Ladders, trucks and hoses oh my!

The boy's presents this year definitely had a theme. Killian was adamant for the last month that he wanted a fire truck and Avery was stuck on tractors. So parents and relatives obliged and trucks and tractors and appropriate head gear were stuffed under the tree. Both boys seem quite pleased with their loot. To add to the theme Dottie (Matt's mother and the boy's "Deedee") has set up for us to visit a local fire department today. Killian and Avery will get a tour and will be able to climb on the fire trucks. I think their little heads may just explode. Needless to say I have my camera ready to record the imminent chaos.

Christ?mas

I'm decorating the apartment for Christmas. We don't have a lot of space so its a just little things. A small fake tree, some lights and a few knick-knacks. As I'm putting them up I can't help but think about what Christmas means to me and what to teach the boys about it.
Santa is a must. I firmly believe that belief in Santa, and other childhood fantasies, is beneficial to children. Terry Pratchett (a favorite author of mine) said that we need to believe in small things there is no proof for as kids so that when we grow up we can believe in the big things like Justice and Hope. These things are creations of the human mind and for them to be real we have to believe in them.
But I'm at a loss on the religious aspect of the holiday. Matt is an agnostic and I'm a lapsed Catholic, reluctant agnostic and generally indecisive on the matter. For all that I am very involved in the boys' lives, I am not one of their parents so its not really my call as to whether or not they are introduced to christianity or any religion and when. However, if Matt and I have a child together then I will have a say. I just don't know what that say will be. The boys are still very young and another child a few years off at least so I guess I can put off the decision for a few more years and just enjoy this holiday as is.

Slightly off topic

So as the title says this one is a bit off topic, but I have to ask. If a friend of yours has a "boil" that looks something like this...














Do you A) Poke and prode at it. B) Stay clear of it and suggest he/she see a doctor?

I must admit I'm bad about picking at scabs and pulling of peeling sunburned skin, but that...that I wouldn't touch.