HONEYSMOKE

My favorite picture: The couch got in the way as Simone made her way from her bedroom to ours.

As the year winds down, here is a look back at the first six months of Honeysmoke. Thanks for making the site a success. See you next year.

A few of my favorite posts:

No Tu-Tu for Simone: A movie about Simone’s preference for skirts and dresses.

A Cautionary Tale: A movie about Nadia’s eating habits.

Part Girl, Part Boy: A bump on the teeth leads to a shocking discovery.

Floating Away: Letting go of the Disney balloons.

Simone, Race and Cars: Simone’s observation about brown people and the cars they drive.

That’s yucky.

Nadia’s response to a kiss from her mother.

Not a bad decade at all. When I look at the highlights, only one word comes to mind: Blessed.

2000 — Engaged

2001 — Married, honeymooned in Paris

2002 — Bought house

2003 — Visited New York City

2004 — Visited London

2005 — Welcomed Simone

2006 — Decided to have another

2007 — Welcomed Nadia

2008 — Sold first house, bought second house

2009 — Launched Honeysmoke.com

Listen to the story of Maya, a brave 4-year-old little girl diagnosed with a rare blood disease. Finding a bone marrow match for Maya is more difficult because her mother is Asian and her father is Caucasian.

I found this video and a version of this post at Beads, Braids & Beyond. Detangling is tough to do. Most drench the hair in conditioner and then start detangling from ends to root with a wide-tooth comb. That is what I usually do. A mother reminds us the best tools we have are our fingers. Enjoy.

By Beads, Braids & Beyond

© Beads, Braids & Beyond

When you wet your childs hair and load it up with conditioner, you probably automatically take a wide tooth comb to it. The thing is, the comb does not remove the tangles like your fingers would. The comb just rips through the tangles, causing a lot of unneccassary breakage.
So I am taking a pledge. From now on I will detangle her hair with my fingers first before using a wide tooth comb.

I, Honeysmoke, pledge to always remove tangles from Simone and Nadia’s hair with my fingers before using a wide tooth comb.

Take the pledge at Beads, Braids & Beyond.

Simone and Nadia receive all kinds of compliments when we leave the house. They are beautiful. They are so well-behaved. They are … They are all of those things and a little more. Those folks giving out all the praise do not know  just an hour earlier one of them demanded to wear tights, then socks and then tights again, while the other one ran around the house, saying “Ouch,” as I tried to comb her hair. Getting out of the house is not an easy affair. Remember that the next time you see a mother pushing her otherwise content children. You are not seeing the whole picture.

The most popular gift under the tree this year: Hungry, Hungry Hippos. The game I played more than 30 years ago beat all things electronic and all things learning. It beat all the dolls and all animals. Simone and Nadia went again and again to the game, where  the object is to eat as many marbles as possible.

I picked it up because I remembered how much fun I had playing with it as a child. Of course, I was much older when I had it, and it had real marbles, not plastic ones. I also remember the game being a bit more sturdy when I was a kid. Even with those changes, we, I mean, the girls have played with it over and over again.

And yes, I received the Charlie Brown Christmas DVD. I can now watch it any time I want, especially when the president decides to give a speech on something or the other.

Merry Christmas in several languages:

Geseënde Kersfees, Een Plesierige Kerfees, Rehus-Beal-Ledeats, Gezur Krislinjden, Milad Majid, Feliz Navidad, Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand, Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun, Selamat Hari Natal, Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!, Shuvo Naba Barsha, Vesele Vanoce, Cestit Bozic i Sretna Nova godina, Feliz Natal, Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat, Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo,Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!, Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun, Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan, Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito, Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo, Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth, Pace e salute, Rot Yikji Dol La Roo, Mitho Makosi Kesikansi, Sretan Bozic, Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok, Glædelig Jul, Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak, Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast, Merry Christmas, Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!, Gajan Kristnaskon, Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi, Melkin Yelidet Beaal, Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!, Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad,
Hyvaa joulua, Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar, Joyeux Noel, Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!, Bo Nada, Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Kala Christouyenna!, Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri’cho o Rish D’Shato Brichto, Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!, Mele Kalikimaka, Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova,  Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket, Gledileg Jol, Selamat Hari Natal, Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah, Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat, Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay, Buone Feste Natalizie, Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto, Sung Tan Chuk Ha, souksan van Christmas, Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!, Prieci’gus Ziemsve’tkus un Laimi’gu Jauno Gadu!, Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto, Priecigus Ziemassvetkus, Linksmu Kaledu, Heughliche Winachten un ‘n moi Nijaar, Schèine Chreschtdaag an e gudde Rutsch, Sreken Bozhik, IL-Milied It-tajjeb, Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa, Meri Kirihimete,
Merry Keshmish,God Jul, or Gledelig Jul,Pulit nadal e bona annado, Bon Pasco, Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu, En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!, Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo, Maligayang Pasko!, Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie, Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha, Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua, ellas festas da nadal e bun onn, Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!, Sarbatori vesele or Craciun fericit, Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom, Buorrit Juovllat, La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou, Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou, Nollaig chridheil huibh, Hristos se rodi, Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa, Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok, Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto, God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År, Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon, Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!, Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas, Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun, Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYM, Chuc Mung Giang Sinh,
Nadolig Llawen, E ku odun, e ku iye’dun!

Ken and I enlisted Simone and Nadia to help us shop for gifts for each other this year. I went first. The four of us went to the mall, and Ken went to another store so we could shop. I asked Simone and Nadia if they liked some items, we purchased them and then met Ken in the mall. I made sure to tell the girls we should not tell Daddy what we had bought him. It was a surprise. Both nodded and Simone repeated we could not tell because it was a secret. All was well.

While I was at work, Ken took the girls shopping with him for my gifts. When I returned, Simone pointed out the new gifts under the tree and said she could not tell me about them because it was a secret. All was well. Later, the girls and I went grocery shopping. We were in the car and my favorite CD of all time was playing: the soundtrack of Charlie Brown Christmas. We were barely out of the driveway when Simone started talking about my gifts.

“Mommy, I can’t tell you about your gifts because it’s a secret. It’s a secret, and I can’t tell you about Charlie Brown, because Daddy said it’s a secret and I can’t tell you. So, I am not going to tell you.”

All I could do was laugh. I had been disappointed ever since Charlie Brown Christmas was postponed this year because President Barack Obama had to give a speech about Afghanistan. I, like many in America, was outraged. He may be the president, but he should not mess with Charlie Brown. It is a bit of a Christmas tradition. I took note of the new date and had planned to watch the special with Simone and Nadia, but then I ran an errand that evening and missed most of the special. That was it. I told Ken I wanted the DVD. I do not know if the Charlie Brown Christmas DVD is wrapped and under the tree, but I only have to wait one more day to find out.