The Christmas of unexpected joys

This year for Christmas we had planned on joining my family for a trip to Hawaii. We began our Christmas celebrations with early gift exchanges with both sides of the family and an early visit from Santa (thank goodness he accepts e-mails now, since I didn't think far enough ahead to send an actual letter). Tyce and Delaney sprang out of bed Christmas morning to see what they had gotten. Tyce was ecstatic about a "screaming banshee" that he has been wanting for months and Laney claims that her favorite presents were "candy canes".

We left a few days early for Portland, hoping to get in some shopping and a visit to the zoo before our flight out. After a long drive through blowing snow we arrived at the hotel to learn that many flights in and out of PDX were being cancelled or delayed. Luckily, the kids embraced hotel living and couldn't get enough of the breakfast buffet and swimming pool. This ended up being the highlight of our holiday since, after a day in the airport, we learned that all the flights to Hawaii were cancelled, due to the biggest snow storm that Portland had seen in 30 years. Not only were we unable to make it to Hawaii, when we did manage to chip the layer of ice off our car and to venture out of our hotel to a nearby mall we found that nearly every store and restaraunt was closed "due to inclement weather".

The kids seemed to think that the hotel was the vacation and were happy to wear their swimsuits, swimming goggles, and life jackets during their numerous trips to the pool. They also ran (rode, crawled, jumped...) on the treadmill, charmed numerous cranky travelers, and had no fewer than five pillow fights. Tyce woke up one morning and we heard him say from his bed: "I love hotels. They don't have toys, but humans can play by themselves. Can I eat my breakfast in this bed?"

So, after a few stressfull/blissfull days in the hotel we returned home to celebrate Christmas with our family and friends. And we are definitely looking forward to Hawaii in June

Here are a bunch of pictures. Unfortunately, my camera is on the fritz, so these aren't the greatest quality.

Tyce and Lane messing with the trees. Aunt Tanager lets them get away with anything!

Laney loves Tyce's new nerf gun.

The "screaming banshee" and one very, very happy kid.

Tyce swims with Grandma Heather in the hotel pool.

Laney jumps to Daddy then "swim, swim, swims!"

Lane and Mommy wait patiently in the airport.

Well, at least we got a white Christmas!

A definitive case of Cousin Worship

When Todd began job-hunting a few years ago one of our requirements was that we relocate closer to home ("home" being Eastern Oregon, where we both grew up). We were lucky and ended up just two hours away from both sets of families. As expected, this distance has allowed the kids' bonds with their grandparents to really blossom. There is the requisite spoilage: candy and ice cream, farm animals and tractor rides, as well as unending cuddles and long wandering walks. But, the one relationship that I didn't anticipate was the unabashed hero-worship that both kids have developed for their older cousin JC.

JC is old enough to be totally cool in Tyce and Laney's eyes, but young enough to play with them all day long without getting worn out. They talk about JC almost every day. Every morning Delaney takes an inventory of where all of the people who are important to her are going to be during the day. "Tyce at preschool, Daddy at work, JC at school" is usually how it goes. Here is a picture of JC and Laney together this summer. As you can see, they are the "look-alikes" with their sparkling eyes and dimples.
Tyce would follow JC anywhere that he led. Luckily for us, JC is a responsible, thoughtful kid and is always very careful and kind with Tyce while somehow coming up with fun things to do that a mom and dad would never think of. They go for piggy-back rides and play elaborate chase/wrestle/hide games. We are very lucky that Tyce has chosen such a great kid to be his role-model and we often point out to Tyce the good decisions that JC makes and how nice he is to everyone. Tyce considers JC his best friend. Here are the two of them.

We were back in Eastern Oregon this weekend to celebrate an early Christmas with our families and were surprised with a foot of snow, much to the kids' delight. Tyce immediately recruited JC for a snow adventure and the two were bundled up and off making sled trails up and down the driveway. Meanwhile, Todd and I got to relax inside with warm Tom & Jerrys (a very delicious warm "adult" drink that Todd's mom is famous for making). Delaney soon joined the boys outside and all three were tramping around until they decided that it was time for a round of hot chocolate. Here is a picture of the three of them in their snowy-day finest. And for all of you naysayers who laughed quietly under your breath when I swore that my baby girl would NOT wear pink, feel free to say "I told you so!" now...

Tree Slaughter 2008

I can now proudly report that our Christmas Extravaganza officially began on November 29th, when two trees, which had the misfortune to be growing woefully close to other trees and were thus deemed in need of "thinning", were chainsawed down and carted back to our home in the desert. Tyce and Grandpa Steve selected and hauled out the first tree from the Stanhope mountain property. It is an adorable, perfect-as-can-be, little fir tree. Although I was quite pleased with Tyce's first try at Christmas tree harvesting, this little fir didn't look like it would be up to supporting some of our heavier ornaments. And, we had already rearranged the living room to accommodate a larger tree, so I talked Todd and the kids into making a Christmas Forest. We chose a second, sturdier, spruce tree and stuffed them both into the back of our SUV (obviously neither are enormous trees).

They are now set up right next to each other in an attempt at artful arrangement, which, as most of my projects do, came out looking just a bit silly. First of all, instead of a nice random looking forest, the trees are almost identical in size and shape, so look more like a "couple" than anything Martha Stewart would have envisioned. Maybe we'll call them Santa and Mrs. Clause... Secondly, I only had one tree stand and didn't want to invest in a second, so the little fir is in a rock-filled flower pot which doesn't even come close to holding it upright. So, it is tethered to the curtain rod and window latch with fishing line, but still curves outward in an attempt to tip over. The spruce decorated up nicely, with strong branches to hold all my dainty little ornaments. The poor woebegone fir though... Well, ignoring Todd's advice, I went ahead and hung the heavy ornaments on it. The branches all droop down and the lights and ornaments all appear to be slipping off the tree (and many do, each day!). It looks like it is melting, but in a cute, festive kind of way. This is Tyce, who refused to get dressed the day we put the trees up (but is so cute anyway), modeling in front of the trees. Fir is on the left, Spruce on the right. I recommend spruce for all of you who haven't yet selected your trees.

But, the trees are up, the trimmings are out, the aloe plant in the bathroom is fully decorated and we are ready to start the December partying. We've got Todd's work Christmas party, a kid craft party, three birthday parties, two family gift exchanges, and a trip to Hawaii to squeeze in this month. And any other ill-fated ideas that I come up with, like bundling the kids into a stroller and walking around in the 4-o'clock darkness looking at lights. The kids are both very excited about Christmas and already look forward to opening the advent calender every morning after breakfast (chocolate at 8 am, they got in that habit at Papa Jared's house) As you can see from this picture, the maniacal, toy-crazed look has already entered Tyce's eyes. I'm banning the Disney Channel until after Christmas, maybe permanently. I can't standing hearing "I want that!" after every commercial. We're trying to focus on crafts and baking, donating outgrown toys, and carefully choosing gifts for others, but the siren-song of stupid assemble-your-own-alien toys is too strong to resist, apparently.