Kirsten

I want to dedicate todays post to my sister, Kirsten. She deployed for Iraq today for 6 months on an assignment to a base in northern Iraq to teach Iraqis to fly. She's been deployed before, but she has never been based in Iraq, she was always in some remote (sometimes tropical) locations and was refueling other aircrafts. She was in her combat fatigues which made it all the more difficult. I'm so proud of her and I am trying to be optimistic and supportive. I know she is in a much safer region and since she is probably the only female pilot these guys have seen, I'm sure everyone will take extra care of her.

We got to spend some GREAT quality time with her over the Holiday weekend. We basically camped out at my parents house and had a great Christmas. I will be thinking of her constantly and can't wait for all of her e-mails and updates and skype. We also have a blog just for her where she can post stuff, but other people can post stuff also. Several of my parents friends along with my parents have decided to make a certain sacrifice or "resolution" for her deployment. Some people are going to lose 17.9 lbs (she's being deployed for 179 days), I think my dad is going to one push-up for every day that she is deployed. Of course he won't have to do them all at once, just through-out the day. My mom is giving up margaritas while she's gone. I plan on doing yoga 5 days a week while she is gone. I need to get back into a work-out routine any ways, and then calmness of yoga will help me with the anxiety of having a loved one deployed.

My sweet cousin Aly organized Captain Kirsten's home team, and every week someone is assigned to sending her a care package. She knows about the packages, but she has no idea who is assigned each week. I will probably also get Tessa and Ellis' school involved and try and get some things together that Kirsten wants once she is over there and knows more about what's going on. If she has a lot of interaction with Iraqi children or their parents, I know soccer balls are a HUGE favorite.

Anyways, I love you so much and can't wait to hug you soon.

Santa & Birthday

We went and saw Santa on sunday. Tessa was so excited and talked about him all day. "We go see Santa today. I go take a nap, then we see Santa. Let's goo see the colors (aka lights) and Santa." Once we got there and actually saw him she was a little scared. She talked to him from afar, but was a little hesitant to sit on the couch. We put Ellis down to show that he was really nice. She sat down for a second and we got a few good pics. But she said bye and gave him a hug afterwards. Now she won't stop talking about him of course.

Yesterday was Mike's 50th Birthday! Wow, he's an old goat! We went over the my parents house and opened presents. Tessa and Ellis gave him a really nice sweater, Omi and Opa got him these great landscaping lights, and I got him a set of insulated hunting camos. He loved all of his gifts. Then Peyton came over the watch Tessa and Ellis, while the grown-ups went to Fogo de Chao. We had a great time with just the grown-ups. The food is amazing there. I know it's a little on the expensive side, but DAMN it's so good. I think I will be in a meat-induced stupor for the next two days. Just in time for Christmas...........

Grandpa

Somewhere in school Tessa has picked up Grandma and Grandpa. Of course she calls my parents Omi and Opa, and Mike's parents are Gramm and Poppa Tim. Gramm was in town this weekend and Tessa was so excited to see her again. But she keeps calling her Grandpa! "Come on, Grandpa. Let's go build a tower" or "Grandpa, what you doing?" or "Wook at the lights, Grandpa" NO matter how many times we corrected her, she is just determined to call Gramms Grandpa. Maybe she feels slighted that she doesn't have a Grandpa, only and Opa or something.

Santa

Of course with Holidays all around us, we talk about and see Santa Claus a lot. She loves counting the ones we have in the house and will give them hugs, point them out on the Christmas tree, or when we see them in peoples yards. What's hilarious is that she points to one on our mantle and says "Wook Mommy, that's San-Ta" very deliveratly and making sure to pronounce the T. When I say, "That's right Tessa, that's Santa Clause, she says "No, mommy, that's not Santa Claus that's San-Ta" as if they are two totally different people. It's so cute.

I absolutely LOVE the Holdiays with a toddler. The pure joy and excitement she gets out of the smallest things are so much fun. She loves looking at the Christmas tree and for the most part has been really good about not tugging and yanking, she just points and shows us different things she sees. The lights are by far her favorite, she still gets SOOOO excited over the smallest decoration with lights. I mean, we see the same lights every day and you would think it was the first time in her life she was seeing them.

The other funny thing she has started saying is "OH.......MY.......GOSH" She even says it with dramatic pauses in between. She usually uses it when we see a particularly elaborate display or snow/rain.

Laughing Babies

St Nikolaus Tag

Traditionally, German's celebrate Christmas on the eve of the 24th. They don't have a Santa Claus that comes down the chimney to fill up your stockings. In Germany the tradition is that on December 5th all of the children have to polish thier boots and leave one of them out on the front porch. They polish the boot to show how well behaved they are, but only put out one boot so as not to seem too greedy. Nikolaus rides around the countryside on a donkey and leaves candy and coins in the boots of the children that were well behaved. The bad children would get coals and switches and depending on how old-school you want to get, sometimes a beating. There is supposedly this little troll guy called Knecht Ruprect that would travel around with St Nikolaus and he was responsible for the bad kids.

Sometimes he would come inside and ask the children how they have been and if they always do thier chores and listen to thier parents. Other times, he might just knock on the window to let you know he was there and then leave. This tradition stems from St Nikolaus who was bishop of Myra (he's from the area of what is now Turkey). He is the patron saint of children, sailors and travelers and was known to leave coins and food in the shoes of the needy and poor.

We did a boot for Tessa this year, although she didn't polish it (that's next year). I also put together little gift bags for the kids in her class and I included a little explanation of the German tradition.

Christmas Lights

Tessa's latest obsession is Christmas Lights. Every time we get into a car, she wants to 'go find some more'. And she gets SOOOOO excited when we see some. All it takes it one rinky-dink bush with lights in them and she goes nuts. Last night when Mike got home, we loaded the kids up and just drove around the neighborhoods. She was non-stop screaming. 'Look, Look, mommy. Daddy, do you see them. Oh right there, look at all the colors. Do you see them Daddy? I want more. More lights." We decided to drive around the little down-town Smyrna area that has a festical of lights. She nearly passed out, she was so excited. We drove around the round-about three times and then down the main street. She talked non-stop. When Mike and I tried to talk about some other things, she would say "No, Mommy. Don't talk to Daddy. Be quiet. Look at the lights, see them? Right there? And way up there? You see them? Daddy, don't talk to Mommy."

She was so excited last night she didn't go to sleep until almost 10:00pm (which is very rare for her). She talked to herself for a long time. She keeps talking about the lights, and Santa Claus is coming, and something about Mommy Daddy, and baby Ellis. At about 9:00pm I was taking a bath and literally could hear her talking non-stop. It was so cute.

I can't wait until we get our lights and tree up this weekend. We may also try to go see Santa this weekend.