Emily's Rules of Etiquette

We all went to Wal-Mart after church today (because we're gluttons for punishment, that's why) and it was every bit as busy as it usually is. We ran into some friends that we hadn't talked to in a while and heard their hurricane story. They lived far enough from the beach that it never occurred to me that they would have a lot of damage. But it was the trees that got them. It's still amazes me how many people had such horrible damage.

Anyway we're finally leaving Wal-Mart and Caleb had been watching Emily while we checked out because there were so many people there. I guess she was not on her best behavior. On the way to the car Alex and I were ahead of Caleb, Joel and Emily and the three of them were having a conversation. I didn't hear it, but when it ended Joel kind of smothered a laugh. Caleb caught up to me and told me the story. Emily had been smacking Caleb in the store. I guess he told her to knock it off, but she didn't, so when we got outside he told Joel. It seems the conversation between the three of them went something like this -

Joel - Emily! That's not nice. What would you say if Caleb hit you?
Emily - Don't hit girls! That's the rule.
Caleb - What about 'Don't hit boys'?
Emily - I don't know that rule.

I guess there was a small gap in her education that needed to be plugged.

The Calm After the Storm

It's finally quiet here. It's Saturday morning and the only children at my house are mine. The Christmas tree is still up, where it will stay until New Year's Day. Then I, with a faint sense of sadness and a whole lot of "don't just shove that in there", will have the kids help me put the decorations away until next year. It really was a wonderful Christmas this year. God blessed us in ways I can't even begin to describe and years from now, when all the the toys are forgotten or handed down, I'll never forget God's tender mercies to us this year during Christmas and the love He showed us through others. I really need to remember that when I'm hunting under Emily's bed for some tiny little pet or hopping on one foot after stepping on a Transformer.

The story behind the song Emily is singing is that she sang a group of three songs with the young children at church for Christmas. It was a called Cowboy Christmas (which should explain the hat and the movements - we did not move to a ranch). Someone else at church shot the video for the dvd and didn't keep it on Emily the entire time (I know, what was he thinking) and we forgot our video camera (I blame Joel - I know he was busy editing a TV special for the church, but priorities, man, priorities!) so we had Emily re-create the songs in front of the tree. If you listen closely you'll hear that, evidently she believes that good tidings are reserved for "you and your kid". The voice you hear congratulating her after is Caleb. Poor child, she just isn't praised enough.

Now that we've figured out this blog thing - many thanks to Joel's brilliant niece Becca - we'll post more. We'll add the rest of the songs from Emily's mini concert (there are actually a couple of really sweet ones about Jesus), some of Alex's parts in the Christmas play - he was "Alfred Brown" a play on Alton Brown on the FoodNetwork, and Caleb's portrayal of David during the hay ride at the Fall Block Party at church. I also figured out how to add the latest photo album to the side as a slide show, so I will try to keep that up-dated. And so we will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the digital age. If we get confused, we'll ask the kids.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!