Christmas In California

We decided to leave Boise after work on Friday, December 20th and ended up spending the night in Winnemucca, NV on our way to Truckee- our first planned stop. We hit some snow in Rome and thought it best to get off the roads. We got to the hotel at 10:30 and the kids were WIRED. Thankfully the boys fell asleep sometime around 11:30 but our little girl was a big stinker. She was up until 3:30AM. Brian took her downstairs to the hotel lobby at around 1AM and tried to wear her out- to no avail. She laid between us and repeatedly sang The National Anthem and The ABC Song, then just started yelling things like, "Mommy! Daddy! Jake! Tanner!" while we tried to shush her as best we could while trying not to wake the boys or piss off any of the other hotel guests. Tanner was up at 5:30AM and we departed the lovely town of Winnemucca soon after. Faith escaped with her life.... very narrowly.

Our time in Tahoe was much more fun. We got there by noon and all five of us napped.... AT THE SAME TIME!!! Sheila and Wayne and their kids arrived at 3 and we got to spend the afternoon and evening catching up and laughing and enjoying good homemade food that Sheila brought. Sam is now a sophomore in college and Shelby is a senior in HS- who we are hoping chooses to attend Boise State in the fall. It was so much fun to spend time together- even if it was a brief visit.

The next day we headed to Auntie Sue's house where the kids were greeted with new Christmas dishes/sippy cups and a bedroom decked out with "pre-Christmas toys", new books, stuffed animals, and sleeping bags. Not to mention to the singing Elf hats and Santa masks (see picture). They were in heaven being spoiled to death by Grandma Mary (who was also visiting from MN) and Auntie Sue. Tanner treated us to a performance wherein he dressed up like Santa and spent 30 minutes walking around to each of us "ho ho hoing" and asking us what we wanted for Christmas. Then he would bring us something completely unrelated to our request and say, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!". Very funny. While in San Ramon Brian and I got to see several old friends, renewing friendships from our previous lives in CA. It was so great to catch up- now if we could only get others to move here with us!!!

After two nights at Auntie Sue's we headed to Kim's house in Mountain View. We spent Christmas Eve there with my mom, dad, and sister Kiri. Kim and Bill bought a Wii Fit for Christmas and the kids got to open it on Christmas Eve. The afternoon was spent bowling, skiing, hula hooping, and playing baseball. (Anyone want to place a bet on how long it is before my husband wants to buy one?). We ended the evening with a double feature of "Shrek the Halls" and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".

On Christmas Day Brian was awake before the kids and, unable to contain his excitement, was whispering things in their ears like, " It's Christmas morning. Santa came last night! I think there's TOYS!". They awoke at 6:30 and the extravaganza began. Many presents later (two huge tupperware containers full to be exact!) we headed back down to Auntie Sue's house for Christmas Morning #2. More unwrapping ensued. Favorite gifts included a doll and inchworm for Faith, a Nintendo DS for Jake, and an indoor hockey "rink" and scooter for Tanner. However, the most cherished gift of all was a stuffed penguin from Auntie Sue that Tanner calls (You have to imagine this being said with a strong Italian/Spanish accent) "Penguino!. It was love at first sight. He tells us all the time now how he LOVES Penguino (same accent) and how Penguino is his friend. Penguino is now a permanent fixture in bed with Tanner- keeping company with "Moosey", "Ah-Ah" (monkey), and his sippy cup of water. Needless to say, the bed is getting a little crowded!

Two nights later we headed BACK to Kim's house to see some old college/HS friends of mine for a quick brunch before hitting the road back to Truckee. Again, a short but wonderful visit. There was no way we were going to fit all of the Christmas loot in our Suburban, so it seemed like a Christmas miracle when Nikko and Shannon decided to follow us back to Boise in their truck to spend New Year's with us. Sometimes spontaneous decisions are the best thing ever. They are currently here and we are enjoying watching movies, talking, and playing with the kids- leading up to our New Year's Eve Trivia Contest tonight after the kids are in bed. (JAN 1 Update: Nikko beat Brian in Trivial Pursuit- another Christmas miracle??)

So... it was busy. It was really, really fun. We feel more blessed than ever to have so many wonderful friends and family in our lives. But we are glad to be home. And I for one am looking forward to school/daycare starting again next week!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL FRIENDS FAR AND NEAR!

Warriors beat the Celts!

So because we can't go more than a post or two without referencing sports in some manner, here is the tale of our night after Christmas trip out to the Warriors game.

So, for anyone not in the know, Uncle Eric is the Equipment Manager for the Golden State Warriors and the King of killer hook-ups. When we knew we were coming back for Christmas, we checked the schedule and low and behold, the Warriors were playing the Celtics the night after Christmas. So we reached out to Uncle Eric and he hooked us up with tickets (and some SWEET jerseys for the boys).

Just a note...this is not just selfish sports going, in the past, this was the only way we were able to ever visit with Eric, was to go to a game. He leads a very busy, hectic, but fulfilling life, doing what he loves...we should all be so happy.

I had taken Jake to a Warriors/Sixers game a couple of years ago, but he doesn't really remember it anymore, so he was looking forward to the game. Tanner had never been and we knew he would love it; for the sake of the game as well as the transportation....the BART train. Tanner has never been on BART and has always been a crazy person for trains of any sort. 

As usual when Mom and Dad say, "It's going to be a late night, both of you boys NEED to nap today.", there was no napping, so the boys were both exhausted and entering that wonderful tired/loopy phase when we loaded them on the train. Tanner was quite confused on how the train was going to take us INTO the basketball arena, additionally, he was concerned that he couldn't see the tracks. He spent a good portion of the ride there looking under the seats to see where the tracks were. Auntie Sue was able to come with us as Grandma Mary stayed behind to get some one on one time with Faith, so she was witness to Tired Tanner in all his glory.

We met up with Eric's girlfriend Mona at the game (who Jake just adores....the boy can BLUSH) and had a really great time. Mona took Jake down into the locker room at half time to see Eric 

and they got to go into the family room where the players families can watch the game ("Dad, do you know WHERE I got THIS cookie from?"). As usual, Tanner wanted to avoid the mascot, whom we never did see, and eat and drink, with only passing interest in the game after the Nation Anthem had passed. Jake got really into it, Kevin Garnett (Celtics) is his favorite player, and I had to explain that he couldn't root too loud as we were in Uncle Eric's seats.

But the best part of the whole thing was that the Warriors won! I thought they would get killed as the Celts had been on a tear and had just lost the night before in LA, so I figured they would be upset and wipe the floor with the Warriors, but it was a great game.

On the BART ride home, Tanner was VERY concerned about where the dirver was. I explained that you couldn't see the driver, but promised to show him the front of the train when we got back to the station. When I walked him up and pointed into where the driver sat, she lowered the window and said hi to him. He jumped in my arms, so I think it scared him, but he was ear to ear smiles the whole time. Not positive, but it might have been his high point for the night.

Snow Day

Today was the first decent snowfall we have had this year, and Marisa and I being big proponents of child labor and sweatshops, went out this morning and brought the boys snow shovels and locked them outside until the sidewalks and stairs were cleared. Just kidding, if you look closely you can see me in the background as well (without supervision they stop working and just goof off, so someone has to watch....).

We shoveled our walk and then headed over to Nana's and shoveled hers as well, the boys were pretty tuckered out after that, so we came home and rested/took naps (depending upon age...meaning Tanner, Faith and Marisa). Jake and I watched the Bills/Jets game.

After that it was off to the sledding hill behind the Merc. All of the kids went out, bundeled to the hilt. Faithy survived for about 10 minutes before tears started falling and Marisa had to take her in. Jake and Tanner and I stayed out for about 45 minutes sledding down together, on their own, and eventually getting brave enough to try going down on Jake's boogie sled standing up, which was AWESOME. Both of the boys went down with me that way and I think snowboards may be a late add to the Christmas list for the Alan Men!

Speaking of Christmas, we are really getting geared up for our trip and are really looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. Coming back to visit family and friends makes leaving our White Christmas behind a little more bearable. We'll see you soon, and for those not on the itinerary, know that we are thinking about you and yours and send all of our best Holiday Mojo your way too! Merry Christmas all!

PS. Also, Happy Almost Blogirthday! It's been three years since we started this thing, can you believe it? I never thought we would keep it going this long, but we look back on it now and just love having it there (you have no idea how many arguments this thing has solved!), so we don't anticipate stopping anytime soon. 

Santa '08

Tanner and Faith started screaming the instant Santa walked into the room. All eyes were on our family as Brian, Mom, and I tried our best to calm them down as they screamed things like, "I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE !" and "NO SANTA!!" Seriously, it was like they had just seen the most hideous and terrifying monster imaginable. Faith decided to deal with the situation by falling asleep on Nana's shoulder for the duration. Tanner sat on my lap and kept repeating, "Mom, I never have to sit on Santa's lap, right? Never ever? Ever? Never? Right, Mom? Promise? Really promise? For real?"

Santa called Jake's name first so he went up to get his gift and candy cane, smiled for the picture, and loved every second of it. He's always liked Santa so his brother and sister's response was an enigma to him.

Tanner continued with his rant as Brian and I debated whether or not to take him up there. He didn't want to go with Jake. Didn't want to go with me or Nana. And he didn't want to go with Daddy. Still, when his name was called, Brian picked him up and brought him to the side of Santa's chair. He cried for a second, then took the gift from Santa and even smiled. I was desperately trying to take a picture of this but was ultimately unable since the camera battery had died. I am pretty sure this was karma for forcing my son to confront his fear of people dressed up in character suits- all in the name of a "Merry Christmas".

Faith woke up in time for her name to be called and Brian took her up there, too. She screamed bloody murder and refused to even look in Santa's direction, choosing instead to bury her head in Brian's shoulder. She was shell shocked for the next half hour, recovering on Nana's shoulder, half asleep.

The therapy bills for Christmas '08 are gonna be huge.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please forgive us for the Christmas card you are about to receive.
It may be irreverent but it is also how about 98% of people feel when they realize it is already "that time of year again" so we are only saying what everyone else is thinking (along with Peace on Earth, joy, love, happiness, etc.... of course!)

Faith Wilder

She is growing so much that I had to post about my 21 month independent, talkative, loving, and stubborn little girl. Honestly, if I could keep her this age forever I just might do it. Another list of random things I want to remember:

1. She says her brothers names constantly. "Tanner" is "Tana". She adores them and she brings out their tender side all the time. She has them kiss her dolls and help her tuck them in. The other day I watched as Jake patiently kissed her blankie about 10 times in a row, never losing the forced enthusiasm.

2. She calls her blankie and her stuffed giraffe "Bainey" (they are one entity to her) and insists on them when she is tired or hurt or grumpy.

3. When we put her in her crib at night she scoots her whole body into the corner and curls up into a ball, waiting for us to cover her up. She never resists bedtime (OH, PLEASE let this continue!) and when she wakes up in the morning she calls to us insistently, "MAMA! DADDY! JAKE! I AWAKE!". She doesn't cry at all, but just repeats this loudly until we finally (often after an hour) we are ready to go get her.

4. She loves her Nana. Since mom has moved here she has grown quite attached. Even the mention of Nana's name and she lights up screaming, "NANA! NANA! NANA!" in anticipation of seeing her.

5. She is very independent and wants to do everything herself. From putting on her shoes (she's getting close) to brushing her teeth and reading books.

6. Speaking of books.... this girl loves to read. She calls books "Bobos". I think she would be content to sit on one of our laps all day long and read stories, point at pictures she knows, and play "Find The______" in the children's dictionary that we have.

7. She is still loving baseball. She hits a ball in some manner with a bat and then runs around the room yelling "Home run!" and then falls down on the floor dramatically and says "Safe!". I tried to capture her playing baseball while holding her doll as the combination of the two hobbies was pretty cute.

8. Brian's attempts to get her into horses have been successful (Don't ask me why my husband wants to encourage this as I am sure one day she will want a real horse and then, knowing my husband, we'll have to have a very serious discussion about the reality of this move!). She has 3 plastic horses that she loves to play with and is getting a stable from Santa (guess who's idea this was....)

9. She still is very hesitant around any man but daddy. She is her daddy's girl and loves him to pieces with an enthusiasm that I sometimes envy, but if any other older male comes close she breaks out into tears. She was not a fan of Uncle Bill or Uncle John, didn't take to Papa, and is terrified of the assistant basketball coach Ken- a friend of Brian's. Santa is coming to the Barn this morning and I am not holding my breath about getting a picture of her on his lap. Trauma would definitely ensue.

10. She sings the National Anthem. Seriously. It may not be totally recognizable to anyone but family, but there is no doubt that is what she is singing!

11. She has started to say, "I love you" and she says it to all of us- her two brothers, Brian, and me. It melts my heart every time.

So.... that's our Faith at 21 months. If I can't keep her at this stage, then I definitely want to be able to go back and reread this when she is in the midst of the "Terrible Threes or Fours" which I am too much of a realist to deny are on their way.

A Holiday Equation

Thanksgiving 2008= 7 kids +7 adults +3 dogs x (4 days+ Many Snacks)

It was our first T-Day that we stayed in Boise and we were so happy that both Kim and Lisa's families were able to make the trek out to see us. Mom was in town, too, so we split between the two houses, making everything a little easier. On T-Day the cousins played together happily all day. Jake taught the three girls how to play Four Square and they kept themselves pretty well occupied by playdoh, art, decorating a gingerbread house, and playing outside. But the meal was definitely not the highlight. Shrek (in the soon-to-be-Christmas-Classic "Shrek the Halls") says , "That wasn't Christmas... that was CHAOS!". Well.... the same could be said for our Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a hurried affair with tired kids all with many varied needs and requests and we were back at our house an hour after dinner (at Mom's) began.

We had time in the days before and after to talk politics and books and movies and jobs, parenting, and gossip. It was great to be together. Our last night we gathered in our family room and watched the Grinch together. It was a great way to end the holiday and also a fun way to get in the Christmas Spirit.

In the holiday spirit

So the tree is up, the lights are hung and the Alan Family is ready to go with this whole Christmas thing. I learned last year, while hanging the lights in the snow, that you do those kind of things early here, so ours went up outside the day after Thanksgiving. We got the tree the next day at Home Depot (I just do NOT understand the whole tromp into the woods and kill a perfectly healthy and happy tree thing - no offense if you do, but it's just not me) and got it decorated that night as well.

There is a reason for our haste. We are going to CA for Christmas in just three weeks, so we wanted to be able to enjoy some Christmas spirit in our home here before we left. The kids had a great time decorating the tree and the house looks great. It was Jake's turn to hang the angel this year, probably the last time we will be able to do it in the manner shown in the photo, as the next time it's his turn he'll be 8 (and I'll be 42ish) and I don't know if I'll still be able to lift him above my head. But it was great to be able to do it this way one more time.

I have dropped the holiday playlist onto the iPod and we have the kids advent calendar full and set. 

We watched the Grinch while everyone was here for Thanksgiving, and our new holiday favorite, "Shrek the Halls" is being Tivo'd as we speak. 

I am currently on an internet search to find a photo Christmas card company that uses recycled paper, to make a Christmas card that is, itself, recyclable, so if you know of one already, please tell me. I very cautiously broached the subject of doing a much more earth friendly e-Card campaign this year and almost lost a limb in the process. I love me some green energy, but not at risk of bodily harm, so we will be sending out the most earth-friendly cards I can find (please recycle them!). 

Marisa and I both took this Friday off work to finish up the Christmas shopping (and maybe have a quiet lunch together but who knows), so we should be set to load up the gas guzzling sleigh and hit the road with Christmas cheer just oozing from our ears when it's time to head south for the holiday.