Christmas debrief

Although this would be the proper place to talk about the New Years Eve party we had with Grandma and Grandpa Sam, watching Return of the Jedi and the Hudsucker Proxy and eating finger foods, I want to make sure that we don't lose the opportunity to evaluate our Christmas. The children each wrote letters to Santa, and we should make sure that they get a chance to compare their experiences with their desires.

Here is Linus's letter: Dear Santa, Thank you for the trampoline we got last year. Santa, in my stocking I would like Skyward Sword, and a model kit of little people and one of a tank, too. Also, I would like one of each of the paints and two paintbrushes. I would like a lego transformer, and two transformers, and an iPod.

Here is Casper's: Dear Santa, I want jumbling tower and also Connect Four. I would also like hot wheels wall tracks and a batman tower. I'd like a bumblebee transformer, diapers for my baby sister, a razor for daddy, some cheetos and candy.

And a transcription of Gwennie's letter, in case it's needed: Dear Santa, these are the things I would like for Christmas in my stocking: 3 fierce cat action figures, a color-able crocodile, my very own granny smith apple, a small bag of cheetos, some smarties, a big bag of whoppers, purple nerds, and spicy mints. Please do not give me headbands, they give me headaches. And that roll of pink bubblegum that is quite big, and that thing that you put beads in and bake it.

girl and grandma

While Mom was here, she told the family several of her recollections of her Grandmother Margaret. Our favorite image (and, I think, hers) involved her wiry little Grandma running around the house ahead of the pigs with a bucket of slop (to prevent herself from being trampled while trying to feed them). We even had the pleasure of watching some of the newly-digitized family movies together, and spent several hours with some of the earliest, soundless videos of Victorville, Colorado Springs, and Utah. In the latter, we even got a short glimpse of Grandmother Margaret. Even better, we got to see a good amount of Mom with the newest Margaret. We had been so excited to introduce them.

wild tramps

gas leak!

During the afternoon, while Jen, Mom, and Greta were out to a showing of Hugo (which Dad and would repeat the following day), we noticed a strong odor of gas along the street in front of our house. Well, Dad noticed it, initially, and drew my attention to it, strongly suggesting that I call the gas company. Figuring that the potential of a gas leak isn't something you mess around with, I called, and was told that someone would be sent out immediately. (I guess they don't mess around with it, either.) Sure enough, we soon had someone poking around in the front lawn, testing something in the soil and moving progressively closer to the house. By the time that she'd gotten all the way up to the meter, I was convinced that we had a serious problem. Fortunately, she assured us that since the leak was between the street and the meter, we wouldn't be responsible for the costs. This was ideal, because an hour later (while we sat watching Star Wars), we had four pickups, a digger, a generator with spotlights, and a team of men digging up our yard to fix the problem. Apparently, gas was escaping and pooling along a sewer pipe alongside the street. We're grateful that it's been repaired without injury or cost -- except to the landscaping!

Second Christmas

Gwennie and Casper joined me in driving to pick up Grandma and Grandpa at the big city airport, around an hour and a half distant. We arrived just about the time they came out of the terminal, perhaps the first convenience in what must have been a terrible early-morning flight in which they nearly missed their connection, as well as their initial flight. We're just glad to have them with us.

After they had a chance to rest a bit (and we went shopping), we decided to celebrate our (uno mas) Christmas. We were so glad that we'd waited until they could join us. Though I'd planned on having Mom tell the children the Marjorie and John story (always part of our traditional Christmas Eve, growing up), I forgot to ask until later in the week. But we were able to incorporate one of the basic elements of my childhood Christmas: entering the living room to find a blanket-covered pile of treats -- in this case, part of Mom and Dad's gift to the children of "movie night." (Mom also gave the children the original Star Wars trilogy on blu-ray, and they were thrilled to watch it for the first time, one movie each night, culminating in the third one on New Years Eve.) Anyway, check out the candy bonanza:

Christmas Day

Perhaps surprisingly, the children told us, when asked, that they felt that being able to attend church on Christmas morning (which, for us, only occurs when Christmas falls on Sunday) was a special pleasure. After a great service, we returned home to our festivities. A few days ago, we had met and decided that, since Grandma and Grandpa Samuelson were visiting on Tuesday, we'd hold back our family gifts and have a "second Christmas" so that they could participate with us. We certainly had a grand time seeing what Santa had left, and opening presents from the children's Grannie & Grandad and cousins. What fun!

Here's the story of the one family gift the children opened this morning (pictured above). That's not resentment or irritation you see on their faces; instead, I think it's bewilderment. There are three tags on that large package, each stating that the box was from one of the children and to the other pair. Inside is a Harry Potter lego set -- Hogwart's Castle -- which the kids had been coveting for the past year, at least.

The answer to the riddle of the tags lies in conversations we'd had in secret with each of them, asking whether they'd want to empty their piggy banks to buy their siblings a smaller lego kit -- in one case, the Hogwarts Express, and in another, the Knight Bus. Each of them agreed with excitement, and the boys in particular found it very difficult to keep the secret. But it was an even greater surprise for them to find that instead of individual gifts, their change had been used to buy a collective present. Good times.

The Eve

Because of the Sunday Christmas this year, and because we have church at 9 o'clock, we decided that the only option for the customary Samuelson delivery of baked goods would have to occur today. We were very happy to catch a number of our friends at home, and were happy to be able to participate in the spirit of the season. In many ways, though, I think I prefer the Christmas delivery -- there's something special about being out on the morning itself, and playing a small part in it for people we love.

At any rate, we had a fine time, and returned home for various activities, including our usual evening devotional. The children are (collectively) such a great age right now -- it's so exciting anticipating their reactions to the surprises we've concocted. We all go to sleep in a state of high anticipation.

sibling gifts

I know I'm messing with the chronology by placing this picture here, but I'm convinced that a picture of the children wearing these gifts -- special t-shirts which we made for them, and which they received as their presents from Greta -- would be rather more interesting than seeing the designs alone. (As a bonus, we have a picture with them and with Grandpa, wearing the t-shirt I designed for my Workshop he attended last Spring.)

late nativity

For some reason, when we had trimmed our tree and laid out the rest of our Christmas decorations, we hadn't set up our little German "fan" nativity (in which the hot air from candles positioned below the wooden blades sets several floors of figures spinning around). We spent some time as a family putting it together, and all enjoyed the its novelty. (I have a recollection of Nana having a nativity very similar to this one.) It was Greta, encountering it for the first time, who was most fascinated by the movement and the flickering light.

Casper Fudgeface

This is our boy who can't eat without handling his food, who even if presented with an assortment of utensils will pick up the noodle or bite and set it on the spoon (if he deigns to use it). Somehow, as much ends up on his face as inside it.

punchin' pinata

To entertain themselves before Christmas but after most of the gifts had been made, Gwennie led the boys in making a confetti pinata out of layers of tissue and yarn. She recognized that it was too fragile to hit with a baseball bat, so she let them swat at it in turn. They actually made it through a full round of punches before the "pinata" broke. Well, it may not have been on the level of Stephen and Shawna's work, but any chance to sing the pinata song is a success -- right, Shakespeares?

. . . and hers, too

While we're not as surprised at Gwennie's connection with Greta as we were with Linus' (she had expressed some interest in babies in the past, rather than backing to the opposite wall every time one of them came near), it's great to see her interacting with her baby sister. She keeps on asking for us to let Margaret move into her room (immediately), and though we're not sure that the sentiment will remain when she's eleven and has to deal with a toddler sharing her space, it is a sweet suggestion.

. . . and hers

After the manifold discomforts of a Texas summer pregnancy, it's nice to bask a little in the "reward" stage. Does anyone remember how long babies stay just as exciting asleep as awake? (I don't mean that as a slight on Greta's personality -- I mean that there's really nothing more appealing than a sleeping baby curled up next to you.)

His favorite toy

We've written about Linus' attachment to Margaret before, but it really is one of the marvels of the growth of our family. The first thing he does in the morning is to come into our room and look for her, and I don't think an hour goes by that he doesn't want to hold her or sit and talk with her. I'm excited to see what becomes of their friendship; I'm sure he will be a very attentive older brother.

Nativity in Texas

When Gwennie and Linus were little, we attended a Christmas party in which the hosts had decorated a special room with a painted backdrop and a rack of costumes so that the visiting children could play nativity. We still have a picture of the two of them (with Gwendolyn holding a plastic doll), which we pull out every Christmas. All the children love the picture, so this year -- since we have an actual newborn handy -- they wanted to recreate the scene. Gwennie is a master of costuming, as any regular reader of this blog will recognize, and she did a wonderful job with her mother's help. I suspect that this image will become another holiday artifact which we get to enjoy and remember every year.

Liam's potion bottles

Perhaps the project that the children were most excited about this Christmas was producing gifts for their Turley cousins. Liam, in particular, is a fellow Harry Potter devotee, and since he already had a wand made by the kids (who also sent special wands to Zoe and Lydia), they decided to create potion bottles to send as their gift. After a family meeting in which we all suggested names for the mixtures, we found glass bottles (and added some corks), then designed labels to attach. Each bottle was filled with a particular candy: for example, the kids put smarties in the ingenious elixir, green m&ms in the petrifaction potion, and pop rocks in the exploding olio. Now we just need to find more bottles of the same sizes so that we can make more of the stuff.

vamping

While sitting at the table and occupying himself with something other than eating (a fairly common occurrence), Casper took some shredded carrots from his salad, put them on his pup, and then turned to me and said, "Look, Daddy! Vampire Toffee!"

tannenbaum

Here's that long-promised view of the decorated Christmas tree, which the children have been longing to show off.

kids' outtakes

the party

Ah, the annual church Christmas party! This photo says it all. Linus looks bored out of his mind (but really, we just have trouble getting him to smile for any picture), Casper looks confused (but really, he's eying the candy bags stacked off to the side), Margaret looks tired (and fell asleep approximately 30 seconds after this picture was taken), and Gwendolyn has that grin that says, "I know all about Santa, but I'm putting on a good show for my brothers. Where's my bag of candy?").

We stayed for dinner (the kids mostly ate bread) and then took them home before the program part of the evening had even started. Merry Christmas or bah, humbug?

holiday portrait

One of these days we'll post the outtakes of these photo sessions to show you how frequently one of the children is scowling, or poking a sibling, or -- to be fair -- cuddling up to someone. There's not enough photoshop in the world. . . .

Greta

This sweet girl is getting so big! I really just need her to slow down so I can enjoy her littleness a bit longer. She's such a sweet, happy baby. She loves attention and cuddles. Like her sister before her, she is incredibly alert and spends most of her day looking around and taking everything in, which means she spends most of her day not napping.

Even though she only manages three or four 30-45 minute naps per day, I shouldn't complain because she is an excellent nighttime sleeper, often going 7 hours stretches between feedings.

She's also recently discovered her hands and will admire them for long stretches (I love that cross-eyed fascination). We keep telling her how much her quality of life will improve when she figures out how to get her thumb in her mouth, but she remains frustrated by her fist.

Every time I see her, I marvel at how in love with her I am. How did we ever manage before she came along?

the horror . . . the slobber

Linus announces he's going to write a story.
Daddy: "What's your story about, Linus?"
Linus: "A baby walks into a bank.
She slobbers all over the floor.
The bank police slip in the spitup,
and the baby runs out with all the money."
D: "What's it called?"
L: "The Slobbery Robbery."

Mama: Get me a burpcloth.
Linus: I can't [running away] -- it's too disgusting!

Casper in usual form

(Casper instructed me to take this portrait.)

Casper: "No ploblemo!"

C: "Easy peasy!" (which he says constantly, even it really makes no sense)

Casper loves to walk around sniffing his pup Toffee, or with his face buried in his pillowcase. He has also taken to smelling at his parents' clothes, presumably because the odor reminds him of us. Recently as I returned home from work, he ran to me, gave me a hug, then disengaged and grabbed the tail of my shirt, saying, "I haven't decided which of your shirts smells deliciouser than the others."

C, after smashing his fingers in the door: "Daddy, you shouldn't have had that doorway there!"

Gwennie, the explainer

Linus, looking and cooing at Margaret: "She's such a little looker!"
Daddy: "What does that mean, Linus?"
Gwennie: "It means she hardly ever closes her eyes."

short sleeves in the snow

When our city held its holiday celebration at a local park, rumor had it that they'd shipped in or manufactured enough fake snow to create a sledding hill. We stood in line for over an hour to get into the hayride which would transport us to this wonderland, but we discovered that what we'd heard was only a sweet myth. Arriving at the peak of the hill, however, we did discover a small pile of snow which had been brought up from the local ice skating rink and hockey arena -- enough to have a respectable snowball fight, even if we weren't dressed for it. The meager snow provided a fun and memorable night (augmented by the cocoa and cookies they were also serving).

arborial

Our tree is trimmed, and is both imposing and charming. (We are ecumenical in our decorating, though the emphasis is on lovely hand-painted Slavic ornaments and on Rankin-Bass figures -- a full set of Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius, Burl Ives' Santa, and the rest.) Unfortunately, we've failed at documenting it, so a fuller glimpse will have to wait until we get better pictures. Failing that, here is a detail from one of the nativities: a wise man holding seven manger-fowl. (It may be a record.)

bright lights

We started looking through our Christmas boxes in preparation for getting our tree and house decorated this weekend. When we pulled out the lights and started unraveling and checking them, Greta became very interested. Since she's getting strong enough to hold her head up while she's on her stomach, she was able to focus intently on the colors. It was incredibly cute to see her so absorbed.

blessing

Today Todd blessed our sweet baby Margaret. I'm thankful for the balmy November day we had so she could wear the blessing gown that Gwendolyn and I each wore as infants. My mother bought it when I was a baby, and it is such a dainty little thing, with tiny buttons and a slip. I love it and hope it holds up for any future granddaughters who may want to use it.

The blanket she is lying on (a soft flannel with a delicate crocheted trim) was made for the occasion by my mama. I love that she had these heirlooms on her special day.

cousines

Jen's family came down this weekend to spend time with us, which allowed the children several days to play with their cousins. As always, it's a joy to see them cavorting; it's even better now that the temperature has mellowed a bit, so that they can blow through much of their energy on the trampoline and constructing shantytowns in the back yard.

utterances at four

Casper: It's cold-hot -- that means warm. Or it's hot-cold -- that's French for warm.

C: Your favorite place to go out to dinner is Texas Todd-house.

C, describing a Lego set he'd seen at Target: The real giantest Hogwarts Castle of Wizardry and Wizardcraft!