A Christmas Story

No I'm not talking about the classic Christmas movie about a Red Rider BB Gun (one of my husband's faves). This was the title of our church's Children's Choir Christmas Musical, starring Rose and David. Ok, they didn't star in it, but they each had a part. Rose was a sheep; she had a real sheep costume with ears and everything. David was a wise man and also had a very elaborate costume with a crown that was just a bit too big and kept falling down over his eyes. The story was the familiar Christmas story from the Bible, interspersed with songs and Christmas carols.

We actually arrived early and were just sitting trying unsuccessfully to keep Matthew quiet until it started. The lights dimmed and everyone came on stage and took their places. The audience was completely quiet and in the hush came a still, small voice. Yep, you guessed it. Matthew saw his sister, the sheep, onstage. He piped up, "Rose! That's Rose!! Hi Rose!" Needless to say, I clapped my hand over his mouth and tried to shrink through the floor. A spotlight came on over the center aisle and we turned to see 3 wise men processing up the aisle. David looked so cute!!! They went up and set their gifts in front of the manger then took their place with the rest of the kids. There were songs with motions sung in between kids narrating the Christmas story. David tried to sing along but looked a little lost some of the time. Plus he had to keep pushing up his crown which kept sinking down over his eyebrows.

Then came Rose's big solo. It was in that song that the animals sing that you hear around Christmastime. I totally can't remember the name of it. "I, said the sheep all (something) and (something), I gave him my wool for (something)" Do you know which song I'm talking about? Well that one has a sheep in it and Rose got to sing the sheep verse. She was wearing a body mike, but it was too far down or something because we couldn't hear most of what she sang. Rose's other big moment in the show came towards the end after Mary had her baby and the wisemen, angel and shepherds came. The kids sang "Joy to the World" using motions that Rose had choreographed!! The directors had asked her to make up motions for that song so she did, And she was very excited to get the chance to do that! She even got credit in the program for it.

At the end we all sang "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" with our candles lit. (Did I forget to mention that we each got a candle on the way in?) It was beautiful-or would have been had I gotten to enjoy it. But I was busy trying to keep Matthew from burning down the church. You see, some well-meaning person (who obviously doesn't have kids!) had given him a candle on the way in and he was determined to hold his lit candle all by himself. ACK! The music ended, the lit candles were the only light in the room, everyone was silent and then. . . Rachel piped up in a disappointed voice: "Is that the play? Is that all of the play" *sigh*

I'll post pictures of this soon, so check back!!

It's Conference Time Again!!

Parent-teacher conferences were last week (the week of Thanksgiving). For the first time we have 3 kids in school, so there were 3 conferences to go to. The kids' school requires us to attend fall conferences but we only need to go in the spring if there's something we (or the teacher) want to talk about. Our lucky kids only had school Monday last week because of conferences and the holiday. Needless to say they were thrilled.

Our conferences were Tuesday morning; the school very nicely schedules conferences back-to-back for those families with more than one kid. So Phil took his lunch hour at 10 a.m. and we went to school. Rose's conference was first; she is in 3rd grade now. As we expected, she is doing brilliantly. She is reading at a 6th grade level, is very enthusiastic about school and loves math. The love of math she obviously got from her father, because it sure didn't come from me. It astounds me that she not only loves math, but is good at it. Actually I'm not surprised that she's good at it, just that she likes it. Rose is especially excited that her teacher this year goes to our church.

Rose is also taking acting lessons this fall through a national group (based in Phoenix) that travels around the country giving acting lessons in various cities one weekend a month. They advertised on Nick Jr. that they were auditioning kids and she made it in. It is very expensive, but is really teaching her how to act. She has an audition with an agent from New York in just a few weeks. She is serious about the acting and is very good at it. Her teacher gave us an evaluation and said she is doing very good so far. She said Rose is very creative and is really good at expressing emotion and getting into character. She really loves it!

David was the second conference of the day. He loves 1st grade and is excited because his teacher also goes to our church! He is doing very well also (of course). He is reading at a 2nd grade level now. He is doing fantastic at math too and can actually do 2-column addition in his head as well as simple multiplication too!! His handwriting is almost illegible but that's really the only concern his teacher had. David loves to read and is very into writing stories.

Rachel's kindergarten conference was the last one on our schedule. This was the most fun for me simply because it was our first conference for her. She has the same teacher Rose did when she was in kindergarten. She is doing great of course; she is the best reader in her class. She finishes her work quickly and easily. When her teacher is reading a story, Rachel will correct her when she tries to skip parts of the book; that's the disadvantage of having a reader in class :-) She is very social and gets along great with all the girls in her class.

And that's the report on our scholars. Now for a health update: Rachel is completely recovered from her croup and strep throat. I (Amy) however am still battling my pneumonia. I am slowly improving but still get tired very easily. As long as I'm sitting on the couch resting I'm fine. But things as simple as taking a load of laundry downstairs and throwing it in the washer tires me out. I work a little and nap a lot. Not a bad life really (hee hee hee) but it would be nice to be up and around and have the energy to do things like eat and take a shower!

Wow, what a Thanksgiving we had!!

Oh boy, it certainly was an interesting turkey day for the Hahns this year. Our plans were to go to Columbus to celebrate with my parents. However on Monday it rained and every time it rains the serpentine belt falls off of our van. I have no idea why-probably a design flaw. Anyway. . . the earliest the mechanic could see it was Wednesday. So we had no idea if it would be done in time to goto Columbus. well after lots of phone calls, discussions, frustrations and even some tears, we decided to just go up to Columbus for the day Thursday. Conveniently our van was finished Wed. shortly before closing. Of course this was just the belt; we are still having a problem with the van stalling frequently for no good reason. But we couldn't get that fixed because we needed a vehicle (my parents didn't want to come down to Cincinnati).

Wednesday night Matthew was up until 10:15 at night. So after he finally fell asleep I put in a movie instead of going right to sleeplike I should have. I've always been a night owl and I need my down time in the evening after the kids are in bed. So around 12:30 I was getting ready for bed when Rachel came down and was gasping for breath. She just couldn't breathe. Now I'm not normally one to just take my kids into the doctor for any little sniffle or sneeze, but when it comes to breathing I don't mess around. So Phil took her to the emergency room. I, of course, couldn't goto sleep at that point so I took the phone to bed with me an prayed and read my Bible while I waited for updates. (In a side note, I found out that our insurance no longer covers the hospital near our house where they went. So I'm praying our bill isn't real high)

At the hospital they gave Rachel 2 breathing treatments (the first one didn't work) and some medicine. They sent her home with a prescription and a diagnosis of croup and strep throat. They said strep is very contagious so we were told not to let her share her dishes or cups with anyone because that's how the virus is transmitted. They got home around 5 a.m. I had fallen asleep around 3:30 after Phil's last phone call.

Later that morning we still drove 3 hours up to Columbus. The meal was fabulous and it was nice to see my aunt Carolyn and uncle Gene again. Not a great day overall though, mainly because Phil, Rachel and I were just sooooo tired! And because I was so tired I totally forgot that part about not sharing Rachel's dishes and finished off a piece of her turkey and some of her pie when she left the table. So going home later that night I started feeling short of breath. But I figured it was because of the cold I've had lately. Well today (Friday) I felt progressively worse and worse until I could barely breathe and was feeling lightheaded. At that point Phil took me to urgent care while Brett watched the kids. they told me I have pneumonia, gave me 2 prescriptions and an inhaler. So I've been sitting around all day not having energy to do anything (except read books and do email). I am feeling miserable to be honest and am almost dreading feeling better because frankly the house is a MESS!!!!

So that was our Thanksgiving. But in spite of the nastiness of it all I am thankful for a bunch of things. First, I have a wonderful, supportive husband who takes good care of me. I have 4 energetic, creative children who love me tremendously. I have a house to live in that holds us and most of our stuff. I have a good friend (Brett) who lives with us and has been a huge help taking care of the kids and helping around the house. I have lots of good friends (including many I've met online but never in person) who pray for me,laugh with me and support me through everything. And best of all I have God who loves me unconditionally in spite of my many flaws. So while it's been a pretty miserable holiday, I really do have a lot to be thankful for. It could be a lot worse!!

How Much have You Done?

This is a list I got from my dear mom (in law)'s blog. She got it from a friend's blog, who got it from a friend, etc. etc. Anyway there are so many things on here I'd love to do and probably some I've already done. So let's read the list together shall we? I'm gonna bold the things I've done. Here we go. . .



1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (WANT TO)
5. Watched a meteor shower (WANT TO)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World/Disney Land
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (WANT TO)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (WANT TO)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (WANT TO)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (WANT TO)
35. Seen an Amish community (WANT TO)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (WANT TO)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (WANT TO)
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (WANT TO)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (WANT TO)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (WANT TO)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (WANT TO)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (does getting laid off count?)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (WANT TO)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem (WANT TO)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (I'm working on this one!)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury (WANT TO)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (WANT TO)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day


So there it is. I also marked things I'd like to do at some point in my life. Some of these I wouldn't ever want to do: Be involved in a lawsuit? Sky dive? Bungee Jump? And I'm sure there are other things I'd like to do before I die that didn't make this list. It's interesting to think about though.

I'm Finally Back!

I was offline for most of a week, but I'm finally back. And boy did I miss being able to read blogs, check email and play on Facebook. I have to admit though that I got more work done around the house than I probably would have otherwise. Amazing how technology has taken over my life. At MOPS last Tuesday the talk was on time management and the speaker mentioned that technology that is supposed to save us time (like email for example) actually ends up taking up more of our time. So true!!

Nothing much has been happening. Oh except for the small fire on our rug downstairs today. We have one of those tall halogen lamps in our family room. Do you know the kind I mean-they are kindof top-heavy and usually cheap. I've had this one for years and years. It was on and I was working on my computer, the kids weren't around and neither were the cats. Suddenly without warning it just fell over, the bulb exploded and sparks landed on the carpet. I saw actual flames-small ones though. I stamped them out just as the kids came downstairs to see what was going on. I vacuumed up the glass fragments, but think we may need new carpet down there now. There are balck spots on the carpet when glass melted into the carpet where the bulb broke. The vacuum didn't pick up the spots and I couldn't just pick them up with my hands. I am not sure what to do next-we certainly can't leave them there and risk someone cutting themselves. Perhaps I'll look for a throw rug to throw there for now until we figure out what to do about that. That pretty much did me in for the day though. Rather stressful for awhile there! So I gathered the kids and we went to the YMCA so I could exercise. I lifted 7700 lbs. today. Yeah me!! And it did help me relax some. Then we stopped at McD's for dinner and to play. I got a salad with grilled chicken. Again, yeah me!! I'm trying to eat healthier. It's hard too, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time.

Anyway, now I am in bed playing on Facebook and email and catching up on my blog reading. But it's getting late and I'm really tired. So good night friends! I'll talk at you another day soon.

It's because he's the youngest isn't it?

Well today's blog is dedicated to my youngest child, Matthew. I love him to pieces, just as I do all of my kids. But I have found myself noticing his achievements more than I did with the other kids (with the possible exception of Rose, since she's the oldest and gets to do most everything first). He learned to ride a trike all by himself last summer. I watched him riding for the first time and was happy, proud and sad at the same time. Happy because he was just so excited and proud of himself but sad because he's the last one to learn this. There will be no more children behind him to teach this to. Trust me - as much as I love kids, 4 is quite enough!

It's fun to watch Matt's personality emerging. He is a very affectionate boy who likes to give hugs and kisses. He is quick to apologize when he's done something wrong ("I saw-wee mommy!") and loves to sit on my lap and read a book together. I love spending time with him, but he seems to be clingier at this age than the other kids were. Perhaps it's because he's the youngest. He gets lots of time with me while the older 3 are at school. So when I do try to leave him, he is often sad and stands there with tears streaming down his face, waving sadly at me and saying "bye mommy. I lub you." It just breaks my heart. But not enough to stay home.

This week he has been up at 4:30 every morning. I blame the time change. All the people who think you get an extra hour of sleep obviously don't have preschoolers! So I get up with him, change his diaper and we snuggle on the couch with a blanket. He falls asleep eventually and by the time he is snoozing, I am too tired to go back upstairs to my own bed. So we stay on the couch and I try to sleep. I think the reason he gets away with this (rather than me putting him in his room, shutting the door and letting him cry) is that he's the youngest. It won't be long until he's big enough not to want to snuggle with his mom anymore. My oldest 2 have hit that stage. I know it's inevitable that kids grow up, but part of me is sad too. So that's why Matthew gest away with more than he otherwise might. I will eventually get sleep on a more regular basis, but Matthew won't always be little and want to snuggle on the couch and fall asleep with me. So I'm gonna enjoy it while I can!!

Pictures at Walmart

I did it! I successfully took all 4 kids to Walmart by myself to get their pictures taken! I was pretty proud of myself for managing to get the kids all dressed up, keep them clean, keep them from destroying the store and get them to sit still and smile at the same time. That pretty much did me in for the day too. This was a week ago and I am just now getting around to blogging about it. I had not taken the kids to a portrait studio since Rachel was a baby (and she's 5 now!). And poor Matthew had never had his picture taken professionally (and he's 3 now!). I remember that we took Rose to Sears or somewhere quite often when she was a baby. But she's the firstborn so of course we have lots of pictures of her. Poor Matthew is the last one so we have very few pictures of him around-I'm just too busy (and tired) I guess. But now we do. And they turned out very well I think. If you're on our Christmas card list, you'll be getting a wallet size picture of the 4 kids next month. (Is Christmas really next month already? Yikes!)