Our Christmas with Uncle Si

Uncle Si has been our house guest since Christmas Eve.  Actually, he's been here for 3 months, but he came out from his hiding spot on Christmas Eve, just in time to meet up with his buddies, Willy, Jase and Jep.

Grace made the Robertson brothers get-ups for our three little boys.  I bought Uncle Si tea cups for all of the kids.  I also procured the Uncle Si cardboard cut out, which has been under Elizabeth's bed for the past 3 months.  When I saw the Uncle Si display at our local superstore, I knew I had to have it.  I just had to convince the manager (and the two managers above him) that I had to have it.  They don't give up those things easily, what with copy rights and such to consider.  I bugged (nicely and politely) the manager near the cash registers of the store every time I went there for a month.  

Finally, the head honcho manager (the one that wears a suit and tie) gave me permission to take it.  He was super nice about it.  I told him that he would make my boys' Christmas.  And he did.

Uncle Si was nice enough to give me a new apron, except this time he farmed out the sewing to Grace.  My sister Emily and her new husband gave me an Uncle Si night gown.  What else could a girl want?  Maldon sea salt, perhaps?  Well, I got that, too.  My loving husband gave it to me as he wasn't about to be outdone by Uncle Si.

In the mean time, Uncle Si is learning what it is to live in a house with five boys.  He's been the target of plenty of Nerf gun bullets, which just serves to remind him of his time back in Nam.  That's a fact, Jack. 

Redoux: Grandkids Pic

My mother-in-law requested that another picture be taken of all of the grandchildren.  She wanted to include the new addition, Joseph, as well as have an updated picture of the rest of the kids.  Unlike last year, Joel did not cause any problems, but one of my other children did.  This time it was Isaac.  He was tired and overwhelmed by all the kids, so he bawled during the whole picture taking session.

I'd say taking a picture of twenty kids is a lot like herding cats, or maybe monkeys.  So when it became obvious that the whole situation was beginning to break down and no more pictures were going to be taken that day, Grandma and the three sisters-in-law decided this picture was as good as it was going to get this go round.  Twenty of the twenty one grandchildren are pictured.  My sister-in-law is due in March.  (I do love the look on Jude's face--he's trying so hard to be good and to smile for the camera.)

Lydia the Bookworm

This year I signed up three of the kids for Pizza Hut's Book It! program.  The packet arrived in the mail in August.  I was caring for a newborn at the time, living on very little sleep and even less brain power.  I didn't even bother to open the envelope.



Never fear, Lydia is here.  She opened the packet, read all the details and then reported the pertinent information to me.  Things like, "Sign here, Momma" and "You and Dad need to decide how many books a month I'm supposed to read."  Matt and I decided that she would need to read six books a month in order to receive her free personal pizza coupon each month.



Lydia promptly created a tower of books on the floor next to her bed with sheets of paper between every six books.  She planned out the entire year's reading.  Then she did the same thing for Joel, except she used Bob books and other beginning readers for him.  Since Paul does most of his reading on his Nook, she didn't organize his reading.



Lydia was the only one who actually earned a free pizza coupon that first month, not because the boys didn't make the requirement.  They just didn't care enough to prove to me that they had read the number of books required.  So when we were out running errands one Saturday, I took Lydia to pick up her pizza.  The man behind the counter asked her what topping she wanted.  She said, "Avocado, please."  "We don't have that," the man replied.  I burst out laughing.  Then I suggested pepperoni.  Lydia agreed and we sat down to wait for her pizza to be prepared.



As we waited, Lydia took note of the restaurant's hours of operation.  "They have almost twelve more hours until they close, Momma."  Then she went on to comment on how the tiles on the floor reminded her of the cobblestone streets in England (ya know, cause she's been there).

I'm not sure Lydia ever enjoyed pizza more than she did that one.  After all, she earned it. She not only did her part, but she did mine, too.  That Lydia. She's a dandy.

Scurvy Prevention

This little boy ate ten clementine oranges yesterday.  I know because I peeled all of them.

Just Call Us the Robertsons

Paul went with his Daddy and Grandpa Tom to hear Phil Robertson of Duck Commander fame preach at a local church a few years ago.  Phil started his sermon by saying, "Arise, kill, eat."  [Acts 10:13]  Since that night, Paul has been a fan of Phil.  So when I saw the Best of Duck Dynasty DVD come up on one of my coupon blogs a few months ago for $6 (the price has gone up a bit), I ordered it for Paul for his birthday.  That was back in September.

After watching Paul's birthday DVD, our family liked the Robertsons so much that we decided to watch the first season of the show online for free.  By that point, we were hopelessly addicted to Duck Dynasty.  From the patriarch Phil's hold-no-punches communication style, to Jase's quick wit, to Uncle Si's off the wall comments, we were all completely enamored, that is when we weren't splitting a gut from laughing so hard.  So I did what any good mother would do.  I ordered season two and then later, season three on DVD.  (I gave these to the kids as rewards for jobs well done, like putting together our Reformation party.)



One thing the kids picked up on right away was Uncle Si's tea cup.  His "vintage" Tupperware cup from which he is constantly sipping tea is just like the one I use daily, except my tea is a little more uptown.  I make myself a chai latte every afternoon.  Phil would say I'm "yuppified."  I don't care, I'm sure my tea tastes better than Si's.

After watching the first few episodes of Duck Dynasty, our family started working the phrases "He gone" and "Hey!" into our vocabulary.  By then, we could have been honorary members of the Robertson family.  Or so I thought.



Then came the day of the squirrel. Yes, the squirrel. The very dead squirrel on the road outside our house.  That squirrel.  The kids wanted to skin it.  I said, "Forget it.  Looking at it is good enough."  But the kids kept begging to skin the squirrel.  I finally texted Daddy at work to ask him what he thought.  "Why not?" he texted back.  Brother.

So I told the kids they could skin it, but they'd have to put on latex gloves first.  How's that for yuppified?  So they did.  I didn't watch the actual skinning.  Paul said he ended up making quite a mess of the whole thing.  He did save the tail, though.

(We love the way each episode of Duck Dynasty ends.  The whole family gathers around the dinner table and Phil thanks the Lord for His many blessings and gives credit to Jesus for these gifts.  And the producers leave it in.  Incredible.  For Phil's testimony of his faith in Jesus, go here.)      

Hanukkah

We had a small Hanukkah celebration with our Pilgrim Feast on Thanksgiving Eve.  We knew the first full day of Hanukkah wasn't until Thanksgiving day this year (a once in a lifetime event), but we decided Thursday would be kind of a crazy day and adding any more activities to the schedule would make the day even crazier.

So before our Pilgrim Feast, we lit the Menorah and reminded the kids that Jesus is the Light of the World.  A rousing driedel game was played.  Chocolate coins served as the loot.  The chocolate probably fueled the "rousing" aspect of the game.  Our friends provided a couple dozen of the best donuts in town, which we consumed after dinner.  Nothing like sugary yeasty fried bits of dough to remind one of the oil which did not run out on that first Hanukkah.  What a great tradition!

Related Resources:  Walk with Y'Shua Through the Jewish Year.  This book has been a staple in our home for many years.  I absolutely love how the Jewish feasts engage all five senses.  The sights, sounds, tastes, smells and tactile experiences of the feasts really drive the point home and help us to remember the reason behind the feasts.  God is so smart, that's all I have to say.

 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’  then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.  And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers.  And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.  Deut. 6:20-24