December 2021

Family Fun
—Christmas Tree Gettin’ Day: The first Saturday of December is blocked off on the calendar for the official start of the holidays. This year, we had a harder time than usual finding the One True Tree, and visited four lots before going back to the first one to get the one we liked there. But we got it home, and got it put up, along with all of the other stuff we’ve acquired over the years (including a long skinny plush Jack Skellington in a Santa suit, whom I dubbed “Skellf on the Shelf”) — and it *is* beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
—Lukas’s class holiday party: Mrs. Carvajal split the class into various committees to plan their own holiday party; Lukas was on the Entertainment committee (with Emmett, Manir, and a couple of other kids), and he took his commitment very seriously. They made a playlist, chose a movie (Home Alone, which required permission slips from every kid’s family), figured out games to play, and generally made sure there wouldn’t be a dull moment. Well done, kids!
—Fantasy of Lights: I bought tickets in early November for this annual event, which we went to in the week before Christmas. It was so much fun to drive through, especially the dinosaur part.
—Filoli Gardens: Ami spearheaded a trip to Filoli Gardens, an estate and extensive garden grounds in San Mateo County; she and I and all of our kids, plus Johanna and her two (Siena and Reid, of the Blade Team) met up there and spent about half the day wandering around; even in winter, the gardens were spectacular, and the kids all loved the mansion itself. 

Christmas!
“The one day around which the entire kid year revolved” was a good one for us this year. We did all the usual things: Watch every Christmas/holiday movie and special (A Christmas Story, Yo Gabba Gabba! Very Awesome Christmas!, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Pee-Wee’s Christmas Special, Elf, Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, and of course Yo Gabba Gabba!’s “Christmas” episode, to name just a few), make many dozens of several kinds of cookies, drive all over town delivering our gifts to friends, etc. The weather turned cool and rainy, which was perfect for creating a cozy xmas atmosphere. The re-ordered sofabed finally arrived, so we were able to host Grandma & Grandpa more comfortably; they arrived midday on xmas Eve and stayed till after the plettar (Swedish pancakes) breakfast I made on the 26th. The presents all around were plentiful, thoughtful and good (often hilarious, like the wine bottle Annika cleaned out, filled with dried pasta, and labeled “Fetuccine 1981” for me); the Comfy — basically an oversized plush-lined soft fuzzy hoodie with a marsupial pocket, which both kids got — was the surprise hit of the day, but everything from Zelda and Studio Ghibli merch to H&M clothes to classic rock band shirts was represented. And finally, the cousin household showed up in the late afternoon for one more round of presents and grazing to cap it all off. Ho ho ho!!!

Rounding out the year
On the 31st, we took a break from the never-ending Zelda playing to meet up with the Patels at Uvas Canyon for a hike among the rain-fed, winter-raging waterfalls; it was a really beautiful break for all of us and a great way to spend the last day of a really weird year with our best friends. That evening, the four of us had a nice cozy New Year’s Eve in, eating junk appetizers (and some delicious homemade stuffed mushrooms) and skipping around among the various NYE programming on TV. The ball dropped, we threw our homemade confetti, we got a couple of family selfies … and I started feeling not so great …[to be continued! dun dun dunnnnnn]

Quotable
“Oooh, he’s a deadeye, ain’t he?” —Lukas, getting in a good one (ref.: A Christmas Story) during an episode of Hawkeye

November 2021

Family fun
—We did get around a little bit this month — a couple of unmasked meetups with friends, unthinkable earlier in the pandemic (and soon to be walked back, in the endless pingponging of risk and risk assessment that has ruled these last couple of years, ugh). We went to the Carneys’ for an afternoon, staying mostly outside, for a late lunch/early dinner; we hadn’t seen all of them together in a really long time, so it was a fun hang. We also spent an evening at the Patels’, *indoors*, which was really freaky at first but we got used to it; we had homemade Indian food that even Lukas ate, had a few cocktails, and played with their dog — for a  little while there, it felt like old times!
—On the home front, one of Lukas’s birthday presents came to rule everyone’s free time: a Switch game called Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I am the only non-player; the other three constantly jockeyed for access, swapped tips and tricks, and pursued their own main objectives. We know of several other households in the same boat — nearly every member of Blade Team and their families, for starters; listening to them all talk about the game is pretty hilarious, I tell you what.
—The Van Gogh Experience: We went with Grandma & Grandpa to a traveling event in downtown San Jose that was a sort of multimedia immersive exploration of Vincent Van Gogh’s art. It was really, really cool, even if the kids were ready to go before we were. 

—Thanksgiving: Thanks to the vaccine, and people locally behaving themselves (getting vaxxed — 86% of those eligible — and wearing masks), we were actually able to have the grandparents over for the afternoon and evening (a sofa bed I’d gone to a lot of trouble to acquire wasn’t delivered in time, so they volunteered to sleep on the couches — what a couple of troopers!). We had the traditional menu, we watched the Macy Day Parade, we ate till we nearly burst — it was a good, good holiday together. 

Lukas turns 10!
The little guy hit double digits this year! Yaaaaay! I decorated his place for breakfast (with big red balloon number “10”, like Annika’s rose gold “14”), and went to get donuts before everyone else was up. It was a weekday, so we had to hustle off to school, but that also meant he got a day of being the birthday kid at school, so! Grandma & Grandpa stopped by later with gifts, and then we had burgers for dinner (grilled by Daddy, at his request), cake, and presents; his favorite one by far was the gigantic grey blanket Annika crocheted for him, which he later told me made him feel safe at night because it was “like a big hug from Annika!” d’awww …
The weekend before, we had his Blade Team birthday party on the school grounds. We served hot chocolate and coffee in the airpots I got for Annika’s party, along with cupcakes and snacks, and had everyone bring their lightsabers from Sam’s party the week before; we gave out Jedi robes as party favors, and just let the kids run around for a couple of hours. Everyone had a blast, and all of us parents were hoping that this new kind of low-key party would stick around even after covid eventually fades out. 

Lukas life
It was a pretty big month for Lukas, and not just because of his birthday. We started with an early out week (for parent/teacher conferencing); he and I took a bike ride in the drizzle one afternoon, with fall color ablaze in the air and crispy leaves crunching underneath. Another day was a playdate with Ben; one afternoon was our PT conference with Mrs. Carvajal (which went very well, including her telling us that Lukas had informed her, apropos of nothing, that “Manir is a good kid!”); and highlight of highlights, one afternoon was the day Ami and I took Lukas, Manir and Amira to the Fairgrounds for their first covid vaccination!!! It felt like this day might never come — but we were all so glad it did. The kids hyped each other up, to get through having to get a shot — it was so sweet. And now they’re half vaxxed! Woo hoooooooo! (Of course Lukas came home early from school the next day with a headache, which meant we had to get him tested AGAIN before he could go back … but still, I’ll take it.)
—Birthday boys: Since nearly everyone Lukas knows is a TK kid, they all have their bdays Sept-Nov. This month, in addition to his own, Lukas got to go to Manir’s (Blade Team) birthday, and Sam’s (Blade Team) birthday just a week before his own.
—Lunch with the teacher: Manir won a game at the class Halloween party, the prize for which was a lunch with Mrs. Carvajal, and he chose Lukas as the friend to bring. They had a great time, including getting It’s-Its for dessert.
—Chess and basketball: Among the few non-Zelda entertainments Lukas is interested in were chess — which he picked up the rules of pretty quickly, and taught to me — and basketball, an after-school program every Monday with Ben and Manir. The old NJB Red Blazers team reunited! 

October 2021

Family Potpourri
—October 1, a Friday, was the season’s first official showing of The Nightmare Before Christmas here at our home cineplex. Always a highlight!
—October 2, we walked over to the lake park for a Water Lantern Festival, wherein participants would decorate a little square lantern (paper sides, balsa base, battery-powered votive) and launch it out onto the water; we were set to leave for Disneyland the next day, but it was a really cool little event and we all enjoyed the sight of all those lanterns in the water.
—Grandma & Grandpa were able to get booster shots, since they were in the first group of eligibility. Yay for more protection!
—We saw the Lendlers for the first time in nearly two years; we’d been planning on going up to San Rafael the weekend that things got really serious with Covid in March of 2020, but cancelled with the promise of rescheduling “in a few weeks.” Ha. Anyway, it was a fun day, which we were able to spend mostly inside until it got chilly around sunset.
—The weekend after we got back from Disneyland, R. and I went to see Wilco at the SJ Civic, a show that had been rescheduled from April 2020. Proof of vaccination required at the door and masks inside, it was really a thrill just to be there — genuinely a joyous occasion, and as nervous as we were beforehand, we were SO glad to have gone. Of note: We did not hire a babysitter, and instead left the kids in charge of themselves; at 14 — which is babysitting age — and 10, old enough to not get into trouble, we realized the kids could handle it themselves! And they did — I had Ami stop by about halfway through our absence just to check in, but it wasn’t even necessary. They made popcorn and watched movies, and when we got back, they told us we should do it again asap! lol.
—Dandy Day: We finally finally got some rain, just in time for the much shorter, no-walkathon Dandy Day, heh. DD itself was fun; Annika prowled around with Niamh and Alana, and Lukas and his friends hit every booth they had.

Return to Disneyland!
After a much-longer-than-expected time away, we finally got to go back to Disneyland on the October break! The Carneys had gone their on their school break, the week before, so we had some insider info, and we happened to be going at the same time (and staying in the same hotel) as the Patels, so we had some pre-trip strategy sessions with them. Finally, the day arrived — and as vaxxed as possible, all masked up, and armed with tempered expectations (no MaxPass, no Fantasmic, no early access, different rules to park-hopping), we set off. We spent the first afternoon just hanging around the hotel and DTD with the Patels, soaking up the atmosphere. The next morning, the group of us met up at GCH’s private security line to get virtual boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance (a new mega-headliner ride in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge that was absolutely worth all the hassle), and then rope-drop into the park — straight to Radiator Springs Racers, of course! Unlike in years past, we couldn’t ride twice right away; the park was open to the general public already, and by the time we finished, the line was 90 minutes long! So we jumped into other rides, very simpatico with the Patels, and covered as much ground as we could — the new Avengers campus (including WebSlingers, another virtual queue ride that was so fun!), Guardians, etc. We stuck with our friends for a lot of that day and the following two; we really just worked so well together! Sometimes Lukas and Manir would ride something together, and then Annika and Amira would pair up and we grownups would ride in different combos (R. and Ritesh on Peter Pan was a highlight, lol). Lines were long and the park was packed, but we managed nearly everything we wanted to do, including things like riding Matterhorn at night. The Patels were only there for three days, so the last two, we were on our own; we ended up doing some rides, like the Mark Twain River Boat and the Jungle Cruise, that we hadn’t ever done or hadn’t done recently. On one of those days, the four of us got picked to open California Adventure — so exciting! (And then we had to run off to RSR, of course!). We even got to see the fireworks show from the plaza between the two parks on the last night! We all wore our masks 100% of the time (except while eating), and mask compliance was good indoors in general, but about 40% outside; we could tell there were a lot of non-Californians who weren’t used to masking, grrrrrrrrr. The day we left, Saturday, was actually Annika’s birthday; we had birthday breakfast beignets (and a small wrapped gift, per tradition) at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen before we headed out. An exhausting trip, to be sure, but we were all just so glad to be back!

Annika turns 14!
So, the day of our return from Disneyland was also Annika’s 14th birthday; I had a lot to do when we got home! I made her a favorite meal (risotto) and cake (the raspberry chocolate layer one), and she opened her presents (clothes, anime merch, a few things from Disneyland, etc.). The next day, I had her place decorated at breakfast; altogether I think she had a good one. :-) Her birthday party was the next weekend; the same guest list as usual, but minus Niamh, who was on a trip with her new school and didn’t get back in time. So, Annika, Grace, Alana and Raina   — all vaccinated, and masked when possible — had pizza out on the deck, followed by night swimming (in the renovated pool, with the new lighting), and then a screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas with a hot chocolate bar (where I served hot chocolate in demitasse cups so they could have several different combos — with marshmallows, whipped cream, peppermint syrup, etc.) and lots of treats (three kinds of homemade cookies, plus some other varieties). Can’t do sleepovers in covid times, so the party was over at about 10:00 — it was a hit, and the girls seemed to have a great time. Happy 14th, baby girl!

Halloween
The Friday before Halloween, we had to get up early to get the kids in costume; Annika went as Himiko Toga, the same anime character she’d gone as last year, and Lukas was Edward Scissorhands — a movie he’s seen once, but announced his intention to be, months ago. It was a whole-family effort — I did the gathering and purchasing of costume elements (from Zappos to the hardware store to Spirit Halloween) and — with help from R. — the making of the rest (handmade cardboard scissor gloves, punching rivets through a pair of jeans, etc.), and Annika did the makeup and wig styling. The boy really committed to the part, including the walk, lol! It was a big hit with kids and teachers alike. Los Alamitos had their traditional costume parade, but parents aren’t allowed on campus anymore, so a bunch of us watched from the sidewalk on Firefly — hard to see a lot, but it was better than nothing! On Saturday, we all carved pumpkins, and on Saturday night, Annika went to a party at her old friends’ the Thomases, while R. and Lukas and I watched a movie. Sunday night, the 31st, we all went over to the Marshalls again, meeting up with several of Annika’s friends (Raina, Alana, Brenna, Aino briefly) and trying to avoid spending too much time inside (with people who are vaccinated, of course, but far more casual about masking and such than we are!). A return to almost-sorta-normal, with a few key differences … 

September 2021

Family Fun

The last weekend of official summer, Labor Day weekend, used to involve at least two social engagements, but this year — pandemic ongoing — it was just us again, at least at home. But we did manage one last glorious bowling session with the Patels (the Summer Games pass ends on Labor Day), and a lot of swimming and grilling, so it was great nonetheless. We also met our new neighbors, who moved in across the street (the house went for $2.2m in a week). They are a younger family (than us, parents probably late 30s) — Dave, Marte, and 3-year-old Nora + 1-year-old Spencer. They seem really nice (and are at least as covid-cautious as we are!), and were so happy with our welcome basket (wine, TJ treats, little presents for the kids). It’s nice to see new faces in the neighborhood (especially ones whose politics are a little closer to ours, lol). And finally, this month saw Grandpa’s 86th birthday, which — unlike last year — we were able to celebrate in person, with the traditional ice cream cake (not Carvel, but as close as we could get it). HBD, Grandpa!

Lukas Life
The kid stayed active this month — three different skate camp sessions, for one thing, and the continuance of Blade Team on the weekends. As a matter of fact, Owen — following Ben’s July bday party — had his party as a Blade Team meetup at one of our usual BT parks, with the guest list the same as the BT roster. Lukas woke up one morning with a headache and like one degree of fever, so — per district rules — we had to keep him home from school until we could produce a negative covid test; this time, the whole family went and got tested together (drive-through at the Fairgrounds). All negative! yayyy! but in the meantime, Lukas was home from school, so he and I did things like watch the Sonic movie together, and he tried to teach me how to play Star Wars Minecraft on the Switch (I was … very very bad at it, lol!). He and his friends in class invented a thing they called Choccy Milk Empire, whose purpose was the uhhhhh promotion of chocolate milk superiority; there were files and rosters and spy instructions and original artwork, including a flyer that these turkeys made, had copied, and somehow got sent home in the class’s weekly white envelopes. Viva the Choccy Milk Empire!

Annika’s Scene
Annika got into the swing of things at school, as the newness wore off and she was able to settle in a little. She made new friends in art class, reconnected with elementary-school buddy Ezra in PE, “dated” Athena for a week, and joined two clubs: the school’s rather robust GSA (which she calls “gay club”, lol), and Alana’s Green Team.