Oh Christmas Tree - Part 3

And the winner is...a not so perfect, not quite six foot tree.

It was so much fun watching them help each other tonight.

Annie, admiring her candy cane hanging skills - all at her eye level.

The not-so-perfect, tiny tree turned out pretty well. Once again, it's completely adorned with non-breakable decorations for the tiny hands that might be overly curious. And the big kid is happy to have a train around his tree again.

Oh Christmas Tree - Part 2

I've been in Nebraska 18 years now. When it comes to choosing a Christmas tree, I don't think it will ever feel like home.

First, we found the PERFECT tree! Six feet tall - a bit on the small side, but it looked healthy and really wanted to come live with us for a month.

 

Until we saw that it would be $96. Yikes!

 

 This tree was a little more Annie's size. She was super excited about the "tiny tree." And while we could have afforded it, I don't think it would have taken very long to decorate.

Not to be outdone, Dayna found one her size. Looking better, but still not quite right.

Stay tuned for the winner.

Oh Christmas Tree - Part 1

This was my fifth year to participate in the Gretna Singing Christmas Tree as the accompanist. It was also Dan's fifth year working sound and lights.

Dayna just finished her fourth and final year singing in the tree. She'll audition for a drama role next year, but for now, her sweet singing voice will no longer blend with the others in the Tree.

I've really enjoyed watching her grow as a musician through this experience and step up to be a role model to others. We don't have many pictures for now (hoping the professional ones turned out!)

100 Good Wishes

Earlier this week, the International Quilt Study Center hosted a lecture by Marin Hanson about the tradition of giving a 100 Good Wishes quilt to a Chinese adoptee. Tradition holds that in Northern China, 100 people (or many people) are invited to contribute cloth and a good wish for a new child.

Years ago, Katie and I assembled the quilt for Dayna. My mom and I are still in process to put all of the good wishes into a special book for her.

It was a fun treat for the speaker to see Dayna come in with her quilt to show. And it was especially fun to watch Dayna shine as she talked about her own experience and quilt. What a fun way to spend the afternoon and enjoy 3 generations and the love of quilts.

11 Months Post Bone Graft

It's been 11 months since Dayna's graft. The last 6 weeks or so have seen an increase in bone slivers coming out of her mouth. We were told this was normal for the first 6 months or so - it's the body's way of shedding a foreign object, similar to a splinter.

But 11 months out has seemed odd to us. Last Sunday, Dayna was eating and lost a sizable piece of bone - about 3 mm across. This also opened up the tissue in her palate, leaving a sizable hole behind her top teeth - exposed to the bone.

So, in somewhat of a panic, we took her on Tuesday to the craniofacial clinic. The oral surgeon agreed that losing bone at this point is quite unusual. He looked in her mouth and extracted another large piece of bone - about the size of a pea. Dayna later reported that it felt weird, but having some sort of relief. The doctor seems to think this is the last bit her body will be shedding, as the rest of the area looks clean.

However, she is left again with a hole in her palate - something we thought the bone graft would remedy. The doctor doesn't seem to feel this warrants its own surgery. He does want to go in and do some more work the next time she has a procedure. We don't know when or what that will be at this point.

So the good news is that we won't be scheduling surgery over the holidays again. And hopefully, this is the end of the bone pieces coming loose.

Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific!

My girls have been on a roll this month, and I don't want to forget a thing. It's been a busy long weekend with Thanksgiving and the Singing Christmas Tree.

This morning was a little less rushed than usual, and Dan & I realized Annie had been quiet for a *little* bit too long.

I called to the bathroom: "Do you need any help?"

Annie's confident reply: "No. I washed my hair in toilet."

Precious

Apparently I have a little Gollum on my hands.

While playing with pop beads the other night, Annie asked me to make her a necklace, bracelet and earrings. When I handed her a matching ring, she clutched it to her chest and gleefully proclaimed,

"My Precious!"

I just can't make this up.

What's My Name?

I was reading a story to Annie this afternoon. She found my name inscribed in the front.

Annie - pointing to my printed name - "What's 'zat?"

Mom - It says "Alaina" - do you know who Alaina is?

Annie - "Mrs. Dad"

Yup. That's my little Miss Smarty Pants.

Match Point

Dayna: When you sub in my class for PE, you'll see that I'm not very good at serving in volleyball.

Me: It's okay, I was never very good at serving in volleyball, either.

Dayna: Do you think that's genetic?

The Best Thing Since Sprinkles

Lessons I've learned this afternoon:

1. Building a Dunkin Donuts across the street from the Boys Town campus is the best thing to happen since...well...sprinkles.

2. The same three-year-old girl who can lock the car doors by herself (while strapped in a five-point harness) cannot unlock the car doors.

3. Kind strangers in a parking lot will give you the gloves off their hands. Especially when you've been trying to keep calm in 20 degree weather for 40 minutes.

4. Calling 911 in Omaha will not necessarily give you help - but chances are good you will have a dispatcher hang up on you and several may lack any sort of compassion.

5. I have never been so happy to see a police officer at a donut shop.

6. Locksmiths will not charge you if a child is locked in the car.

7. It takes hours for tears to unfreeze from your face.

Just in case you were ever wondering.