Category: family

I think Tom may have actually guffawed when I suggested we go to the zoo today. I realize the high temperature was supposed to be in the thirties, but it seemed like a good option to me. There were cold weather events scheduled, and I sensed it could be fun.

Tom would agree that I was right and he should take back his guffaw. The zoo was practically empty, leaving us room to run and romp. Add to that some special encounters, where Neko was actually able to pet a penguin after it spent 10 minutes zipping around our feet.

On a typical weekend day, we’d be fighting our way through the crowds and stressing about losing one of the kids. But we actually found ourselves relaxed. At the manatee house, we actually sat down and watched the kids take it all in. With that dreamy music playing, I think I started slipping into some sort of zen state.

If you ever wanted a peek into my weird life, this series of photos will do it.

1. Neko balancing more things on her head and insisting on photo documentation.

2. Shep, still enjoying playing the part of dog/Sizzles, demanding to go into Daisy’s crate and then settling in for a nice snack. (Note to Children’s Services: Yes, he did ask to go in there, and we’re always just a few feet away, especially Neko, who would like to know when it’s her turn.)

3. The bag of carryout from last night. Tom called it in and I picked it up, which I decided was a terrible arrangement once Tom informed me he had placed the order under the name “Hotpants”.

4. The human body book I had to refer to when, at 9:15am, Neko demanded to know how babies get out of a mom’s belly. That is too early in the day to be discussing human anatomy in a thoughtful, delicate manner.

5. Tom introduces the kids to the banana phone (while they eat lunch with the model dissection frog). They think it very clever and cutting edge, until he introduces them to…

6. The clementine phone, which is much more portable and compact.

Ellery was somewhere there in the middle of it all, contemplating what to discuss with her therapist first. Her brother’s desire to hang out in a dog crate, her sister’s love for a model dissection frog, or her father encouraging everyone to talk into random pieces of produce? A conundrum, indeed.

As we’ve been slowly trying to reclaim the basement from the tower of boxes, empty boxes appear around our house periodically. This is a big hit with the kids. Even with the dinosaurs.

On Monday nights, my mom cooks dinner for whoever in my family can make it. It’s a nice way to cap off the first day of the week, and everyone gets to touch base once a week.

I brought my camera to capture Alex’s first birthday celebration, even though he turned one several weeks ago. But then things got crazy and I forgot to get out the camera.

But I did capture these pajama photos, which I think adequately conveys how scrumptious he is. Happy birthday, little man.

The other advantage of getting away (other than the undisturbed sleep and adult conversation), is that your kids seem to appreciate you more when you come home. I cite these photos, as it was a moment that just happened out of the blue as we walked in the door. Reason #846 why we keep the camera on the kitchen counter and not in the drawer where it belongs.

I often look back at my blog and notice the casual observer might think that our extended families lived on the west coast or something based on the number of photos I have of them.

Chele has been busting her rump getting a coffee house poetry writing singing storytelling thing off the ground. Last night Bonnie and my dad performed, so a handful of us went to see them. (My pictures are extremely mediocre, due to the fact that Chele did a bit too good a job promoting this shindig and there were just too many people in my way to get close enough for a decent shot.)

Growing up, I always assumed that everyone’s dad played guitar and sang songs. In my adult years I realize that this is not true, and that instead of sitting around a hippie bonfire listening to “Blowin’ in the Wind” everyone else was watching the Brady Bunch or the Dukes of Hazard.

So I’ve come to this as something really special about my family, and I’m trying to introduce it to my kids as well. Neko and Ellery tagged along for the night, and even though she was pretty squirmy, Neko is still talking about going to “the concert”.

But seriously, that whole Jan and Marcia business? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

I can’t even begin to tell you the level of excitement around here. Neko is beside herself with this whole Xmas thing, and Shep sees Neko get all excited, and he really doesn’t know what all the fuss is about, but decides he should get excited, too. I think the fact that the word “presents” keeps getting mentioned helped get him on board. So we’ve been all Santa this Santa that for weeks.

When morning hit, we reached an all-time level of bliss. Neko bounded into our bed right around seven. She managed to rouse us, and then we proceeded to round up Shep (already awake) and Ellery (sound asleep). I’m glad I took some “before” photos, because soon wrapping paper was flying and kids were shrieking and total chaos reigned freely.

While Neko and Shep ran wild with their favorites (the $4 slinky and the $1.50 balloon helicopter), Ellery happily carried around Tom’s bag of vitamin C drops like it was the next big thing from Fisher-Price. Seriously, why do I shop anywhere other than the dollar store?

Then Tom made maple scones, and we have all continued our diet of pure sugar and fat for the rest of the day.

We’re still working out the kinks on this Xmas thing. Five years ago, it was just Tom and I. Now we have kids and two sets of grandparents, and we’re still trying to figure out how to see everyone we love but still have time to develop traditions for just the five of us.

I pat myself on the back in the wrapping department, however. For the last two years, I’ve spent Xmas Eve furiously wrapping presents until the wee hours. I vowed that wouldn’t happen this year. And it didn’t. I stayed up until 3am last night, but today we were free of wrapping duties. So there’s still room for improvement, but I’m getting better.

I had this great plan that today we’d go to the Big City, as they’re making a big effort to revive downtown with skating, carriage rides, and train and gingerbread displays. Those sorts of things seem magical to me, and I would love the kids growing up with that as part of their holiday experience.

But we didn’t make it. I was exhausted from my wrapping marathon and the kids were reluctant to get out of their pajamas. Instead we stayed at home, which yielded both a gingerbread house and gingerbread men. It sounds idyllic, but I was admittedly tired and a bit cranky and so were the kids. These holidays are hard…I have a definite idea of how I feel it should go, but it’s tough to squeeze it all in.

On the upside, the evening was fantastic. We hadn’t had time to make the switch from four hooks to five, so we hadn’t yet hung our stockings. After we checked that off the list and posed for a family portrait at Neko’s insistence, we were off to bed as she gasped, “We forgot something! We need to leave cookies for Santa!”

To make this an even ridiculously longer entry than necessary, I’ll mention that I’m not really sure how I feel about the whole Santa thing. I love the magic and the excitement, but I don’t like the whole idea that you’re essentially lying to your kids. I’ve settled on being a bit vague and not really pushing any of the ideas. I think Neko got the cookie thing from our Olivia Xmas book, and since she initiated, we ran with it. And omigosh, it gets even cuter when she writes her own note to Santa. And then we thought we’d leave a cookie for Mrs. Claus, too, since, let’s face it, she’s probably the brains of the operation.

I was sure we’d be up for a long night of protesting sleep, but all three kids were comatose by 7:30pm! Unbelievable.