Tag Archives: Christmas Spirit

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun & Creativity with Elf on the Shelf

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On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Fun & Creativity with Elf on the Shelf.

“I didn’t see her anywhere!” my six year old said. “You Don’t,” I inquired from the kitchen as Quinn sat at the dining room table eating her breakfast. Each day, our elf friend from the North Pole checks in only daughter and even leaves occasional messages leading up to Christmas Day. This time, she wanted to dress up as Santa, so she hopped in his jacket hanging on the clothesline garland. With a little coaching, my daughter eventually found her.

For the past few years, she’s just been in different places throughout the house, but this year, with the help of Target, she has a few outfits, a chair, suction boots, a candy cane hook and red and white string for dangling from special locations. These accessories have really helped me to have more fun and to get even more creative. There’s signs to use for counting down the days to Christmas, one for a scavenger hunt and one encouraging Quinn to perform good deeds, which she was eager to do at school.

I wish I had an elf to visit me when I was younger. Quinn has already told me that she’ll miss seeing her elf when it’s time for her to go back to the North Pole. I’ll miss her too. But until that day comes, I’m having a lot of fun with her…and Quinn too 😉

All the best,

Tanya

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…the Courage to Face the Mean One, Mr. Grinch

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On the seventh  day  of Christmas, my daughter gave  to me…the courage to face the mean one, Mr. Grinch. This time of the year has always been joyous for my family. We have such fun partaking in Christmas activities and enjoying each other’s company.

Unfortunately, the figurative Mr. Grinch showed up and is trying to ruin our holiday spirit. Yesterday, we rushed to the ER for the second day in a row. Last Thursday, my daughter was sent home from school after vomiting up her lunch and having a fever. Since then, she’s had a fever almost everyday. With the exception of Saturday morning and afternoon (probably because I told her we couldn’t go to Sesame Place if she still had a fever), my poor five year old has felt terrible.

On Sunday, she barely ate, threw up what she did eat, coughed incessantly, and her temperature reached 103.9 even with Tylenol. My husband and I took her to the emergency room, and it was determined that both of her ears have infections.

Yesterday, after getting her started on antibiotics for her ears and ibuprofen for the fever, she started feeling better. Unfortunately, by noon, her temperature rose to 104.2. As she coughed uncontrollably and had a helpless, terrified look on her face, we knew we had to take her back to the ER: this time to a Children’s hospital.

We waited nearly three hours to be seen in the packed waiting room with an overflow area. Once seen by the doctor and nurse, who were both very kind and professional, they worked diligently to take care of Quinn. After a chest x-ray, bloodwork and checking other vitals, they determined that my daughter needed to be admitted into the hospital for care because of her dire state and possible bout with pneumonia.

Needless to say, this is extremely upsetting for me to see her in this state because I feel helpless as well. As I sit across from her hospital bed on no sleep in over 24 hours, I’m trying to hold it together for her and to focus on all of the positives.

Even though she is weak right now, my little girl is so strong and brave. She did not flinch when blood was drawn or when she got the IV put in. She bravely followed the instructions of the radiologist when getting the chest x-ray. And for some crazy reason when a doctor or nurse asks her how she is feeling, in her weak voice with a grimace on her face from the discomfort, she says, “I’m good.”

I admire my daughter’s courage and have faith that she will make a full recovery. The Grinch will not steal our Christmas or our joy.

Please keep my daughter in your prayers.

All the best,

Tanya

On the First Day of Christmas, My Daughter Gave to Me…Help Selecting Our Christmas Tree

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On the first day of Christmas, my daughter gave to me…help selecting our Christmas tree. Since Quinn was one year’s old, we started the tradition of getting our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Now that she’s four year’s old, there is no containing her excitement, and just like her Mommy, she wanted the biggest, widest and tallest tree available. Good thing her daddy was there to reign us both in as we had our eyes set on a nine foot tree that would’ve surely scrape our ceiling.

As simple as this task can be, having it as a tradition makes it so much more meaningful, especially now that my little girl not only helps to pick out the tree but has taken over with the naming of our Christmas tree: a fun tradition my husband and I started for her first Christmas. We’ve had BG, short for Big Green, BGJ, short for Big Green junior and BG3, short for Big Green the third. This year, Quinn picked a very interesting name: Heavenly Brownie! When I asked her what made her come up with that name, she said, “I just like it!” Who knows what we’ll call our tree next year, but I’m definitely looking forward to the experience.

Here’s to fond memories with our 2017 Christmas tree: Heavenly Brownie!

All the best,

Tanya

 

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Nostalgic Moments Singing and Dancing to the Jackson Five Christmas Album

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On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My Little Girl Gave to Me…Nostalgic Moments Singing and Dancing to the Jackson Five Christmas Album.

“Can we hear Santa Claus is Coming to Town again, Mommy?!” Upon putting it on, my three year quickly corrected me, “Not that one, Mommy! The one with Jackson 5, please!”

I remember decorating the Christmas tree with my mother, sister and brother as a little girl singing along with the Jackson 5 and squabbling with me sister over who would sing Michael Jackson’s part. We’d use wrapping paper rolls as our microphones and come up with our own dance moves. Never did we tire of listening to the album that was originally released well over a fifteen years prior, actually when my mom was barely a teenager in 1970.

Now, instead of requesting Daniel Tiger as the album of choice for our breakfast mood music like my daughter’s been doing for the past half year, she’s been asking for the Jackson Five for the past couple of weeks. She’s even asked for it to be played in place of her bath and bed time routine Beethoven music. While in the car, The Temptations version of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” came on, and with an inquisitive look, Quinn asked, “Who is this? Why are they singing The Jackson 5’s song?” I explained to her that there are many different versions of Christmas songs, and without hesitation she informed me, “I like the Jackson 5, mommy. They sing it much better!” I just giggled to myself, and said, “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

It warms my heart that my daughter and I are bonding over this album as I once did with my mother and siblings. I can still close my eyes and reminisce about the fun times with had with it playing in the background as though it was yesterday. I hope as time goes on that Quinn will have fond memories of the moments we’ve shared together as a family while listening to the Jackson 5 Christmas allbum.

 

All the best,

Tanya