Faith of a Child

March 19, 2013
it's geting klosor to Ester wen Jesus dies on the cross to tack away the sins of the world. Jesus was Born on Christmas day. Mary was his mather of Jesus. who wode take away the sins of the world. 

                                                                       taken from Zanna's journal

March Break 2013

This month in our studies we started a new Sonlight Core and are back to World History. I'm looking forward to touching upon this again as it's been quite awhile (Will's grade 1, 2 and 3) since we've studied it. So we're back in early history and enjoying some ancient Egyptian fun! 

Lent started early this year and I can't believe Easter will end the month - especially since it's still snowing outside! But around the house I've set up reminders - 

I made our Lenten garden again - a diorama depicting Jesus' tomb, cross and a small pool with a shell reminding us that through our baptism we participate in Christ's death and resurrection. (Romans 6:3,4)

I put up our Lenten tree showing art depicting scenes of the life of Christ. 

March brings March break and I felt we especially needed it this year!! It came just in time. I was in an organizing mood and managed to get some big projects accomplished. I attacked Zanna's room one afternoon she was out of the house. She never knew what hit her ....

Armed with bins from Costco, trash bags and a label maker, I was a force to be reckoned with!!

After 6 1/2 years of living in our house and no moving on the horizon which would force me to purge and clean, I realized it was time to start going through things. Starting with the pantry! 

Here's the before:

And then the after:

I can't imagine anyone (even my mother) really caring about whether I organized my pantry or not but hey. What can I say? This is what I get excited about!

I did plan a few special things for the kids to do. Will had an overnight away at a friends. Zanna did a library program on making art with nature.

In the above picture she used mica. Below they used dried pine needles. It's a firefly in case you're wondering.

My favourite outing was to the sugarbush. It had been years since we'd gone! It's a very traditional thing to do around here and we did it every year when Will was little. Zanna didn't remember any of it so it was all new to her. The first thing we did was eat!

Pancakes and syrup, sausages, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes and hot chocolate - yum!

We walked around the old farm property and toured the building and met the animals in the barns. Then we meandered down the way to the area they boil the maple syrup down to a thick substance. 

Then they pour it over clean snow. You take your popsicle stick and it rolls right up into maple taffy.

There was a time I just used pancake syrup on my waffles and pancakes but after living here I would take real maple syrup any day!!!!! 

The Open Door

The phone call came on the night of my little girl’s 7th birthday. 

My mom and dad were packing up their things to leave first thing in the morning. I had been collecting the last of the baby items I had to pass on to my brother and sister-in-law who were expecting their first baby. I would send them off with mom and dad who would be driving down to Texas to see them soon. 

I washed and carefully folded the crocheted baby blankets that were just sitting in a box these last few years - pinks and blues - carefully knitted together to form a pattern. I went through the board books I had enjoyed reading with my babies - some lightly gnawed at in the corners, a memory of teething babies. Some books I can’t and won’t part with as they seemed to become a part of me and these I put in another corner for now. Funny how some books can get into me and affect me like that.

 It was time to move on and it felt good to clear some more clutter and make some space to move around in. 

So when the caller on the other line with my husband asked if we would consider this? And all I can hear him say from the other room in his serious voice is “let me talk with my wife”, I wonder.

And it’s this - the caller knows a woman and her story reads like a tragedy. Her biological past against her from the start, she continues to make poor decision after poor decision. Men have come and gone and left babies in their wake. Some she’s kept, others she’s allowed to have another life outside hers with a stable family, and others she’s lost and never made to term. And now there’s this - 12 weeks along and twins, no less. And even though she didn’t seem to make very clear headed decisions, she knew she wanted her babies in a Christian home. She wanted to know they’d be baptized.   Would we ... want them? 

We look each other in the eyes and say yes without hesitation.  And when mom asks if I have that box ready of baby things I hesitate and say, “about that...”. And leave her stunned. 

The next day is different. I call her myself to ask questions and get more information about a woman full of life growing inside who’s own life is so messed up. Is it any wonder that she uses pot to medicate her pain? As it all sinks into my brain I start to realize that this decision may not be so easy to make. 

I call our adoption agency we used to bring Zanna into our family. They do domestic, private adoptions too. I’m surprised to hear the bottom line - a cost so high it rivals our China adoption. Another home study, lawyer’s fees, parenting classes, the list continues. And this is before we bring two newborns home?!  A 3 bedroom house comfy enough for our family now but a basement to refinish if Will is to move down there. Two of everything. Two cribs, two carseats, Costco sized diaper boxes and formula canisters. All the reasons why not to crowd my head and I am overwhelmed. I spend the next few days in tears. 

Those against abortion are all for life until the baby is born. The words I heard the previous week echo in my brain and cut into my heart, convicting me. At the time I had laughed in agreement and I silently convicted all those pro-lifers for never considering adoption. And now in a twist of irony, I sit here wanting to say NO. No to these babies that need a loving home, no matter the sins of their parents or the special needs they may or may not have. 

The guilt in the beginning was overwhelming me. I have spent eleven years disappointed every month that I’m not pregnant. I have wanted babies.  I have spent hours in prayer, pleading with Jesus.  We dreamed a new dream and been blessed with our baby physically born in China but love for her born in our hearts and I’d have it no other way. I was at peace. Didn’t I say a few days before to someone I’m confident God blessed us with two because he knew that’s all I could handle! Surely I’m not a large family kind of woman!  And now, are we to double that amount in just a few, short months? Who am I to cry out to Him for years for a child only to have Him offer me the opportunity for 2 and have me say, “Uh, thanks but no thanks.”? 

Thankfully, this guilt weighing me down didn’t last very long. I immersed myself in the Word and was reminded of God’s promises. He died for my guilt. He took my wrongs on himself and made it right. I leave my guilt at the foot of the cross. In it’s place is freedom. Freedom he gives his children to make their choices, promising that he’ll work all things out for the good of those that love him. He’s given us freedom to weigh out situations in our life using the brains he gave us to make decisions everyday - like what kind of career we should pursue or what to have for dinner. We have confidence being his children that he’ll walk with us no matter what. We look at his promises to guide us and seek to follow his commands. We can be confident in making our decisions as we walk in faith and see the blessing found in this freedom.

In this moment, God was allowing an open door for us - did we want to walk through it? We told the kids. We wanted them in on this big family changing decision. We let them know we were considering this but that other families were contacted too. We weren’t sure what would happen but there was a chance this could happen for us. Will was excited to have a basement bedroom. Zanna heard “babies” and her eyes glossed over in excitement. I had to talk her down for days and remind her they may not be our babies but we cared about what happened to them no matter whose home they ended up in. I stressed keeping them in prayer. 

We lived the next few weeks only talking about it between Wayne and I occasionally. We were waiting to see if another couple would want an opportunity to adopt an “instant family”. We ourselves contacted a few couples we thought would consider it. We waited. When we had chances to talk about it in between Lenten services and no kids being around which were chances few and far between, we talked about family planning, birth control and decision making. We didn’t necessarily figure out all of life’s complicated matters but it felt good to connect and talk and cling to each other. I continue to grow in appreciation for the man I married almost 15 years ago! If I had to be on this roller coaster, there was comfort in sharing a seat with him! 

It was starting to wear on me though. A fierce cold had set in on my body and was zapping my energy. I thought about the babies all the time. We needed to make a decision but I know I wasn’t any closer to one than I was the day before. In one moment I was convinced we could do it. God would work out the details. In the next moment I would be just as certain that we would be insane to do this. We were coming up on 38 for crying out loud!! Was I already starting to loose my mind? I was feeling like a ping pong and needed to be put out of my misery and move forward one way or the other. I knew it was weighing on Wayne too amid the busyness of the Lenten season and his regular, daily classes and meetings.

And then three weeks into the whole affair, it ended just as quickly as it had come up. The door shut. The expectant mom had chosen her own couple to promise them to. That’s all I know. 

I don’t know what this was. In the wake of it all, I’m left a bit dazed and confused. In retrospect, I felt I was being refined. And as awful as it sometimes felt, I always knew it was for a purpose. Maybe there will be a time where we’ll say, “Ah-ha! That is why we went through that back then!” or maybe not? 

I cried more tears - I think out of relief that we never had to finally make the choice. We never closed the door ourselves and I must admit that that in itself is a relief. I’m hugging my kids a little tighter, watching their expressions and movements and thanking  God for it all. 

I can repack those boxes of the last baby stuff and it’ll go to a good home. 

Today we welcomed the latest addition to my side of the family - pretty, little Avery Mae, 8 lbs, 13.5 oz was born!

To the few that we let in on this at the time, I am grateful for their wise council and encouragement and for being there for us. I’m also so thankful to those that didn’t know the details but prayed for us anyway. Thank you.

Learning to Live Evermore

February has flown by and has only a few days left. This has been a month full of emotion. Makes sense when you consider it includes Valentines Day. And this particular Valentines Day I was surrounded by those I love and who love me - my husband and children and both my parents. How blessed I am to have these persons in my life who reflect the love of Christ to me! Truly the greatest love the earth has ever known is that of Christ and his sacrifice. And how fitting it has been this year to have Ash Wednesday fall the day before this “National Day of Love” full of Hallmark cards and candlelight dinners. It was a chance for me to witness in my own life how much easier it is to pay more attention to a secular holiday than the time in the church year where we stop and reflect on Jesus’ great love and grace towards mankind. What greater love is there? 

Earlier in the month, we enjoyed an evening of opening up our home to the group of families we traveled to China with while adopting our daughters. Those little bundles of joy and screaming are now 7 year olds. The bond they share is extremely special as is the one we share with the fellow parents. Our backgrounds and interests may be varied, but the experience we share with them is heartwarming. What a blessing this group is! Zanna sees that other families are like hers and she loves to get together with her “China friends” as she calls them. The dads were bold this evening together and took the kids sledding at a nearby hill. Seven girls and Will kept the dads busy by challenging them to races down the snowy and somewhat hard, icy slope. The guys came back with some sore behinds and the kids were ready to attack the hot chocolate bar I had ready for them! 

Chinese New Year was not far behind and we enjoyed a quiet meal at home with some homemade beef stir-fry and specially made egg rolls made famous by a local restaurant! 

Mom and Dad’s visit in honour of Zanna’s birthday was a fun filled 9 days full of activities that included a Beatles’ Tribute Show with the NAC orchestra downtown. We sat in the box seats in the mezzanine level and enjoyed a perfect view while tapping our feet and biting our lip to keep from singing along and embarrassing ourselves!  We kept up our normal activities for the most part with Oma and Opa tagging along sometimes - soccer, ballet, a field trip on honey bees to the Agriculture Museum. And we spent Family Day in Watertown, New York for a change of scenery and a visit to the aisles of Target. Amid the days included discipline issues and naughty behaviour - the kids too:) I wish these special times wouldn’t be tainted by bad attitudes and rebellion but they were. Often bringing to light issues that have been there all along and have finally reared their ugly head until we can ignore them no more. It’s exhausting. Parenting is exhausting. Especially when I see myself in their bad behaviour and I am reminded of my Heavenly Father’s grace towards me and I am moved to extend some of that grace to my children. Humbling. 

This month I have run the spectrum of emotion - joy, happiness, sadness, guilt - and I am brought to my knees by an email and a phone call. The email - news delivered that a dear friend and sister-in-Christ, fellow pastor’s wife my age has cancer. I think of those days back at Seminary and the budding of our friendship. Our boys the same age - little 1 year olds that final year of Sem and us new moms enjoying the fellowship we had with one another. Now a mom of five, she lies in a hospital with leukemia. My heart aches. I think of her pastor husband we just saw last April. I think of her children. I think of her mom and dad and family members and the church family she has in Florida. I think of evermore and what this means. She is a child of God. Her husband faithfully teaches and preaches God’s Word in it’s truth and purity. Her children have been baptized into faith, the cross of Christ marked on their foreheads in the name of the Triune God and doesn’t God “work for the good of those who love him”(Rom 8:28)?  This is evermore. This moment falls somewhere in eternity and yes, God does work things out for his children. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jer 29:1-14)  This world is so temporary and things change so fast! God has healed us of the only thing that matters for eternity - our sin that damns us to an eternity of suffering. My friend will be healed of this cancer - maybe in this life but for certain in heaven because Christ has healed her of the one thing that can truly harm her. I pray for strength to be given to them and hope to endure the trials and for His will to be done and remember Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and didn’t he pray for that? Our God knows and endured much worse on our behalf and I pray she and her family will be comforted. 

I’m praying for another dear friend and fellow pastor’s wife on a mission trip to Nepal. As she teaches a group of Christian women there to teach their children about Jesus, encourage their husbands to evangelize and to properly understand their roles as women, I know my friend will return home a different person.  I wonder what her eyes will see and what perspective she’ll bring back. I look forward to seeing how God uses this experience in her life to glorify his name and unite sisters in faith across a globe. Evermore.

And finally, a phone call. I can’t say anymore at this point. We're all OK, no worries. Only that it’s shook our world and brought me to a very vivid awareness of my weakness and need for a Saviour.  Prayers, please?  May His will be done. Evermore. 

Our Homeschool Day in the Life - 2013

Yeah! It's that time again where I record a random day of our life for posterities sake and to link up to Simple Homeschool as others do the same. It would be interesting to be a little "fly on the wall" in different homes to observe this crazy lifestyle we call homeschool. This is the next best thing! 
My children are 6 and 12 - grades 1 and 7 respectively. This is our 8th year of educating at home and it's been working for us. On this Friday, the first of February, our day begins:

Will is up at 6:30am to spend his first half hour of the day lounging in bed and listening to "the Sword in the Stone" on CD. Hey, whatever works! I'm up at 7 to wear a head weight on my head (ask my chiropractor) for 20minutes before I jump in the shower and get ready.  Zanna comes down shortly after and gets herself some breakfast.

Will finishes his breakfast and gets to his assigned reading. He's currently reading a biography on Louise Braille. After he finishes, he watches his Saxon math lesson on my computer. It's an Investigation (if you're familiar with Saxon) so it goes fairly quickly.

He's on a serious roll this morning and keeps going on his own with his confirmation homework and his Bible History lesson. This book used to be mine in grade 7! 

Meanwhile, Zanna has a Saxon 1 math assessment I've put out for her and she works on that. 
8:45 Math meeting with Zanna (calendar, skip counting, etc)

9am - Devotion together and memory work - we're working on the Sermon on the Mount

9:15 - Will is way ahead of schedule and works on my computer to rewrite his writing lesson from the day before. He got a little lost in the creative process and strayed a bit from the assignment so unfortunately he's got some touching up to do. (Institute for Excellence in Writing) Meanwhile, I work with Zanna on her handwriting. 
9:30 - Since Will's already sitting in front of the computer he does his Eastern Hemisphere Explorer worksheet using World Book Encyclopedia. We're finishing up Core F in Sonlight and studying Africa. Meanwhile, I teach Zanna her Bible lesson using NPH materials. 
10 - Zanna "Explode the Code" and Will "All about Spelling". You can see the enthusiasm for spelling Will has in his face. Despite the good start to our day, his attitude sours a bit here and the whining starts. Oh, well. We had a good run!

After Zanna finishes her phonics work, she moves over to the rocking chair to work on her new book "Oliver". It's an easy read version. We had seen the musical last December and visited London later that month so she LOVES this story! 

10:30 - Time to get our groove on. We review our Africa songs - the countries set to music. 
10:45 - watch an African Ancient Civilizations video borrowed from the library. Meanwhile, I get supper in the crockpot.
11:30 - Will runs to the nearby grocery store for me to get a few items I forgot when shopping the other day. I work on getting lunch ready and Zanna practices her violin. 
12 - eat and clean up
12:30 - Will studies for Science test. I tidy up and set the table for dinner. I leave a note with last minute instructions for dear husband to finish up dinner. 

Why he's hanging upside down to study in beyond me but hey - whatever floats your boat.
1-2pm- Quiet time. Yeah! Will studies a little more and then plays in his room. Zanna plays in her room. I have my Bible time and then work on a presentation I'm giving in April at the local homeschool conference on organizing. Better get my act together!!

2:15 we have to leave for soccer. Also picking up a friend on the way. Soccer goes until 4:30 and we're home by 5:15. 

Walk in the door and dinner is ready! I made Crockpot Chicken tacos and Wayne's got everything ready to go. 

5:45 - Wayne takes Will and they're off to church for Confirmation class. 
Zanna's in bed by 7:30 and Will is 8:30. I don't do much of anything the rest of the day. I'm tired, man! You can find me on the couch watching Duck Dynasty and playing Boggle on my iPhone. 
Each day's a bit different depending on the activities we have  scheduled for the day but there's a daily rhythm that allows everyone to know what is expected of them. I try to leave the school/play room tidy before I turn in for the day and set out stuff the kids can start working on when they're ready. We school from Tuesday - Saturday because Wayne's day off is Monday and we want to enjoy that together so it's not our "weekend" yet. But we're getting there! 
That Crockpot Chicken Taco recipe? Works great in a pinch - 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 oz package of taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream
tortillas, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese to serve with

Place chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle seasoning mix over. Top with salsa and cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours. Remove chicken to plate and shred  - set aside. Add sour cream to salsa mixture and stir in chicken. Serve with tortillas and sides. Serves 4.

January is for ....

January is known for it's new beginnings and resolutions often broken before the month progresses very far. The only resolution I make is to stand up/sit up straighter and even as I write this I find myself hunched over. So there you go. 

The last few years I've preferred to jump on the bandwagon and go with a word that defines the year ahead. This is less overwhelming to me and forces me to contemplate life at a level that makes me pause and take notice. While recently researching and writing a hymnology study on "Of the Father's Love Begotten" (CW 35), I became quite taken with the repeating line at the end of each verse "evermore and evermore".  If I live this year with this in mind - that this evermore that defies human logic and comprehension but is and always will be, with no beginning and no end and continues on into eternity - and that I am part of this evermore through faith in Christ who is Alpha and Omega, along with a creation seen and unseen that is made to praise and adore him every second of every day? That's some kind of eternal perspective in light of eternity that I could use in 2013! While I don't want to miss out on the gift of here and now or fail to treasure the day to day grace he gives me, what difference might this awareness make in knowing that this year is finite in a very infinite reality!? So that's it - my word for 2013 - evermore. 

January fits so well into what I need by the time I get to this point in winter and life. The cold days are good excuses to find indoor, brain activities to do. Ours didn't start so well with the flu passing from one to another with Wayne managing to avoid it altogether. When my kids start falling asleep in strange places in the middle of the day, I know something is off! But even those days are good in that they force us and give a good reason to hunker down and rest our bodies and souls. 

I've been reading a fair amount lately and it feels good to rock in my wicker rocking chair with a hot cup of tea at my side and soak up some wisdom. Reading Lyle Lang's "God so loved the World - a study of Christian Doctrine", recommended by a sweet friend from church, is not light reading! But good. So good! It's funny when the reading of something fits so well into other things that come up elsewhere and give you insight that you wouldn't have had otherwise. I've also been reading "Margin". Oh, yeah, I could use more of that. Like the margin around the page of a book or newspaper, that's what our lives need to keep sane, happy and healthy. Why do we live overloaded lives and wear it like a badge on our shoulder as something to be proud of? I want to have time for relationships. I want to nurture friendships. I desire to extend hospitality. Loving this read! After all, if I'm living evermore than a lack of time is not the problem. 

I drive around a fair amount too whether it's as mom taxi to get the kids to whatever field trip or extracurricular event I have them in or running needful errands. I find these little trips can really add up and are the perfect opportunity to listen to more interesting and worthwhile things. I'm now an issues,etc. talk radio junkie. If you're WELS be warned this is LCMS but it has some pretty decent stuff. In my defence, I also downloaded the WELS app and will patiently wait for them to "cool it up". I also love, love, love booksshouldbefree.com and download books from this website. 

We continued our home studies in the new year with a study of Africa. We're currently working on memorizing all the countries on this continent to song. It's a rather embarrassing display if you had the opportunity to witness it. Which you won't. There's interpretive dancing and booty shaking and well, I've said too much. We're also memorizing the Sermon on the Mount. I'm wouldn't go so far as to say that memorizing is a new years resolution but something we could definitely do more of. Works the brain, you know? 

And there are plenty of times I shut my brain off and watch TV. I'm thrilled that January has brought new episodes of Republic of Doyle and Murdoch Mysteries. And my newest favourite reality show that makes me howl with laughter every. single. time? Duck Dynasty. happy, happy, happy!

These hibernation days also bring lots of cooking - stews, casseroles and soups - lots of soup! And of course baking. I tried the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls that make me weak in the knees and it makes such a big batch that now I have 4 pans of rolls waiting in my freezer. I did half traditional cinnamon and the other half orange rolls. Yum - oh.  I've also done some granola and some jam filled oat squares. Maybe I should also start working out in the new year? Nahhhhhhhhh. 
The children are hibernating a bit too - but more active than their mother, thankfully! Will's been working on his Lego NXT - 

He was also responsible for dinner one night - he picked out Fish Pie to make (an English favourite) - and it was quite nice having an evening off (more or less). 

Zanna has been playing with her Barbies and Playmobile she got for Christmas.

Hard to believe this month is almost over and I hope to take it's many lessons into the rest of the new year. Evermore!

Loving the great ideas for a life on purpose found here!

Off with the old, on with the new!

As I wrap up the final hours left of 2012, I'll reflect on the last week! We so enjoyed our time with Wayne's parents and we kept  busy with a trip to the museum, several trips to the Quebec church and time spent indoors watching the snow fall outside.

The kids played Farkle with Grandpa and Grandma along with Monopoly and Zanna's newest game, Mousetrap. We made fun memories like an evening of rum and eggnog drinking while watching a silent Charlie Chaplin movie (which is funnier with rum and eggnog).

Here's my little angel and shepherd. They did a great job on Christmas eve with their memorized parts and music singing! We had great attendance at church that evening breaking our record - 124 jammed into our tiny church - praise God! 

For Christmas Eve dinner this year I tried something different - Shepherd's pie. To be fair, we learned in England that real shepherd's pie is made with lamb (duh). So if it's made with beef it should be called cottage pie, but that just doesn't go with my theme, OK? 

I love my Christmas Eve table - Grandma's retro tablecloth dressed up with some flea market finds and a center piece of ornaments.

Christmas Day's table is a bit fancier using my fancy dishes and gold silverware - 

And here we are eating after opening our Christmas crackers! Do we look like we're having fun?!!! What on the menu? Well, let's see..

Our tradition for Christmas dinner is to keep me out of the kitchen as much as possible so it's IKEA Swedish meatballs and gravy! We love it! Once a year and everyone's happy. I try to spruce it up by having some lobster tails on the side with melted butter. Yum! And I'm not even going to show you Jesus' birthday cake for this year. Let's just say, it was good to eat but not the prettiest cake you've ever seen. 

We've continued to get dumped on so the kids have been working on a super cool fort in the front. We've also been sledding and attempted a family outing of ice skating. We realized we're stupid parents. You know the ones - who don't love their children enough to bring helmets for them to wear? You've seen them - they can't even spring for some decent skates for their poor children? One kids got some hand me down "training" skates that strap on to her boots only to have them constantly fall off. The other child has been forced to wear his grandfather's skates from 1975 and is flopping all over the place - with no helmet, may I remind you. Yep, that's us. We lasted 5 minutes and spent just under $7 for this family friendly outing. We will not give up! We went directly to Sports Check for their after Christmas sales and purchased some decent skates for both children. We may even bring helmets next time. 
And on a personal note, I've decided to go with a new look for the new year.  You know, spice things up a bit? What do you think?

OK. Before you say anything, let's just all take a deep breath. The story is this - it's a wig and I got it for a Christmas present from one of our members. What?!! Lutheran pastor's wives don't usually get a wig for Christmas? The gal that got it for me is super fun, super cute and quite frankly, I'm honoured.  The fact that she would think I'd be groovy enough to try something like this is now pressure - where I am going to wear this?!!! "Off to choir, kids, and mommy's going to put on her hair!" or "I need to clean my floor. Maybe it'll be more fun with some hair?" or "I think I'll wear it to my home school support group tonight and see if anyone notices." 
I'm also thinking that the likelihood of ever having a conversation with another pastor's wife that would include something like "Oh, I remember the time I got a wig for Christmas..." is pretty slim. Yep. This'll be a hard one to top! It's really a gorgeous colour and I wish my hair would grow that long and curl in those lovely waves! So if anyone has any suggestions as to the appropriate time and place for me to wear this, or if you have a wig and wanna come over to just hang out in them let me know! Happy New Year!!