The Bean Blog

It’s so hard to say goodbye

Apr 7, 2010 In the holiday spirit

This Easter brought many mixed emotions for me. I love spending Easter with my family. Coloring Easter eggs. Making Resurrection Cookies. Searching for hidden Easter eggs. Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they see their Easter baskets. It’s always a lot of fun.

But now that’s over. This year the kids informed me they no longer believe in the Easter Bunny. First no Santa. Now no Easter Bunny. What’s next? The Tooth Fairy? Next thing you know they’ll be telling me Diet Dr. Pepper isn’t for real.

We always spend Easter in Chicago with my mom. We hide Easter eggs around her apartment and the Easter Bunny brings the kids big baskets of candy and trinkets. We keep the baskets in mom’s hall closet to be used the next year and I usually bring the candy with me (’cause, yo, it’s expensive in Chicago dawg). But this year I was slacking. Lee and I ended up making a trip to the nearest Chicago suburb Target to get the Easter Bunny goodness.

On the way back to mom’s apartment Lee was commenting on how, as usual, I went a little bit overboard and spent a teeny bit too much money on Easter stuff.

“But this is probably the last year for the Easter Bunny,” I whined. “Last week Caleb asked me if the Easter Bunny was really the one who hid the eggs. I said, ‘What do you mean? Who else would hide the eggs?’ but I’m not so sure he was buying it. I think this might be the last year he believes.”

Lee looked at me and said, “Awww. That’s so cute…that you still think he believes.”

I never really thought about the day when my kids would no longer believe in the mythical creatures who make all the holidays so fun. And I definitely never imagined that day would creep up on me so quickly. Caleb is only 7-years-old. I am supposed to have several years left of Santa Clause, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. I’m not ready to give them up yet.

*sigh*

So I guess this is so long, Easter Bunny. It’s been a wonderful 15 years! I’m going to miss you! *sniffle*

Tags: coloring Easter eggs, Easter, Easter basket, Easter Bunny, Easter egg hunt, Easter eggs, Resurrection cookies

Yes, Skyler, there is a Santa Claus

Dec 28, 2009 In the holiday spirit

Skyler and Spencer are 10 years old so it’s no surprise that they may no longer believe in Santa Claus. But while Spencer quietly plays along without question, Skyler is the type that must know all the details. She won’t just believe her friends or even be satisfied with putting all the clues together.

TV shows/commercials make a big deal out of the “Is Santa real?” question. While our immediate family leaves to go look at lights when Santa comes to grandma’s house, the rest of the family stays behind to clean up and somehow never runs in to Santa. I spent all day wrapping presents, but only had one present per person to put under the tree. Santa’s handwriting looks remarkably like mine…and he uses the same wrapping paper that we use. [Yeah, we aren't exactly pros at this whole Santa thing.]

No, Skyler wants us to confirm it for her.

On Christmas Eve we were watching Fred Claus when Skyler said, “Mom, I need to talk to you for a minute.”

“What do you want to talk about?” I asked.

“We need to talk in private,” she said as she glanced over at Caleb.

Ruh-roh. I knew what was coming. The Santa talk.

I already knew she had her doubts about Santa. But I was hoping we could just skim over the talk. I never really know how to handle the talk. On one hand I don’t want to lie. I spend all year long dishing out punishments to the kid when they lie. I probably shouldn’t look her right in the eye and lie my tail off. But on the other hand, I prefer to live in a world that believes in Santa Claus because Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

So I decided to just be evasive. And answer questions with questions. ‘Cause that always works. Right?

When the movie ended and Caleb went to bed Skyler came right out with it. “Is Santa real?”

I asked, “What do you think?”

“I don’t think he’s real.”

“Hmm…” I sure have the best comebacks.

She inquired further. “Do you have more presents to put under the tree after we all go to bed?”

“Do you think I have more presents?”

“Yes.”

And we left it at that. With me neither confirming, nor denying, the existence of Santa Claus. I totally rock at this motherhood gig. I’m already dusting off the spot for my “Mother of the Year” award. *sigh*

Tags: I still believe, Santa Claus, the Santa talk, Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus

I am thankful for…

Nov 26, 2009 In the holiday spirit

Thanksgiving. Even if it’s only one day a year, it reminds us to think about what we are truly thankful for and appreciate how rich our lives truly are.

Soldiers who have and continue to risk their lives to protect my freedom.

My parents who are always there for me. No matter what. But still let me find my own path and make my own mistakes.

My husband who puts up with my constant need to always feel in control and still loves me anyway. And not only does he love me but he goes out of his way to make sure I know he loves me. He’s so good to me!

My children who remind me every day to laugh and not take life to seriously. Who remind me to appreciate the little things in life like the humor in Spongebob, the fun of a board game, and the need to be just plain silly sometimes.

My friends who keep me healthy with a good dose of laughter. These are the people who would visit me on my deathbed to tell me I need to get my ass up and stop being so dramatic. Who would laugh at me when I’m being stupid. Cry with me when I’m truly heartbroken. And wrestle a bitch when I’ve been wronged.

Facebook for bringing back old friends I’ve really been missing.

Blogging for bring me new friends all over the world I never would have “met” otherwise.

My education that makes me employable. That keeps my brain healthy. That fostered my incessant need to learn everything about everything.

The History channel for teaching me everything about everything. And then some.

My voice which allows me to express my opinions.

And my brain which tells me when to shut up. (Even though I sometimes ignore it.)

My blackberry which keeps my crazy life organized and helps me remember dentist appointments and to pick the kids up from school every day.

The Internet for making my life so much easier. And for allowing me the opportunity to order all of our Christmas gifts online to be delivered by postman rather than having to battle crazy people on Black Friday.

Birthdays because it means I’m still alive. And have one more year of experience.

Getting caught shoplifting in high school because it scared me in to being a better citizen.

Prednisone because, as much as I complain about it, without it I wouldn’t be able to breath.

Peanut Butter M&Ms and key lime pie martinis because YUM!

What are you thankful for?

Tags: blackberry, children, education, family, friends, internet, key lime pie martinis, Peanut Butter M&Ms, prednisone, shoplifting, soldiers, thankful, Thanksgiving

Hobos and ghouls and army men…oh my

Nov 1, 2009 In the holiday spirit

I’ve talked before about how Halloween is not my favorite holiday. It’s too commercial. It’s too expensive. We always end up eating way too much candy. And then we’re all groaning about stomach aches. What’s the point?

And yet every year I find myself hiking through the neighborhood watching my kids beg for candy anyway. And every year I have to practically drag them through the last couple blocks because their “feet are tired” or their “candy bag is too heavy.” *sigh*

But this year I tried to be more of a willing participant. Get in to the spirit and all. I told myself we only have a couple more Halloweens left before the kids won’t want me to take them trick-or-treating anymore. Only a couple more years until they are driving themselves to their friends’ Halloween parties and leaving me behind.

We didn’t go to the pumpkin patch this year. Instead we did something even better. We grew our own pumpkins. Ok, so we didn’t really plan that. It just so happened that our procrastination from last year gave us a big surprise this year. Saying “we’ll throw the rotten pumpkins away tomorrow” every day for several weeks caused the rotten pumpkins to fall off the porch and plant their seed in the grass in front of our house. Then when a big viney weed looking thing started growing in the yard this September I said, “I’ll pull out that weed next weekend” until I had procrastinated so long that pumpkins began to grow on that vine. So the moral of this story is…Procrastination pays. Keep putting off today what may turn in to a wonderful surprise tomorrow.

It made it a little more special to carve pumpkins we actually grew ourselves. In fact this was the first year the kids did most of the work. They picked out their designs. They poked the holes in the pumpkins to mark where to cut. And they helped Lee and I cut out the pieces.

Look at how big our homegrown pumpkins are! Clearly it doesn’t take much to grow pumpkins if my green thumb can grow a couple of ginormous pumpkins.

As in the past, the kids had Halloween parties at school. The last couple of years they’ve had a Halloween parade. All of us parents pile in to the gymnasium and the kids from Preschool to 5th grade parade through the gym. It’s a lot of fun to see all of the very cool costumes. Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz seemed quite popular with the girls. And military fatigues were quite popular with the boys (including Caleb).

I even dressed up for the school party. I was a witch in the school colors (orange & black…comes in handy on Halloween). The kids were a little freaked out by my black lipstick, but all was good. Spencer was some kind of ghoul (but he got out of his costume before this pic), Skyler was a hobo and Caleb was an army guy.

The school party was fun, but you weren’t allowed to wear face makeup or have weapons. So we really did it up for Halloween night. Spencer got his ghoulish mask and black face paint on. We dirtied up Skyler’s face for the ultimate hobo look. And Caleb finally got to carry around his toy gun (which he broke 2 days before Halloween even though we said “Don’t play with that until Halloween so you don’t break it” — kids never listen). And I switched in to an undead widow wig and makeup (or Little Ho Peep as Lee liked to call it).

I hope you all had a great Halloween and got tons of candy. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go get a snack. And some Mylanta.

Tags: army, candy, costume, ghoul, Halloween, hobo, military, NaBloPoMo, pumpkin patch, pumpkins, undead widow, witch