East or West, Home Is Best

This week we’re coming to you from a very welcome post-Christmas lull. Around here we’re enjoying the comfort of extended time in PJs, irregular mealtimes, reading aloud together, lots of uke time (for me) and computer games (for Chad and the kids), and a plethora of holiday goodies. We hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday and are enjoying some laid-back time of your own.

Yesterday was Arwen’s fifth birthday. Weeks ago we negotiated her celebration – she did well, convincing us to invite our Camp Liberty families plus Ben and Nancy and kids for a Dora adventure – “The Quest for the Perfect Christmas Tree.”

Right after school everyone arrived at our place, then embarked on the quest. Those familiar with Dora’s adventures will recognize the format: “Rocks – Bridge – Forest!” Chad led the way with the help of his trusty map, and the kids were soon back with boughs discovered below the most perfect Christmas tree to be found in our nearby New England woods.

After some quick crafting to transform said boughs into decorative swags, we created a cacophony of carols, then Arwen attacked the pile of presents. Among her favorites were a Lego Star Wars t-shirt (worn to school today) and a plush wolf toy reminiscent of both kids’ recent obsession with Wolfquest.

Next the dads joined us for a potluck dinner, followed by cupcakes and ice cream. I had been pretty sure 23 people would push the limits of our little place, and I was right. But what a great chance to have all the gang together one last time – chaos notwithstanding, it was definitely worth it.

My birthday this week was pretty low key, a nice contrast to the previous week. I enjoyed a peaceful morning walk, then joined Gavin’s Spanish class for a lusty rendition of Paz y Libertad on the ukulele (you might get a kick out of this rendition as well). Chad came home early to make me a cheesecake, which we devoured together after a yummy dinner. It was great just hanging out as a family. The next night I joined some friends for dinner out, including some decadent molten lava cake. Yum!

Last weekend was the culmination of several months’ work on the Christmas concert hosted by our church congregation for the community. Through the tireless efforts of many volunteers, the cultural hall (gym with stage) was transformed into a winter wonderland to welcome a full lineup of fantastic performers.

The Ledyard High School Carolers kicked off the program with wonderful acappella harmonies and entertaining dramatics. A handbell choir from St. Andrews Presbyterian Church made their debut at the event, and the Pfizer Singers joined us for the third year running. An array of small groups including a men’s quartet from a neighboring congregation participated, and the LDS Christmas Choral Ensemble concluded the program. This particular group, made up of 20 singers from eight congregations, dedicated three months of weekly rehearsals to learning seven beautiful numbers. The performance was a fitting end to our many hours of working together.

Following the concert, audience members perused nativity displays from around the world, munched on homemade goodies, and participated in hands-on children’s activities. It was a beautiful, Christ-centered kickoff to the holiday season.

The day before the concert we all attended Gavin’s and Arwen’s parent teacher conferences at school. What a fantastic experience! Hearing the teachers’ feedback and praise for their individual talents and learning was so rewarding. In particular, Gavin got high marks on his math and reading skills, while Arwen was praised as a “serious student” who not only does great work herself but goes out of her way to help her classmates. We’re so thankful to be part of such a supportive, growth-promoting community.

Today I got to tag along with Gavin’s class as they went on a field trip to the Lyman Allyn Museum with their buddy class from a nearby town. The first stop on the tour was to the dance room. This was all about learning the language of dance – no right or wrong moves. First through an excellent book featuring Bill T. Jones, then through our own experimentation we learned about motion, lines, positive and negative space, and the importance of thinking and feeling. What a great opportunity to develop skills of self-expression.

The second half of the program focused on interpreting paintings from the museum’s galleries. One in particular, titled Chicken in a Box, perplexed me. It depicts a rooster sitting in a worn SOS pad box in the middle of a field. Despite the rusticity of the image, the rooster is painted with careful attention to detail and an almost regal treatment of light. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find it online so can’t ask what you think of it. (It’s not the painting of the same name by Tilly Strauss, in case you’re interested.) Apparently my art appreciation skills could use some additional development.

With the concert behind us, we’re ready to run headlong into the festivities of the Christmas season. We hope yours is off to a good start!

One of the many aspects of this semester I have enjoyed is the chance to get to know the women in my class. Besides myself, there are five freshmen and five seniors. (You may be asking, “What about the men?” There aren’t any. Maybe that’s not so unusual for a women’s studies class. I must admit to some disappointment the first day of class.) So as we made plans for Thanksgiving this year, the thought of spending it with some of my new friends was really fun. Amber and Sonja, among the few staying on campus over the long weekend, kindly accepted our invitation.

The night before Chad and I hung out in the kitchen together (what fun!) prepping several dishes. It had been several years since we made the full spread ourselves, an undertaking I deemed worthy of a project plan. (Yes, I can hear some of you laughing right now.) As always I loved watching Chad engineer his famous made-from-real-pumpkin pie. The aroma of onions and celery swimming in butter hung over our heads as we fell into bed a couple of hours later.

On the big day we hung out in our pajamas as long as possible. Finally I trucked over to the college to pick up my friends. We spent a mellow hour and a half putting puzzles together, peeling potatoes, building Lego Y-wing fighters, and shaping rolls while the turkey finished roasting. In a complete miracle all the food was ready and hot at one time. What a feast!

After dinner we girls hung out and talked and talked and talked some more, Amber and Sonja taking turns entertaining Gavin and Arwen with origami projects and puzzles. Chad was an angel and did the bulk of the cleanup, even taking on the detested task of pulling all the meat off the turkey. He was that night (and still is) my hero.

In other news this week, the kids and I took advantage of early dismissal the day before Thanksgiving to explore the arboretum. After some tree climbing on the part of the boys and a crisp walk around the pond, the kids took to the rocks while Nancy and I chatted. While a bit chilly, the day was brilliant and temperatures warm in the sun. We sat in the spot where a local drama troupe puts on summer Shakespeare productions and watched as fellow recreants enjoyed the day. It was the perfect late-autumn hangout.

Saturday and Sunday the kids and I took a trip around the block, inviting our neighbors to this Saturday’s Christmas Concert at church. After several months of ensemble herding and logistics planning as ward music chair I’m looking forward to this gala event and the relative peace that will return to my life after this weekend. (I know - famous last words, especially right before Christmas.) All you local friends – we hope to see you there!

After the past two weeks, we weren’t sure how easy it would be to coax the kids (and parents) outside for yet more yard cleanup. But this turned out to be the most fun of all our work parties, thanks to the BIG LEAF PILE. Given a perfect combination of dry weather and fast-falling leaves, it was only a matter of minutes before we had accumulated a pile as tall as Gavin. As he threw down his rake and took his first dive into the pile he yelled out, “This is my favorite thing about fall!” What could the rest of us do but join him?

One of the benefits of the Magnet School is the great array of field trips. Located in downtown New London, the school is just a short walk from the Garde Arts Center, where the kids can attend theatrical productions several times a year since no busing is required. Last Friday Arwen’s and Gavin’s classes made the most of a half-day after a holiday and spent most of it at the Garde. And I made the most of the opportunity to catch the show with Arwen.

The walk to the theater was as much an adventure as the show itself. Each student was paired up with a buddy from the adjoining classroom. Arwen held hands with Amelia and me as we made our way across streets and waited at crosswalks. Mr. Leo held up the big STOP sign so everyone would let us pass.

Once inside the theater we settled ourselves into the comfy chairs and chatted with Sophie and her mom while we waited for the show to begin. We even spotted Gavin across the room. Finally the performers took the stage and we laughed with Father, Mother, Brother, and Sister Bear as the Berenstain Bears learned about healthy eating, teamwork, and not talking to strangers.

Back in the classroom I ate lunch with Arwen, Monet, Venkut, Pratap, and Huda. There was just enough time for a story with Ms. Sarah before the school day ended. I was a bit surprised at how thoroughly I enjoyed my day as a kindergartener!

That night Chad and I gave into Arwen’s and Gavin’s pleadings to check out the new pizza place. Though it was completely dark, we bundled up and walked to fully enjoy the neighborhood experience. And we weren’t disappointed – though the place was so busy we had to wait an hour for our pizza (during which we walked back home, played a game, and got the car), we ran into four people we know from around town and enjoyed a magnificent pizza. They even had our favorite – pesto with chicken.

The next morning was the continuation of last week’s work party. While I attacked the front yard leaves, Gavin and Arwen alternately raked and buried each other in pine needles. The yard is slowly but surely getting ready for winter.

Chad came home from a church leadership meeting full of sunshine and whisked us away for a hike at Pequot Woods. We investigated beaver dams and did a little bird watching before making our annual visit to Clyde’s Cider Mill where we gorged ourselves on fresh cider and donuts. Just wish we'd remembered to bring the camera. Even so, a great Saturday!

Our move East three years ago brought many adjustments. While we had done some fall raking at our place in Seattle, the types of trees and square footage of our yard kept it fairly manageable (at least from our current perspective). Our first fall here we were overwhelmed with the number of leaves from our neighbors' trees and our own that eventually formed a thick carpet all over our back yard. We managed to find enough other things to keep us busy that it wasn’t until a sunny day in February that we finally buckled down and raked all those leaves.

The next year we were more on top of things, and this year I have to admit I’m pretty proud of our initiative. Saturday morning after a few extra winks, some Lego construction projects, and a quick breakfast, we headed to the back yard with an array of raking implements. Having had some less effective work party experiences in the past year, I decided to let Gavin and Arwen go it on their own for awhile while I attacked another corner of the yard. As the piles began stacking up I asked Gavin how things were going and was so pleased at (and just a bit surprised by) his enthusiastic reply: “I LOVE raking leaves!”

Arwen thrilled at the prospect of jumping in the piles but upon experiencing the dampness of the leaves decided once was enough. The three of us kept Chad running back and forth, back and forth with the wheelbarrow, first filling our compost bin, then building the pile in a back corner of the yard. The prospect of hot cocoa was just enough to get Gavin and Arwen to the finish line. What a triumph to think this week’s project actually resembled the type of “teach the kids to work” experiences we aspire to. We’ll see things look a few weeks from now when the rest of the leaves are on the ground . . . .

This week we had the unique opportunity to participate in the selection of new leaders both in our local government and in our church. Chad used our Monday night Family Home Evening to teach Gavin and Arwen about the processes by which we vote for governmental leaders and by which our religious leaders are called. Because she was still home from school sick, Arwen got to go with me to vote on Tuesday. Then on Saturday and Sunday we participated in a stake conference in which we sustained a new regional authority. Both Chad and I appreciated the chance to listen to counsel from Elder Grow who came to lead the process of selecting the new stake president, and to reflect on the inspired process that gives us all opportunities to serve in the Church.

In other fun this week, Chad and I stole away for a little fun with Tricia and Brad – one of the first times we've been away from home with friends and no kids in a very long time. We made repeat trips to the Chinese buffet and chuckled over mildly and completely irrelevant fortunes in our cookies and just enjoyed the chance to be together without any distractions.

And to redeem us from last week’s disappointments, we got in some overdue trick or treating. We’d discovered that our friends Lauren, Josh, and Harper had spent the weekend down with the same bug as Arwen, missing the chance to celebrate their favorite holiday. So last night Gavin donned his ninja getup while Arwen traded her Darth Vader garb for a more docile turtle costume. At the door we met baby bee, the queen bee, and the beekeeper. Having harvested so little Halloween weekend, the kids were thrilled with their own bags of candy. So great to have a second chance at some Halloween fun!

This first photo isn't quite what I had in mind when I envisioned blogging about this year’s Halloween festivities. As it turned out, Arwen started and finished the weekend grappling with a bug she picked up at school. As sad as I was to see her sick, the impact of illness on people’s personalities fascinates me - Arwen becomes extra considerate, introverted, and to the point. It was a beautiful turning point Sunday afternoon when she finally wanted to snuggle again.

Bent as she was on festivities and candy and not realizing how sick she really was, Arwen insisted on donning her Darth Vader costume for Gabe’s birthday party Saturday afternoon. We were willing to let her hang out for a little under close supervision, but as we were about to leave she hung her head and said, “I need to stay home.” While she did make it to Monster Golf for the last few minutes of the party, she was napping early that evening when it came time for the Trunk or Treat at church (parking lot trick or treating).

Gavin, on the other hand, decked himself out as a ninja and reveled in a round of mini golf with Gabe. At the Trunk or Treat he perused the trunks with the Cub Scouts in search of the Scariest and the Spookiest. (They even handed out a Scooby Doo award for the trunk selling hot dogs.) He came back with a set of fluorescent orange teeth and some candy for Arwen.

While we decided to forego neighborhood trick or treating in honor of the Sabbath, we had hoped to be visited by a parade of costumed kids. Given that the majority of the local festivities take place in a different part of the neighborhood, it shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise that we hosted only a total of four trick-or-treaters. All in all it turned out to be a bit of a damp Halloween here.

For the most part, we managed to make it up with some other fun last week. Gavin finished his homework early enough Thursday afternoon for a bike ride to check out the pizza place soon to open in our neighborhood and for a swing at the park. Chad and his buddies were up late Friday night munching gingersnaps while playing Carcassonne and other favorites. I enjoyed some especially meaningful one-on-one time with friends and brought the camera along on one of my morning walks to capture this (about 1 min to view):

Sunday afternoon while Chad and Arwen napped, Gavin and I stole away and explored some nearby Avalonia Land Conservancy land together. We found a thick carpet of newly fallen leaves on the ground, which made staying on the trail especially challenging. Fortunately Gavin has a knack for spotting the blazes on the trees (a phenomenon that took some getting used to when we arrived in the East). Hikes are among my favorite times to just hang out and talk together. Between launching himself off rocks, exploring abandoned stone walls, and pummeling me with leaves, Gavin kept things exciting. Just as we came to the end of the loop he shouted, “Let’s do it again!” So we did.

Postscript: After several days of rest, Arwen was up and around today and should be back to her old self tomorrow. Yipee!!