Philly Moms

The Christmas Letter

The good news is I finished my Christmas newsletter early this year.  The bad news is, the girls found it and were so mortified that they stole all my copies and shredded them before I could get them out.  We proceeded to have a screaming match that ended up with me making all sorts of promises.  So, here it is: I am not allowed to talk about anyone being arrested, any phone calls from parents during sleepovers (use your imagination), screaming hormonal teenagers, calls from the high school, fighting with siblings, or anything that would embarrass them.  That leaves me with nothin’.  However, in the spirit of the Christmas newsletter tradition, I am willing to give this a shot.  Here goes…

Bitchy is 18 now, and loves it here at home.  She is the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen.  She just loves her job at Wegmans making subs for the community at large, loves paying for her own gas and coffee at Starbucks, and can often be found playing board games with her sister and brother, after they’ve helped with dishes, laundry, cleaning and running errands for their mother.  She is having so much fun in high school, and is sad about graduating and going away to school.  In fact, she’ll probably go to Penn State and live at home because she loves us so much. Sassy is also just a doll.  Aren’t all 15 year-old girls the best? She is sweet as can be, never yells at any of us for no reason, and can often be found sharing her clothes with her sister whenever she asks, or romping in the yard with her adorable 9 year-old brother.  (They are very close.) She never yells at us, and is best friends with her older sister.    The Golden Boy just adores his sisters as well.  They never pick on him, hold him down, tickle him until he cries, spit on him, or treat him badly in front of his friends.  They always go to his football games, and sometimes even go to his practices just to see him.  And, when they held him down last week and told him there was no Santa, they were just kidding. He’ll probably stop crying real soon.

To the teacher, from the mom...

As another school year quickly approaches, I wanted to send a heartfelt message to this community’s teachers.  Yes, I am a teacher and yes, I get excited about the new school year, but I am first and foremost a mom.  My message to you is not from the teacher, the friend or the co-worker, but from the mother of the child that will be in your class next year.  I am sending you my most precious, precious gift. My child.  Let me tell you about her….

 My child is the little girl who sleeps with the bathroom light on because she is a little afraid of the dark.  My child is the girl who makes sure that the windows are locked at night, just in case.  My child is the girl who worries if her clothes match, because the other children will make fun of her if they don’t.  My child is the girl whose smile and laughter brighten our lives, but who just can’t keep her mouth shut at school!  My child is the girl that no one wants to be friends with because she’s a tattle tale. (Mom, I am just following the rules!)  My child is the girl who might be a little sad at school because she lost her only grandpa last year.  My daughter is the girl who is afraid to come to school because the other girls tease her and tell her she is too fat.  My child is the girl who tripped over the recycling bin, and fell face first on the floor in front of the boy she had a crush on.  My child is the girl who collects insects in the summer, identifies their tracks, does science experiments in her room, but hates to read.