We started our advent activity calendar (since we don't celebrate advent, I'm open to new name suggestions--December Countdown Calendar of Fun?!?). Regardless of name, the kids love this tradition. They wake up every morning and ask what's in the day's envelope.
I'm constantly overthinking and rethinking what's important to me about the holiday season, what elements to focus on and what parts to downplay.
I'm getting much more comfortable emphasizing the solstice, light and warmth in the darkness, and nature. Along with community, community service, family, and giving.
So our first day was putting lights up outside, the most obvious way to add light to the darkness. Everett was actually quite helpful!
Before I get back to the December activities, I get to be selfish!! As an early birthday celebration, Brian and I ran away to Santa Barbara to see one of our favorite podcasts, Pod Save America!! It was so exciting and so much fun! These bros really are changing America.
It was also exciting that when we arrive in Santa Barbara, they were having a HUGE Christmas parade! I checked the website for the parade (after the fact), and it said they usually have 65,000 people in attendance! It made parking a challenge, but besides that, it was pretty great! Walking to the show through dancers, marching bands, and kids dressed as elves.
The kids stayed the night with Phil and Gion, and they had a blast, of course. It was Rozzy's first time sleeping over. She did great. She put herself to sleep early!! What a girl.
The next morning, after our Santa Barbara adventure, was the Atascadero Democratic Club's Holiday Brunch! I felt so nostalgic about the event. Last year's Holiday Brunch was the first political gathering I attended after the terrible election. The election happened, and the thing I knew I needed to do, when I willed myself out of the fetal position, was look into getting involved in local politics. I did some research, called the Democratic Party Headquarters, looked around online, and I found the ADC Holiday Brunch! A few friends even met me there!
This year was so different! I now manage the Facebook page for the group, so instead of getting a few grainy cellphone shots, I brought my nice camera and made people look good! It was a nice event! I tried my hand at using Facebook advertising, and I don't think I attracted a single person that wouldn't have found out about the brunch some other way. Oh well!
Back to our activity calendar! That same night, Saturday the 2nd, we attended the Atascadero Holiday Musical Walk Around the Lake. It was packed!! I've never seen it so busy. There were so many activities from making s'mores to pony rides. We just walked around and looked at the lights without stopping, but it must have been hours of fun for some families.
The next morning we headed over to Vons and helped collect food for Loaves and Fishes. The kids did a good job! They stood there for two hours and only whined a little. They said, "please buy a flyer" a few more times than we would have liked. No one's buying a flyer!!
Some focuses of our activity calendar and holiday season are giving and community and community service. I can't think of a better way to fulfill those goals.
I've been excited to do this with the kids for years! The times I volunteered for Loaves and Fishes are treasured childhood memories.
Thankfully, Phil and Gion were able to watch Roz while we volunteered. She would have been rough to work with. Impossible, honestly, because she's in her "darting off" stage. But they did visit us!
After volunteering we picked out our tree! Oh boy are these December weekends packed!
Everett and Lydia picked out the tree. Everett helped carry it. And Lydia enjoyed the bounce house!
When we got home it was time for the traditional hot cocoa, Elf viewing, and tree decorating.
We tried to bring more nature inside this year. I was encouraged to take the evergreen branches that were decorations at the ADC brunch, and I made a simple wreath for our fish. Popcorn's nature right!?! Lydia was surprisingly good at using a needle and thread to string the popcorn garland.
Our amazing, big-hearted friend invited us over to make cards for kids in the hospital. Everett's probably didn't make the cut as they weren't particularly comforting (sorry buddy). One of his is a pop up card of white blood cells and antibodies in action. What a kid. Lydia's were so sweet. And the scribble one on the bottom was Rozzy's.
We went whale watching!! For Christmas (or was it my bday?) last year Brian got me a gift certificate for Monterey Bay Whale Watch because he knew that seeing a blue whale was on my bucket list. So thoughtful! Blue whales are more common in the fall in Monterey, so we had to wait many months. Then we waited too long and had to act before the gift certificate expired!
We got so lucky! First, our boat was captained by the owner of the company, which people on the boat were excited about. And she seemed very motivated to make sure we had a good experience and didn't seem to care at all about the time spent on the water (thank goodness for flexible grandparents!!).
We were also lucky so many animals were in the bay that day! The captain can't find them if they're not there.
We saw a blue whale!! Just what we wanted to see! In those pictures right above!! And it was a little late in the season for them, so we felt extra lucky. Blue whales barely show themselves above the water, so it's a little anticlimactic. But it was still so exciting!!
Next we . . . took a lot of selfies . . . but then we saw humpback whales!! Humpbacks are a bit more exciting to watch because they come up a bit more and then they flip their tails before going back under water. They have very stinky breath! I'd never thought about whale breath before.
And the grand finale was seeing an orca!! This male orca has been hanging around Monterey Bay for maybe 20 years, but they're very unpredictable animals. They don't have seasons like the other whales. Our captain called this whale George and was so excited to see him playing with (or scratching himself on?) a bunch of kelp. She said she hadn't seen anything like that in her 30 year career! Pretty exciting. She had everyone who'd taken video send it to her. Another fun thing about this trip was finding out how much this particular company works with scientists to track the whales. There were photographers on board taking great shots with their fancy cameras in order to catalog the animals.
We got home much later than we'd expected, bedtime instead of dinner time. But the kids barely missed us at all. Everett was a bit jealous he didn't get to go whale watching. We'll take him someday. It was a lot of waiting (hence the selfies). None of our kids have the patience for it yet.
Some more December countdown activities. The kids and their window decorations. Cosmic Kids Yoga Christmas Special.
Then I celebrated my birthday!! I met my best friend (Rachel) at my favorite Atown restaurant (Hush Harbor) with my darling toddler (you know who I'm talking about). It was lovely.
Lydia had a special day with Gion. She got to go to her favorite place in the whole wide world, Madonna Inn! Afterward they went to Avila Valley Barn. Lucky girl!
That evening we were so excited to have my parents over for dinner and cake! My mom is still at the beginning of a rough road to recovery, but she came! And she stayed longer than anyone expected. We miss her being a regular part of our week, but we're so, so, SO happy she's home and recovering, being treated correctly.
Mom wasn't up for making the traditional pineapple upside-down cake, so Dad bought an angel food cake and chocolate frosting. The kids loved helping frost it and add sprinkles!
By the way, I'm 35 now. Suits me just fine.
Hanging the bird seed ornaments we made. And making pomander balls with oranges and cloves.
Everett was sick Thursday night so we kept him home Friday. Brian went to see Star Wars with his friends Friday night after the kids were in bed, but Everett kept getting up because of course he wasn't tired, he hadn't done anything all day. I decided to put on a Doctor Who Christmas special, the Christmas Carol one with Michael Gambon (and Matt Smith as The Doctor). He like that. Then we watched The Christmas Invasion with David Tennant as The Doctor. It felt so special! Staying up late watching Doctor Who Christmas specials with my kid!!
Holiday Magic at Charles Paddock Zoo! The animals get presents and we get to watch them open them. Some are more enthusiastic than others. But I think this was the best time we've ever had at this event. And it was busy!! It seems like every community activity we've attended this year has been bigger than usual. I suppose that's what we all need right now, community.
When we got home, we made gingerbread! Who's that silly guy in the middle??
And on Sunday we made our gingerbread houses! Everett wanted to make the Washington Monument because of course he did. I bet he won a prize for creativity at the school gingerbread house contest today! Gion got him--and the monument--to and from school today. We literally couldn't have done it without her!
Update: I just got word from Gion, he DID win most creative in 2nd grade!! Good job buddy!
Lydia's Christmas party at school. Every preschool holiday party is a cookie decorating deal. They have a system. The kids love it. Gion picked Everett up from the party to take him to basketball practice! It was special that Grandma got to watch his practice.
Lydia has a loose tooth! I'd been looking at her bottom teeth lately thinking "oh boy, this girl's going to need some major orthodontia." Or, "I wonder if her partial is messing with her bottom teeth?" But the kid is about to lose a tooth!
It rained today! Not a big one but more than a sprinkle. And we need more!!
I'll be back after the solstice and Christmas and all that fun stuff!!
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