Christmas (Black) Magic and Yuletide Greetings

Merry Christmas to everyone!  A little story:

As easy going as Mayes is, he usually refuses to accept fault for anything that goes wrong.  He beats around the bush saying things like, "What a horrible day!" instead of saying, "I played with the caulking gun and got caulk all over your carpet."  Or, if he has an accident at night, he wakes up in the morning and tells me that he's just "so sweaty."  And my favorite: If something isn't going his way (like a lego creation he is working on keeps breaking apart), he yells out, "YOU'RE MAKING MAGIC!"  He truly believes that someone, usually Cameron, is casting black magic spells on him to thwart his lego endeavors.  It must be said that I, too, have been accused of entertaining the dark arts.

In an effort to help Mayes realize that no one is trying to sabotage him and that he needs to accept his own faults, we talked about how magic is just make-believe, etc.  You get the drift.  However, Cameron threw me off by asking me, "But Mom, what about Santa?  I thought you said there was Christmas Magic..."  Dang it!  New approach:  "Ok...there is Christmas Magic but no other kind of magic."  Whew.  In the clear, right?

A few days later I hear Mayes yell out in frustration, "Cameron, YOU'RE MAKING CHRISTMAS MAGIC ON ME!"  I had to laugh.  As he said that, I suddenly remembered Cameron's early attempts at magic tricks when he was about 4 years old.  I have one on video (shown below) from February of 2009 right before we moved to WA from SLC.

Continuing on with this "Christmas" post, I will give you a (not-so?) brief summary of what happened in 2010.  In January, Mayes turned 3 (!) and we started potty training.  We had our second miscarriage at the end of the month which came as a big shock since the pregnancy was going so well.  (The first miscarriage occured in October 2009).  In February, the Valentine Aardvark found our new house and brought us treats.  (For more info on the Valentine Aardvark, check my favorites list on this blog).  In March, Jarron and I took a quick trip together to Bend, OR and had a great time.  In April, Mayes got really sick with the same horrible allergic reaction that Cameron has had called Erythemamultiforme.  We discovered that they are probably both allergic to any -illins.  Mayes and I spent the night in the ER and finally got home early Easter morning.  Also in April, the boys and I took a trip to Utah/Idaho for a friend's sealing and to see my parents.  May marked the completion of Jarron's first year working as a professional!  We bought a second car (Expedition) and attended the wedding of Jarron's youngest sister.  June was preschool graduation for Cameron and a trip to Portland with my mom and the boys (Jarron had to work) to play around and see my aunt and uncle who live there (I also FINALLY bought a dresser!).  I went to YW Camp where I was assistant camp director and my mom watched the boys while I was gone.  We also found out that I was pregnant again!  July brought a trip to Idaho to see my parents and so Jarron could fish.  My dad got in a bad accident (hit a cow in the middle of the night coming home from work in Wyoming) and totaled his truck.  He had just purchased the truck weeks before; I call it cheap life insurance as it truly saved his life.  I also miscarried again (third time) as we headed out to Idaho.  In August, Jarron and I celebrated our 8th anniversary!  We went back to Bend since we had a free night's stay at a nice hotel there.  Again, we had a good time and got to know the area a little better.  One of these times we'll have to take our kids there!  :)  I also turned 30 in August and had a fabulous day.  Jarron took the boys camping the night before my birthday leaving the house empty.  I invited a bunch of local friends over and we had a huge fondu party!  I was up until 4am and had a great time.  Then Jarron came home with the boys the next morning bringing cake.  We went to dinner and got a babysitter that night.  Turning 30 was better than I hoped it would be!  September made a kindergartener out of Cameron and a preschooler out of Mayes.  I started volunteering in Cameron's classroom on the days that Mayes was in school.  I loved it!  They are both doing so well.  Cameron was tested for reading and found to be at an "end of 2nd grade" level.  He is TOO smart!  In October, Jarron went on a fishing trip to Utah but came home early because the boys and I missed him.  We celebrated Halloween by doing school party stuff and going to the ward trunk-or-treat activity.  Halloween was also when I found out that we were starting our 4th attempt at baby #3.  Yes, pregnant again!  On November 5th, Jarron turned 31 and we went to dinner with the boys.  (Jarron's not as big into birthdays as I am!)  On the 12th, we had a pool party (we won it at a local hotel!) for Cameron's 6th birthday.  It was also the first day I remember feeling SICK.  I went to dinner that night with a friend and don't remember feeling well since then.  In fact, I was so sick (due to the pregnancy) that I was unable to attend Cameron's birthday dinner with Jarron's family on the 16th.  You may have read the post "A strange slice of heaven" I wrote a few weeks ago where I mentioned this.  However, I did not mention what I was sick with.  Now you know.  I was sick with baby!  SICK with baby.  I can't stress it enough.  Sickey, sick, sick.  That's why it was so nice to have Jarron home that one week in November because after that, I was all aloney on my owney.  My parents came for Thanksgiving week so they obviously found out that I was pregnant and helped as much as they could.  My dad completed some home projects I had which I really appreciated.  Then it was back to being alone and sick.  Jarron was left picking up all the slack I was leaving (and believe me, there was a lot) and the boys were up to their own devices during non-school hours.  Truly, I am SO glad that they are older and basically self-sufficient.  They get their own snacks, play together, put their own movies in, etc.  It was nice to be able to wallow in my own misery wrapped up in my blankets while they fended for themselves!  But I also loved when they would come in and blow kisses at me and, as Cameron often did, tell me that they felt so sorry for me and hoped I felt better soon (although they didn't know that I was pregnant).  Thankfully, with about 2 weeks left of school before Christmas break, a sweet, perceptive friend of mine realized that I looked like death and asked if I needed help.  So I told her I was pregnant and she brought dinners and picked the boys up every day for school and brought them back home.  What a blessing!  Without her, the boys probably wouldn't have gone to much school those last few weeks! 

So that was basically November and December.  Not really exciting and sadly all consumed with me not feeling well.  The house went to pieces (despite Jarron's best efforts) and many things were left undone.  We were blessed with tender mercies as a few closer friends discovered our news and started offering dinners, etc.  Even with the extra help though, I was glad when Christmas break came and I didn't have to worry about schedules, etc at all.  We spent Christmas Day letting the boys go nuts while Jarron and I slept (me to ward of nausea and him because he was EXHAUSTED from trying to take care of everything)!  Which brings us to today, the day after Christmas.  I am just over 12 weeks pregnant now and things are going well.  We had a good ultrasound and, although I hate it, I the morning sickness is a good sign.  Here's to hoping that I feel better soon and that this pregnancy goes well!

Other highlights in case you are still reading this:
*The boys enjoyed swimming lessons and soccer this year.  Cameron even started basketball. 
*My brother Ty's wife is also expecting their third baby and is about a month ahead of me.  Ty has been applying to schools to still further his education and become a maxio-facial surgeon.  He will know in January where he's been accepted.
*My brother Braden graduated from Texas A&M a few days ago and accepted a job in Dallas with L3 engineering spy planes.
*My mom has had a lot of health stuff she is sorting out (all of which she calls "minor"), including cancer being removed from her nose.  She's doing really well though.
*We are still enjoying our little home and are grateful for the blessings that are ours!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  May no black Christmas Magic come your way :)