Wednesday, December 26, 2007

SEE WHAT BANNING ELECTRONICS CAN DO

so, we took away the twins' DS and X-box [actually their brother's] and Nintendo and all else wired and for Christmas got them legos--- Starwars Legos, a 1326 piece lego set...and for 12 hours straight, pretty much without interuption,[ we had to force feed them dinner at grandma's last night] they have been racing to finish the set...and they did it at 1 am last night. . .how sweet, to see my 10 year old twin boys build this amazing set. . . what an accomplishment, something I do not have the patience for . . . When I told them I am proud of them for putting together this amazing ship with 1300 pieces, they corrected me, "1326 pieces Mom"- : )

Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

A WHITE CHRISTMAS IN OREGON!

it's snowing...for a very merry Christmas . . . umbelievable - to have snow on Christmas in Portland Oregon...and it's sticking...while my kids were opening up their presents...and it keeps on snowing...so far about 1 inch which is a lot for Oregon...!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve and Silent Night the Song History

i love the quietness of Christmas Eve. . .I love turning off all of the lights and keeping on only the Christmas tree lights and the white lights around the window and just looking at the tree. I was up early doing just that this morning. . . I enjoy lighting candles too.
Growing up, we used to have candles on our Christmas Tree growing up. It was a German Christmas tradition. And on Christmas Eve, we would sing the German version of the song Silent Night - Stille Nacht - The song Silent Night was originally written in German by Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by Franz X. Gruber in 1818 and there are now over 300 translations of the song in the world.
I love the traditional way it is sung by countless artists and the way our family sings it. . .and one of my favorite recorded versions is by, you'd never believe, Lisa Marie Presley. It’s the most hauntingly beautiful Silent Night I have heard and it is on my myspace site profile. . .
- another thing we like to do is watch the Natvity Story, the movie made a year ago...
And, read the original. . .

Sunday, December 23, 2007

PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART. . .

You have got to listen to this song. . .Put a little love in your heart. . .featured in the movie Scrooged. . .and my myspace profile...
. . .Put a little love in your heart, and the world will be a better place. . .
this time of year and always. . .
- Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur

www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

Saturday, December 22, 2007

WriterMomMusings: PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART -watch Scrooged - the movie

WriterMomMusings: PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART -watch Scrooged - the movie

PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART -watch Scrooged - the movie

We just watched my favorite movie for this season - Scrooged with Bill Murray- you have got to rent this movie...it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you think. . .plus the song, Put a little love in your heart, will make you dance. . .and smile - This was the first time in a while my kids had watched this and they all liked it. A bit crude at times and the language Bill uses, well, you have to forgive it, but the message is priceless : )
The song I just added to my profile so when you log onto my account you should hear it., I am not sure if it is the actual version from the movie - I thought the actual soundtrack had Al Green singing. . .the one I have posted is also nice. A great messge - making the world a better place by putting a little love in your heart

NO WAITING IN LINE TO GET THIS GIFT FOR SOMEONE

With 98,237 people on the waiting list nationally for an organ donation, becoming an organ donation is giving the gift of life this Christmas season. And it takes only 3-5 minutes of your time, with no waiting in long lines at the mall. Find info about how to sign up through the state you live in at www.organdonor.gov
Register in Oregon to become an organ donor with Donate Life Northwest which promotes of organ, eye, and tissue donation.
The website: www.donatelifenw.org has info or call 503-494-7888.
Note- it is not enough to have “Organ Donor” listed on your driver’s license.

Cornelia Seigneur

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

Friday, December 21, 2007

West Linn Schools now require development to pay its share for our award winning schools!

West Linn-Wilsonville School District in Oregon is (finally!) requiring development to help pay for the schools in the district that they brag about to potential home buyers. The tax – one dollar per square foot on residential development and 50 cents per square foot on commercial or industrial construction -- was passed by the 2007 Legislature after two Clackamas School District Oregon moms spent five years of their lives working towards this goal; each district has the responsibility to adopt it the tax, something I am happy West Linn did. I have talked about the importance of taxing new development for years, but stopped short of doing much about it besides writing newspaper opinion pieces.
The tax will raise around $400,000 based on construction numbers from last year, though sadly West Linn is beginning to run out of land. Wilsonville, though, still has wide open spaces.
Cornelia Seigneur

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

Thursday, December 20, 2007

The season of silent nights - Real-Life Mom Column in Today's Oregonian Newspaper

REAL-LIFE MOM -
The Oregonian SW Weekly Thursday, December 20, 2007
[or www.oregonlive.com ]

"This season, bring back peace and silent nights"

By Cornelia Seigneur

T he other day when I was trying to get out the door, saying to my 4-year-old, Augustin, "Hurry, we are late," he said to me, "Mommy, why are we always rushing?" Another time while we were driving, Augustin asked, "Mommy, why are you in a hurry?"

He could sense I was time-stressed, though I had not verbalized it. I had no (good) reason either time. From the mouths of babes.

With the Christmas season upon us, the feeling of needing to rush, to get things done, is only intensified. A house to decorate. Things to buy. Meals to plan. Parties to host. Cookies to bake. Cards to mail. Presents to wrap -- first have to get them. Whatever happened to the values in the traditional Christmas carols? Joy to the world. Peace on Earth. Silent night . . . all is calm.

The season of joy can become the season of scurrying about, dragging our kids here and there. My neighbor Joyce Milan recently took her dog, Missy Rose, to the mall for photographs with Santa. Though it was already 8:30 at night, the line was long, not just with dog adorers but with parents and kids. Joyce was surprised to see kids out so late for Santa photos.

And a few years ago during the Christmas season, there amid the night-owl shoppers I saw cranky moms screaming at crying kids. OK, so the kid gets a bunch of presents to open on Christmas, but bad memories a month before.

My sister and I used to meet at the mall with our kids for Santa photos, but one year the line was so long -- a two-hour wait with 14 kids between us -- that we decided to forgo our tradition and go to the Giving Tree instead to purchase gifts for less fortunate children. Now that's our tradition. It's OK to re-evaluate.

This year, I couldn't believe all the ads for Black Friday shopping: stores opening at midnight and every hour afterward. My sister laughed about them on Thanksgiving Day, saying she was heading out at midnight and naming all the stores she would hit and when.
When I called her the next day to see how it went, she said she decided not to go. She said, "It felt too frenetic and rushed."

My 4-year-old would have agreed.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

HUG A BAND KID TODAY

I LOVE THOSE BAND KIDS – Our son Ryan, 16, had his Holiday Band concert last night. He plays the trombone and has since sixth grade.
I love those band kids. Great unsung hero types. Quietly go about bringing music and color and beauty to schools, football games, basketball games, while others get the applause. I remember being at one football game and the announcer made all his thanks for the day with not a mention of the band which played for 3 of 4 quarters of the game.
Several of these kids in the band are also Boy Scout members, including our Ryan. Seriously, amazing kids. Okay, do a good deed- Go hug a band kid today, or at least thanks for the music!

~ Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

HUG A BAND KID TODAY

I LOVE THOSE BAND KIDS – Our son Ryan, 16, had his Holiday Band concert last night. He plays the trombone and has since sixth grade.
I love those band kids. Great unsung hero types. Quietly go about bringing music and color and beauty to schools, football games, basketball games, while others get the applause. I remember being at one football game and the announcer made all his thanks for the day with not a mention of the band which played for 3 of 4 quarters of the game.
Several of these kids in the band are also Boy Scout members, including our Ryan. Seriously, amazing kids. Okay, do a good deed- Go hug a band kid today, or at least thanks for the music!

~ Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

Friday, December 14, 2007

MOM OF 3 STRUCK BY CAR

So, I am trying to walk more in the neighborhood. By that I mean, walking to do errands rather than drive. Yes, it takes a bit more time, but has many benefits – forces you to slow down your pace of life, gives you a breath of fresh air, and role-models exercise. One example is I’ve been walking to pick up my twin boys for their after-school classes rather than drive. It’s about one mile, maybe a little less using the back door neighbor’s house to cut through. But, then I heard of a single mom of three in Portland Oregon killed by a car while walking. Now, I’m pushing for sidewalks in my suburban West Linn. . .


- Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

-

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

WriterMomMusings: SPEAKING ON SIMPLE FAMILY TRADITIONS AT ROLLING HILLS

WriterMomMusings: SPEAKING ON SIMPLE FAMILY TRADITIONS AT ROLLING HILLS

SPEAKING ON SIMPLE FAMILY TRADITIONS AT ROLLING HILLS

I will be speaking on simple Christmas Family traditions at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin on Wednesday December 12 during the Hearts at Home event for young moms.
And the video from the AM NW Family Matters segment from Dec. 6, 2007 where I spoke on Holiday Family traditions can be found online at the station's website - www.amnorthwest.tv/pastshows

Cornelia Seigneur

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Handel's Messiah

We attended the annual Handel's Messiah sing at West Linn High this week! Amazing. The combined choirs of West Linn and Wilsonville highs along with community members sang the entire first half of the Messiah plus the Hallelujah Chorus. It brought back memories of when I was in high school at Cleveland High in Portland and used to sing selections of the Messiah, such as And the Glory of the Lord, All we like Sheep and the Hallelujah chorus. The music is inspired by God for sure and I have the album almost memorized. My kids will hopefully too at the end of the Christmas season!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

MOMMY, WHY ARE WE IN A HURRY?

I told my 4-year-old recently that we had to hurry up, something I say much too often to my kids. In his 4-year-old wisdom he said to me, "Mommy, why are we always rushing?"

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

WriterMomMusings: ADVENT SEASON

WriterMomMusings: ADVENT SEASON

ADVENT SEASON

I love this, the Advent season, where we count down the four Sundays before Christmas, which began Sunday. We make an Advent wreath with four candles, and we lit our first one yesterday, and will light the others each week before the big day on the 25th. It is a fun tradition for our family, as we gather at the dinner table, light one of the candles and read from the Bible a verse related to the season. Yesterday we read from Isaiah about prophesy of the birth of Christ. It seems like not many people celebrate Advent, even in the church we attend, but our family has been, in a simple way, for several years now.
And one of the kids’ favorite Advent traditions is getting a 24-day German chocolate Advent calendar, that count the 24 days till Christmas Eve. I have a trick I learned -- buy an extra one – originally for me or my husband to be able to nibble on. But, it came in handy after our 4-year-old Augustin found my stash and talked me into allowing him to hold his for a while and give the other kids’ theirs early. A half hour later, it got quiet and when I came out of my office, there was my sweet brown eyed boy on the couch, smiling as brightly as the Christmas Tree lights – his tummy filled with every last one of those chocolates candies in the Advent calendar. And it wasn’t even December yet.

~ Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie

www.writermom.net

www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com

CampingHikingLakeWenatcheeArea

CampingHikingLakeWenatcheeArea
Hidden Lake

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WITH KIDS

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WITH KIDS
Cousins bicycling at Champeog Park

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