Christmas Traditions OR How we make the magic happen

Marie and I were the first to get married in both of our families so we have spent the last many years trying to figure out what our traditions will be, how our families traditions will change and how the Christmas magic will live on. Here are a few things that were part of our tradition this year. Who knows what next year will look like.

Early on in December we like to kick things off by throwing something in the toilet. Last year it was my glasses. Gratefully this year it was just an orange cone.

As December progresses, of course, we like to do things that help us remember what Christmas is all about. That's right - it is about programs! Singing and dancing and pretending your electric candle is a sword and getting stage fright and overcoming it and peeking under the curtain to see if you can see your parents and getting cookies afterwards and finishing your first semester of Spanish School! I think when Rom was wielding his candle like a sword he was supposed to be waiving it in a "We are the World" kind of action but it ended up a lot more like "I'm going to take over and dominate your world" kind of action.











My mom helped us introduce a new tradition by buying us an Elf on the Shelf. Are you familiar with this product? It is great. It is basically a commercial method of child manipulation. I've been looking for just such a commercial product for a long long time. I always expected I would find it first in pill form but I'll take it in Elf form. If I can just figure out now how to control them the other 11 months out of the year then I will really have something. If you are not familiar with this motivational tool....the elf moves around every night while the kids are asleep and looks for places to hide where he can also watch their behavior. He reports to Santa every night, you see, so you better be good or else! Sometimes our elf is naughty and gets into things and he liked to hide in funny places. Our kids named him Magic. Only adults can touch him or he looses his magic. I think his eyes are creepy so I don't let him hide by my room.

Then there is the joy of the gingerbread house! (and the joy of a very wonderful mom that decided on the first day that it was more fun to eat off than enjoy looking at.)

Next was a VERY SURPRISING visit from the jolly old elf himself. Santa's manners are a little rusty from all that time only dealing with elves at the north pole so when he came to our house he rang his own bells and then just walked in. Lucky for him I think most people want to stay on his good side so they are willing to conform to whatever the man wants. We were no exception. I was very disappointed however, that when Santa reviewed the "Good" and the "Not-so-good" list with my kids, we found that they were on the good list, along with Marie, but that I was on the bad list. ME?? I really thought I had been doing better this year but no one else in my family seemed surprised at all. Figures. I thought Santa was supposed to give ME leverage leading up to Christmas so my kids would be good? In our house Santa gave Lainey clear instructions that she needed to leave him a note on Christmas eve that clarified if I had been reformed or not by Christmas. If not reformed I was getting nothing but a stocking full of potatoes. (He said coal is a common misconception.) Although Lainey has not noticed the variations of Santas (at least not that she will admit) Romney seems to distinguish between the "Real" Santas and the "Not Real" Santas. I'm not sure how he knows or can tell but he is always double checking - "Dad, was that the real Santa?" In this case there was no second guessing. This guy was the real deal and we were SO grateful for his visit. He talked to the kids about the birth of Jesus and ways we can and should celebrate Christmas. He was truly amazing. I also have to agree that he was the real Santa. My only evidence is that I have never seen him before this night or since. Sometimes you see, I know it is not the real Santa and sometimes I even might know the fake Santa's real name. I have no idea in this case so my only conclusion is that Angus Brow was a real elf and that Santa was the real Santa. How else would he know that I should be on the bad list and that Lainey should be on the good list?

Santa also gave us an awesome new tradition! He told the kids in a very serious tone that when Mom and Dad said it was time for bed that they should go outside and look for a red light. What would that red light be? Romney guessed it and whispered, "Rudolph's nose?" YES, Rudolph's nose. When you see Rudolph's nose you will know that Santa is not very far away and you better run as fast as you can and get in your bed because if you are awake when Santa gets there he won't stop and you won't get any presents. It totally worked. We saw Rudolph's nose I've never seen my kids go to bed so fast and easy in my life. It was amazing. Here Romney is taking a pre-bedtime check out the window to be sure there is no sign of Rudolph yet.

Christmas morning also brought Christmas magic. Really - what can beat the magic of nutcracker tickets and a Beatles t-shirt?












Okay - so Lainey liked the Nutcracker tickets but I'm not really sure if Romney actually cared about the t-shirt. He was much more interested in Batman cars, and the Batman cave that Sachie gave him and the his cousin's Batman cave and Batman's friend Robin and basically anything with a Bat symbol on it. He hasn't wanted to leave the house since he got the Batman cave and so far we have only been able to get him to eat once or twice. He has become Batman obsessed.

And post Christmas? Ice fishing and cross country skiing!
Kingfish has decided that this winter is going to be full of ice fishing and he gave the kids fishing poles for Christmas so we had to give them a try. Unfortunately our first outing turned out to be more of a social experience rather than a catching-fish experience but the kids had fun and isn't that all that matters?









I am happy to report that Lainey insisted on going solo with Kingfish in a snowstorm for another shot at the fish and caught a very large cutthroat trout. (from her toes to her hip is how she measured it.) They had to throw it back, however, so I'm not sure if she really caught it or if the Kingfish is now in the process of training an apprentice, kind of like how the Emperor tricks Annikan into becoming Darth Vader.

Here is the only picture of cross country skiing we took. Every time we thought of taking another picture we realized that at least two of the four of us were crying (we each took turns) or complaining about something (we all took turns at this too) because no one has gotten enough sleep in days and our schedules are all messed up but hopefully if I post this picture you will believe that we are perfect and smiling and doing fun things all the time and that sleep isn't even important to us because we are so amazing.

I wish you a merry Chrismas in a happy new way

nothing like being excited to go skiing on Christmas Eve!

A holiday song to welcome the season (enhanced for the hearing impaired)

Halloween

One of the highlights of Halloween this year was visiting the Farnsworth Family Farm for their Halloween festival. We picked our pumpkins (Rom slept through this part so we only have cute pics of Lainey,) drank yummy yummy fresh hot cider, went on a hay ride, visited the fishing pond for awesome unnecessary plastic objects, paid way too much for glowing bracelets and necklaces, drank some more cider, picked dying tomato plants in hopes of some post-frost ripening, drank more cider, and stayed up late watching Charlie Brown and the great pumpkin.
It was great - I would highly recommend it to anyone for Halloween fun (and appreciate the friend who recommended it to us!)
Then there was the pumpkin carving contest with no clear winner


Marie was not going to dress up for Halloween this year until about 15 minutes before we left the house. It was at that point that genius struck someone (there is debate as to if it was my idea or hers) but once the genius struck...cat woman was born. It turns out our family (and extended family) all dressed up in themes.

First there was the bat crew.
and the extended bat crew......(Rom's buddy cousin and uncle)
The Fa-who for-ay da-who do-res crew (Grinch and Cindy-loo Who)

The snow white, evil step mother crew (my sister and niece)....
But the scary costume of the year goes to my brother. He and my sister-in-law dressed up as my parents. My brother has for years claimed the possibly of adoption but those claims have now been rendered unfounded.

laser-guided aiming system

Romney got a nerf gun for his birthday.
He is a pretty good shot.

Parenting is hard

This happened a few months ago but it needed to be recorded.

We had just stopped at KFC to pick up a little sustenance on our way out of town (weird, I know, since we are pretty much vegetarian.

The kids had been great in our preparations and we told them they could get small ice cream cones as well. (I don’t think the ice cream cones were vegan either)

So anyway – we are a few blocks away and as expected, Romney’s cone is melting fast and dripping all over the place. Romney is not what you would call a “finisher.” He doesn’t finish his dinner, he doesn’t finish getting dressed, he doesn’t finish washing his hands, and luckily he usually doesn’t finish his treats either.

After about ½ the cone and a lot of melting he was done. He said, “Mommy, can I please have some chicken?”

What did Marie say? “No...finish your ice cream cone first.”

At that point Marie and I looked at each other feeling a little confused at why he had to finish ice cream before he could have real food (assuming KFC counts as real food.). I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “It’s okay Marie, you can’t win them all.”

what a life

this will come as no surprise, but I'm really missing this.

this picture dates from the days just after Romney was born and my mom would come over every afternoon and give Lainey (who was feeling displaced and neglected) some love in the form of dress-ups and laughter and stories and treats and playing and lots of attention. in doing so, she gave me time and space to put a few of the pieces of myself back together, to stop holding my breath, and feel like we just might live to see another day.

I could use some of that right now.

instead, I find myself trying to figure out how to hold the duality of rich abundance and powerful loss, which leaves me looking for sense in places where there is none and trying to understand things that are inexplicable. why why why. that's not a question so much as a wish that I understood why these lives we lead are such hard places to be sometimes. healthy people die. good and innocent people have to deal with very difficult situations, sometimes (though certainly not always) created by other people's terrible choices. awful. senseless.

so many whys I struggle with and here's one: why does it feel sometimes like God is in the little details of our lives, and not the big ones? yes, I can reframe this for myself: why is it easier to see God in the little details, and harder to see Him in the big ones? I imagine and hope that someday I'll look back and see more clearly what I can't see now, but in the meantime, why don't we get to know which of the details of our lives are big and which are small in the grand scheme of things? because it's occurring to me that I mix them up more often than I realize and I wish I knew the difference. so maybe that's the point. I know the flip sides to all of my arguments and frustrations, but that doesn't make me feel much better.

We have a motto around our house: You get what you get and you don't throw a fit. It applies here because Jim (among other people) has been after me to take a turn updating the blog and I'm pretty sure this isn't what he had in mind. And so to Jim I say, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. how's that for a little ray of sunshine?

ROM - DIZZ

Romney (Rom-dizz, Wombat, Rombomb, Romulus, Romdude, Rom) turned four this year and it is still hard for me to believe that he could be so old.

Here are some highlights that we LOVE about Romney:

1. He has a soft heart and he is always looking out for everyone else. (Don't threaten his sister or you will be in TROUBLE.)
2. He can shake his hips way better than Elvis.
3. It is hard to understand what he is saying because even while he is talking the only thought going through his head is..."get candy get candy get candy get candy get candy get candy get candy."
4. He LOVES classic rock or anything with shredding guitar and cries if you try and make him listen to appropriate sabbath day music.
5. He gives great hugs and always tells you that he loves you. (not uncommon to hear it 20 times a day or so)
6. He is willing to jump off of anything at anytime.
7. He likes to watch football with his daddy but sometimes forgets to cheer for the right team.
8. Always flexible. He may not be happy about it but he will go along with it.
9. Whenever you ask him to bless the food he usually answers in Spanish..."Si, Daddy!"
10. Does awesome running and jumping onto the couch daredevil moves.
11. He has a fantastic laugh and would really love it if you would please tickle him.
12. He is very polite - he nearly always uses "please" and "thank you" and is not bossy.
13. He makes up killer songs.
14. When it is his turn to choose a song he often chooses a made up one and is confused why no one else knows it.
15. When he wants more of something he complains: "Dad, I didn't want that much," which for a long time made us think he wanted less when in fact he wanted more.
16. He can play by himself for hours.
17. He loves gum which is funny because it is never in his mouth.
18. He is addicted to root beer and sprite and we don't even drink pop at home.
19. He jumps when he walks.
20. He has his completely own sense of style and if you try and make him wear pants he will cry. I think he is concerned that they will cover up his shoes and he really likes to be able to see them.
21. He would really like it if you would please have a sword fight with him right now. Or wrestle. Or box. Whatever - let's just fight!
22. He only has "best friends."
23. He really prefers footie jammies.
24. If you leave him alone outside he will very likely turn on the hose.
25. He has no nerve endings capable of feeling cold until he nearly has frostbite.
26. He likes to snuggle.
27. At night he fills his bed up with books and then sleeps on top of them.
28. He is the only 4 year old we know that still sleeps in a crib.
29. He likes to paint his nails, he prefers the multi-colored look.
30. He speaks exactly like Beaker from the Muppets. Lainey is like Dr. Bunsen Honeydew - she is the only one that can understand him.




Cowboy Rom and his trusty lasso



Batman Romney finds a wig and decides he is now a rock star!

backblog

Holy cow! 6 weeks people! 6 WEEKS! sheesh. It has been a crazy six weeks - many of them fully worthy of their own post. All of them really worth their own post but unfortunately I am a weak man and I just don't think I can stay up all night writing the crazy things we have been doing but it must be documented so here is the summary version for future posterity and impatient readers. Ready? oh wait. Sorry if you said you were ready but I actually had to look at a calender and although my last post was 6 weeks ago - I have to back a little farther. Let's say 7 weeks. I think that will be enough.......okay now. Ready?

Week 7





















First Day of First Grade!

Week 6 (Labor Day weekend)

















Weber Cabin horse love.


Week 5














MORE Horse love - actually horse love becomes crazy passionate horse obsession.

Week 4
















Martin's Cove, Devil's Gate (pictured above), and TREK training for next summer!

Week 3
















Dirty work - demolition of a few rooms in the Fremont house. Marie doing something less dirty somewhere off with the girls in the neighborhood. No appropriate pictures to post.

Week 2
































C-C-C-COLD Cabin CLOSING for the season. But not without a little more obsession

Week somewhere in the middle that will get his own post......
















ROMNEY TURNS 4!

Week 1
















okay - notice the road in the distance - the incline of the road - the beautiful girl running in the road. ...
















RAGNAR. Ragnasty? Ragnariffic?Ragcrazy? Ragtastic? Ragstupid?
171 miles of relay...uh....fun.

Week now......















The results of my bike ride and ENDO yesterday (i.e. rim resembles a sine wave) ....and the results of being done with my talk in church today and finally having time to catch up on the blog!

growing up - and more picture overload

Somehow Laine the Hurricane has turned 6. (I know, I know. I can hear the audible gasp out there from all of you that thought she was at least 13 but she is not. She is only 6 but don't you try and tell her that or ELSE!)
I think we are good parents. We really try, but no matter what we say to her she keeps growing. It is really frustrating. If you have a solution please let us know.

Tonight in Lainey's bed time prayer she said, "please bless me that I will not have bad dreams. Please bless me to dream about butterflies, flowers, corn on the cob, Hello Dolly, and The Secret Garden." I love knowing what constitutes a happy dream to her. (I actually wrote this a few days ago and since then she has just made this one of those repetitious things she says every night.)

We marked Laine's vanishing youth at the cabin again this year. This is really a great way to go. It is like a present for the parents and for her. For the parents, they don't have to throw a party where she would insist on everything being covered with pink feather boas and would probably also involve a lot of rhinestones. Instead, we as parents, can get a way with just hauling a pinata up to the cabin to hit with a stick.

For Lainey, she gets to be in one of the most beautiful places in the world, go to the beach everyday, take a ride on a boat, and wear her swimsuit pretty much 24/7. What could be better?

This year there were some great additions as well. It was a killer season for huckleberries so we spent a little time each morning enduring the mosquitoes and filling our buckets with yummy plump berries. We also had to make a lot of noise just to be sure we didn't run into any grizzly bears who thought that we looked plump and yummy. We did come across some VERY fresh bear scat. Rom and I dissected it to see what the bear had been eating. It was very fun but it was obvious the bear liked berries too so we had to be careful - lucky thing for bear bells and noisy kids. (my bro and sis-in-law saw three griz one night not too far from the cabin and on a main road! crazy!)

Lainey also agreed to some new things this year. Now that she is six and everything and so OLD she thought she would be willing to try water skiing with Marie. We have some cousins that have the kids sit on the adult's lap so we finally talked Lainey into trying it. Lainey didn't really sit on her lap so it looked to me a lot more like one of those water skiing shows you would see in Florida or something. They were a pretty good act I thought. (My two absolute favorite pictures of the summer are the one of them skiing together and the one of the victory muscle flex below.) We also talked Lainey into trying wake boarding but the cold lake water got the best of her on that one so after 2 tries and a face plant she was done done done. We were proud of her for trying though and that night when I was putting Romney to bed I asked him what his favorite part of the day was. He answered immediately that it was "when my big sister tried wake boarding. I want to try wake boarding when I am six." It was really cute.

We celebrated on Saturday and had a big fiesta. Lainey had also requested a very specific birthday cake. She said "Mom, I want my cake to have a beach, and the lake and maybe a boat in the lake pulling a water skier." At first this was a little distressing to Marie but she totally came through. Along with a little help from her super stylish sister they made an awesome cake. It included the cabin, a bear, a moose, a boat and skier, a sail boat, fish, a lake, and a beach. It was pretty impressive. They made it all out of tootsie rolls, taffies, and dots.

(tangential note - does anyone out there actually like dots? they are terrible. Our theory is that they stopped making dots sometime in the 60s but they have not been able to sell them so they continue to disperse them in mixed bags of candy just to get rid of them. I can only recommend dots for people with no teeth. If you have teeth you will not be able to taste them because they will always be stuck to your teeth but if you don't have teeth I can imagine that they would be okay to just gum away at for an hour or two.)

As always leaving the cabin is a travesty that comes complete with tears and tantrums. Why would anyone want to leave?



(credit to most of the pictures to Cath! thanks Cath - see some more here)