Month: December 2010

With only a few days left of 2010, it’s time to make New Year’s resolutions. I love doing this, and I’m pretty sure I started at around the age of 3, when it was my resolution to collect as many stuffed animals as possible. In my excitement, I assumed everyone did this, and was a little shocked to learn over the years that a great many people do not.

The reason so many people don’t make resolutions is a valid one, I suppose. They assume that they won’t keep them and will just be disappointed in themselves. Or they assume it will just be too much work. However, this has not slowed me down one bit. And I usually go for bold, outrageous resolutions, as well as smaller things I really must do, like taking my make-up off every night (what a chore!).

The thing is, the year is going to pass, whether I’m aiming for something or not. And I love the idea of the impossible, and I’m surrounded by the impossible actually occurring. The forgiveness of sins, the ability to start each day new, the fact that I’m married to Philip, the fact that two children like Callie and Justus not only exist, but they are mine.

So many things about being a Christian should be impossible, but by the grace of God they are not. That’s why I love the idea of the magical, the unattainable, the ridiculous. With this in mind, no day could possibly be boring. Just the fact that God is revealing Himself to us daily, in so many places, is miraculous and confounding, and worth getting out of bed for.

So I’m compiling my list of resolutions carefully, with great excitement over what 2011 will hold. My list will be posted shortly.

What about you? What are you going to aim for this year?

Tonight Philip and I were able to go Christmas shopping for the babies, while Callie Grace got to spend time with her best friend, Charleston, and Justus got to hang out with his best friend, Uncle Pete, who spoils him with peanut butter cups.

Christmas shopping for the kids is possibly the most fun I can imagine. Philip and I went down every toy aisle, so excited to find toys they would like. Maybe it seems like we waited a little late to do our shopping, but even now, having to wait until Saturday for them to open their presents, is killing me!

Here is something that puzzles me. So many people I know find Christmas to be a hassle. I considered that maybe it’s a money issue for some, but again, we are living on one income with two babies, and the one income is a pastor’s income. So I can’t think that money is what makes it a hassle. Of course, I love Christmas to the point of an obsession, so I’m no judge of the frustrations that apparently come with it, but I’m also married to a man who is so excited to make Christmas fun, and holy, and memorable.

So am I missing something? Is there some part of Christmas in particular that causes so much stress, leading people to sigh loudly in the middle of Safeway and say, “I can’t wait until Christmas is over” (blasphemy, in my world!).

Along the same lines, I tried to explain to Callie Grace that Santa comes down the chimney. She looked appalled. I don’t think she’s ready for all the particulars yet. Also, Santa is going to have to bring her, and now me, a new spin toothbrush. She found my new one that I had thankfully not used yet, and brushed her teeth for about 2 hours today.

As for Justus, he keeps trying to follow in his sister’s footprints and steal ornaments off the tree. Also he will climb anything he can find. And eat anything he can find. To say I love my babies is such an understatement! I try to imagine the fact that God loves them more than I do, but my mind can’t wrap around that.

Sorry for the randomness of this post. It’s almost 10pm, which is at least 2 hours past my bedtime. I do love my babies, but keeping up with them is exhausting! 🙂

Today I reconnected with a dear friend, possibly the friend I’ve known for the longest time. We went to daycare together before first grade. We roomed together in college. She’s more like family to me, as I have few memories of my life when I didn’t know her. The sad thing is, she has tried multiple times to get in touch with me. Luckily, she knows me well enough to not be offended and not give up. (I once told a friend I’d call her right back. That was in August. I called her back in October. True story.)

This is a weakness of mine. I’d blame it on having two babies and being super busy, but I’ve struggled with this weakness long before I had children. I’m not sure if it’s laziness, a dislike of the phone, or some weird phobia, but the problem is that the longer you go without talking to someone, the more you have to catch up on, and just the idea of that wears me out. So yeah, it must be laziness.

Somehow, certainly because the Lord knew me before I was formed, He has blessed me with these amazing friends who don’t give up on me. I have no idea why, unless it’s for my sparkling personality, which I seriously doubt, since I consider myself rather boring with a weird sense of humor that pops up at the most inappropriate times.

So to all my dear friends who call me and often wait in vain for a return call, despite my good intentions (today I checked my voicemail. I had 15 messages. For shame, Andi, for shame.), my plan is to work on this weakness of mine, and to show you all how much I truly love you. Just don’t be surprised if I answer the phone with “Buddy the elf, what’s your favorite color?”. Elf is permanently etched in my brain, due to a certain two-year-old.

I had to take a brief hiatus from blogging, due to the insanity that has been the last few weeks. Mostly the insanity was of my own making, until we left town for over a week. However, I’m back with lots of stories, Christmas excitement to share, and of course, the newest installment of Twilight to watch while I blog. Life is good.

Things I learned on our vacation:

1. I have amazing, well-behaved children. We were constantly in awe of how they just kept adapting to new situations. I mean, they did have their moments and their occasional breakdowns, but then so did I!

2. I have learned that Callie Grace has the most random thoughts in the morning when she wakes up. A few nights she slept on an air mattress next to our bed, and one morning she woke me up by saying, “Santa brings presents?”.

3. Once you open up the world of Santa Claus to a 2 year old, there’s no going back.

4. One must be careful when introducing all the characters involved in Christmas, as it can get confusing to small children. Callie keeps calling Santa Joseph. She also tends to mistake anyone wearing a Santa hat for Santa Claus himself.

5. As proof that Philip cares way more for his babies than any earthly things, he left his diploma on the top of the car while getting the babies in their car seats. Twice.

6. As proof that the world is still full of good people, both times his diploma flew away, a Good Samaritan found it. One time we were in a parking lot and he was able to hand it to us. The second time it flew off the car as his mom drove away from the airport. Amazingly, someone found it, called the seminary and gave them his information to give to Philip. So many Christmas miracles!

7. No matter how well-behaved your children are, you will still leave a path of destruction everywhere you go. It’s inevitable.

8. People on planes are almost always kind and sympathetic when there is a crying baby sitting near them. At least, if they are thinking mean thoughts, they keep them to themselves. My guess is almost everyone has been in the same situation.

9. Traveling with Philip is awesome. He is so very calm, so laid-back, and so certain that any change of plans (like missing flights) all falls under the category of the providence of God, completely taking the stress and worry out of unexpected events.

10. My children are allergic to the South. Justus has never been sick a day in his life, and both he and Callie Grace struggled with allergies.

11. When you have relationships with people that are firmly grounded in Christ, then no matter how much time has passed, they are still your family in Christ.

12. Callie Grace is obsessed with the movie “Elf”. Not sure what that has to do with traveling, except I’ve watched it in multiple states now.

13. When your luggage makes it to your destination a day before you do, improvising can be fun. As long as you have extra diapers.

14. Even on trips, Callie Grace still needs her alone time, shutting herself in a room by herself, and saying “bye bye mommy”. I totally respect that.

15. Waiting in the airport for five hours with two small children is not bad at all when the airport has a play ground in it and a Starbucks.

16. The Bible Belt is a wonderful place. When we got to the airport in Kentucky, they were playing Christian music over the intercom. Weird, but fantastic.

17. Callie Grace can now sing Silent Night all by herself. I discovered that she sings herself to sleep.

18. Also, Callie Grace will play Ring Around the Rosie with anyone who volunteers. Only she says “mashes, mashes, we all fall down.”

19. Justus is grandpa’s boy. Unfortunately he’s so big that my dad’s back will never be the same from carrying him, but grandpa said it was well worth it.

20. Lastly, there is nothing, absolutely nothing as wonderful as coming home.

So now I need some feedback. I want to hear what your favorite Christmas movie, desert, and songs are. Really. If for some reason you can’t leave a comment, email it to me at andimeade@hotmail.com. Also, I totally need some recipes. Spelled out clearly. As in, start with, take the pans out of the cabinet. 🙂