First of all, the weather is unseasonably warm and I love it. I was able to wear basically a summer shirt and jeans and be completely comfortable.
Don and Merlene made a big delicious breakfast of blueberry muffins, bacon, cheesy eggs, and juice. Dave joined us for breakfast wearing a goofy t-shirt that looked like an ugly Christmas sweater. Afterward, Jack, Clara, and I got ready to go to Mom's. We got to dress Clara in her Christmas outfit Mom bought especially for her.
When we got to Mom's there wasn't too terribly much left to get ready since Neil, Ellen, and Everett (especially Ellen) had already done most of the tasks on the list. I was also proud of Mom because she seemed pretty calm about hosting and wasn't stressed about preparing every single thing on time.
Once we were ready we all opened gifts. Mom really liked the bluetooth speaker Ellen, Everett, and I pitched in together for. I got a lot of bandannas and knee-high socks and I also helped Clara open her gifts, including a couple board books Mom had written inscriptions in for her. I also think it's a sweet tradition that Mom always puts some small gifts in our stockings with a bunch of candy, and she always gets everyone at least one chocolate orange (Neil usually gets more).
Not long after that Mom's family arrived, which means we got to enjoy wine and whisky sour slushes and cheesy potatoes and mini-eclairs and on and on. Clara was extremely popular, getting passed from relative to relative for pictures, and she handled it like a champ.
Eventually I took her back because she was acting sleepy, and I rocked her to sleep in my arms in the basement while chatting with Teresa about her very cool firearm-based jewelry and while watching Elf with Everett, Jack, and Uncle Mark. Before I knew it people were leaving to have Christmas celebrations with other pats of their family.
So Jack, Clara, and I went back to the Jackson's to do the same, and it was extremely pleasant. Everyone was there. We had tortellini dinner (a tradition I've come to really look forward to) and we fed Clara some ground up tortellini and French bread. She seemed to enjoy it. She made everyone (especially Don and Dave) laugh a lot with her strange machine gun laugh. Aaron said it sounds like a dolphin that is a heavy smoker, haha.
After dinner we normally do letter exchange, but this year we had a gift exchange as well. Aaron, Katie, Jack, and I had conspired to get some Santa photos with Clara and Naomi. (Merlene has long collected Santa photos of her own sons, so we're continuing the tradition). When Merlene opened the gift she was visibly touched, looked like she'd even tear up. It was really sweet. And Jack, Dave, and Aaron had gone in together to get Don and Merlene (knock off) Blues jerseys, which they also liked a great deal though Merlene kept saying the boys shouldn't have.
We also did a gift exchange for the babies. Katie and Aaron got us a cute onesie that said "All Mommy wants is a Silent Night." We gave Naomi some animal toys. Don and Merlene got both girls a bunch of stuff, including books, teethers, and kid-friendly mirrors. Dave got them Sinfonia onesies.
I think it was after gift exchange that Merlene set both girls in her lap and read them the Christmas Story. At one point she said the word "several" and she and everyone else burst out laughing because the accent with which Don and Merlene say "several" has become an ongoing joke, haha.
Then we did letter exchange, which I always enjoy. Don and Merlene also wrote letters to Clara and Naomi. I'm saving Clara's in a shoebox of mail for her (or about her, in the case of baby shower cards).
Finally, after letter exchange we all drove a mile or so away to Grace's church, down Mexico Road, to watch their light show set to music, including the Pentatonix version of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I'd been worried Clara would be fussy having to be in her carseat, but when we turned the seat around so she could see the lights, she sat through the whole show (15-20 minutes) without any problem.
When we got back, Neil, Ellen, and Everett joined us at the Jackson's to play Say Anything. I just watched for the first few games but ended up joining in later. We finally stopped a bit after midnight. Overall it was a wonderful day.
I've been too busy to write a proper, thought out blog post complete with pictures, but for the sake of memories I wanted to do a quick bullet point list of joys this trip so far:
Clara has been doing very well seeing all these people she doesn't know and letting people hold her and cuddle her. She just rolls with it.
She's also been doing relatively well (for traveling) with sleep. She either sleeps through the night or just wakes up once, which is much better than past travel experiences. And she's been sleeping in a pack-and-play, as opposed to sharing a bed with us, which makes it easier for us to sleep too.
I've been enjoying lots of delicious treats (puppy chow, fudge, etc) without worrying about it at all.
Last Sunday (the 20th) Everett and I went with the Jackson family to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It was an enjoyable movie, but I think I had an especially good time because Everett and I sat next to each other and could mutter comments and jokes without bothering anyone else about it. "Thanks, Po!" "Good job, Po!" "Glad you weren't actually dead, Po!" and "May the Force be with you." "And also with you."
It was also pleasantly nostalgic to see a movie in the theater I used to go to the most when I lived here.
I love how happy people are to see and spend time with Clara, especially Mom, Don & Merlene, and even Dave.
During the Metropolis trip we played a game called "Say Anything" with hilarious results. I've never seen Don or Katie laugh as hard as they did during that game. I couldn't stop smiling.
I really enjoy talking to Katie. I've always liked her a lot, but now that we're both mothers we have a lot more to talk about and the conversation seems to flow particularly easily. She laughs easily, which I always like, but she also makes me laugh a lot with her story-telling style. It's nice to have her to talk to.
Here we are with our daughters and Grandma J
I got several hours of work done while in Metropolis, which makes me feel a little better about my productivity level.
The Christmas card I animated for Charter apparently went over pretty well and got them some positive feedback, which is awesome.
Yesterday I went to Julie's and got to see her, Zoey, and Malcolm decorate a Christmas tree and make sugar cookies. The kids were having a great time and I enjoyed watching their delight. Also Julie had some very tasty spiced holiday wine that she and Ellen and I shared.
Jack and I got to go on a date last night while Mom babysat Clara. We walked all the way down Main St. and saw the many Christmas decorations and Christmas characters and choirs surrounded by small crowds, many children, watching them. People were selling kettle corn, which made the street smell wonderful. The weather is unseasonably warm, so we were comfortable in light jackets, nothing more. It was pretty delightful.
A week ago Jack, Clara, and I left for Dad's for Thanksgiving.
Clara was a doll on the plane. She slept the first 40 minutes or so, then played happily and flirted with everyone she could see. Lots of smiles. One of the flight attendants, an older woman, let Clara look at her shiny silver charm bracelet. It all went so smoothly I almost felt guilty. What an easy going kid.
Left: Clara decides to leave the boarding area. Right: It's a bit chillier than at home, isn't it?
Jill picked us up. I don't really mind the long drive (an hour and a half or so) from the airport to Dad's because usually it's a chance to get some one-on-one (or at least small group) visiting in.
When we got to the house Julie's family and the other kids and Dad were already there. Zoey in particular was happy to see Clara. In fact one of the joys of this trip was how adorable Zoey is regarding Clara; she's very gentle and attentive and all smiles. She seems really happy to have Clara around.
Also at the house was a huge dining room table covered in different kinds of food. This year Dad decided to make a lot of the traditional Thanksgiving foods in advance to eat as leftoevers throughout the week, and then he made barbecued chicken and steaks and twice baked potatoes the actual day of Thanksgiving (all of which were really good). But for now there was leftover candy yams and that was good enough for me. Oh, and tons of pies, of course. Since 2014 Thanksgiving Dad swore up and down he wasn't going to make so many pies because it's just too much work, and yet somehow he ended up making (ballpark) 30 pies again this year. But, hey, it's delicious for us.
Anyway, highlights of the trip:
1. The hotel was peaceful and warm and comfortable. It was good to have a space to sleep and to not feel too stressed or guilty if Clara needed to cry it out a bit. We had a king size bed so we just let her sleep between us. She still slept fitfully the first night (I assume because everything was so different) but the second night we each were on either side of her in the dark waiting for her to wind down, and for a long time she would fidget and flip and flop all over the bed between us, alternating between putting her head down like she was snuggling to sleep and then popping back up to half-heartedly try to crawl over us. She made little sighs and grunts the whole time, and Jack and I just silently grinned at each other in the dark. Eventually she did fall asleep with minimal fussing. It was all pretty cute.
The hotel also has free breakfast every morning, so I would do my morning pump and then go get some since I was already up. The nice thing about being there so early is there were only one or two other people there with me. No line, no noise. Very peaceful.
Our hotel room also had a nice view: a snow covered gazebo with pine trees around it. Very wintery and scenic.
2. The snow was another joy, surprisingly. I'm not a big fan of snow, but it's easier to enjoy when you know in a few days you'll be back in a more temperate climate. It definitely was pretty, and it made Dad's house look like a gingerbread house out of a fairy tale, or something.
3. One morning/early afternoon Julie and I went downtown to get Starbucks together (actually she brought her own coffee and I got some hot chocolate). Jack was sweet enough to stay back and watch the kids. Julie and I sat on stools looking out the window watching the snowy day and we chatted about parenting (something we talk about a lot these days) and wills and the future and when and whether we'll have more kids. It was great to get some uninterrupted time with her.
4. That same day most of the adult children and Dad had gone up to the ranch to go snow mobiling. I was glad I stayed back. The house was relatively quiet. Julie and I hung out with our kids by the warm fire while they played with duplos. It was very chilly out at this point so it felt especially cozy inside.
Top: Clara and Zoey check out the snow from a warm distance.
Bottom: Harrison and Rocket enjoy the fire.
5. That night Miss Kristin came to babysit the kids and the adults all went to the local bar for karaoke. Unfortunately the karaoke DJ was sick, but that meant that most people cleared out and we had the bar pretty much to ourselves.
Posing for Wolfman Karaoke DJ so we could send him a picture showing he's missed.
The others took turns playing pool (RPS to choose teams) and I sat in a corner and talked mostly with Jill, also with Neil. We had a sort of jukebox war going on with some other person or people in the bar, not sure who. They kept picking really bad screamo music, and we kept picking various good music, either swing or 70s or whatever.
Neil and Ellen's reactions to screamo music.
At one point we played Tenacious D's "Tribute" and everyone got really into it, singing in unison. It practically was karaoke. Dad ordered pizza delivered and later I tried a rootbeer float shot that was actually really tasty. The whole night was a lot of fun.
6. The next day a bunch of the adults went on a tour of a WWII museum, and Jill and I took the oppotunity to go thrift shopping. Sola came with us. The store was having 50% off a lot of items but it wasn't too crowded, and I found four shirts, a belt, and two pairs of pants all for probably less than $20. Man, I love thrift stores. I love that Jill loves thrift stores too. It's something we share.
7. We did fit a little Tichu in too. Clara fell asleep before we left for the hotel one night, and she slept the whole way there and stayed asleep after we got to our room. Julie et al had traded their hotel room with Neil and Everett, so I asked the boys if they wanted to play a (quiet) game of Tichu while Clara slept. It was a short game--Jack and Neil absolutely annihilated Everett and me--but it was fun nonetheless. Clara only woke up briefly and soon snuggled back to sleep directly on the bed, which was awesome.
During our hotel Tichu game, not sure what they're doing here.
The next day we played another game at Tejon while Sola helped watch Clara. This time Everett and I won. Sweet, sweet revenge. It's been a long time not only since we played Tichu at all, but also since we got to finish an entire game in one sitting. So that was pretty nice.
7. That day Jack and Neil went back home. Bryon took them. It was sad to see them go but also kind of nice to reduce the chaos a little bit. Our family has gotten a little big even for Tejon. That night Ellen, Everett, and I stayed up late in the family room and talked for hours. It was great to get some one-on-one visiting with them at the end there. We talked a lot about men and women and relationships, from what I can remember. I really love being such good friends with my siblings now that we're all adults. It's good to have people to talk to so easily. Also Clara hung out with us the whole time--Everett and I took turns holding her and pacing around while talking, or she just played on the floor and watched us. She's such an easy kid.
8. The next day Everett and Julie and her family left, and while Jill drove them to the airport, a long-time FB friend of mine, Jen, who lives in the same town came to visit/meet for the first time. It was really pleasant. We talked about Atlas Shrugged and Diet Coke and Clara and Jen's artwork and family. Can't hurt to know people in more places, right?
9. And finally, I'm grateful for how well-behaved Clara was when I flew back with her by myself. We got stuck going through security because one of my bottles of breast milk set off some alarm, and while they were patting me down she just sat on the floor grinning at me and at the TSA agents, who thought she was adorable. Then on the plane she was great almost the whole way. She kept grinning at the lady sitting next to us (who looked to be a bit older than my parents) and was even comfortable letting the lady hold her while I got more milk out of the overhead bin. Clara did start fussing at one point but it was only for a minute or two until I distracted her with her baby toothbrush. After we landed several people complimented her on how well she did. The guy in front of us (also older than my parents) made faces and funny noises at her and everyone kept watching her and smiling. It was super cute. I was very proud of her.
Today Jack found out he got accepted into the nursing program! This is wonderful news for several reasons: it's a top-rated program, local to where we live, and he had been waitlisted the first time he applied, so it's a relief to know he's in for sure this time.
We toured the program a couple weeks ago and found out that there's no part-time schedule for taking the classes. Everyone in an entering class takes all classes together and finishes in two years, barring some complications. On the one hand this means things will be pretty intense the next two years, but on the other hand I now find it more plausible that he really will finish in two years instead of three, and that would be great.
So after he got home last night, he, Clara, and I went out to celebrate. We went to Burgers and Brew, one of our favorite spots, and had some delicious avocado burgers and curly fries and he got a beer. Clara slept for most of the wait for food and was just hanging out in her carseat for a lot of it. After awhile she started fussing so I held her in my lap and let her try some avocado and, for the first time, a pickle. She liked it.
There are a lot of fans in the restaurant and she was checking all of those out. She also enjoyed trying to spin the top of a bar stool near our table. You'd think a "date" where you bring the baby wouldn't be fun, but, while it's not the same as going out on our own, I do enjoy it. Everything is new and interesting through Clara's eyes.
Laughing at the mirror and slapping Jack's bald head over and over.
Tonight we went to our friend Julianna's house for our first Friendsgiving! It was a lot of fun. First of all she and her wife had decorated. There was a banner that said "Give Thanks" and this quote on their white board:
Their regular house decor was awesome too. I was especially impressed with this board Julianna painted herself. She would fit in well on Pinterest.
Gui loves holding Clara.
It was a potluck dinner so there was a TON of food, all of it delicious. I brought cheesy potatoes, which got annihilated. Always nice when everyone really likes your potluck dish. There were these bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese that were especially amazing. Of course there was green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. There were also brownies. And we brought a spoon for Clara so she could try a bit of any of the mushy food. She seemed to like it all.
Speaking of Clara, I thought maybe since there were 30 or so people going there might be others with children, but no, she was the only one there under about age 21. That means she got a lot of attention, of course.
Making friends with Sydney.
I got to chat with Julianna and Erin, and at one point Melissa, who I hadn't seen in awhile, came over just to catch up with me, which made me feel good. We end up making each other laugh a lot, I love that.
Later in the evening Melissa got out her guitar and sang a few songs. She's quite good! Not only does she have a good voice but at one point she sang a song she'd written herself, and it was excellent! Very clever lyrics and cheerful. Julianna sat next to her and sang back up.
Clara watches the singing and guitar playing.
But the best part was when they started singing "Want To Want Me" by Jason Derulo, and Erin flipped and got way into it. I love Erin's enthusiasm. So endearing.
Overall it was just a really nice evening, and a great way to start the holidays.
