Performance #2

When I was in Madrigals my senior year in high school, during our Christmas season we did somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred performances between Madrigals and Concert Choir. Today Nathan got to sing for the teacher Christmas lunch at the high school which takes his 2020 Christmas season performance count to two. And this year, that actually feels like a boon. Pretty much, we’ll take what we can safely get!

 

A Prescription for Laughter

In the midst of a pandemic there are generally two choices in terms of mental health: curl up in a little ball and cry or make the best of it. We have tried to make the best of it and in the process, we’ve learned to laugh a bit about the crazy circumstances in which we find ourselves. I absolutely love Malia’s teacher (and miss being able to volunteer in her classroom) and like us, she’s developed a sense of humor. It’s completely normal for the elementary school set to make a Christmas tree ornament in school during the month of December, but I’m betting not many kids are bringing home ornaments like the ones Malia’s teacher had the kiddos create. I laughed. Out loud. Which is a good choice mental health wise.

 

The Smell of Home

I love baking bread. There’s just something about the smell of yeast, the satisfaction as it rises, the mouthwatering aroma as it bakes. It’s the ultimate comfort food. My mom taught me to bake bread when I was young and my binge watching of The Great British Baking Show throughout the spring and summer gave me some new tips. This year’s first nod to fun holiday themed food was a crispy, wreath shaped loaf. It had a lovely crunchy crust and a soft interior. Let me tell you, this recipe is going to be making some non-Christmas appearances on our table as well. It may not always be wreath shaped, but it was a wonderful success that my entire family enjoyed and the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of hot soup. Yum!

 

Hark! The High School Angels Sing

Last night we had a 2020 miracle. Nathan actually got to have a concert. All the kids were masked, seating was limited, and the audience was socially distanced, but it was still a concert. Not being able to perform has been one of the hardest parts of his performing arts classes this year. It is really hard to stay motivated enough to work on the music when you know no one is ever going to hear it. One of the conditions that had to be met before the concert was that the kids participating had to be tested for COVID and have a negative result. That helped stem some of the anxiety about being so close to so many people on stage and allowed the kids to have a moment to share what they have been working on. It was good for us to, being able to have a bit of normalcy in this Christmas season. Because who doesn’t love Christmas music?

 

Even More Elf Antics

Due to quarantines and stay-at-home campaigns, lots of folks have had more time to spend working on hobbies this year. It seems things the North Pole went similarly because Jingle Jangle learned how to play the drums this year. I suspect he is in an elf band at the North Pole, but since his cronies all visit different families in December, we only get to enjoy his rockin’ drumming skills. And maybe that’s a good thing. Between Nathan’s piano, Matthew’s trumpet and Daniel’s sax, we have everything we need to fill in the rest of the music. 😊

 

More Elf Antics

At long last, Jingle Jangle’s quarantine is over! Malia has been dutifully marking the days on his quarantine chart and he is finally able to safely roam the house. He clearly wants all of us to stay healthy, because today we left us a reminder to be diligent with our hand hygiene. And then he showed us an alternative use for a face mask. I’ll bet he is just as glad to be out of quarantine as Malia is to have him out and about!

 

20 in 2020

Today is Daniel’s birthday. He was planning to come home this weekend so we could celebrate, but since he is currently waiting out his roommate’s quarantine, we were able to celebrate on his actual day. Birthday balloons have kind of become a tradition around here and I figured a big birthday deserved some big balloons, so Daniel ended up with a mighty large floating display advertising the fact that he is no longer a teenager. How weird is that? My oldest child is no longer a teen. Being at home also meant he could have his very favorite cake on his very birthday. Swedish swirl has been his favorite for years.

 

I’m very grateful that Daniel is a part of our family. He is pretty laid back which is a wonderful counterpart to some of the more dramatic personalities that reside in our home. He is capable of diffusing an emotionally charged situation between his siblings with his calm demeanor. In the past year, he has grown up a lot and it has been so reassuring to see that he is well on his way to becoming a capable young man who is preparing to be ready to step fully into the adult world. His testimony has grown tremendously this past year, another thing I’m grateful for, as it has helped him weather the ups and downs that this year has held for him. And his missionary service, short though it was, has made him more comfortable sharing his testimony, his gospel insights, and his spiritual feelings. It’s kind of weird to be at the stage where my kids are becoming adults because I don’t necessarily feel any older than I did a couple of decades ago, but it is reassuring to watch them grow and feel like maybe Kev and I did an ok job raising them. Hopefully there are good things in store for Daniel in the coming year.

Pros and Cons to the Latest Monkey Wrench

 It would seem that 2020 is not done messing with our lives yet, because we got another monkey wrench tossed at us on Sunday. Daniel was on his way back up to school when he got a text from one of his roommates. His roomie was having COVID symptoms, had scheduled a test, and wanted to let all those affected know. Daniel, smart boy that he is, turned around and came back home. His roommate’s test results came back positive today so it looks like Daniel will be hanging out with us a bit longer. At least all his classes were already planning to be exclusively online after Thanksgiving. Work is a whole different story, but most employers are very flexible with COVID related complications so he should be able to work that one out. As lousy as it is to be unable to go home, he would much rather be here than quarantined in his apartment. Because of when he last saw his roommate, he doesn’t even need to self-isolate, so he is able to get out as needed to help keep his cabin fever at bay. He is, however, disappointed about this turn of events. He feels, and rightly so, that COVID has completely rewritten his life and it is just keeps coming. On the flip side, he was having some conflicting emotions about missing out on all our Christmas festivities so he is glad he will be able to participate in all of those.

Moving on to a happier topic, my sister Esther is gifting to our family for Christmas this year. One of her great joys in life is choosing exactly the right gifts and she is hailed as the Queen of Christmas where gift giving is concerned. Part 1 of Christmas arrived at our house on Sunday evening with instructions to open it today. We did so and are super stoked (Yes, I know using that word dates me. I’m a child of the ‘80’s and am happy to claim my age.) because it is a Harry Potter Lego Advent Calendar. How fun is that? We’ve been very Harry focused this year and we are also Lego-philes, so this is perfect for us.

 

As we move into the last month of this year, I know many folks are anxious to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. As for me, we have some fun stuff for this month and I’m looking forward to the family time. There are usually so many concerts and activities that finding time for family stuff can be a challenge. This year, all the cancellations are leaving us with plenty of opportunities to celebrate together. In addition, I’m so looking forward to the increased focus on the Savior that always happens at this time of year. Learning to better hear his voice is something we are all working on and as my family and I do so, we are finding joy despite the monkey wrenches life keeps tossing at us.