Christmas Reflections

I haven't yet posted anything about Christmas because I left my camera at my parents' house so I have no pictures to show. We had a great time, though. Little Sissy got over her "pukes" by Friday morning. I was so glad because Saturday we got together with Hubby's family. His brother has 4 children, and I didn't want to pass them anything. Everything was going well, we had presents opened, sweets eaten, and were starting a game of Canasta (family tradition) when Big Sissy started her round of the pukes. She tried to warn me in her 3-year-old way. She said she had a baby in her belly moving all around. I just thought it was cute since we had just been watching my belly move all around. She said that if I picked her up to wash her hands it would hurt the baby and then *kaboom*. It happened. After I got the bathroom all cleaned up, I emerged covered in vomit (again). Thankfully that was the end of that. I went to church briefly Sunday morning. Hubby kept the girls home just in case, but everyone was fine.

We spent all day Sunday packing our stuff and all our groceries for baking the entire weekend and went to IL for my mom's family party on Sunday night. Monday night we had Hubby's dad's family party, then Tuesday morning we did Christmas with my family. In the afternoon we met with my dad's family. It was busy and we were all exhausted, but it was good to celebrate with everyone. Wednesday I literally didn't get out of my pajamas all day (neither did the girls). We all had a nap, thankfully, and today I feel kind of back to normal. I spent last night at Target trying to figure out a way to organize all the girls' new stuff. I'm not sure I'm happy with the outcome, but at least it mostly all has a home.

On another note, I had a doctor appt. today. I'll be 33 weeks on Saturday. Of course I gained too much weight. I fully expected that at a visit 2 days after Christmas. My nephew got a new "Green Machine" toy that has a weight limit of 180. Let's just say it's a good thing I didn't get on. Wearing shoes might have put me over the limit. Yikes!!! I've gained as much weight already as I gained by the end with the girls. Hopefully the next 6 weeks will be minimal in that area. I'm very ready to have this child. Of course seeing every family member possible in the last few days, I had lots of reminders of how big I am. Let me just say....I KNOW!!!! My grandma even called me the next day to say she just hates to see me so big. Not sure what I can do about it now, Grandma. :) I purposely haven't taken any belly pictures, but I'm thinking I should just to remember this. Every time I went Christmas shopping I wondered if security thought I was smuggling basketballs or something. Oh, well. It's all good. In the end it will be a beautiful child and my belly will be forgotten (or at least faded from the limelight). I thought a lot this season about Mary and Joseph. Mary must have been a very strong woman! And I think I have things to complain about, like the nursery not being ready. Mary puts it into perspective for me.

I'm not trying to switch the focus from Baby Jesus to Mary. We all know who the key player is in that story, but I'm thankful this year that Mary is favored by God for the part she played. It's an encouragement to me. I hope you all had a blessed holiday and that your New Year is full of hope for the future and thankfulness for blessings past.

Mommy Test

I feel like I've been tested as a Mommy tonight. I've been really fortunate that my kids don't get sick much. Big Sissy has only vomited once, and it happened in her bed. Hubby was there, and we just worked together to get her cleaned up and sheets changed, etc. But tonight...oh, boy. Hubby is working double shifts, of course, and Little Sissy has SOMETHING. I've been vomited on numerous times. Every time I get something cleaned up it happens somewhere else. Thankfully she went to bed at 7, so I've been cleaning and disinfecting things. Lamby took the brunt of it. Of course she was holding on tight to him since she didn't feel good, but then once he was drenched she still wanted to suck on his tail. Eeeeewwww. He is clean now, so I have to hurry him upstairs before she wakes up and notices. I'm sure her bed is a mess. At the end of the day, when Big Sissy and I were FINALLY sitting down to supper (around 7:30), I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. She said, "Helping you clean up the floors." There's something both sad and endearing about that. Could be a long night.

Indian Princess

Our cousin in Malaysia sent Big Sissy an Indian princess costume for her birthday. It arrived today. Both girls loved all the bling bling. Here is our little Indian princess. She had a little trouble keeping the straps up. Thank goodness for the little shawl! :) I don't know what this look is in the 2nd picture, but look out Indian princes!

Christmas Snow!

We got our first real snow of the year this weekend. Yeah! Big Sissy had a great time playing in it and building her own snow man/mound. Little Sissy tolerated it. She sat in it and held Lamby until I took her in.

Big Sissy's Moving Story

Tonight Big Sissy was feeling very chatty, and she started telling me a story that she made up. It started out very silly and she was giggling about her baby doll named Baby Molly who was pooping all over everything, etc. She went on and on, though, and after a while there was a shark who came along in the big ocean and ate her mommy and daddy and Little Sissy. The doctor had to get her a new family. Then she fell into the ocean and started to sink. She called for Mommy, but it was her new Mommy, etc. The next thing I know she actually had tears in her eyes. She was making her own story so sad it was making her cry!!! She's had some nightmares lately, and I can see how her vivid imagination can just completely get out of control. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to thwart her imagination, but I didn't want her to be getting so emotional over a made up story, either. I tried to help her think of a happy ending, then I quickly said, "The End." Yikes! Any ideas for how to handle this kind of imagination?

Our New Nativity Scene

I don't have a "grown up" nativity set. There's probably something wrong with that. That's on a to-do list for someday--to find one I like. Big Sissy is really learning the Christmas story this year, though. The only problem is that she gets Baby Jesus confused with Baby Moses sometimes. They're both in these basket-like carriers in all the pictures. I've tried to explain that Baby Jesus is much more important than Baby Moses, but she still kind of likes Moses better (probably because there's a princess in his story).

I saw this cute Little People nativity set in the Christian bookstore ad, but apparently they're quite the hit. The store has been out of them since October and can't even order more. Once the lady told me I couldn't have one, I was determined to get one. I found it on sale through the Fisher Price website for much cheaper than the bookstore was selling them, so I was very happy about that. We didn't do any kind of formal "unveiling of the nativity." I just let the girls tear into it. After I left the scene of the excitement, Big Sissy ran down the hall to tell me a piece was missing. Thinking we already had a donkey lost in the couch, I asked her what she meant. She said, "I looked and looked, and there's no King Herod anywhere." I don't know if she knows that from her Toddler Bible we read from or from church, but I am always amazed at what she already knows.

Random

I often find things in weird places with 2 toddlers--toothbrushes in the hamper, remotes in the toy box. I was sitting down to use the bathroom (try not to picture that), and I looked up to see this on the door. It just made me laugh.

The Rest of the Christmas Card Saga

I FINALLY got Christmas cards out today. After a disappointing session at the portrait place (see previous blog entry), I decided to use what I had and order cards through Snapfish. It would have cost almost $200 to get enough of the cards I really wanted, so I settled on something else. I was OK with that; it just meant that I had to send a separate "Brimm Family letter." (The other one was newsletter style). So I typed in my few lines of text and ordered them. They arrived just after finals--perfect timing--but the top half of the first line and the bottom half of the last line was completely cut off. AAAHHH!!! Why didn't Snapfish just give me a message saying, "Sorry. You don't have enough room to keep talking, Mrs. B"? Because it's already well into December I decided not to fight it and just print labels with the words I wanted to put over the messed up words.

Then I printed 80 of my update letters only to discover a huge typo when I was stuffing them into envelopes. I have a mental list of exactly who will notice and who will give me a hard time about being an editor and all, but after having to refill the ink cartridge twice in this process, I decided to just go with a "tacky Christmas" theme. I finally got them all addressed and took them to the post office today. My number was 99, and they were currently servicing customer # 78. I took the first available seat (I'm getting quite large and off-balance these days) and struck up a nice conversation with an older lady who actually should have been sitting on the bench. When I looked up at the digital screen, they were on 03. Somehow I missed my number being called. Thankfully, 04 let me go ahead and cut in to get my stamps and I hurried home before anything else could possibly happen with these Christmas cards.

So if you don't get a card from me, just assume it's lost in the mail. :) I actually do love sending Christmas cards; this has just been a strange year. May you have a warm and joyous season of celebrating Christ's birth! And may you avoid the post office if at all possible.

It Is Finished

It is finished, and it is only just begun. I took my last final for my Master of Arts degree tonight. I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief because it has been a difficult year trying to do school with 2 little ones. After the final I had to go home and revise my testimony I turned in 9 years ago when I applied to Covenant. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to sit under the tutelage of the godly professors here, and I feel like the work in my heart has only just begun. I want to share with you one paragraph from my testimony.

Sometimes I get restless in my desire to be more involved in ministry. I dream of writing Bible studies, teaching, and doing some missions work. When I look at the context God has placed me in, though, I realize this is not the time. For now I am called to show God’s love to my children and teach them His ways. This is sometimes a daunting task because there are no holidays, no time off, and certainly no monetary compensation. It is through this that God is teaching me some new things and continuing to sanctify me. I am learning contentment, patience, service, and joy in the mundane. For a person who likes new challenges this is quite an adjustment. I feel so blessed, though, and truly feel called to be mama to these children.

So seminary is done. It is bittersweet for me because even though it was hard, I loved it. But the learning is only just begun. Now my teachers are just 3 years old and under. It is humbling and amazing at the same time. May I never stop learning and growing.