Grown Up Conversation

As part of our holiday party circuit, Deonne and I attended a dinner party last Saturday night with some good friends. We hadn't been out with just grown-ups in a very very long time (so long, in fact, that I'm embarrassed to say.)  It's not for lack of want or desire, rather lack of time with the ever growing list of kids activities and lack of baby sitters.  We have a few sitters who are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but they come at a premium for three children as young as ours - so many times we opt to either divide and conquer with one of us attending or look for gatherings where our herd of little ones is welcome.

It was so incredibly nice to get out - and such a good time.  We had the pleasure of dining with some friends who we knew (sort of), some we didn't know at all, and of course, the gracious host and hostess.  The feast was bountiful, the drinks flowing, and laughter rang throughout.  We ate, drank, and made merry until late in the night (well, late for us - arriving home just before 11pm was a big night for us old folks.)

And the kids had a great time as well, playing with their adopted grandma "Ms. Rebecca," reading stories, and watching Christmas movies.

Deonne and I realized that we need to make more time for things like this - to preserve our sanity as well as connect as grown-ups, friends, and a married couple.  I hope for more adult evenings, and maybe even a date night (?) or two in the New Year.

Sugarplum Fairies and Nutcracker Sweets

Anna and I had our annual trip to the Columbia City Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker on Sunday afternoon.  It was the 30th anniversary of the CCB's holiday show - and it didn't disappoint.  I have to say, I've seen some pretty famous productions of the Nutcracker in years past - the Houston Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and used to watch the Gelsey Kirkland/Mikhail Baryshnikov televised version every year that it came on PBS - and this local production is right up there with the best.

The dancers twirled and pirouetted and arabesqued across the stage to the familiar sounds, while Anna's eyes were wide with delight.  This year we attended with some dear friends, which was lovely.  (The only distraction was reminding Anna and Ella Grace to stop talking ... mostly instigated by Anna who couldn't wait to discuss all she saw with her little friend.)

It's funny to see Anna's progression through the years - from the very first time she saw the ballet, perched on the edge of her seat - wide eyed and silent the entire time - absorbing every sound and sight she saw - to this year - where she chatted and giggled and sighed at the beauty of it all.

We had wonderful seats - fourth from the stage in the orchestra section - which I feared might be too close - but ended up being perfect.  The three little girls had an excellent vantage point, as did the mommies and grandmama in our group.

Following the show - Anna and I took the backstage tour (like last year) where we got to sit in Clara's sleigh, sit in her throne from the Land of Sweets, hold Clara's nutcracker, and this year, go under the hoops of Mother Ginger's skirt.  And finally, after waiting patiently in line, Anna was able to meet Clara - so excited she could barely say hello to her.

Anna and Clara



It was a wonderful time together - a mother/daughter tradition that I adore sharing with my own little girl.  Of course I missed my mother terribly - as this was 'our thing' for as many years as I can remember.  The only years we missed seeing the ballet together were when I was away and living in Europe - and then the early years of Deonne and I's marriage when we didn't travel west for the holiday.  That's a lot of Nutcrackers we

saw.  Or participated in - back in the day - when I had ridiculous aspiring dreams of being a ballerina myself.  Dreams that mom supported - all the way to helping do make-up for us Bon-Bons (the girls that came out of Mother Ginger's skirt) and through my yearly drama of not being cast as Clara (or a child in the party scene.... a childhood scar I'll never get over.)  Ha!

So when the overture started yesterday, I felt that familiar lump swell up in my throat, and tears prick my eyes.  I managed to keep it at bay, until the Snow Queen and her Prince performed their pas de deux.  That was always my mother and I's favorite part.  And it was so beautiful - it brought tears to my eyes.

And I let them fall.

(Pictures below are completely out of order - but are lovely nonetheless.)

The Dew Drop Fairy and her Cavalier - and Anna -
we ended up being at the right place at the right time to get this photograph.

The Chinese Girl - probably one of the favorite acts
from the Land of Sweets.

Sitting in Clara's Throne
and the Nutcracker!

Clara's Magical Winter Sleigh

My Precious One

Anna has started a collection of snow-globes as a special treat
from the Nutcracker each year.

Addie Mac, Ella Grace, and Anna

The Snow Queen!
(my favorite)

Pre-school Performance

Want a sneak peek at what James will look like in 50 or so years? 

James Donald Long.  A.K.A. - Little Old Man.

I love this time of year - and all of the little school performances the kids' classes put on.  This year it was James' turn to shine.  He was cast as the Little Old Man in his class play "The Gingerbread Girl."  It was hysterical.  He did such a good job with his lines - said them loudly and clearly - and you might just be able to hear him on the video - if it weren't for me cackling and giggling the entire time - as he was so cute I couldn't help myself!

The story goes that the Little Old Woman and Little Old Man decide to 'bake again' after their first-baked child (the gingerbread boy) is eaten by a fox.   

The teacher narrated the story, and the children acted it out.  It was remarkably good - especially for a bunch of three and four year olds. 

I love that the teachers take the time and go way above and beyond the call of duty to have the kids put on plays and have parties.

James and Ms. Sam

Following the performance the cast and family members were treated to a class party - James' teachers know how to throw a party!  There was food and goodies galore - and each child was sent home with a sweet gingerbread ornament that they had made to hang on the tree to remember their special Christmas performance. 



James and Ms. Niko

I love the Children's Center - and both Deonne and I feel it has been worth every penny we've shelled out and every sacrifice we've made for our children's care.  Not only are they teaching our kids wonderful things, and preparing them for elementary school (which is why, in part, I think Anna is excelling at the rate she is in kindergarten) but they truly love our children.  Ms. Niko and Ms. Sam taught Anna - and we couldn't wait for them to be James' teachers.  We are so blessed to have them our little boy's teachers - to provide him with the loving care that I can't give him on a day-to-day basis as a working mom.

And as you can see from the above photo - he adores his teachers.



Date Night

Anna and I had a little Mother-Daughter date night yesterday.  She's been feeling out of sorts and left out recently and in need of some one-on-one time.  I'm not entirely sure where this stems from - as out of all the Party kids, she gets the most attention - but for whatever reason - she felt it, it was valid, and I needed to address it.

I must admit, my first reaction when she shared with me that she was feeling needy was twofold - first, that she was once again being dramatic and second, defensive that I've not spent enough time with her.  As a working parent of three children, I often feel like I'm stretched incredibly thin, and am doing the best I possibly can for everyone.  And to hear her tell me that she was feeling sad and lonely felt like a kick in my gut.

So to remedy the situation, Deonne and I looked through our uber-busy calendar to find a night when I could take her out - just the girls.  Through a weird series of events, it turned out great.  I ended up leaving work early yesterday (and am not thinking about the pile of unaccomplished tasks awaiting me on my desk), picked her up at school (a surprise in and of itself as she is usually picked up on Thursday by my dear friend Nici who takes her to tap class) shuttled her to tap, then took her shopping to pick out her Daddy's Christmas gift.

We had a quiet dinner together at T.G.I.Fridays (not my first choice but it was an actual sit-down restaurant located in the mall we were at) and followed it up with the biggest hit of the night - seeing Tangled together.

Talking to her Daddy before dinner arrived - geesh - she looks like a teenager!

This child is not excited to see Tangled at all!

She jumped up and down and squealed with delight when I told her we were going to see the movie - she's been dying to see it since she saw the first trailer last summer.



I look like one tired-droopy mommy.  I didn't want to post this picture - because I look so awful - but did anyway.  Someday I'll look back on this and say 'who cares', right?



It was so nice to have some one on one time with her - to hear her silly stories - to see her carefully choose her gift to her dad - to hear her shrieking with laughter and giggles during the movie.

I wish I had more time to this sort of thing more often.  So many days it seems that while I do have her around - I rarely get to listen to her or learn her personality.  It's such a rush to get her off to school, then pick her up, rush home to cook dinner, review homework, have a bath, and tuck her in bed. 

Which made our time together particularly sweet.

I hope to do it again very soon - and to plan date-nights with James and eventually Jack when he gets older.

It was a really fun time, I love you Anna-boo!

Run Run As Fast As You Can...

 ...You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Sunday afternoon we made our annual Gingerbread House.  Thankfully I'm married to a structural engineer who has not only the patience but the intelligence to put together a gingerbread house that is secure.  We learned the lesson a few years ago - make the house before hand and let it dry - then let the kids have at it with the candy decorations.

 Another lesson learned - decorate the sides of the house before assembling - so the icing doesn't slide off in a puddle of white sugar before you're even finished.  I did, however, have to put up with ridicule from Deonne - who upon watching me pipe the windows and doors asked me 'what are you going to let your children do.'

Funny.  They DID tell me what kind of windows and doors they wanted - I just executed.  So there.  So what if I did have fun doing it?  I was channeling my inner child - or crafty person - whatever....

Anna and James each had their own side of the house to decorate - I squeezed on the icing and they carefully chose what type of candy and where they wanted to place it.

I think this might be the prettiest gingerbread house the Party kids have put together yet!

See the happy smiles?  This was before I told them they couldn't eat their masterpiece...that we'd made it to look at - and not consume.  They looked at me like I had three heads.  I explained that I was making fresh gingerbread cookies later in the week - and that they really didn't want to eat gingerbread that had been sitting in a box from the craft store for who knows how long.

They still looked at me like I had three heads. 

But they had fun creating a pretty house - and I had fun watching them.

The Party Meets Santa

Saturday night was the Party's annual trip to the Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo.  And the first stop of the evening was to meet up with Santa (in James' case - to make one last plea that he'd been good.)   

He couldn't wait to sit on Santa's lap and tell him all about Happy (the Elf) and how he was really (weally) trying to be a good boy.  So endearing.

Anna balked - she's still carrying her childhood scar from seeing this Santa several years ago when he freaked the ever loving daylights out of her by pulling a Hershey's kiss out of her ear.  She bravely walked up to him - after turning around and saying/asking that Santa really just pretends to pull candy out her ear...right?

After reassuring her, she finally approached Santa - but refused to sit on his lap.  And Jack?  He was not interested in least in seeing the Big Man - which is funny to me because when they spent an hour with Santa during their annual visit with Grookett Photography - he had no issue. 

And then we walked around the zoo and looked at all of the lights - took a ride on the endangered species carousel, and tried our best to see the animals (the majority of whom were sleeping or tucked away for the night.)

And it would be lovely to end the story there - but the reality is - I turned into some version of 'Mommy Dearest' about half-way through the visit.  I was just tired of Anna and James both wandering off (or running off in the case of James.)  I know they were excited.  I know the lights were amazing. 

But it was dark.  The Christmas music was blaring loud.  And there were loads of people - seeing as it was the first night in about a week with temperatures above freezing.  And by the time Anna wandered off again (after I'd JUST told her to stay by my side) and was so far ahead that she got caught up with another family of about our size, and took off with them by mistake - well, I lost my cool.

Which resulted in me taking the stroller (Jack was in Deonne's arms) and heading to the front entrance of the zoo while Deonne continued strolling along with the other two.  

Not one of my proudest moments as a mom - thankfully they have a Daddy with the patience of Job.

But not all was lost, we drove around town a bit so the kids could see the lights of the city as we headed for home - James protesting the entire way that he didn't want to go home - and he was NOT tired.

He was the first one to get quiet - his last words being something along the lines of how much he didn't want to get home.

Jack was the second to drop off - shortly before we arrived home. 

And tucked them all into bed - their sweet little faces like angels.  Making me wonder how in the world I could ever lose my temper with them.

Christmas With The Party

A few boards with some of the sights of our home this holiday season...  our annual 2010 Christmas Ornament, and some favorites from our "live" Christmas tree...

The ornaments that are the most dear and precious to my heart - the ones the kids make every year - that adorn our "family" Christmas tree that goes up the day after Thanksgiving in our den.  (Thankfully this one is artificial - so I don't have to worry about needles falling out - only the cats who seem to think its their own personal chew toy...)

And our annual "pizelle" making day.  The day I commit to staying by a hot pizelle iron for at least two hours to complete these delicate but oh so loved Christmas treats.  This year Anna sat by my side (for most of it - until she bored and decided to read books to Jack).  I entertained her by telling her about the first time I made these cookies with my own Nonna.  The day she and I sat for hours at her kitchen table and she entrusted me to the batter, the oil, and the hot iron.

She and I wiled away the afternoon, making pizelles, while she told me stories of how she met my grandfather, what their wedding was like, how she came to know the 'secret' recipe for making these treats.  It was later that day that she pulled her wedding gown out from the bottom drawer of her dresser, wrapped in a thick heavy canvas blue cloth.

I remember running my fingers over the heavy satin, smelling the musty smell that mixed in with the scents of pizelle batter frying in the iron, and thinking what a special moment it was - one I hoped I'd never forget.

And I haven't.

But that was a side note of another story - pizelle day at our house was fun indeed... and Jack got to taste his first cookie (remember last year we were barely able to get him to swallow baby food) - that he savored and gobbled up - and kept coming 'round, little fat fingers outstretched saying "mo cookeeee."  How could I say no to that?

And then I caught him in the kitchen sink - standing on the chair one of the older kids had pulled over to the counter to 'help' me mix sugar cookie dough batter on. 

Little stinker.  Sneaky, silly, grinning stinker.