Joyeux Noel

"Kalat" is the tagalog word that means "litter" or "something spread about".  I am NOT a fan of kalat, but with four sons it's something very difficult to avoid.  Dirty laundry can be kalat, Pokemon cards can be kalat, and Legos strewn on the floor is MAJOR kalat.  This explains why I am not a big collector of anything, really.  I don't care for souvenir spoons (like my mom did),  or for giraffe-related sculptures, or magnets in the shape of the states.  I like that I don't have a "thing" where people would always give me "thing"-related stuff to fill up some kind of display cabinet for which I don't have any room anyway.

But if you look closely just at our Christmas tree, you'll see I come fairly close.  Every year I like to buy a new ornament for the tree.  Not one that I had bought the year before on the day after Christmas at like 95% off.  No, I mean to buy an ornament during the current season, when the stores have their best decorations out, and these decorations are still fully glittered, haven't been stepped on, the designs are still intact and they're not broken.  Oh, and the ornament has to have the word "Joy" on it.  (I know the one pictured above doesn't say that, but it's because I haven't found my special ornament yet for this year.)  :o)

As a big fan of the writings of C.S. Lewis, I remember him describing joy as something only of God.  Whereas happiness is the result of beneficial situations and is a feeling that comes and goes, Lewis stated that joy itself is complete pleasure in the Lord.  It is immune to the sway of emotions.  Joy does not change because it is not of us but of God, who never changes.  The Psalmist writes "In Your presence is the fullness of joy."  (Psalm 16:11)  Is that not what we celebrate at Christmas?  The birth of Jesus Christ gave man the ability to be in the physical presence of God.  It exemplified God's love for us, that He came to earth to live like a man but also to be able to die for our sins.  I know that sounds simple, but aren't the simple things worth celebrating, too?

So I don't consider my "joy" ornaments "kalat" because they're always contained in a specific place:  on the tree.  And I don't have them out year round, either.  But if I can ignore the dirty laundry for a moment, keep the Pokemon cards in their tins and maneuver around the Legos underfoot, I'll make my way to our Christmas tree whenever I can, searching for the reminder of the real meaning of this holiday and the joy we are all to find in it.

Enabler

In the spectrum of parenting, I'd like to think I fall in the "strict" section.  My boys have chores they must complete daily, some even after each meal.  They are expected to take care of one another, occasionally make meals for one another, and even clean up after each other.  Four sons in the house can make lots of messes, so I expect them to help in keeping the house neat.

...except when it comes to cups.  The pic above is only about half of those that get used on a daily basis in this house.  Our collection is a myriad of superhero-themed tumblers, small vessels left over from the toddler years, and the coveted logo cups from kids' meals at "nice" restaurants.  And there is where the problem lies.  My sons use SO MANY cups.  At mealtime they each use a cup.  That's 12 cups per day right there.  Then there's snack time, water breaks after wrestling time, and "I don't want to do schoolwork so I'll get up for a drink of water" time.  Honestly, I can't keep track and I just can't keep up.  I know if I asked them instead to just wash a dirty cup, they would either a) insufficiently wash the cup or b) take WAY too long to do it.  So, my sink looks like this early in the day and looks twice as bad by the end of the evening.

I blame Islands.  When we eat there and the kids need a refill, the servers don't take back the cup they're currently using.  Oh, noooo.  They bring back a whole new cup!  Sometimes we've left Islands with eight new cups to add to our collection!  I have even thought to myself "We're low on plastic cups.  Let's eat at Islands tonight!"  I also blame their friends' parents for giving away goodie cups and not goodie bags at birthday parties.  They never want to get rid of those because they're souvenirs!  And I blame Target.  Who can resist the clearance section of kids' dinnerware?  Why let someone else walk home with that last Lightning McQueen cup that only costs $.50?

This means I am an enabler.  I am not dealing with the problem of too many cups.  I am allowing our cup use addiction to get out of control.  I need help.  If you know where I live, I am crying out for intervention.  Come take away all the plastic cups.  Make us use the nice glass ones.  Show me what the bottom of my sink looks like.  Teach my boys how to wash dishes correctly.

I look forward to the day when I can be rid of this vice, open my cupboard and see exactly six drinking glasses.  Ok, maybe 12, because of company.  18...?

Proud Daddy

What looks like a group of little CalTrans workers picking up trash on the side of the freeway is, in fact, the twins' soccer team at their game last Saturday morning.  They are wearing orange pinnies to differentiate them from the opposing team who had the exact same uniforms as they did (Who planned THAT match up?).  If you look closely, you'll also notice that some (namely MY) boys are wearing full on pants AND sweaters AND jackets with hoods on top of their uniforms because it was cold and rainy.  You can even see a few drops of rain falling in the pic.  And when I say cold, I mean it was in the 40s cold.  The boys were almost soaked to the bone.  I kept waiting for the ref to call the game, but quarter after quarter he just called water breaks until finally we all heard the desperately awaited three whistles, 40 minutes after the game started.

Justin has long declared that soccer is a "real" sport because games are played in the rain.  But I watched this game as a concerned mother, worried that the welfare of her babies was in danger.  I was so sad as they were brought to tears by the pain of their cold, red hands, exposed to the freezing air.  I was sure they would end up sick the next day.  I just wanted to wrap them in a blanket and take them home, give them a long warm bath, and treat them to a steaming cup of hot chocolate.  I wanted their misery to come to an end.

Justin also watched with concern, observing as his twins sons played the same sport he played as a child and throughout high school.  He mentioned to me memories of playing in the rain and having to persevere.  So with the twins, he stayed positive despite the inclement weather.  He cheered his sons through the rain and through the cold, and I know he was proud that they finished the game despite their team losing.  

While I like to take credit for the twins' good looks and their ability to articulate incessantly (and sometimes unnecessarily), I must give credit to Justin for the determination and perseverance they showed last Saturday morning.  Now that I think about it, playing soccer in the cold, hard rain is also crazy, so for sure they get THAT from their dad.

C.L.A.Y.

One of the major stereotypes about homeschooled kids is that they are not socialized or that they don't have proper social skills.  I know my own kids may not be socially perfect, but they have enough sense to say "Please" and "Thank You" most of the time.  And as far as I know, they don't put buckets on their heads and spin in circles to avoid conversations, and they'll gladly tell you their current interests or even ask about yours.

Because of this, I was happy to host the Christmas party for the 6th-8th graders in our homeschool group.  The party had the usual fun stuff:  an ornament exchange, chocolate pretzel making and games.  There were five girls and six boys in attendance, and while the goal was for them to have fun, MY goal was to ensure that my son isn't weird around girls.  When I was 11, I already had a handful of crushes on boys in my class, and I showed it by punching them, ignoring them, or acting like I hated them.  I want my sons to know that it's OK to act regular around girls - to treat them with respect and courtesy but also to be friendly with them.  I want them to know that girls are not aliens, like beings completely different from them who don't deserve their attention.  And right now I want my eldest son to understand that if the Lord wills that he be married someday, he needs to be friends with the girl first.

I am happy to say that the party was a success.  In his usual style, my son freely talked about the latest episodes of Lego Chima one moment, and in the next he was confidently instructing all 10 guests and leading them in a game of Apples to Apples.  All the kids acted like you'd expect 6th-8th graders to act, even making messes and not cleaning up after making the chocolate pretzels.  Although all the boys and girls who came may have their awkward moments, I'm assured that they know how to conduct themselves properly, and I pray that my son is friends with them all for a very long time.

I forgot to mention that "C.L.A.Y" stands for "Christ Loves All Youth", but with my party I'd also call it "D.B.W.A.G.":  "Don't Be Weird Around Girls".

Drivers Ed

I taught Drivers Ed tonight.  No, I didn't pick up a part time job - I simply had to drive to church.  With the twins.  In traffic.  And as I maneuvered into the fast lane, one of them asked why the lines on the freeway looked different.  Thus began the slew of questions, and because the interrogation lasted for 20 miles I am completely unapologetic for my snarky answers:

One of Them:  What's the difference between the solid line and the smaller lines?
Me:  You can't cross over the solid lines, but you can cross over the broken lines.
Them:  Why haven't you switched lanes yet?
Me:  I'm waiting for the carpool lane to open up so I can get in it.  The lines are still solid.
Them:  Well, the lines on the other side aren't solid.  Why don't you get in those lanes?
Me:  Because I don't WANT to get in those lanes.  They're slower because most people only have one person in their car.  I'm SO lucky I have the two of you with me so I can get in the faster carpool lane.
Them:  Yay!  We get to go faster!
Them again:  Ooo, that car crossed over the solid line.  What's going to happen?
Me:  Well, if a policeman sees him, he'll get a ticket.
Them:  What's a ticket?
Me:  It's something they get from the policeman that they have to pay for because they broke the law.
Them:  You mean they have to give the policeman all their money?
Me:  No, they have to go to court where there's a judge who decides.
Them:  So they give the JUDGE all their money.
Me:  NO.
Them:  So that guy is going to get a ticket?
Me:  Probably not.  I don't think a policeman saw him.
Them:  Why not?
Me:  Because there WAS NO POLICEMAN THERE.
Jed (to Jack):  But God saw him.

"Let Me Count the Ways..."

Now that I'm using the Bob Jones University curriculum for phonics for the twins, today I had to ask myself "Seriously, how many ways ARE there to read the "long a" /ā/ sound??"  I never paid this much attention before!  So here are the ways:
1. when "marker e" is at the end of the word, making the first vowel say the long sound, as in "gate"
2. when two vowels are together in a word, the first one does the talking and the second one does the walking, as in "mail"
3. and in today's lesson, it was about the "-ay" ending, as in "way"

I don't know why I had to tell you because you probably already knew.  Duh.  Actually, if you have yet to teach this to your kids, just show them this post and the pic above.  Boom - you're done.  And you're welcome.

I just realized there's another one:
4. "ey" as in "grey"

So props to my twins for being only six years old and deciphering this minutia of the English language.  And props to you if you know what "minutia" means.

Boiled Chicken Can Be Fab

At the risk of being put on the black list of a dear friend, I am posting her recipe for probably the BEST chicken salad I have ever had.  I have not asked her permission to share it but it's just after 11pm my time and I'm trying to squeak in a post.  I figure I could write a recipe quickly and have it count as my post AND as the highlight of my day.  Two birds, you know?

THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD EVER
also known as
WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER WHEN YOU'RE AT YOUR SON'S BASKETBALL PRACTICE AND YOU REALIZE YOU HAVEN'T PREPARED ANYTHING AND ALL YOU HAVE IS BOILED CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup (ish) of mayo

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Serve in sliced croissants if you're fancy, in wheat bread if you're healthy, or do what I do and eat it right out of the mixing bowl if you're just plain hungry.

And please don't ask me how many it serves.  All I know is that I have six people in my family and everyone gets fed.  Please don't ask me the nutritional value, either.  All I can say is that it has nutrients which are very valuable.

And yes, it was the highlight of my day and will continue to be until it runs out or unless my husband gives me an early Christmas present.