Monday, December 30, 2013

Bark the Herald Angels Sing

"Hey mom, what does 'Bark the herald angels sing' mean?" My mom just started laughing and replied "It's Hark, Bodie, Hark the herald angels sing." Oh, okay, so what does THAT mean? Christmas lyrics are ridiculously hard to learn.

Laughter has erupted several times in our home this holiday season, often when I am singing my heart out to the tunes of the season. "Up on the rooftop reindeers pause, out comes old man Santa Claus...." I'm told it's not correct, but you've got to admit, it makes sense. And "You cause E ate me, Mr. Grinch," has been a popular one for humor. And by humor, I mean laughing at me. "Nauseate, Bodie. It's 'You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch." Um, okay, but what's nauseate?!?!! Every song I learn seems to require a dictionary. Good grief!

Christmas was awesome. My grandma and grandpa came in from Utah and we had a ton of fun. We visited the train displays at the Botanical Gardens, Union Station, and the National Christmas Tree. We saw Santa at his DC workshop on the National Mall in front of The White House. We played soccer, built trains, watched Christmas movies, read books, frosted cookies, played croquet, decorated a gingerbread house, played soccer while watching the airplanes land, strolled through the neighborhood (I scooted) and just hung out.


 

Christmas eve we made and ate our traditional sushi. Then Christmas morning went on for several hours as Gates and I opened our gifts; well, really I opened all of the gifts while Gates sat IN his gift - he got an activity saucer. Continuing on with my mom's childhood tradition, the Christmas breakfast table had the traditional craziness - there is usually something to play with and something to wear while you eat. This year we got ball-shooter guns, elf-like Christmas hats, and mustaches. No, it never makes sense, but the photos are hilarious and it's something we look forward to. One of the big highlights - I got a scooter from my grandparents - can you tell from the picture that I was excited. Once it was opened, off I scooted - FREEDOM!

 
My grandpa looks almost as excited as me when he opened the cotton ball snowman I made him (nice bow on your head, Grandpa!)
It was a ton of fun, and the best part was just having time with people I love. Merry Christmas everyone!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Go Fish

The only thing Bodie asked Santa for was to have the race track he got last year, set up again. While this was a great request - and very doable - Dave and I were trying to come up with another gift that he'd love. Our idea...a fish! Brilliant, I know.

We had this great vision of him running out on Christmas morning, seeing the fish, passing the racetrack, and exclaiming, "Wow! How did Santa know that what I REALLY wanted was a fish?!?! He's amazing. This is the best Christmas ever!"

My only fear was killing the fish BEFORE Christmas morning. So I delayed going to the pet store until the last minute, bought all of the essentials, and headed home. We hid the fish in our bedroom, keeping him in his store container until late Christmas eve when we made the transfer to his new home, complete with rocks and a plastic plant. All went smoothly. We placed a stool in front of the fireplace, in the center of everything, and proudly displayed the fish - it would definitely be the first thing he saw when he awoke.

Christmas morning arrived and Bodie ran out to see if Santa had been there - sure enough, he had. He methodically checked out the packages - not opening any - walked by the fish, sat down and played with his racetrack, walked by the fish, opened a few things from his stocking, walked by the fish,  opened some of Gates' gifts, walked by the fish, ate a candy, and again, walked by the fish. Grandma could see this was killing us, "Bodie did you see that Santa Claus left you a fish?!!?!" "Huh?" was his reply and he moved on to opening another package. We pointed out the fish a few more times and got little if any response. It was as though the fish wasn't even in the room - yet there he swam in his bowl - his bright blue color waiting to be acknowledged - hoping he'd be cleverly named by his new owner.

By this time we were all awake and the room was a bit chilly. Dave kindly got a roaring fire going in a few short minutes. We continued to open packages and wait patiently for Bodie to give some nod to his awesome new fish.

Amid the Christmas chaos of wrapping paper, an infant, grandparents, etc, I glanced over and noticed some bubbles in the fish bowl...HEAT bubbles. "Um, hey Dave. Um, Dave. DAVE!" I could only think to say his name over and over again in my moment of panic. "What Lisa?" was his irritated reply. "Can you move the fish bowl over here?" I said trying not to bring any attention to myself. "Why?" he replied. "Dave, just move it" I snipped. Again, "Why?" (Normally standing up and moving something wouldn't be a big deal, but in our tiny house, moving around on Christmas morning amid the "stuff" was a monumental task. We had all picked a spot and remained stuck there while gifts were being opened.) "BECAUSE THE WATER IS BUBBLING FROM THE HEAT!!!!" "Oh," was his soft reply.

Miraculously Bodie hadn't seen the panic in my eyes and didn't pay any attention to his parents' exchange. (I guess the Christmas chaos provided a perfect distraction.)

Dave set the stool with the fish bowl near me - far from the heat of the fireplace. The fish was still;
eerily still. The fish bowl was warm and the bubbles in the water remained. As we just stared at the bowl, grandma jumped into action. A large handful of ice cubes were dumped into the fishbowl. No response. We poked at him. No response. We spoke to him. No response. The Christmas fish was dead. We had cooked him in his new home on Christmas morning. He died without a name and without ever being celebrated by his new 4 year old owner.

Oddly, all of this commotion was completely missed by Bodie. I'm pretty sure Gates saw us commit the crime, but luckily he can't speak. And by the time he can, his infant memory will have erased the evidence.

We swiftly moved into "operation cover-up." Who will go to the pet store and do you think they are open on Christmas morning? As we debated this event that would surely devastate Bodie, causing him years of therapy, we noticed he continued to wade through the gifts, happily eating M&Ms and cheerfully helping show his brother how to operate his new tractor. Is it possible he wouldn't notice he no longer had a fish? Would our month of thoughtful gift-picking go completely unnoticed and just die off (pun intended)?

As the day continued, not a single mention of the fish. He really had never noticed - or cared - that Santa brought him a fish and that his parents sent him off to the big guy in the sky. We were off the hook (again, pun intended!) Now for getting rid of its remains. Dave and I decided we had to share the duty. So after everyone was in bed and the house was quiet, we took a solemn walk to the bathroom, scooped Little Blue out (he needed a name before he departed), and flushed.

Monday, December 16, 2013

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

It happened, we met The Big Guy. We were headed to the mall to do a little shopping and wa-la, there he was, just sitting in the middle of the mall! My dad had stopped to get in some line with Gates and my mom and I kept walking toward the store we were going to. She stopped for a minute and said, "Hey Bodie, do you see who's over there?" I thought she was talking about a kid running by on my right but then she said, "No, to your left. Look to your left." I turned my head and was totally stunned. I squatted down on the ground - kind of like an Army guy sneaking up on someone - got a HUGE smile on my face, and whispered, "It's Santa mom. What's he doing here?" My mom asked why I was whispering. I replied in a whisper, "I don't know. Mom, Santa is sitting RIGHT THERE!" My mom told me we could go meet the big buy if I wanted. I told her I'd think about it. She said Gates was going to say hello so I told her that I should probably go to - to make sure Gates was okay.
When we got to the front of the line I heard this big voice say, "Bodie and Gates, come on over." HE KNOWS OUR NAMES!?!?!?! I hopped up on his knee - Gates was speechless so I did all of the talking - and he asked what I wanted. I calmly explained that I would like the race track he gave me last year re-set up in our front room on Christmas morning, that's it. He looked a little confused but then asked, "Well, have you been good?" My reply, "Mostly." He said he liked my honesty so I think the race track I already own will probably be set up in our front room on Christmas morning - sweet!
 
And while I'm only four, I am learning that Christmas is not about Santa, but rather the spirit of Santa (who was actually a guy named St. Nicholas a long time ago), which is the spirit of Christ. St. Nicholas, just like Jesus, did very kind things for people and that's what make Christmas so magical - lots of people thinking about other people and doing kind things. I am also learning that not everyone gets lots of presents so we need to share. My mom and dad asked if I would let Santa give one of my presents to a little girl
named Kate who wasn't going to have presents. It took a  little while, but Gates and I agreed to their plan and we got to go shopping for Kate and make sure she will have packages to open on Christmas morning too. My buddy Poppy and I got to deliver the packages - Kate is the same age as Poppy, so I'm sure she's a lot of fun. It turned out to be a lot of fun - who knew buying girl clothes and toys would be fun, but it was - and maybe I learned a little about giving in the process... maybe.

On Saturday, we also took a trip to Bethlehem. Okay, not really, but we did go to a party entitled, "A Trip to Bethlehem" and we got to dress like we were traveling during the time of Jesus's birth. I look like a weary traveler in our family photo, so I included a photo where I look a little less weary.
My preschool hosted it's annual Christmas pageant and I starred as reindeer #14. (Okay, we didn't really have numbers, but there were a lot of us - I'm the guy in the white sweater, six from the left.)
We also hosted our annual Christmas brunch. A bunch of our awesome friends come by our house and fill our home with TONS of Christmas cheer. We eat a lot, the kids run around the yard like it's a track, and by the time everyone leaves our house feels like Christmas has officially arrived - seeing our friends is a highlight every year. This year we made Gates dress up like a little Santa Claus - I don't think he was too thrilled in this photo, but he ended up staying awake for about 4.5 of the 5 hours of the party - not bad for a little guy!
And speaking of Gates, he attempted a milestone this past week - eating real food. Though I think calling a banana that has been pureed a million times "real food" is a bit of a stretch, but I digress. His face in this photo sort of sums up the experience. The spoon went in full, came out empty, then blah, the food shot out of his mouth and we all laughed. Can you blame him? My advice, next time give him a big bowl of ice cream!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Favorite Things

I've wanted to do this post for a while now, and since it's the season of giving (and buying), I thought the time was perfect. This post is a bit self-serving, as I am always looking for good gift ideas.

We really have no idea who, or how many, follow this blog, so there may be a limited response. But my hope is that everyone who reads this post will leave at least one comment and include a "favorite thing." What is a favorite thing? you may be asking. Well, if you ever saw Oprah's Favorite Things shows, it's just that - stuff (and places) you really like. If you can provide a link to the item(s), even better!

Everyone has a product or venue or activity that you enjoy - a breakfast cereal, a dry cleaners, a hole-in-the-wall diner, whatever! Please, please, please take a minute to hit comment and share at least one.

Here are a few of mine - in no particular order:
- The Dapper Snapper: THE BEST way to hold a kid's pants up. It's a small piece of elastic with snaps. I should warn you that it looks like it should cost a quarter - and it doesn't - but it really is worth every penny because it works.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/186-4854990-5441212?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=dapper%20snapper&sprefix=dapper+snap%2Cgarden&rh=i%3Agarden%2Ck%3Adapper%20snapper

- Seven brand jeans: If you're always looking for "the perfect fit" jeans, give these a try. While not inexpensive, you can often find them on sale, and really, can you put a price on a pair of jeans that make you feel happy?
http://www.7forallmankind.com/Womens_Denim_The_Basics/pl/c/518990.html

 - Scrambled States of America children's book: If you want a child to have a fun way to learn the 50 states - and encourage travel! - this book hits it out of the park. Very clever and educational.
http://www.amazon.com/Scrambled-States-America-Laurie-Keller/dp/0805068317/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386600265&sr=8-2&keywords=s
crambled+states+of+America

- The Dirty Life book: This book is so well written and has the richest, most descriptive words. If you enjoy non-fiction, pick it up for sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Life-Memoir-Farming-Food/dp/1416551611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386594284&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dirty+life

- The United States Marine Corp Silent Drill Team: These incredible men do THE MOST off-the-hook routine (I guess that's what you'd call it) as they march in cadence without command. They flip guns back and forth like they are playing with a stick at the playground - it's AWESOME. DC-area peeps can see them live two days a week all summer long. Non-local peeps, if they're ever in your area, it's worth a long drive, wait in freezing cold or sweltering heat, or whatever - go see them! It's a great reminder why we are so lucky to live in America (check out this video)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=silent+drill+team&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=397C6E4259E3AA9F469E397C6E4259E3AA9F469E

- The Whale Tale ice cream scoop: This ice cream scoop can mow through the hardest ice cream with an easy-to-hold handle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YKTFDO/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=31127913530&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw
=g&hvrand=709405751393839115&hvpone=&hvptwo
=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1uee1dcn3c_b

- Conklyn's Florist: As a flower connoisseur, I have definite opinions about florists and these guys have excellent customer service and quality flowers.
 http://www.conklyns.com/

 - Café Rio restaurant: As a rule, I don't frequent any chain restaurants; Café Rio (& In N Out Burger) are the two exceptions. Café Rio's chain is fairly new to the East Coast and if you haven't discovered it, I recommend it. VERY family friendly, great value for your money, and extremely fresh tex mex.
http://www.caferio.com

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix: BEST boxed pancake mix around. I recommend you buy it at a Trader's Joe's, but you can overpay and get it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Pumpkin-Pancake-Waffle/dp/B00668LV80

- Reusable grocery bags: Washington Fine Properties has THE BEST reusable grocery bags. Unfortunately you can't purchase them - they use them for marketing - but if you ever meet a realtor from WFP, ask for a bag!

- Casablanca lily bulbs: A lovely gift that returns every spring and some of the heartiest garden lilies I've ever seen. They also grow about 4 feet tall and have enormous blooms.
http://www.amazon.com/BR-Casablanca-Lily-Summer-Bulbs/dp/B00CE5C7EQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386600221&sr=8-2&keywords=casablanca+lily+bulbs

- Duck Duck Moose apps for children: Good, educational children's apps for your iPad, iPhone, etc

- Clinique Rinse off eye make-up remover: Soft on the eyes and removes the heaviest make-up with ease.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/clinique-rinse-off-eye-makeup-solvent/2808949?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=clinique_rinse-off_eye_makeup_solvent:14458U&cm_pla=makeup:women:makeup_remover&cm_ven=Bing_PLA&mr:referralID=782425bf-60e0-11e3-9f1f-001b2166becc

- The Color of Water book: I have loved this book for years. It's the story of a white women who raised her twelve black children in New York, as told by one of her sons.
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Water-Tribute-Mother-Anniverary/dp/159448192X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386594331&sr=1-
1&keywords=the+color+of+water

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Un-Belize-able!

Sun, palm trees, endless water - Belize is awesome! This was definitely a good choice for my first passport stamp. We headed south for the Thanksgiving holiday. While this may be my first international trip, trust me, this travel stuff is for me! I guess I need to marry one of Donald Trump's grandkids so I can jet-set to a villa on a beach in some foreign land whenever it gets too cold!

We took a 12-seater plane to get to our final destination. That plane was just my size. I could stand on my mom's lap and look out the window the entire flight. The plane flew about 1500 feet in the air - which is apparently really low - so we could see the shrimp farms, straw huts, and just about everything else on the ground (and water) below. On the way back we stopped at a few other small towns so our tiny plane took off and landed six times, allowing us to see a lot of Belize from the sky - so cool!

Once we got there, we just played and relaxed.
Bodie, of course, ran everywhere while I took a more laid-back approach.

 
We spent a ton of time in the water - both the ocean and the four pools.  
 




My parents snorkeled and kayaked while I relaxed in the sun
My mom got some decent air doing her Belize jumper - Bodie really needs to work on his timing. While they were jumping, I was - once again - relaxing. I'm telling you, vacations are for me!
 

We really had a good time just hanging out as a family.
 
But then again, in a place like this, even the Grinch would have had fun!
 


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Four

Guess who's four years old...ME! Having a birthday in late November allows for the celebrating to
happen all month long. I celebrated my actual birthday in Belize - my brother will be blogging about that trip soon - and had my party earlier in the month. As my birthday approached, my mom asked who I would like to invite to my party. I looked her square in the eyes and recited the names of TWENTY-FOUR friends. "Um, sure," was her reply. She asked me the same question a few days later and I responded with the exact same 24 people and again another week later. I guess the third time is the charm because I got to invite all 24 of them! Four friends were out of town, so twenty of us celebrated at my Movie Birthday Party. Check out the photos below... 

The VIP entrance and the movie theatre
 
 
 The concession stand and popcorn-looking cupcakes

Goody bags for my friends - my mom says movies stars call it "swag"
We made art out of movie tickets and strung "star" necklaces
We got to dress up like movie "stars" and play penny pitch
The grand finale with all of my buddies...
 
In Belize I woke up to a room filled with balloons. That night we went to dinner at the resort where I ate lobster and steak - not bad for a four year old! The band announced it was my birthday and they sang to me while the staff brought out a cake. Blue icing...yum! I think I'm going to like being four!