Christmas Rewind

Christmas was a calm respite from the storm of moving.  Here is Curie in her Christmas best.  She won't sit like this anymore.

 

And this is the only picture I took of our evening of Christmas caroling.  Some friends invited us for dinner beforehand, then we set off and collected families as we went.  By the end, we had at least three times the original number of singers.  Don't we look ready to sing?

Between emptying the apartment and heading back to clean, we camped at Nick's parents' home for the holidays.  My attempt at holiday decorations at our home consisted of a few things purchased at the dollar store, some crafts that the kids made, and last year's seven dollar, thirty-six inch, pre-lit, hot pink Christmas tree.  I knew we'd be packed up before Christmas, so can you blame me?  It was refreshing to enter a real Christmas home on Christmas Eve.

Below are the cousins on Nick's side: our kids and Trisha's kids.  They were born in pairs.  Everyone has a built-in best friend.

And here are the cousins on my side.  Just use your imagination to turn Nick into a two year-old Nolan.  Sadly, Troy (my brother) and his family were sick with the flu and missed Christmas Eve!  Just their oldest was able to attend.

Nick is laughing because Curie sat on the couch playing with her toy for quite some time before she finished opening it.  Grandma gave her a very fun bug which has occupied her during some key hours of unpacking in Cali.

Rigby's gift of the night was this set of Buzz Lightyear pajamas, which he put on immediately and has rarely taken off since.  Watch out, or you will get shot with his laser!

Much to our delight, Santa got the memo that we were staying at Grandma's house this year.  Does Santa bring balloons to your house?  Oh, no?  Hmm...

This is not smiling for the camera.  This is the contentment of getting the one thing that you really wanted and thought you would not get.

Although we were away, Grandma's house sure has all the touches of home.

Santa always drinks milk and water with his cookies, and he leaves a letter for the kids.

The evening was spent at Nick's aunt Violet's home.  We had one of the best Christmas dinners that I can remember, and not just because of the food!  Violet has a darling granddaughter who is now old enough to be fun as a playmate, the entire group partied in the basement with us (we go there every time because it is much more child friendly), and one of Patsy's brothers was there whom I have rarely seen, as was cousin Joe.  Those two were the life of the party.  All in all, a great event.

Joe Santa made a surprise visit.  Curie was scared, as expected.  Rigby was a bit confused, but happy to take a present, and Bethelle had a superiority complex.  She saw right through the facade, but played along for her gift.

Although Christmas was not the physical rest that I had foreseen, it was still a welcome break from the chaos that was my life.  The next day brought the dry hands and boring scenery of cleaning a empty apartment.  Big cheers to the grandmas who helped with kids, Jill who cleaned with me well into the night (morning?), and Leslie who ran my last minute, otherwise neglected errands.

One more word about the move.  I will miss my little island and fellow islanders.  We will see what the future holds.  I wish, I wish, I wish...

Sunday Naps

Rigby has been an excellent napper, but all good things must come to an end.  He has been spending a lot of the night laying awake in his bed, often keeping his bunk buddy, Bethelle, awake.  He's a good trooper even without a nap, so we don't often enforce them anymore.

But sometimes this happens.

Or this.

 Just before finding him as above, Nick realized that Rigby had been missing and quiet for a while.  Every parent knows this worry.  These moments generally mean trouble, and Rigby was potty training.  Nick jumped up to go catch Rigby in the act and almost tripped over the little guy in the hall.

If I knew how to segue into packing I would do that here.

The kids love to get in boxes.  They also love to watch videos of themselves in boxes.  And so the cycle continues.

I make small babies.

I Feel Like an Ex-Pat

San Francisco is a strange place.  Or maybe it's just city life.

I am an outsider here, but I'm trying to move in.  I think it could be quite exciting, but I still have to find how to do kid-life downtown.

Here's a brief run-down of things that have mattered to me here:

Nick's Schedule:  So far it is pretty much what we thought.  He works a solid day, but gets to come home for a quick lunch as the walk is only a block or two.  He's then back for a quick dinner and leaves again for studying and homework.  If he's home by eleven, it's a good night.  Last Saturday was the same as a weekday , but we have a three-day weekend coming up.  Nick is working very hard and I am so proud of him.

Children's Museum:  I live right by one (yay!) but it's very techie and for older children (boo!).

Driving:  Unlike many in a big city and unlike most of Nick's co-workers, we brought a car (yay!) but drivers here push laws and limits.  Not my kind of driving.  I get honked at (boo!).

Grocery Shopping:  I learned the hard way that Curie does not do well in crowded city grocery stores.  I am going to have to devise a way to go in the middle of the night so that I can leave her here (boo!), but Costco is very close to me and feels like a home away from home.  Many of you know that I love Costco.  It's nice to find my old friend is alive and well in San Fran.  And they sell yummy gelato at this Costco.  To me, this is news worthy.  Two big buckets to bring home for just four dollars, or $1.50 at the deli for three scoops in paper cups for the kids (double yay!).

Our Apartment:  640 square feet (boo?).  It turns out to be quite roomy.  There is only one bedroom.  I suppose my expectations were pretty low, but I am quite happy here.  We have a long wall of windows, floor to ceiling, that overlooks a pretty little courtyard with a pool.  Nick and I sleep in the living room, but our bed fits nicely in a corner that seems designed for it.  The kids look so cute side by side on crib mattresses on the queen bed frame and box springs in the room.  Curie's travel crib fits nicely in the walk-in closet.  Even when we loaded the closet with all our clothes and toys she is not over-crowded.  The complex is well secured and safe.  The provided furnishings are nice, but I wish I could give back the coffee maker and corkscrew.

The Laundry Room:  I know you don't want to read about the laundry room, but it's a big deal to me!  I am a mother of three who does laundry for five.  This is no small task.  I knew there would be no laundry machines in our apartment, but that there were coin laundry machines in the complex.  Imagine me packing up my three five-and-under children, all the laundry, and a Costco-size bucket of Tide and carting us all down to the laundromat in the basement of the building next to ours (boo.  huge boo.).  I was hoping that I would not have to stay and babysit the laundry as it washed.  Imagine my surprise as we walked to our door for the first time and I saw the words, "laundry room" on the door next to ours.  Elation.  Have you ever been elated over laundry?  It's just one set of machines for our floor and it seems to be all mine.

Parks:  There's not much near us (boo!), but there are many around the city.  And Golden Gate Park is much like Central Park.  We have been to one small piece of it, but I am hopeful of all that is has to offer.  I am concerned about finding parking, but live and learn.  Bethelle is anxious to ride the carousel there, which is free with a $1.50 adult ticket.  I had better make good on that promise soon.

The Ward (church congregation):  It is a young ward.  There are many newlywed professionals, making up most of the ward with their babies.  There are few children over the age of four and none over eleven.  Then there are the long-term San Franciscans who are either single or empty-nesters.  I think it will make for a fun, new dymanic for us.

Making the Nice List

We were in such a moving frenzy last year, I did not take the kids to see Santa.

Well, not much has changed.  The moving truck is scheduled for Wednesday.  But I took the kids to see Santa.  How is it that our one year of moving, moving, moving includes two Christmases?

The grandmas came to help and to see the kids, but Santa insisted that they be in the picture.  Patsy said that she could not remember ever having her picture taken with him!

 Yeah, I think he likes them.

Perfect Thanksgiving

 This year's Thanksgiving was designed just for me.  My in-laws invited us, Nick's brothers, my parents, my siblings, and their families over to their home for dinner.  What a generous gesture.  They were quite overrun with my family and did not seem to mind.

 This meant that there was no rushing from one house to the next, no deciding which family gets priority, no trying to hold back on dinner number one so that there will be room for dinner number two.

It was a beautiful evening.

Patsy made turkey cupcakes for the kids.  Honestly, I wanted one (I've got an unexplainable penchant for candy corn) ... but pie is more important.

I started this session just taking pictures of Sterling (the infant below), but look at the great crew that formed, posed, and smiled!  Normally, these pictures require coercion.  I guess these guys have been coerced so much it has become habit.  What a great set of cousins.

A word about doorbusters... Yes, I do them!  Some people throw such a fit about how dumb anyone is to get up so early for sales.  Try living in my shoes.  Running the simplest errand is an all-day ordeal.  Diapers, coats, shoes, diaper bag (two sizes diapers, wipes, snacks, extra clothes, baby toy), another round of diapers, whining, ruined naps, "be nice," "don't run," "no touching," "please excuse my crazy children,"combined 15 minutes of productive shopping, crossing the parking lot without anyone being run over, not letting them see the presents I am buying (barely ever possible), getting home late, without dinner...

If you could avoid all this by getting up early one morning, you would do it too.  You think it seems crazy?  To be out, running errands and accomplishing anything by myself or with Nick (left the kids sleeping at Grandma's) is rare and peaceful, no matter the hour.

I had Christmas nearly completed that morning.  I even bought paper and tape and wrapped all the presents that night.  Now who's crazy?

Disney on Ice

A random Wednesday in November brought us free tickets to Disney on Ice.  The show was the next day, across the pond from us (meaning a ferry ride), and began at bedtime, but free is free and Disney is Disney.

 They know how to put on a great party.

Bethelle was enthralled with each lift.  Rigby loved Shang the best.

 The kids have been "ice skating" around the house ever since.  Rigby gets out his big blue blanket.  He lays it flat no the floor and then the mooooves begin.  And boy, does he have moves.

C'mon over for your own performance of Disney (kids) on Ice (blankets).  It may be a ferry (or plane) ride for most of you, but show tickets are free!

Halloween

Yes.  You read the title correctly.  Halloween.

Two months ago, we celebrated Halloween.  To begin with, I'm not a big fan of the holiday.  But I'm not enough opposed to it to prevent the kids from celebrating what they see as one of the best days of the year.

Bethelle saw some costumes at Costco and immediately wanted the most beautiful one.  She was Merliah, a mermaid from a Barbie movie.  She's never even seen the movie, but that does not bother her.

 Rigby was drawn to some of the muscle-y costumes, like Iron Man or the Incredible Hulk, but in the end he wanted to be Shang, Mulan's counterpart.

 I put a lot of TLC into Rigby's costume.  The man looks good, right?  His wig is really a crocheted hat, in case you're wondering.

 Curie was her usually cute self.  Except dressed as a chicken.

 Our ward hosted a "trunk or treat" night at the church on the 30th, due to the 31st being a Sunday.  I'm not so sure about walking from car trunk to car trunk for candy.  It's all a little too easy.  There should be a lot of running and strategy involved in trick-or-treating.  Just walking around a parking lot does not really make a holiday.  In the future, we should at least park farther apart.  Although, I think we'll be back to the neighborhoods when the holiday does not fall on a Sunday.

After the trunk-or-treat, the youth put on a carnival for the kids.  Below, Rigby is fishing for prizes behind a screen.  Bethelle and Rigby had a great time, even winning the cake walk in succession.

I spent about three minutes in the dress-up box to come up with a costume for myself.  And guess what? I won a prize for best "what are you?" costume!

On the actual holiday, Paul and Patsy (Grandpa and Grandma) came up to our home for dinner and to watch the kids answer the door for the trick-or-treaters.  They dressed up again and loved handing out the candy.  Rigby wore that costume every day for at least the next two weeks.  Maybe longer.  Two months later it is still his favorite dress-up.