Christmas Movie

In the winter of 1914, Europe was deeply embroiled in World War I and soldiers hunkered in trenches along the front line. Enemy lines were separated by a narrow stretch of land referred to as "No Man's Land". Fighting had been vicious and brutal but on Christmas Eve the sounds of men celebrating the holiday with music and the familiar spirit of Christ united the men. The enemies fraternized and "No Man's Land" became a place for building friendship, worship and even an occasional football game.

This true and moving story is portrayed beautifully in the French movie "Joyeux Noel" made in 2005. My husband and I fell in love with the movie last Christmas season. We watched it again last night. I highly recommend it. It is a story of the true spirit of Christ and Christmas.

Add it to your Netflix list or look for it at your local video rental store, but definitely watch it this season. It is moving and beautiful. Be sure to the watch the director's interview in "Special Features" to find out more about this amazing event in our history.

You can read about this story in the picture book "Silent Night, Holy Night" illustrated by Robert T. Barrett and featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Sandra Boynton

If you're a mom of toddlers/preschoolers/children and you're not already familiar with Sandra Boynton's adorable books, you are definitely missing out (and maybe not on our planet). My kids and I *LOVE* Sandra. Her illustrations are darling and her writing is poetic, ironic and funny.

My kids and I and even my husband especially enjoy her music. Her lyrics are hilarious and endearing and the music is great. The songs are performed by professional entertainers such as Kevin Bacon, Meryl Streep, Allison Kraus and Hootie and the Blowfish. We love to get up and boogie to "Philadelphia Chickens" and rock out to "Dog Train". You can find these and her latest book/CD at any local book store. And don't forget to check out Sandra Boynton's website.

Book Review: Room for a Little One

Our family loves books. I am not sure if a love for reading is one of those nature or nurture characteristics; it is probably a little of both. My dad loves to read. I never saw him without a book in his hand, books in his car, books at the breakfast table. Whether I inherited that quality, or just learned it by example, I am the same way. I read at least a book a week, and rarely go anywhere without a book shoved in my bag or car - just in case. I am afraid I have passed it along to my son, and my daughter might be doomed for the same destiny, it is too early to tell.

At nursery, my two-year-old son spends his time with the books. At home, he sits for hours reading his books, or being read to. He lugs them all over the house with him, and will ask just about anyone to read to him. When I took him to the children's museum in our town, I lost him for a second, only to look over and one of the workers was sitting with him, reading a book he had found. I was not at all surprised.

So those are my qualifications for writing book reviews: I love books. My kids love books. We rarely buy our children any other kind of present besides books. I am not an expert in children's literature, just a lover of words.

Book Review #1: Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

We bought this book for my son's first Christmas. What a terrific find! We read it all year. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is so simple. It begins: "Kind ox lay in his stable."

Kind ox encounters several kinds of animals: a dog, a cat, a mouse. They are all invited into the stable, a place of love and devoid of fear. Each time, kind ox tells them: "Come inside, there is always room for a little one here." Finally, tired donkey comes. He carries Mary, and is led by Joseph. They are invited into the stable. And Mary has her baby with the animals all around. It ends, "That cold winter's night, beneath the star's light, a little one came for the world."

The poetic verses are beautiful and capture the spirit of Christ, and the spirit of Christmas. And, my son loves animals, making this book even more enticing.

I usually cry when I read this book. I usually finish with a resolve to be a little more welcoming, a little more loving. And I always love feeling the spirit of that stable, where Jesus was born. Like the birth of the Savior, this story is simple. It is beautiful, and it is poignant. Whether you are two, or thirty-two, you will love Room for a Little One.

Hope You Aren't Sick of Give-a-ways

I am doing a holiday give-a-way! To enter, go to www.babyblvd.blogspot.com/

GOOD LUCK!

The Winner Is . . .

The winner of the Twilight "Sparkle" T-shirt is . . . (drum roll please)

Kara!

Please contact me at cindibraby@msn.com asap and we'll send your new T-shirt. Congratulations!

FREE PICS

I found this website through a friends blog and just ordered one 11X 14, three
8 X 10's, and like thirty 5 X 7's. And it cost $14.00!! (shipping is free I think, it didn't charge me for it).

You can get 15 free 5 X 7's when you enter, at checkout, the code 7789io

5 X 7's normally are like .35 cents and 8 X 10's are .90 cents.
Check it OUT!

http://www.coryadams.lifepics.com

Another Twilight T-shirt Give-Away

We had so much fun last week with the Twilight T-shirt give-away that we decided to do it again. This T-shirt is pink and says "I want a man that SPARKLES!" on the front and says "Twilight" on the back.

The rules are the same as last time. Just leave a comment and the winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 19th so check back to see if you got lucky and don't forget to go to Everything Twilight to check out the other hot styles.

Holiday Boutique

HI! I just thought I would announce a boutique I am having in South Jordan, UT if anyone is interested. THANKS!

If you would like a postcard invitation with a number on it that could win you $10.00 worth of free spending money at the boutique, email your address to babyblvd@live.com and we will send you one.
There will be three winners out of all the postcards. Winning Numbers will be displayed at the Boutique! Hope to see you there :)

Congratulations!

The winner of the Twilight T-shirt is:

Jonathan-holly-taylin

Congratulations. Please contact me at cindibraby@msn.com with your information and we'll send your new T-shirt right away.

And guess what! This was so much fun that we're going to do it again later this week. Check back and enter to win in our second Twilight T-shirt Give-Away.

Reading the TV

As much as we try not to, nearly every mother has had that crazy day where we turn on the TV to "babysit" our kids. Sometimes we just need that half an hour to finish making dinner or pay the bills.

My friend was telling me the other night about a study that shows that children who watch television with the closed captioning improved their vocabulary and reading fluency. Obviously, our children still shouldn't watch excessive amounts of television, but next time you turn the TV on don't feel guilty--just turn on the closed captioning as well.

For additional ideas on using the television to promote reading with your children, read Read to Me: Raising kids who love to Read by Bernice E. Cullinan.

Online Geography Games

We love Geography at our house. There is a huge world map hanging on the wall next to my seven year old son's bed and he requested a globe for his third birthday. My other children have also enjoyed learning about our world and we spend many hours reading the many atlases in our home. My husband even takes his very own atlas into the bathroom with him.

So, we were excited to find the fun and educational geography games on the National Geographic Kids Website. The GeoBee Challenge has a daily ten question geography quiz that includes questions used in the Geography Bee. There are other fun games as well.

Twilight T-shirt Give-Away

We're having our very first give-a-way on Utah Mom's Life blog and it's an exciting one. Just in time for "Twilight" the movie, win your very own Twilight T-shirt. Jen from Everything Twilight

sells these awesome shirts and has donated one to be given away here. Check out Everything Twilight to see her other T-shirts designs.

Simply leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments. The contest will be open for one week and the winner will be announced on this blog next Monday, November 10th.

Baby Blvd. Give Away

I've mentioned Baby Blvd. and the really cool handmade gifts and accessories before, but this is exciting news . . . Jen has recently added some new items to her inventory. You've got to check them out. And she is having a great big "Give Away Contest". Check out Baby Blvd. and enter for your chance to win.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been sick with a yucky head cold this week and I've been craving homemade chicken noodle soup. I finally realized that I was the mom and it was up to me to make the soup for my coughing, sneezing, wheezing family.

I had to make a stop at Costco anyway today during a long and stressful list of errands, so I decided to pick up one of the seasoned rotisserie chickens. Because if you didn't already know, those chickens from Costco make a great and easy chicken noodle soup.

Here's what I do:

1. Fill a big pot 3/4 full with water and chicken bouillon cubes (or chicken stock). Heat to a boil.
2. Pour those awesome drippings from the bottom of the chicken container into the pot.
3. Cut off all the meat from the chicken; cut into small pieces and set aside. Attempt to save the skin from the begging children.
4. Once the meat is removed from the bones, throw the rest (bones, skin, fat, etc.) into the pot and allow to simmer.
5. Chop one onion and three to four carrots and add to the pot.
6. When the carrots are the desired consistency (I like them soft) use a slotted spoon to extract the bones, skin, etc. from the pot and throw away.
7. Add the chicken meat and simmer.
8. Add a teaspoon or so of my favorite Cajun spices or season salt or whatever seasonings you like to desired taste.
9. Add a package of egg noodles and follow the directions on the bag (I usually boil them for 7 minutes) just before you are ready to serve the soup so the noodles don't get too soggy.

We occasionally add sliced fresh mushrooms or additional vegetables.

It's oh, so good. And it makes me feel so good--even after a stressful day of running a long list of errands all over town with my five, three and one year old, and a head cold. Now I'm looking forward to changing into those new, soft jammies I also bought at Costco today. Thank goodness for bedtime. Sigh.

What to Expect . . .

In the very early years of our marriage, I was two weeks late and POSITIVE that I was pregnant. I was so excited, I rushed right out and bought "What to Expect When You're Expecting" even before I took the pregnancy test. For some reason that book said "you're pregnant!" to me. It was the old copy that had a picture of a pregnant woman wearing a very "motherly" dress, sitting demurely in a rocking chair. I so looked forward to the nine lovely months where I could relax, read dozens of books, have someone wait on my every need and sit patiently in a rocking chair. I'm not sure why I had such ridiculous ideas of pregnancy--my mom did have seven kids. That pregnancy test, like the other dozen or so tests I took in the next five years, was negative, so the book got shelved.

When I finally did get pregnant, I excitedly pulled the book from the shelf and began to read. It spent the next nine months on my night stand. Pregnancy was nothing as I had originally suspected. For one thing, I was working 50-60 hours a week in a high-stress job that I loved. There was little time to actually sit around reading. I'd fall into bed each night completely exhausted.

I also started to hate the "What to Expect..." book. Each chapter, divided by month, started with a list of generally horrible things to expect. A typical list would sounds a lot like this*:

Heart burn

Swelling of the Feet and Legs

Hemorrhoids

Leg Cramps

Weight Gain

Back Pain

Exhaustion

Sciatic Nerve Sensations

Constipation

Nausea

Increased/Decreased Appetite

Food Cravings

Memory Loss

Clumsiness

Acne

Increased Saliva Production

Mood Swings

Hair Growth (in the wrong areas)

Pelvic Pain

Insomnia

Stretch Marks

Irritability

*Not a real list from the book or anyone else with authority--just my list.

Yikes! Who wants to expect that? I no longer read pregnancy books. If something weird or unexpected happens, I might pull the book out as a resource to see if it is actually normal and expected. But other than that, I take the pregnancy day by day. And on the last day I can expect to hold a beautiful new baby that will steal my heart away. That's what I'm expecting...

Vacation

The kids were out of school for "Fall Break" Thursday and Friday, so my husband decided to take the days off work as well (BIG THANK YOU!). Thursday we drove to Salt Lake City and had a great day with the kids hanging out at the Museum of Church History and Art and then taking the tours at the Church Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square.

Then, Friday we all woke up with the aches, pains, sore throats and runny noses of a full-blown fall cold. I told my husband that he should have taken the day from work as a "sick day" since that is what it was--a lay around the house, feeling miserable, looking longingly out the window at the perfect fall weather, watching movies, drinking orange juice, wiping noses, coughing, waste of a vacation day.

Our family room has a pile of blankets six feet high that the kids dragged into the room. The loft is covered with every Matchbox car in the house (I think we have too many). And I wonder: why is it that when the kids are sick they still have the energy to make gigantic messes and I can barely get out of bed? It really isn't fair.

Tight Pants

Even my "fat" pants aren't fitting well. I'm currently in the lay-on-the-bed-to-button and then unable-to-breath-all-day stage. It's very sad. I'm not far enough along to justify wearing maternity clothes yet, though my comfort may demand the stretchy waist bands sooner this time.

It makes me remember (sort of fondly) my first pregnancy--where I gained very little weight in the first six months and my midwife began to worry. She shouldn't have concerned herself too much. I packed on over fifty pounds in the last three months. At one late appointment, after I had gained ten pounds in just a week, she asked "WHAT are you eating?"

"Just pasta," I replied. At this point my husband began to laugh hysterically.

"Pasta? She eats Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and a lot of it." It was true. I loved the stuff and ate nearly an entire box nearly every day. Now that I actually have kids, mac and cheese lacks that same appeal. My husband still teases me when we do have mac and cheese (not every day), "Are we having pasta for lunch?"

When my mother stepped off the plane in Boston and saw my bloated, huge expecting self, I think she nearly fainted. She told me later that she was so grateful that I went into labor and delivered the (9 lbs. 6 oz.) baby the next day, because she didn't think she could stand to look at me any longer.

Thankfully, I lost the weight quickly that time (I was much younger) and haven't gained as much during the next three pregnancies. Still, the insane weight gain and a ten pound baby haunt me. I just wish my pants still fit.

Pizza/Pajama Party

Tomorrow, my seven-year-old son gets to have a "Pizza/Pajama Party" at school. The class earned the party with their good behavior (so far) and got to vote on what kind of party they wanted. Apparently, the pizza party tied with the pajama party, so luckily they get to have both. But I'm just wondering--what kind of person/kid votes for a pajama party OVER a pizza party? Yes, I really love pajamas, but instead of food? Come on!

Oh, and I hope we actually remember to have him wear pajamas tomorrow morning. Last year, I got a phone call from a sad boy and I had to make the run back to school with a pair of pajamas. Too bad they weren't the ones he wanted. This event is filed away with the many others I've already racked up as a non-super mom--including the time I forgot to have him wear his Halloween costume to school and the time I forgot to have him take Valentines to his preschool class. How come we never forget these mom-mistakes?

Caffeine

After an interesting conversation yesterday as we tried to determine whether or not we should serve caffeinated soft drinks at a Relief Society "Girls' Night Out" (we won't), caffeine has been on my mind (not literally).

I managed to kick my college-inspired Diet Coke (with a teaspoon of "imitation" vanilla added) habit several years ago when we moved to New Hampshire. My boss knew enough about Mormons to know that we didn't drink alcohol, coffee and Coke. It was too difficult to try to explain, so I just stopped drinking Diet Coke at work, even though the only non-caffeine beverage offered in the lunch room was Sprite and I hate Sprite. I drank water instead.

Since moving back to Utah, I've been either pregnant and/or nursing, so I haven't resumed the Diet Coke habit (and they even make my favorite Vanilla Diet Cokes now).

But there is something that I cannot give up--chocolate. Can't do it. Try not to eat too much (Ha!) but I believe strongly that there are not many desserts that the addition of chocolate chips can not improve (bacon and chocolate chips--love them both). And you know what? They sell chocolate on BYU campus. They put it in all the great BYU Creamery ice creams. That must mean something, right?

Out of curiosity, I looked up some information. Here are some interesting numbers (just for fun).

One bar of Hershey's Milk Chocolate -- 10 mg. of caffeine

One bar of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate -- 31 mg. of caffeine

One can of Cola -- 34 mg. of caffeine

One cup of coffee -- 80-135 mg. of caffeine

So, if I stick to milk chocolate, I would have to eat three bars of chocolate to equal the amount of caffeine in a can of soda. I'm pretty sure I could do it.

Bacon

My husband and I stayed in bed late this morning. We could hear the kids playing (making a mess) in their bedrooms. While the boys set up their train tracks, my five-year-old daughter was "pretending" to read a book and we heard her say, "Then we killed him and ate him up."

"What in the world is she reading?" I asked my husband. He climbed out of our warm, snugly bed to find out.

Charlotte's Web.

She was reading Charlotte's Web and had killed and eaten Wilbur, the pig. Yes, we enjoy ham and pork chops and especially bacon (there are not many foods that the addition of bacon can't improve) but really this was disturbing. We've read the book. We've watched the movie (lots of times). How could she eat Wilbur? He's cute and sweet and does back flips.

It reminded me of a story that my parents tell from my childhood. My brother and I were still very young and as a family we raised a little pig named Homer. He was pink and cute and we loved him. There's really only one reason for raising a pig and when Homer got big enough he met his fate.

My parents decided to break the news to us one night at dinner. Very gently, the informed my brother and I that pigs were meant to be eaten and that night we were eating our pig. To their surprise and horror, we weren't sad. In fact, we were delighted and spent the rest of the meal singing to each other, "We're eating Homer!" We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, but I don't think my parents were able to eat a bite.

I suppose, children just know--pigs are for eating. Oh, and consider adding bacon to your potato salad next summer. It's always a hit around here.