Holidaze

Soon after we finished our Thanksgiving leftovers, we hopped onto the Christmas train headed straight for Jul-time Insanity Land.  I'm not a huge shopper (I actually become repulsed by retail every November/December), but I am a stickler for traditions.  So, the decorations must go up on the first of December!

Last year we wanted to make a good impression on our neighbors, but this year we felt free to let our Christmas decorations spill into the common hallway.  No mantle necessary when you have a nice window ledge just outside the front door.

I've been so overwhelmed and grumpy lately that I  considered buying a pre-cut tree from the lot up Market Street.  Every Christmas tree farm is an hour away from us, and I didn't feel like packing the picnic, the kids, or the merry attitude.  But Mattias, always the voice of reason in my life, reminded me that I love picking out a tree and that the country drive will do wonders for my crummy attitude.

He was right.  We got some apple cider, visited the farm animals, and started deliberating on the perfect tree. Last year I was out voted 4-1 on my choice and I had hopes of rallying the family around my top pick.

That proved difficult with our resident contrarian, Linus.  He threw a fit because he wanted a pint sized Noble Fir bush.  He accused Mattias of always siding with me (not true!) We reminded him that mamma didn't cry last year when she lost the vote, and after some jokes and a brief explanation about democracy, we were ready to cut.

We proudly sawed the tree down and tied it to the top of our car, like we've done for so many years now.  Then we listened to "Christmas with the Chipmunks" all the way back home.

That evening we got out our box of ornaments and began trimming the tree.  

In addition to tree cutting, another Christmas "must" is baking pepperkakor, or Swedish gingerbread. I baked a double batch so that we can enjoy them year round.

I was most proud of my new rabbit cookie cutter that I got for free at a conference.  In hopes that they would multiply exponentially, I put two rabbit cookies together in the right position.

We also had a few pre-made gingerbread ornaments and a house purchased from IKEA, which we decorated on a very stormy day.  Since Anders can't really handle piping icing, I made his ornament say "Destroy" (which he had no problem doing-- see bite marks.)

Cutting your own tree is neither convenient nor cheap, when you factor in the gas.  But come to think of it, nothing about the holidays is convenient.  It's the time of the year that I have to work hardest-- to uphold tradition, to make joyful memories, to keep from going crazy.

#NoRealProblems

This Thanksgiving we celebrated with lots of family and a simple, (relatively) healthy feast.  After years of being away, it felt extra special to have both sets of parents along with my sister and her husband there to join us.

 Our table was set with a beautiful 3 pound bittersweet chocolate turkey as the centerpiece.  We took advantage of the 5 minutes before the meal to photograph the boys in their clean, fancy shirts.

 While we spend weekends in Milpitas regularly, it's not that common that we're all under one roof.  There's a lot of catching up to do, and Linus will take advantage of any captive audience.   The feast was one of our best to date.  Before sitting down we talked about what we are most grateful for; family and health were recurring answers.

 On Black Friday we laughed at all the people heading to the mall and drove to Sanborn County Park in Saratoga for a hike in the redwoods.

 Being wild animals, the boys seem to be at their best when set loose in a park. Aside from having to keep them out of harms way, there is nothing more relaxing for us than being outdoors.  Tree stumps are better substitutes to playground structures, hollowed out trees stand in for a playhouse.

We had deli sandwiches for lunch and soaked in the sunshine while the older boys played hide-and-seek. Anders really enjoyed wandering around on his own.

It's far too easy for me to get caught in my small-stuff, first world, perceived "problems".  There seems to be a never ending supply of playground sand and grime. There is a constant racket of crying, whining, and siren/laser/shooting noises.  They all stress me out, and I view my complete lack of energy at the end of each day as a tiny failure.  Taking a step back, I see that all the discord is created by three very healthy, boisterous boys; that my lack of energy proves I work hard and live a very full life.  I know it won't be this way every year, but this Thanksgiving I'm thankful that I have no real problems.

Falloween

Ranking just below Christmas, Halloween is my second favorite holiday of the year.  It could be the cooling weather, or the crafting of costumes, or that the entire month of October turns into a conglomerate celebration: Falloween.  We don't have the dramatic color changes or larger-than-life Fall festivals we had back in Virginia, but we're finding ways to celebrate. This year, we explored local farms and parks in the Silicon Valley.

Did you know that the entire Silicon Valley used to be a bunch of fruit and nut orchards?  And before that, a sparse grouping of ranchos for cattle?  Emma Prusch Park in San Jose helps remind us of our agrarian roots, housing a working community garden, barn, farm animals, and educational programs for all.

Lots of geese, chickens, and peafowl roam the playgrounds.  They knew Anders meant trouble.

We even brought the kids bikes to ride around on the paved trails.  Bike riding is an uncommon event for many city kids.

Just last weekend we finally got around to visiting Ardenwood Farm, a 19th century family farm in Fremont.

Mattias jetted back to Virginia for work and left me and the kids in Milpitas.  The boys were pretty well behaved but they do get rowdy.  Anders was overly adventurous and scuffed up his face.

There was a granary where kids help with farm chores.  Here the boys are grinding corn, which they were able to walk over and feed to the goats.

For the first time in 2 years we handmade our family costumes!  By the boys' request we were all Star Wars characters and thanks to Kerstin's sewing skills we pulled it off!  Here we are as Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kanobi, R2D2 and a couple of Ewoks.

 The trick-or-treating in our neighborhood was lively and fun.  Lots of houses had fun decorations, and lots of young adults made a night out of hanging out on the porch, drinking, and  handing candy out to our kids.

 I was pleasantly surprised that some houses were giving out little cocktails "treats" to the parents.  The mulled wine and dark n stormy kept my body warm, and my attitude upbeat.

It didn't take long for Anders to enter sugar melt down (we kept him quiet by feeding him candy in the stroller) and I was exhausted from the day's events.  Seriously, they should just cancel school on Halloween since the entire day is dedicated to classroom parties and the school-wide costume parade.

First order of business upon returning home is scoping out the loot!  We let them eat 3 pieces before going to bed, when both boys declared that Halloween is almost as awesome as Christmas.