kcobweb | Entries tagged with holiday

The other day, Elena was flipping through her favorite books about the planets, and said "Mom, dwarf means small, right?" Some time later, she commented, "Next year, when Pluto grows up, it will be a REAL planet." I engaged in a brief discussion with her about how planets don't really grow that way, and so I didn't think.... but she was completely uninterested in my point, so I dropped it.

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Nice weekend. Friday,

galagan had the day off (because the markets were closed) and Elena went to school, so the two of us got to hang out all morning, no pressure and no kid..... It was very nice. Then he took off to play poker, and I pretended to do school work all afternoon. (ha!) Saturday, I got up and went to work, which was workish, and then came home and read my book while

galagan slept off that poker binge. Last night we went to

kassrachel's seder, with

samtheeagle in tow, and it was lovely and low-key and yummy. Parsley, horseradish, charoset..... these things make me happy. We came home and put E to bed very late and then stayed up extra late talking with Sam himself. Got up this morning, gave Elena some chocolate, went to breakfast with Sam, and then waved goodbye to him. Since then, we've just had a quiet lazy Sunday - I've done a little school work, and there's reading and snacks. And leftovers for dinner. :)

To sum up:

* We got everyone sick for Christmas! Whee! For Christmas breakfast, everyone had various quickbreads and a glass of Emergen-C.

* Elena was also sick for Christmas - had a rough night, didn't want to get up even for PRESENTS, and then was totally overwhelmed and overstimulated. She got a lot of great stuff though.

* On Boxing Day we saw a couple of friends, and then everyone slept (see above, re: SICK).

* We made all our flights yesterday, but only with the traditional breakneck-heartpounding-run-through-O'Hare (I never *see* anything in that airport - just lights flashing by), which was made all the more lovely by my collapsing at the gate in a Very Special Coughing Fit. Then we found out that the flight attendants for the Albany flight were coming from.... the plane we'd just been on, so we should have had no need to run.

* Elena slept for a huge portion of the day.

* Of course, my baggage did not make it on that flight, but the box of Christmas presents did arrive with us (barely surviving the trip, actually).

* And then I was up half the night coughing again.

* Today is officially a lazy day - we all slept in till 10 (Elena didn't even get to bed till 1, and we were later than that), and there will be many naps and cups of tea. And waiting for baggage. Period.

* The word "wrecked" has been used to describe how I feel all too often for the past 3 weeks. MAKE IT STOP.

* Very happy to be home. Yay.

ETA: United now claims that my bag will be delivered sometime tonight! Wooo! (Do we believe them? *grin*)

Let's see - quick update.

My bag did come the next day, and that's good.

galagan was pretty exhausted after his ordeal (sleeping in the airport....) and has gone back down under the cold we've all been sick with. For my birthday dinner, we went out to the Korean-Japanese restaurant in town and all shared lots of yummy food (my sister: this tempura won't keep and yours will, so here - eat some!). Tonight we made Indian food (and my father made some at his house and brought it over) and had a feast. After dinner we sang Christmas carols - we had a pianist and one per part, mostly - which was fabulous. And there's been lots of cooking and baking for our big Christmas Day party. It's snowing and still rather cold, but mostly not below zero anymore (this counts as a good thing). Elena is adjusting to sleeping in a strange room / bed. I got COOL BIRTHDAY PRESENTS WHEEE!!!! (Cute new clothes; a bread machine (which I've been wanting a lot); some awesome DVDs of Broadway favorites; a food processor)

There are some fambly issues, as always - but mostly things have been pretty good. The next few days will get caught up in the trajectory and rush of Christmas, and then it's practically time to go home......

Some of you have probably heard my Worst Ever Holiday Travel Story which involved getting stuck in the Denver airport on my 23rd birthday with no way to get to Montana and ended with illegally renting a car. We VERY NEARLY had a repeat of that yesterday (except it wasn't my birthday yet, and I'm old enough to rent a freaking car by now, if it had come to that!) - but it worked out and Elena and I were the last 2 people on the plane out of Denver and landed in Billings at 1 a.m. That's Mountain Time, for those of you keeping score. Yes, last 2 people on the plane, not 3.

galagan got to spend the night in a massage chair at DEN and flew standby this morning. My bag of course, is nowhere to be found. Last night they claimed it was in Denver and today they don't know where it is. Lovely. Fsckers.

Elena was a real trouper, though. Fabulous child.

So, we're here and it's minus one zillion degrees. And I'm wearing my favorite sweater, and might be wearing it ALL WEEK. I think it's time for a shower - everyone else is napping. :)

(I'm actually far more cheerful than this sounds. But I had to get the ranting out of my system.)

So, I was going to spend this past week after I turned in all my schoolwork doing some fun projects and none of that happened, thanks to my cold. However, last night I actually slept in my own bed the whole night through (instead of moving to the guest bed so I wouldn't wake up

galagan with all the coughing in the middle of the night).

And now - it's time for everyone's favorite thing: holiday travel! I'm very hopeful that the snow will be over and cleared out of the way in time for an airplane to take off from Albany tomorrow at 10 a.m. Hopefully tomorrow won't be too much of a nightmare for us. Elena's getting better and better about travel, so I have my fingers crossed.

I should be packing - her school is closing early, so I have to pick her up in just a hour. Gah.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday - I spent the first half cooking and half-watching the parade on TV with Elena (who really enjoyed it and seemed more annoyed by all the commercials than anything - SCORE!). We went over to

kassrachel and

yaoobruni's at mid-afternoon, and watched a bunch of football and ate amazing food and did general hanging out with them and their family. Elena played a lot with their Green Bay Packers matryoshkas and the Go game and stones, and read books, and was a good sport. I think she even ate some food this year, which is an improvement over last year..... It was a perfect way to spend Thanksgiving.

This morning, a friend of Elena's came over for a playdate - they just totally groove on each other's presence, so that's nice to see. He played a lot with our garbage truck and the letter refrigerator magnets, while his mom and I talked and Elena raced around. This afternoon, I've been trying to get a few things done while Elena naps, but mostly failing: when I tried to call my mother it said "the mailbox is full"; when I tried to do some work for school, the university library site seemed down (or sluggish, in the few moments it was up). Oh well. Instead, I flipped channels on TV and played some games on my computer, and feel pretty good about my day. But I do have a lot of work yet to do..... Alas.

(Elena is now kicking the wall above her bed - which is nearly directly overhead from where I am on the couch. I'll have to go get her momentarily.)

I have had a lovely whirlwind couple of days.

rivka was here with

curiousangel and their toddler Alex (just a month younger than Elena) for one night. The girls had something of a meeting of the minds about 2.3 seconds after meeting, and there was just no stopping them after that. If they had read Anne of Green Gables, I'd think they decided they were kindred spirits. Something. It was truly amazing to behold. And it was wonderful to see the adults too. :) (They left on the morning of the 29th, but this morning, Elena asked if we could go see Alex, and had a crying fit when we said that wouldn't be possible.)

Then, the New Year's hordes descended upon us. I saw many people, and it has been really *lovely*. For me, the theme for the year seemed to be that a lot of people feel like they are at a crossroads in their lives in some way. (I know I've felt like I've been at one for several *years* now - I do think I have a road map and the car is pointed the right direction, but I haven't yet started the engine.) I had a lot of great conversations with different people, and those connections are always one of the best things about New Year's.

And here we are, arrived at 2008! Happy New Year, all!

I just got back from taking my mother to the airport. I am so glad she came here this year, instead of all of us having to go there..... It seems to have worked out for everybody. Christmas was low-key here, but we all did very well. Oh, and I had a birthday in there too.... ( more nattering about materialistic things )

Now, we're waiting for

rivka and her family to arrive, for the evening. I last saw her 3 1/2 years ago - before our babies were born - and she's never met

galagan. And Alex and Elena seem to be nearly-twins, at least on paper. Can't wait for the two ~~powerful forces~~ two-year-olds to meet. :)

....And what a week it's been!

Running around, trying to get everything done for the holidays (our Christmas stockings might be a little lean/weird/whatever this year, at least the part I'm responsible for), my child throwing screaming fits at the grocery store (I really start to understand why child abuse happens - at those times, I am just able to think, "What I really want to do is slap her" with extreme clarity, over and over), doing lots of baking (okay, that part is mostly fun), hearing that several people I knew back in the ol' hometown have died (one of whom was a former co-worker in poor health, who I described to

galagan as "a little odd, but kind of cool", which he thought was a good summary/epitaph). The tree is up, and looks lovely, and my part of the presents are mostly under the tree, even. (A lot of packages arrived with items unwrapped, so my mom can do those that are for me.)

My mother is en route even now (she should be landing in Chicago very shortly now). She starts a run of 2 solid weeks of guests here, which is kind of exciting for us. (I lived in the hinterlands so long, it's so nice to be centrally based again - or at least, on the way!) While she is here, I basically expect to do a lot of cookie baking (gotta feed those guests!), perhaps some playing in the snow, and general hanging out. May not be online as much, but I usually at least peek a bit at LJ when I can. :)

Happy solstice, everyone!!!

I suddenly realized that my birthday is just a week away. For me anyway, my birthday is the real beginning of the holiday season - and this year, it starts our big run of guests, so even more so than usual. But OMG, it's coming soon! I have a lot to get done still. I still need something for my stepmother, my dad and my mom - I have one thing for each of them, but they are mostly small things, and somehow Not Enough. I always have trouble shopping for my parents - they are sort of difficult.

But! We got a tree today - I think I'll put it up tomorrow or the next day (while we're snowed in, perhaps?) I've been making ornaments off and on for several months (this is the first tree of our own we've ever had). Today's new idea: crocheting snowflakes. I'm not very good at thread crochet, but it's fun to play with.

Also in the category of Green Things - when my dad was here, I stuck an avocado pit in a jar of water, and he was all "Oh, that will never grow." I just left it there, and made sure it had water, and suddenly this week, it has a root! I grew an avocado plant once before - my dad has it now, actually, and it's gotten pretty big. So I have visions of this one getting large as well. Yay.

(Oh. my. gosh. I'm about to turn 35. Huh - how do I feel about that?)

( 2 years, 9 months! )

If you didn't get a Christmas card from me, it's not because I don't love you (it's probably because I don't have a physical address from you - or you live here in town). So I'll link here to the picture I sent out. It's one my dad took, and I just love it.

I am coming down with a slight cold - currently treating with heavy doses of tea and sucky things and cough syrup. I hope Elena isn't coming down with it, because she was, um, kind of nasty after waking up from her nap today (45 minutes of near-constant screaming).

I discovered this pattern and tutorial yesterday, and have been obsessing over it ever since. So cute! And soooo easy!

So - I realized that Thanksgiving is sneaking up on me. Anyone not have plans? Wanna do something? Otherwise, we'll just have a quiet day at home - I'll make one or two of my favorite dishes, one or two of

galagan's, and we'll call it good. That would be okay too. :)

Thanksgiving is (for me) the traditional start of the holiday season. Since I'm hosting my first Christmas this year, I'm already thinking a lot about this - making ornaments, as above (though I've been working on some other ornaments since high summer), planning holiday cards already (I want to get them out early this year), pondering food options (always fun)...... I think Christmas may end up like I just described our potential Thanksgiving - a few of everyone's favorite dishes.

Finally here.

We had a lovely Christmas, and a good open house. Elena loved her presents - a number puzzle and a letter puzzle, wooden blocks, and Quatro Lego blocks (4-times-regular size) were the biggest hits. Actually, everyone loved their presents this year, though my mom and I duplicated one (to

galagan), which is no biggie.

And then we got up at 4:45 on Boxing Day for a flight home, only to discover that the flight was delayed because of mechanical difficulty. We went back and forth to the airport several times on Tuesday (it's seriously only 5 minutes from my mom's house), and finally they decided that our flight would not be leaving at a time conducive to making *any* further connections that day. So we rebooked for the same flights this morning (Wednesday) and I called in to work to say I wouldn't actually be at work for one more day.

This morning was a breeze, though getting up AGAIN at 4:45 sucked majorly. On the other hand, having rebooked several times throughout the day meant that by the time they found us seats on today's flight, there weren't enough coach seats left, so we were bumped up to first class (for the first flight, anyway). Also, we checked our bags yesterday, and never bothered getting them back (too much bother, mostly - too heavy and bulky), so our bags were waiting for us at the Albany airport when we got there this afternoon. Very nice.

E is totally worn out, I think - so many people and strange things and presents and constant stimulation for the past few days have got worn her nerves to the breaking point, and she is exhausted. A few quiet days of routine at home should get her back into sorts. She did have a blast playing with random kids at the airport - she's really good in mixed groups of kids of all ages (even if she can't talk much yet - or chooses not to, with them), which is great to see. This morning she was talking on a play phone, like this:

galagan: *bring*bring*
E picks up: Hello? (rising tone)

galagan: Hello.
E: Bye.

galagan: Bye.
Repeat 150 million times.

So.Cute.OMG.

She dubbed my mom "Gram" and my dad "Pa". She can't say Ls too well at all (her attempts at her own name sound most like "Jen" or "Jenna"), so my sister's name (Alissa) and stepmother's (Linda) didn't fare so well.

And we're back, to be greeted with the news that several friends my age are dealing with medical issues that 30-year-olds (plus-or-minus a few) shouldn't have to deal with. I'm thinking of you.

galagan had an Important Meeting at work today, so he went in, and the girly and I are on our own! She's asleep right now, so I was able to grab a little breakfast, and have some tea, etc. We'll see how it goes today - she's a little stuffed up because she and I are both coming down with

galagan's cold - but as she is unable to blow her nose like I can, she just snorts and wheezes and gets unhappy and fussy.

Hee. When she was born, she was a bit congested (common in newborns) - and so when she cried, she would snort loudly on the inhalations between cries. So her first nickname in the hospital was Little Piggy, and sometimes when she started really crying hard, we would just get the giggles because the piggy snorts were so funny. She still does this, but much less often now.

Other nicknames (we don't actually call her the Electric Baby aloud): Stinker, Wriggler, Zonker (which is evolving into Miss Harris). Or just "girly".

My father just called. A story from my childhood: when I was very little, I went to a private Lutheran school (because I started kindergarten at such an early age, they were the only school that would accept me). So, we had religion class regularly, and little Jewish girl that I was, I was generally clueless in those classes and only vaguely knew what was going on. So one day, I came home and asked my mother (who was born Protestant and knows these things) "What's Monday Thursday?" It took her a while to decipher - but I had heard them talking about Maundy Thursday, and heard "Monday" (I was probably only 5 years old or so). For the longest time, I couldn't remember if it actually happened on a Monday or a Thursday.... Anyway - I forget about this every year, until my dad calls me to remind me, saying "it's your favorite day of the year!" As I just said to him, I need a ritual or a tradition of some sort to mark this day.