Holiday Traditions, Part IV - Shows

A favorite holiday tradition of mine that we somehow carried out this year was attending some shows. Taking advantage of the season, I went to one with each of my kids, minus John that is. (Sorry, John, but your presence would have been miserable. He sits beside me as I type and shouts a muffled "Nooooo. Noooooo." His new favorite word.)

The selections fit each child to a T: First, June and I saw the Nutcracker. A month later, she's still obsessed. (We may have gotten our "Clara" and "June" names mixed up.) Second, Clara and I saw a holiday concert by the CU Music Department that had lots of participation and activity. Talking loudly through the whole thing was totally cool. Finally, Will and I went to see "The Christmas Carol" with good friends. It's sometimes hard to tell these days, but he did sit quietly, absorbing the whole thing, so I think he enjoyed it.

Each outing included hot chocolate, dressing up, talk without interruption from other siblings, sitting in laps, or for others, jiggling coins and handling tickets. After getting this tiny bit of culture, I vow to get out more in 2011!

American Girl, or Not

Today, Clara went to an American Girl party. That is, a birthday party for an American Girl. That is, a doll's birthday party. Clara is not a doll girl. At all. As in, everyone showed up with their American Doll and Clara has none. (I believe the phrase was "I'm never ever having a stupid doll.") She considered bringing her horse (that admittedly sometimes wears a dress), but figured she'd just borrow something.

Jeff and I enjoyed the thought of her there. What was going through her mind?

1. Where's the food?

2. How am I going to spin this to Will?

3. Are these people from Mars?

In the end, she was neither enthralled nor disgusted. (Although she desperately hid the party favor locket with a picture of a doll on it from Will.) She was pretty neutral about the whole experience, and talked positively about the outside time. How they slid around in the snow and how Sofie's doll got cold and wet.

Maybe it was the beginning of a career in cultural anthropology.

Holiday Traditions, Part III - A Day Hike

One of my favorite holiday traditions is our Christmas Eve hike. In fact, for me that's what marks our holidays in time, at least since we've been having babies. (Please forgive me this indulgence down memory lane):

'02 - With baby Will in Durango

'03 - With toddler Will in San Diego

'04 - With baby Clara in Chautauqua

'05 - With toddler Clara in Chautauqua

'06 - With baby June in Chautauqua (living there in a cabin)

'07 - With toddler June around our neighborhood with lots of snow

'08 - With three little kids in Chautauqua

'09 - With baby John on Boulder Creek, and lots of snow

'10 - With toddler John at Boulder Valley Ranch

It still surprises me to see it in writing. How long exactly have we been having babies? That's why I need our Christmas Eve hikes - to root myself in time, and in the ground.

So anyway, this year, Will and Clara biked a loop, and the rest of us trailed behind. The open space, the clouds, the reflection on the lake - it was an expansive landscape that inspired room in my heart for the season.

(Pictures to follow...)

Holiday Traditions, Part II - A Night Hike

We officially have a new New Year's Day tradition. Tonight, with two babes on backs, and two more scrambling ahead of us, we hiked with friends up to the Boulder Star that shines from the mountain during this season. We planted ourselves under a tree to enjoy hot chocolate while June's fingers and John's toes quickly froze and they proceeded to scream the whole way down. Still, it was a beautiful burst of light to lead us into the year ahead.

Holidays Traditions, Part I - New Year's Eve Fancy

Our family has a New Year's Eve tradition of going to a restaurant that is not called Noodles, Chipotle or Noodles or Chipotle. (Appropriately, this happens just once a year.) So today, our adventure took us a few blocks away via a wagon-ride in single digit weather.

Dinner was frantic. June's piercing voice seemed only more so due to our surroundings. Clara "supervised" John, who dropped plates, flirted with neighbors, and tried the entire meal to climb on the table. Will brought his new prized possession - a calligraphy pen - and played family secretary to record our resolutions. We didn't get very far.

I love New Year's Eve. I am very susceptible to cheap inspiration. I love new beginnings. I love making resolutions. I have many. I just haven't had the chance to flesh them out. In fact, that's one of my resolutions: live with clarity, and finish things!

But even without a neat list of goals, I can count many, many blessings with complete clarity as 2011 begins.

Spiral Garden

We seem to be juggling so many projects and plans this month, it is hard to focus and write. But to zero in on just one event, Clara's first grade class last week held a spiral garden in the courtyard outside her classroom that was pretty special.

As it got dark, the parents gathered around a spiral of lights, while the kids sang and one by one walked the spiral and brought a candle to the center. A few people got nervous when the kids flocked, or rather stormed, the table full of candles towards the end. I guess after chanting "Peace to You" for about 45 minutes, we forgot about the potential dangers of mixing first graders and fire. Still, it was beautiful and touching, and at least for me (with miraculously only one child in tow) it succeeded in carrying the message of Peace.

Consumption Part II: Coffee Shops

I must be honest. I take my kids to coffee shops. More thank I'd like to admit. Once a week, probably more. I am not proud. It seems so indulgent. So frivolous.

Some places have become rituals: the tea shop where we walk after June's gymnastics; the coffee store by the playground on days we bike to school; the coffee shop on Pearl St. on weekends.

Although I sometimes cringe at the feeling of spoiled kids when they pitch a fit over whipped cream or not enough zucchini bread crumbs, the kids' comfort there cracks me up. Here is just one picture to show it.