Clover Lane

.

I can't believe he is five already.  I know I am always lamenting how quick time flies, but as I get older it seems like it flies faster and faster.  And five is just one of those big milestones.  

Patrick, my Christmas-time baby, has such a sweet soul.  He is so sensitive, and always a really good little boy.  He adores Janey and is always "petting" her and snuggling up to her.  He will be such a good daddy one day.  He loves sports-whatever is in season is his favorite.  He can't stand wearing long sleeves and long pants-his school clothes now.  He must be ready to be an athlete at all times, so he wears his t-shirts and shorts indoors-sometimes (if mom lets him-not too school!) he even wears them under his normal clothes-that he quickly sheds as soon as he walks in the door.  He loves puzzles and Star Wars Lego guys and likes to practice his flashcards.  His favorite friend is his neighbor Anderson.  When he sees him at the door a big shout usually goes out and he runs to open it.  

We love you Patrick.  You are such a joy.  Happy Birthday my Paddy.

Here's an updated list of our favorite, most-played with, delivered-to-your-doorstep, Mom-approved toys.

And here are our favorite games.

And our favorite books.

Here are some great teen gift ideas.

I have a Golden Book collection and a few more (like the Frosty one) on my wishlist.

The Littlest Christmas Elf

Elves and the Shoemaker

The Nativity, Mary Remembers

I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles

Christmas books.

Please don't think less of me, but this is a joke I played on Abbey, and I must say it was a good one.  It all just came together so perfect and I couldn't resist-she is creeped out by Elfie and I thought I would rub it in a little.  We are both scaredy cats when it comes to horror movies-like we have never even watched one little part of one not even commercials for them.  She didn't see this horrible scene till it was dark and she went to change into her PJ's which make it even better.  We laughed until we cried.  Or she might have been actually really crying a little. :)  I am busy thinking of my next move.  Or she might get me back?  (No little children witnessed my immaturity just so you know, with the exception of Janey.)

St. Nicks Eve.  Missing Isaac.

Card helper.  Thanks to Andrew I had half of them finished in one evening.

This last weekend everyone begged me to get out the decorations and I succumbed to the pressure-I had thought about waiting just one more week.  Last year when I took the decorations down, I was sick as a dog with pregnancy and it was apparent in the way I literally threw things into the bins and I had to laugh at the tangles and scrappiness and a few broken ornaments here and there.  

This year I scaled back my decorating-just because.  I've decided that from now on  I am going to go with a few fresh garlands ro replace any fakes that I bought before.  Not only does it look really fresh and simple, there is no storage needed.  I love having to store only a few Christmas bins in the attic. (Remind me of this reasoning when I am vacuuming up pine needles in 2 weeks)

As we were decorating the tree Abbey and I had a chuckle because I mentioned those commercials that show a family peacefully decorating the tree in matching sweaters and scarves, while sipping hot chocolate and hanging ornaments one by one, music playing in the background.  I was listening and comparing in my head with what was really going on here and it was pretty funny.  Jeff was holding Janey in the other room, while she slept (because that is the only way she will stay asleep in the late afternoon) and while he watched a game on TV.  He had just brought the tree home and set it up in the stand, which always tests his patience level to the max. Isaac is gone at college, hopefully studying for exams.  Matthew, Andrew and Patrick were putting on the ornaments in typical boy fashion.  I heard one of them say, 'I am going to group all these animal ornaments together on one branch.'  And then Abbey saying, "No, that's so stupid!  That will look awful, you can't do that, that's not how you decorate a tree!"  Andrew said, "This tree hates us!  Everytime I put an ornament on, it falls off! Stupid tree."  One boy almost fell off the ladder into the tree, and blamed another boy for it. They all lost interest after awhile and Abbey and I finished it up.

It looks (imperfectly!) beautiful, filled with spoon ornaments and laminated hand print ornaments and a bunch of other funny stuff.  I love it.  I find as the years go by I lower my expectations little by little.  Isn't it funny how that works?