Just What I Always Wanted

My whole married life, I have been yearning for the perfect Nativity Set to bring the spirit of Christmas into our home. I have searched far and wide, high and low, online and in real stores. Yet none was to be found that fit the mold of what I was looking for.

I have a small collection of kid-friendly sets, ones that I don't mind if the kids play with. In fact, I love them rearranging it, playing with Baby Jesus, and creating scenes of Christ, mixed with the occasional action figure or Hot-Wheels car. But I still wanted the grown up set that I could admire and reflect on and enjoy.

About 3 years ago in a catalog, I saw what I wanted. It was simple, it was beautiful, it was perfect. I waited too long to order it that year, and it was sold out. I told myself I'd buy it next year. The next two years came and went, and no nativity.

This year, over Thanksgiving weekend, I promised myself this was the year. I came home, and began the online search (love modern technology!). I found the set at a great price on ebay. The auction was almost over. I quickly logged on, entered a bid, and a moment later, I had won! I was so excited . . . and waited daily for that UPS truck to show up with my winnings.

Yesterday, just as it was getting dark, there was a knock on the door. I opened it up to find a gigantic box. Inside, carefully packaged in 20 individual boxes, lay my nativity. It took me an hour to unpack and unwrap each piece. As I unwrapped each one, I marveled at its beauty and was nearly giddy with anticipation to get it set up and displayed.

When it was all arranged, I started to cry. Though I must admit it's about twice the size of what I was expecting, it is exactly the nativity of my dreams. It was just what I wanted! For me, Christmas is now complete. Unless Santa is reading this, in which case, I've been a very good girl this year, and don't forget to check my list!

Christmas Countdown

Somehow, time seems to have skipped a beat, and all of a sudden it is December 1. I have no idea how this happened, or what has happened to the past several months. I just know it's cold outside, and the radio stations are playing Christmas music 24 hours a day. It feels a little like a time warp. I swear, I just put away all my holiday decorations, so how is it time to pull them out again?

I had grand intentions this year of completing my shopping by Halloween. Didn't happen.

I took a brief online class last month on ways to make the holidays more memorable. The goal is to spend some time each day writing, creating, making, and photographing all the things that make the holiday season special. While I won't pretend to be overly ambitious and commit to making that a reality, I would like to make the time to appreciate the spirit of Christmas a bit more. Make it a little less about spending money, and more about spending time. Less about buying presents, more about being present. And if I do manage to make a few handmade gifts, and bake some yummy goodies to pass on to friends, that will be a bonus.

For this, I am thankful . . .

Desert Adventures

We spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving out in the desert in Southern California. It was a much needed, distraction-free getaway for us all. No cell phones, internet, or television for 4 full days. There were a sporadic moments of withdrawal as we adapted to the lack of stimulation. But we managed to adjust.

Our good friends Patty and Gregg, along with Gregg's parents, and Steve's mom all came along. There were lots of laughs, oddball conversations, games of UNO Attack, way too much food, and WAY too much fun!

We cooked outdoors...and Olivia was a tremendous help!

The campground was virtually empty, giving the kids free reign for learning to ride.


We're working on getting the training wheels off the bike...it's a work in progress.

Grant was anxious to be just like Jack, so Steve put him on the bike and gave him his first riding lesson.


To my amazement, it worked!



Then Steve hopped on the back and let Grant steer around camp. Not sure who had more fun . . .


While the nights were chilly, it was in the 80's during the day . . . warm enough for the kids to brave the unheated pool. It didn't last long!




The kids practiced shooting cans with a BB gun. Their aim was pretty good. So was mine.




Jack brushed up on all sorts of trivia, sure to come in handy later in life.



Many rides in the dune buggy were taken, with Jack and Olivia wanting to go fast, and Grant insisting on going "SWOWY"


Grant resembled a pig rolling in the mud pretty much the whole time. Even with showers and dips in the pool, he didn't manage to stay clean for more than about 2 minutes. He loved every minute of it.


This trip is quickly becoming an annual tradition. And while it requires a great deal of planning and preparation, in the end, I had a great time and already look forward to next year!

Parading down Main Street

One of the things I love about our school is that it is in a small town. We still celebrate all the major holidays, and Halloween is no exception.

Tomorrow is a teacher work day (thank heavens, we all need a break!), so today was the day.

After a full day of fun in class, the entire school (250 kids, grades K-8) lined up with their classes to participate in the annual Halloween parade through downtown Sunol.

A fire truck led the pack, with two motorcycle cops bringing up the rear. Seriously? For a school parade? It doesn't get any better than that!

Jack and Grant dressed up as Mario and Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.



Jack held Grant's hand for the first stretch.



Olivia was a "Skull & Crossbones Fairy". She didn't want me to walk anywhere near her, so I tried to be sneaky.



Then she spotted me. . . and tried to make a getaway.



Then, she hogged the frame of a friend's camera . . . go figure.



I love that our kids attend a school that still celebrates the fun stuff. Costumes, parties, games, it all adds to the fun. Academics are important, don't get me wrong. But having a little fun along the way doesn't hurt!

In the nick of time...

Halloween is nearly upon us, and October nearly escaped without warning. This past Sunday afternoon, in between church and Olivia's play rehearsal, we made a mad dash to the pumpkin patch for our annual pumpkin purchase.

Of course, we had to take advantage of all the cheesy photo opps:



I can't believe how much the kids have grown . . . It seems like yesterday that I was propping up Grant next to the sign as a 3-month old little baby. Where did the time go?







The task of picking out the perfect pumpkins wasn't easy. Most of the good pumpkins were picked over, so we settled for a couple that had at least one good side.





Olivia graciously offered to pull the wagon, which wasn't a light or easy task!


I can tell that interest in this tradition is waning. There wasn't the urge to spend hours running up and down the pyramid made from bales of hay. They weren't dashing through the corn maze, laughing and racing to see who could make it out the fastest.

Instead, they all held hands and enjoyed a warm October day. No rush, no agenda, and after we picked out the pumpkins, they were ready to go. Mission accomplished.


**A funny side note: When I saw Jack's shorts, I thought they looked a little more fitted than his usual attire. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were Grant's shorts! Jack didn't seem to mind, and I find it humorous that my 3 year old and my 6 year old have the same size waist!

A Once in a Lifetime

When Steve was in kindergarten, he invited his teacher over for dinner. When his mom came to pick him up from school, the teacher mentioned the invitation, and how much she was looking forward to it. Joyce was a little surprised, but hid it well and immediately set about planning the evening.

As Jack heard this story shortly after school started this year, he looked at us and asked "Can I invite Ms. Cusenza for dinner?"

"Of course!" was our immediate reply.

And so, he did, and she enthusiastically accepted. This past Saturday was the chosen date. She is young, and not married, but we let her know that her "significant other" was welcome as well, should he choose to join her.

Saturday was spent cleaning the house and yard. There were no complaints from Jack—he worked hard most of the day and kept asking how long until she would arrive. Jack had been dropping hints and asking her questions this whole last month, trying to determine her favorite foods. Mexican food (fish and chicken tacos, spanish rice, and a mexican ceasar salad were on the menu) was for dinner, and apple pie for dessert.

About an hour before her designated arrival time, the phone rang. Ms. Cusenza was on the other line, and indicated that her boyfriend had been in a bicycle accident, and just arrived home from the hospital with a broken collarbone and bruises all over. "I don't think he'll be joining me" she said.

Shocked, I replied "Do you want to reschedule?" Given the circumstances, it would have been completely understandable if she did!

"Oh no" she said, "I know how much Jack has been looking forward to this, and I have too. I'll just come alone."

We spent a delightful evening, with the kids on (mostly) their best behavior. We did have a few humorous moments, largely due to Grant. As he sat down with his plate, he started singing "Beans, beans the magical fruit...the more you eat, the more you toot..." over and over again.

During dinner, Jack had a little toot, and immediately turned bright red and said "Excuse me". Grant piped up and said "It's the beans..." and then started singing his tune all over again.

Jack and Olivia each performed a mini-piano recital, with each song being met with enthusiastic clapping. A house tour was given, they played catch outside, there were fights over who was sitting where, they all wanted to sit by the guest of the evening!

Tomorrow is her birthday, so we sang "Happy Birthday"

and let her blow out the candle on the pie.

She is one of those teachers that most kids never experience. A true once-in-a-lifetime influence. Jack adores her, and more importantly, has grown to love school this year. When it's time to come home, I'm met with "I wish I could stay at school" almost every day. He loves learning, pushes himself to do his very best, and adores this woman with whom he spends his week days.

It was a joy to spend the evening with her socially, and it was clear that she is just as much at ease with adults as she is with the children. Her maturity and wisdom far surpass her young years, and she is a gift to those she teaches. At the end of the night, she gave each of us a hug and thanked us profusely for inviting her into our home and family for the evening. There is little doubt in my mind that she will be in Jack's heart and mind forever. And I couldn't be happier!