Santa Letters, JDP Edition

Every year, my paper publishes a special section filled with local children's letters to Santa.

I get to type these (that's why they pay me the big bucks).  I'm still only about 329 letters into the stack, mostly penned by area school children and run EXACTLY as written, but I think I've already worn out the Santa-letter welcome for my staff by popping out of my office every 46 seconds to read them an excerpt straight out of the mouths of babes.

Most of them are pretty generic.

They were good this year.

They will leave milk and cookies (or in one case, Dr. Pepper and crackers). 

Please bring a toy for their baby brother. 

You get the idea. 

But some made me LOL. And that's literal, not text-speak.

"I was mostly good this year but mom and the polic ofiser (sic) took care of the rest."

"Did you really see what I did the other night?"

"Dear Santa, I'm really trying to work on the good things."

Some of the letters have been sweet.

"You do good for evryone on erth."

"I hope you remember this letter forever."

"You must be really tired after a long night."

Many inquired after Rudolph, the elves and "Mrs. Claws."

A LOT were a little on the greedy side.

"Dear Santa, Can you please bring me an iPad, an iPod, an iPhone5, a bike, a TV, a puppy and new Nikes?"

"Dear Santa, I don't want much, just a tv, a bike, a new car for my mom, a uno game, a ipod, an ipad, a moster truck, a skateboard, an Xbox, xbox games a Wii U, a 3DSI and a new shirt."

And one even had an unfortunate misspelling when asking for a certain kind of toy. I don't know what they really meant, but I typed it in as asking for a "sox toy." I dunno what else it could have been.

But one letter REALLY got me.

"Dear Santa, Merry cristmas. I have tried to be very good this year. I have tried to be nice. I work hard in school. Can you please bring me a bed to sleep on?"

More Christmas Favorites

Every year, I attempt to downsize the *stuff* involved with Christmas.

I haven't quite succeeded.

Not if you count the four bins, three industrial-sized trash bags (I need to buy a Christmas tree storage bag this year) and the partridge in the pear tree I hauled down from the attic.  Plus the extra tub of ornaments.

I did manage to trim and "recycle" some of the contents of those bins before I decked the halls, but there are some things I will never part with.

The Christmas tree skirt my mom made me the first year I was out on my own - 1994, I think. 

Our kids' Nativity set - my dad built the manger and the figurines are indestructable. Reminds me of the set we had growing up...we played with that all Christmas season.

My favorite Christmas card picture of the boys to date. I didn't pry the back off the frame to see what year it was, but I'm pretty sure it was 2006 or 2007 - so Curt was almost 5 and Luke was 3. One of my sweet students at Trinity Day School gave me the frame that year.

Curt's handprint wreath, created at a Wesley UMC Christmas Crafts Day!

Luke's wreath, also at a Wesley Christmas Crafts Day! 

Luke's hand/foot angel, from his "baby class" at Trinity Play School.

The picture tree!

And the Advent calendar my mom made - a duplicate of the one we had growing up. Since there are five of us kids, we each took turns "turning over" days on the calendar. We quickly figured out that whoever turned over Day 1, also turned over Christmas Day and that was like the grand prize of the Advent calendar. It was probably a fight every year.

I love Christmas!

Saxon Returns

On Friday, while the boys were at school, Saxon returned from the North Pole to spend the Christmas season with us.

That silly elf zip lined into our house - straight from Santa's workshop in the North Pole.

He must have known that one of our favorite adventures of the year was going to New York Zipline last spring.

So that silly elf BUILT. A. ZIPLINE. IN. OUR. HOUSE.

He must have gotten his tools from Santa's workshop.

Wherever he got them, he strung that zipline from Curt's room (somehow sneaking past the security system),

Down the hall,

And into the living room.

Where he had a grand old time zipping back and forth at rates of speed up to 1/2 mph.

He even wrapped himself up in some Christmas lights for his grand entrance.

The boys were amazed when they walked in that evening.

And went straight to work dismantling all Saxon's efforts.

What will that silly elf think of next??

An Open Letter to Rice Elementary School

Nov. 28, 2012

Dear Faculty and Staff of Rice Elementary,

Please stop reminding me that my child, my son, my firstborn, is about to go to middle school.

I am well aware of this.

I was aware when we visited Moore Middle School for preview night that the sixth grade is hurtling at me at a rate I'm not prepared for.

I was aware when Curt told me, months ago, that he gets to go to Camp Tyler, for TWO OVERNIGHTS, on the fifth grade trip this spring.

I was aware when I checked the calendar for the Moore MST magnet program application dates.

And I was aware this morning when you oh-so-kindly reminded me that today's 5th grade program was the LAST TIME they'd perform until GRADUATION.

For the record, I have bad allergies; those were not tears I was trying to wipe away.

Thank you, very much, Rice Elementary, for the constant reminder that my BABY is growing up.

Thank you for preparing him to leave elementary school and for giving him the confidence he needed to navigate the buildings at Moore Middle School (without me). Thank you for helping him mature enough so that he doesn't need to hold my hand when he walks into school in the morning. And thank you very DARN MUCH for helping him get to where he needs almost NO accommodations, functions at a high level academically and behaviorally, and enjoys going to Tech  Club with other kids.

Just please stop reminding me that fifth grade is almost half over.

Sincerely,

Ms. Fingers In My Ears I Can't Hear You LALALALALALALA

Garlic Shrimp, Sausage and White Beans = Delicious

I haven't blogged in forever, largely because my son HOGS the computer his EVERY. WAKING. SECOND. and I'm not awake many more hours than he is these days.

Plus, work keeps me so busy and in front of a computer 9 or 10 hours a day so I don't really want or need any more screen time when I get home.

But a recent dinner was worth dusting off the ol' blog and getting back into the swing of things (that, and I have the morning off and Curt is at school!!!)

This simple dinner is quick, delicious, easy and speaks for itself!

Garlic Shrimp, Sausage and White Beans

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 dried chiles de arbol
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 1/4 cups chopped tomato
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 T tomato paste
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
12 ounces beef link sausage, sliced
1 t smoked paprika
2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
grilled bread (optional)

Preheat broiler.

Heat 2 T olive oil in an heavy oven proof skillet (cast iron works well!). Add one clove garlic, chiles and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes. Add tomato, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and smashing tomato with the back of a wooden spoon,  until tomato is broken down, about 5 minutes.



Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is deep red and caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in beans, broth and sausage. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook until juices are slightly reduced and thickened, 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine remaining garlic, olive oil, shrimp and paprika in a medium bowl. Toss to coast. Scatter shrimp over beans in an even layer.

Broil until shrimp are golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread.

Dear Debbie,

Dear Debbie,

As 39 million, 500 and 75 people, at least, have said, "I wish I would have...."

Make me 39,575,001. (x a billion)

I wish you could have known, when you were alive, how much you meant to me this summer.

We didn't know each other very long, barely a year, but you'll stay with me always.

You were one of the FIRST people I heard from in May and one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout the summer. Lunches, breakfasts, phone calls and texts...you championed me at a time in my life when I was feeling down. So down.

You saw something in me I never saw in myself. And told me over and over and over.

One of the things you told me was "take a leap."

TAKE

A 

LEAP


I didn't take the leap you suggested. It wasn't quite my time.

But I WILL take that leap one day.

I know what you meant. I knew what your spirit intended.

And if my spirit can be half of yours, I know it will persevere.

Love,

Amy

The Karate Kid

Curt had his first karate class last night, Busido-Kai Karate at Colonial Hills Baptist church.

He. Loved. It.

We'd been talking about signing him up for several years, but it was time to put our money where our mouths are.

It looks like it's going to be a great group. Kids of all ages and all skill levels, tons of patient adults AND a prayer before they begin and  a devotional at the end of the lesson.

We can't wait to go back.