The Christmas Blizzard

We got ten inches of snow last night, and there’s more predicted for today – perhaps another foot. Flights are grounded. Driving is difficult to impossible. Our family has modest travel plans: going across town to Grandma’s. And though we would go over a river, the four-lane highway has left no woods for us to go through.

Given the weather, I’m not sure even our modest travel will be possible. If this were a normal work day, I’d be filled with that sense of freedom that only a snow day can bring. I remember as a kid listening to my little AM radio early in the morning (wind rattling the windows, our neighbor’s house a vague grey hulk seen through a curtain of blowing snow), waiting for those beautiful words: school is closed.

I loved that feeling of utter freedom, of the daily routine suspended. But it’s Christmas Eve; this was already the case. What a waste of a snow day! But I have to admit, the thick, white snow looks like frosting covering the ground, the trees, the patio furniture we never got around to storing in the garage. It looks lovely. And delicious.

And speaking of delicious, if we are snowed in we are well set on food. One advantage of a snowy Christmas: we have a larder full of ham, sweet potatoes, green beens, pie, ice cream, homemade bread, cheese, appetizers, eggnog, wine, beer, and cookie supplies (of course I haven’t baked them yet – it’s not technically Christmas until tomorrow! sheesh!). It will be three days at least until we have to resort to eating each other – or the two-years-expired cans of soup from the pantry.

I guess being snowed in this year won’t be so bad. All the presents are bought if not wrapped (Christmas isn’t until…you get the picture). At this time last year, F. was just a six-month-old, babe-in-arms. This year she will be able to tear at the wrapping paper by herself, and will love her new toys and books. H. loves ribbon of any kind; he’s in heaven before the package is even open. We’ll hang out by the fire, eat ham, and – weather permitting – go outside and play in the snow.

Come to think of it, that sounds ideal.

Merry Christmas, Happy (belated) Hanukkah, safe travels (or contentedly giving up traveling) to all!

Four is the New Three

Last Sunday, I mentioned that I needed to go to Target to pick up a few things.

Elise was on me like white on rice.   “I want to go! Can I go? I want to go to Target!”

In the past, whenever I had to take her anywhere, a small part of me screamed on the inside. Not only was there the mobility issue – herding goats – but, mainly, there was the bathroom issue. Namely, she would have to go. Possibly multiple times. Times that involved abandoning a shopping cart full of items and booking it (because there was never ample warning and MOMMYI’MGOINGTOPEEPEEINMYUNDERWEAR)…right into the lovely scene that is The Public Restroom. 

I’m not a fan of public restrooms to begin with, but a public restroom with a nosy toddler/preschooler, short enough to touch all the wrong things, made me nauseous.

Every outing took 3x longer than if I went myself and required 3x as many Advil to relieve the head throbbing (and 3x the amount of wine to help the Advil go down.)

But, this time, I said, OKAY. Let’s go! And, it dawned on me: Elise is now PORTABLE. (Read more…)

Suffering through the Silent Night

It is mid-December, which means ‘tis the time of year for holiday concerts, programs and pageants. As the parents of two small kids, we have our dance cards full, so to speak, with a flurry of musical extravaganzas.

Watching your child stand on stage and sing songs he or she has been practicing for weeks, or even months, is heartwarming. There’s no denying it. Belle’s preschool show went off without much of a hitch. Unless you count one little girl dropping her jingle bells a total of eleventy trillion times a hitch. That girl, though, was not Belle, so I simply chuckled along with the rest of the audience as the bells dropped and were scooped up so many times I got seasick.

Milo did well in his holiday concert too. Once he finally stepped onto the risers, that is.

There is this Kindergarten teacher at his school, you see, who loves to sing. She loves to sing so much she somehow worked it so her all-adult chorale could croon for a half hour. At the beginning of the program. A program meant for parents to watch their kids, not to roll their eyes at silly grown-ups wearing egregiously ugly Christmas sweaters and singing Greensleeves.

Halfway through this elders rendition of a holiday show, small kids started to squirm. Parents tried to soothe and distract. The kids broke loose and ran in circles. Parents chased. And an unsquelchable murmur of protest rose up from the crowd.

Still, the chorale warbled on. (Read more…)

Dear Family and Friends…

It’s time for the yearly family newsletter.  We’ve done this in various forms in past years—everything from the classic newsletter to an electronic one sent via e-mail (that sound you just heard was Martha Stewart drowning herself in a vat of her homemade eggnog.)  They are your usual fare: snippets about what we’ve been up to this year; quips about the challenges of parenting; recognitions of our blessings, etc. etc.  Typical of what many of us receive this time of year.  Sure the activities might vary from letter to letter (“Little Jimmy began his pre-school SAT prep class this year”) and the achievements differ (“We’re happy to report that Bob has been cleared of all charges”), but it’s generally a glossy look back at your family’s year.   

Quite frankly, I think we should all aim for a little more honesty in our letters.  I’m not suggesting that what we write now isn’t true, I just don’t think it paints an accurate portrait of our day-to-day selves.   Talking points might include:

“We cooked more at home, mostly because the Chinese food place no longer delivers.”

“The children had clean socks that matched almost every day this year.  Lisa can’t be bothered to put them away, so the children get to spend lots of quality time together searching through a giant blue mesh bag that lives in her room.”

 “We continue to take great joy in our pets.  There is the 16 year old cat that poops on the floor three times a day now, but we count our blessings and no one has actually stepped in it.”

 “The children are a delight.  Well, nobody hit, bit, scratched or in anyway caused bodily harm to anyone else and that’s good enough for us.”

“The Monkey is still playing the trumpet in the school band.  We think he’s pretty good, but since he never practices at home, we can’t really be sure.” (Read more…)