I wrote about our Christmas plans last week over at Work It! Mom, but here is the run-down. Our (not so) wee family of five attends Christmas Eve service (one of my annual favorites) at our church and opens one present on Christmas Eve (new jammies). We then open the rest of our presents on Christmas morning. Until last year, we would then drive ten minutes to Matthew’s parents’ house and do Christmas with the extended family.
His parents moved to the Coast last year, which means that the ten minute drive is now four hours. On a good day.
We decided to stick with our tradition. Open presents here on Christmas morning and then drive to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
On Christmas Eve, as we were finding seats in the service, my cell phone rang. It was my Dad.
He also lives at the Coast and is a bus driver. The snow was coming down in grand proportions. One of his colleagues had been out on the roads and had told him of many accidents and a few fatalities. He said we should think twice about driving down.
We arrived home and had another message from a friend at the Coast cautioning us about making the trip.
On Christmas morning, all went as planned. I made homemade cinnamon buns, the kids opened presents and then brought them downstairs to play with them.
Matthew and I sat at the computer reading road reports, looking at highway cams, trying to figure out what to do. We called a friend who had traveled the road the day before and he told us that in 4WD it was all fine.
We decided to take our 4Runner and spent the next hour (or so) packing our gear into the truck. We were off! The roads were far better than we had anticipated.
My friends from the Southern States are all thinking, “ARE YOU CRAZY?” Which, well, yes, but that is not the issue here. Those roads are considered good up here in Canada during the winter.
Besides. It was a sunny, clear day.
We arrived mid-afternoon. There were presents opened (Wiiiiiiiii!!! Wii Fit!!!!!!) and more) and then it was time for dinner. Before we knew it, kids were melting down and getting ready for bed. We realized that we had not done the requisite family photo and sought to remedy it before any of them crashed for the night.
Do you know what happens when you have six parents and two grandparents yelling/chanting/singing at you to “Look here! Say cheese! Smile!”
THIS:
This:
Also, this:
And maybe, this:
Oh, yeah. And this:
Sigh.
Us adults thought we had better get in there before the tears were flowing and tantrums were raging. This is the best one I got:
(Sorry, Jennifer. I only took three photos, and Daniel’s eyes were closed in every single one. It was bed time, after all.)
We knew there was a storm warning so we left mid-day on Boxing Day to return home. Before you give me what-for for making the return trip the next day, let me tell you something. I ended up sleeping with the boys on a double-sized inflatable mattress. I use the term “sleeping” quite loosely. I am so tired it’s stupid.
Most of the trip was fine. A few flurries and some high clouds. Then, at a point that would normally be an hour from home, we were hit with The Storm Of Whiteout.
Yeah. NOT COOL.
Funny conversation in the midst if this to break up the tension:
Graham (out of the blue): “So, how old is Jesus?”
Me (with sideways glance to Matthew): “Erm…thousands of years old?”
Matthew: “Yeah. But he doesn’t look a day over thirty-three.”
We drove at a snail’s pace and made it home nearly three hours later. Along the way we saw many accidents and emergency vehicles. And also, two body bags. To state that I am thankful that we arrived home safely would be an understatement of epic proportions.
It was a quick visit, yes, but it was good to see everyone. The driving part sucked donkey balls so I am thinking that next year we should do Christmas in July. It seems like the logical thing to do.
I hope you all had/are having a safe and happy holiday!
*Remember that movie? It is so pickin’ cold that I an thisclose to burning books over here.
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Date: Wednesday December 3, 2008Posted in: Photography, holidays
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Date: Saturday November 29, 2008Posted in: Emily, Family, Graham, Nathan, holidays
On Thursday afternoon we were listening to the radio in the van after picking Graham up from school. The weather forecast for Friday was for a “slight chance” of “scattered flurries”. We woke up to a light dusting of snow and watched the flakes continue to fall from the sky.
We dropped Graham off at school (Still snowing), got some groceries (Yep, snowing), went to Mom’s group (Snow, snow, snow). We walked out of the church and encountered a good four inches of the white stuff.
I managed to make it home (Hooray for studded tires!) and Matthew spent the next hour or so plowing our driveway (More like a country road).The snow continued to fall.
So! Our Halloween was…fine.
Nathan woke up in the morning with a blazing fever. He felt better once he had downed some Advil but I still opted out of our Friday morning Mom’s group. I did not want to infect the other children. I hate *really dislike it* when people bring their germ-infested, snot-encrusted children to an event and three days later I am dealing with my own booger wars.
Nathan had a lot of of down time during the day (when I could make him actually stay still) so that he would be rested up for trick-or-treating. He seemed his normal self all afternoon so we piled into the van and headed into town. We live in the sticks, so not a single soul comes to our house looking for candy. Nobody trick-or-treats out here, so we go into town to the good candy-giving neighborhoods.
We were not sure how the night would go as when we left the house it was pouring rain. We live in desert country, which means it only rains about once every three months. Of course, it had to be yesterday. Boo.
Me met up with the cousins.
Eeyore is my favourite Winnie The Pooh character, and this duck costume slayed me.
Ack! Could he BE any cuter?
Nope. I think not.
He took to his costume like a duck to water.
(Sorry. Couldn’t help it.)
The boots!
Those tights!
He almost makes me want another. Almost being the operative word here. That is so not happening.
I only took one photo of the actual trick-or-treating. Between the rain and helping the kids with their haul, there was no time for photos.
Here are the kidlets begging for candy.
Emily took to it like a pro.
More houses!
The lights are on!
More houses!
She was a little frightened by some of the Halloween decor (as was I), but thankfully most houses kept their decorations on the mild side.
We arrived home a little damp, but with a haul that filled four empty ice cream buckets. I placed all of the “unsafe” candy in a bucket for Matthew and I to share. The classification of “unsafe” was used fairly liberally.
The weirdest things the kids received were cans of pop. CANS OF POP. They ended up with three cans each. This is the first time the kids have received pop in their loot bag, and I can’t help but think it’s an odd “treat” to give.
Did your kids get anything that left you as befuddled as I am?
When it first came out on video, Matthew and I rented Transformers. I am normally a fan of action films (Hello, Bourne Identity! (And Matt Damon))(Hello, S.W.A.T! (And Colin Farrell)), but Transformers ranked a little higher. The humor slayed me. Still does. So does Josh Duhamel.
Ahem.
This past spring, Transformers showed up on the movie channel included with our satellite subscription. My brother recorded it on the PVR for us. We then let the kids watch it.
There has been no. turning. back.
While driving anywhere, I hear the peanut gallery in the back when they see other vehicles.
There’s Optimus Prime! There’s Ratchet! There’s Bumblebee!
Transformers have taken over our life.
When I picked up a copy of the Sears Wish Book, Graham and Nathan zoned in on the Optimus Prime and Bumblebee costumes. They both had birthday money to burn, so I guaranteed them that they would get to have their costume of choice.
We managed to find an Optimus Prime costume at Target during our trip to the States. Bumblebee was elusive, however. Sears was sold out, Toys R’ Us was sold out…and, well, that’s about it for Canadian shopping.
Amazon.com had it, but did not ship to Canada. Kerrianne and Chris came to the rescue (Remember them?)
I shipped the Bumblebee costume to them and they sent it here. It arrived on Tuesday, and Nathan has thanked me approximately one hundred times EACH DAY.
Without further ado, I give you The Costumes.
I called that American Gothic, even though we are not American. Or Gothic.
Nathan made a pumpkin at school.
Is it me, or is it kind of sad?
Graham made a pumpkin too.
I am so loving the grill.
We (As in Honey. And also Uncle Lance) carved pumpkins. By “carving”, I mean “using a jigsaw”.
Lance carved the one on the right.
A few more of my munchkins for good measure.
Link to your little monkeys/monsters/whatchamacallits in the comments. Kids in costumes make my day.
