Happy New Year!

Tradition is that the kids, with their cousins, spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at my parent's house with my parents ringing in the new year. They started this when the youngest, my son, was only about age three. They love their Cousin's New Year's Celebration and have helped plan the festivities throughout the years. You can see what they've done by checking my archive list.

My dad proposed to my mom fifty years ago on this exact day, New Years Eve. They will be celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary on August 20, 2011. What a brilliant year this will be for them, and how thankful I am that their marriage has stayed true and strong for fifty years!

To celebrate their engagement anniversary, my parents decided to travel with the kids and treat them to a room at a fantastic indoor water park this New Year's Eve. Having organized it with us-parent's during the summer, they finally surprised the grandchildren at our Christmas gathering earlier this month.

So that not one grandchild would know the surprise before the rest of the kids (by having a card to read, or a scavenger hunt to follow, or something along those lines), my parent's made up a very cute tape recorded message (remember those?!) to play announcing their New Year's Eve plans.

Although they were in s-h-o-c-k!!!, the screams were priceless. For the last two weeks I have been hearing nothing but talk about their New Year's Eve Travels.

We returned from our couple of days in the mountains just last night (blog post to come), washed clothes, reorganized, and repacked for today's departure. They all met at our house, and ventured off by Noon. I wish I remembered to snap a photo!!!!!

The house is quiet. No more chatter, anticipation, and excitement building up for this moment.

So my favorite man in my life and I are going to be leaving soon to start our celebration of the New Year. A date. We are excited about our day and evening and day tomorrow just being us - but we haven't booked the theme song onto our phones, or are texting each other nonstop about our date, or using a daily countdown system like the kids have been. We're more sophisticated than that ... (insert smirk).

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S 2011 - WISHING YOU HEALTH AND JOY IN THE NEW YEAR!!!!

Christmas 2010

I think I had better start blogging about the holidays of 2010 before we ring in 2011!

Christmas was beautiful. I am finding as the children get older that the excitement of opening presents does not go away, but their pure joy of traditions and spending time with family has increased. This was the year when the children sat back and enjoyed togetherness more than other years. It was fantastic.

One of the traditions that my family enjoys playing on Christmas Eve with my parents is the game Last Chance. Yes, it is a gambling game in that dice are involved, and betting with faux chips, but other than that, it is just a whole lot of fun and a lot of luck. My son was literally on a roll and enjoyed his pile of chips stacking up. My daughter had her fair share too. I had to capture it all in photographs, as the memory will spark the yells and cheers. But when I came upon my big roll and win, nobody took my photo, so I had to do it myself!! HA HA HA!

Our Christmas Eve tradition of a Scandinavian Smorgasbord continued and it was delicious. My parents are fabulous chefs and this is by far my absolute favorite meal of the year. My husband and daughter spend some Christmas Eve afternoon time making Lefse, while my son has the important job of making the hord'vor tray, and filling in where he is needed. I enjoy helping and documenting with pictures. The day and evening was spent surrounded by peace and being together.

Christmas day brought a lovely celebration with my husband's family. Both of my sister in laws (my husband's sister, and my brother's wife) are always fabulous hostesses, and while they have different styles, they always do a great job of making each of their homes welcoming and beautiful. My husband's family enjoyed togetherness while the cousins busied themselves upstairs for most of the evening. It was a wonderful evening sharing stories past and present.

Both celebrations went past midnight, so by Sunday we took time to enjoy our family of four at our house. Enjoying quiet, enjoying movies, enjoying rest.

The best part of Christmas for me this year was that we just took everything slowly. We purchased gifts thoughtfully, yet early. We baked what we wanted when we wanted. We celebrated the season with our traditions, and not let the calendar rule our days by filling them up with every obligation. The kids participated in the decorating, the festivies, the warmth. They are growing older and I am embracing more and more the time we are spending together.

Truly Christmas of 2010 was a beautiful season.

Night with snow

It is starting to become a regular routine that we meet up on the Eastside for some snowflake fun with my brother and his sweet family this time of year.

Last night we ate a fun Irish Pub (although we had to sit at their atrium because it was so packed in the main room even at five o'clock), then split up into two groups to do some last minute Mall errands, before enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season outside at a very festive Snowflake Extravaganza.

Complete with a marching drum band, toy soldiers on stilts, dressed up characters like Frosty, Rudolph, Christmas Mice, Penguins, Princesses and Princes, covered with faux bubble snow falling down, it truly was a very magical and uplifting event.

A time to be among a crowd of strangers with every family dancing and singing and having a great time together. 'Tis the Season to relax!

(of course, catching snowflakes!).

My family and I will be adventuring to be with our extended family for two days of Christmas celebrations. Then the four of us are going to find "real snow" on a mini vacation to our favorite winter get-away.

Until I post again - Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas filled with much love and joy, peace and happiness as you make wonderful memories to finish off 2010. 

A Toaster that is blog-worthy

For those reading my posts regularly, or who know my son personally, you will appreciate this post.

My brother and his family gave my son a Black and Decker manly Toaster Oven for Christmas. His Auntie rocked the gift list and status when my son saw the HUGE box, unwrapped it, and happily and wearily questioned, "Am I dreaming?!" Elements that light up, buzzers that sounds, knobs to turn, Black and Decker - a real boy's dream toaster!

My son the chef is all about the kitchen, however, gifting him kitchenware is more difficult because we all share the kitchen, and we have much stuff to begin with. As he started receiving kitchen items more frequently in the last few years, I emptied out a drawer for just HIS things. It works well. He uses His things when He bakes and cooks, and we do not (he uses my things too, but he will always grab his version first).

It wasn't long after getting the Toaster Oven on the kitchen counter late Saturday night that my son created a Toaster Oven Rule.

Here's the deal: He will bake you anything you wish, for Free. However, if you want to use his oven, you have to check the chart to the time of day of your usage, and insert the appropriate coins in the can. Our regular old toaster is sitting beside the cool new toaster oven. Therefore, there is always the choice for the rest of us to make our own for free at any time of day using our regular, old toaster.

(I added the sticky note to cover up my son's name).

Now, some may feel this isn't using a very good giving spirit by way of my son ... but the gist is is that he really wants to cook!! And he wants to make this oven feel special because it was a gift just for him. We gave him the thumbs up and support his eagerness and special feelings towards this Toaster.

Yes, I have paid. I wanted yummy toast from his toaster at 7am yesterday and he was in the shower. I paid up my 5 cents. Notice how my husband is free between the hours of 6am and 9am? Because my husband enjoys toast every morning, and my son did not want to commit to making toast every morning for his dad. So he gifted his dad a free zone. Certainly my son is being reasonable in his generosity of his toaster usage.

Oh yes, this toaster is blog-worthy!

Goin' North for Family Time

My kiddos are still in school. Sigh. The only bonus is that the school snow closures before Thanksgiving were half days, and because the teachers by law get to retain those shortened school hours (?), those in charge at the district changed the calendar from full days this week to half days. So, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week my children get to come home early. Yea!

Except that yesterday my daughter's middle school got an extra bonus. It was closed due to a massive burn-up of an electrical transmitter which resulted in no power and no heat since the windstorm on Saturday. So, free day for her yesterday! Yea-again!  Today, her school was in session but powered by a rented generator the size of a Mac Truck parked in the parking lot to keep heat and lights functioning. Rumor has it that the school has major electrical damage that will take all of Christmas Break to fix. Hmm, good timing?

We took advantage of the half days today to enjoy a trek up North to visit with my mom's cousin, her daughter, and two granddaughters who are visiting this week from a plane ride away. What a fun day! While it took us awhile to travel both ways, it was well worth the drive.

My mom's cousin recently moved to our state to be closer to one of her daughters (who was working today) and into a senior living community. I have to say, if we could all afford this lifestyle that feels more like a 5-Star Hotel, I don't think anyone would complain about getting older and downsizing to condo-type living. It really was gorgeous, huge, and very welcoming.

The older cousins were so kind and very accommodating to take my two younger ones on a full tour of all the "fun stuff" - ping pong, art studio, golfing range, and the swimming pool (had we known to bring bathing suits, they would have been allowed to jump in), leaving the adult cousins time to chat in the condo. It was fantastic fun. I hope the two older ones enjoyed it as much as my two sure did.

Very thankful for the school schedule change that allowed us to take the day to explore Up North with family. That's what this season is all about. Family time, and we got some today. Triple Yea!

Rudolph Run

When the kids were little, we would arrive home with two sleeping pajama angels in the backseat with sippy cups in lap and blankets half fallen to the floor. Our evening car ride looking at Christmas lights has since turned into an annual tradition that we actually schedule on our calendar and have tilted Rudolph Run.

Tradition: enjoy dinner at home by candle and tree light, get into our new Christmas pajamas that were gifted on St. Lucia Day (December 13th), bring favorite blankets and pillows to the car, swing by Starbucks drive thru for yummy drink of choice and/or pastry, and set out looping neighborhood to neighborhood to neighborhood counting the Rudolph decor with the red noses only; while enjoying all the lights of Christmas.

Last night was our big Rudolph Run and we are sad to report that we got an all-time low number of 13!  We are usually in the thirties. We are going to start a Rudolph Conspiracy next year and start handing out goody bags on people's porches with a red light bulb inside with a note. We have to keep Rudolph Alive, otherwise, our tradition will have to be renamed, and nothing is cuter than Rudolph Run this time of year!

The pajamas this year are extra special because I purchased the shirts from Ordinary Hero in the month of November. A fantastic organization - who gave proceeds that month of their shirt and ornament sales to an Adopting Family of your choice. Since I have two special women (and their families) in my life that are in the process of adopting right now, I bought these two shirts to sponsor one friend, and a shirt and ornament for myself to sponsor my other friend. Yea! The shirts have an extra great message too for my kids to remember: I'm Gonna Change The World. You bet!

Rudolph Run - always a tradition at our house.

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Can't help but publish my son's quick GQ poses while he was waiting for his sister to join the photo before we left the house. Funny boy.

Oh the weather outside is Frightful ...

It was a short night. Starting at 1:32am on Saturday morning, after returning home at 11:30pm from an extended family gathering, a crash followed by a freight train sound of never ending thunderous annoyance for the next eight hours. By 2:00am we had both kids in our bed as the wind whipped around our house during a windstorm with wind gusts up to 60 mph. Our house Christmas lights hung on tight, but some strings let go too soon and clattered around our window for the remaining event.

Hopping back and forth from his room, to the family room couch downstairs, my son probably slept a total of four hours. He could not settle down and the noise was l-o-u-d. I too hopped back and forth from my room to the couch as I kept thinking of things that I needed: my alarm clock, more blankets, my pillow,etc. etc. etc. I probably slept a total of two hours.

By 6:30am we had lost power.

I do not mind camping. I have no electricity when camping. I am fine with that.

I do not like to have no power and be at home. I do not like how my house turns ugly real quick and somehow every spec of dirt and dust and everything is noticed; and you can't switch on a vacuum to fix it. Blankets and flashlights and survival are spread throughout. Not my style.

And yesterday was the day for our family gathering with my brother's family to celebrate Christmas at my parent's house. Oh, great!, you might think, You'll go to a house with power!!  All will be fine.

No, my parents were without power too and they live further out from big cities than we do. When they lose power, it is a really big deal.

As we plugged in our mini generator to blow dry our hair after showers and get lookin' like we should, we hopped in the car and found on our drive South that literally our neighborhood and my parent's neighborhood were The Only's without power. The odds.

My parents have a big generator that works their furnace and certain sections of their house. We were able to pull off an entire Christmas dinner with two kitchen outlets, a one burner plug-in, my dad's barbeque on the patio, and a crockpot. One would not know the difference of how this meal was prepared unless they had watched six adults huddled around one lamp and three candles and taking turns with the two outlets for the five hour prep before dinner.

Really, it was fantastic. Teamwork at it's best. Although it is still too fresh in my mind - the lose of power - to take time to post pictures and go into any additional specifics, I know I will appreciate our accomplishment in a few more hours (... or days or weeks or months) from now.

Oh, and power was restored at my parent's house at 10:35pm ... as soon as the last Christmas gift was unwrapped by the kiddos, and the adults were hanging on by threads to the exhausting, creative, survivalistic day, and the four cousins were still Wired Up! from spending the day together.

Pictures later ... I have a house to clean up, and a Sunday School class to teach, and somewhere find time for a nap as last night we crawled into bed at 12:35am while the wind was knocking at our window taunting us. But nothing came of it .. except for ....

a light dusting of snow this morning.

Oh the weather outside is Frightful ...

Holiday Dancing

The last week of dance class before the Christmas break, the dance studio where my daughter has been a member of since kindergarten, performs a collection of holiday dances. Starting with the fifth graders on up the dancers have an option to sign up for solo, pairs, or class dancing. They showcase their work in front of the younger grades that meet on that evening, and for the parents in attendance. Some of the music is holiday themed, others are not.

Last night was my daughter's turn and I always enjoy this little festive night. The girls are relaxed, they come in different costumes, the teacher's stand back and are part of the audience, the girls organize "backstage" (which is really just the Blue Room next door), and everyone is happy and supportive. My daughter danced with her ballet class and her best dance friend ~ a lovely job.

The highlight of this year, however, was that Miss V. is the lead ballerina at a company up North in their production of The Nutcracker. Miss V. is also a dance teacher at our studio, and while she demonstrates technique and movement in class, it is nothing like seeing her dance an entire selection from The Nutcracker. It was inspiring and amazing.

She is beautiful and dances even more so! Graceful and muscular all wrapped up in her tiny little frame. And, not to mention she's a momma of two and beats me in age by one year. This woman has not slowed down ~ she definitely has the ballerina moves and the body to shimmy into that brilliant costume. I. could. never.

Holiday Dancing - nothing beats it to get one into the spirit of the season.

Painted with Love

Yeah, the batting of my eyelashes and pretty pleases over ice cream did nothing to get my hubby to follow me to school this morning. Today was my paint project day for my son's classroom (see here), and it just so happened to coincide with my husband's boss flying in from the Mid-West for their annual one-on-one performance meeting. Nice timing, well planned, hubby.

When I returned to the classroom two hours later, the teacher asked with great enthusiasm and hope, "How did it go?!" To which I replied, "Let's just say that it's painted with love." 

I will admit, the painting was more relaxing than stressful, but that is not to say that the outcome came out brilliant. It is just a mere statement that it was a win for me, and perhaps the only bonus for the kids and teacher, is that it got done and will be dry by the time it is to be used in January. Their curriculum can continue forward. 

Painted with love ... what more could 23 kids and 1 sweet teacher ask for from this non-artist?

Choir Field Trip

Bundled up in scarf and warm coat, boots on feet, I helped chaperon my son's elementary school's choir field trip to the Community Center. The group is made up of eighty fourth and fifth grade students; the largest choir group in a long while.

The community center is just a block and a half down the road from the school, however, the school is situated on a very busy road with no shoulder; and the road is currently going through a major expansion to make it more safe and provide a round-about for the intersect in the road where it has "finally" been deemed too dangerous.

So to skip all danger and headache of getting eighty kiddos to the center, we walked through the recess field, through a neighborhood, through a wooded trail (the same that my son takes for his Arboretum Walks with his class) and over to the center. It is the long-about-route, but it is the absolute safe route.

(my son is front row, second from the left in all grey and black).

The students did a great twenty minute program with holiday, Christmas, and Hanukkah songs at the Senior's Luncheon. Plenty of cheer from the grandma and grandpa aged audience with lots of smiles from the kiddos as a result.

A very merry time with this large group of kids! Yea!

Blitzen's Boogie on Saint Lucia Day

Yesterday was St. Lucia Day in our household and our immediate family tradition has always been to celebrate in the evening, versus the morning (I am a morning person, but since my first babe arrived on the scene twelve years ago, it was easier for us to prep and celebrate in the evening).

However, this year St. Lucia Day landed on Piano Monday, a 4th Grade Music Concert night, and a school night. So, our tradition was just tailored to fit around our busy schedule this year.

After my son's concert, we arrived home to my dear dad's yummy St. Lucia bread, my sweet friend's gift of delicious mini cupcakes, and milk

...and unwrapped meaningful St. Lucia gifts from my parent's around the Christmas Tree in pajamas ....

... while snuggling with our favorite furry friend by the warmth of the fire ...

... all the while watching Frosty The Snowman.

It was the perfect little twist to our traditional tradition. Cozy. Warm. Family. Love.

And the bonus of the entire day was watching my son perform at the music concert as Blitzen in the song Blitzen's Boogie. Once again, my son's ad lib skills were put to good use and he had perfect-fun!! He danced his way around the front of the stage wearing jingle bell antlers while his peers sang Blitzen's Boogie behind him. It was a real hit to the festive concert; and the rest of the show was just as spectacular!

A fantastic day!