Christmas Break 2013

As always, the entire family was looking forward to this break.  Though the semester went really fast, it also seemed really hectic.  It is very refreshing to have a couple of weeks away from all of our normal obligations. 

My last day at work was amazingly fun filled.   The entire building, staff, students, and administrators, took part in creating a Lip Dub that is now posted on YouTube here.  (Click on that different colored "here" in the last sentence to watch the video.)Watch closely around 4:55 and you might see me holding a copy of The Great Gatsby in the background.  Our Oak Park family really needed this.  Our new administration team (wearing the crazy Christmas get-ups) has been very successful in bringing back the spirit of the Northmen.  Joe and Lynn have watched the video a few times, and they are even more eager to become Northmen than they were before.

The biggest highlight of the week was that Dan’s mom, Ann, was here.  She came with us to the Christmas Eve service at the church of one of my students.  He invited our family to join his family, and I couldn’t say no.  It was a very well done, short, and sweet service.  There were refreshments afterwards, and everyone there was so kind and welcoming to us.  I love our church, but this small church was a very nice change of pace, and we all felt the true spirit and meaning of Christmas during our time there.  I didn’t miss the hip-to-hip crowds that we would have experienced at our church on Christmas Eve at all. 

  This year was the first time Mimi got to be with the kids for Christmas morning.  I think she enjoyed it.  She got up with them and helped them “organize the gifts” so we could sleep in a bit.  I wasn’t able to sleep, but it was great to get to listen to the conversations among the three of them.  Once we started opening presents we tried to prolong the event as much as possible with breaks for mimosas, coffee, and our traditional Breakfast Casserole.  Both kids were really sweet about taking turns and making sure we all had gifts to open.  Aunt Jill’s tape job (Thank you for volunteering to wrap the majority of our gifts!  I hate wrapping.)  on the packages and the more than adequately bubble wrapped and peanut filled box from Auntie Mary also kept the festivities going a little longer.  After the packages were all opened, we all settled in to enjoy our new things.  Favorites:

Dan: Chicago Cutlery Knife Set

Me: Jurassic Park Sweatshirt and a note in a card that made me cry from my parents.  I have the best parents!

Joe: 1500 Pokémon Cards (not an exaggeration, Dan found the mother load on e-bay) and Kindle Fire HDX from Santa

Lynn: Make-up box and Kindle Fire HDX from Santa

Mimi: Kindle Reader from her three kids

Dan made a wonderful roast with potatoes and carrots in the crock-pot for dinner.  Jill and Brian came over the evening.  We had a bit of wine and great conversation.  Brian surprised Joe with a signed baseball from a Royals player.  The greatest moment however, was presenting Charlie, Jill and Brian’s dog, with a new toy…his very own pair of Grinch underwear.  After hearing that he regularly steals and runs around the house with any undies he can get his paws on, we knew we had to get him some for Christmas.  I haven’t laughed so hard in a really long time about anything.

Dan had to go back to work the day after Christmas, so Mimi and I decided we needed to entertain the kids.  On Thursday we decided to take advantage of our membership to Union Station.  We drove down after lunch and went to our first moving on the Extreme Screen.  I was amazed that the tickets were only $5 and our membership got us a free bag of popcorn.  It was so worth it that I can’t wait to see another movie there soon.  Walking with Dinosaurs was a spectacular film.  It was highly entertaining and educational at the same time.  We all laughed out loud and learned something as well.  Even, Joe, the dinosaur expert learned some new things.  I can’t say that we all cried, but one of us did.  Lynn is my super sensitive kiddo.  She had tears streaming during what I like to call the “Bambi” moment of the movie.  I hope no one considers that a “spoiler.”  How else is the runt supposed to set out on his own in an animated movie if his parents don’t die? Unfortunately, Lynn hasn’t had enough experience to see that one comin’. 

After the movie we went on up to Science City.   Lynn was able to light up one display by spinning a huge wheel around.  Joe decided he wanted to try the high wire bike.  He was exactly the minimum height necessary to go on it.  I was certainly more scared about him being able to do it than he was.  He went up the stairs, got strapped it, peddled out backwards, peddled back forwards, unbuckled, and came back down the stairs.  He was proud of himself, but I am pretty sure he thought the gushing from Mimi and Mommy was completely unnecessary.  Are seven year olds supposed to be “too cool” for Mom’s high fives?  Well, he let me do it anyway, so I will call that good.  It ended up being a very successful day.  The kids zonked out that evening and Dan, Ann, and I ended the night with some good games of Words With Friends. 

The weather was amazing on Friday, so we decided to hit the zoo to introduce Mimi to the penguins.  When we arrived, Nekita, the polar bear jumped into the water and began playing with a large plastic barrel.  It was really fun to see him push it as far down as he could and then see it spring back up to the surface.  He also did his requisite swim around to push off the glass where all the people watch him.  I could watch him do that all day and then go home, but we had to get to the penguins. 

The new exhibit for the penguins is fantastic.  There is an outdoor viewing area at the front entrance.  Upon entering, there is a large viewing area of the enclosure along with displays of a few types of fish and jellyfish.  Our favorite part of the exhibit is around the corner from the main viewing area.  As you go down a hallway that looks like the exit to the building, there are several different areas that give views of the penguins under the water.  In one area there is a set of steps to sit on to watch.  All four of us sat down to watch and were just mesmerized.  The penguins were chasing each other in what looked like a game of underwater tag.  One was picking up a rock from the bottom, dropping it, and then diving down to get it again.  A feather that was floating around fooled many of the penguins.  They all kept trying to eat it.  This was apparently very funny for all of the kids watching.  Our last stop before the carousel was the Tropics building.  All of the monkeys in the exhibit were more active than I have ever seen them.  We sat for a snack and watched them watch us.  There are times that I am sure we are just as entertaining to them as they are to us.  On our way home we stopped at my favorite store, The Hillcrest Thrift Store.  We didn’t find anything to mind blowing, but it is always fun to look around.

The weekend was pretty low key and relaxing.  We went to the Y on Saturday morning to swim.  Then later in the afternoon we met Jill and Brian for our first ever meal at Stroud’s.  Thankfully we were close to the beginning of the line that formed before they opened at 2:00.  We didn’t have to wait long at all for a table.  The chicken noodle soup, fried chicken, sliced potatoes, and cinnamon buns were all amazing.  The kids really liked their burgers as well.  We will definitely go back again.  Dan and I went out to do a little shopping on Saturday night while Mimi put the kids to bed.   We ended up buying an area rug for our living room.  I love it, and it should last a really long time.  Ann made fun of us for coming home so early, but I was wiped out.  This girl likes her 9:00 bed time.

On Sunday, as we arrived at church, we had the horrible realization that there was no Sunday School.  Fortunately there were activity bags provided that were semi-entertaining.  Joe really didn’t like the change of schedule, but he ended up handling it.  Ann was so great to help Dan with our coffee cup washing duty while I kept the kiddos happy.  It was also great to spend a little time talking with a new friend that I met through my Book Club.  We had been going to the same church for a long time, but hadn’t met.  I hope she becomes a regular member of the Book Club.

The weather turned really cold on Sunday, so we stayed in all afternoon.  We all rested, played on our tablets, read, and played a few games of Left, Center, Right with Lynn.  She is one competitive little girl.  Thanks to her dad, at 5 years old, she is already a pro at talking “smack.” “You’re goin’ down Mommy!”

Mimi had to head back to Dubuque yesterday morning.  We were all so sad to see her go.  By last night, Joe was already saying how much he missed her.  He really does love being surrounded by family. 

So that is week one in review.  I did clean out my closet and do some lesson planning yesterday, so now I am feeling free to finish reading a couple of books and to tackle some more writing projects before this break is over.  I won’t have guests again until Easter.  I can worry about cleaning the house then.

Happy New Year!  May you enjoy each day you have and each person you have to the fullest in the coming year.  Smile more, laugh more, write more, and for goodness sakes, yell a little less too.  Oh, wait, that was me talking to myself…anyway, be happy.  It really is more fun!