Prelude to Christmas

Hooray!  Christmas Season!!  The kids begged to put up decorations the second Thanksgiving was over.  We went to Costco that weekend and bought our first live tree.  Originally, we intended to do a Hawaiian Christmas Tree but got talked out of that by Kauai Nursery.  ("It's seriously a terrible idea.  I don't know why anyone does a Hawaiian Christmas Tree."  Haha!)

We had a late night start decorating because our lights did not work, so back to town I hauled to help ease my daughter's desperate heart.  She is just like me--she doesn't let go of disappointments easily!

This year, Owen broke several ornaments.  Ornaments are my only meaningful souvenirs and it is hard to see them shatter, but most of my beloved memories are still intact.  Kids are more important than ornaments.  I also never rearranged the tree after they decorated, which is a first.

Sometime in November/December, Brady was asked to be in the Bishopric of our ward.  After a few rough weeks, we've worked out how that looks for our family (nights away from home, hours away on Sundays, etc.)

Rehearsals, games and practices severely cramped our beach time, but we found ways to get out.  Brady took Owen on a long bike ride during one especially far away futsal practice for Kate (40 minutes away...seriously!!).

I generally do not think it is worth planning a Saturday around something a child will not remember but hopefully Owen will see these pictures and believe us when we tell him he was jumping up and down about going on this train ride.

Perfect fail.

 Zachary was at David's birthday party that day.

First time double-fisting lollipops.

We snuck in a beach afternoon later that day.

During the holiday season, I get asked constantly, "When are we going to..." and "Why haven't we done 'XYZ' yet?"  This year, we made a big list of things the kids wanted to do during December, incorporating ideas from Light the World.  I saw on a Mommy Insta post that the best thing we could give our kids this year was time, and I agreed.  December was an especially busy month juggling basketball for Zac and futsal for Zac and Kate, but having a little activity to do each afternoon or night was fulfilling and ultimately less hassle than what feels like the defensive questions I'm often hit with.  The kids could refer to the calendar we scheduled together and see every day the activities they selected.  

December 1st:  Christmas PJs and a Christmas Movie!  Pre-PJs...

Post-PJs:

Owen loved the "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" Santa almost as much as I did.

Kate's dance recital was December 2nd.  She danced to Frozen music for ballet and "Mi Oh My Wonderful Life" for Jazz.  She loved the Jazz number but stressed hard over the ballet.  She was in a class of 8-11 year olds and significantly younger than the group.  After a few tearful discussions, I came in to record the rehearsal and we practiced together at home.  It was a big triumph for her to dance on stage to the choreography she worried over and she had the moves down.

We just finished "Game of Thrones" on VidAngel and we are anxiously waiting on the last season.  It has put us in a violent mood and before the elfs got their magic, we made sure to string Ralphy up and take pics for our GOTs friends.

Kate wrote letters to Ralphy and Rosita several times and she was so lucky to get responses.

The elves did some fun things this year.  They hid in Little People toys, stole candy dressed up as robbers, went to jail, had an indoor snowball battle (Rosita plastered a snowball on Ralphy's face!), did trapeze over the stairs, had a bubble bath in marshmallows, pooped peppermint Junior Mints in the toilet, slept in the dollhouse, and dressed up as snowmen decorated inside giant toilet paper rolls.  They were really creative!  Kate was especially excited when she mentioned to Rosita that Ava's elf had clothes.  Rosita turned up a few days later dressed as the Peppermint Princess.

Christmas has to be ordered early and it's so exciting to have a mailbox now so we do not have to go to the Post Office anymore to pick up the endless packages!

Kate conveniently got interested in roller blading weeks before Christmas, when Santa delivered a brand new pair.

 We took a bike ride to get gelato one sunny afternoon.

December 7th "Lights on Rice Parade" was my favorite experience at this event to date.  We finally trusted Nic and Heidi and camped out right before the official parade route.  We left home and got home within a 2.5 hour period with zero traffic, and had more attention and leftover Halloween candy/mini candy canes/glow stick handouts than ever before.  Owen double-fisted and had an extra lolly in reserve stuck to his shirt.

My favorite ornament this year, a lego "CHRISTMAS" sign from Zachary.

December 8th Pancake Breakfast at the school.  I took the three kids with me to decorate the cafeteria and felt like I surely satisfied my PTA obligation for the year with that heroic effort, haha!  The kids love this tradition and I love to take pictures of littles in front of giant plates of food.

I have almost no pictures of our Christmas activities but more than enough of the Gingerbread house.

Kate's Gingergirl looked a little violent.

Owen ate more of the icing than actually went on the house.

"NO!  You can't have these candies!  I'm EATING THEM!"

We had a hot cocoa night with our elf mugs.  Owen said over and over, "Mmmmm.  This coffee is so good."  

Another favorite activity: a Christmas bike ride on the golf course.  Brady made a bunch of co-workers stop at Target on Big Island to pick up lights, we taped them to the bikes, and pedaled along in the dark.  A few neighbors came out to cheer us on.  It was adorable.  We also did Christmas drop-and-runs, which ended in the kids laughing hysterically, Owen screaming "GO!" and running as fast as he could to the car, and Kate standing in shock at the door of the car, unable to move when she thought she was caught.

We danced around the Christmas tree, read Christmas books around the tree (Christmas Book Club), made Christmas crafts, did candy cane hunts, played games with Christmas music, and made wish lists for Santa.  We made dinner for the homeless, participated in a Christmas music evening devotional, delivered pomegranates to neighbors, picked out meaningful gifts for our 12 Days of Christmas assignment, and picked a charity to donate to (the kids picked mosquito nets).  It all felt so simple and enough.  I felt less hassled this year.

We also squeezed in beach and friend time, of course, as well as many futsal games.

Brady's work party at the Marriott.

One of the best parts of the season: the kids playing their Christmas songs.

Just before Christmas, we made it up to Hanalei just so Brady could build our annual sandman.  It was so convenient to have perfect surf waves and sunny skies.

Cookies!  Oh, I dread the cookies every time but it was so fun.

Kate and Zachary had Spirit Week just before break.

Owen and I attended their Christmas performance, as well.

 Just before, Owen realized some presents were hidden under the bed so it was a dramatic morning.

 But it was his idea to make kissy face selfies at the performance, so it was a short-lived tantrum.

 Owen loved ringing the bells during Christmas songs at primary.

The brisk temperatures kept us away from the water, but not the parks and trees.

We also made our annual stop on "Santa Lane" to take pictures in a sleigh and see massive blow-up toys.

Christmas Eve, we of course watched Santa paddle his canoe to shore.  It was so chilly but always worth it.

 Kate showed off her mani/pedi hands from her all-day girls party with Summer.

 Christmas family shot:

 "Move Away!"

Mikaela, Kate's favorite babysitter, came over to deliver Kate a Christmas present: her first scrunchies and half of a "Best Friends" necklace.  It warmed my heart so much to see a 17 year old reaching out to my daughter like that.

 Christmas Eve, we hosted our annual lasagne dinner with Stebbins, VandenAkkers, and Clarks.  I love seeing kids run wild around the yard and even in the house.  I like short bursts of chaos.

We played games with the adults and then finished the night with a Nativity.  

Brady and I worked several nights wrapping and assembling, but somehow still had hours to go on Christmas Eve and finally plopped into bed at 1:30am.  Whew!  Christmas is finally here!