Gemma wrote her a book and Jack bought her a desk succulent from TJ Maxx. Todd and I got her Greatest Showman sheet music, a creative writing journal, and tickets for the family to go see Newsies performed at a nearby theater later in the month. She has a thing for musical soundtracks and has had a special place in her heart for the music from Newsies since she saw the Christian Bale movie a handful of years ago. She was super excited to go see the production!
Todd gave me three months of massages at my favorite spa for my birthday, and my last one just happened to be the Monday after Thanksgiving break. After driving to the Grand Canyon and Cedar City the week before, the massage felt so incredible! It goes in the books as one of the best I've had yet.
Hazel had a birthday party the Friday after her birthday. Several of her good friends came over for a few hours after school. It was such a fun, chill event. It was art themed. We played a color by number relay race and a famous art memory match, but the main event was for everyone to draw (we had how-to books they could reference if they were interested) and those who wanted could give the group a tutorial on something they were good at drawing. All those darling fifth-grade girls (and Jack and Hazel) were earnestly sketching away for over an hour solid. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
We went to the Army Christmas party. It was nice to be there and not have Todd be commander. He didn't have to schmooze anyone or make sure to go and say hi at every table. We came late and we left early. My kids always act awkward about talking to Santa. It was especially weird this time around. Jack wouldn't even go over. I think Hazel bribed Gemma with the promise Santa would give her a candy cane. Gemma was insistent that it wasn't the real Santa, so what was the point?
They did like climbing around in the helicopters, though..
I drove on a field trip with Hazel for the first time. She was really pleased, as she'd given up hope that I'd ever drive her class. (I only started doing field trips last spring! Sheesh.) We went to the Lawrence Livermore Labs science center.
Our ward Christmas dinner was extra nice this year. It felt very Christ-centered and definitely helped put me in a worshipful mindset. I loved the manger centerpieces. I complimented the activities committee on them and was gifted one to take home and use as a Christmas decoration. I love it!
The kids from our ward sang Christmas songs at an old folk's home. Jack played a piano solo of The First Noel. They sang again a couple weeks later at our Christmas worship service - Hazel's last time singing as a Primary child.
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| I couldn't resist - aren't they cute, napping together? |
Gemma outgrew sneakers that come in velcro and had to learn how to tie shoelaces. Apparently, Jack's method of the bunny ears is easier for her to master than the way I was trying to teach her.
Gemma's ballet school performed selections from the Nutcracker. Gemma's class learned the Chinese Tea dance. It was short and adorable.
Gemma was pretty excited to perform. She got a little nervous in the pre-show bustle, but said she really enjoyed being on stage, and her after-performance hyperactivity was evidence that she did, indeed, get a natural high from being in front of an audience.
I spoke in church Christmas Sunday. It was nice to prepare a seven minute talk instead of a 15-minute one. I did feel a lot of pressure, however, to thoughtfully speak towards an audience that would include many visitors not of our faith. We invited our neighbor Julie and were happy to see that she came and brought her two daughters with her as well.
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| See the bandage on Todd's eyebrow! He gashed it open on his truck racks and did a self-fix when I thought he should have gone in for stitches. Lucky for us all, it seems to be healing well. |
That afternoon, we visited Mrs. Allen, Hazel's and Jack's kindergarten teacher. Gemma had been very insistent all of December that we visit her soon, as one of Gemma's Christmas promises to Jesus was that she would visit and play with people who were lonely. We had a nice time with her.
I woke up late on the 23rd (it was Christmas break at last!) and found all the kids in the kitchen, baking cookies and making signs. Hazel had this big plan to sell cookies and donate the money to refugees. The kids were pretty annoyed when I made them wait another day so we could get a little more organized, but all's well that ends well. We made lots of cookies, and recruited a couple of Hazel's friends to come help. We researched charities and found a reputable place to give the money to.
Christmas Eve we spent two hours in the afternoon in front of the elementary school, waving down cars as they passed and selling cookies and hot chocolate. Gemma was a very enthusiastic advertiser, leaping around in her fluorescent coat. It was hard to ignore her. Many people donated generously. Hazel was so proud at the end of the day to count up the money and see that we had raised $279 to provide refugee families in Chad with supplies to survive the winter.
We were so very proud of Hazel for finding an outlet for her compassion. She has got a very soft heart for people who suffer from injustice in its many forms. The last few months she has been drawn again and again to library books about people different from her, whether it be their language, skin color, culture, country of origin, or religion. She just soaks those stories up and feels a great deal of love for people, and an honest desire to improve the world.
Christmas Eve night we read Luke II, watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and put all the kids to bed in the playroom for a sibling sleepover.
Per tradition, Todd hung up the sheet in the hall that the kids are not allowed to go past in the morning until they come and get us.
Unlike past years, the kids were up waaaaaay before seven.
Santa gave Gemma the tea set she's been longing for, Jack the scooter that he'll actually want to ride to school, and Hazel an embroidery starter kit so she can learn a new way to make beautiful things. The best part of the morning for everyone was seeing the kids open the presents they bought and made for each other. They were all so thoughtful and excited and loving. I'm grateful they all enjoy giving.
Christmas afternoon, we went on a family hike in Del Valle. It was chilly but very green and lovely.
Nothing like a beautiful spot and a park bench to inspire one of Todd's Jeffrey stories.
December 26th is Todd's birthday. He always gets the short end of the birthday stick, so I tried extra hard to do something cool for him. I hunted down childcare (no small feat the day after Christmas!) and took Todd up to Arnold for a couple of days, with the intent to try shoe shoeing. We ended up having to drive a little further up in elevation to Bear Valley to actually find snow on the ground this time of year, but that made for the best of both worlds: we got to hike dry trails in Arnold and snowshoe in Bear Valley.
It was beautiful and secluded and Todd and I got lots and lots of time to talk with each other uninterrupted.
The kids spent the first afternoon with Kerry Ellsworth, slept overnight at Katie George's, and then the last day and a half with Aunt Erika, who came down to stay at our house. She took them to a children's science discovery museum on Saturday, and from the pictures, it looks pretty cool.
Gemma lost another tooth this month, and left the Tooth Fairy a note, asking her to please draw a self-portrait. I love her childlike wonder.
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| Sorry it's still bloody. I want to know what you look like please. Draw here. Picture. Sign it. |
New Year's Eve we spent ten hours in the car, driving back to Cedar City for Julena and Adam's wedding. We hung out with the Bonner family that evening, but were still in bed long before midnight. It wasn't much of a flashy holiday this year.
