Christmas

Christmas was a week ago and if I don't blog about it now I'll never get the chance again. Sometimes I forget what this blog is for; Eternal documentation of family events!

The day started Christmas Eve at Valda's where we enjoyed the company of friends and played games and ate delicious food.

Then, Falcom told me he was tired and ready to go to bed, so we went home kind of early (surprisingly early), the kids frosted their cookies for Santa and WENT TO BED! I put this in bold because I couldn't believe it. They went to bed and slept through the night.

They woke up at a reasonable hour (6am) and who was here? Uncle Jason! We were surprised because we hadn't seen or heard from him in several months and felt glad that he felt he could come and join us.

Here is where I could put picture upon picture of presents getting unwrapped and everyone overjoyed with their fun gifts, but I don't have time.

I cooked.

I cooked lots and lots and I ate and ate. For my friends at Weight Watchers, this has been the worst eating week I've had in the past year. I was very reluctant to return to the meeting this week, but, with the help of Suzanne, got over it and am now getting on with it. Thanks everyone at the meeting for the encouragement and, for lack of better terminology, the sisterhood. I'm Back! And if you are reading this with a cloud of guilt hanging over your head, trust me, you can get over it and get back on the wagon.

We have crossed over to the dark side and are now a family with a Wii. I'll admit that it is super fun and I am enjoying it as much as the kids.

M.J. and her baby Iris came over to eat with us. Having a baby around for the holiday made our day complete. We all had a wonderful day together. I am so grateful for everyone and everything.

Whew! Now that I have done the thumbnail sketch of Christmas, I can get back into the flow. We leave tomorrow night for our cabin and will be there for a few days....the activities never cease.

Marina's Third Birthday Party

I know, I know... This birthday business is huge around our house. So huge, it is exhausting! (Talk about feeding into the 'culture of entitlement'! Sometimes I think we are single handedly propping up the local economy.) But I can not let the weekend go by without mentioning Marina's third birthday party, the family party.

Marina wanted three parties this year and BOY did she get them. First, was Mema's tea for her and the grandma/auntie figures in her life. Then was the classmate extravaganza.

Saturday night was family party night with the people who were there at the time of her birth. Mike McKinney and his family (Bobbie, Sydney, and Emily), Valda, Marge Tillion (fresh off the airplane from Adak), Mema, and Us.

Unfortunately Kate couldn't be here because she is in California with her brother (who recently found out that he has cancer. Our thoughts to you Jim!).

I was so fried by this party that I don't have much commentary for it, except to say that it was really nice to have our good friends over for a mellow pizza night and few good laughs. Marina was tired of having cake so we had cream puffs with magic shell. She got some perfect and wonderful gifts, got to hear the stories of when she was a tiny newborn and was the star of the show.

When this third party was over she happily went around ripping down streamers. Time to get on with the business of Christmas!

Since I was too exhausted to think of it, I must send out a huge THANK YOU to Valda for sharing her pictures of the night.

Sunrise, Sunday December 21, 2008

Marina's 6th Birthday

Marina's Birthday Theme: Super Girl. "Mom, I want a Super Girl Cake." Here it is:

Alaskan winters make me pause to reflect on time. It is the long nights ending in reaching sunrises that take an hour or more. It is the sunsets that are achingly slow. The color of our world becomes so grey in December, with snow and sanded roads and trees without leaves. Then the sun rises and for an hour or so there is a brilliant display of color and then it passes back to shadows of grey and white.

The baby in our family is now 6 years old. When I think of the days that have passed since I was a pregnant person chasing around a three year old Falcom...I laugh when I think of how I had to wing him over my shoulder when he had a melt down in the middle of Soundview Avenue during my ninth month of pregnancy.

This morning Marina woke me at 4am to say, "I love you mom! I love you for putting streamers all over my room! Now I know why you wanted me to go to sleep! I love you! I think I will be your snuggle bug." and then she realized Vince was home from Soldotna. "Dad! You made it!" and he hugged her and he told her that he was remembering that it was 6 years ago to the hour that he was sleeping in a hospital room holding the tiny baby that is now a 6 year old Marina. She didn't even have a name yet.

The darkness makes me more reflective I guess. It made me realize how time has stopped in a way. Events have blended, changes have been a slow evolution. This morning, Marina asked me to cut the tag from her new pants. They are just a bit too long and when I look at the size (size 7-8) I am reminded that time will continue to move us along, and that this life I have been given has been packed full of bright fantastic moments.

We started the birthday with a birthday breakfast. Then Vince and I brought cupcakes to school and her classmates sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She was wearing a special ribbon that said "Happy Birthday". We stayed for a round of holiday Bingo.

After school we went to the high school, where we reserved the pool for a small party. I asked everyone to RSVP who was coming so that I could hire the correct amount of lifeguards, but alas! More people came than I had planned for. It was really an extravaganza. Every gift was EXACTLY what she had wanted. (Priscilla hadn't realized she was registered.)

Because there were more people than I had anticipated, there was NOT ENOUGH FOOD! You can not imagine how Mid-West anxious I felt at not having the crowd leave stuffed full! Oh well. None, of these children are wasting away, luckily.

I read a Christmas card last month that said, "Do you think that when Jesus was a young boy in Hebrew school his classmates said, 'Gosh Jesus, it must suck having your birthday so close to Hanukkah!'" I should have bought it for Marina. But today, she was showered with gifts and for a few hours felt out of the holiday spirit and into the birthday spirit which was our goal to begin with.

Thanks to everyone who came, she (and I) had a birthday to remember.

My Birthing Gift to Me

This week I did something VERY splurge-ie and bought plumaria and orchid heads. I bought them in bulk saying it was for Marina's birthday party.

To be honest, I bought them for me. They have the smoothest texture. They are more fragrant than any essential oil. I bought enough that the kids can wear them and play with them and not stress me out.

Sure, the shipping cost more than the flowers... but it is so worth it! Each sniff is like being on vacation...each sniff brings me that much closer to the sun. Right now Marina is re-distributing the flowers into other, smaller dishes. This is the fourth time this evening she has done this. I hope they remain strong until her birthday party, but if not, I will enjoy them just as they are.

Regular Tuesday with Irene

The beautiful Manalisay Women

I got tagged by Suzanne! Ouch...but it does seem appropriate for my 200th blog posting...here goes...

Five names you go by:

1. Alana
2. Alana

3. Mom
4. Auntie
5. Alana

I really like my name (I used to have a nickname, AW but that was in California before I was married.)

Three things you are wearing right now:

1. Vince's old fleece pants
2. Chi Guevara t-shirt that Irene gave me that I cut the neck and arms out of
3. wedding ring

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. clean house
2. tropical climate

Two things you did last night:

1. Made pancit and pineapple
2. Watched "Hello Kitty Becomes a Princess

Two things you ate today:

1. egg toast
2. tomato

Two people you last talked to on the phone: (Personal)

1. Vince

2. Mema

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:

1. pap smear

2. deliver veggies

Two longest car rides:

1. From Homer to Anchorage when you have to catch a flight
2. Laird Hot springs to Seattle (BC! Truckers! Ug)

FUN TIMES

What do people not know about you?

That I have slept atop Half Dome in Yosemite under the Blue Moon and that I have flown into SFO in the cockpit of a FedEx jet.

Two of your favorite beverages

1. coffee
2. coffee

Three Life goals you have

1. To raise my children globally with healthy self image and self esteem to be able to provide for themselves in interesting locations that I will enjoy visiting.

2. to find a way to travel frequently from Alaska with my family that pays for itself.
3. to have a small apartment or shack in a tropical local that is decorated sparingly with Bali furniture and has a dipping pool out front.

Two Things you want for Christmas

1. my children understand that this is the season of giving as well as receiving

2 . some new cute fingernail polish

3. an airplane ticket to blue water and white sand

Weekend Wildness

There is never a dull moment. First; Celebration of Learning at Jeanne's Learning Yurt. There was a pot luck and old friends gathered to watch the kids preform amazing feats



I got to be "The Bobo Whisperer" while showing off my Marina applied Bindi.

Saturday; Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army, Church Christmas Program Rehearsal, Walk on the Beach (burr...it was COLD), Movie! And then Singing for the Wells Fargo Bank Christmas Program.

Sunday; Church Program, Marina's Birthday Tea at Mema's, and a Party at Jody's.

Whew!

Christmas Trolls; The Musical!

After months of preparation the day finally arrived...

CHRISTMAS TROLLS: THE MUSICAL!

was underway and everyone came for dinner before the show.

Falcom was a hedgehog and took his role very seriously. He makes a darling hedgehog. Marina's class were Christmas trees and they were SO cute! Their rendition of "I'm a Little Spruce Tree" was darling!

What else was amazing was the amount of work Debbie and Melon did to organize a whole school event of this caliber. Can you see the backgrounds here? And those hedgehog suits were no small feat either. Priscilla asked me if this was taking me back. I had to say no because I don't remember a teacher in my elementary education who put so much of their own time and effort into such elaborate preforming art projects. Ours were more, Wham Bam Done kind of shows. I can not thank the school enough for doing this. I know that there was no specific "We need to have drama club this year for Falcom." But you can not underestimate the positive impact it has had on him! It gave him the opportunity to do the thing that completely encompasses his soul.

After the show, Falcom gave everyone lessons on the dances that they had just watched and Marina let everyone try on her costume. It was a fabulous night!