Oscar Stew

December has been a whirl of busyness. So much to do, so little time.

Sometimes I feel like Rowan, falling into a heap on the floor while everyone runs around me.

Here we are on Christmas Eve Eve (you know you called it that when you were a kid!), making sure to reflect on the beauty of the season and not how stinkin’ cold it is outside! Brrrrrrr!!!

Like any other kid, Drew was concerned. He wanted to make sure that everybody will get what they want from Santa, so he took it upon himself to write everyone’s list for them.

Here’s mine: “Santa, mommy needs money to buy a new camera new camera a lot a money. So she can buy camera Santa thank you thank you.” Thanks Drew! What camera am I getting?

Ryan’s: “Daddy says Mommy lots of lenses you Santa thank.” That’s what Ryan wants for Christmas. Yup he sure does.

Drew’s part 1: “I want a car track. I want a candy canes.  I want a flower for Brinley (aww). I want my own sucker. I want my own santa toy. Thank you very much.”

Rowan’s: “Santa, Rowan needs a toy spider that is plastic.” (iiiinteresting)

Drew’s part 2: “Dear Santa. I want drums. I want to play music. Thank you Santa.” (Followed by a sweet drumset layout sketch. Whaddya think Aric?)

Brinley made her own list too. Hers was quite a bit easier to understand. She just laid down a piece of paper on her favorite book and traced it out…with a little help. It looks like it went through a war because it has. She drags this paper with her everywhere she goes. She looooooooves Fancy Nancy.

Drew & Brinley hacked away at our construction paper stockpile and made all kinds of Christmas-related things to hang on the line.

I’m not too sure about what ice cream and a pumpkin have to do with Christmas, but who am I to judge?

And we’re off! Gotta go see the Big Guy, the nativity at the temple and make sure we have enough batteries to last us until December 26th.

The final chapter in the Trilogy of Thanksgiving Terror continues…

We got on the road shortly after lunch. The kids all dozed while we flew down the highway. 

We broke out the glow sticks as soon as it was dusk. Drew came up with the ultimate pair of glasses.

Then they colored by the light of the glow sticks.

Since Drew had to miss 2 days of school to make the trip, we made sure we snuck some education in there somehow. We called out letters and he did his best to create each letter with his glow sticks. Not bad!

We arrived at our hotel in Grand Junction in the early evening. We went straight for the pool, and those of us who had swimsuits enjoyed lounging in the pool and hot tub. Can you sense my jealous tone? meh…

Brinley threw us all off and was quite the waterbug. We expected the opposite from her.

Drew on the other hand, well – we expected the opposite from him as well.

Brinley liked the shock of going from the hot tub to the pool and back.

We almost let Rowan take a skinny dip (or chunky dunk in her case), but she opted for just a nice foot soak.

Day 2 was going great until about a mile west of Vail when the highway converted instantly to an ice skating rink, and not long after the traffic came to a grinding halt. 

No, really?

60 mph! We weren’t even doing 6 mph.

The climb up the mountain to the Eisenhower Tunnel got worse and worse.

Look kids it’s magic! The road is disappearing! At this point we were all hungry, we all needed to go potty, and we were extremely bored. Drew & Brinley watched every movie we had twice, ran out of all things crafty, and had to use cups and cloth diapers to meet physiological needs…good times!

Ryan said that his sunglasses were too dark to see the road, but that it was blinding to drive without them. He gave my rose colored shades a try…

And the road is gone…

At 7 p.m., 5 hours later, we finally made it to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

What started out being a 4 hour drive turned into a 10 hour park ‘n’ wait. Next time we’ll just go the “old fashioned way…” It is free afterall…

Once upon a time, Drew was an only child. We taught him all about Christmas, and like any other kid he was excited to decorate the “chemistry.” Chemistry? Oh, Christmas tree! Got it. That 2 year old, now almost 6 (yikes!) wasn’t wrong at all; Christmas Trees create and cause all kinds of chemistry!

Once we had made it through the twelve-step Grandma Detox Program (ha!) Drew & Brinley couldn’t wait for Daddy to unpack the tree and dig in to decorating the house for the season.

Whoa! What the heck is this thing?!

At first, Rowan looked to be thinking “Why, is there a pine tree, in our living room?”

What are presents? Who is Santa? And what does this tree have to do with it?

Ooooooh, it has lights!

And it’s pokey! And plastic! What the?!

What am I supposed to do with this?

It’s easy Rowan, just watch adorning ace Drew..

Look at the intense focus!

The tools of the trade.

We put Rowan in charge of ornament inventory & distribution. She may have taken her job a little too seriously… 

Look, it’s Rowan the Ornament!

Brinley looking at the camera AND smiling? Say it aint so!

Merry Christmas!