Marshmallow Day

Joseph marshmallow painting.



Brigham concentrating hard on his marshmallow bingo.




One of Mosey's many, many perler bead creations. Cool, huh?




Well, here it is Friday and no word back from Seattle. I hope today. I sent a short email to the nurse-coordinator, asking if she thought I might hear back today, or if I should just be patient until after Christmas. I don't want to be pushy. There is a fine line between being your own best advocate when it comes to the medical system, and being an annoying, pushy patient, which is totally counterproductive. You get *less* of what you want when you cross over that line. But I do want them to know that I want to know, so if the Neuro has already decided on me, and they just haven't had a chance to call me yet, they should call! I don't want to wait until after Christmas.The boys are officially on Christmas vacation! Of course, they were up at the same time they always are on school days, so no sleeping in for me... I let them stay up late last night so I'll probably pay for it later on with grumpy kids. I'll get them down early tonight. Last night we drove around a few of the streets around our house looking at the Christmas lights. There are some houses that really go all out! The boys really enjoyed it. On one front lawn there was a blow-up Santa on an airplane. Brigham looked at that and then a couple minutes later as we were driving down the street, he said, "Well, there could be a Santa because he only brings presents to kids that celebratae Christmas. And if he was in an airplane, he would probably have time to bring presents to everyone." I told him that was a very good thought-- a majority of children in the world don't celebrate Christmas, so he certainly wouldn't have to go to every house. And an airplane is much faster than reindeer! So Joseph and Brigham talk about this for a little while, and Joseph (who is my ultimate skeptic), finally asked Brigham, "So, do you believe in Santa Claus or not?" And Brigham replied, "I just don't know! I just don't know if I believe in Santa or not!" Awwww... Joseph asked me earilier if I know of any grownups who believe in Santa, and I told him that I don't really ask most grownups that question, but that I am sure there are probably lots of adults who do believe. (Heck, there are lots of slightly disturbed adults who think they *are* Santa!). Brigham has asked me if I believe in Santa, and I just told him that I know of stories of amazing things that happen at Christmas that really can't be explained. And left it at that. So I'm not lying to him, but I'm certainly NOT going to squash any little hope he has that Santa is real. On Wednesday the boys had their "winter party." Ok, so I'm sure their school isn't the *most* politically correct elementary school in the country, but it's got to be above average!! Their winter party took the form of "marshmallow day." The whole day they had fun activities relating to marshmallows. All the kids were supposed to wear white (or as much white as possible-- the boys dressed in their TKD uniforms), they made s'mores, drank hot chocolate with marshmallows, watched a video about how marshmallows are made, played marshmallow bingo, painted pictures using marshmallows as paint brushes, and at the end of the day, the whole first grade had a big marshmallow fight out on the field. It was very cute, and all the kids loved it (Joseph had been asking me for days when it was going to be Marshmallow Day, the teachers made a big deal about it). I went to the school and spent about 20 minutes in each of the boys' classrooms, and the kids were definitely having fun. But c'mon. Marshmallow day? I mean, they didn't even call it a winter festival, or a holiday party, or anything. It was as far removed from the holidays as you could possible get! Last year in Florida (which you would think would be a whole lot more PC than Texas, right?), they had a holiday party, and it was really cute. Of course nothing religious, but they decorated Santas and made "reindeer treat bags," and ate candy canes, and made construction paper menorahs. At least they were acknowledging the existence of religious holidays in December, acknowledging the whole reason we *have* a "winter break!" I had been a little encouraged about the school's approach to the holidays, because there was pine garland with red bows strung up around the kids waiting area in front of the school, and there was a Christmas tree inside the front door. Which the boys reported had a Santa hat on top. But things are not entirely how they appeared. I went to the school on Wednesday with Sister Kelley (bishop's wife), who is more "in the know" about things in the school, and she told me that it is parent volunteers who are in charge of decorating the school for various holidays/seasons, and therefore one of the parents who did the garland and the Christmas tree. And the school has been getting call after call from angry parents who think the pine garland with red bow is too overtly religious (?????), and furious calls about the Christmas tree. Immediately the school put up a display right next to the tree with a menorah and this Ramadan candle thingy and a Kwaanza display. I do have to give the school credit (marshmallow day notwithstanding), because there are are lots of other schools who would simply immediately take down the offending decorations with the first angry call, and they have not done so. But still, I'm just amazed that there are parents who are seriously offended at a pine garland!!! My, how things have changed from when I was in first grade. Ok, that's it for this morning. I'll send an email out whenever I hear anything from Seattle.