Christmas

Our countdown to Christmas included Christmas with my family (details to come) and a nice church service on Christmas Eve.  After church, we got the kids to bed and then finished wrapping gifts, filling stockings, and getting ready for our fun Christmas morning.  We told the kids they were not allowed to wake us up before 7:00 on Christmas morning.  Adelie was in our room at 7:01 with Staley and Briggs appearing shortly after.  We read the Christmas story together as a family and then made our way downstairs for our Christmas morning fun.

The excitement of stockings...toothbrushes and underwear and jaw clips and yummy smelling body wash and a few micro machines never disappoint.

The kids, of course, made gifts for us and each other.  Briggs gave Staley a book of Christmas coupons and Adelie an original designed Perler bead Harry Potter set with Harry, a pygmy puff, and the Hogwart's Express.  Adelie made a Perler bead Gryffindor crest for Briggs and a Ravenclaw crest for Staley along with an original Harry Potter quiz book for both of them.  Staley made calligraphy sayings for everyone.  Adelie's said, "Always be yourself unless you can be a mermaid.  Then be a mermaid."  And Briggs' was the same except with wizard instead of mermaid.  Zach's said "Try accounting.  It's cool."  And mine was "Mom's are always right."  (Smart girl!) Staley also bought a plastic dolphin figure for Adelie at school using some sort of coupons she had earned.  I just love how my kids enjoy making things for each other, and how excited they get about the things their siblings make for them.

The kids had a few individual gifts to open.  Sunglasses and swimsuits for the girls...

while Briggs got this hat he had seen one time out shopping with Zach and REALLY wanted.

They also opened a few group gifts.  Tickets to an upcoming show in St. Louis for the girls with a fun day of riding the metra train for the boys AND snorkel gear and a spring break reveal for a trip to a few national parks in southern Florida in March.  As they get older, I much prefer gifting experiences than things.

But because the kids still like the things as well, each kid also got one bigger gift as well.  Briggs got this Harry Potter Lego set.

Adelie got an iPod, and Staley got a running watch.

Zach and I got sweet homemade gifts from the kids and a few fun (or necessary) things from each other as well.

After gift opening, there was a little time to eat cinnamon rolls, start Lego building, set up watch features, and listen to iPod music before heading to church for a really nice Christmas morning service with both sets of grandparents and Uncle Ethan joining us.

After church, we enjoyed a lazy afternoon of relaxing and playing with new stuff before heading to Grammie and Grandpa's house for a full Christmas dinner with them, Uncle Ethan, and Miss Vickie.  The dinner was scrumptious, the company was lovely, and the time for the kids to play with Uncle Ethan was probably the highlight.

It was a merry Christmas indeed!

Christmas Letter

I always post our Christmas letter on the blog to archive it for our family.  So here it is...

Here I sit, less than a week before Christmas, hoping to finally get “write the family Christmas letter” off my to-do list…and into your mailbox.  As I was contemplating how to approach this year’s letter-writing task, I tried to come up with the perfect way to share the relevant events from this past year in our life, but each idea I had just didn’t seem quite right.

At first I thought a Christmas poem might be kind of fun.

I could rhyme about each kid and how my husband likes to run.

But 3 lines in, I realized that a poem would be too hard.

I quickly scrapped the poem idea and decided to just send a...picture.

Then I pondered, “Could I write a Christmas letter that is nothing but questions?”  Would that be catchy and different?  But what is relevant information to share in a question-y Christmas letter?  Does everyone already know that Zach still works at State Farm or that I still work at the Children’s Hospital?  Is it really necessary that people remember the ages of Staley (almost 12), Adelie (9), and Briggs (7)?  And what’s the best way to write about a week at Universal and Disney, an east coast road trip, or our annual extended family beach vacation in Michigan in question form?  Truthfully, how much of a question filled Christmas letter can be completed before it just becomes super annoying?  Maybe about a paragraph?

I know in the past I’ve written the letter from our cats’ point of view.  Unfortunately, we had to say sad good-byes to our almost 20 year old cats, Jake and Elwood, around Christmas last year, so they are no longer around to write the letter for us.  I contemplated writing from the perspective of the family vehicles that keep the road hot driving the kids to all their theater rehearsals, lessons, school activities, church functions, and sports.  Our van has ventured with us throughout the year on road trips to St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Michigan, Shawnee National Forest, and 9 different states on our way to Acadia National Park in Maine.  But the vehicle’s perspective on our family is mostly limited to the constant requests for snacks, hours of audio books, a Pavlov-like need to chew gum as soon as the seatbelts snap, and endless questions about how much longer until we reach our destination.  I’m not sure that’s the best perspective through which to view our family’s year.

Of course, I could resort to the social media inspired Christmas letter that simply paints a perfect picture of our family.  I could share about Zach’s role in leading the Eureka to Peoria St. Jude Run to a record-breaking fundraising goal this year or about how Zach and a friend started a race timing business.  I could give detailed accounts of the number of miles we’ve run as a family throughout the year, roles my kids have performed in their various plays, the skills Adelie has mastered in her tumbling class, the creations that Briggs built with his Legos, or the quantity of books the kids have collectively read.  Unfortunately, for each glowing report from our family home, I could pair it with stories about sibling arguments and parent frustrations and neglected housework and that one time we forgot to pick Briggs up from his activity.  Since painting a picture of nothing but successes and perfection would be disingenuous, I better scrap that idea too.

In the end, I guess it’s best for me to just write a standard Christmas letter telling you that we’ve had a year full of various kid activities, fun family vacations, and mostly good times at school and work mixed in with the everyday struggles of an imperfect family of 5.  We’ve been healthy and busy and happy and loud and active and tired and blessed.  We thank God for the perfect imperfection that this year has been, and we thank God for each of you.  Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a perfectly imperfect 2023.

With love,

Ellen, Zach, Staley, Adelie, and Briggs

Christmas Countdown

Our month of December was busy and full with Christmas performances, shopping, decorating, enjoying the Festival of Lights, peppermint chip milkshakes, making gifts, watching Christmas movies, wrapping, baking, delivering, driving around to look at lights, and counting down to Christmas.  Factor in a week of sick kids and Christmas came up really fast this year.

Adelie and Briggs performed in their grade school Christmas concert, each singing 3 or 4 songs with their grade level.  

This was Adelie's last Davenport Christmas concert.  Of the holiday performances and activities, this one typically ranks low on my list so I'm not feeling too sad about the end of this era for Adelie.  Staley had a Christmas band concert scheduled as well, but it was while she was sick so she was not able to attend.  It was the thing she was most sad to miss during her week of illness.

All 3 kids performed in a holiday piano recital at Ms. Louise's church.  Since Ms. Louise only has 4 students (including my 3), it was short and sweet.  Each kid played 2 songs and did a great job.

Adelie and Briggs were also participants in the church Christmas program.  Adelie was a narrator and Briggs was a shepherd.  They both did a nice job singing their songs.  Adelie spoke very clearly during her parts, and Briggs knew exactly where to go and what to do as a shepherd.

Adelie had her last tumbling class at Velocity in Goodfield with Ms. Christy.  Adelie has tried tumbling at a variety of places over the years and this was by far her favorite.  We were both so sad when they decided to no longer offer tumbling.

I attended both Briggs' and Adelie's classroom Christmas parties the day before Christmas break.  They enjoyed the games, crafts, and treats and were pleased that I was there.

Staley enjoyed a little dessert Christmas party after Penguin rehearsal one evening where Staley and Maggie exchanged gifts.

We got lucky this year with getting to have some Uncle Ethan festive time.  He helped us decorate our tree while he was home the day after Thanksgiving...

and then also joined us for some cookie decorating when he was home again a few days before Christmas.

Our two days of winter storm weather was the perfect time to decorate gingerbread houses (and trains) from Uma.  Although we had to use a little hot glue to make them stay together, the kids had a good time decorating them.

The countdown to Christmas is always a fun time of year.

Christmas clothes, Christmas treats, Christmas performances, and Christmas traditions get us in that festive mood.

Sometimes it gets hectic.  Sometimes the to-do list feels long.  Sometimes the joy gets a little lost in the full December calendar.  But especially when the performances end and school is out, the time at home with family and the anticipation of get-togethers and Christmas day makes this one of my favorite times of year.

The countdown to Christmas takes up a full month, but what a fun month it is!!

Hmmmm...

 

Based on the spelling skills displayed in this card, maybe the statement isn't quite accurate.

She Writes...

 A Poem by Staley

There once was a man who had no horse, no wagon and no car

The only steed he had was an old green turtle whose name was Star

When the man rode Star from work at night he was always very late

His food was always very cold upon his shining plate

He was tired of always being late and so he formed a plan 

It would make Star hurry up "if" he thought "Star can"

He didn't know if Star could go fast, but it was worth a shot

If he could make his turtle fast, he'd like that quite a lot

The man got some cat food, and tied it to Star's tail

If the plan went well then Star would run "Oh please don't let this fail!"

Pretty soon every cat was chasing Star around, 

But Star didn't want to run, so she layed down on the ground

The man was getting very mad, but he had just one more trick,

He would get Star's favorite food, and make her run to have a lick

But Star just looked at her food, then sighed and went to sleep

The man was now considering trading Star out for a jeep

The man went over to where Star sat and looked her in the eye

"If you make me late for work, I will bake you in a pie!"

But Star ignored his empty threat and went back to her bed

And a great idea came floating into the man's head

"Who says I need to go to work?" He said smiling wide

"I can work from home you see" and he was practically swelling with pride

Now the man worked from home and Star remained his pet

The man was never late again, and he never broke a sweat

Love my poet!

Tis the Season...

 

for coughing and fevers and tissues and tears.  For days off school and chicken noodle soup and time on the couch. This has been a week of sickness at our house with Staley starting the trend and Adelie joining in today.  All I want for Christmas at this point is a fever free home and for my daughter to no longer sound like she's been a smoker since birth.  We'll see if that's something Santa can find in his sack.

A Very NTA Christmas

My kids love being involved with NTA.  They love having opportunities to perform in front of others.  And Rising Stars, the NTA show choir, has given them ample opportunities to perform this holiday season.  At least once every week-end (and sometimes 2 or 3 times) since mid-November, my kids have performed in some kind of parade, tree lighting ceremony, Christmas fund raiser, or other festive event.  It has kept us hopping, but they love it.  (Briggs, on the other hand, does not always love being dragged along to all their performances.)

The festival of lights parade was FREEZING this year.  We bundled the girls to the max and then waited in the car for them to dance by.

Thankfully their elf costumes were roomy enough to shove lots of layers underneath.

The Santa Claus parade, although only a week after the Festival of Lights parade, was WAY nicer weather.

It also helped that dressing in the blue and white color scheme meant that they could wear their coats.  By the end of this parade, they were ready to shed some layers.

At each performance, they perform their group numbers with occasional opportunities to perform solos.

Both girls got to perform their solos twice this season.  Adelie performed "That Time of Year" and Staley performed "Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun" at the Christmas in Kickapoo event and at NTA's Christmas Cabaret.

One of their favorite parts of Rising Stars is having the opportunity to hang out with their NTA friends more often.  One of their favorite days this season was a 2 performance day where they got to go to lunch and hang out with friends between their performances.

The NTA Christmas Cabaret provided the opportunity for the girls to show off their routine from their Broadway Dance class as well.

In addition to performing their Rising Stars group numbers and solos, they also entertained with an Irish tap routine that they were working on throughout this past session of Broadway Dance.

Although NTA has kept us busy this Christmas season with Elf, Rising Stars performances, and the Christmas Cabaret, it has also brought so much fun and joy to our kids.

We have attended way more festive Christmas activities than we would have without their involvement.

It has been a very NTA Christmas season!

Basketball

Briggs just finished a 6 week session of basketball clinic on Saturday mornings.  He always complained about going, but seemed to have a good time once he was there.  We had more than one talk about how, if you ask me to sign you up for something, then you are not allowed to complain about going.  It didn't work.

Briggs had friends in his session of the basketball clinic and enjoyed spending time with them.  He improved with his dribbling skills, passing skills, and even made a few baskets.

Understanding the rules of the game, playing defense, and what the skills should look like in a game setting were harder for him to grasp.  Part of that is our fault as I don't think he's ever been to or seen an actual basketball game.  Although there were a few kids in his clinic that had strong skills with basketball, his skill level and understanding were about on par with many of the kids.

During his last basketball clinic, the coach had the boys scrimmage for part of the time.  Zach took him that week and he texted me saying, "This is painful.  Briggs is doing an okay job of covering Eli at times.  Of course, they are on the same team so..."

Briggs was not sad when his basketball clinics were over.  Although he enjoyed time with friends and improved with his skills, I anticipate this being the end of his formal basketball journey.  And that's okay.  

Question of the Day

Is there something ironic about the fact that my kids argue at dinner about who gets to pray before the meal?

Truth

Staley has a habit of snapping her fingers whenever she is walking around the house.  Adelie has recently learned to whistle and is constantly whistling as she walks.  So now I never have to wonder where in the house my girls are.  It's like having a cat with a bell around its neck, only less weird and inappropriate than actually putting a bell around my children's necks.