This is Bubbles

This is Bubbles
Originally uploaded by WkHanson08.

Presenting Hope's Christmas present: Mr. Bubbles.

Please note: To fully enjoy this picture please click the song directly to the right of this post while you gaze at Mr. Bubbles. Thank you.

Belated Merry Christmas

I've had 43 wonderful Christmases. My memories of the first six come from pictures and video my mom and dad and other relatives took during those early years. Over the next ones I remember fantastic presents like a bicentennial red, white, and blue Schwinn 10-speed, a tiny diamond ring, a watch, my first checking account, and Socker Boppers. I remember the trampoline that Santa had to leave in our garage, a Lite Brite that my mom had to clean up after I got tired of it, blow-up Barbie furniture, and a bean bag chair. My parents always made an effort to make Christmas special and about God and Jesus and they always succeeded with that.

I remember big dinners at Papa and Grandma's house which always included oyster stew. I remember Derek gagging at the table after giving an oyster a try. I remember the Swedish Prayer. I remember Nanny's white tree with blue lights and her red thermometer bird. I remember visiting Grandpa Boyd every year and who always greeted me with the loudest, "WELL HELLOO WHITNEY!" My best memories are of the Christmas tree we got out of the box and put up every year. I can remember how it felt to stick the branches in the trunk part of the fake (but beautiful) tree. I also remember how it felt to stick my finger in an empty light socket while my dad was testing Christmas lights but that's another story. I remember driving through Ilion Acres every year with Mom, Dad, and Jeff to look at the lighted lollipop and candy cane decorations. I remember church and the Christmas pageant and the aluminum foil angel wings, tinsel halo, candles, the church organ, the wise men, and the carols.

I have Gary's Christmas memories in my head, too. We've been married for almost twenty years and I never get tired of the annual telling of the time Gary's sister Lisa put her fist through the front door window because her dad locked them all out of the house before gifts were to be opened on Christmas Eve after church. Every year I get to experience the joy of sitting and listening to Gary and his sisters talk about what a flaming, wonderful nutjob Christmas-lover their dad was. I mean that in a good way, Dwight. :-)

I remember the year I decided the hell with it all and went up to the Sportsman's and drank vodka tonics on Christmas Eve. Everybody's had at least one of those, right?

But I'm going to remember this Christmas as a special one as seen through the eyes of our kids and the wonderful time they had in Texas with their dad's mom. So many people experience so much pain at Christmas (and there's been that in our family, too) but this year has helped me focus on all the good that's all around us. Wishing my six readers (and my family and friends) a wonderful 2009.

Christmas in Texas

Not spending New Years in a Mexican prison

I irritated Gary by asking him at least three times on our way to Mexico, "Are you sure you have the kids' birth certificates so we can come home?" So you can imagine the joyful atmosphere that filled the Buick when it became known that I had left my driver's license in my coat pocket 60 miles back at Grandma's house. Gary was more than ready to leave me to fend for myself in a Mexican prison. Luckily, a couple shots of tequila took the edge off and we were all able to have a nice time in Progreso until it came time to line up for the Mexican army and plead for mercy. They let us through, thank God. I'll probably dream about Midnight Express tonight but the fun we had in Mexico was TOTALLY worth it.

Tasty harmonies

Let this load and then jump to approximately the 2 minute 30 second mark for a beautiful version of SIlent Night.

Central Park Hoodie is almost done

Central Park Hoodie
Originally uploaded by WkHanson08.

I kind of dread finishing this thing because, based on previous experience, it's always a bit of a let-down to see the final product. I love knitting. I've said it before that I wouldn't mind quitting my job and putting my kids up for adoption in the winter so I could enjoy knitting nonstop. (Kids, I'm kidding!) But the final product never seems to match up to the fun of making it. Process versus product, I guess. I've got my next sweater pattern picked out. It's a chunky turtleneck with funky cables and is knit all in one piece. We'll see if I can talk one of my family members into wearing it in public when it's done.

Airing of grievances

Gary has decided that my yarn collection is out of control in which case I asked, "Would you rather I have a meth habit?"

He said, "It would probably be less messy."

Update: Festivus 2008 is history. Please enjoy this very short photo essay which highlights the evening's events. It was unanimous: The winner of Feats of Strength was Kallie the Dog by a landslide. That pooch has a 24" vertical leap. We think she's part kangaroo.

Festivus 2008

A Tale of Two Running Partners

My Golden Valley running companion and I agree that a -30 windchill is below our temperature cut-off for 5 a.m. running. My San Francisco running partner and I haven't discussed the cold recently but we do know that when we run together we try to avoid too much sun and heat. Also, earthquakes.

While my mileage varies in extreme temperatures one activity that remains constant is my intake of buttered toast.

Can you feel it?

The days are getting longer. We gain 3 seconds of sunlight today.

Calculate the daylight

Only crazy people wanted to sled today

Hope and Peggy had the good sense to wait in the car.

Little swimmers

Keeping the engine fueled up

We couldn't have been more proud of our little YMCA swimmers today. Hank set a goal of 16 seconds for the 25-yard freestyle, having improved his 18.9 time from two weeks ago to 17.03 last Saturday. He came very close today: 16.50! Hope swam all of her events legally today so she should have a rainbow of ribbons to show for her efforts. And I do mean rainbow. The beauty of the YMCA meets is that every finisher who doesn't get disqualified gets a ribbon of some color.

Running gear

Running gear
Originally uploaded by WkHanson08.

This is how Peggy handles the Minnesota running weather.

Advent thief?

Hope has been complaining that some of the candies are missing from her Trader Joe's Advent Calendar. I was going to blame her brother but he seemed sincere in his denial of having anything to do with his sister's chocolate. Peggy's too busy being nervous about every inanimate object in the house for me to suspect her of stealing anything to eat. I have decided this dude (Kallie, the neighbor dog) is my number one suspect:

Look at her trying to act all cool and casual.

Peggy's mornings are like this

Waiting for the bus...



Here it comes...



There he goes.

Definition

Cuckoo

Thank you, lawyers!

All kinds of Scrabble games are BACK! Whoo-Hoo!

The Mom Song

My friend, Brenda, shared this. Enjoy.

The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Things I say now that I never imagined I would say as a parent

"Get your finger OUT of your belly button and KEEP it out!"

FYI

It was WAY too cold to run this morning. That's all I have to say today. Must conserve heat...

I love this

More pictures here. They all make me happy.

Interesting recall ability

Hank has an easy time thinking of games he wants for Christmas but has a lot of trouble keeping track of outerwear. Hank claims to have "lost" his snow pants at school yesterday. He said the last time he saw them they were in his locker. Granted, his locker partner keeps all of his personal belongings in it and it is hard to see stuff in there, but still.

Anyway, it occurred to me that there might be discussion at school among third graders that if you claim to "lose" your snow pants at school you have a 50% chance of parents buying you some cool, new snow pants. Or at least ones that aren't patched all over with duct tape like Hank's. Hank suggested that I could go shopping this morning and have new snow pants waiting for him in his locker before he goes out for recess.

I told him that was a pretty interesting idea. So interesting that when he gets home from school today he can sit in his room and think hard about where in his locker his pants might be. In the meantime, he can wear his sister's spare purple pants. Or mine. And maybe since outerwear is such trouble keeping track of, maybe he can also sit in his room tonight and revise his Santa list by crossing off all the toys he thinks Santa will bring him.

All of the sudden he remembered where they are!

Easy / Not so easy

Hank is easy. Although I once made a vow to not buy him anything like a PSP, Nintendo, or Gameboy unless it was a wedding present and/or his 30th birthday present, he got -- the whole family got -- a Wii for Christmas last year. So now when we think of what Santa might bring him, he has a list of Wii and Nintendo (we have Nintendo controllers) games he would like to receive. Easy.

But then there's Hope. What does Hope want this year? She told me she's asking for three things from Santa: 1. a hamster, 2. another hamster, 3. another hamster.

I guess she wants a hamster. The difficulty will be in convincing Peggy that we haven't decided to let a squirrel/mouse/bunny live in the house.

'Tis the season

Where do the gloves go?

This is similar to the game I play

Instead of "Ideas for a Screenplay" I have the category "Invention ideas mostly related to improving public restrooms." From bookofjoe.com.

Sunday Morning Rumble

Peggy has more sleep-overs than anyone I know. This particular guest showed us some sweet wrestling moves.

Waits patiently

Waits patiently
Originally uploaded by WkHanson08.

Peggy is a pretty good dog but she doesn't like to share her bird with anybody.

This is a test

Forget it

Do you stand at your front door with your coat on, ready for work, and think to yourself, "I'm forgetting something. Aren't I? No? Yes. No?"

Frequently, I have a nagging feeling that something is out of order. Usually it's nothing or a small thing. But when I got to work this morning it dawned on me that I had made arrangements to carpool (me driving) to last night's choir rehearsal. I knew for months I wouldn't be at rehearsal last night because last night we were at "Wicked."

I need to buy an external hard drive.

Jackie Greene

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I'm going to play all my music on my blog now. Thanks, Adam!

My favorite time of the day

Early morning, post (very cold) run, coffee in cup, everyone asleep except Peggy and me, and Christmas lights on. It just occurred to me that as much as I complain about the lack of sunlight in the winter, a later sunrise does allow me the joy of looking at these Christmas tree lights a little longer in the morning. There's always a silver lining somewhere, isn't there?