Here's to a new year!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Today With Words and Pictures
We did a few things today that I haven't done in such a long time, perhaps even five years: I rode the train into the city and I went to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
We also did something brand new: we all saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! (Well, new to the kiddos and me).
Yes, we woke up before dawn to catch the train in time for our 10 a.m. curtain, which they suggested arriving an hour early for (note to self: no more early-morning activities in the city!). It was a pretty ride in, with all the snow (at least until we hit Harlem, which had a dusting; no snow in Midtown). And I got a pretty picture of the sunrise as we left.
We met Ma and Gong at Radio City Music Hall . . . where we saw the famous camels of the living nativity!! I'd just read in the NYTimes about how the camels are aired in midtown at odd hours and there they were. We even all posed with them. They're dromedaries (not Bactrians). And they only spit defensively.
Then went inside early to explore the beautiful theater, take a photo with a Rockette, and buy programs and popcorn! I'm trying to remember what all we've seen at RCMH. Mama saw the Indigo Girls there, twice, the second time with me. And I will swear I saw an early premiere or something of the movie, The Lion King there (I think there was even a little pre-show). But what else? Riverdance. Lord of the Dance. I'm not sure what else.
Our seats were first row mezzanine, Mama's favorite seats in any theater, which gave us an excellent view of the stage, the flanking pipe organ players, and all the snowflakes overhead.
And then it began.
It's hard to be cynical with that much unbridled enthusiasm--and Santa Claus--on stage. And the Rockettes really are amazing endurance athletes (that's 1500 kicks in 5 five shows a day for three months! Read about it here) with incredible precision skills. Only two of the pieces were a bit showgirl-glamorous or cookie-cutter chic for me, but I really liked the tap dancing to "Twelve Days of Christmas," the Nutcracker Teddy Bears, and, of course, the Tin Soldiers. The kids liked the 3-D and video game bits, which did update it somewhat; both Mama and I were very distracted by the imaginative geography of the cruise around NYC--no one drives north on Fifth! And of course, we liked the living nativity--complete with our new buddies, the camels, and some real live sheep (Mama would have loved to have seen them outside, too). And every time they did those kick lines, as cliche as they are, I was just amazed and impressed.
We met up with Goo afterwards and then headed to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and to take the requisite pictures (if you ever go, don't stand on the benches, people! The guards will yell at you before you take the picture). We also made our traditional stop at the Swiss Teuscher Chocolates, where we over indulged in champagne truffles, marzipan, chocolate-covered orange peels, and other treats.
Skipping the Lego store (for Bud), the Met store (for me), and the AG store a little ways off (for Sis), we did go to the Japanese dessert shop, Minamoto Kitchoan. Goo helped us pick out many tasty and beautifully-wrapped treats, including candied Yuka (citron), Yuka jelly, benihanaringo (bean jelly), sakuramochi (a rice cake flavored with cherry blossom), and kusamochi (a bean-filled rice cake with mugwort-flavored mochi). We ate them when we got home (Bud realizes he likes sushi but not Japanese desserts! And Sis didn't notice there were beans in her favorite, the cherry blossom one--she wouldn't eat the leaf though.) I laughed to think of a compare and contrast between the Teuschers and Minamoto--one flowery baroque and chocolate-covered and cream filled, the other embodying wabi-sabi with simple decor, packaging, and flavors.
Then we went to eat lunch at Sapporo, a Japanese ramen shop off Times Square. Mama took me there years and years ago (also, Dosanko, but it's closed now); it's one of the family's standards. We liked the edamame, the potato and egg salad served over lettuce with crispy taro fries and creamy dressing. The kids inhaled their gyoza and ramen; Mama her spicy curried chicken.
It seems short, but we called it a day then. I'm usually good for about 6 hours, which is about what we did, plus train time. We did make a quick stop at the New York Transit Museum shop in GCT, where we saw a mini train layout of the city. It reminded me of our old favorite Christmastime site, the train at Citigroup Center, which is no longer displayed.
Still, the Radio City Spectacular was just that and we had a great day!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Just Keeps Snowing
It's a veritable winter wonderland outside, with snow falling thickly and thinly but constantly nonetheless for hours and hours. The kiddos enjoyed another nighttime romp in the yard--they really like playing in the snow in the half-lit darkness (and they've had practice--it seems that most of our snow has fallen in the evenings until today). I'll get some more pictures in the morning, I hope, that show the fluffy accumulation on everything. I liked the earlier pictures because they showed how big the flakes were; Mama called it "movie snow."
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Kinex-icut Lagniappe
The extra 6+ hours--the lagniappe, or extra bit (think baker's dozen)--we got to spend with Gommie and Pop might have been one of the best parts of the trip (once the stress of figuring it all out passed).
Pop spent almost all of Wednesday building a Kinex rollercoaster set with Bud on our coffee table. Slowly at first and then building speed with familiarity and experience, they constructed (with consulting help from Mama, who finished off the tracks at the end) an almost 4'-tall, double track, motor-powered rollercoaster, which they then watched fascinated for the rest of the evening (which track is faster? why? is it the momentum with which the car jumps on the chain?).
Meanwhile, Gommie and Sis played American Girl dolls go to college, packing bags, changing clothes, discussing school, having tea, going to class. It was fascinating to hear Sis's rendition of college, which mainly involves moving away (a la Beloved Babysitter) but still has much the same structure as elementary school ("We're in the same class! In room 4.") They also made an AG iron-on apron and played a questions game on the iPad.
As a break, after a lunch of leftovers, Gommie and the kiddos watched the end of Polar Express.
And eventually it began to snow, the whole raison d'etre of the extra hours. Though it was dark, we all bundled up and headed outside. It's rare that Pop and Gommie have gotten snow on their Christmas visit to CT (much less winters in Houston!) and they enjoyed watching it, though not so much being out in it. The kids excitedly took their new snowball makers which make very nice round snowballs (thanks, new Babysitter! I have to come up with a better name for her. Babysitter II? Jr.?). And the fluffy stuff was falling fast enough that they could make good snowballs. So I had a great snowball fight with them. When I got cold, they played in the backyard together, in the new garage lights, for another 45 minutes or so, all of us adults checking on them and the weather through the windows.
After a delivered Italian restaurant meal (I hadn't prepared for guests for dinner, nor a snowstorm), the kids played games with Gommie and Pop. Bud and Gommie played Uno in the kitchen, while Sis and Pop played chess in the living room. Later, Sis and Gommie painted each other's nails, and then mine. All while resting our feet on my new foot massager!
I got pictures of it all--grainy, over-lit cellphone photos--pretty much the only pictures we took the whole week (excepting the family Christmas pictures we took at the end of that 12+-hour day! I haven't even seen those and can't imagine they're wonderful either). Still, in the microcosm, the photos and the hours encapsulate the fun the kiddos always have with Gommie and Pop and the joy we all get from Christmas together. And there's nothing better than stolen hours together with loved ones.
Pop spent almost all of Wednesday building a Kinex rollercoaster set with Bud on our coffee table. Slowly at first and then building speed with familiarity and experience, they constructed (with consulting help from Mama, who finished off the tracks at the end) an almost 4'-tall, double track, motor-powered rollercoaster, which they then watched fascinated for the rest of the evening (which track is faster? why? is it the momentum with which the car jumps on the chain?).
Meanwhile, Gommie and Sis played American Girl dolls go to college, packing bags, changing clothes, discussing school, having tea, going to class. It was fascinating to hear Sis's rendition of college, which mainly involves moving away (a la Beloved Babysitter) but still has much the same structure as elementary school ("We're in the same class! In room 4.") They also made an AG iron-on apron and played a questions game on the iPad.
As a break, after a lunch of leftovers, Gommie and the kiddos watched the end of Polar Express.
And eventually it began to snow, the whole raison d'etre of the extra hours. Though it was dark, we all bundled up and headed outside. It's rare that Pop and Gommie have gotten snow on their Christmas visit to CT (much less winters in Houston!) and they enjoyed watching it, though not so much being out in it. The kids excitedly took their new snowball makers which make very nice round snowballs (thanks, new Babysitter! I have to come up with a better name for her. Babysitter II? Jr.?). And the fluffy stuff was falling fast enough that they could make good snowballs. So I had a great snowball fight with them. When I got cold, they played in the backyard together, in the new garage lights, for another 45 minutes or so, all of us adults checking on them and the weather through the windows.
After a delivered Italian restaurant meal (I hadn't prepared for guests for dinner, nor a snowstorm), the kids played games with Gommie and Pop. Bud and Gommie played Uno in the kitchen, while Sis and Pop played chess in the living room. Later, Sis and Gommie painted each other's nails, and then mine. All while resting our feet on my new foot massager!
I got pictures of it all--grainy, over-lit cellphone photos--pretty much the only pictures we took the whole week (excepting the family Christmas pictures we took at the end of that 12+-hour day! I haven't even seen those and can't imagine they're wonderful either). Still, in the microcosm, the photos and the hours encapsulate the fun the kiddos always have with Gommie and Pop and the joy we all get from Christmas together. And there's nothing better than stolen hours together with loved ones.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The Santa Secret
We keep wondering if this is the year that Sis and Bud will figure Santa out. We thought so, especially after last year's repeated questioning about the logistics. But we realized that they are still deep in belief, with Sis leaving Santa not only a very sweet thank-you note but also a questionnaire on whether he liked her cookies. They also insisted on distributing reindeer food, as well as leaving out cookies and eggnog.
Still, Christmas morning there were tests of faith. Sis immediately noted that Santa's gifts had one kind of paper and ours had others (something I, remembering that as one of my own litmus tests, had insisted upon with Mama, who didn't think it mattered). Then she was quizzical when I mis-remembered who gave her what--I think I messed up the Brave-like AG doll clothes, thinking they were from us. And then I knew about the Cadbury chocolates in her stocking, so I had to say that parents sometimes helped with stockings. But she didn't seem fazed.
If that weren't bad enough, why is it that all children's Christmas shows seem to deal with questions of Christmas faith? Miracle on 34th Street, The Polar Express, "Yes, Virginia," "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (tv show, about the mice and the clock). And there are others, I'm sure. Perhaps we encourage children in their doubts with all of our protestations of belief. I don't even like to watch anymore because I feel they beg the big question.
So, despite the curiosity and the shows (which we've kept to a minimum), we seem to have escaped again this year. About this, I find myself quire relieved and pleased. Such childhood joy is the miracle of the season.
And, I'll throttle the kid who tells her . . . or ban the tv . . . though I suspect it might be my own "tells" that give it away. If I haven't already.
Still, Christmas morning there were tests of faith. Sis immediately noted that Santa's gifts had one kind of paper and ours had others (something I, remembering that as one of my own litmus tests, had insisted upon with Mama, who didn't think it mattered). Then she was quizzical when I mis-remembered who gave her what--I think I messed up the Brave-like AG doll clothes, thinking they were from us. And then I knew about the Cadbury chocolates in her stocking, so I had to say that parents sometimes helped with stockings. But she didn't seem fazed.
If that weren't bad enough, why is it that all children's Christmas shows seem to deal with questions of Christmas faith? Miracle on 34th Street, The Polar Express, "Yes, Virginia," "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (tv show, about the mice and the clock). And there are others, I'm sure. Perhaps we encourage children in their doubts with all of our protestations of belief. I don't even like to watch anymore because I feel they beg the big question.
So, despite the curiosity and the shows (which we've kept to a minimum), we seem to have escaped again this year. About this, I find myself quire relieved and pleased. Such childhood joy is the miracle of the season.
And, I'll throttle the kid who tells her . . . or ban the tv . . . though I suspect it might be my own "tells" that give it away. If I haven't already.
One Day More
No, not Les Mis, though I want to see it.
My folks are now booked on a flight tomorrow midday.
Delays
Weather causing delays in Gommie and Pop's flight (4 hours before take-off and it's already delayed at least an hour, with the flight before it delayed 2 hours already!). Trying to decide if they go for it and risk sleeping on cots at LGA or try to change flights to tomorrow and hope to get out. Being in CT and having to decide hours early to account for travel into the city complicates things . . . .
Bittersweet
Gommie and Pop return to Houston this afternoon, always the hardest part of the holidays. But not every visit can be 6 weeks long! And we're glad we don't NEED them to stay. It's been a great visit. May the next one be our going to Texas in May or so!
Christmas 2012: Christmas Gift!
"Christmas gift!" is the traditional holiday greeting in my dad's family.
And we would have all greeted each other that way if it weren't 6:45 a.m in the morning with my folks coming in the door just in time to stop the kids bounding down the stairs so we could all gather together to see the tree and gifts for the first time.
So, Gommie, Pop, Mama, Goo, the kiddos and I came downstairs to see that "the big fat man in the red suit" had indeed visited. He loved Sis's gingersnaps, even leaving her a response to her note. He filled the stockings and left a pile of gifts--knee-high!--under the tree.
Bud said, "Can we skip the stockings and get straight to the presents?"
Good thing we don't read the Christmas story from the Book of Luke before opening anything as we did when I was a child--that's an extra benefit of going to church on Christmas Eve!
I won't bore you with the details of our unwrapping marathon, except to say that there were lots of "oohs" and "ahs," "awesomes!," hugs, and "thank yous." Also, lots of Legos, American Girl doll accessories, Calico Critters, Kinex, art kits, Doctor Who merchandise, and books, books, books--on the Revolutionary War, WWII women in England (Mama is very interested in Special Ops, after reading Code Name Verity), cooking, Star Wars, and the like.
We eventually came up for air, about the time that Ma and Gong arrived from the city. We had a lavish breakfast, with orange biscuits, monkey bread, sausage, Taylor pork roll, bacon, corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, and English muffins.
As you might know, we have never had both sets of grandparents here for Christmas, usually spacing them out separately, actually rarely getting together as a group. But this year, with the ravages of Sandy and the loss of so many of their belongings (I'm thrilled to announce that they have been able to return to their house just this week! The biggest Christmas present of all!), we decided to have Christmas together. It went exceedingly well and we're glad we could celebrate together.
And then we opened gifts again, this time with Ma and Gong. Hallmark ornaments to begin to replace all the ornaments Ma and Gong lost (they lost all but one box of Christmas, saving only their beloved set of dancing snowmen from Hallmark), cake pans for me to replace my old nasty ones that Goo noticed on Thanksgiving, and new Razor scooters to replace the ones lost in the garage accident this fall.
So we went outside to scooter and to show off bike riding, now that both kids are on only two wheels. The rest of the afternoon was a combination of playing with various toys and relatives, making and serving snacks and then dinner, conversation, and napping. Variously, Gong, Gommie, and Pop hid in Bud's bunk bed for a little shut-eye! Goo never got a break, nor did Mama or Ma.
Our late dinner--who was hungry after that breakfast and then black-eyed pea dip and Texas trash?--was delicious (and so easy, having been cooked the day before). We all liked the chicken and sausage gumbo (with file received in Mama's stocking!) and the shrimp remoulade, followed by my bread pudding with rum sauce plus treats from the city--Junior's cheesecake, a pear and almond Cabernet tart, and a slice of my favorite Junior' sDevil's Food cheesecake with a candle on top for my birthday!
The day ended with Bud playing a few Christmas carols on the piano and then Goo delighting us with the Turkish Rondo. Bud sat mesmerized watching him play.
Then Ma, Gong and Goo headed back to the city. Gommie and Pop lasted long enough to clean the kitchen (thanks, Pop, for all the dishwashing this week! It is so appreciated.). Mama and I then lounged on the couches for a couple of hours while the kids played with all their toys, getting everyone up to bed by 8 p.m.
Bud and Sis were very interested in the plush Tardis (Doctor Who's time and space traveling machine) and asked me to use it to take them to first the Pokemon universe and then the Star Wars universe. When Bud heard the telltale sound of the Tardis departing, he yelled from another room, "Hold the Tardis! I'm coming!"
Apropos of this, Mama and I ended the day watching the special Doctor Who Christmas episode on the BBC, which for me, at least, was the perfect ending to a great day.
Christmas gift!
And we would have all greeted each other that way if it weren't 6:45 a.m in the morning with my folks coming in the door just in time to stop the kids bounding down the stairs so we could all gather together to see the tree and gifts for the first time.
So, Gommie, Pop, Mama, Goo, the kiddos and I came downstairs to see that "the big fat man in the red suit" had indeed visited. He loved Sis's gingersnaps, even leaving her a response to her note. He filled the stockings and left a pile of gifts--knee-high!--under the tree.
Bud said, "Can we skip the stockings and get straight to the presents?"
Good thing we don't read the Christmas story from the Book of Luke before opening anything as we did when I was a child--that's an extra benefit of going to church on Christmas Eve!
I won't bore you with the details of our unwrapping marathon, except to say that there were lots of "oohs" and "ahs," "awesomes!," hugs, and "thank yous." Also, lots of Legos, American Girl doll accessories, Calico Critters, Kinex, art kits, Doctor Who merchandise, and books, books, books--on the Revolutionary War, WWII women in England (Mama is very interested in Special Ops, after reading Code Name Verity), cooking, Star Wars, and the like.
We eventually came up for air, about the time that Ma and Gong arrived from the city. We had a lavish breakfast, with orange biscuits, monkey bread, sausage, Taylor pork roll, bacon, corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, and English muffins.
As you might know, we have never had both sets of grandparents here for Christmas, usually spacing them out separately, actually rarely getting together as a group. But this year, with the ravages of Sandy and the loss of so many of their belongings (I'm thrilled to announce that they have been able to return to their house just this week! The biggest Christmas present of all!), we decided to have Christmas together. It went exceedingly well and we're glad we could celebrate together.
And then we opened gifts again, this time with Ma and Gong. Hallmark ornaments to begin to replace all the ornaments Ma and Gong lost (they lost all but one box of Christmas, saving only their beloved set of dancing snowmen from Hallmark), cake pans for me to replace my old nasty ones that Goo noticed on Thanksgiving, and new Razor scooters to replace the ones lost in the garage accident this fall.
So we went outside to scooter and to show off bike riding, now that both kids are on only two wheels. The rest of the afternoon was a combination of playing with various toys and relatives, making and serving snacks and then dinner, conversation, and napping. Variously, Gong, Gommie, and Pop hid in Bud's bunk bed for a little shut-eye! Goo never got a break, nor did Mama or Ma.
Our late dinner--who was hungry after that breakfast and then black-eyed pea dip and Texas trash?--was delicious (and so easy, having been cooked the day before). We all liked the chicken and sausage gumbo (with file received in Mama's stocking!) and the shrimp remoulade, followed by my bread pudding with rum sauce plus treats from the city--Junior's cheesecake, a pear and almond Cabernet tart, and a slice of my favorite Junior' sDevil's Food cheesecake with a candle on top for my birthday!
The day ended with Bud playing a few Christmas carols on the piano and then Goo delighting us with the Turkish Rondo. Bud sat mesmerized watching him play.
Then Ma, Gong and Goo headed back to the city. Gommie and Pop lasted long enough to clean the kitchen (thanks, Pop, for all the dishwashing this week! It is so appreciated.). Mama and I then lounged on the couches for a couple of hours while the kids played with all their toys, getting everyone up to bed by 8 p.m.
Bud and Sis were very interested in the plush Tardis (Doctor Who's time and space traveling machine) and asked me to use it to take them to first the Pokemon universe and then the Star Wars universe. When Bud heard the telltale sound of the Tardis departing, he yelled from another room, "Hold the Tardis! I'm coming!"
Apropos of this, Mama and I ended the day watching the special Doctor Who Christmas episode on the BBC, which for me, at least, was the perfect ending to a great day.
Christmas gift!
Hopes
I hope all of you, my blog readers, had a merry Christmas (if you celebrate), with friends, family, food, generosity, hospitality, conviviality, and joy. I also hope for you a wonderful 2013 filled with all of that and more, but most specifically PEACE.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Christmas 2012: Christmas Eve
Just 24 hours later, Christmas Eve is a blur. I know Mama and I spent most of the morning prepping the house, the gifts, and the food, while the kids did some wrapping and last-minute card-writing. Gommie and Pop showed up mid-morning, after their own wrapping marathon, and then there was a little Christmas gift: Pop helped Bud ride his bicycle!!! Yep, after practicing and being discouraged, Bud figured it all out and rode back and forth on the cul-de-sac, while Mama, Gommie and I hid inside to give them privacy but meanwhile stared out through the windows to watch the progress. Yay!!!!
We had pizza for lunch, after picking up our special deli platter for Christmas Eve, and then Goo arrived! The kids were ecstatic and swamped him, much to the relief of the other four adults. They immediately decorated gingerbread houses, taking lots of time to put the finishing touches on their houses.
We had muffalettas and shrimp remoulade for Christmas Eve, plus the deli platter. We opened the Christmas Eve traditional gifts of new books and pajamas and then headed to church services. The service was predominantly a carol-sing, which sounded wonderful with a couple hundred congregants, the choir, the pianist, and the member orchestra! I like singing with a big group--I'm not self-conscious about my own singing and I sound good! There was also a short pageant and a homily, followed by treats in the social hall.
And then on the way home it started to snow!! Light at first, like flurries, but then definitely real snow. Merry Christmas, Pop! You got the one thing on your list. We stayed outside quite awhile enjoying the snow, with the kids trying to eat it and the rest of us marveling that it would be a real white Christmas. After sprinkling some (expensive, organic Bob's Red Mill oatmeal) "reindeer food" with green sugar on the ground, we got the kids into bed in their new red-striped reindeer (Sis) and black-and-white polar bear pajamas. They actually fell asleep really, really fast, especially considering that earlier in the week they'd laughed at the idea that Christmas would come sooner if you feel asleep. Apparently, they changed their minds and told Mama that maybe if they pretended to be asleep that they might actually fall asleep. It worked.
Of course, we didn't get to go to sleep. Goo, Mama, and I had a good time staying up chatting and went to bed early on Christmas morning, much later than we should have with little kids desperately excited about waking up to Christmas!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas 2012: Sunday
Here we go, yesterday . . .
- Gommie, Mama, the kids, and I went to church, where we participated in a spiral "dance" reflecting the cyclical nature of time (later the kids walked a spiral and lit candles in Children's Chapel); the sermon was powerful, touching, and, to me, right on--about darkness in the light . . . and how 26 isn't the right number. We lost 28 souls in Newtown. And as a spiritual person, it's my path to show compassion not only for the children and teachers but also for those despised, hated, ignored last two. More on that after the holidays, when I have time to blog.
- Then we went to brunch at Bloodroot. Yes, two meals in a row. But Gommie wanted to try their poached eggs on a spinach nest with Hollandaise--and she loved it! We also had omelets, pancakes, muffins, and a delicious carrot-orange frosted walnut cake.
- While Mama and I did yet another last-minute shopping run, both groceries and gifts, Pop (who'd enjoyed a morning by himself) and Gommie took the kids swimming. Bud even went down the Super Slide! And both Sis and Bud stood on Pop's shoulders (only Bud actually jumped in.) Later, they hit the drugstore and got containers of Flarp! And they've been "farting" ever since.
- In the evening, the kids went to visit the babysitter down the street while we cooked. Then we had round steak with rice and gravy, also Bloodroot burgers (which you can buy frozen) for me and Mama.
- Gommie and Pop went off to wrap presents when the kids went to bed. Mama and I stayed up watching Patrick Stewart in "A Christmas Carol," our favorite version.
Next up, Christmas Eve!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Christmas 2012: The First 24 Hours
Gommie and Pop always hit the ground running, so to speak, and this trip was no different, except that they should have been exhausted from a long day of delayed flights and traffic. But they weren't. We went straight from the train station (where Sis and I had waited expectantly through a few trains before theirs finally arrived, much to Sis's relief and excitement--it is as disheartening not to see your people on the platform as it is heartening to see them!) to Bud's kung fu class, where Pop and Gommie got to see him perform his "slappy" form (he does a lot of arm movements and body slaps) and his team basic form (or whatever they call this). Then we all came home and had snacks around the table ("Trash" Chex mix, peanuts, a variety of cookies), while Gommie and Pop had homemade chicken noodle soup. Eventually we put the children to bed under the Christmas tree for their Winter Solstice celebratory camp out.
Saturday morning without kung fu for almost two weeks found us all (G & P slept in, too, but at their hotel, where they sleep more comfortably) sleeping in. And then we watched "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas," which songs struck me as more spiritual, even sad, this time. "When night lays sad upon you/go watch a simple sunrise."
Gommie and Pop showed up soon after and everyone headed outside for bike riding (Sis got to show off her new skill) and then archery (I hit the arrow through the hole in the target! And Pop was impressed with my strong pull on the 28 lb draw). But the cold blustery wind sent us inside soon enough for a few games and more cookies! And then a deli lunch.
And then we watched Brave, my early Christmas present (G&P are leaving the day after Christmas so if we want to enjoy these things together, we're opening them early! Which is why I gave Gommie the variegated red Merino wool scarf that I just finished knitting and tassling yesterday afternoon.) It was good if not better than the first time we saw it.
Afterwards, all rested, Pop and Gommie took the kiddos swimming at the heated hotel pool and Mama and I went shopping for Christmas groceries. On Christmas Eve, we're having shrimp remoulade and then gumbo, muffalettas, and bread pudding on Christmas day (after a corned beef hash and also orange biscuits and/or monkey bread breakfast!)
Finally, wonderful Babysitter, being home from college, came over to watch Sis and Bud for the evening while we all went out to dinner. They were so excited to see her (and to give her fuzzy socks, nail polish, and body "butter") that they didn't notice we'd left for Bloodroot! We like going to Bloodroot with my folks--good food, relaxing atmosphere, great conversation with each other and with owners Selma and Noel. MMMMmmmm, Czech cream of mushroom soup, Cambodian kanji, three salads (tossed, arugula, and marinated tofu), oatmeal bread, black bean and butternut squash chili, three mushroom stroganoff, Solianka (cabbage and onions with tomato sauce), and Kulebiaka (a Russian cabbage and wild mushroom pie), plus cranberry kissel and chocolate pudding with coconut cream. Mmmmmm!!
Gommie and Pop are back at their hotel and we're settling in for a long winter's nap. Or not. The kid will be up in less than 8 hours, I'm sure, ready for another great day with the grandparents.
Saturday morning without kung fu for almost two weeks found us all (G & P slept in, too, but at their hotel, where they sleep more comfortably) sleeping in. And then we watched "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas," which songs struck me as more spiritual, even sad, this time. "When night lays sad upon you/go watch a simple sunrise."
Gommie and Pop showed up soon after and everyone headed outside for bike riding (Sis got to show off her new skill) and then archery (I hit the arrow through the hole in the target! And Pop was impressed with my strong pull on the 28 lb draw). But the cold blustery wind sent us inside soon enough for a few games and more cookies! And then a deli lunch.
And then we watched Brave, my early Christmas present (G&P are leaving the day after Christmas so if we want to enjoy these things together, we're opening them early! Which is why I gave Gommie the variegated red Merino wool scarf that I just finished knitting and tassling yesterday afternoon.) It was good if not better than the first time we saw it.
Afterwards, all rested, Pop and Gommie took the kiddos swimming at the heated hotel pool and Mama and I went shopping for Christmas groceries. On Christmas Eve, we're having shrimp remoulade and then gumbo, muffalettas, and bread pudding on Christmas day (after a corned beef hash and also orange biscuits and/or monkey bread breakfast!)
Finally, wonderful Babysitter, being home from college, came over to watch Sis and Bud for the evening while we all went out to dinner. They were so excited to see her (and to give her fuzzy socks, nail polish, and body "butter") that they didn't notice we'd left for Bloodroot! We like going to Bloodroot with my folks--good food, relaxing atmosphere, great conversation with each other and with owners Selma and Noel. MMMMmmmm, Czech cream of mushroom soup, Cambodian kanji, three salads (tossed, arugula, and marinated tofu), oatmeal bread, black bean and butternut squash chili, three mushroom stroganoff, Solianka (cabbage and onions with tomato sauce), and Kulebiaka (a Russian cabbage and wild mushroom pie), plus cranberry kissel and chocolate pudding with coconut cream. Mmmmmm!!
Gommie and Pop are back at their hotel and we're settling in for a long winter's nap. Or not. The kid will be up in less than 8 hours, I'm sure, ready for another great day with the grandparents.
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