Remains of the toy tornado… stuff!

Here I stand, surrounded by the remains of the proverbial “toy tornado” of Christmas.  For the most part, we’ve restored order (relatively speaking) to a house recently littered with torn wrapping paper, toy instructions, discarded boxes, plastic packing containers, and, yes, an abundance of new toys (despite our best intentions not to go overboard.)

 

I’m sad to say that, while we continue to fight the good fight, our attempts to minimize the “stuff” that we continue to amass has been an ongoing struggle. 

 

Particularly with kids, the acquisition of new toys, clothes, and additional items is inevitable.  To extend my meteorological metaphor, it’s a “perfect storm” of 1) gifts from family and friends, 2) hand-me-downs (it’s difficult to turn away cool free stuff), 3) purchases from the local consignment store (it’s difficult to turn away from cool cheap stuff), and 4) the perfect new toy (or classic old toy) that will cultivate our children’s imagination or newfound interest/passion (and not to get it would be a dereliction of our parental duties). 

 

All this occurs with the context of today’s technology and new ways to get things.  Amazon, Freecycle, eBay, Craig’s List, etc.  make it all too easy to acquire even more stuff (and to do it cost-effectively). 

 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic.  We live in amazing times.  But the sheer possibility and scope are seemingly endless and overwhelming. 

 

And Christmas brought with it an onslaught of new items, sings of the abundance of the times in which we live, even during a recession/depression.

 

A new year begins in just over 24 hours and brings with it new resolutions, a new beginning, and additional opportunities to get even more stuff (or not.)

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘Mac & Cheese.” 

I’d like to end my potentially final post of the year with this classic George Carlin routine (who died this year):

The Casualties of Christmas

Luke has a special affinity for Christmas trees.  He’s drawn to them, often with destructive consequences. 

 

He seems compelled to pull things off of our Christmas tree, including the beaded string (which he’s attempted to separate from the tree on several occasions), the lights, and many of the ornaments.  Often, if an ornament survives being removed from the tree, it will not survive its unceremonious return to the tree.  After taking it off, Luke will hold it up, declare, “shoot it” (as if it were a ball), and throw it back at the tree (as if the tree were a hoop.)

 

Some of the casualties of Christmas include:

            The Lion King (head detached)

            Goofy (snout broke off)

            A jack in the box (lost a hand), and

            A dubiously classified ‘unbreakable’ ornament Grandma brought.  When Luke broke that one, Charlotte exclaimed, “Mom, it is breakable!”

 

An additional, non-material casualty: sleep.  In the two nights since Christmas, Luke has woken up either in the middle of the night or extremely early, ready to play, repeatedly asking to go downstairs to “shoot it” (play with his new basketball hoop) or “horse” (ride his new horse.) 

 

Hopefully, his excitement for his new toys will subside, or at least be overcome by his need for sleep.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘Mac & Cheese.’

Going places….

When we were traveling with family last spring, Charlotte made friends at the airport with two little girls who had fun rolling luggage.  She’s wanted rolling luggage ever since.

 

Two days before Christmas, while walking through a store with her mother, Charlotte happened upon some rolling luggage.  When she asked if she could get the bag (which was blue), she was told maybe she’d get in for Christmas, and she responded, hopefully, “Maybe a pink one?”

 

‘Santa’ had, in fact, already purchased a pink one with butterflies.  It also  came with a smaller bag to carry and a cosmetics/toiletry case.

 

When she opened the set on Christmas morning, she was thrilled: “This is what I wanted for Christmas.”

 

And then her jet setting began.  She excitedly rolled her new bag all around the house while declaring she was going on a trip and waving, repeatedly saying “Goodbye” and “I’m going to Paxton, Massachusetts” (which, conveniently, is where we live.)  During the course of the morning, she also took a trip to Hawaii to see her new cousin.  Luke was in hot pursuit for most of her travels, tagging along behind her (often, to her chagrin, tripping on her new bag.)

 

I suppose that’s what makes Christmas, and toys, so magical: an ability to take us to a new place.  It’s probably also why it’s so easy to get carried away as a parent.  After having decided that we were done shopping for the kids, I ended up buying two more gifts because “they were just too perfect,” including a really cool Melissa and Doug doll house (the kids absolutely love playing with Karen and her sister’s childhood doll house while at Grandma and Grandpa’s.)

 

Later Christmas morning, when we went to have the kids brush their teeth, we couldn’t find Charlotte’s toothbrush and toothpaste anywhere.  Where were they?  As you might have guessed, they had been packed in her new toiletry case…

 

…ready for her next trip.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘Mac & Cheese.’

Must Be Santa…

Thirteen days without phone and internet (I’m posting today courtesy of free Wi-Fi at a local library  I wonder if Ben Franklin ever envisioned this.)  I would be very happy if all I got for Christmas was connected, which will hopefully happen later today.  A wonderful Christmas gift indeed.

 

Today’s post will be somewhat random and stream of conscious – a compilation of thoughts from the past few days.  I’m hoping to return to a more regular posting schedule ( and style) once home internet service is restored and the hectic days of Christmas become, well, less hectic.

 

On Saturday, while shaving in preparation for ‘A Very Hadlock Christmas,’ I emerged from the bathroom, my face covered in shaving cream, to show my kids how much I looked like Santa Claus.  They were somewhat bemused initially, not sure how to react.

 

When I picked up our stuffed Santa and asked if they could tell the difference, shifting the Santa from one side of my face to the other, saying, “Which one is which?  Who’s Santa and who’s Dad?”, Charlotte’s smile morphed into one of her impish grins.

 

She declared, emphatically and triumphantly, “Dad, you’re Santa, and Santa is Dad.”  One of the many reasons I love my daughter – her willingness to play along, no matter how ridiculous the scenario.

 

It was wonderful start to a great day, despite the fact that we 1) had to abandon our planned Christmas menu, 2) finish clearing nearly a foot of snow, and, 3) due to our lack of phone service, rely on our shoddy cell phone service to track the progress (and safety) of family members en route to our house.

 

Prior to the ice storm of 2008, we had ambitious plans for Christmas dinner.  What follows is our initial menu:

Christmas Dinner 2008 (planned)

Appetizers

Prancer’s Pesto Hummus

Fa-la-la Fresh Fruit

Jumbo Shrimp of Galilee

Night Before Christmas Nuts

 Soup & Salad

Balthasar’s Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque

Merry Mixed Greens

 Main Courser: Holiday Ham

 Sides

Good King Applesauce

Rudolph’s Ginger-Glazed Carrots

Comet’s Green Bean Casserole

Ho! Ho! Au! Gratin Potatoes

 Dessert

Assorted Christmas Cookies

Mele Kalikimaka Kona Coffee

Strawberry Cream Christmas Birthday Cake

Beverages/Christmas Spirits

Hot Cocoa · Water · Soda · Juice · Wine · Milk · Egg Nog

  

What follows below is the revised/scaled down menu:

Christmas Dinner 2008 (actual)

Jumbo Shrimp of Galilee

Pigs Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

Salad

Pizza (delivered)

Assorted Cookies

A Birthday Cake for Jesus (store bought)

 

We ordered from Papa Gino’s (after some debate over toppings.)  If you haven’t haven’t tried their “Rustic Pizza,” which has a thinner crust, you should give it a try – it’s quite tasty.

 

The meal (and the day) went quite well.  In fact, Karen felt it was preferable to have the scaled down menu, with pizza, because not having to worry about pulling together a traditional holiday meal made for a much more relaxing day.  Hard to argue with that.

 

We exchanged our Secret Santa gift (always fun to guess), and the kids had a ton of presents to open.  May Charlotte and Luke always be so thrilled with pajamas (pajamas with the feet attached, to be exact.)

 

Luke held up his new frog pajamas for the requisite number of photos, then began hopping around the room while ribbiting.  Priceless.

 

Have a great Christmas eve and a wonderful Christmas!

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘Mac & Cheese.’

It’s Electric (boogie woogie woogie woog)…

 

At approximately 4pm on Thursday, December 18^th, after seven days without heat and power, electricity was restored to our home – a wonderful gift in the days leading up to Christmas.

 

In our final moments without power, the kids and I stood in the street and watched excitedly as the electric company workers lifted the final power line into place, reconnecting our house to the glorious grid. 

 

When they gave us the thumbs up, we hurried back into the house, and I immediately went downstairs, flipping the proverbial (and literal) switch – the main power breaker.

 

I heard Charlotte gleefully cry from the kitchen: “Dad, it works.  I turned on the light.”

 

Oh happy day!  It was a long week, but one made immensely more bearable by the hospitality of family.

 

We did have some problems getting our heat system working again (thank goodness for our neighbor, Steve the Plumber/Saint), and ended up camping out in the basement – the warmest place in the house – as heat was gradually restored to all reaches of our home.

 

Granted, we still don’t have phone, internet, or cable (I’m posting courtesy of free wi-fi at a local library); our yard is littered with large limbs; and some branches continue to dangle ominously from the trees above (you know things are bad when tree service companies repeatedly drop by your house, leaving business cards and offering estimates.)

 

We also need to repair some of the siding and gutters.  We had to make some electrical repairs prior to getting our power back – the meter and wiring had been ripped from the house (apparently, the electrical company is only responsible for the equipment to “the point of contact.”  When Nate the Electrician came to check things out last Wednesday, he noted (to my immense pleasure), “Wow, this is the worst I’ve seen.”  (And he’d seen some things.)  Then, when he came the next day to make the repairs, he kindly called to inform me that things were “worse than [he] thought.”  Great.

 

The kids are thrilled to be back home, and Charlotte was glad to be sleeping in her own bed again.  Though Luke did have some trouble returning to his crib after a week sleeping with Mom and/or Dad.  As we went up for our usual bedtime ritual, and Luke realized what was going on (and that he would be left to sleep on his own), he began pleading, urgently and repeatedly: “Snuggle! Snuggle!”  It was painful (yet adorable).

 

After about a half hour of trying to comfort and read to him in his room, I placed him down in his crib and bid him good night.  Thankfully, he cried for “only” an additional 15 minutes before finally falling asleep.  He did wake up during the night to resume his pleas of “snuggle” before falling back to sleep.

 

Thankfully, the second night back in his crib went much better.

 

Needless to say, we have a newfound appreciation for living in our own house (and for heat and electricity.) 

 

Life and preparations for Christmas have gone on.  ‘A Very Hadlock Christmas’ (our yuletide celebration with Karen’s side of the family) and “Donkey: the Journey of Christmas” went as planned, relatively speaking, on Saturday.  The snow storm complicated our guests’ travel, and we did have to abandon our original menu (more on that in my next post.)

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘Mac & Cheese’ (along with some egg nog.) 

The Ice Man Cometh

Having grown up in New Hampshire and lived nearly the rest of my life in Massachusetts, I’ve seen a fair amount of inclement weather, particularly of the snow and bitter cold variety.  But I cannot recall weather ever having had such a drastic impact on the daily course of my life as it has had in the past few days. 

 

I’ve experienced blizzards, hurricanes, and cold snaps, but nothing like the ice storm that wreaked havoc on our region, town, and neighborhood at the end of last week.  Trees were ripped from the ground, branches were ripped from their trunks, power/cable/telephone lines were ripped from houses(from ours in particular), and stories were ripped from the headlines (oh wait, that’s ‘Law and Order.’)

 

Anyway, my family and I have become ice storm refugees, driven from our home by a lack of power and heat (four days and counting.)

 

What follows is a brief synopsis of our ice storm adventures (all times and recollections are approximate):

 

Thursday evening:  Not really paying attention to the forecasts of rain and ice (and the potential flood warnings), Karen and I enjoy the latest episode of ‘The Office,’ blissfully unaware of what was to come.  (Granted, it was somewhat difficult getting Luke to bed, with ice falling from the trees and smacking the roof.)

 

Midnight: We lose power.

 

Friday morning, 5:00am (EDT): We are awakened by a loud thud, but are unsure of what it is (most likely, a large limb hitting our yard outside our bedroom, or potentially a tree falling across the street and onto the power line.)  But due to a lack of light, we cannot yet see the carnage that surrounds us.  We do hear continuous creaking of trees and the sound of branches and ice hitting the house, yard, and street.

 

6:12am (EDT):  I can barely begin to make out that our power/cable/telephone line is lying across our driveway, our electric meter ripped from the side of the house, face down on the walkway.  Using flashlights, we prepare breakfast.

 

7:05am (EDT):  We can now see that the street is blocked by several trees and the yard is covered by trees and branches.  Thankfully, the house is undamaged (for the most part), as is the swing set.

 

10:17am (EDT):  We are officially stir crazy, trapped in the house without tv or any other contact with the outside world (cell phone reception is horrible to nonexistent.

 

11:32am (EDT):  The temperature outside is rising as the temperature inside continues to slowly drop.)  The ice is beginning to melt (and branches and ice chunks continue to fall from the trees.)  Several neighbors are using chainsaws to begin to clear their yards.

 

2:59pm (EDT):  We learn that power will not be restored for several days, potentially a week.  The temperature in the house is in the high- to mid 50s.  We decide to leave.  But, due to extremely poor cellular service, we have not been able to get in touch with family (and potential hosts.)

 

4:04pm (EDT):  The car packed, we open our garage door (manually) and drive over the fallen/ dead power line across our driveway.  (Karen absentmindedly attempts to close the door with the remote, to no avail.  Well, actually, I did get out and close it, so I guess it worked for her.)

 

We have to try several different streets to get out of our neighborhood, moving some branches and partially leaving the road on a couple of occasions to get to the main street.  Traffic lights in the area are not working.

 

4:17pm (EDT): We stop at the post office to mail a gift to our cousin in Hawaii (hey, Christmas is still coming, even with the ice storm.)  We also pick up some stamps for our Christmas cards – some Madonna stamps and some Nutcracker ones (which are pretty cool.)

 

4:32 (EDT): My sister-in-law in the Boston area is the winner.  What has she won?  A night with us, the grand prize for being the first to return our phone call. 

 

6:17pm: Dinner in a warm, well lit home with my niece, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law.  Followed by brownie making.  Life is good, even in the wake of an ice storm.

 

9:32pm: I learn that, because my daughter is not “cozy” in the sleeping bag, she has moved into the bed and will sleep there with Karen and Luke, leaving me on the floor (just below the slanted ceiling, which I come close to banging my head on when I stand up at 5am in the morning to go down two flights of stairs to get Luke’s milk (which he has requested but declines upon my return, apparently having changed his mind.)

 

 

Anyway… you get the idea.  On Saturday, we departed the Boston area, stopping at our place to check on things (streets were relatively clear, house was in the 40s) and pick up some stuff on our way to the in-laws in Connecticut (New Haven area), stopping for an enjoyable meal in Hartford with my sister-in-law on the way.

 

And here we have been since then.

 

Still no power in our home – potentially back tomorrow, but probably not.

 

Our plan is to depart Connecticut tomorrow, drive by our house again on our way back to the Boston area and my sister-in-law’s for another “visit.”

 

Hopefully, we’ll be back home before too long.  Our Christmas preparations have been put on hold.  While we do have most of our Christmas shopping done, we still need to get our tree (and decorate it.)  In addition, we are having Christmas at our house on Saturday for Karen’s side of the family (the in-laws are travelling to Hawaii to meet their newest granddaughter for Christmas.)

 

So we’re hoping we get our heat back soon (and that no pipes have frozen in the meantime – thankfully, the weather has been relatively warm.) 

 

We’d hate to have to cancel, postpone, or relocate Christmas and our first annual family Christmas pageant, Donkey: The Journey of Christmas.   After all, as they say in show business, the show must go on.

 

As a side note, here are a few of the alternate titles that were considered for this blog post: Ice Storm Refugees; Frozen Pipes; Shaken, Not Stirred; On the Rocks; and On the Road Again;

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese,’ preferably in a warm and well-lit home with the people you love.

To the Letter (and to Neptune)

Yesterday, Luke and I went to our usual Tuesday story time.  After the story and during the craft, a small girl had spelled out S-A-N-T-A in large block letters, relatively clearly (especially for a toddler.)

 

One of the other parents, clearly impressed (as was I), asked the mom how old the little girl was.  “She turned three in August.”  Two months younger than Charlotte.  I was amazed.

 

I usually take things like this with a grain of salt – I don’t put much stock in comparing.  But sometimes, it’s hard not to.

 

Before the story time had begun, a couple of the moms were talking about pre-school, specifically about full-day preschool.  One mom commented, “I just don’t want her to be behind when she starts first grade.”

 

Behind in first grade?  How far behind could a first-grader be?  Far enough to even worry about?  I’d like to think if children are loved, well fed, read to regularly and exposed to the basic learning experiences that arise during the normal process of living and growing up, they’ll be fine.

 

We viewed preschool more as an opportunity for socialization, especially because our kids are not enrolled in day care, and we wanted a program that was not overly academic and that allowed for plenty of creative play time and imagination.  We opted to send her for a half day, two days a week.  We figured she’s only three, and she’ll be in school long enough.

 

One of the preschools we visited seemed to offer an excellent education.  They were asking questions I couldn’t have answered.  (When the teach asked, “Which planet is called the windy planet?” little hands shot up all around the room) 

 

In response to a comment that there didn’t seem to be any outside play area, we were informed that the parents preferred that because going outside (and getting ready to go outside) would cut into the learning time.  (They’re three- and four-year-olds – they’re learning pretty much with every step they take.)

 

We love Charlotte’s preschool – there’s creative play time, basic lessons, music, stories, and, as she likes to say, she has “a lot of friends.”  And, yes, they play outside.  They strike a good balance between learning and play time

 

As a parent, the last thing I want is for my children to fail, and worse yet, for it to be my fault because I failed them in some way.  It’s a enormous responsibility — knowing my mistakes could have a significant impact on my kids.

 

Life can be tough enough without being behind in first grade.

           

That being said, we’re confident we made the right decision for Charlotte, and for us.  She learns new things every day, both in and out of school, and she looks forward to going. 

 

Charlotte is a very happy three-year-old, even if she might not yet know that Neptune is the windy planet.  Heck, she might even go there herself some time and learn about it firsthand.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’

Not-So-Scary Santa

My daughter is no longer afraid of Santa Claus.  After three Christmases of Santa-anxiety, Charlotte seems to have reached the age of being able to approach Santa on her own, without fear.  Apparently for her, it’s 3 ½.

 

We discovered her new-found yuletide fearlessness yesterday, when we went to a reading of Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express. At the end of the story, ‘Santa’ came out to greet the children.  Charlotte immediately asked if she could go see him and was off like a shot (or like reindeer on Christmas Eve), disappearing into a mob of excited children clamoring for their moment with good old Saint Nick.  (She had not only overcome her fear of Santa, but also her aversion to large crowds, at least temporarily.)

 

By the time Karen and Luke caught up to her, Charlotte had already seen Santa and considered him a good friend.  She was more than willing to return, leading Karen to Santa and stating, “Santa, this is my mom.”

 

And when Grandpa wanted to meet Santa, as well (yes, we brought an entourage), Charlotte was only too happy to oblige, proudly saying, “Santa, this is my grandpa.”

 

She loved the whole experience.  It was a far cry (often literally) from past years when she would  grow increasingly panic-stricken as we approached him, never getting close enough to actually talk to him.  The degree to which she clung to me (and to which her fingers dug into my back) increased in direct proportion to her proximity to the famed Kringle.

 

Luke, while apprehensive, isn’t quite as scared of Santa as Charlotte was at his age.  As long as he’s being held by his mom or dad, he’s usually ok – concerned, but able to get relatively close.

 

In addition to a fear of Santa, they are also scared of mascots or, more generally, people dressed in animal outfits (including the Easter Bunny.)  Luke is drawn to them from a distance, following them closely with his eyes and excitedly pointing to them.  But as soon as they get close enough to touch, his eyes go wide with fear and he struggles to get away, whether it’s the shark for the local hockey team, the dog for the minor league baseball team, or the mascot for the community bank.

 

All in all, I suppose being nervous around people dressed in strange costumes should be considered a healthy fear.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’

On a Yuletide Roll…

Charlotte loves parties.  And she views holiday parties as the best kind: family, friends, food, laughter, and dancing (at least on Charlotte’s part.)

 

She absolutely loved Thanksgiving.  We wore silly turkey hats/headbands (fashioned by Karen with some help from the kids) and performed a short sketch/song we called “Gobble” for my wife’s family. 

 

By the end of the day, Charlotte was already anxiously looking ahead to Christmas.  (We’re planning a pageant called “Donkey: the Journey of Christmas.”)  Before bed, she wistfully inquired, “Is tomorrow Christmas?”  (I sympathized – it often feels that way.)  A common question since then has been, “Is today Christmas?”

 

I’m thankful that her Christmas joy does not seemed based on the idea of receiving presents.  Although she does like that idea, she seems much more focused on seeing family and having a party.  (On holidays, she often looks for the birthday cake since most of the parties she’s been to have been birthday ones.)

 

Receiving presents is more of an afterthought for Charlotte (may it always be so.) 

In fact, the other day we were discussing writing a letter to Santa and I asked her what she wanted for Christmas.  Her nearly immediate response: “I would like a rolling pin for Luke.”

 

The sentiment is nice, although not quite as selfless as it may seem.  She has her own rolling pin, a small pink one (it’s technically a pastry rolling pin), which Luke often tries to grab when we’re making pizza or rolling out crusts.  He gets tired of using our ‘oversized’ rolling pin or waiting to use Charlotte’s, which she doesn’t let him use for very long.  She’s usually very good about sharing and taking turns, but her pink rolling pin is her pride and joy.

 

And so she has decided that she will be getting Luke one for Christmas.  A purple one, since her two favorite colors are pink and purple, they must be Luke’s favorite colors, too.

 

At least she’s treating him as she would want to be treated.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’

The Luke-elele Traveling Road Show

We have a new niece/cousin in Hawaii, and several local family members made the trek out to meet her last month.  (Poor them.)  They returned with a ukulele for Luke.  They did check first, and yes, we were quite excited by the prospect.

 

It’s a tremendous gift, although Luke doesn’t quite know how to hold it.  Either that, or he’s just unwilling to hold it properly.  Though it doesn’t really matter, because he prefers for someone else to play it while he dances.

 

And when I say “play,” I mean it in the loosest definition of the word.  It doesn’t take much to make Luke happy.  Simply strumming it haphazardly is enough to bring a huge smile to his face and prompt his dancing.

 

Which brings us to Luke’s new favorite song and dance, a game of sorts that is a rough variation of “Get Me!”  I have dubbed it “Lukelele.”  It  consists of the ditty below, sung while strumming the ukulele and giddily dancing round and around the “Get Me!” circle/route in the playroom (as the song echoes throughout the house.)  Luke absolutely loves it.  And, um, I guess I like it, too.  (There are worse ways to pass the time.)

 

Lukelele

(Chorus)

Luka-Luka-Luka-Luka, laaaaayyyyyy leeeeeeeeeeeee

Luka lay-lee all night long (all night long, all night long)

<repeat>,  <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>,  <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>,  <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>,  <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, <repeat>, (you get the idea)

 

It’s rife with falsettos, trills, vibratos, and tremolos.  There are countless variations on the lyrics themselves.  Occasionally, I’ll throw in an improvised verse.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’