Merry Christmas

Christmas card 2008

The girls are napping.

Joe's making our prime rib rub for dinner.

And I'm still in my sweats wondering who is going to clean up this mess...

and take down all the ornaments....

and find spots for the new toys...

and vacuum all the pine needles...

and do all the Christmas breakfast dishes...

and find room in our one trash can for all this trash...

and eat all the holiday treats we've been given...

oh, wait. That would be me of course.

I'll also be the one playing the new Chutes and Ladders game with girls...

and dressing dolls for the new doll house...

and teaching Gabs how to pedal her new bike...

and dreaming about my gift to the spa...

and watching Joe and the girls play Lazer tag (that would be Joe's Christmas present, not the girls. Yes, my husband is awesome)...

and relaxing in my new robe and pearl earrings...

and pretending to eat wood pizza that the girls got for their kitchen...

and listening to Joe talk all about the wonderfulness of the water purifier he got...

and eating that prime rib dinner that's smelling so good.

Yup, I think that's what I'll do today. Everything else I will gladly put off until tomorrow.

Isn't that what you do on Christmas?

Formula For Sledding

First, make sure there is more snow in your state for the first time in a decade.
Next, have the patriarch of the house be excused from work because the roads are too dangerous.
Then, send patriarch (on dangerous roads) to store to get snow mittens for little hands, only to have him return with $1.40 Wal-Mart adult knitted red gloves because everything is sold out.
Spend 30 minutes to bundle up kids in tights, socks, jeans, boots, shirts, sweaters, jackets and hats.
Give eldest daughter mama's beanie from freshman year of college, because eldest daughter doesn't even have a winter hat.
Next, borrow sled from friend, because patriarch's trip to 6 stores was also unsuccessful in finding a single sled or tube.
Finally, drive to drainage ditch near home and watch your girls sled for the first time.
Listen, as they scream with each and every single run they take.
Smile, when they start going down by themselves.
And going face first on their tummies.
And while laying on top of one another.
And backwards.
Laugh, when you hear them say, "Dat was awesome".
Repeatedly, fix youngest daughters hat that was once eldest daughters hat that is now too small for both.
Ask, after 2 hours if they are ready to go home because you are cold, only to hear, "Just oooone, more mommy. Just ooone more" while holding up their red, icy, floppy mitten index finger.
Finally, convince children into car, with the promise of going back after dinner.
Get home, undress in 30 seconds and throw everything in the dryer.

Direct children to vents in the floor to warm up feet, hands and bum.
Eat dinner.
Get warm, dry clothes out of dryer and again take 30 minutes to bundle back up.
Walk to the sledding spot in ice and snow.
Sled for another hour in the dark with friends.
Walk home and swiftly undress again.

Hurry and put on warm jammies.
Drink hot chocolate...if you're two, be sure to spill it nice and good all over the counter and proceed to spread it around.
Brush teeth.
Say goodnight to two very tired girls in bed.

Listen as your girls don't even make a peep and are fast asleep before you finish singing...until the next day when they wake up and want to go again.

Vancouver, B.C.

Joe had a three day weekend to use up, so we decided that we would put it to good use and leave the country. I thought we needed to go somewhere we've never been before and see the areas around us, before we move and really never get this chance again. We decided that we would check out Vancouver and just sneak away for the weekend.

It was so nice to go and getaway and have just our little family together. It's rare if we vacation together just the four of us, and I'll tell you, it was wonderful. We try and make it a point to do something with Joe's limited time off with only our family, and I'm glad we do, because we always enjoy ourselves.

Being tourists with children is a little different than without. There was lots to see and do while we were in Vancouver, and we did do some, but really, we just wanted to enjoy our time as a family. We didn't care if we slept in or if we took 30 minutes to get on the "alligator" to go down to our car 16 stories down. It didn't matter that we ate our prime rib room service in our pajamas on our hotel beds instead of at some fancy restaurant. I didn't matter that the only thing the girls really cared about was swimming in the pool and soaking their cold bodies in the hot pool. So what that we paid "X" amount of dollars and drove 4 hours to a hotel to swim. It was the highlight of the trip.

We did however get to walk around downtown, shop, visit Stanley park, go to the Aquarium and see a scuba diving Santa (which Gwen was terrified of), go to Granville Island and to the public market and three story toy store. We ate doughnuts for breakfast, brunched at much too nice of restaurants to be taking two kids too, drank Shirley temples (which, by the way, are totally different in Canada), and successfully avoided bad weather...except for the insane rain storm that found us for thirty minutes (picture above is not in black in white, that's how dark the day got at 10:00 when the storm rolled in).

I wish that the trip didn't have to end. We had a great time and I was again reminded how important it is to spend time with my family, doing things we don't normally do, and enjoying the moments of simplicity, like swimming in the hotel pool.

My Parents

A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law e-mailed me and asked me if everything was alright. If I was feeling okay and if everything was okay on the home front. Her questions arose from me letting two weeks go by without blogging. It took one read of that e-mail for the flood gates to open.

The truth was, I wasn't alright. I was feeling sad and lonely. I can only complain so much via cyber space and I figure the five of you that read my blog are perfectly tired of my sob story. Boo hoo, my husband works a lot, the days are dark and dreary, I'm pregnant, tired and emotional. Who hasn't had their own version of that story? We all have our ups and downs.

This time it was more than that though. I was missing my family. Missing them more than normal. I was missing my parents terribly. For me, I'm use to being away. I miss my parents, but it's been a long time since I've lived away from home. 10 years actually. So although it's hard, it's very normal to me by now.

But I had no idea how hard it would be living away from home and having my children be away from my home too. It's hard having my children not have their grandparents close by. It's hard wishing my children could be at the sleepover at grandma and grandpa's house. Or taken to a special movie alone with just grandma. It's hard knowing my children won't have grandpa cheering (and yelling) at soccer games. It's hard missing Christmas parties and not spending summers in their pool.

I was especially feeling terrible with Gabriella's birthday coming up. We were having a party, and Joe would be working. It got me thinking about who would I look over at during the party and smile to with pride as Gabriella pranced around with all her fancy girlfriends? There would be no one. Because no one has pride for your children like family does. And no one has more pride than grandparents.

When you're the only one living away from home, you start to feel jipped. Like things are unfair. Things like not having grandma and grandpa at your children's birthday parties when they are at all the other ten grandchildren's birthday parties.

I was feeling jipped. I missed my parents. And I was sad.

Then on Sunday, just before church, there was a knock at our door. Joe answered and told me and the girls to come see. Sitting on our doorstep was a big Santa bag filled with presents. I recognized my moms writing and thought it was so sweet that she somehow had it delivered. The girls were so excited and dragged the bag inside. I closed the door behind me thinking of all the possible ways they had it delivered and who could have done it for them.

Joe said I had missed something, and needed to go back outside and get it. I stepped out onto our porch and saw nothing. I looked to the right down our street. Nothing. I looked left. And there, ducking behind the bushes was what I had missed. There, was my mom and dad.

I don't think I'll ever be able to think of that moment without tears running down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it. They were here. I had been longing to see my parents and they were here. I cried and cried. I still am.

The girls were jumping up and down and we were all hugging and crying. I had never felt a point in my life where I missed my parents more than I did a few weeks ago and then as a complete surprise to all of us, they were here.

We are so lucky.

Because although we miss out on tons of things, I have a special relationship with my parents. The girls have a special relationship with their grandparents. Different, but special. We get to go get them from the airport and have the girls run down the terminal for tackling hugs and to say hello. We get them to stay at our house and be there when we wake up and there when we say good night. We get them to share our local adventures with when we move to a new area. We get hand delivered Twelve Days of Christmas Santa bags. And we get surprise visits for much needed grandparent time.

My girls love these two people so much. I cried when Gwen told my mom "I miss you grandma" as we were walking them to their car today to leave. She understands that she doesn't always get her grandma. And I cried some more when Gabs ran down the sidewalk waving to them through their car window as they pulled away. She understands that it will be awhile until she sees them again.

I cried because I know they understand. I cried because I feel the same way. I miss them and never want them to go.

I'll never be able to explain how much I love them and just what these last few days have meant to me.

My parents. They're the best! This hug's for you guys!

Perfectly Ordinary

Today after the girls got their baths, they decided to dress up. I love when they dress up. Such imagination comes of it, and they are so fun to listen to. Today they played that they were on a lunch date. They followed me to our bar like I was the hostess sitting them in a nice restaurant. In very fancy, proper, almost snobbish, made-up accents, they spoke to me like I was their waitress.

I watched them eat their lunch at the bar and my mind flashed to a snapshot my mom has of Bryn and I eating at the bar in the house I grew up in. We had the tile counter tops, just like we have here. We have our bibs pulled over our heads half way like some interesting terrycloth head dress. And we are grinning ear to ear. I love that picture. I thought of the brilliance my mom had of getting her camera and taking a picture of something as simple as us being silly at lunch time.

The moment wasn't something extraordinary or special or even probably that funny, but she still took a picture. And it remains clear as day in my mind after all these years.

Today, watching my girls was no different. The moment was really quite ordinary. Something we do everyday. From the dressing up, to the left over pizza thrown on the bar without plates for lunch, to the unbrushed, wet bath heads-it was all very normal and ordinary.

Sometimes I feel like my life needs to be filled constantly with extraordinary moments. Special days, and perfectly, planned out events. It doesn't. Life can't be that way. It shouldn't be that way.

I remembered that ordinary is sometimes perfect this afternoon when I so diligently tried to play the best waitress for two very important ladies. And it made me so happy.

Fancy Party

My little Gabriella turned four. I can't believe it. My plans of only having a birthday party every other year went out the window. Children love parties and talk about theirs (even if it's months off) constantly. So, we had a birthday party for Gabs this year. I was feeling unmotivated and not up for it. Then my cute twin Bryn came for a visit and we got planning. I LOVE that her little guy Dax was born the same exact day as Gabriella, only one year and literally a few minutes later.

Luckily she was more motivated and we were able to plan our parties together. We went with the good old standard birthday party fun. One night Gabs and Gwen were making me clap as they walked the cat walk (our long hallway) for a fashion show. That's when I decided we would add a "fancy" twist on it. Plus, she really wanted to wear her Cinderella dress. Pink, frilly, dress-up fun was the main idea.

We delivered invitations via pink helium balloons, rolled stickers and prizes in balloons for the girls to pop, played pin the Santa hat on Santa, had cake and ice cream, opened presents, had a fashion show with feather boas that obviously had real feathers on them because they got everywhere, had a pinata and played limbo. Gabriella picked all the games she wanted, and even suggested limbo, which was possibly the highlight of the night. She helped me stuff the balloons with stickers and very carefully put together each of her friends goodie bags of fake diamond rings, nail polish, lip gloss and sparkly finger nail files.

We are so grateful that we live in a neighborhood with such adorable girls for Gabs to celebrate with. She was so excited about all of it and so glad that all her friends were there. They all looked so cute dressed up and hair done up fancy.

I just can't believe how big Gabriella has gotten. Daily I am getting reminders of her maturity and big girlness. Her baby belly is gone and she looks long and lean to me. She is such a sweetheart and looks after her sister so well. She always wants to be the "mom" and help Gwen with whatever she needs. She listens well and wants so badly to please me and her daddy. She breaks down in tears if she knows she's done something wrong and is quick to say she is sorry. She wants to do what's right and never wants to hurt feelings. She always says the sweetest things about the baby in my tummy, and wants to name him Cosmo so bad. Joe is actually on board with that one.

I really love this girl. She makes me so happy, makes me laugh and makes me hope to be a better mom always. I hate that she's growing up, but each passing year I am more and more in love with who she is, what she's doing, and who she is becoming. She's my favorite Gabriella and I love her to pieces.