We began December celebrating Hazel's birthday. She's twelve, people! Positively huge. She started her day strong, with piano and violin practice, yoga, and scripture study, all before 9:00.
We took the day off school, but still went to gym class. Hazel walked in wearing a cape and crown, and got to spin the prize wheel before we left, earning herself a five dollar snack credit.
She made her birthday cake completely independently, a delicious pumpkin spice bundt cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
As always, we had steak for dinner. She still loves to tear it off the bone. While steak is her favorite food, she also loves fried potatoes, and loves to bake chocolate chip scones with either lemon or orange zest (or both!) in them.
Hazel's favorite colors are sea green and peachy orange. She loves humpback whales, lemurs, and really all monkeys in general. Her favorite genres of books are historical and realistic fiction, and fantasy. Some of the books she's read this year and loved are Song of a Whale, the Unwanted series, and The Gallery. Her favorite movie is Emperor's New Groove, and she loved the season of Survivor we showed the kids this year.
Currently, her favorite musicians are Taylor Swift, Lindsay Stirling, and Jack Johnson. She still loves oldies, too. Her best friends are Aarna, Sahar, and Zena, though she's seen far less of them this year than she would like, due to Covid.
She loves to play tag outside. Her favorite sport is volleyball, but she's so desperate to get out of the house she says she'd be happy to try basketball, hockey, and ice skating, too. She loves to draw, write, read, play guitar and violin, run, take walks in nature, and bake.
Her favorite place to go is still Alaska. Fall is her favorite season. She is talented at drawing, writing, inventing games, and noticing when people need help. She is artistic, athletic, and kind.
When she grows up, she would like to be an artist, a baker, a writer, and a stay at home mom, write songs, travel, and help people through some sort of humanitarian aid.
When I asked her what her one wish was, she said, "Right now I just want Covid to go away."
She said she laughs when we're all having fun together, like when we have silly conversations kneeling down before prayers. She loves Gemma's Tina character (a sassy girl with a pig nose and a Southern accent).
Hazel loves to learn about new animals, new things, history, and normal yet inspiring people who are like her. She loves to listen to the Rebel Girls podcast to hear biographies about interesting women.
Gemma and Jack pooled their resources and bought Hazel watercolor creams, an art tool she's been pining after for nearly a year. Many friends and neighbors dropped off treats and cards for Hazel throughout the day, which really helped her feel remembered and loved.
Todd and I decided to give the kids experiences for their birthdays this year. All the kids knew some sort of trip was coming up, but had to wait until Hazel opened her presents to learn the details. We booked a stay at a coastal town five hours north called Shelter Cove, with the goal/hope of seeing whales while we were there. Whales have been Hazel's favorite animal this year, since she read a book or two about them and learned what interesting animals they are. All week long, we got to look forward to our trip.
It was worth the wait! The drive was scenic the whole way, with a grand finale as we approached Shelter Cove itself. We drove through farming communities and redwoods to the King Range mountains, where we watched evergreens cascade down the mountain all the way to the rugged coast. We stayed at the Inn of the Lost Coast, that darling green building behind my kids in the picture.
Every room had an ocean-view balcony, and the office lent out binoculars. When we weren't outside exploring the beaches, we were watching the horizon for spouting whales.
We headed down to the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse to guarantee we would see some marine life on the trip. Harbor seals and California sea lions dotted the rocks.
After exploring the tide pools, we stayed for the sunset. We played tag and soaked in the views. We went out for dinner, then hung out on the clifftops next to the inn and stargazed for a good long time. The sky was breathtaking. We could see so many stars! The kids laid down on the ground and told stories while Todd and I held hands and patted ourselves on the back for planning such a great family getaway. We spent the rest of the evening playing games in our room, and enjoying a read-aloud.
We spent a good portion of the day on Saturday at the Black Sands Beach. The sun came and went as the wind blew clouds across the sky, so we got to watch the sea change colors a lot. The beach was made up of black pebbles of varying size. The contrast of black beach, turquoise waters, cliffs, and crashing waves was stunning. It was the most beautiful California beach I've ever been to.
The waves were powerful. I mean, this was not a wading beach! They hit the cliffs hard and crashed with dramatic effect. We climbed up a big rock and watched the waves pound in and pull out for a long time. It was super satisfying because you could hear the ocean pulling the rocks back into the ocean, their click-click-click as they tumbled against each other every time the waves receded. Todd and the girls were brave and climbed down the rock a ways, close enough to feel the sea spray when the waves hit.
We went to Cove Beach after lunch. This spot was a lot calmer, and honestly, nobody's favorite part of the trip. If we had wanted to stick our feet in the water, this would be the spot to do so, but like me, everyone else seemed energized by the sheer force of the ocean at the black sand beach. We went back for more.
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| Jack got his feet wet and pouted for a while. |
We knew the clock was ticking; rain had been forecast for late afternoon. We watched the storm roll in and enjoyed every single moment until the rain drove us away.
Gemma and Jack built sand castles and Hazel pulled out her sketchbook.
Back at the inn, we played ping pong, enjoyed Venezuelan food, and had another enjoyable game night in our room.
The sun was back on Sunday. While we watched church on the iPad, Hazel doggedly stayed on the balcony, searching the waters for a whale. The rest of us had given up by that point, but Hazel's determination paid off - she spotted one! Everyone came running to see, and sure enough, halfway between the coast and the horizon, you could watch a whale spouting water every minute or so as they traveled along. Hazel was stoked!
We couldn't resist visiting the beach one more time before we hit the road. It was stunning once again.
And ... Hazel spotted another whale while she searched from the top of a tall rock. Her persistence paid off and she was rewarded with the wish of her heart. I'm so glad she had a satisfying experience.
I took this picture of Jack during school and sent it to Todd because I thought it was funny and cute. Jack had made a batch of "brain balls" the night before and was carrying them around constantly touching them (wet, slimy spheres). Meanwhile, he worked on his writing assignment and hummed along to Ludovico Einaudi with his headphones. Todd wrote back with, "To be able to do all that is crazy. He's got a lot of capacity." That melted my heart. I love that Todd saw Jack's potential for greatness and helped me see it, too.
We worked on a gratitude pumpkin all through the fall. We had the kids on a daily rotation so they would be thoughtful instead of just doing a one-day brain dump. It was fun to watch it fill up, and I love how it gave us a daily opportunity to reflect on our blessings.
We made an activity advent calendar this year, filled with tasks large and small, from calling a grandparent to tell them you love them, to cutting out snowflakes to decorate the house, to buying Christmas presents for a needy senior citizen in the community, to taking a drive to look at Christmas lights. One night our activity was to make Christmas decorations for someone's door. We cut out lots of snowflakes, stars, and trees, and colored notes wishing our friend Donna a Merry Christmas. Hazel filled a manger with straw, and Gemma made this replica of the Jaredite barges crossing the sea. We sneaked over to her apartment and filled her door with Christmas cheer. She called the next night to ask if we were the ones who had decorated her door and left the cutest message on my phone: "I suspect you!"
We had a good time decorating gingerbread houses. Gemma then asked if she could eat some of hers about once an hour for days afterward, until bit by bit, it disappeared.
Jack taught a family night lesson on all the lessons we've learned from the Book of Mormon this year. We made a paper chain with everyone's thoughts, and it was seriously the most rewarding experience for me to see all that we have learned this year. It made me cry!
I know that the Atonement works and helps make me clean again each day. (H)
I know that Jesus knows that we aren't perfect and He loves us anyway. (H)
Christmas is a time of year to look for a special star that stands out. (G)
I know that we are never alone, and that even in hard times we can stay strong. (H)
We meet at church to share our strengths and our struggles with a community who have covenanted to bear one another's burdens. (A)
Heavenly Father made the world, solar system, Milky Way, and the rest of the never-ending universe. (J)
Christmas is a time to think of Jesus, not presents. (G)
Jesus will give me the strength I need and do not have on my own to accomplish His purposes. (A)
Following the prophet will keep us safe from harm. (T)
Still be nice to people that are mean to you. (G)
If we pray, we can get answers to any question we have. (J)
When you get baptized, you have the gift of the Holy Ghost. (G)
Preparing for the future is part of God's plan. (T)
I know that God will guide me and help me through my personal struggles. (H)
I know the Lord will help me do all things He asks me. (H)
I have learned that true peace is when you have complete trust in God. (H)
The storms of life give me learning opportunities that lead me to the choicest lands. (A)
I know that God will guide me and lead me through life's storms. (H)
Poinsettias stand out with their bright colors like you can. (G)
I have learned this year that no one but Jesus is perfect, and that's okay. (H)
We do not need to have a perfect past to become powerfully helpful to Jesus. Think of Alma the Younger. (A)
Fasting and praying can bring us and others help and endurance. (J)
I know Jesus loves, me, died for me, and made it possible to be with Him again. (H)
Jesus' Atonement gives us the strength we need to keep going. (J)
Reflecting on the lessons others learned in the past gives me protection in my current experiences. (A)
I know I have a Mother in Heaven who loves me and guides me, and is proud of me. (H)
I am happy that I have learned how to be more like the Nephites after Jesus visited them. I'm glad I was able to learn from them this year! (H)
Hazel taught a lesson in Young Women's about having Christlike love. She prepared a visually beautiful slideshow and presented calmly. She did a great job! It was fun to get to sit next to her at the desk and watch it unfold.
She also played well at her virtual violin recital. She's been very interested in Lindsay Stirling lately and has taken some initiative to learn some challenging songs she likes the sound of.
We pushed through the last few days of school before the week of Christmas. It was surprising to me that my kids are still excitable and unfocused with their schoolwork when Santa's visit is near, even with the flexibility of working from home. They've been silly and haven't been sleeping well at night, either. The whole month of December is a party of anticipation!
We've had some old photos trapped on an older desktop. After many fruitless attempts, Todd finally managed to get them to transfer over to the new computer safe and secure. Because literally dozens of hours have already gone into working with the old computer, he didn't want to take the time to clear the hard drive and recycle the computer. We opened up the back so Jack could investigate the workings, and then we let the kids smash it with a hammer! It felt wrong, but what's done is done.
We spent a Sunday afternoon singing Christmas hymns, and then the evening driving out to see the lights at the Oakland Temple. Also, that day the missionaries came over to give Gemma an investigator lesson. I couldn't believe how hard she tried to give them her best attention. She is looking forward to her baptism, and thinks it's unfair that she had to wait until she was eight to be considered an official member of the Church.
We had an astrological phenomenon occur - Saturn and Jupiter crossed paths and made a super bright glow in the sky. People were calling it the "Christmas Star" and talking it up on social media. We decided to drive out to Brushy Peak to get away from the neighborhood lights and try to get a good view. Unfortunately, we left too late, and it was already below the horizon when we got out there.
Lucky for us, they still put on a great show the following night, and we realized we could see it just fine from the trail behind our house; no need to take a drive. Jack still has a telescope from the library of things, so we pulled that bad boy out and had ourselves a good look at Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons. It was cool! (The Christmas Star is the bright guy between the trees.)
Hazel got her first taste at babysitting when my friend April and I went for a walk on the trail and left her four kids at my place. Gemma and Jack and April's boys all played together the same way they would have if I had been at home, and Hazel got to snuggle and swaddle sweet chunky Ellie - her dream come true.
The kids did a nice job of dressing up and acting out the Nativity story. They were wild during the costuming, and Todd and I had to talk each other out of putting an end to the silliness and just let the crazy kids make a happy memory together. They were able to calm down and be reverent during the reenactment, and had lots of fun with each other. I'm glad we stayed out of it.
Todd earned himself the Cool Dad award by making a Triple Stack with the kids. Everyone loved it!
I saw chestnuts at Trader Joe's and decided we could try roasting them for Christmas this year. It was a very fun, tactile experience. After the nuts spent some time in the oven, we got to smash and peel the shells off of them, revealing a soft, edible center. Sadly, they didn't taste very good - more like a squash than, say, an almond.
I did a terrible job of taking pictures at Christmas this year. We had matching pajamas for the first time ever, and I didn't take a single picture, although everyone was excited to match and thought it was so much fun. The kids had their annual sibling sleepover, and didn't sleep much. They made each other homemade gifts, and were happy with what we bought them. Gemma got a new scooter, Jack got a microscope, and Hazel got a good-quality yoga mat. Santa brought us kayaks, which we were all excited to try out.
Nana made the girls soft minky blankets like the one she made Jack when he turned eight, and gave him a much-wished-for Etch-a-Sketch.
Jack made Todd a long, rhyming scavenger hunt for his birthday. We had fun scootering around the neighborhood as he deciphered the clues.
We ventured up to Bethany Reservoir to scope out the area for kayaking. It'll be a great spot once the Covid Police decide to open up the parking lot. The walk from the street to the water was far too great to carry the kayaks.
The moon was extremely bright for several nights. Todd captured this cool picture showing how it was glowing a ring of light through the cloud cover.
I asked everyone to wear their matching pajamas again so I could take a picture after all. I'm so glad I did! Pretend that's Christmas Eve.
We've been playing lots of games. Dark evenings mean plenty of family hangout time with card and board games - I'm okay with that!
We had a cheese night on New Year's Eve. We served dinner at 4:30, let each person choose a game to play, watched an episode of Survivor, and put all the kids to bed close to their bedtimes. Todd was asleep on the floor by 9:00. We probably broke a record for the earliest we've ever gone to bed on New Year's Eve before!
I think the trick that helped the kids feel like they'd already partied hard and didn't need to stay up (aside from starting the festivities so early) was that Grammie had mailed us egg shells filled with confetti. When Todd grew up, they had a tradition of chasing each other around the house, smashing these confetti eggs on each other. I didn't want a mess that I would still be finding remnants of in April, so we took advantage of our wonderful weather and had the kids chase each other around in the culdesac. They LOVED it!
