Christmas is Coming

...And with this gift of oysters from Jerami, I promise that I will update this blog with our Christmas activities in the morning!
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Marina WINS coveted raffle!

She stratagized, put all her tickets in one bucket and won the candy hat! Candy wishes fulfilled!
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Marina's Birthday-On The Road

Today is Marina's birthday. It is also the crew party for McDonalds employees.

Willie came home the other night and told us about this party. "Sorry Hon, that is your sisters birthday." I told him. "No Mom, families are welcome!"

Marina latched onto that with a fierce determination. Never mind that the party didn't start til 9pm or that some of the people she was inviting are not actually in our family. "Pizza! Candy! Soda! Bowling! The best birthday ever!"

Mckenzy, Halle, Marina and I are tucked into a corner lane with the bumpers up. The other lanes are filled with young adult McDonalds employees. Everyone is wearing black with the exception of Willie, but he has on a black hat so... The girls are pigging out on pizza and sodas. They keep saying "this is the best birthday EVER!"

I just thanked the owner for allowing families, that it is now way past her bedtime and the best day of her life. He laughed. I'm laughing. Of all the holiday parties I've been to...this is definitely turning out to be the best!
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Look What I Found Today at McNeil!

Good thing Marina forgot her lunch today! Look what I found... Falcom serving lunch!
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Marina's Birthday Party!

I know people who plan their pregnancies around holidays, vacation schedules, the family leave act, the heat at certain times of year, Mother Earth's Almanac.  I know people who are able to say out loud, "You know, we've got that trip to Savanna coming up and I will not suffer my last trimester during the summer...too painfully hot...therefore I am going to pull out my IUD on {fill in the date} and I will be pregnant two weeks later on {fill in the date} and I will be delivering on {fill in the date}.

Sitting in Church curled up like a nest of baby ferrets.

Trust me when I say this was not Vince and I.

In fact, I am beginning to wonder if everyone with a December birthday is the victim of a mother and father with an unreliable reproductive tract.  That, or they are the ultimate love child because their births and their birthdays could not come at a more difficult time of year.

The week I learned that I was pregnant with Marina was two days after I had made an appointment at an infertility clinic in Anchorage.  When I called to cancel my appointment the receptionist said, "Wait a minute...when you answered my questions you swore to me that you had been taking your temperature, and attempting pregnancy for two years.  Now you are telling me you are pregnant?"  When she finished that diatribe I was relieved I'd never have to talk to her again.

Here was our week in a nutshell: 

• Friday we rang the bell at Safeway for Salvation Army.  Falcom sang his lungs out because 1) that is what Taylor Swift did when she was his age and 2) he was being punished for turning the hairdryer onto the Sensy pot in the bathroom and thus spraying wax all over.  After bell ringing we went to Radeke's for pizza and Rock Band super party.  Yea, I got down!

• Saturday the boys left early for Soldotna so that Falcom could get his blood drawn (his Micronesian blood pressure is through the roof again).  Marina and I joined them and all 5 of us went to the eye doctor.  Three of us left with a new prescription.  We then shopped like maniacs and were home, in Homer, at 10.  At 10.15 I baked a birthday cake.

• Sunday I woke up and immediately began prepping food for Marina's birthday party.  Fortunately she really wanted sugar decorations on her cake and not one of the elaborate cakes of yesteryear.  Sandwiches, fruit salad, everything packed in the car while Willie took the kids to church an hour early to prepare for the Children Lead Service.  When the service went on and on and I was feeling like I was in an old Lyle Lovett song I started texting Suzanne about all the things she should do at the ice rink to help me prepare for the party since we certainly wouldn't get there until 1.  We raced out of church and sat in the parking lot waiting for thirty minutes for the guy to come and unlock the door. 

And with the help of my family, and Ella who vowed she would not skate, a party was thrown together in the locker room at the ice rink.  When I picked December 12, I thought I was picking the best day.  Nutcracker is over.  School is still in so kids are still in town.  I am afraid that I may have been wrong.  Quite a few kids had other plans going on and so we were light on the guests. 



Willie and Kaylene practicing for their years in Long Term Care



This did not stop us all from having fun.  We skated and laughed and played little skating games and even Ella changed her mind (as we all knew she would)!  Mac and Aunia roughed up their dad good on the rink (poor guy). 

Kate skated without wounding herself.

It was a great party and I think Marina had fun which is all that matters really.

And even though injecting a birthday into every other bit of this joy/angst ridden season is tough, I can say from deep in my heart, that I would have it no other way. 

This December baby is absolutely a love child!

Winter Concert

Last night found us at the McNeil Canyon Elementary School enjoying their rousing performance of "Snow Way Out!"  This was an all school review lead by the music teacher Lenore Swanson. 

What a delightful show.  The first thing I noticed was the attention to detail given to the entire show.  All the children were adorned in appropriate outfits.  Some even had new outfits sewn for the show.  They were so cute!  Each class had a command of their song and it's choreography.  It was a very lively show.

The other thing I noticed was that the show was delightful, festive, and holiday inspired without being secular!  This was not another "Christmas Around the World" where the Jews and Atheists are offended.  There was no Santa to offend the Fundamentalist Christians or the Atheists.  The kids were not under dressed and could not offend the Muslims or Old Believers.  It was just a wonderful, fun, thoughtful celebration of winter and having fun with friends!

Kindergartner's as Northern Lights

Mema and Priscilla came from town to watch the kids perform.  Priscilla has attended many of these events at both schools in town and at McNeil.  Her comment after the show was, "These shows are so nice!  Every one of those kids participates and seems to be enjoying it!"  I could not agree more.

Nutcracker Weekend

Because of technical difficulties this is the only picture I can submit with this post. Following is the kids review of the show.

"I liked it! My favorite part was the cats but I hate it that they were fighting. I like the Russian dancers and the Snow Queen " Falcom

"I enjoyed the Chinese dancers and the peacock dancers." -Marina

"If Iris could pay better attention she would have liked it better. She loved the circus scene!"

"OK! I did love the whole Nutcracker!" -Falcom

"I liked the belly dancers. I knew a lot of the dancers! A LOT!" -Willie

"I think you should be the boy that breaks the Nutcracker and I'll be Clara!" -Marina

"I loved Maygen. She did a great job!" -Falcom

"Emmett, Bobbie, and Mike all those Otter Beach friends. They were all really great!"-Marina

Another great show!
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