Christmastime

As a teacher, especially a kindergarten teacher, the last two weeks before our long 4 week winter break are more than crazy. We're making gifts for parents, gifts for the kids, doing our "Holidays Around the World" projects, and the list goes on and on and on and on! It's the most difficult time of year because you're so busy with work that you don't have time to focus on, uh, your own family and friends--at least until the day after school is out.

So yesterday, I fought the lines at the post office to mail off 100+ holiday cards...of which I am not too proud of or happy with. But alas, it's the thought that counts, right? They just didn't turn out like I had hoped...lesson learned that you get what you pay for. Got it. Again.

I went to TRU and talk about a zoo. I am a happy shopper (and a neat one too), so the chaos, the isles of messes, the angry people in line and throughout the store, made me so sad. I found myself cleaning up isles and trying to help lost grandparents and aunts/uncles who had no idea what to buy for a certain age. Oh, and I also did some shopping for the kids in our lives, family, friends and it was so much fun.

When I got home, it was tree decorating time. This year we bought a HUGE, 9 foot tree, and the fragrance throughout the house is just heavenly. We're not a "foo foo" tree family, but rather we put on the colored lights and practically every ornament is home-made, kid-made (from my brothers and I growing up), or friend-made...with a few Hallmark ornaments scattered throughout. But I love our tree...it's full of memories and while it will never be a themed tree or one you'd find in a Pottery Barn catalog, it's truly beautiful. And to make tree decorating even better, my brothers and sisters in law (no, Todd isn't married yet, but we're hopeful, hint, hint, hint) and parents helped to decorate the tree. Certainly a tradition we will carry on year after year. The girls' personalities really shone through...Juliana got right to work, picking up each ornament with care and then meticulously placing the ornament, both the ones with hooks and the ones with strings, ever so carefully on a tree branch. She'd stand back for a second to see if it was going to stay and then would go to get another...all business and precision. Then there's Mia. Oh, miss Mia. Mia's version of tree decorating includes a piece of Chi Chi's pizza in one hand, an ornament in the other, and the shove, pull, and run method...shove the ornament into the branches, pull an ornament or two OFF the tree, drop it, and run around eating her pizza. Yes, this is my dear sweet Mia, to a T.

After Robert placed the tree topper on top, we packed up the girls and headed to our old street to see the lights. We used to live on Wakefield Court, the most well-known street in the Santa Clarita valley, during the holiday season. After the 1994 earthquake, and living in our driveways for three days, the neighborhood really became a family. The following Christmas, the decorating was taken to a whole 'nuva levo. My dad and his friend Russ and our immediate neighbors started stringing lights from house to house. Then my mom bought these paper decals...huge life-size pictures of Santa, his reindeer, his sleigh, a snowman family, the whole nativity scene, and a family of carolers. My uncle provided plywood and these life-sized decals came to life in wood-cutouts and became the lawn art for a few houses. Then I enlisted the help of a few good friends with artistic abilities to help with painting oodles of snowman, and a BIG reindeer head. And so the tradition began and you should see the street now! It is always bittersweet going there, because there are so many memories and we are just "visitors" now. This year the big "fire-pit party" was at our old house. They remodeled and invited us in to see. The house looked amazing, almost unrecognizable downstairs, but as I glanced up stairs, I could see my room, my brother's room, the bathroom...and I couldn't help but smile. Good times. Only a handful of the original homeowners, the neighbors I grew up with, are still there, but it was so good to see everyone. It's very different where we live now...our neighbors are our neighbors, but not our friends really. Everyone lives so far apart and there are no kids the girls age...it's just different. That togetherness is missing, but the Barker-Lewis compound is all we need.

Today we are going to regroup and see what loose ends need tying up. The girls are sick, so they really shouldn't leave the house (not that it stopped us yesterday). Just a few more days til Christmas and I can't wait. Robert and I have to get our Santa game plan together...do we wrap Santa's gifts or not? Do we do the cookies and milk? Do we sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn? I don't know...but we need to figure it out quick!

Wishing you all wonderful last few days before Christmas...may it all get done in time!