Surrendering to Christmas

When the Christmas season rolled around this year, I was rather slow to embrace it. I'm sure it had something to do with the sunshiny weather (though we have had some cooler days and even a good bit of rain), not to mention my shocking lack of preparation--I didn't have a secret treasure-trove of presents stashed anywhere this time around. But luckily we have a Santa-in-training at our house! Emerson led the charge this year, assembling the fake tree Aaron ordered for us (I can't justify a real tree when they aren't native to the area and are ridiculously expensive besides), digging through the Christmas boxes for decorations, and generally ushering in the Christmas spirit all on his own. I have to say that Christmas--holidays in general, probably--are far more fantastic when I don't have to be the sole human preparing and dispensing all the cheer! I love the way Emerson decorated the tree. While I would probably have used white lights, he picked the colored ones, and it reminded me that when I was a kid I really preferred a little more fairy in my fairy tales too. Since I got rid of all the really tacky ornaments, it turned out rather pretty, and over the next few days, the kids dragged out other stuff too, from our little nativity set to the singing snowmen to advent calendars to outdoor lights--so much festivity, so much less work for me! There are some fantastic advantages to having older kids.

It was a good thing too, because Christmas music and performances really did clog up almost all our evenings and weekends. Aaron and I calculated it out, and between Children's Choir performances, Christmas programs at two churches, Aaron's school music concerts, kids' holiday concerts, and Annie performances, our family was involved in a total of 23 concerts and performances in December! So much fun, so much potential for fatigue! There was a lot less baking (we went with several batches of peppermint Rice Krispie treats instead of more elaborate fare) and virtually zero crafts (I helped Emerson and Sera fold a couple of snowflakes properly, but they were on their own for the rest), but as I said a couple of years ago, you really can't do everything every single year, so picking a few and going all out on those seems to be a great alternative for our family. Being involved with Annie was so fun for the three younger kids and especially for me--I enjoy singing, and being on stage again for the first time in I don't know how many years was great fun. The Christmas Pops performances at Copley Symphony Hall downtown were just delightful. Addy got to sing with the Children's Choir this year, and did a great job in the performances. The highlight was the closing number, Let it Snow, when the conductor, decked out in holiday plaid, blew "snow" from his tuba onto the children. The other concerts were all lovely as well, and we enjoyed the chance to attend a Christmas Eve service at Calvary Lutheran Church, where Aaron directs music. Afterward, we enjoyed an invitation to spend the evening with a number of Aaron's friends from the church at a party where all our kids were invited to perform on the piano and where they and we each received a special gift from the hosts, in addition to delicious food and good company (and did I mention that I got out of planning special events for Christmas Eve entirely?).

Once we got through all of that good stuff (that yes, was also somewhat stressful at times), we made it through to Christmas morning. Though there weren't quite as many actual packages under the tree this year, there were a couple of really special things for our family this year. Though we've talked for years about switching out some of the stuff that goes along with Christmas for a special family vacation, this was the year it finally happened. In addition to a trip up the coast to see Hearst Castle and visit San Francisco for a few days, we also got passes to Universal Studios Hollywood, which we hope to make good use of in the upcoming year. But the real icing on the cake was the last gift the kids opened, all together. They were initially a little confused when they held up the little tiny outfits--how out of touch do parents have to be to buy their children baby clothes . . . unless . . .

That's right! The Mitchell family is growing again! Believe me, nobody is more surprised about this development than we are, but the glittery explosion of joy and disbelief in these kids' eyes when they put it all together was totally worth it. So now you know. We're expecting a little caboose to arrive sometime in late May.

As for our trip, we left a couple of days later. Though I campaigned hard for a train trip, the super-low cost of gas was just too appealing. We packed our bags and headed up to San Luis Obispo where we stayed one night before heading to Hearst Castle the next day. What a magnificent place! Although I had carried around the image of the crotchety old man depicted so tenderly (not really) in Citizen Kane and Newsies, we learned from an awesome IMAX film that the real William Randolph Hearst was quite a lot more complex than that. The film took us through his childhood, spent on the shores of central California beaches, a life-altering tour of Europe with his parents when he was only ten years old, his rise in the newspaper industry, and his final dream to build a castle that would bring to the United States a few of the amazing treasures he had encountered during that childhood trip to Europe. His partnership with Julia Morgan, a phenomenal architect and designer in her own right, was the linchpin to making the entire enterprise work, through decades of design and building, to numerous changes to the plans along the way, to the selection of priceless artifacts and artworks that were added one by one as Hearst Castle grew.

The Castle itself was astonishing. From choir stalls imported from France to tapestries from Belgium to ceilings from Spain to Egyptian and Roman sculptures, no detail was overlooked or neglected. Gold tiles graced the stunning pool house, art by Canova and Rubens was splayed across the walls and hidden in the corners of rooms . . . I was in my own personal heaven telling everybody backstory on as many pieces as I could identify (a fair proportion, actually). There was an additional film of collected home movies from Hearst's days at the Castle near the end of the tour, shown in Hearst's own private, red velvet draped, personal theatre, and it was exciting to think back on the glory days of Hollywood when an invitation to the Castle was one of the higher honors even the Hollywood royalty aspired to. On the way back down the winding road, we kept our eyes peeled for the many exotic animals that still roam the grounds, descended from the fantastic zoo Hearst collected during his lifetime.

Afterward we completed the rest of our journey up the Pacific Coast Highway, taking in breathtaking views (some of them rather scary as the winding road ventured to the very edge of sheer cliffs and bluffs) and listening to great music. Though we got rather backed up at one point (something that happens on one-lane roads, apparently), we eventually made it to our hotel for the night, ready to take in San Francisco for a few days.

And San Francisco did not disappoint! We tried to fit it all in--rides on trolleys and streetcars, ferry rides, trips to the pier, sourdough bread, Chinatown, Alcatraz Island . . . well, about that last one. Just know that if you go to San Francisco and it's anytime remotely near any holidays, a) you can reserve tickets online, but you're going to need them about 3 months in advance, and b) if you want to get the few remaining "non-reserved" tickets right on the pier, you're going to have to get there at an insanely ridiculous hour. We got there at about 6:30 am and didn't get tickets. The people who got there at 5 am didn't get tickets. The people who got there at 4 am did. It didn't take us long to realize that as fascinating as it is to look at a prison, it wasn't actually worth lining up at 4 am for. Anyway, the other activities kept us well-occupied. We loved our afternoon on the pier, visiting shops and stopping at the Boudain bakery for soup in sourdough breadbowls for lunch, watching sea lions sun themselves on the rocks, and wearing actual coats and scarves for the first time in ages to ward off the wind. By a stroke of luck, we were able to meet my fantastic aunt and uncle, along with a pretty wide assortment of their children and grandchildren late in the afternoon and spend a bit of time catching up. The very best thing about great relatives is that so little changes between visits no matter how much time elapses between them. It was lovely to get to chat up my cousins, who I love dearly, and to see how their kids have grown (predictably even taller than ours, given the utter lack of any relation measuring less than six feet tall). Though we parted ways after some sight-seeing, after hitting up Ghiradelli Square for some ice cream, we drove back to their house in Fremont to visit some more, an activity that would have been immeasurably better if we had left even thirty minutes before we did. As it was, even taking advantage of all the suggestions offered by Aaron's genius app "Waze," we spent well over an hour getting through a handful of blocks leading to the Bay Bridge, plus a fair amount of slow and go after that. Luckily we had Frozen on hand, and nothing keeps you sane quite like singing along to Disney movies, right? Once we got through all of that it was fairly smooth sailing, and though we arrived well after dark, they had some amazing pizza waiting for us, and a lovely evening of visiting for the adults and a fair bit of partying and shooting hoops in the on-site indoor gym for the kids--built from what used to be a winery on the property. Afterward, our kids wanted to know if/when we would ever get a gym like that, a prospect that we told them not to hold their breath for.

Our remaining days were filled with Chinatown fortune cookies and coconut candies, freshly sliced octopus (which I couldn't talk any of the kids into ordering with me) and a bit of shopping, fish and chips on pier, a drive to Sausalito and ferry under the Golden Gate bridge. Our kids haven't gotten too old to appreciate the joys of a hotel hot breakfast replete with Belgian waffles, and we were lucky to have a nice pool and hot tub to enjoy in the chilly evenings. On our way back from our trip, I asked the kids if they missed having so much stuff under the tree (although even at our most generous we've tried to limit the proliferation of gifts at Christmas), and to a person they all proclaimed this the best Christmas ever. Maybe we're somehow managing to pass some of our values down to these darling kids of ours? For my part, I'd take the experience over the present any day, and I'm glad to see that the kids didn't seem to mind joining in on that philosophy at all. Who knows? Maybe next year we'll do away with a Christmas tree altogether. I suppose that's not very likely, though, especially as long as we have Emerson training to be a future Santa Claus at our house. Now if only he'd be as enthusiastic about getting the tree and decorations down as he was about putting them up!

It's the Holiday Season!

We kicked off the holidays with a birthday dinner for this handsome guy, which we somehow managed to fit in before the absolute and utter madness of all the rehearsals kicked in

While he was running all manner of rehearsals of his own, Addy, Emerson, and I were rehearsing up for Annie 

Love these poor homeless kids

 

Emerson and the dog catchers

This bunch was all from our church, and had a great time between scenes together

Emerson was pretty boss with this awesome, huge, and ultra-gentle dog when he wasn't tormenting her on stage--that's acting, folks!

 



And Sera couldn't get enough of Sandy either

Addy loved the chance to perform with her friend Madison

Besides our own (nine!) performances, we squeezed in a bunch of others--I took Addy and Sera to a beautiful rendition of The Nutcracker

And Father Christmas stopped in for a visit before the Holiday Pops concert for which Aaron prepared the Children's Choir, and in which Addy performed

 

We weren't spectacular on the treat-making front this year, but these two managed to keep our sugar supply up with some awesome Rudolph cookies

Not entirely sure how we managed it, but we squeezed in some visits to some fun places around town as well, starting with Knott's Berry Farm

 

 

It was all decked out in its holiday glory, and we got to see some awesome shows, including a stunning Snoopy on Ice in addition to amusement park rides

 

Sea World opened a section called "Snow World," and the kids got at least a little snowy fun this season, sledding and throwing snowballs

 

One day I took just Emerson and Sera and we had a lovely visit with St. Nicholas--not sure if he's going to follow through on the pets the kids asked for, though!

 

Honestly, Sea World has been my absolute favorite thing this year

 

We went back all together and got some fun pictures

Matching even!

Not to mention the awesome holiday shows

Seymour and Clyde



Pets Live

And Shamu Christmas

Love seeing these amazing animals up close!

And then we drummed up a few photos for our Christmas card

Looking back, what an adventurous year we've had--so much fun!

We squeezed in this visit to the "Jungle Bells" exhibit at the zoo

It was beautifully decked out, but the coolest was hearing the music piped through the park that Aaron had helped with recording last year!

Christmas Sunday

On Christmas Eve we went to Calvary Lutheran Church, where Aaron plays for church services, for A Night in Bethlehem, where there were several craft booths set up as well as some Bethlehem-style food, all held before a beautiful Christmas Eve service, for which Aaron played and sang.

Then back home with this crew (Aaron had to stay to play a midnight service at the church)

They're a pretty awesome bunch!

Didn't Emerson do a spectacular job decking us out for the season?

 

Merry Christmas!

A Novel November

November has been a month of trying new things for our family. This is our first fall ever in a place that doesn't have clearly defined seasons (except Aaron, of course). Though this is not much of a problem ten months out of the year, fall is my favorite. I walk into grocery stores stocked with cinnamon brooms and scented pinecones, and there is such a disconnect between what I smell and what I see outside. There are a handful of trees that are changing color however, and there are theories floating around that we should be able to expect a bit of rain sooner or later, so I'm holding out for that. Meanwhile, the beach is great for curing my nostalgia.

Emerson and Sera have branched out this month by starting hula and Tahitian fire-dancing classes (they actually started in October). They like them quite a lot, and I love them! Not only do they teach the great skills of coordination and patterns that all dance classes are good for, there is also a cultural element that I just adore. Emerson has gotten so good at shivering his knees together and walking with his knees bent and his body only a few inches from the ground--if you want a good workout, give "duck-walking" a try. Sera is mastering the skills of moving her feet and arms without moving the rest of her body a bit. There is an international element to the class as well--hula dancing is sought out not only for kids of Polynesian descent, but also those with Japanese or other Asian island heritage, so I especially enjoy conversations with other parents during the classes.

Asher has taken on a role as a den leader with a local cub scout organization, helping younger boys at activities. It was an opportunity offered to him by a friend of ours, whose son was involved with the troop, and it has been so good for him to have a chance for leadership among other boys who are Emerson's age. Because Emerson is not involved in the troop, I think it ends up serving to make their relationship closer, as Asher learns to interact with younger boys in a positive, encouraging way. I've noticed a lot less fighting between them, and many instances of collaboration and play together--something that has been diminished or absent over the past couple of years.

When a friend told me about auditions for "Annie" coming up, I was thrilled. "Annie" was the very play chosen for Addy's fifth-grade musical--the one she never got to be in because we moved in the middle of the year. It broke my heart to drag her away from it. But somehow things come right in the end. I decided to take her for auditions, dragging Emerson and Sera along as well, as they remembered all the fun Asher and Addy had in "Oliver!" last year. Well, once we were there, I ran into an acquaintance from church who was auditioning as well, and found myself persuaded to sing a quick audition song along with the kids. Although Addy was called back for an orphan role, she wound up cast as a Hooverville/ensemble member with Sera and I, and Emerson was cast as a dog-catcher--a role he is positively thrilled about. Although I initially wished Addy had landed a role with the orphans, as the holiday season has kicked in, I couldn't be happier that our rehearsal schedule is extremely manageable, and that all of us attend the same rehearsals. We're looking forward to performances (seven of them!) next month.

Another fun thing I've taken on recently is substitute teaching at Pacific Ridge School. Though it's not the most glamorous job in the world, I have loved the school since before Aaron started working there, simply based on their teaching philosophies and practices, and I think the kids who attend are fantastic. We would love to send our own kids there, though tuition costs are quite steep. Anyway, I've filled in for several classes already, and have especially enjoyed breaking out my rusty math skills for some calculus and algebra classes, though my favorite was probably the Colonial South Africa class I got to fill in for a couple of weeks ago. The course offerings are so varied and so interesting. I think I wouldn't half mind going back to high school if I could take classes like that.

At my own kids' school, I have continued to provide Arts Attack lessons for Emerson's and Sera's classes (as there is no art teacher at the school), and so far have taught classes on portrait sketching (line), watercolor fall trees (color), and helped other volunteers teach projects including Day of the Dead figure constructs and Japanese stamping. They've been fun to prepare and teach.

Last week, when much of the country got their first blast of artic air, complete with a "snow day," we had to make do with our sunshiny weather and gentle breezes. Since the kids were out for parent teacher conferences, I took them to the beach where we had a "snow day" of our own--which is to say that we attempted to build a snowman with sand . . . it's harder than it looks! We had a great day on the waves, enjoying the beaches that we avoided all summer because they were too crowded. The kids are getting pretty good at "boogie boarding," although I think both Asher and I would love to graduate to a surf-board. We also took some time to visit Sea World's new exhibition, "Snow World," where they make fake snow every day for all of us who live too far away from the real thing. We had a great time making and throwing snowballs, and the kids even got to stand in line for a little "sledding." It wasn't Indiana, but on the other hand, we got to wear flip-flops!

For Thanksgiving we talked our friends, the Pecks, into joining us. They brought over all kinds of fancy creations, from cantaloupe/fruit kabob turkeys to mini-pies-on-sticks to sugared cranberries, along with half the makings for our feast. We had a lovely, laid-back meal together, topped off with some Christmas carols to usher in the holiday season, and a watching of The Sound of Music. I so appreciate having good friends to share the holidays with--especially the kind who can get excited about music and singing! Though our holiday season is shaping up to be ridiculously busy and full--that's life in a musical family, after all--we've definitely gotten off to the right start!

The Freaky and the Foody

Day of the Dead in Old Town San Diego

 

I couldn't get anyone else psyched about painting their faces white, and only Sera was willing to take a picture with me, but I thought celebrating this cool and kind of creepy Mexican holiday was fun.

We visited the awesome little town of Julian to get a taste of fall--there were colored leaves and everything--at least a few of them

And delicious appleberry pie

I think this  place was actually called Mom's Pies--it doesn't get homier than that

 

I chaperoned a field trip to the Birch Aquarium for Sera's class

Get a load of how tall that girl of mine is!

The tide pools were the coolest--lobsters, crabs, all kinds of crustaceans

 

So it turned out that the kids were out of school on what happened to be the first snow day in Fort Wayne--we hit the beach!

There was a lot of singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and Emerson and Sera did their best (sand is harder to work with than you might think!)

 

The water, quite honestly, was a bit on the cold side

But these guys had a blast in the sand

 

Addy played sea lion . . . or something?

And Asher, as per usual, worked on his hops

Then, Thanksgiving--these two were supposed to be my helpers, but they were mostly distracted by the hors d'oeuvers

We managed a very pretty meal, with some help from our friends the Pecks, who were able to join us

Let is suffice to say that their hors d'oeuvers were prettier than ours!

We ended the evening with PIE

And singing Christmas carols around the piano--when we have friends who not only agree to this, but inspire it, we know we're in good company!