The Tooth Fairy is Still Alive... and Santa Too!!

The Tooth Fairy was saved this year! On Tuesday Tennison told us he had a loose tooth. On Wednesday he came home with a goofy look on his face and then declared, "I lost my tooth." That night he was sitting at the kitchen table writing a note on an envelope to the Tooth Fairy...

"Dear Tooth fairy,
You are a great person. I love looking in the morning and finding some cash.
p.s. can I have your signature right here please (with an arrow pointing to a big circle) The tooth is inside. Love You!
from,
Tennison"

He was sitting next to Scott and casually asked him, "Are you the Tooth Fairy?" Somehow he quickly answered with an "I believe" kind of response. Scott said, "Should we go up and tell him?" Then he realized, if we tell him about the Tooth Fairy right before Christmas, that will potentially blow Santa. Nope, we aren't telling him... and off to bed we went.

Thursday morning I get out of the gym and see my phone has 5 texts from Scott. Here is the string of events...

6:28 a.m. Crap! We forgot Tooth fairy. He's so bummed. Trying to get something done to help get us through Christmas & Santa. I almost told him but I know his next question will be Santa.

6:42 a.m. Reagan saves the day through texting. Great story. Be ready. Santa has been saved.

Part of the problem was when Tennison got up, sad about the empty envelope, he went to take a shower (in our bathroom). If Scott had taken a break from shaving to fill the envelope he thinks Tennison would have caught on. So through a texting plea for help Reagan was able to grab some quarters and fill the envelope. She also grabbed a coin with a logo on it, gulp. It was for a golf course (a ball marker, not a quarter) so Tennison went to the website. He finds a blog on the site about "Meet me in Utopia". He took that as a message from the Tooth Fairy! How sweet, how innocent, how funny! So glad it all worked out.

Without Reagan, the fun of the Tooth Fairy & Santa could have been ruined. Thanks Reagan!
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"  - Albert Einstein

So glad Tennison still writes letters to the Tooth Fairy and still believes in Santa!

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions."  - Albert Einstein

I think our imagination is just as important in our adulthood, as it is in our childhood! Long live Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

My Tree

It makes me feel special when people refer to the tree I blog about as my tree!! So many of us see this tree on a daily or weekly basis and love watching her seasonal changes. Last year a sign when up in the field in front of it letting us all know they'll be developing there soon. We're hoping it takes a long, long time.

Here is what I've seen lately...

 

And then her leaves started to fall...

 

 Such a beautiful scene!

Her neighboring tree friends!

 

 Winter is here and the snow is falling...

What will she look like next?

 

"What really interests me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the World."
― Albert Einstein



A Day With Cleveland

Many of you know that we named Tennison after our friend, Tennyson McCarty. Scott met him as a senior at Boulder High, I met him as a CU student & football player, all through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. We were both so impressed as to how he carried himself as an athlete and a lover of Jesus. Our Tennison never got the chance to meet Tennyson, he passed away in 2007, Ten was only 3 years old.

Last January, through some super sleuthing, I found Tennyson's dad's phone number. I traded phone messages with Cleveland (yes, a family of cool names with a brother named Somerset) last January. A month ago his daughter-in-law Miriam called saying she heard my latest message and we just have to meet. Last Saturday was our day with Cleveland.

Someone was slightly excited for this day!

Hello Boulder!

Go Buffs!!

Mr. Cleveland! "Hey T-Bone!" A nickname he had for his Tennyson.

Miriam and I were a mess. Once we sent them to their seats she fell apart.

This meant so much to their family and ours!

The sisters had a great time meeting everyone and watching the game.

Friends forever! When Cleveland called me back, he said,

"I know we don't know each other, but we have Tennyson in common and that's all that matters." Let the tears flow.

Tennyson's brother Eric is the team physician (Miriam's husband & my brother's high school friend).

We not only got club level seats, but Ten got to go with their son to the locker room

and hear the coaches speech to the team after their victory.

He got to see Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam's "shrine".

One of the players tossed him a glove!

 

 
 "His teammates remember him as a tireless warrior and compassionate friend."

Looks like Al was a CU fan too!!

Go Black & Gold!

Mud Brigade Baby!!

I wasn't sure everyone would take me up on my grand idea to do the Mud Brigade. But, I went ahead and registered even the most leery of the Kissels. "If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it. " - Albert Einstein

 

 

This would be a sort of "before shot"...

after crawling over and under a big farm-style fence!

A soapy slide that Whitney took-off on!

And took us out! So funny!!

 

There was a lot of mud!

Hugs, kisses and scrapes!

We had a total blast and would do it again! Thanks to our cheerleader Nana and our photographer Grandpa Skip

for helping us capture the memories through pictures! 

We had the dirtiest time of our lives!

We tossed shoes, socks, shirts... some things just

weren't worth attempting to keep!

 

"If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it. " - Albert Einstein

Turned out to be not so absurd!

 

 

Job Applications Stink

 ~ Albert Einstein

I applied for a job through the school district. A fairly basic job as a paraprofessional, two hours a day. The job may sound easy, but the application was nuts!

I was on the phone with my Dad for 45 minutes working through various math problems on the application. Let's just say math is not my forte. First question asked what the missing integer was in a list of "random" numbers. I called my Dad, "A. What is an integer? B. Why do I care?" He proceeds to figure out the wack-job rhyme or reason to the problem. SO confused. Two like that with numbers, then one with mixed up letters. Who got that one right?! Yours truly! My Dad always says, "Numbers are my friend." The English major (me) can now say "Letters are my friend."

Actual Example: A pencil and a ruler cost $1.50 together. The ruler costs $1.00 more than the pencil. How much does the pencil cost?

1. 25 cents
2. 50 cents
3. $1.00
4. $1.25

A true stumper, but not for Skip. He got it using the ol' if a + b x c / q = w then.... ugh! Brought me right back to junior high. (#4 is correct if you were wondering)

By the end of our conversation I told him, "This is false advertisement if they think I know math. I couldn't do it without calling my Dad!" So there, Al was right. My logic was lacking in the  word problems, but my imagination brought me to my Dad. Then my logic kicked in to the letter scramble and I got it.

Which letter is next?:  A  Z  E  B  I  Y  O  ___  ?

My Thumb Is Turning Green

 I have planted a flower here and there, but never loved doing it. The shrubs and flowers that take little watering and care, those are my faves. I have never given gardening a try, until this year. My neighbor and Green Goddess, Alexa, is my go-to-guru on all things gardening. Her sweet mom (who lives in a neighboring neighborhood to where I grew up in Boulder) loaned me this portable flower box.

Apparently they are in big demand in Boulder... wink, wink. Huh? OH!!!

You'd think as a Boulder girl I would have caught the pot reference. 

You water it threw this nifty nozzle that send the water to the bottom.

Slick if I don't say so myself!

The dream item to grow? BASIL!

Alexa's basil last year was the stuff of heaven,

now I have the same stuff!

I wish this picture was scratch-and-sniff!! You'd faint it is so delicious.

We also planted... ok, lie #1! Alexa planted because I attempted to lop my finger off that exact same week which left me looking like a complete shmootz while she planted my garden with a head cold.

I officially owe you more bagels Alexa!!

I wish you could reach through and eat one!

My friend Kendra gave me 40 cherry tomatoes from her garden for my 40th birthday.

They were like candy. Don't tell her I grew these, maybe I'll get 42 for turning 42 and still eat mine :)

A happy marriage - tomatoes and basil.

Emails between me and my mom:

Me: I HAVE TOMATOES!! My cherry tomatoes are like candy! I am so in love with them I could go kiss them!!

Mom: As we used to say when I was a little girl... "If you love them so much, why don't you just marry them."

Well today we had a ceremony and I kissed and married my cherry tomatoes... lie #2.

In the words of Al:

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

Could that be lie #3?

Determination of a 9 Year Old

When I think of Tennison, I think of determination. At times I think of his determination as stubborn and a little strong-willed, but I do believe it will take him places in life. This week he did his first football camp. He has loved the idea of playing football and has been asking to put on a helmet and pads for so long. I finally caved and said yes. I have been the one holding him back. I am the one scared of brain-damage and broken bones. I am the one who thinks a 9 year old should just wait a few more years before a concussion is a possibility. But then it hit me, a 9 year old running into a 9 year old is a better way to learn than putting it off a few years. So I said yes and guess who became "The best mom in the whole world"?!

This picture melts me!

 

I think I could cry...

He's the first one to run to where he needs to be. The first one to ask questions. The first one to say, "I'll do it!" And the one to walk up to every coach at the end of practice and say, "Thanks Coach".

Determination!

Tennison's buddy Brandon. For years I have said, Brandon is the center to Tennison's quarterback. They are built for those positions. But after this week he has decided on... Ok, he hasn't decided!

Ten's other good buddy Braden.

Um, ok here are the coaches. Every 9 year old little boy's dream team - CSU Rams.

I think Scott's hard to dress, can you imagine shopping for those biceps and buns?! 

Tennison will be told No in life, but like Al, I know that it will push him to be even more determined.

The kid has a heart of gold with determination to frustrate a mother, yet inspire as well.

Kid, you're going places and I plan on cheering you on every step of the way!