HOLIDAY SHUFFLE

It’s a busy time of year, holidays are flying around, presents beginning to pile up around the tree, money disappearing from bank accounts, temperatures falling and football seasons (both fantasy and NFL) are coming to a close. And some of those events have legitimately kept me away from this journal, and well, some of the others are just empty excuses. So in what is likely to be my only entry before 2008, here is a brief recap of the past Christmas light illuminated weeks.

This year our Thanksgiving rotation had us scheduled to celebrate the day with the Sharp family. As plans for the day evolved it became increasingly clear that the day would be a little less traditional than in years past. Aunt Andrea requested that we not start dinner until after the ‘trio’ went to sleep around 7:00pm, so our Thanksgiving meal would be pushed back several hours, undoubtedly overlapping with the Buhr boys’ normally scheduled bedtime. We took the change in stride, realizing that we could not probably even begin to understand the challenges that three, squirming six-month old babies might create.

Having most of the day free we decided to head west to Laguna for a few hours at the beach. The day was spectacular, one of those crisp fall days with little wind and clear skies, where the sun was warm and the shade was cool. The beach was empty of its summer denizens, and we had the entire cove almost entirely to ourselves. The boys and I investigated the adjacent tide pools while Rena took a much deserved nap on the sand. The intertidal zone at this beach was packed with critters including several species of fishes, sea stars, urchins, crabs and snails. The boys managed to stay dry for at least two minutes before piling into the pools poking sea anemones and giggling at hermit crabs. Landon asked why we didn’t do this more often – “it was so much fun” – I had no response but to agree.

That evening we headed over to Papa and Mimi’s house in Ladera Ranch. The three cousins and Rick and Andrea arrived awhile later. It had been several months since I had seen my nieces and nephews and the changes in them were more than significant. These once tiny preemies have exploded along the growth chart and Kaden is now barely smaller than Colt even though they are separated by 14 months in age. The ‘trio’ have rolls on top of rolls that our boys never had. All of the triplets appeared to be very healthy and if anything perhaps overfed. Unfortunately the babies did not understand the part of the evening’s plan that involved them sleeping, so attentions were diverted to keep their cries to a minimum and their mouths filled with bottles. The Thanksgiving food itself was delicious, but regrettably, only Papa Sharp and I were able to enjoy a warm plate, and the two of us broke in their new dining room, set for eight, with a quiet toast and chuckle about how crazy our lives had become.

We picked up a Christmas tree at the Lowe’s lot a week after Thanksgiving, it was earlier than I would have liked, but everyone else in the house had been asking about the tree while we still had leftovers of turkey and stuffing in the fridge. Last year we got an early tree, and by Christmas Eve the tree was no longer taking on water and brittle needles began to accumulate on the floor. This year I compromised on an early tree, agreeing to only getting a tree the day the shipment of evergreens arrived at the lot. After shaking around a few contenders we selected an 8 – 9 foot noble fir with quite a bit of width to it. Landon remarked that the tree was too big – I told him that that was impossible. We are in the process of converting one room in our house from a play area/storage room for the boys into a dining room, the room currently is empty, so we decided to take advantage of the extra space and place the Christmas tree right in the center. It looks great, and a few days later Rhiannon strung up the lights and the boys and I hung a few ornaments. Landon did a good job hanging up the various ornaments, although they were all hung at the same level, right at the upper end of his reach. Colt on the other hand seemed to enjoy throwing the ornaments more than hanging them, so after a few shattered bulbs, his duties were shifted from operations to management. Once all of the ornaments were up the boys would hunt around the tree searching out their favorite ones (mostly trains) and then pointing them out to each other. Having a tree in the house not only fills the room with some of the smells and twinkles of Christmas, but also serves as a constant reminder that the season is upon us, which instigates new projects like…

…putting up Christmas lights on the outside of the house. We live in a neighborhood where the majority of our neighbors have their lights hung outside before the Thanksgiving weekend is over. My guess is that if given the choice they would hang the lights July 5th, to ensure maximum enjoyment. Not only are the lights installed punctually, but they are also very extensive. Most homes have rows of lights adorning awnings on both first and second stories, and lawns are filled with reindeers, snowmen and Santa. Traditionally we string one row of large white bulbs along the awning in front of the garage, and leave the twenty foot high ladders to the rest of the hood. Did you know that more people are injured falling from ladders in December than any other part of the year? I just don’t want to add to that statistic. This year we did expand our normal lighting scheme to include a few illuminated snowflakes around the front window, and some strings of garland and lights around the two columns along the front walkway. Our second story however remains dark, and our lawn void of characters, but hopefully the additions will at least let the neighborhood know that we are trying.

Last week we got in the car and drove to another neighborhood in Rancho that gets citywide attention for its elaborate Christmas displays. We went with another family from up the street that has two young boys the same age as Landon and Colt. This long cul de sac converted into Candy Cane Lane has houses completely covered in lights, with singing Santa’s, and snow blowers that send snow-like bubbles into the air every half an hour. Front yards are adorned with elaborate Christmas scenes. The boys ran and giggled around, dancing with penguins and hunting for toy trains, and I happily followed with a warm cup of wassail in hand. Having two excitable youngsters to share the holidays with really does amplify the experience several fold. It’s hard not to smile and remember all of the excited anticipation that Christmas would bring every year, and all of the traditions I so eagerly looked forward to. The Christmas spirit is alive and well at the Buhr house.

A few weeks back we took the boys to visit Santa Claus for the first time (as luck would have it he was visiting at the nearby Irvine Park Railroad). We bundled up and waited in line for a chance to board the decorated Christmas train as it headed off to a small cabin in the forest that Santa was accepting visitors at. Once arriving we waited in another line to see the big man in red and white. This year is the first that Landon has fully understood the Santa tradition, complete with making a list for Santa, and being well aware that Santa is watching to determine who has been naughty or nice, and will only be bringing presents on his magic sleigh to the good boys and girls. To be honest, Santa is a great disciplinary tool, I kind of wish he was around all year. For the past month if Landon has started to misbehave I have pulled out my cell phone and threatened to call Santa to inform him about what was going on, and consistently he has apologized and ended the tantrum or disobedience. Landon definitely was impressed when finally seeing Santa in the flesh while we waited in line. He kept pointing him out to Colt, and emphasized that Santa was watching them. Predictably however, when our chance came to visit with Santa, Landon’s shyness prevailed and he refused to sit on Santa’s lap, and when we placed Colt on Santa’s lap his look of apprehension only fueled Landon’s concerns. Landon was able to enunciate the fact that he wanted “a bike and some trains for Christmas”, Colt looked at Santa and said, “woo-woos”, hopefully Santa knows what that represents.

This past weekend we headed down to San Diego for our annual Christmas party with friends. We traditionally have a secret santa gift exchange and everybody contributes to a potluck of holiday fare. Eryn supplies the latkas, and we typically bring some wassail. This year there was an extensive spread of treats supplied by Norm and Teri, as well other various other appetizers and snacks. Our Christmas parties have begun to evolve over the past few years as more and new additions to the next generation join the fray. This year we had four little tykes in attendance and a fifth (Jaxon) was home sick with the stomach flu. We got a chance to meet Adam and Diana’s new baby girl Allison and the she is a beautiful and quiet mixture of her parents. This Christmas party is always an event I look forward to every year - as our lives have all become more complicated and diverse, the times when all of us can get together are fewer and farther between. Gone are the weekly poker games and dinner’s out, now replaced by work meetings and household chores. It’s a great day every year when we can all get together and laugh and reminisce, and celebrate the strong friendships we have formed over the years. It is truly a Christmas gift.

The following evening was the Christmas show at Landon’s preschool. Earlier this year Landon had another brief show where the kids at the school sang a few songs, and Landon cried most of the time refusing to participate. Rhiannon and I both expected a similar result this time around, especially since Landon refused to divulge any information about the show itself or any of the songs he would be singing. We even warned his excited grandparents Buhr that it might not be worth the drive from San Diego. We arrived twenty minutes early to the school to find a quickly filling up church, within the next ten minutes it was standing room only. I was intimidated and I wasn’t even there to perform, things did not look good. Rhiannon walked Landon and his friend Andrew back to their classroom to get ready, and returned a few minutes later with the news that Landon was going to be one of the three wise men. Uh oh. My parents arrived just as the show was set to start. The school’s principal announced that they were just about ready to begin with only one bout of tears and refusal to participate to report. My gut said that the number of wise men in the nativity scene had just dropped to two. A few minutes later kids started to march down the center isle singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and after the reindeer and angels and shepards emerged three little kings! Landon proudly walked to the front of the church smiling, and even singing with a tilted crown on his head and a multi-striped tunic hanging from his shoulders. I was ridiculously proud. For the next thirty minutes Landon sang and performed. Flash bulbs flashed and camcorders turned and applause bounced through the church.

It was a learning experience for me as a father. The feeling of pride and happiness that flushed through me completely caught me by surprise. My heart raced through the entire shows and my eyes welled up. I wanted to run up onto the stage and grab Landon, squeeze him tight, and tell how stoked I was that he had done so well. Instead I waited until the reception afterwards and looked him in the eye and told him he did a great job with a smile plastered across my face. On the drive home Landon asked if “he did awesome?” – I told him he absolutely did. I thought about the years ahead, and the other accomplishments that Landon would surely achieve – if I was this proud after a Christmas play, I anticipate that my heart may explode at his high school graduation.

The past month has been unseasonably cold, complete with a few winter storms. The corresponding increase in fires in the fireplace and wassail in our mugs has added to the holiday experience this year. We have resumed our nightly viewing of a few scenes from the Polar Express each evening before bedtime for the boys, and have introduced the advent calendar tradition as well. It’s been a busy but rewarding Christmas season. The days ahead will likely be filled with last minute shopping runs and holiday traffic, but the excited anticipation of the boys as Christmas quickly approaches will help to keep our focus on the joy that the holidays are supposed to be about. I have a wonderful family, and the gifts I have received from being a father far surpass anything I expect to find wrapped under the tree.