6.10 or, Christmas Happenings

Dear Corbin,

The first time I asked you what you wanted from Santa, you said a remote control blimp.  When I told you that you should come up with a second idea, you said, "A book of how to make potions.  Ones that really work, like you could make one and it would turn our house into a castle."  Which, let me tell you, was not what I was hoping to hear you say.  So I had to tell you that Santa couldn't do that either.  A couple of days later, we had been talking about astronomy and you said, "Maybe Santa could bring me a telescope."  To which I very gratefully said, "Yes, maybe he can."

This month, the Sharktopus wanted to have a picnic.  He tried to have a picnic with the Lost Boys, but he discovered that he didn't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at all.  He had to have a picnic with Eagle instead, and eat fish.

School had the Holiday Craft Fair this month.  This year, you went with Dad.  You made a snow globe, and painted a ceramic bird.  We don't really need more crafts in the house, but it's a fun fundraiser.

Grandma and Grandpa took you to help buy a Christmas tree, and then you helped Grandma decorate it.  You kept trying to tell Miriam where to put the ornaments, and she kept putting them wherever she felt like it.  That's pretty much the story of your lives together.  And then we put lots of presents under the tree, which always makes me feel both good, and also materialistic and terrible.  This year, we tried to go for just a couple of big presents, instead of a million little ones.

We made our living room coffee table into a fire place so that we had a place to hang our stockings.  Dad drew it and we all helped to color it.  It was actually pretty cool, and I saved it for next year.

Santa did bring you a telescope.  We bought the family a new Xbox, which is for everyone, but really only you and Dad play it right now.  Maybe Miriam will when she gets older.  You got some books and some toys and games.  We did have a disappointment when Uncle Alex and Aunt Lena and Grandma Maria came up to celebrate.  One of their presents for you went astray in the mail.  So your Christmas got extended by a few days.

We had a conversation afterward about the importance of remembering that part of Christmas is also giving gifts, and enjoying the pleasure that others feel when they receive them.  You and Dad and Miriam picked out a new shawl for me, and some awesome earrings.  I really love them, and I tried to help you understand that.  We also talked a lot about the charitable gifts that we gave this year.

One of the things that I put on your Christmas list this year was money.  You have asked at times for toys or video games, and I thought it would be useful for you to start controlling your own funds.  Goodness knows, it's never too early to start learning about how not to be a fool with your money.

Love,
Mom


Helping trim the Jorgenson's tree:

Holiday Program at school:

December beach trip: Cali Life!

Our "fireplace":

Christmas morning!

3.8 or, What's Cooking

Dear Miriam,

You had two Thanksgivings this year, one at school and one at home.  For school, you did the usual autumn crafts, which included an Indian head dress.  When you're old enough, I'll ship you out to spend a summer going to pow-wows with Becky and Sofia Chapman.  Fortunately, your Thanksgiving dinner at school was less controversial.

Aunt Cele and Aunt Alice came to visit, on what's becoming their annual trip.  This year, they helped Grandma set up her new ipad, which you've now been enjoying very much.  They spent a night down in San Diego visiting Uncle Alex and Aunt Lena, and one of Grandma's best friends who was also in town.  I'm so grateful that they make the time to visit.  I grew up around an amazing group of aunts, both by blood and by friendship, and I want you to have them in your life, too.  There will be times in your life when you need advice from your aunts.  Sometimes, you'll want them instead of me, and I'm good with that.

It was Grandpa's birthday this month.  He turned 80, which sounds old, but when I watch him play with you, he certainly doesn't seem old.  He does moan and groan when he stands up off the floor, but so do Dad and I, so I don't even know if that counts.

We had a nice dinner for Thanksgiving.  Our friend Chris Karbo came over to eat with us.  We made a turkey roast with vegetables, and had a lovely time.  None of your adults are really into cooking, but you and Corbin always like to help us in the kitchen.  You like to use the can opener, and you love to stir things.  You have burned your finger once, but I haven't let you do any knife work yet, so we've avoided cut fingers.  You do like to use the peeler, though, so we might end up with a peeled finger at some point.  I hope that you grow up to like cooking more than we do.  It's useful to like something that you have to do all the time.  I might like it more as you and Corbin get older and a little more adventurous in your eating habits.  Or I might just start taking you to restaurants all the time.

Outside of our house, the day after Thanksgiving is a major shopping day.  Inside of our house, it's the day that Grandma starts decorating for Christmas.  That means, all of the Christmas books came out, and all of the Christmas music started playing.  You have an especially loud, annoying electric candle that plays a couple of measures of different Christmas carols.  I keep hoping that it will somehow disappear, but it's stuck around for a few years now.  Now that you're a little older, Grandma can put out a few more of her Nativity sets, and more of the little snowy village.  We'll see if the dinosaurs come to Christmas again this year, like they did last year.

Love,
Mom

6.9 or, Eating Up Time

Dear Corbin,

Ah, November.  The month of eating.  Eating Halloween candy.  Eating birthday cake with Grandpa.  Eating a big Thanksgiving dinner.

Aunt Cele and Aunt Alice came out, on what's becoming their annual visit.  This year, Grandpa very carefully parked the motor home in the driveway, and they used that as their guest house.  It worked out well; we'll probably do that more in the future.  It's always wonderful to see them.  They spent a night down in San Diego, too, visiting Uncle Alex and Aunt Lena.  One of Grandma's best friends from Madison happened to be in SD, too, so they even got to visit with Carol.  And of course, they played with you and Miriam.  Last time they were here, they showed you fun apps on their iPads.  This year, we bought Grandma her own iPad, as an early Christmas present, so she loaded up all of the same fun apps on hers, and now you like to try and help her make words when she's playing scrabble online with them.

We celebrated Grandpa's birthday while they were here--his 80th birthday.  It's a bit hard for me to believe that Grandpa is 80.  It seems so old, and yet I don't think of him as old at all.  We have such a subjective view of time and age, especially when we see a person every day.  It's only when we stop and think about it that we realize what our perceptions are.  I think of Grandpa as young, because I watch him play with you and Miriam.  It's only when he moans and groans to stand up from sitting on the floor that I think he might be older.

You had the latest skills test at your gymnastics class.  Every few months they put everyone through a checklist to gauge progress.  You seem to be doing well; they've given you high marks on your abilities.  You always say that you have fun and like it, which is the most important part.

It was our second Thanksgiving in this house.  You and Dad both had off the week of Thanksgiving.  In preparation, we ordered some addition and subtraction flash cards, and Dad made some sight words flash cards, too.  So we made sure that you didn't just play video games until your eyes were bleeding.  For Thanksgiving, our friend Chris Karbo came over and we made a turkey breast roast with veggies.  It turned out quite well, which is always nice.  It was a nice day overall.  Then next day, I went to Target to see if I could find an Xbox on sale.  I have never shopped on Black Friday before, but I guess I just needed an extra dose of holiday craziness this year.

The day after Thanksgiving is also when Grandma can finally cry, "Christmas!" and let slip the decorations of the season.  You and Miriam helped her put out Nativity sets, and the little village.  With the weather these days, we're lucky to have all of Grandma's decorations, because inside the house is the only place that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Love,
Mom