Christmas in Brevity

Christmas! 

We had three straight days and the house looks it! Ha! It was a short week as we slid into the weekend.

We started slowly, headed up to say Hi to Grandma Dar through the window before coming home and opening our family gifts. Each child had one big gift. Ainsley got her chair, finally - which Matt and I were glad to see her open because she's been fighting with her siblings about where people sit. The olders got a desk and chair set from us. This has also been a long time coming item as E's taken over my counter for so long, it's good to see her projects and papers find a new place. They were excited to start using them and get them in their spot. Ains was sad that she didn't get one but she did get a bassinet for her baby. 

It was a very baby Christmas for Ains. She got baby items at each Christmas including dress up clothes and bathsets and three new babies. We spent Christmas day at the farm. My children are very lucky and Eleanor was excited about a few items that made me chuckle including Poppy panties and Frozen/Elsa Ziploc Bags for her lunch box. Grady got a combine and when you combine that with the remote control construction items that we got him, he's really getting into the trucks and tractors. 

 

On Saturday, we had Remynse Christmas where Grady for a tractor to work on and the girls got oodles of dress-up clothes for their dolls and babies. Our children are incredibly lucky to have people in their lives that are so intent on making them smile and giving them the world. There are things that will make me laugh as I think back to this holiday.... Eleanor and her brand new camera - taking pictures of E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.i.N.G. Grady putting on his sister's dress up gloves and shoes or sporting his fighter pilot jumpsuit, or Ainsley opening up her Santa bear - which is a word that you make no questions about when you hear it. 

These Christmases when they are little are so bittersweet. There are 9 million moving parts and 9 million directions and movements but I know they will be little for a short time. I know the magic will fade, that Santa will seem feeble and silly, that the Elf will one day find a new home, that presents will come in smaller boxes and capture their attention. There will be less dress up and more electronics. There will be less grinch on the tv. I'm hoping there may be more sleeping in or a little calmer but I assume there will be a time when I can't put them all in the same t-shirt and they not fight me. My Christmas wishes are that they will always let me pick out Christmas jammies. I hope they will also have some excitement that they let show - whether it be new leggings or pencil pouches or roller blades. In the meantime, Santa and the Elf have a strong presence in our house - there will be cookies and sacks set out. There will be that little scout out because my children soaked in that magic and to me that was one of the most beautiful things that I could have seen this season. 

We enjoyed some great food too over the past couple days - king crab, lobster tails, prime rib, charcuterie trays, dips, shrimp, pizza... so much food and beverages. It will take a bit to work its way out of our system. Probably as long for the kids to adjust and get into a schedule again or for everything to find a new home. 

It was an incredibly odd Christmas for me. This is the first Christmas of my life where I didn't have a dozen Christmases to go to. Don't get me wrong... it's not a bad thing. Especially since I've gotten married, I've had this scheduling of here, then there, then there, and then off to there and to me it's part of the magic of Christmas. To see as many people in a short amount of time as possible because there are a lot of people who have made you into who you are, hands in the soup kinda thing and it's beautiful. This year there wasn't that. COVID sat in the back of my mind and made me nervous - nervous for my littles and nervous for all those hands so we decided to cut back as much as possible. We held for this Christmas so there can be more. Call me what you want - sheep, scared, too cautious, whatever, I don't care - I'd rather be cautious than careless. ANYWAY... this is the first Christmas in my entire life that I didn't see a grandparent. Holding glass and a phone while staring at my grandmother doesn't count. It's an odd thing when a definer of the season isn't there for you. I know many families were in the same boat. But also many families had empty spots at the table where loved ones should have been. There will be a day when I can't look through the window or pick up the phone to share stories about our Christmas plans and I fear for that day because those people, my grandparents, have been this constant steady in my life and I'm lucky to have three of them still marching time on this earth. 

Two things happened during Christmas that I need to comment on .. that weren't exactly Christmas-y but still make me smile. 1. Matt got to open his old wine - 30 years old or so? He'd been saving it to celebrate his accreditation. He wanted to share it with his parents and brother and he was very excited to open it. I'll admit, for a dry red, I was impressed. 

2. Matt took Grady hunting. According to Grady walked a path or too with Matt pheasant hunting. Grady also found a sleeping kitty - aka a dead coyote. And couldn't keep up pace walking with Matt - told him to slow down and that he kept getting stuck in the grass. 

GRR: Dad, Hunting is hard.
MJR: Yeah, it is bud.
GRR: Can we just ride in the side by side?

Fargo Overnight, Jingle Bells, Light Night, Candy Canes

Another week with a lot of happenings. Michele came and stayed with us early on in the week as Matt and I went back to Fargo for my eye touch-up. We thought we'd take a little time to just be us. I won't lie I'm getting the travel itch so bad, Vegas was nice but the trip didn't pacify it like I hoped - only made me want to find a beach and some sand more. It's probably a good thing the pandemic is on because we wouldn't really be able to go anywhere anyway but the thought is there and a overnight to Fargo was a nice thing. We left midday and stayed downtown. Was weird to see downtown so shutdown. The icerink was up so that was cool but it wasn't busy and so many businesses were closed for the day. The next morning after a work call and a bit of things, we took off to eat at a restaurant - Beer and Fish Company. It was awesome, food - good, drinks - good, ambiance - good! That may be my new favorite Fargo food joint. We had the tuna tartar guac to start. I followed up with shrimp tacos and Matt did a duo fish and chips with halibut and cod. We even took a few plates home for supper that night. 

The rest of the week was catch up but Friday started an all Christmas weekend. Friday was a night that I look forward to every year and as the kids get older it's an even bigger deal. Light Night! Remynse tradition - Taco John's to have nachos navidad and then drive around looking at lights. After we take family pictures, we typically break out the candy canes and let them enjoy. We've chosen a different location each year to take our pics. In the past we've done the capitol or the chmielski's corner. This year we got out at peace park. Right now, I think our family is in this place where pics are haaaarrrrddddd. We had another go at Chmielski's - where the kids were enchanted by the Grinch and Elsa and the lights and all the fun. 

It was a beautiful night. I had to laugh after we got everybody buckled in and the candy canes were handed out. I said, Hold up your candy canes! And I see this little hand pop up with this little red candy cane. E and G were so excited to have their's. They didn't last long into the night. Everybody was out by 8:00. Not just a little out either. Full out - candy cane stuck on their face out. E's was a full mess, especially when it got stuck in her hat! But this tradition to me is beautiful - it's so simple and straight forward and to me what Christmas is about. Enjoying each other, making memories... I thought about what I saw while I rocked the baby to sleep. The cars driving the streets like us, the party buses and limos, the people walking through some displays....people taking time to decorate for the season and crowds appreciating it and hunting each house out. I hadn't really given this concept a ton of thought. People making this celebratory temporary art and how others are impacted. There is a huge evergreen down from our house that decorates like it were in their house, we wait for them to put stuff up each year. A carousel from a gazebo too that we look for. These houses are part of my family traditions and the people that live there have no clue. Tonight we watched a couple get engaged. He got down on one knee under a million twinkle lights, right there in a stranger's yard. A yard that 11 months out of the year would have seemed ridiculous but not tonight. They will come back and talk about that light display for the rest of their lives. I don't know if the kids will remember tonight but I hope that we create these moments that will light their forever. 

 

Other ongoings for the week include Eleanor's Christmas program - it had to happen remote this year and it was recorded by her teacher for us to watch. She picked out her own outfit and I happily did her curls. She's been singing jingle bells like crazy - which is one of her Dad's favorites, he knows more than just verse 1. She also watched the Polar Express and seems fascinated by that. 

Usually I try to grab a conversation or snippet from our house but... sometimes a picture (or 5) speaks a 1,000 words and conveys such strong emotion.

Two Turkey Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving! 

We've been busy this week. It was actually the first weekend that we've all been home all weekend this month. The kids had busy weeks at school and have been talking Thanksgiving and thankfulness. E's teacher is on quarantine right now so that's been hard for her a bit and worries about her but we are talking through it. 

For the holiday, we stayed in town and went to Eric's. Matt smoked a turkey and Eric deep fried one. They both did a really nice job. The kids had helped me with the cranberries and we also brought the turkey and a corn casserole. Matt made a pie that went over well. Eric may have enjoyed it the most! It was a nice day. The kids played around a bit and we headed home and watched Charlie Brown. 

It was a long weekend but there were some really nice days in the mix. It was Matt's first Black Friday where he really low-keyed it. I felt bad for him as I know he enjoys the day. He did pick up a few things but not like he usually does - no TV, no early morning rushing. The kids and I started the salt dough ornaments. We also worked to clean house so we could decorate for Christmas. 

The kids have been a little rambunctious. E has been all about Lola (much to Lola's dismay). She wants to carry her around, she wants to sit with her in her lap, she wants to keep her held tight. Lola ain't having it. We had to talk about kitty signs, what angry tails are, what angry meows are and why Lola scratches. Ains has gotten into books. She has a solid rotation of 6 - 2 of which are basically the same (Mr. Brown can Moo - the abridged and non-abridged version). G is working on potty training - that's another story. Matt took them all for a walk on Saturday so I could get things laid our for decorating. 

We started working on decorations - the majority was done during naps but E was up to help. She was so excited and had a hard time focusing, wanted to do it all, all at once. It was a bit overwhelming for me. I did have to get Matt involved in the process to help. We got a few things up but did stop so we could enjoy a little and calm down. 

We also had my Grandma over on Sunday. Mom and Dad had brought her up for a weekend visit. Ainsey decided Grandpa Perry could read Mr. Brown to her. She's a fierce little beast but we did laugh as she's learning her siblings' names. 

Daycare/School reports back: What are you thankful for?
GRR: My bed.
EER: Turkey and my toys

Tucking kids into bed on the day after Thanksgiving.
ALR: Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
GRR: Tomorrow is Christmas?

Tree Ornaments and Advent Calendars

It's December! It's the close-in on Christmas. A few things started...decorating and advent calendars.

The weekend started with my parents taking the kids for the GRE "socially distanced" Covid-19 approved Holiday Party. This party is typically a fun interactive treat - trampolines, Heritage Center, etc. I could tell my mom was bummed that it wasn't going to be the experience that it normally was but from the kid's POV, they got it. It was a drive-thru scavenger hunt with gifts at the end. They picked up McDonalds and came home. They got presents - which was super nice and have loved them. 

The next day was finishing up on the Christmas decorating. I put the tree up - first fake we've had in years - which in all honesty was nice. No needles, no watering, and the ornaments hang like a dream. We took the kids to Hobby Lobby to pick out their ornaments. The tradition is that Matt and I each pick out an ornament for the kids and then from those two the kids make their selection. Friendly competition of "pick your pony" Here's how the past has looked:

2016: E - me (lamb) : ME

2017: E - Matt (Santa), G - me (Bear) : SPLIT

2018: E - me (Peppa), G - Matt (Christmas Story leg lamp) : SPLIT

2019: E - me (unicorn), G - Matt (spindly leg deer), A - me (booties) : ME

2020 was no sweep. I thought I had some solid picks too. E - Matt (giant unicorn ball chosen over my Christmas hippo), G - me (firetruck over Matt's airplane), and A - Matt (ballerina over my festive Llama) so Matt took the year. but given that he's never been the total victor, maybe it was due. 

Decorating the tree wasn't a total disaster - mild, definitely a struggle with all the "help" we got. Ains may have been the worse as she kept trying to grab and reach. I need to work on my system - all in all they did a nice job. It's going to be work to keep the fingers out of the tree now. 

With the tree comes Elton the elf - our scout elf on the shelf. E, especially, has been talking and waiting for his arrival. There's something about the magic of Christmas and the elf and Santa seem to bring it forward. The thing it, I ask the kids about what they want for Christmas - worried we are fixing on the gifts versus the magic of the season and E can't tell you what she wants. It's very interesting to me. Ainsey on the other hand wants a Bissel crosswave. Girl is set on it. 

To also get into the spirit, we made sugar cookies - I screwed up the dough
this year and it was a struggle from start to finish. E seemed to follow directions the best but man - at one point I realized that I was not going to get my mom of the year trophy again. I love their excitement and I'm glad Ains didn't puke from all the dough I busted her on sneaking into her mouth. 

Advent calendars started too - The kids chose a bag to read every night and we open it up and read a Christmas story. Matt's advent calendar started too. He got the Costco German Beer Advent Calendar and I decided to partake in the fun. I think I caught him off guard the first night as I decided to Facebook live it. I will honestly say that first day's response shocked the hell out of me. People watched, thought it was fun, and made comments about watching it for the long haul. I thought Matt was going to tip over when I said there were over 100 views the next day. 

The weather has been on our side... high 40s and 50s We've been able to get the kids outside during the day - nights come too quick so there really isn't playtime after we get home on the weekdays but Matt's taken then for hikes and cleaned up the yard and watched the geese come and go. I'm not sure if this will hamper our white Christmas or not but in a time when we need to keep moving and get outside - it's been wonderful. 

Ainsey's vocab is starting to explode. We discovered along with Mom and Dad, she can say her siblings' names and is starting to pick out books from her series. I've read Llama Llama and Goodnight Train every night (or day) for approximately the past 2 weeks. I am lucky that all of my kids have gravitated towards books and sees them as a wonderful experience.

EER stands at the top of the stairs
EER: Okay everyone - I have an announcement to make.
MJR: We are listening.
EER: Mom - you're Anna.
ALR to MJR: Ohhh, that's a good role. 
EER continues: Dad, you're Kristoff
ALR to MJR: Well, that's not terrible, could have been worse.
EER: Grady - you are Sven.
ALR to MJR: Fitting. 
EER: Ainsley - you're the north soldier. 
ALR: Reall? You think? I think she'd make a better water spirit.
EER stares at ALR
EER looks at ARR: Ainsley, you're the water horse. 
Play ensues.
Play moves outside as MJR grills supper on the deck.
Children are playing outside, their voices carry in the night.
EER comes outside: They are calling to me!
MJR can't contain laughing and walks away. 

Tucking EER and GRR into bed... again. 
ALR: Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
GRR: Tomorrow is Christmas, momma.
Repeat that every night.