Parents arrive in town, Dec 23rd. Imagine lots of hugs and smiles.
Knott’s Berry Farm, Dec 24th – the muggy weather did nothing to stop The Boy from riding his very first adult roller coaster. Yes! He’s tall enough! When did he grow so big? I sat on the sidelines and watched him, fretting over and over, “He’s actually TALL enough?!!!” which led to another realization: I turn every moment into an opportunity to be a weepy mother who can’t comprehend that time passes on for her children just as it does for everyone else in the world.
Video of The Boy on his first roller coaster ride, mind the cheesy music:
Little No Limit is still not tall enough for the big rides, but big enough for the kiddie thrill rides:
Put your hands in the air like you just don’t care!
Disappointingly, I have no photo of me nearly getting stuck on the kids ride I was too tall to ride, but tried to ride anyway, because Little No Limit was scared to go at it alone. But trust me, you wish I did. I looked totally ridiculous (excuse me, could you help me get my leg out of this contraption?).
Christmas Day, Dec 25th – The Family Christmas Gathering was cancelled due to my mother-in-law’s unforeseen ailments, and moved to a later date. My sisters-in-law and niece came over to celebrate with me, the ‘rents, Husband, The Boy, and Little No Limit. I wound up introducing them to Flight of the Conchords. They introduced me to Andy Samberg’s “Rap song!”
The Boy Turns 6! Birthday party, Dec 27th – Remember how I mentioned a couple lines ago that Mother in Law was sick on Christmas? Yeah, sothe whole family showed up at The Boy’s birthday party and to celebrate it. So in addition to boys and girls and running amok and gathering piñata treats, we also had adults and relatives running amok, and many, MANY presents being exchanged between all the attendees. My cousin just got her license and she left to go to Starbucks with my 15-year-old-has-a-learners-permit-niece, and I think it might have been an awesome experience for them. I requested a venti white chocolate peppermint mocha and when they returned, everyone else had ordered the tall size, and my niece said, “Yours is the obnoxiously large one.” That’s right, I told her.
In irrelevant but serendipitous news, it turns out the mother of The Boy’s friend from school knows the artist who painted the abstract painting on my wall that Husband and I bought on our honeymoon 7.5 years ago in Santa Barbara. I know Santa Barbara isn’t that far from here, and that such a coincidence doesn’t sound sooo coincidental, but she knew him from when she lived in Switzerland. And that, my friends, is a coincidence.
Oh, and as for gifts, does The Boy have enough Wall E toys?
From L-R: “I’m the biggest!” “You can plug your mp3 player into me!” “I’m mobile!” “You can bring me everywhere because I fit in your pocket!”
Austin, New Years Eve’s Eve and New Year’s Eve – I hung out with my friends from college the first night. Imagine all the fun of a reunion and none of the anxiety. I love my friends. Among other things, I saw David Garza at the Continental Club, raided the mini bar at the Hotel San Jose, drank Jo’s fair trade coffee, strolled the Capitol, ate at Moonshine, Guero’s, and Doc’s, saw some thought-provoking art exhibits at The Austin Museum of Art (more on those provoked thoughts in a later post). And, of course, attended my dear friend’s wedding. I would love to tell you what Dear Friend walked down the aisle to, but without knowing him, it might give you the wrong idea.
…
…
Okay, I’ll tell you anyway: “I Want to F*ck You Like An Animal” by Nine Inch Nails. You should know, though, no lyrics were involved, and he is the biggest NIN fan you will ever meet (which makes it all the funnier that he used to hope and wish to meet Trent Reznor walking around New Orleans and then one day got in line behind Trent at the ATM and was so struck, he said nothing at all. Alas… youth is wasted on the young). The wedding was among the most romantic, intimate ceremonies I’ve ever attended, the kind that remind me what a wonderful thing it is to be in love. And after they were married, they walked back down the aisle together to “All You Need is Love” and their wedding dance was “Here, There, Everywhere,” and, well, you can’t argue with that.
The true highlight quote of the night (although there were many) was this: “If anyone has any reason to believe this man and this woman should not be joined together in marriage, then meet me and the groomsmen outside and we’ll take care of that.”
Me and Hubby celebrating Dear Friend’s marriage:
On that note – I am home and everyone is sick but we are ready to kick it into high gear for 2009!!!!!!!! Happy new year to y’all! (dang, I sound like I just got back from Texas!)
Little No Limit sits at the table. She is cutting paper, a popular activity for her. She moves to brush a strip of paper off the table and inadvertently knocks her pen down to the floor.
“Uh!” She exclaims. Then she looks at her dad with her lips protruded and anxiety inked all over her big brown eyes and says, “Daddy – pick that up.”
“Excuse me,” I said. “That is not how you talk to Daddy.”
She turns her eyes to Husband, lips protruding even more, maybe even a little tremble, and Husband laughs. “Oh, she just wants a little help.”
He walks over, picks up the pen, and hands it to her. I feel like he might have called her Princess too. She snatches the pen back, and without so much as a thank you, continues cutting paper.
I am about to say something, but Husband chuckled at that moment. Chuckled at this… this… behavior, and then looked at me and said, “Who knew when I married one, I’d get two?”
“That was, uh, so not cool.” At which point, I knocked something on the floor, looked at him, and added, “Pick that up.”
So here is my wreath and Santa bird feeder, which is a friendly, welcoming accompaniment to my dogs’ angry barking when the doorbell rings:
The Boy’s Christmas count down chain:
My Christmas tree (the lights didn’t do so well on film) - do you see the heart-shaped Elvis ornament?
And next to the tree is our mantle, where we put all the Christmas cards and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and blah blah blah:
I love Christmas. There’s lots of little things around the house, but I dunno, I didn’t really think you should see my bathroom and my shelves and my bed and all… there is such a thing as too familiar, you know…
One can get too familiar with vegetables, you know!
On that note, here’s a veggie-full dish I made the other night:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup quinoa (or rice)
1 can packed pumpkin
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cups broth
1-2 tbls olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until clear. Add celery and carrot and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add broth and pumpkin and stir until the mix is free of any lumps. Add quinoa or rice and bring to boil. Once boiling, add garbanzo beans, stir, then put lid on and turn to simmer for 20 minutes (do not take lid off or stir). Turn off heat, stir again, put lid back on, let sit another 10 minutes. Done.
(Psst - you might want to add a few spices to this if your kids are open to it. Mine are not. Husband adds tobasco to his. I add paprika.)
Well, such a fabulous artistic rendering couldn’t go unnoticed and it wasn’t long before both kids were asking for REAL gingerbread men to decorate.
As luck would have it, we went to a birthday party over the weekend and the craft was deorating gingerbread cookies. Or as the package described them, “Gingergread Boys.” (Many jokes about strategically placed gum drops ensued.)
Here is Little No Limit’s gingerbread boy:
Wocka wocka wocka!
And here is The Boy’s gingerbread boy:
I have ears. Like them?
He couldn’t even eat this cookie because it wasn’t gluten free and the icing contained dairy, so I shall be making new cookies at home this week for him to make and consume.
A writer friend of mine says she likes to study and write poetry because it gives her the opportunity to examine words from a completely different persepctive than when you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. I couldn’t agree more. So I decided to participate in Pensieve’s monthly Poetic License. The deadline for submissions was Friday, but it was a fun exercise so I’m posting anyway.
The theme was winter or Christmas and the form was haiku or pensieve. I chose the pensieve, defined as this: “A titled, five-line poem; each line correlates to one of the five senses–sight, sound, scent, taste, touch–and describes the subject (title). The goal is for the reader to take on the poem as his own, being able to ‘experience’ your subject through your words, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what you described.”
Tree Decorating
Giggles and gasps as the tree branches receive their wares one by one:
Glittering glass orbs that sparkle in the white lights;
Gingerbread men, baked with vanilla and cinnamon;
Gilded, bumpy angels, a texture little hands can’t resist.
Ghirardelli hot chocolate, to cap the night off.
I’m calling this week’s Carnival of Family Life the “Did You Know…” edition because I’m treating you to a barrage of holiday trivia, courtesy of Wikipedia and Google?
Education
Did you know…
Perth College has a program called Courses for Christmas, wherein one can buy education courses for their loved ones?
Brigid presents Brain Fitness posted at New York Public Library. “After attending a recent staff training session offered by the library’s Office of Staff Development, I decided to return to a habit of my childhood — eating sardines,” Brigid announces.
Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, and got the name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits,” and at a Kwanzaa feast, you might find yourself eating jollof rice, yams, and coconut pie?
That the results of the 16th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition are on display at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville , NC?
(Try here or here for details and cool photos).
Annette Berlin presents Easy-To-Make Lollipop Kids posted at Craft Stew. “Lollipop Kids are a great craft to enjoy with your kids before the holidays . . . or any time of the year,” according to Annette.
That the PNC Christmas Price Index Report annually determines the cost of purchasing all the gifts in the 12 Days of Christmas, and it’s soooo not cheap?
Loraine Lawson presents Family Gift Idea posted at Time for Family, asking, “If you’re looking for a way to cut down on the holiday hassle and possibly save money, why not consider giving family gifts this year?”
Lauren Rose presents Credit Card Skimmers - Keep Your Eye on Your ATM card posted at No Debt Anymore.org. “With the holiday season in full swing, credit card and ATM theft is increasing at an alarming rate,” according to Lauren, so she explains “three common ways thieves may try to gain access to your personal information using a skimmer device, as well as ten tips to protect yourself.”
Tom Tessin presents Top 10 Most Affordable Vans for 2008 posted at FGC Auto Blog, saying, “Looking to tow your family around in the family van? See what we recommend as the top 10 affordable family vans in 2008.”
Family Health and Wellness
Did you know…
That although Charles Dickens never specified what ailment Tiny Tim suffered from in A Christmas Carol, some suspect it was renal tubular acidosis or rickets? Or that there is an organization in Longmont, CO called The Tiny Tim Center that was founded to help parents of children with disabilities and later expanded to help educate all children?
Aparna presents Teeth Whitening Remedies posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. Teeth can be naturally dark or discolored by repeated exposure to tea, coffee, red wine, smoking, medications, decay or
trauma. Aparna offers treatments and remedies that will adorn you “captivating smile with a row of glistening pearly white teeth” just in time for all those holiday season photos.
Carole Fogarty presents Upgrade Your Level Of Self Care posted at The Healthy Living Lounge, inviting you to “give yourself permission to upgrade your level of self care on a regular basis. 2009 is going to be the year I
honor the importance of relaxation, deep rest and self care even more.”
Matthew presents Allergies posted at Fast Medical Information. “An allergy is a reaction which is exaggerated in our immune system in response to a foreign substance that is harmless to and does not trigger a response in a non-allergic person,” Matthew explains. Allergens include dust mites, mold, danders, foods, and pollen.
Santa Claus also goes by these names: Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, Joulupukki, Babbo Natale, Weihnachtsmann, Saint Basil and Father Frost? And that David Sedaris wrote an essay about the Santa Claus story as told in Holland, which you can read here?
That many pets under two years of age brought into shelters or euthanized because the owners couldn’t take care of them were originally Christmas gifts? Think before you buy a pet! And adopt instead of buy!
Back in the late 1100s, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine led a revolt against her husband, King Henry II, and as a result, was locked away in a prison for a number of years, during which she was only let out on special occasions like Christmas?
muse presents Wheels posted at me-ander about her eldest son’s favorite mode of transportation.
Ian Peatey presents Meeting Tom posted at Quantum Learning - nonviolent living. “There are some moments that are reserved for the father. Meeting Tom (my daughter’s first boyfriend) is one of them,” Ian explains.
luvmy4sons presents Repeat Performances posted at Do You Weary Like I Do? The mother who authors this blog is finding out that teens and toddlers are “remarkably similar!”
According to a The Baby Website survey, the most common white lie told by parents (at 84 percent) is that Father Christmas only brings presents to good boys and girls. The second most common white lie is that Father Christmas only visits homes on Christmas Eve where the children went to bed nicely.
Kathryn presents Kids and Christmas posted at Living the Proverbs 31 Life, opining that “there really is something about giving that makes the Christmas season all that more special.”
…that next week’s Carnival will be hosted at Destroy Debt?
…that if you would like to participate in next week’s edition of the
Carnival, click here to submit?
…that if you you have questions, you can review the Carnival guidelines before submitting your posts?
Would you like the Carnival to pay a visit to your site? Check out the hosting schedule, select a date, and then drop a line advising what week you would like to host.
Guess what - I have a post featured on 5 Minutes for Parenting. An oldie but a goodie – the infamous Christmas newsletter post. I guess it’s time for a sequel to that post…
Come along and sing a song and join the jamboree! M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E.
Mickey Mouse!
Mickey Mouse!
Forever let us hold our banner high!
I’ve talked about my love for Disney before.
They say Disneyworld is the happiest place on earth.
And they say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.
So Christmas at Disneyworld would mean you’re spending the most wonderful time of the year at the happiest place on earth, which should result in some sort of double ecstasy, right?
Yes, right.
If I lived in Florida right now, I would totally buy Disney world tickets for Mickey’s A Very Merry Christmas party.
I’ve spent many a day of Christmas fun at Disneyworld. I grew up a couple hours north of it and my family drove down all the time. Those were the days when a road trip was a road trip – no seat belt laws, no in-car DVD players, just me and my brothers and sister left to our own acrobatic devices in a big van while my parents drove. The ride to Disneyworld often involved lots of discussion on which rides we were to definitely get on (Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Tea Cups) and which attractions would not be of interest (Hall of Presidents, Dumbo – that line was always too long to make it worth it). In between discussions, I usually got carsick. Then we arrived at Disneyworld and all was better. The ride home often consisted of four passed out children and two tired adults.
Being in California now, I still have close access to a Disney park, but no matter how often I go to Disneyland, Disneyworld will always have a special place in my heart. Disneyworld, where Cinderella’s castle beats out Sleeping Beauty’s and where Space Mountain and Splash Mountain are cooler. Disneyworld, the park I associate with home, with being a child, with growing up. It’s hard to beat nostalgia. Which is why I really wish I could be in Florida right now, to go to Mickey’s A Very Merry Christmas Party.
Throughout December, Mickey and the gang will be celebrating the holidays in the lands of the Magic Kingdom, complete with fireworks, snow, and hot cocoa and cookies for one and all. Mmm… cookies. There is, in true Disney fashion, a Christmas parade, as well as a visit from Old St. Nick, and yes, Cinderella’s castle is decorated with no less than 200,000 lights. Think what you want, but Disney knows how to throw a party. You can even catch a rendition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in Tomorrowland. Does anyone else think that’s ironic? (“night before” vs “tomorrowland”)
So if you like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck and Goofy and Pluto and all those other guys, buy Disney World Tickets for Mickey’s A Very Merry Christmas Party.
And if anyone wants to buy some tickets for me and family, along with plane tickets, I’d be ever so grateful. (I’m just kidding.)
I was tagged for this meme by Diapers and Dragons - 13 signs that you are a mom.
You know you’re a mom when…
1. You no longer think it’s irritating that people show off pictures of their kids. (Look! Look! They’re so cute, aren’t they!)
2. You bring a camera with you to take pictures of someone getting their hair cut. (Smile for mommy! Smile! Yes! That was perfect, could you cut his bangs again?)
3. You give your friends the arched eyebrow for cussing. (Dude, would you mind not talking like that when my kids are around?)
4. You start to sympathize with Halle Berry’s character in Losing Isaiah.
5. People assume you watch Oprah.
6. You know that mops are more than just a cleaning supply.
7. The phrase “I couldn’t get a babysitter” and “I just don’t want to pay for a babysitter” no longer sound like lame excuses.
8. A night out is a bottle of wine and reheated leftovers after the kids are in bed.
9. You suddenly develop a fear of hard candy, marbles, electric outlets, and cabinets without safety locks. (or is that just me and my paranoia?)
10. Your precious dog that you used to walk all the time and feed only the finest butcher cut steak is suddenly “We need to pick up Ol Roy for that dog tearing up the couch.”
Ol Roy? Oh, heeeeeeell no.
11. As you think back to the playgrounds of your youth, you CAN’T BELIEVE your parents let you play on those life-threatening things (The wooden swings with splinters? The hot metal slide that seared your flesh? Anyone?) AND without supervision!
12. Airplane rides. Whole new experience.
13. You know perfectly well that five minutes of silence is not a reason to relax.
