iBeth

Amelia's Sippy Cup

Amelia discovered that the container for her tennis balls (a favorite present from Christmas 2004) gives her sippy cup a whole new look.  She was pretty proud of herself.

Girls Love Trains

This toy train is in a building on campus near the meditation garden.  Emma and Amelia are wearing their new Christmas dresses from Grammy.  Their "little angels" pose lasted about 45 seconds before they began to surreptitiously touch the display, but that was long enough for Daddy to snap the photo.

Emma's Letter to Santa

Though she isn't sure whether Santa is real, Emma did write to him again this year.  You can click to see a larger image.  Here's a transcript:  "Dear Santa, This is what I want for Chrismas. bucket of clay.  Also what I want for Chrismas. ballereena costume. Here is another thing I want for Chrismas.  Stephanie costume. One more thing I want for Chrismas. Lazytown dolls.  I have been very good." I think the illustrations are the best part (though the colors didn't scan very well)--Santa will undoubtedly agree.  Drawing boxes around the requested gifts was a nice touch, too.

Making Paper Snowflakes Again

Once again, Emma and I spent time making paper snowflakes.  This year, I bought origami paper for the snowflakes to make it easier for her to cut through multiple layers.  (Origami paper is much thinner than the printer paper we normally have hanging around.)  She did pretty well, though she could still use some practice with the scissors.  I liked this snowflake the best, possibly because it looks like it is decorated with dreidels.

Yes, Virginia, You Can Google

Not long ago, I blogged about 5yo Emma's asking me, "Is Santa Real?"  Since then, my hit counter has spiked--mostly from people googling "is santa real."  Judging from the charming comments on my blog, many of those google searchers are children.  Clearly, today's Virginia O'Hanlon wouldn't bother writing the editor of the New York Sun, she'd just hop on the internet, an aspect of children's use of the internet that I'd never considered before.  Go read for a sample of Christmas spirit.

You Think You Know Better?

Today I heard Neal Boortz say disgustedly: "Liberals--they really do think they know better than the rest of us."

Uh, yeah.  Just like conservatives think they know better than the rest of us.  If any of us believed that a different philosophy was more valid, we'd adopt it and we'd no longer be liberals or conservatives. 

Or at least, I'd hope that we'd adopt it, because the alternative would be to continue embracing a philosophy you know is wrong.  No one could possibly be that stubborn, right?

Hairstyles of the Magi

Emma has been begging to grow her hair longer.  Because she really wants hair long enough to put in a ponytail like that of her best friend Jenna, we've restricted her haircuts to the merest of bang trims.

We just saw Jenna for the first time in a few weeks.  Jenna proudly announced, "Look at my hair! I got it cut  much shorter!"  Turns out that Jenna has been begging to get a haircut so that her hair would be more like Emma's.

Fortunately the tale ends happily--the girls' hair is now the same style, length, and color.  Ah, the magic of the season.

Amelia Learns Can/May

"Can I eat one of your fries, Amelia?"
"Can I play with your new toy?"
"Can I read this book to you?"

"Yes, you may," she replies, in every instance.  It's rather humbling.  I assume that her grandparents must be modeling the correct use of may vs. can, because it certainly isn't me. 

At least, Amelia hasn't yet come out with, "You can, but you may not."

Best Christmas Tree Post Ever

I thoroughly enjoyed Will Shetterly's post on Christmas trees, and thank him for referring me to Jeremiah 10:1-5.  In The Message Remix translation (thanks, James), this passage is even easier to follow:

Listen to the Message that GOD is sending your way, House of Israel.  Listen most carefully. 

Don't take the godless nations as your models. 
Don't be impressed by their glamour and glitz . . . .

An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down,
then shaped by a woodsman's ax.
They trim it with tinsel and balls,
use hammer and nails to keep it upright.
It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch--can't talk!
Dead wood that has to be carried--can't walk!
Don't be impressed by such stuff.
It's useless for either good or evil.

Not that I have any objection to Christmas trees or Christians who value them.  I just never knew Christmas trees were even mentioned in the Old Testament.

Is Santa Real?

"Is Santa Claus real?"  Emma, my 5yo, asked me. 

Uh oh.  "What do you think?"  I asked her.

"I think he's real!" 

"Then he is real, Sweetheart."  I told her. 

Later, her daddy concurred.  "Remember The Polar Express?  Santa is real if you believe."  Emma was satisfied.  Whew!

[Update: Emma later confided in her grandma, "I don't know if Santa is real, but I like getting presents."]