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Christmas 2018

December 27, 2018 By
Eddie reads the greeting for the children’s Advent service

We didn’t get a white Christmas this year, but we had a wonderfully memorable holiday nonetheless. I have been looking forward to Christmas since May when we began planning my chemo/radiation treatment schedules. I knew I would be close to done by Christmas. I knew I would have hair again by Christmas. I just had to make it to Christmas.

And here we are.

Alice (far left) was part of the team of angels during the children’s Advent play

Today I will have my 20th radiation treatment which means only 10 more after today. We can see the end.

Charlie (in the red) was the star for the children’s Advent play

Our Holiday season was filled with joy and comfort thanks to family and friends and tradition.

Second annual Granny’s Girls Bake-a-Thon (Alice on the far right with her Sluiter-side girl cousins rolling peanut butter balls)

I’ve said it before, but having children and seeing Christmas through their eyes really makes it all feel new again. The excitement is palpable as we move the Santa another day closer to the 25th on our Christmas Countdown.

Heading to Granny’s house on Christmas Eve for our first family party (Alice was excited. She was just also mad at Eddie)

After the year we’ve had, I felt more gratitude and love toward my family than ever before. We have leaned heavily on their love and prayers. Their smiles and laughter and hugs were the best part of the holiday. Seeing everyone together made me so thankful for my life.

Santa came! Opening stockings on Christmas morning!
Slippers from Santa!

Eddie still believes in Santa. He’s nine and a half, so I’m not sure how much longer we have. And I am positive that once Eddie knows “the truth,” Charlie will not be far behind. This may very well be our last year with all three believing.

The joy of having kids who believe in Santa and create notes for him is fleeting, and I have loved every minute of it.

Gifts offered to Santa from Charlie, Eddie, and Alice. Plus cookies and a carrot for Rudolf.
Santa’s letter to the Sluiter kids

Cortney and I had to remind ourselves that even with the wonder of Christmas, our kids are still, well themselves. There was arguing and fighting and tears, but there were also “thank you’s!” and hugs and lots and lots of smiles.

Charlie and I get ready for the final party of the year at Grandpa and Grandma’s house

As usual, my mind wandered back in time to Christmases of my childhood. I missed my Grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve with the turkey and shrimp and crab dip and treats and whiskey slush that all the adults drank and which I thought smelled horrible.

Alice opens a gift from her Grandpa and Grandma

I thought about my Grandparent’s house on Christmas Day with chocolate seafoam and absolutely no order to handing out gifts.

Eddie gets some clothes…and likes it.

I tried to remember when I stopped believing in Santa and realized that I never had a moment when I stopped. After awhile I knew that my parents did it, but there was never a coming of age moment when I was crushed by it. And until I was married, my mom kept a stocking for me at their house, and Santa came and stuffed it each Christmas morning.

I am forever grateful for that because even though I clearly knew it was her, there was a certain love that went into keeping a piece of childhood alive until I was ready to marry and start my own traditions.

So now our house is filled with new things scattered about. We all have Lego sets to build and clothes to wash and put away. We have the joy of family in our hearts and tummies full of appetizers as meals and treats by the handful.

We turn our faces toward 2019 with a peaceful comfort, but also a hopeful anticipation.

We are now ready to tackle mental, emotional, and physical wellness in this new year.

We are ready for new.

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Santa’s Magic

December 18, 2017 By

The other night after Charlie had fallen asleep, Eddie turned to me and said the words I knew had to be coming soon, “Mom. Some kids at school say Santa is not real.”

Eddie is eight and in the third grade. I knew very well that kids talk and it wouldn’t be much longer before my super inquisitive buddy would have questions about the validity of Santa Claus.

“Well, Eddie, what do you think is true?” I asked him, a bit nervous of the answer.

“I think,” he said slowly, “that he is real because you and dad would never lie to us.”

A part of me winced, but I said, “It’s true, daddy and I will never lie to you. And Santa’s magic is very real. Do you know how I know that?”

“How,” he whispered with wonder.

“Because,” I said, “I can see it in you and your brother and sister. I can see the magic twinkle in your eyes when you think about Santa and when you love each other.”

“Why would kids say he’s not real then?”

“I don’t know. There are always going to be people who say this or that is not real. There are people who will say stuff we know to be true–like science–is  not real. And there will be people who have a hard time believing things they can’t see like God or Jesus are not real too. We just have to decide for ourselves.”

“And you think Santa is real?”

“I think Santa’s magic is very real.”

“Me too, Mom. Me too.”

This may be the last year that Eddie believes in the actual man, Santa. And that is Ok. As long as he never loses the Christmas magic that is love and gratitude and joy.

Stockings made by Great Gram Sluiter: Charles, Alice, Edward

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The Magic

November 25, 2017 By

Last year Alice was about 18 months old this time of year–still a baby in my eyes.

This year she is two-and-a-half. There are no more babies in Sluiter Nation, and unless something goes wrong, we are all done having babies in Sluiter Nation. And at two-and-a-half, Alice is totally starting to “get” the holidays.

I love this age.

For all of my kids, really. The Holiday Magic is very real to all of them at 8, 5, and 2.

I remember just before we had Eddie, the holidays had started to lose something for me and I couldn’t figure out what. Now with three kids who could barely contain all the excitement in their small bodies as we put up the Christmas tree and they had to wait for their turn to put on ornaments, I know what was missing.

The Magic.

They actually hugged each other and squealed with delight as I put up on the lights–something that makes me have to bite my tongue because it’s so frustrating.

When I handed each kid their ornament box, they practically vibrated with magic as they took the lid off and shifted through their personal ornaments.

The boys ooo-ed and ahhh-ed as they tried to remember each one.

Alice told me all of them were pretty, and danced while she brought them to the tree.

Each of them is already almost over-filled with the holiday magic.

And it’s both intoxicating and contagious in the best possible ways.

May the magic infect you as well, my friends.

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More Traditions

November 24, 2017 By

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, for as long as I can remember my mom and I have gone Black Friday shopping.

Not crazy, wait in line, up at the booty crack of dawn Black Friday shopping, but make our way out of the house by 10am and get some deals on stuff we need.

It’s one of my favorite days of the year.

Also every year since Eddie was just born, we have gotten Christmas jammies.

It’s one of my favorite parts of the holidays.

One month until Christmas Eve.

One month filled with traditions new and old.

My favorite.

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Advent

November 29, 2015 By

Each year after the turkey has been consumed, Christmas goes up in our house. It felt appropriate that we put it up on the first day of advent this year.

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Our advent calendar is from Naptime Diaries.

Today I taught my 2nd and 3rd grade Children in Worship class about Advent and what the people in the Bible were waiting for. They didn’t know they were waiting for Jesus; they just knew they were waiting for someone to show them the way…someone to save them.

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I really, really love this time of year. Most of the year I consider my faith and understanding of it shaky at best. It’s so hard for me to believe because I am so very afraid. But that is maybe a different post. This time of year is all about hope.

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Hope for a better world and better people and better choices. Hope that it’s all true and that Jesus came and will come again.

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I don’t know where factual truth ends and where symbolic allegory begins. I don’t know what is historic or scientific. This time of year reminds me what faith is all about. Believing even though you can’t see with your eyes.

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The waiting time of Advent slows it all down. It forces me to reflect each day on what it must have felt like to wait and wait for a Messiah, because really, we are waiting for that now.

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I watch the news and see this world. I have felt loss and witnessed despair. But as we enter Advent, I remember that this is not it. This is not how it’s going to be forever.

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I am glad for this time of reflection and peace and tradition. I love to take this time to teach the kids about how love will always win.

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Plus this is our first Christmas as a complete family.

And that is pretty cool too.

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The Keepsake I Don’t Have

November 23, 2015 By

If I could go back and change one thing, I would change what I chose from my Grandmother’s house after she died.

My maternal grandma, Grandma Jo, passed away from Alzheimer’s in January of 2001. After she passed and my mom and her sisters had gone through her things, the grandkids were allowed to go through before they had the estate sale.

It was the first time in a few years I had even been in my grandma’s house; she had been in nursing homes for some time. Nothing was where it should be. Everything was spread out because it had all been appraised and tagged for sale. My Grandma Jo was something of a pack rat.

Ok, she was totally a hoarder. The woman had lived through the Depression as a kid; she had lived on welfare after divorcing her useless husband. “Waste not, want now” was her motto. In fact, my mom often tells stories of having to wash bread bags so they could reuse them.

Her deep freeze was full. She lived alone.

We found jugs of prune juice that she had gotten from the welfare store when my mom was a kid.

She really never got rid of anything.

But that was also always the wonder of her house. She had so many interesting things packed away. As kids there were endless things to discover. Bur after she died, it was all hauled out into the open. How would I know where to start looking for anything? I hadn’t even thought about what I would want.

Almost 15 years later, I know exactly what I should have taken.

The holidays always remind me of my Grandma Jo. She is forever woven into Christmas for me: I hear her voice in Christmas carols, I taste her baking in the treats, I smell her perfume in church, I see her in the big, multi-colored lights on my Christmas tree.

On a Sunday after dinner, all my cousins, brothers, and I would get to help her decorate her way-too-fat-for-the-room Christmas tree. We danced around excitedly as she brought down boxes and boxes of ornaments, lights, and garland. An adult would string the lights–always multi-colored, mismatched, and tacky–and then wrap the tree in garland. Then it was our turn.

The first box would lose its lid and reveal balls and balls of napkins in which ornaments were hidden. Some fragile and antique, but most handmade and quite gaudy.

Oh they were wonderfully terrible! We would each open a napkin as if unwrapping a precious jewel and hold it high for everyone to see before placing it on the tree.

Grandma would get out other decorations too.

The one that I wish I had been able to get was by far my favorite. It was Christmas to me. Once Grandma had it out, it was Christmas. That was it.

It was a white plastic church that plugged into the wall. When switched on, a single clear Christmas light bulb illuminated the church, which had one stained glass (plastic) window. But the best part of this church? You could turn a small crank on the back to have it play “Silent Night”.

Every single Sunday leading up to Christmas I would crank that church. Christmas Even I would crank it many times until my mom told me to leave it alone.

What I wouldn’t give to have that plastic church.

I think of it every single Christmas and wish for my Grandma.

I bake all the treats she made. I decorate my tree in the tackiest way possible. I sing the Christmas carols. I put an orange in the toe of my kids’ stockings like she did for ours.

I don’t need the church to know she’s here, but I sure do miss her.

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The Music of the Season {A Giveaway}

December 20, 2013 By

I think I’ve mentioned no fewer than a bazillion times that my boys love music.

This summer I received a Kidz Bop CD and Eddie has listened to it so many times I actually find myself preferring The Kidz Bop version of that Selena Gomez song “Come & Get It” than the Selena Gomez version. This is ridiculous because I shouldn’t like EITHER VERSION.

When I had the chance to review the Kidz Bop Christmas album, I jumped on that wagon super quick.

Last year Eddie listened to a Little People Christmas CD that was so bad I thought my ears were going to bleed. They voices were grating and the songs were just…

Let’s just say that CD accidentally broke in half.

What?

It was time for something new.

KB Christmas_2012_Cover_300dpi

The new Kidz Bop Christmas CD has fifteen songs and I’m only giving one the side-eye. “Christmas Wrapping” is just not my favorite song no matter who sings…er…”raps” it.

It does have some of my favorites though like “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Silver Bells”, and some of Eddie’s favorites like “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Must Be Santa”–which he knows every word to.

I know Cortney loves when Eddie and I start belting out “special night, beard that’s white…MUST BE SANTA, MUST BE SANTA, MUST BE SANTA, SANTA CLAUS!” You only WISH you were in the car when that happens.

Wait! You CAN be in the car when that happens…well, not in our car, but you can have the sing-along in your car.  All you have to do is enter to win a copy of your own!

Hit up the Rafflecopter widget below and warm up your singing voice!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I was given a copy of Kidz Bop Christmas to review, but the opinions are all mine (and Eddie’s).

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The 12 Questions of Christmas

December 12, 2013 By

I’m linking up with Elaine and Kir today for some Old School Blogging!  This month the questions all have to do with the holidays…something we are SO excited about here in Sluiter Nation.

First things first: 1 Holy Night or 8 Crazy Ones? (Do you Celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, both?)

We celebrate Christmas in Sluiter Nation, but we do it about eight times, so does that count as eight crazy nights? We are all about seeing as many of our friends and family as we possibly can this time of year while still getting some quiet, lovely time with just our family.

Peppermint or Chocolate?

If had to choose between the two, I pick chocolate, BUT because it’s CHRISTMAS many times they are combined which is one of my favorite things EVER!

Sing us into the Holiday Season, what is your favorite Carol this time of year?

I will admit that one of my favorite Christmas songs is one of the top most ANNOYING song for most people: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time”. I don’t know if I love it because it’s catchy and so much of an earworm, of if I love it because it bothers everyone else. Either way, BOOM!  I also love John Lennon’s “So This is Christmas”. Maybe I just like the Beatles.
Tell us about a Favorite Family or Personal Holiday Tradition?

We actually have tons of traditions, but one of my favorites is making Christmas cookies with my family. Ever since I was small, my family has been doing it. It used to be a Sunday afternoon at my Grandma’s house with my aunts and all my cousins. When Grandma couldn’t do it anymore, my mom would do it at our house with me and my brothers. As we all started to get married, spouses came along and contributed. Then our kids. Now it is a full blown tradition! And we make a LOT of cookies.

cookies
C’mon you remember your favorite  (Christmas, Hanukkah) gift, tell us all about it:

I don’t really remember any particular Christmas present that stands out as BEST EVER. Although, nine years ago this month, my first nephew was born four days before Christmas.  That was a pretty awesome gift.
That magical moment? (Your favorite scene was a Holiday movie..it’s okay if you have 2)

All of the scenes in A Christmas Story. Best holiday movie ever. It is not even up for discussion.

Kissing under the mistletoe? Who do you hope is standing underneath(We know it’s normally your spouse, if it didn’t have to be, who would you choose?)

Even if it didn’t have to be, I would still choose Cortney every day ending in “y”. I know…cue the Mush Police, but it’s the truth, yo.

Swans a swimming, lords a leaping, golden rings; which gift of the 12 days of Christmas would you like most?

The only quiet thing on the list is the golden rings, so I’ll take those. If anyone gives me birds for Christmas I will put a bounty on their head.

Play Secret Santa, what inappropriate gift would you love to give this year?

I have a few students I would give the gift of modesty to.

Martha Stewart or the Grinch? What is your decorating style? (Pictures would be awesome!)

I would consider myself more like the family on A Christmas Story. I’m DEFINITELY not Martha Stewart and I’m not a Grinch. Christmas sort of vomits on our house.

decor
What is ONE WORD that defines the holiday season for you? (Examples: Believe/Wonder/Bah Humbug?)

Joy. Definitely Joy.

If Santa could assure its delivery, what’s the first thing on your CHRISTMAS LIST?

For myself, I would wish for a bigger house where I could have my own office/work room and more closet/storage space.  For others, I wish for one more day with some they love that has gone on to heaven.

 

What about you? Do you have the holiday spirit bubbling inside of you waiting to vomit all over your blog? Then come link up!


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Christmas Without Words

December 28, 2011 By

Christmas Eve with Cort’s side of the family…

Christmas Morning in Sluiter Nation

Christmas Night at my parents’ house

We had an extremely blessed Christmas.

How was yours?

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A Holiday Message from Sluiter Nation

December 23, 2011 By

Because we are sure to be too busy for pretty much anything other than stuffing our faces, laughing with family and friends, and opening and giving gifts over the next couple days, I wanted to leave you with a holiday message from Sluiter Nation.

Oh, and yes, Eddie yelling NO in the middle?  That is because he is a solo performer and was not allowing audience participation.

He’s a diva, what can I say.

He comes by it naturally.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you from all of us.

Love, Cort, Kate, Eddie and {coming in 2012} Baby Charlie

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