Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Merry Christmas!

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.


Last week the Christmas prep lasted right up until Christmas Eve, running errands, making gifts, and getting to know our UPS and FedEx people better than ever before. Gavin and Arwen got out of school after a half day on Thursday, when Chad and I picked them up for a much-anticipated visit to Santa at the mall and a BJs hot dog (still not sure why that’s considered such a hot item).

Christmas Eve festivities included our usual dramatization of the Christmas story from the New Testament, complete with makeshift costumes (Chad proved quite the whiz). Our traditional dinner of homemade soup and bread took us back to the Christmas five years ago when Arwen was a tiny baby. This time around the kids thought it was great fun to eat in the living room next to the Christmas tree.


The next morning anticipation was high as Chad and I climbed the stairs to find Gavin dressed and ready to discover what Santa left. Before heading downstairs we broke out a new tradition aimed at helping us focus on the greatest of all gifts at Christmas. Through a series of scriptures we reviewed the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ – understanding, healing, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, and resurrection – and how we attain them by making and keeping personal covenants. The kids stayed with us despite their impending excitement, and we really appreciated the context it provided for the rest of the day.


Once downstairs, Chad and I had a great time watching how completely absorbed Gavin and Arwen were with each present they opened – Gavin put together an entire Lego set before moving on to the rest of his gifts. They definitely keep the utter magic of Christmas alive for us. (A new tenor ukulele contributed decently to the magic for me, too. See it in action here at 0:43).

In the late morning we met up with friends from church for some caroling at a local rehabilitation center. This being our third year there, we found a few familiar faces among the residents and as usual enjoyed talking with several of them during our stay. I appreciate this tradition which we’ve taken from my parents’ congregation in Vancouver – it really helps keep things in perspective for us on Christmas.


Thank goodness Arwen’s stomach bug waited to strike until just before bedtime on Christmas. Though we did have to stay home from church the next morning she didn’t miss a thing on the big day. While Chad was delivering a holiday message to our congregation, Gavin led Arwen and me in makeshift services at home. Then Arwen napped and Gavin threw himself with unwavering focus into his new dinosaur excavation kit, eventually unearthing and assembling a full triceratops skeleton.


Even an ailing Arwen was thrilled to see snow falling outside, eventually covering everything and giving us an additional excuse to hole up for the past two days. We’re looking forward to more life in the slow lane the rest of this week. Happy holidays!
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Big Five

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.


In other news, Chad and I got out on the town for dinner in honor of my birthday while the kids hung out at Nancy and Ben’s. We so appreciate the chance to share some conversation at our own pace and food not of our own making.


Gavin and I got some unexpected time together last week when he spent a day and a half home with a stomach bug. The highlight was watching together the documentary “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision” for my class. The story of this female Asian Yale undergraduate who rocked the world by winning a blind contest for the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial inspired Gavin to the point that he’s now determined to be an architect when he grows up. Not a bad idea for him, if you ask me!

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

December Happenings

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!

One of the great benefits of having both kids in school all day is being able to get to the temple more regularly. Last Friday Chad rearranged his schedule to join me, and we enjoyed four hours uninterrupted in the car, plus our time together in the temple. After the session we took advantage of Boston’s music store scene to check out ukuleles on behalf of Santa (yippee!!). We were pretty impressed by the selection at Mr. Music and even more so by the sound of their ukes (not surprising after hanging out with a $40 instrument for the past year). While the selection in our neck of the woods is growing, there are definite advantages to more urban marketplaces.

For the past two weeks Gavin and Arwen have been begging to get a Christmas tree. It took us a little longer this year, but Saturday we made the 3-minute drive to the lot behind a local church where after a moderate amount of negotiating we managed to agree on and cut our tree. This was our first year to deviate from the usual Friendly Fir in favor of a Sharp Spruce, which I must admit made the decorating a little painful. Chad’s pain centered mostly on getting the tree lights to work. After substantial negotiating he was able to get two strings of lights out of three – not bad.

It was with mixed feelings the kids and I headed over to Tricia and Brad’s place Sunday afternoon. The occasion was an open house in celebration of Brad’s retirement from the Navy, Tricia’s graduation from college, and their family's upcoming move to Texas. After three years of camping in all kinds of weather, celebrating all kinds of occasions, weekly walks, and just hanging out I honestly don’t know how we will survive without them. One more week of fun together!
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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Singing Praises of Christmas

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!
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