So in the spirit of enjoying more moments with my family, I'd like to cut down on my computer time a bit this month. But in order to do this, I have a favor to ask. Would you email me some of your favorite Christmas moments with your family and how you got there? I would absolutely love to do a post compiling some of our readers' simple philosophies/traditions/systems that help them to enjoy the magical moments of the season with their families. Send your moments and your how-to's to allyson@powerofmoms.com and leave your first name (or username if you prefer) and city.
After a couple of days sitting in the #2 spot every time I've checked, what's in my inbox? Nada. Nunca. Zero. Nanimo nai. So here I am petitioning the silent readers of this blog. Send me something, will you? You've got my personal email now, so if the comments feature isn't working for you (I've heard that from a few people) drop me a little line in my personal inbox. Please? Pretty please? Here's the more direct question at the end of the post to help get you thinking:
QUESTION: (This is what you're going to email me!) How do you create or enjoy magical moments with your family during the holiday season amidst all the craziness? What are your favorite moments?
On a more personal note, Kate and I went to the dermatologist on Friday. She has a weird rash thing on her legs we're taking care of, and I just wanted to round out my obligatory "I've turned 40 so check me out and tell me I'm okay" doctor visits. (And I'm doing it before another deductible kicks in! I bet you never thought about how busy December is for doctors. This week is going to be positively NUTS for Brandon. Among a zillion other surgeries this week, he'll be operating on both a husband and his wife this Tuesday. I told him he'd better make sure both cases go well or kill them both. That's what I would want.)
ANYWAY, in the the process of the dermatologist looking at every mole and freckle on my body, she asked me if I wanted to take care of what I thought was just an age spot on my left cheek. (Developed during my pregnancy with Will. Not terribly noticeable, but it bugs me.) She said it would cost $25 and she could do it right then and there. Well, what would you do? So she blasted it with some nitrogen just like they do at our favorite ice cream place (Sub Zero) and that was that. This entire exchange and the freezing itself happened in like one minute. So fast I had no time to think. Once she was done, she told me it would be "red and puffy" for a few days, then turn BLACK and come off in a sheet shortly after. Why did I do this two weeks before Christmas??? I had an Ugly Sweater Christmas party on Friday night, choir practice and church today, Brandon's work party this Tuesday night, a kajillion other school parties and concerts coming up this week, AND I HAVE A DARK REDDISH BROWN OOZING LESION ON MY FACE! Sa-WEET! (I bought small, clear band-aids for it last night.)
Other highlights of the derm appointment: Rachael had her pre-school Christmas program at 10:00 in the morning, so the usual afternoon pre-school was cancelled and she had to go to the appointment with us. (This is entirely unrelated, but the most noticeable difference between overly ambitious and energetic first time parents and those of us who gave up the fight three children ago can be observed at pre-school performances. First time parents come dressed to a tee along with their children, the grandparents are in attendance, and everyone has a camera and video camera in hand. Then there's the restivus. I didn't even remember there was a program until about 9:15 when I was still un-showered and in my work out clothes. I quickly showered and threw on some make-up, dressed Rachael in whatever was clean and gave her a Power Bar for breakfast in the car. Somehow we made it on time and I felt very full of myself. I took these two really poor pictures on my iphone:
BACK TO THE STORY! On the way to the appointment, I got a call from the elementary school telling me that Elizabeth *said* she had thrown up in the bathroom and wanted to come home. When I talked to Elizabeth on the phone, she said her class had a "Christmas Around the World" presentation on Hong Kong (I'll be doing Japan this coming week . . . with a lesion on my face) and whoever was doing it brought in chicken feet and fish eyeballs to share, making her sick to her stomach. (Is that really what they eat in Hong Kong at Christmas time?) I'm seriously questioning the throwing up at this point and am sure she doesn't need to be picked up now that the presentation is over, but when I explained this to her over the phone she actually started to make GAGGING sounds to convince me that she did indeed need to come home. After going back and forth with her and sending her back to class, the office actually called again saying the teacher really did think she was sick and could I come to pick her up. Sigh. While I'm sure the sight of chicken feet and fish eyeballs did make her sick to her stomach, Elizabeth has "faking streaks" and I can spot them from a mile away. (No, there isn't a bully at school or anything like that, sometimes she just wants to come home and play.)
Long story short, I actually picked this child up with only 15 minutes to spare before the derm appointment (she was most definitely NOT sick) which meant I now had 2 extra children in tow. Not really a big deal since Kate could stay with them in the waiting room during my appointment, but after getting in my gown and settling in with a Newsweek I heard Rachael SCREECHING from down the hall. Apparently she really needed to go to the bathroom and for whatever crazy reason didn't want Kate to take her. Of course, she wanted ME, but I was not about to go wandering around in my less than generous robe, so I called Kate (thank heavens for cell phones, really) and told her to bring her down to me. This day was getting longer by the minute.
And THAT, is how I ended up with this attractive picture on my cell phone:
