Celebrating Christ(mas)

Golda awoke early to sing her Christmas praises in a choir program in church. The choir's offering was beautiful and it was fun to see Golda's face as she took in all the meaning of the songs she was singing.

After church we gathered around what my four-year-old godson, Alex, called a "crackling fire" to give gifts to the children on the King/Bazail side of the family. It was a warm and wonderful party. I had not looked forward to our planned activity of going to see the lights on Temple Square, and the crackling fire made me less inclined to brave the cold, but we all piled in our cars and drove downtown just in time to see the lights come on. The temple looked serene and beautiful against the lights, and the kids were reverent (or half-frozen) as I told them about being sealed to my parents in that temple when I was nine, and of being married there. Walking around the foggy temple grounds, along the gorgeously lit pathways with family, I was grateful that we had bundled up and made the effort to celebrate the season in that way. I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

It was that feeling that motivated me to go back out into the cold for the Messiah sing-in after we returned from the lights. My dad was the only one up for going with me. The Messiah is so uplifting and inspiring that it wouldn't feel like Christmas without hearing it at least once. Plus, I got to hear a story from Dad about how he broke a glass sacrament cup as a child in the tabernacle. When I got home, with the Hallelujah chorus ringing in my ears, the rest of the family was watching a nativity movie. I think they all went to bed feeling peaceful and awed by Christ's birth. "Seeking after the Christ Child" can be accomplished through musical praises, by visiting holy places, by feeling the love of family. I'm grateful to have had all of those opportunities today.

Holiday Parties, Volume One

Xanthe's spur-of-the-moment gingerbread party. Four-year-olds are so easy. You just show up at their house and throw them in your car. A lot of times, they are already wearing princess attire, and they're always more than willing to roll out dough and spread frosting. I sent them home with a plate of goopy creations tagged with Emily's artful gift tags.

I love being on the ward activities committee. I wish there were a way to earn tenure in church callings. Here's the "before" picture of the Brazilian Barbeque for three hundred.

Xanthe's preschool program. Her expression is, "See? I'm sitting on Santa's lap. Are you happy?"

Ptolemy's first sushi party...and if we're lucky, he'll take us to more in the future. The food was incredible. Ptolemy rocked the plaid pants. You should have seen him flirting with the girl babies.

Lunch with the Davis Girls at Christine's house, which is amazingly immaculate and inviting. And it's not built sideways. I'm just not good with the camera. Which reminds me, I didn't get a single picture of one of my favorite holiday parties, the official Davis girls Christmas party at Tiffany's house. It's heaven there, and you leave with major swag. Nobody ever takes pictures. We're always having way too much fun.

Circe's Cookie Exchange. If you didn't get an invitation, it's probably under the seat of my car. Never let the lack of an invitation stop you from showing up at my house, especially if there's a party. Of course you're invited! Tolly's little friend Gabriel had a great time.

Golda's Cookie Exchange and Tree Trimming Competition. Her friends brought great cookies, were very creative with their trimming, and were louder than Xanthe's friends! I didn't even think that was possible. Having the house full of seventh grade girls was, like, so much fun! Oh my gosh!


Lexie and Isabella's dance recital wasn't a party, but it sure felt like one with all the adorable costumes and the ice cream after! Lexie lit up the stage in several dances. She got me choked up a little, she's so graceful and talented. Izzy was the most precious Suzy Snowflake there ever was. She melted my heart!

And that's round one. Round two: The DeBry party.

My Baby Brothers

Seeing my own girls' devotion to their little brothers helps me understand why I love my brothers so much. If I'm anything like Golda, Ruby, Araceli and Xanthe, I have loved my brothers from the moment they came home from the hospital, all tiny and wrinkly. I remember reading to Joshua and getting stuck in the mud with Trajan. Our favorite game was Don't Touch the Floor, in which the challenge was to travel the perimeter of Trajan's room without touching the carpet. (i.e. walking on the dressers, climbing to the bunk beds, lunging for the rocking chair, etc.)

We had a grand old childhood together, but even better is that my brothers are still around to set an example for me and help me along. Tonight we had dinner to celebrate their birthdays. I was going to get a picture of the two boys together, but by the time Josh got there, Trajan was picking up Ruby from ballet, and by the time he got back, I had gone to teach, and when I got back, Josh had left to put cranky Abram to bed. We might not all three be in the same place too often, but thank heavens our paths intersect at so many points. I don't know what I'd do without my brothers and Emily, Esmae and Abe. Happy birthday, Trajan (now) and Happy Birthday, Josh (in 30 minutes).

I'm Sorry, I Just Can't Help It!

Santa needed a little helper, so Scott found this outfit for Tolly Claus. He's leaving for the North Pole on the 23rd to help load the sleigh and feed the reindeer. He'll travel around the world squeezing down chimneys that are too small for Santa and riding shotgun in the sleigh. As you can see from the pictures, he is pretty excited.

Top Ten Signs the Christmas Season is Making Me Crack

10. I served Xanthe a plate of caramel corn, Danish butter cookies and fudge for lunch.

9. I wrote "Drive carpoop" on my calendar and didn't notice it until the kids saw it and went into fits of giggles.

8. By my calculations, I've made eight hundred cookies this month. Does that sound like a lot?

7. I'm starting to have hostile feelings toward the little drummer boy. How many mothers of newborns do you know who appreciate a kid showing up and playing a drum for their baby? Mary finally gets Jesus to sleep and she hears, "Pah rum pa pum pum! Rum pa pum pum! Rum pa pum pum!" That's a gift?

6. I contemplated ramming the car in front of me when it stopped at a yellow light. I know the prosecutor. He'd let me off.

5. Everything I buy at the store has to have holiday packaging. Milk, crackers, kleenex. Either the wrapper isn't adorned with snowflakes and/or Santa Claus, or I'm not buying it. If I'm running four crock pots, three cookie sheets and a dishwasher around the clock, everything around me had better look festive.

4. Someone innocently asked me if I was "ready for Christmas." In me head I screamed, "READY? WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS? I'M DOING CHRISTMAS AS WE SPEAK. PARTIES EVERY NIGHT! WRAPPING AND BAKING EVERY DAY! WHAT, YOU THINK I'M JUST SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS, THINKING HOW READY I AM? CHRISTMAS STARTED WEEKS AGO! IT'S A LITTLE LATE TO BE THINKING ABOUT BEING READY!" (Out loud, I answered, "I think so. How about you?" He told me yeah, he's ready, his wife does most of it.

3. Everything I drink has to be mixed with egg nog. And it all has to be warm, have a candy cane in it and be topped with whipped cream. And I'm craving foods made from breakfast cereal, marshmallows and green food coloring.

2. This week we have five Christmas parties, three performances, lights on Temple Square, two birthdays, early morning band and a Messiah sing-in, and still, I'm fighting off the urge to paint a bedroom. It'll be a miracle if I remember to drive carpoop tomorrow.

And the number one sign the Christmas season is making me crack...

I feel an overwhelming desire to dress my baby in a Santa beard.

Have a Tolly Jolly Christmas!

This little guy is giving Santa a run for his money in the jolly department!

China Friends

You have to see Tiffany's new lovebox design, especially for all the sweet little girls who have joined our lives. Xanthe has this green one, and now I think she has to have the new design, too! She loves her little boxes. All my kids do. They use them for everything from pebble collections to Tooth Fairy boxes.

The Real Deal?

Is this The Real Santa? Last year at the family party, Freestone called Santa out on his eyewear, shouting, "Hey! Santa is wearing my dad's glasses!"

This year, I saw Santa hanging out in the church kitchen at the ward party. I thought Xanthe might want to see him, so I sneaked her into the kitchen for a peek. She cautiously followed me, not knowing what I wanted to show her. One glimpse of Santa and she shouted, "OH NO!"
She ran away screaming and wouldn't go anywhere near him all night, not even for a candy cane. Afterwards, she said to me, "I didn't want Bill to come to the party and wear that costume." I'm not sure if we lose credibility or gain it by having so many of Santa's helpers in our family, but Xanthe is decidedly NOT impressed.

Move Over, Baby Kittens

You've seen fluffy, adorable kittens hanging from tree branches. You've seen sleepy koalas and cute little puppies in costumes. But you've never seen anything as cute as Tolly and Freestone playing the PSP together. Come on, say it with me..."Aaaaawwwww!" I dare you to show me something cuter than that! (Do you think I'm biased?)

Notes on a Recital

I had a ballet class to teach and I was going to send the kids with Scott to their recital. After all, I hear these pieces daily. I'm so glad I changed my mind and went to the recital instead of my class. I would have missed so much, beyond the music. The look of concentration on Araceli's face, and her royal princess attire. Freestone getting stuck in his hat. Little Neeley coming with Grandma to see her cousins. The camaraderie among families and between the kids. Golda sang Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and played LeRoy Anderson's Sleigh Ride on her flute. Both were very polished and a delight to listen to. Ruby played Nonesuch on the guitar, and it was flawlessly beautiful. Araceli played March in D by Bach. She got mixed up and skipped the whole middle of the song, so I took the liberty of suggesting she start over. She was fabulous! We were lucky to have an extremely talented and prepared accompanist, Jennifer. Thank you! (With five kids you prepared all of that!?!)

I love it when the kids do their practicing. It doesn't always sound good, but it's music to my ears anyway. I make them practice every. single. day. I think I do it more for me than anything. I just love it, and I know it will bring them happiness. Like Nietzsche said, "Life without music would be a mistake." That's one mistake I'm trying to avoid.