Babes in Toyland

Shadows of Christmas Present

The first few weeks of December have been so incredibly busy. Looking back, it feels like it is almost too much to even capture in words.

First of all, our beloved friend and nanny, Lisa returned from Thanksgiving with sad news. Needing to tend to a family emergency, she was forced to leave immediately for the month of December. Sending our blessings with her urgent departure, we went into a bit of a panic to find someone who could step in immediately and take care of the twins for the 3 weeks until winter break. In the end, Ross and I both took off work to cover the first week. And then, (after a couple of days of fevered phone calls) our wonderful parents agreed to fly in from Montana and Wisconsin to help us for the remaining 2 weeks.


It was an incredible gift having them here. Myrna and Robert (Ross's parents) came for the next week. My mother came for the last week. I wish there was a way to express how wonderful it was to have them in our homes. They saved the day, the weeks, and our lives. Everything was made more special having them close. We are so blessed.


Papa and Grammy Myrna




Gramma Sharon




On the outside of our cozy home, life grows more intense. At school, the final rehearsals of my fall theatre production ("Flowers for Algernon") wrap up. Balancing teaching, directing and motherhood adds up. I'm at rehearsals til late. Ross is forced to pick up the slack more. Jonas and Jember remind me daily that I am gone too much. A deep exhaustion settles into my body. Days are shorter. Nights are colder. And just when the reality of another winter begin to settle around me, the sounds of bells can be heard ringing in windy parking lots. Reminders that the holiday season approaches. Candles flicker in windows, illuminating the icy dark.

We love the holidays. Not the trumped up "shop til you drop" commercialism that seems to infect everything like a sickness in its is wake...but rather the warm lights, soft carols and sweet smells that fill our homes and bring a spirit of renewal. Not to mention, the promise of holiday music and molasses cookies. Who couldn't feel energized by that?

So we turn up the music. "Oh yes we need a little Christmas, right this very minute..." and we sing it at the top of our voices.

Oh yes! Its a time to bake a little:



decorate a little:


take some winter walks (followed by hot cocoa of course!)



Experiment with our wonderful new winter hats (Thank you, Aunt Linda!)



And on a bright, cold Saturday we head up the road to a local tree farm to find our perfect tree.







(Jonas loves up the sweet woman who runs the tree farm)








Decorating our perfect tree











We cozy in with our favorite books:







Celebrate!! We take time to celebrate with friends (Jen and Tim) returned from Ethopia. Welcome baby Eyouel!



Tired but elated mommy and son




All of this makes us feel SO happy!








We reflect on the gifts in our lives



Family. The love we share. Our dearest friends. Our parents. Our grandparents.

My own grandmother is 95 years old. Though she lives in Minnesota we think of her so often. She is a strong, special lady and I love her. (To say nothing of the fact that she makes the best molasses cookies on earth!) This year, our tree is decorated with all of the needlepoint ornaments that she made years ago. They are perfect for our tree, all non breakable, colorful decorations that have been in my family for years. How could I ever tell her how those suspended decorations feel like tokens of love that connect me to my family both living and passed on to other worlds? How can I tell her how I hope to proudly carry on my family traditions and the holiday rituals to my own children? How can I tell her that every time I see my children holding those decorations, my heart fills up - holding both my grandmother and my son and daughter all at once?

Blessings to you all this holiday season. May your hearts find their own light. And may you stay warm from its glow all winter.

December

Its time to deck the halls, light the lights, and dig out those ol' woolen mittens. November in the Pacific Northwest was wild. Windstorms that brought down our electricity, rainstorms that brought down the rest of the leaves, and the sun went into permanent hiding.

With this cold and gray come a new challenge: What does one do with a couple of toddlers when its too cold and wet to play outside?

Feeling limited in our 2-bedroom apartment, we try and get creative. We've started exploring our artistic talents.

Such as:


Coloring!

(And yes. In case you were wondering, the green crayons do taste better...)





Bear in the Big Blue House

This is it. Their FAVORITE show. EVERY morning and EVERY afternoon they surround me, "Bear? Bear? Bear? Bear?" And yes. I eventually cave. We have the shows on dvd. And they love, love, love them. We are working to limit tv intake to one hour a day. Ross and I are in agreement! Now if only we could get the babies on board...



Play dough

Oh yeah. Play Dough is a BIG hit! The old fashioned stuff. They love it!. It rolls, it squishes, its smooshy, and its wonderful to make little shapes from cookie cutters. (Also happy to report that it sticks to the carpet with the same stubborn resistance as when I was a kid).

Oh. Those are sun butter sandwiches and juice all over the table with the play dough. Little artists, it seems, need snacks to keep them inspired.



Nest Building

...that would be Jember. She LOVES building a nest (behind couch cushions, in boxes, you name it) and then filling her nest with EVERY toy that she can find. Then she climbs IN to the the nest herself, piling everything on top of herself.





Reading

Pop up books are our favorite. Someone gave us a bunch of "Tonka" pop up books, and these are high on the list. Also on the list are "Goodnight Moon", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and any books with pictures of babies. Jember loves books with "shapes" and Jonas loves the "Here we go round the Mulberry bush" (partially I think, because I sing it instead of reading it). We read before bed every night. A tradition I hope we always keep.




Dancing!

The following is a joyous reaction to a musical card that my parents sent us for Thanksgiving. Dance party everyone! The kids LOVE music and dancing. Sometimes, they play their musical toys and spin and dance in their room. Ross and I sit on the floor and watch them, mesmerized by their intense joy. They are so amazing.





(My little scientist. He eventually took the card apart, discovered the wires and little battery and began to experiment with how the whole thing was rigged).



Thanksgiving

We were down in Seattle and Aunt Linda's and Uncle Jims. I was really bad about grabbing the camera this year. Something about spending half my time cooking and the other half chasing after two little imps. (Who by the way have been dealing with wicked colds. Can't seem to keep that nose wiped enough. Ah well. Its all part of the season, right?)


Sampling Aunt Linda's delicious sugar cookies





Smilin after Thanksgiving Dinner!




Is that Ross petting a camel?



Yep. Jonas is there too (though hidden behind Ross)

I was juggling restless a daughter who was intent upon meeting the reindeer in the next stall. (Gotta love Seattle). We went out to breakfast with the family the next day at the "Greenhouse". Cute cafe surrounded by greenhouses...and a mini petting zoo during the holidays. Hey. Why not?

And now the holidays are upon us. We're off to find our Christmas tree this weekend, followed by adventures of decorating the tree with ONLY non-breakable items. Solstice, Christmas and yep...Kwanzaa adventures to follow...

Stay tuned! Hope your own holiday preparations are merry and bright!