AmiMental is a blogger that I read.† She is funny, smart, caring and she blogs EVERY SINGLE DAY!† I bow to her greatness.† She is also the sweetest person.† She is the one who sent Kei the yarn and yarn book. She read on my blog that Kei was making some clay fairies and asked if I thought Kei would like a book about making fairies.† Well duh!! Of course she would.

Fast forward to a few days ago.† A package comes in the mail, a BIG, HUGE package.† Kei opens it and can not believe her eyes, I can not believe my eyes.† It is full of Klutz books, Sculpey Clay, charms, glow in the dark stars.† It was amazing. If I had gone out and picked Kei’s favorite things I couldn’t have done better.† Kei was so excited.

She has been making clay bears, animals, food for hours and hours.

I emailed Ami to tell her how much she loved it and she told me she just kept finding things that Kei would like.† She also told me her son bought the clay for Kei and wouldn’t even let her reimburse him.† This is what I love about my blog, it brings together people that I would never know.† A Mom and a son in Oregon send Kei a great package full of things she loves,† a Mom in Australia posts about cute little owls that she and her girl make which inspire Kei to make felt animals.† The mom in Australia sees the pictures and calls her kids to look at Kei’s owls.† 2 Moms with girls Kei’s age; one in Connecticut and one in New Jersey;† read my blog and we comment regularly back and forth.† We share ideas, ask questions, share links.† Kei reads their daughters blogs.† Their daughters read Kei’s blog. † I consider them friends.† The world is so much smaller with the internet.† People can get close no matter how far.† I love my new friends.† I love reading about their world, their lives.† They encourage me and inspire me to be better.† I am a better Mom, a better friend, a better HS Mom because of people like them.

And thank you again Ami. You just ROCK!!

Kei and I also baked a lot this week.† We made Oreo Truffles, Mystery Bars, Banana bread and more goodies.† Kei loves to bake but I never have.†† I love to cook, but never have liked baking.† Since Kei loves it so much I have actually began to enjoy it.† The main thing I don’t like about it is you have to be so precise.† I am more of a throwitinabowlandstirit kinda girl.† This 1/2 T, 1/4 Cup stuff just doesn’t appeal to me. 🙂

Now for the ouchie portion of this story.† Aforementioned Mystery Bars are made with sticky goodness.† Kei ran some goodies to the lovely ladies next door while I finished getting the bars out of the pan.† Some of them were stuck, there was a knife laying on the counter.† I picked up the knife to slide it under the stuck on portion.† The knife met resistance, the knife flew into my palm.† I felt 2 stabs.† This is a hand that has had severe nerve damage about 10 years ago, which is another story for another day.† I closed my eyes, said “No God please” and looked down.† I saw a cut on my palm, turned my hand over and saw a cut on the front of my hand.† I walked outside and yelled for Kei who came running.† I almost passed out, but I don’t really know why.† It wasn’t a lot of blood, it didn’t hurt that much and I am not a passing out kinda person.† Fast forward to the rest of the story…I stabbed a knife completely through my hand.† I have butterfly stitches, got a tetanus shot, doc put me on antibiotics and stressed over and over that I must keep it clean.† He said time and time again, “I can not believe you didn’t damage anything, not a nerve, an artery, a tendon, a bone, it is a miracle”.† I think God heard my prayer and said, “While I can’t do anything about your stupidity in picking up a knife to use as a spatula, I will make sure it does as little damage as possible”.

So here I sit, with my hand bandaged up, my arm sore from a shot, not able to do much of anything.† But I do have some amazing Mystery Bars and how many people can say they stabbed their hand completely through with a knife???

Merry Christmas Eve Eve,

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
Francis P. Church