Oh Holy Fight

I love the song Oh Holy Night. It is absolutely one of my favorite Christmas songs. My good friend Carol sang this song at our December wedding in 1998.  It just brings back such wonderful memories for me.

Now, I have a new memory.
Today my five year old decided to change the words to Oh Holy Fight.  Here's his new rendition.

 
Oh Holy fight
The stars are bright and tooting
It is the night of a night to fight

Long lay a girl
She fights to fight a Power Ranger
The red one, a Power Ranger and Santa too.


This boy song has not ruined my favorite carol, but how did we get from Oh Holy Night to include a Power Ranger, Santa, and they all fight it out?

I will never completely know.  This is my world.

General Sideburns

This is who we sent to school today.  His name is General Ambrose Everett Burnside and, yes, he is quite imposing. 

My Hubby Bee did a great job creating Burnside's outfit and famous facial hair.  (Yes, hubby is the one who uses the sewing machine and he uses it well.)

The thing about General Burnside, as Union Civil War generals go, he was sort of, well, so so.  My little guy wanted him to be grander.  I explained we really couldn't rewrite history and Burnside is what he drew from the hat.

While researching old Burnside we came upon some fun facts about this man.  He was known for his interesting facial hair.  His muttonchops did battle with every other muttonchops and so the term "sideburns" was born.  It really was quite the impressive facial hair.

But this man who someone noted had a "bigger heart than head for leading a great army" was kind, compassionate, and rather congenial.  Not exactly what Lincoln may have needed in the Battle of Fredericksburg.  But his kindly demeanor served him well as the Governor of Rhode Island and later a U.S. Senator.

Even though historians have Burnside down as one of the failing Union Generals, he did not fail in life.  One account of his funeral said it was one of the grandest shows of respect for any Rhode Island citizen.  Now there's the grandeur.  Plus, those sideburns were awesome.

Elf on the Shelf

He knows when you've been sleeping, he knows when you're awake...

So the song goes, but some children do wonder how Santa monitors their behavior, especially when it's down to the wire. So some families have enlisted the help of a little pixie-elf who shows up usually after Thanksgiving to watch the naughty and niceness of the household. 

Well our little elf is back this year and I wanted to share again the story of how this popular Christmas tradition got started for many families across the country and the world.

You see this at the stores as a kit called The Elf on the Shelf 

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"Thankfuls" for Thanksgiving

As we wind down our Thanksgiving celebrations, one can't help but feel extremely blessed for family and friends.  We trekked to Tennessee for Thanksgiving this year and when I say trekked, I mean it.

When you have three boys, a large dog, and two adults in a Ford Explorer, you kind of feel a little on safari, wild animal noises and all....

We were blessed to see both sides of grandparents and to see high school and college friends this time around.  What a wonderful time of laughter, story telling, and sweet comfort that comes with common ground.

It doesn't matter how much time has passed, true friendships always pick up right where they left off.

We missed some of our family who could not be with us this Thanksgiving.  Some who live far away and those who have left us for another place.

The memories of loved ones lost always seem to be freshest at the holidays, no matter how long since the passing.  Their presence is felt in little things like a photo or a favorite tradition. 

As I put away my scarecrows and harvest decorations this morning with help from my littlest blessings, I could not help but wonder how they will count their "thankfuls" when they get older.  As my five year old stated, "I have many "thankfuls"  mommy, and I have to count them all this week."

I count my "thankfuls" abundantly.

No matter what is going on in the world or how hectic daily life may be, what is most important is not just in front, but beside and behind, nudging us to make the most of opportunities to revel in abundance, be blessed, and count those "thankfuls".

No worries if the trek to get there is a little bumpy, noisy. and tinged with a faint smell of dog breath.  I count myself thankful and hold on for the safari ride.

Fall Family Fun

When the leaves start to turn and the cool crispness clings to the air, it just might be time for a trip to one of your town's nearby farms where pumpkins are king and a short hay ride leads to more fun out on the back forty.

There are several farms close to Raleigh where your family can tap into the country fun and frolic of fall.

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Sweet Kitty of Mine

My dear cat passed away this week.  His illness was sudden.  We are finding it hard to say goodbye to our old boy who we called our furry friend for almost 16 years. 

Before the children, before the dog, even before the hubby, there was my Oreo.

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Kid Kindness and the Claw

It is so tempting with all those smiling fuzzy bears and shiny prizes, the lure of the claw machine is almost too much to bear.

"Mama, can we try?  Mama, can I have a dollar?"

If you concentrate really hard you can actually see your dollar slipping out of the claw machine's loose and slivery grasp.

Such is the scene on a day when our five year old just cashed in his coins for a nice bank roll, $7.50 to be exact.  A trip to the store is almost a given with that much money burning a hole in your play shorts.

"Honey don't try

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