The Last Few Days

For the last 7 days I have been caring for my sick children. Andrew came down with "the crud" a week ago and he was as sick as I have ever seen him. As he began to recover, Emma "took ill" with the same mess! So in the last 7 days Mom has been inside way too much. Not to mention poor Andrew. Emma loves being at home, but Andrew is like me, he loves to get out and see the world. This is sweet victory because it hasn't always been that way. When we first came home from Poland I thought Andrew would never stop yelling every time we traveled in the car. Oh our poor ears! We actually bought earplugs so that it wouldn't hurt our ears so badly when he screamed. Now he has grown to love "going bye-bye". Anyway, he will get out tomorrow for the first time in a week.

I was joking with my sister that I was starting to feel like Anne Frank. Trapped in my own home with no one leaving or entering except Dave. He would leave under the cover of darkness before sunrise and enter after nightfall, only to bring us a few groceries to sustain us during our seclusion. Did I warn you of my tendencies to over dramatize or to exaggerate? Get used to it!

The children are better and I am sooo grateful. We leave for my In-Laws on Christmas Eve. Long flight but we will be together and it's Christmas vacation. So excited to be with family. Budget is tight this year, but I am praying the children will love their gifts. Why is it that it seems like it is never enough! I think I so don't want anyone to feel like I did as a child on Christmas morning that I go over-board. I don't have that option this year so it will have to be enough. I pray that their hearts will grow with true meaning of Christmas.

Speaking of that, Emma gave Dave and I our gifts tonight. These were the first gifts she has ever purchased for us on her own. This is so special to me because the money she earned to purchase these gifts was hard earned. The children in her class earn "coins" for exceptional work throughout each grading period. At the end of the grading period the teacher has an auction. The auctioned items are provided by the parents. The children view the items and then bid on them to win the items of their choice. Emma had earned a respectable 63 coins this quarter and spent them all on items for other people!!! Music to my ears!!! She bought her Dad a gift certificate to an ice cream parlor, for me she bought a Christmas tree ornament that had Tootsie Rolls painted on the outside and had the actual candy on the inside. That is my favorite candy so it was very special to me that she remembered me and spent her hard earned money for me. Grandma is getting a beaded purse and Grandpa is getting a pair of Santa socks. So thoughtful and precious! She ran out of money before she could buy Andrew a gift so we are helping her with that one. I am so proud of her!!!