My mom told me the other day that I’m doing a piss-poor job of giving my sons a strong religious base.

She’s right.   To a point…

I grew up Lutheran. Church every Sunday, Sunday School, choir. Christmas Eve, Easter, etc.  When my mom married husband #3, she started experimenting, taking us to different churches.  My brother and I balked and were told that when we turned 18 we could choose our own church. Fair enough.

Now maybe if we would have continued going to the church we grew up in, or if we had stayed close by, things would have been different.  But save for a few stints here and there, my wedding, other weddings, baptisms, concerts, etc., I haven’t really been to a church service in years.

And I am ok with that.

See, because I have faith and belief; I have spirituality, but don’t feel like I need to sit in a church to prove that.  I pray, but on my own terms.  I don’t believe everything the bible says - I believe it’s all open to interpretation, and that the men who wrote it likely put some of themselves into it, changed things around a bit. I believe it was meant to be a guide, not a rule book.

My kids are baptized.  Matt knows the story of baby Jesus. My mom prays with them sometimes. We read Thank You God books.  I don’t hide religion from them, I just don’t actively promote it.

I guess if that equals a piss-poor job, then that’s what I’m doing.

I have nothing against religion, organized or not. I think people should believe what they believe, in whatever way works for them. In fact, I kind of admire those who have such strong faith. I’ve learned a lot from Casey about her religion and from Ali and Metalia about theirs.  I find it all very interesting.  The only thing that bothers me about religion is when people push it on others.  I appreciate their dedication, but have never understood (a) how the most “christian” people are the most judgmental (and how they justify their judgments by saying they are chrisitian) and (b) how the people who go door to door really really believe that doing so will really get people to jump on board. I can’t imagine someone coming to my door and me going “WOW, that sounds like a great concept, I’m in!”.  Either way, you believe what you believe and I respect that.  Apparently getting my mom to do the same is a lost cause.

On the other hand, perhaps I should be more actively teaching them about God and belief and faith.  The problem is that I don’t want to teach them how I learned, so instead, I do nothing.

I’m open for suggestions.  For those of you non-church goers, what, if anything, do you teach your children about faith and belief? I know you’re out there…in fact, I’ve found that many of my bloggy friends feel similar to the way I do. Are there books, stories, ideas that you share with your kids?  Feel free to chime in. But remember, if you comment just to tell me I’m going to hell because I don’t take my kids to church, I’ll delete it.  I’ve no time for such craziness.

Thanks friends.

I really do love the holidays.  I tend to not get annoyed at crowds (because, DUH, what good does it do?), I enjoy the Christmas music, I and love, love LOVE giving gifts.  So in honor of December, the month of goodness, I give you my favorite things, Christmas Edition, in groups of 5:

Favorite Christmas Movies:

1. The Polar Express
2. The Santa Clause (I & II)
3. It’s A Wonderful Life
4. Scrooged
5. A Christmas Carol (the one with George C. Scott is my favorite)
6. *Honorable Mentions: Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story

Favorite Christmas Cartoon/Animation:

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. Twas the Night Before Christmas (~~even a miracle needs a hand~~!!)
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
5. huh…..Rudolph, I guess!

Favorite Christmas Songs:

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman (Barenaked Ladies + Sarah McLachlan version)
2. Christmas Eve (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
3. Sleigh Ride (Harry Connick, Jr.)
4. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Dean Martin)
5. Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt)
6. *Honorable Mentions: Ave Maria (Celine Dion), Carol of the Bells

Favorite Christmas Books:

1. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (I have fond memories of making my dad read it to me over and over and over…)
2. Twas The Night Before Christmas (classic!)
3. Olive the Other Reindeer
4. The Polar Express
5. Russel’s Christmas Magic

Favorite Christmastime Traditions:

1. Staying home on Christmas Day
2. Being with family at our many gatherings - everyone is so happy and relaxed.
3. Going to Greenfield Village to see Santa on the rooftop and hear carolers.
4. Taking the boys to see Santa
5. Driving around and looking at the lights

How about you? What’s your favorite thing about this time of year?

It’s my birthday!!!!!

I’m as old as my cousin now (I get to be younger for 2 weeks every year, during which I could’ve totally rubbed in the fact that she’s 35 and I’m not, but I didn’t…(dammit)). Doesn’t matter, because I will ALWAYS be the baby of the family pfffttttt!!!!

35.

Huh.

Some days I still feel like a kid playing house.  Other days I feel like I’m about 100.

This past year hasn’t been all bad, but there have certainly been better.  We lost some good, amazing people this year in our family. I lost my beloved dorkdog. Our cat died.  The economy has totally sucked. Business is decent but the bills are piled high. My stress has been through the roof and I’m the heaviest and out of shapiest I’ve ever been in my life, including my pregnancies.

BUT, my boys are healthy and happy and wicked smart. We have a fabulous babysitter who loves our boys as if they were her own. I still have a business to walk in to and my husband, more shockingly, still has a job to go to every day. My cousin had a brain tumor removed and is doing fantastic (and as a direct result has a better relationship with his brother now than he ever has).  My dad had his prostate removed and is showing no signs of cancer at all. My brother is going to graduate from Law School and turn 40 in the spring. My MIL is going to have surgery soon that should alleviate a ton of her problems. My mom is getting re-certified to teach piano (something she is totally meant to do) and will retire next fall. My cousin had her third baby and amazes me daily. In January, we’re meeting her and her sister (who bought a new house this year) and their husbands in Florida to die during uh, run, uh walk a half marathon, but more importantly, spend time together.

There are good things on the horizon. I fully intend for my birthday to be the starting point for all good things for me and my loved ones and friends. (You hear that karma? fate? God? Mother Nature? Santa? I mean it!!).

It would mean a lot if you would delurk and leave me a comment here on my blog today, just to say hi.  I’d love to see how many comments I could get in one day!!  (And hey, talk about a totally cheap present!!)

I plan on spending the day crafting or reading or staring into space, as my wonderful husband has taken the day off for me (and to use some of those remaining vacation hours).  At the end of said day, he and the kids will be making my favorite Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. Maybe I’ll even get a cake out of it! (hehe)

Now if I could just get Starbucks to deliver me a steady supply of those heavenly Peppermint Mocha Twists…