Friday, December 27, 2013

Truths of Christmas 2013

The busy buzz of Christmas has now passed.  I even went to work today.  I'm not sure what your house looks like the day after Christmas, but ours is a little out of sorts.  It's still in a mild state of disarray with our furniture displaced to accommodate large crowds of kids and presents, leftover bows strewn about in every corner, and some new toys still in the packaging waiting to be discovered. 

Our fridge is packed with an obscene amount of leftover Christmas treats...cinnamon rolls, ribbon candy, white chocolate covered popcorn, peppermint bark, an assortment of Christmas cookies, berry pie, and candied almonds....oh my. 

The menu for lunch and dinner today was leftover meat and cheese tray, with a side of cocktail shrimp and veggie tray scraps.  Ahhh...the day after Christmas. 

As I grow older, holidays seem to melt together.  With most of our family living nearby, we rarely travel out of town for major holidays.  Each year the celebrations seem similar to years past until I stop and note the details. 

Here are the truths that I noticed during Christmas, 2013...

Christmas is messy.  All the wrapping and shopping eventually just explodes into one crazy-fun Christmas living room mess. 

 
 
You're never too old for footie jammies.  
 

 
Aunt Rissy makes a mean platter of Christmas cookies.  This is just one (of three) plates my sister-in-law brought to our house for the family Christmas gathering.  Not only do they look cute and perfectly crafted, they taste pretty awesome too.  We look forward to her cookies all year long.  
 
 
The Christmas story told through the traditional children's pageant at church breathes new life into an old, tired tale better than any sermon I've ever heard.
 
 
 
 
You know you're an adult when you really do look forward to the joy of giving more than the joy of receiving.  This is my dad opening our gift of an antique water pump that we had cleaned and restored.  The pump was in my parents home when it burned down 14 years ago, and was one of the few pieces that was salvaged after the fire.  It felt good to give back a tangible piece of history to my parents. 
 


A bowtie-wearing, two-year-old shepherd is just about the cutest thing imaginable. 

 
Box trumps toy just about every time in our house. 

 

 
 
Christmas smiles are priceless.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Oh Christmas Tree



During this "almost Christmas" time of year, after the kids go to bed, I often find myself in the living room.  Mostly because that is where our Christmas tree lives, and I only get to see it for one month out of the year.  If my husband had his way, it would be more like one week out of the year....but we compromise. Or I'm a bad compromiser.  One of those. 

Anyway, so the tree is up during the holiday season and I like to sit and read or write or post mindless drivel on Facebook in the dim light of the tree.  I must tell you our tree does  not come from the forest.  It emerges from the box in the closet each year.  Call me fake, tell me I'm shunning tradition and all that is right with the Christmas spirit.  I'll tell you something.  My tree doesn't need water, doesn't drop needles, doesn't fall over and doesn't drip sap on my carpet.  I've got a toddler and puppy in my house.  The last thing I need is one more beast to clean up after. 

But we're not here to debate the merits of real vs. fake (because clearly we all have an opinion on that hot topic).  I wanted to introduce you to my tree.  More importantly, the stuff ON my tree.  I love our Christmas tree because it is a 3-D storybook of our lives.  Each year as we unpack the decorations and find the perfect spot on the tree for each one, I am reminded of the many memories that each ornament represents. 

We have fragile ones and homemade ones.  There are works of beauty and some where beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.  Old ones, new ones, cute ones, tacky ones....you name it, we've probably got it on our tree. 

You've seen those stylish, color-coordinated trees that look like they were put together by a professional interior designer?  Yeah, that's not our tree.  Ours is more like a living scrapbook of our family....without the benefit of a Creative Memories consultant to make it look pretty and organized. 

We have the typical photo ornaments of the kids, travel keepsake ornaments from vacations past, and handmade gift ornaments from friends.  But we also have ornaments with a more interesting history than you might notice at first glance. 

On the lower branches, (the area reserved for unbreakable items), our blue fairy Godmother stands.  She is the one that hung on my tree as a child.  In the evenings when nobody else was around, I would whisper secrets to her like an imaginary best friend. 

Another "bottom dweller" is the cross-stitch Christmas teddy bear I made over 10 years ago.  It's not remarkable in its design or craftsmanship, but it catches my eye every year.  These days it mostly serves as a trinket of a life long past, when I had HOURS in the evening to sit quietly doing cross-stitch.  Uninterrupted hours are few and far between in my current stage of life, so that ornament reminds me that my life was once quiet.  And it will be quiet again someday.

Hung around the middle of the tree are strings of paper chains made by the littlest people in our family.  They are red and green, but don't follow any particular pattern.  The artists hung them up themselves, so they don't necessarily follow any design rules in their placement.  They are charming in their simplicity. 

Some of the more sentimental items include a delicate angel crafted by my aunt out of a small piece of my grandmother's wedding gown.  We also have four simple stars that we received as gifts in 2003 when my husband (then boyfriend) was deployed to Iraq.  Our friends, the Hergenraders, sent two star ornaments to Nick in Iraq, and two to me in California with instructions to hang the ornaments in our separate towns that Christmas and reunite them on one Christmas tree the following year.  Every year those stars remind me that the simplest, most beautiful gift is being together with those we love. 

One of my favorites is our pink beaded elephant, sitting atop a rainbow-sequined hill.  It's a gem, let me tell you.  I think "hideous" is a word that might come to mind when you see it, but I love it.  Mostly because it is hideous.  But also because someone in my family made it.  I'm not sure if it was my grandma or my great aunt....somebody crafty, that's for sure.  If you searched at WalMart or Target for 100 years, I don't think you would find anything quite like it.



Each of the kids has their own collection of ornaments that they have collected over the years.  I have a small collection of ornaments from my childhood.  Hubby is pretty nonchalant about any involvement in holiday decorating until his ribbon candy ornament comes out of the box.  Only then does he jump up and take charge of the ornament placement. 

Although our tree is fake, do not call it lifeless.  It holds on its branches the lives of five family members, intermingled, unique, beautiful, sentimental, crafty, imperfect and full of joy. 



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Our Electronic Christmas Card


At one time in my life I was a dedicated sender of Christmas cards.  I would compose a tidy little letter to go along with my cards that summarized the major highlights of my year.  I self-righteously shunned the simple "photo cards".  My cards were actual greeting cards....you know the kind with a folded hinge that had a graphic of some sort on the cover, and you had to open it up to see the message and signature on the inside?  They were addressed by hand, the whole nine yards. 

Oh those were the days. 

I'm not sure if I should blame it on the technology age, having kids, getting old, or the overall decline in social graces in America...but I have failed miserably on the Christmas Card scene in recent years. I have lots of good excuses lined up too. 

1.  Nearly everyone I know is  on Facebook, and therefore a Christmas letter is not necessary.
2.  People move and don't bother to send out their new addresses because their email address doesn't change....so I don't know where to mail the cards.
3.  Nothing of note happened this year.  What would I write about?
4.  I'm busy.  I'm tired.  Christmas shouldn't be stressful.
5.  Etc, etc etc.

Well, I have jumped back on the bandwagon this year and actually ordered cards.  They are photo cards, but cards nonetheless.  Funny thing is, I haven't sent them out in so many years I just took a guess on how many to order, and it turns out we have more friends than I realized.  Ideally I would have counted up addresses BEFORE ordering the cards, but that's all water under the bridge so I'll just have to make do.  I apologize in advance if you didn't receive the hard-copy Christmas card.  Please accept this electronic Christmas Letter (with bonus links for full detail on the exciting aspects of our year) as your consolation prize.  I will try to do better next year.

Dear Friends and Family,

Here we are, nearing the end of 2013 and the time has come for (electronic) Christmas letters!  As we reminisce on this year that is coming to a close, we have much to be thankful for in the Cavalleri house....

  • Big Milestones!  Amy and Nick both turned 40 this summer and celebrated with Martini parties (Nick) and a long-awaited trip to Mexico with some high school girlfriends (Amy).  Bella turned 16.  We anxiously await the moment she learns how to disconnect the iPod from her hand long enough to sit behind the wheel of a car. 
  • Great Vacations!  This spring we spent a week in southern California visiting Disneyland and Amy's brother in Santa Barbara.  In July we took a multi-generational camping trip to Burney Falls with two sets of grandparents.  We spent Labor Day weekend on the Oregon coast visiting tide pools and tacky tourist traps.  
  • Good Insurance!  We got our money's worth on our health plan this year.  Nick has his thyroid removed in the spring and Clara visited the ER after doing a face-plant off the backyard swing set.  While we always appreciate getting full value on our investments, we look forward to a quieter, healthier 2014. 
  • New Adventures!  We got a puppy.  We ate Paleo for 30 days.  Amy & Nick attended Cursillo.  Clara learned to ride a two-wheeler.   Amy started Blogging.  Thomas reminded us on a daily basis what it means to be TWO.  Bella is prepping to take the SAT in January.  Amy got braces.  Nick started playing guitar again.  Clara learned to write her  name.  Bella and Nick both got new tablets.  We got enough snow to make a snowman in our own backyard.  Did I mention Thomas is two
Christmas always brings a crazy mix of stress, joy, food, family, and long to-do lists. We pray that you all will have a moment to breathe this season.  Remember the love and imperfection of the First Christmas.  Relax in the gift of God's grace, and celebrate the birth of a savior. 

Merry (electronic) Christmas!

From, The Cavalleri Family


Thursday, December 12, 2013

The 12 Days of (Puppy) Christmas

We acquired a puppy this year.  Not a cute, cuddly little thing that fits in the palm of your hand, but a 30-pound, frisky chew-machine that has yet to learn his manners. 

I know, I know.  Such a sourpuss. 

Kids love dogs.  Dogs are great for the family.  He will grow out of this "puppy" thing.  Blah, blah, blah. 

Here's the thing.  I'm a cat person.  Cats are quiet, low maintenance and pretty much mind their own business.

I'm struggling to see the charm of an animal that eats chunks out of the kids' flip flops, leaves half-chewed rawhide bones in every corner of my home and follows me everywhere I go like, well, like a LOST PUPPY. 

But, the kids love the dog.  My husband loves the dog.  And I love all of them.  So I have composed a song, in attempt to bring lighthearted joy to my season of doggy discontent. 

Smitty, this one is for you, my rambunctious puppy friend.




The 12 Days of (Puppy) Christmas

On the first day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
a leg dampened by his pee.

On the second day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
2 am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the third day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the fourth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the fifth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee. 

On the sixth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee. 

On the seventh day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the eighth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
8 manners-not-minded
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the ninth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
9 kids knocked over
8 manners-not-minded
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the tenth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
10 snouts-a-sniffing
9 kids knocked over
8 manners-not-minded
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
11 rug spots ruined
10 snouts-a-sniffing
9 kids knocked over
8 manners-not-minded
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.

On the twelfth day of Christmas
my puppy gave to me
12 doggie kisses
11 rug spots ruined
10 snouts-a-sniffing
9 kids knocked over
8 manners-not-minded
7 toys-a-trashed
6 bones-a-rotting
5 CHEWED....UP.....SHOES
4 hidden turds
3 fragrant belches
2am wakeup
and a leg dampened by his pee.


 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Let it Snow

Our first snow of the season dropped in last night! 



Truth be told, it will likely be the ONLY snow of the season in our neighborhood, so it's a bit of a novelty. 




There is just enough snow make everything pretty,



slow down your driving,




and put together a decent snowman. 



Thankfully, not enough to completely halt travel, require a snow shovel or necessitate full-length down jackets. 

Low maintenance snow in the middle of our pretend winter....just the way we like it here in California.