The girls and their Dad

By mid-morning, with most of the Christmas decorations down and part of my house cleaned, the girls were bored.  I texted Jake who was fixing fence somewhere, to ask if he had anything the girls could help him with.  He had just the job for his girls, like he usually does.  It is really important to me that Jake spends time with the girls.  It is really easier for everyone that they just stay with me.  They play, I clean, cook and do paperwork.  He can get his outside work done easier and faster without everyone tagging along, BUT the father and daughter relationship  is so crucial, and I talk so much about it to Jake that he obliged me.


Jake took the girls to go track down a charger for an electric fence. They also had some hay to unroll for some cows.  Last winter there was very little hay fed here, because it really didn't snow and the cows grazed most of winter followed by an early spring and early grass growth.  However with snow on the ground and more forecasted for tonight. I am beginning to think this winter may be a little different.

"I hear the tractor ladies, lets go"

All the hay is neatly unrolled down a hill, where the cows get in line numerically to eat.

Here they come, get in order ladies.

Here they are lining up by number.

Ok just kidding . . . they just crowd in, but there is plenty of hay for all of them.

even the late ones

We just came for the sled riding!

They apparently took a timeout from feeding the cows for some sled riding.

perfect form - Jaelin

snow angels

crash and burn

 
This is what Christmas Break is all about.

Christmas, snow, cows and grass

We left for "Perrydise" shortly after the girls opened their gifts on Christmas morning.  We had a Christmas party at Jake's parents' home, Christmas night.

Our nephew Payton

The girls and their American Girl Doll clothes

Jaelin, Payton and Jacie

We then left before the snow and ice came to spend the evening with my parents.  The following day we celebrated Christmas with my family minus my sister who was snowed in, north of Lima.

Jake has been sick for the last two days with a cold and fever.  Jake doesn't get sick often, however when he does it is miserable for all of us.  He can't sleep and he complains a lot.  I don't think I complained that much the entire time I was giving birth to both of his children.  It would have been better if he was at home, because he would have just went outside and worked through it.

My brother in true bachelor fashion promised the girls he would take them sledding this morning after they delivered some cull cows.  I thought they wouldn't have time to get everything done this morning, I also knew they would not let him forget that he promised them a sled riding trip. Much to my surprise, he pulled into the driveway just as we were and he pulled the kids out of his truck and sent them down the hill a few times, keeping his promise.

We met back at the farm, as we needed to get back to eastern Ohio, with the snow that hit, Jake was anxious to check on some cows.

By the time we got half way back, Jake wanted me to drive. However when we arrived home as sick as he was he went right to work.  He jumped on the 4-wheeler to check the cows. Then he decided to close in a hole with the backhoe and clear the driveway.  I am now thinking he just didn't want to drive, but really wasn't that sick. :)

Poorman Christmas Tradition

We have had a Poorman Christmas since forever.  The Poorman family is very small, my dad has only one other brother. There are only six grandchildren on that side of our family.  Grandma Poorman had great food and made excellent homemade noodles and no one missed Christmas.  As we started dating, we were allowed to bring our "friend" to Christmas.  We had to make reservations ahead of time.  She would set an extra place setting and she had to buy them a gift, because that was the proper thing to do.

Our "friend" was not protected from any comments that our Grandma Poorman made.  These comments included wearing hats in the house, not helping carry things in or out of the house, not eating, being late, and many other things. So I invited a "friend" a time or two.  Basically if they could make it through an interview with Grandma Poorman then they were worth keeping around. There was one time that my "friend" did not show up. She was mad. She wouldn't let it go, two years later we were still talking about "what kind of person, can't show up for a family meal".  By this point everyone was thinking, we got it Grandma, and he dumped her a year ago. (thank goodness or we would still be talking about it)

We had what might be our last  Poorman Christmas last year. Since Grandma passed away last November, traditions change, people are busy and it is hard to get everyone together.  Until I see all of my Poorman cousins and their growing families again, here are a few memories from the past.

Jodi, Jenny, Janice, Jamie and Jason

Front Row: Jason, Janice and Jodi Back Row: Jenny, Grandpa Poorman and Jule, Jamie

Grandma made us all dolls for Christmas (except Jason of course)
Front Row: Julie, Jason and Jodi
Back Row: Janice, Jenny and Jamie

Jenny, Jamie, Janice, Jason, Jodi and Julie

Jenny, Jamie, Janice, Jason, Jodi and Jason

Why we don't go see Santa anymore.

When Jacie was one, my Mom said Santa is going to be at the hospital (where she works).  She said, you should bring her up after you get out of school.  She even bought her a new dress.  So I did and this is what happened . . .

The next year we had Jaelin and really felt that good parents should take their children to see Santa.  My good friend Amy called and asked if I wanted to bring the kids to a place that takes pictures and the kids could tell Santa what they want for Christmas, by appointment.  I thought great no line and no other kids crying, we can do this. This is what happened . . .

We don't go see Santa anymore, we know that Santa knows what is in your heart.

Merry Christmas!!

A beautiful day of Christmas celebration.

Yesterday was a wonderful day of celebration at St. Mary's Central.  Another mom and I volunteered to  host the Kindergarten Christmas Party.  We had a gift race, where students raced to open gifts for the classroom.  We also played pin the nose on Rudolph. We made our own snacks, my stacking three powdered doughnuts making a snowman.  We then gave him a hat with a little chocolate bell, two arms made from pretzel sticks and a scarf from a licorice. I apologize for the messy navy blue uniforms.  Some of the kids looked like they had rolled in powdered sugar. The parents sent in wonderful Christmas treats, including bags of candy, and cookies.  However the hit seemed to be a small notebook complete with pen that all of the children began getting signatures in.  I signed in at least 15 times for the Christmas Party.  Bless their little hearts.

We came back in the evening for a very special Christmas Program. My favorite thing about the girls not going to public school is that God is not a secret.  They pray before school starts, before lunch and before they come home.  They even sometimes stop to pray for emergency vehicles going buy, because after all someone must need help. They even sing about God and Jesus being born during the Christmas Program and that is awesome.

My favorite song the Kindergartners sang last night was a song about lambs, complete with adorable lamb masks.

Baa, Baa, Baa,  Baa, Baa, Baa
Now you know just who I am,
I'm a little wooly lamb,
God has made me what I am,
juicy grass is what I eat,
do you want to hear me bleat . . .

He sees you when your sleeping  . . .

 My favorite song that Jacie's class sang was "From the Manger to the Cross".

From the manger to the cross,
From the manger to the cross,
Jesus made a road to save the lost,
From the manger to the cross

 Jacie played the cow bell in the Angel Band.

There were 1, there were 2, there were 3 little angels, there were 4, there were 5, there 6 little angels, there were 7, there were 8, there 9 little angel, 10 little angels in that band . . .

Merry Christmas!

Moms - We must unite in the lies of Christmas!

This elf has taken the Christmas celebration to a new level.  The elf is taking over our lives.  I believe my girls are now going to school just to see what everyone's elf is doing.  I must say some of you parents have really out done yourselves.  Our elf is rather lazy and boring.  If he remembers to move we are excited.  The girls have come home with all sorts of stories.  Someone's elf wrote them a note.  So the girls got a piece of paper and a pen and put it by the elf.  They then told me once we were all off the gravel (road) he would write his name. They have a lot of questions.  Many of them I don't answer, because after all I am just a part of the magic too.  I always act surprised when they find him in the morning, and I ask the questions when he doesn't move.

My Type A personality needs the rules for this elf. Here are my questions . . .

- Does the elf have to move? What if he doesn't
- Does he move during the night?
- Can the elf go back to the same place twice?
- Can the elf write? Can he type?
- Is the elf like a Gremlin if he gets wet, will he multiply? Because I can't handle that.
- Does he fly? Because I herd a tragic story of a Lego plane going down last week with him in it?

Someone help me out and answer these lingering questions about this elf.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the archives . . .

Grandma Poorman and Jaelin's first Halloween 2007

Second Cousins - RJ (Jacie) and Luke

Luke "what kind of sucker, do you have?"

Halloween 2009