For the first time in our 12 years in Minnesota we did not travel to
spend Christmas with our families. We avoided the expensive airline
tickets, the hassle of holiday travel, the two-way lugging/shipping of
gifts, the wonderful yet sometimes exhausting visiting with friends and
family. For the first time in our lives and in our kids' lives, we could
stay home and begin to nurture our own holiday traditions. We hosted
our third annual Christmas party, we got a full-size
Christmas tree, we went to the family Christmas Eve service at our
church, we figured out where to hang the stockings, we addressed the
challenge of Santa getting into our chimney-less house (thanks be to the
"Santa Key"). We took advantage of the perks of "FaceTime" to share
our Christmas experiences and favorite gifts with our family members in
Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Canada. We also got to do more things
around town. We went as a family to see the fantastic "
China's Terracotta Warriors" exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Hillary and I got to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie for the
first time. But best of all, we just got to hang out as a family. Theo
was busy making his own Christmas cards and making and wrapping gifts.
He and I got to play carols on the piano. Theo is mastering "Jolly Old
St. Nicholas" and "Jingle Bells". I loved just watching the kids
play with their new toys, games, and puzzles for hours on Christmas and
the days after. And of course we got to play too.
All of this would not have been the same without having some family with us. We were blessed to have Hil's mom and her partner John with us for our first Christmas in Minnesota. They helped so much in making this a special time for us and the kids. And they helped us get some time away from the kids.
We also have a loaner car for about ten days. With the cold weather and snow it has been a great gift! Thanks so much to Jim and Emily who graciously loaned us their car while they traveled for the holidays. And thanks to everyone else who similarly offered the use of their car while they were away during this time. On those bitterly cold day and nights around Christmas it was nice to not be waiting at the bus stop after a Guthrie show, or able to run up to Matthews Park so Theo could try out his new snowboard. We even managed to avoid the common pitfall of trying to do too much just because we had access to wheels. Many days were still spent just hanging out with each other at home. And that was the greatest gift of all.
Putting the Christmas Eve star on the beautiful Advent calendar made by our friend Martha Z.
Theo sporting his snazzy Christmas vest at the family Christmas Eve service at church.
Mormor gave the boys tickets to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at the Children's Theater Company.
Hillary gave me these awesome Batman super hero boxer shorts. Yes, they even have a cape behind! The boys got quite a kick out of them, especially when their powers allowed me to zoom them around the house on my shoulder.
Hillary was determined to drive around with the boys to see neighborhood holiday light displays. Between that and it being our last night with the borrowed car, we were off on the drive after a quick cheese and bean quesadilla dinner. We ended up driving along Saint Paul's stately Summit Avenue which also serves as my bike commute route to work. We saw some impressive lights but only one light-choked, somewhat tacky yard. By that time both kids had fallen asleep. So we suspended the tour to stop by the nearby Whole Foods and pick up a few critical groceries, namely the cereal bars the boys apparently like so much. Hillary shopped like a seasoned car-free mama. She got a whole case of the cereal bars at 10% off. We should be set for months.
