the kernels. Eddie very seriously says, "Don't put them in your nose." (He would know because it did not go that well when he tried a few weeks earlier.)

We saw a couple walking across the street with a grandchild. Maddie must have been watching them because she suddenly says - Mom, can we call grandma?

I was watching Anders play a computer game and I asked,
Me - How do you get the wood?
Anders - Cutting down trees.
Me - Oh.
Anders - Ya I feel bad about it too. But I need it to survive.

Eddie every morning when Anders leaves for school - Bye brother.

Me to Maddie and Anders - Come sit over here by Eddie and eat.
Eddie - Ya. I'm the best. And I'm strong. Shows his muscles.

Hey, where's my dudes? (Eddie referring to Wyatt and Anders)

I sang at church and later ask Anders - Did I sing alright today?
Anders - Ya, real good. (Then after a couple seconds.) Well I didn't really hear you but I'm pretty sure if I did it would be good.

I overhear Maddie sitting next to Roxcy with a bunch of baby toys say ...
Get the baby toys, check.
Be respectful of the baby, check.

Then a little later I hear her say to Roxcy - OK, you're about to cry. When babies cry we have to ask our mommy's to help. Cause I'm still little.

Maddie approaching a giant pile of laundry I'm working on. - I'm just here to help even though it seems like I want to jump on that.

Maddie - Why do people always call you?
Me - Because that's what I do for work.
Maddie - You talk on the phone for work? Seriously?

Anders - Mom here's one hint. Don't get me anything for Christmas I can wear.

There is an overlook on the forth floor of a museum nearby by, on our way up Anders says - I always love to go to the top of here. It's always a beautiful sight.

Eddie found a picture of me as a baby and brought it up to me.
Eddie - Is that you mom?
Me - Ya, isn't that crazy?
Eddie - No, that's not crazy, that's nice.

Maddie while going through my jewelery from India - Seriously, Indian stuff looks prettier than anything in the whole entire world. How do Indians get the prettiest things ever?

Maddie messed up Anders Lego creation.
Me - Maddie don't do that help him fix it.
Anders - I don't want her to. (Then to Maddie in a really serious, frustrated voice.) Toys are nothing in your life. There are things far more important to you, so leave mine alone.

Eddie - Look it's not working
Anders - That's because it malfunctioned. It does that sometimes.

Me - Eddie why won't you eat your hamburger?
Eddie - That's because it has pickles in it.
(I take them out.) - Here you go.
(Eddie looks at it, then with a big smile.) - Nice job mommy.

Anders - The noodles break right apart when I bite them with my lips. So, it's like my lips are razor sharp to them.

We went to family math night at the school where they have math games and tables set up everywhere. It was halarious to see Maddie being a serious social butterfly. They had tables set up where you glue shapes on a strip of paper to make a crown, games with dice and counting, etc. Then on the way home in car she says - Wait mom, I didn't do math.

Eddie - Mom, after we read will you lay down with me?
(I don't answer right away.)
Eddie - I won't wiggle.
Me - OK, I'll lay down with you.
Eddie - But mom, if I wiggle will you leave?
(We get settled in.)
Eddie - Mom, if you wiggle, I wont leave you.

Me - Maddie what was your favorite part of your day?
Maddie (Obviously sick of me asking this every night.) - Going poop.
Me - (Two can play this game. So I ask her just as seriously.) - Was it the morning or night?
Maddie - Night.
Me - Oh, night poops are the best.
Anders (Picking up my sarcasm, plays along as well.) - Ya, they feel so wonderful.

Anders - Who brought me Minecraft for Christmas? (A computer game.)
Me - Santa.
Anders - I wonder how he's such a computer geek?

Eddie's Ear Infection

Eddie hasn't been sick much but when he is it is the perfect combination of sad and endearing.

Eddie's Ear from Michelle Larson on Vimeo.

More Christmas

Christmas Projects from Michelle Larson on Vimeo.

Maddie & Sydnie Snappin from Michelle Larson on Vimeo.

Just Dance from Michelle Larson on Vimeo.

More Christmas

Stickman Jammies this year.

Maddie had her's modified within a few minutes.

Anyone recognize who Anders is?
Brig sent his mom a picture of Link from The Legend of Zelda and she recreated it perfectly.

On the way home from a visit to Santa.

Thug man Ed.

Trauma

Maybe I'm busy or maybe I'm traumatized by all of that getting-of-cards-in-the-mail.

I went to do the blog post and realized I have a lot to catch up on. I'll do it in a few posts the next couple of days.

We had fun this year making our owl decorations.

Speaking of owls, owls are the coolest. Have you ever seen an owl in real life, up close? My parents were out here for Christmas and they took us to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. One of the things they do there is rehabilitate raptors and they had such incredible birds you could see up close. There were these owls with their backs to us and they would turn their heads around towards us and give this look like "Oh you silly, silly humans with your limited neck movement, you are quite amusing."

Big Deal ALERT

I will be sending out Christmas Cards.

For anyone that knows me this is an especially big deal because it is almost impossible for me to get something out in the mail. But it's happening, and it's going to be cool.

Soooo ....

Please send me your address in the comments or to my email at larsonchelle@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Now and Then

I'm trying to form my words to express this feeling I've been having today about holidays and traditions. Nothing profound, just a few scrambled thoughts.

Holidays and traditions in general are like a time when the past, present, and future all come together. That's not something you can force or try to create.

Today we had Thanksgiving dinner on the china my grandma gave me. The last me and that china shared a Thanksgiving I was at the little kids table.

Today Chris made rolls and they were just like Chaz rolls. We don't always get these things just right, but we always try.

Today I thought about all the Thanksgiving meals we had around the kitchen island in the old farm house. That island was such a part of our lives and we never even gave it a name. I think it was a Frank. Frank the Island.

Today I thought about how years from now my kids might try to recreate the dishes and desserts we made today. Little Tip - if you do recreate that flour-less chocolate cake with crazy rich pumpkin frosting, don't have one more piece just before you go to bed - it will give you a headache.