Wishes for an 80s Christmas!

My husband and I are both children of the 80s.  We have slightly different memories of the decade since he is five years older than me, but nonetheless, we find ourselves reminiscing about everything from music, movies, fashion, and toys to even commercials--(Where's the beef?!)  For the longest, Little Lewie has been bored with our "tales" of wearing parachute pants (or a pleather skirt with feather earrings) to school, our addiction to MTV music videos, or our Christmas wishlist of toys like Cabbage Patch Kids, Barbie Corvettes, Atari, and boomboxes.  We've also made him suffer through songs by Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boy George, Journey, The Police, Van Halen, Twisted Sister, and Tom Petty, to name a few.  

Then, Stranger Things came out, and the 80s became cool again.  All of a sudden, Little Lewie didn't roll his eyes when I told him I used to rollerskate to the "Ghostbusters" theme song, or Daddy spent countless hours as a teenager learning how to play songs from Metallica's Master of Puppets album.  In other words, Hubby and I became downright "rad," "gnarly," "totally tubular," and "wicked awesome!"

I know fads don't last long, so I decided it would be fun to buy 80s Halloween costumes this year to celebrate the return of our favorite decade.  Lewie liked his 80s jumpsuit but was too embarrassed to actually wear it on Halloween--ahh teenagers!  Still, I did make him promise to wear it for this year's JC Penny's photoshoot.  (We've been going there for Christmas portraits since 2017...)

For the last photo, the photographer thought it'd be fun to have the boys actually pick me up! 
That was a little nerve-wracking.

In all, we had a blast getting dressed for the pictures and hope we managed to capture people's nostalgia for the 80s.  (I wish I still owned a hair crimper!)  I still plan on putting my neon blue tights and fanny pack to good use. ;-)

Wishing everyone a "totally righteous" holiday and an "amped" 2023!!

November Gratitude

November is typically a quieter month for our little family.  The shorter days and colder temperatures limit our time outdoors, and typical weekday evenings usually end with dinner and passing out on the couch (or passing out on the couch and then dinner--whichever comes first).

On November 1st, my mom and I had one last mother-daughter jaunt--this time to Kent, CT.  On our way, we stopped by a garden shop, followed by a visit to Bulls Bridge and then a tour of the shops in downtown, Kent.  As we left, we stopped by Kent Falls State Park and then drove a few miles north to see the Corwall Covered Bridge.  It was a breezy day but still warm enough to enjoy lunch outside and a stroll to see the beautiful cascading falls in Kent.

During the second week of November, I took a day off from work, so the four of us (Sue, me, Lewie, and his friend, Ryan) could go for a brief hike followed by a delicious lunch at Bell City Diner in Bristol.  (The diner is known for their amazing milkshakes that are stacked with sweet treats like cake, cookies, M&Ms, sprinkles, gummy worms, etc.)  I didn't feel like I burned enough calories during our hike, so I chose to split a cookies and cream shake with Lewie instead of ordering my own.  It was a good choice because I left the diner feeling more stuffed than I do after a Thanksgiving dinner.

Our last November hike was at the Little Pond Boardwalk Loop Trail in Litchfield, CT.   The trail is a favorite of ours, and we've probably walked it during every season.  This time, we captured some standard November photos when most of the trees are bare, but we weren't able to walk around the entire loop as some of the boardwalk was covered by water.  Just this summer, we were commenting on how the water level of the marsh was so low.  This time, we couldn't believe how high and flooded the area seemed to be.  There seems to be no more "normals."  Instead, we simply find ourselves living between two times of the year--dry and wet.

One last goal of mine for the month was to invite Lewie's friends (all four of them) to see the movie Dune.  Since Lewie doesn't get a chance to see his friends often (other than school or playing online), I've made it a mission to get these boys together at least once per month.  Last month they went on a haunted hayride, and this month they went to the movies with my husband.  Each time only three out of the four boys could come (it's hard to make everyone's schedules work), but the three that came had a great time and (from what I heard) enjoyed loading up on popcorn and goodies while they watched the show.

November ended with a yummy Thanksgiving meal, compliments of Whole Foods.  (I'm not very good at cooking meals on my own.)  The turkey and all the sides were delicious, and we had chocolate covered strawberries, apples, & pineapples; carrot cake; cookies; and mini cheesecakes for dessert.  We ended the holiday aware of all our blessings that we take for granted each day, and on this Thanksgiving, in particular, we were really taught a lesson on gratitude.  

To make a long story short, this November, we had a disabled family member, not in good health, struggle with food insecurity and housing.  I won't go into details, but for the past month, we've been calling many hotels, adult residences, assisted living facilities, homeshares, and even homeless shelters to find a warm place for her to live.  From making the phone calls, I've learned that homelessness is a huge problem everywhere, and there are simply not enough beds or affordable housing options for people that find themselves in such a situation.  After dozens of searches and phone calls, we were able to find something temporary to help her live safe and comfortably, but the temporary living situation is just that--temporary--and her poor health continues to deplete her from any sense of joy or hopefulness.

As I'm writing this, I don't know what the future holds for this family member.  Food insecurity, lack or affordable housing, and a possible terminal illness all threaten this person's chance of living a happy or even a dignified way of life.  It's a reminder to us all that we're only one illness or medical condition away from possibly losing everything, and since nothing is ever guaranteed, we must be grateful for today--that is, grateful for any moment that we have food, shelter, family, and good health.  As I end November, I say a prayer of gratitude and another for hope, peace, love, and joy.  Tis the season to "believe" and to trust in God's plan for all of us.

Four Birthday Parties and Easter

On March 13, 2020, our town, our schools, and our jobs all moved to the internet as we went into "lockdown." Now, one year later to a tee, the lockdown is lifting, and all of us are starting to live "life" again.  I don't dare say life is returning back to normal because I don't think it ever can... Instead, we are living a "new normal," a "normal" full of cautious optimism.

During these last few months, my mom has been vaccinated, and Hubby and I received our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine this week.  We're on our way...hoping that Little Lewie may be next in line to receive his does--he's 12 going on 13. 

Knowing my mom was the first to be vaccinated was uplifting.  Now we could say "yes" to social engagements without the fear of bringing anything home to her.  Sure, we would still use caution for our own safety, but we felt a little "freer" to leave our bubble.  In March, Lewie was invited to four birthday parties, and after careful consideration, we said yes to each.  The first was a friend's "Movie Birthday Party." Since there was limited seating for social distancing, there was room just for Lewie and the kids--no parents, which probably made the party more fun.  He had a blast acting like a typical pre-adolescent boy with his friends as they provided commentary and laughed throughout the entire movie.  (The interesting part about this birthday party is that it was for one of his friends he met online this year through another friend.  The kids at this party all "knew" Lewie from playing online games with him, but few of them knew what he looked like in real life.)

The next birthday party was his cousin's at an indoor adventure ropes course called IT.  In December 2019, I bought my sister-in-law and her family a gift certificate to enjoy IT, which oddly enough, is right inside a Jordan's Furniture store.  (You can shop for a new mattress and practice rope climbing all in the same place.)  The gift certificate was a Christmas present for them, but when the pandemic hit in March 2020, they still hadn't used it.  Now, a year later, they were finally planning a trip to IT, and we were invited to join them!  The building with the ropes course is HUGE, so I wasn't worried about social distancing.  The course itself glows in the dark and has two zip lines--one of them goes over a large fountain that shoots water up at you.  I think I was so mesmerized by the colorful light show and zip lines that I let my emotional side, not my rational one, take over.  "Sure," I heard myself saying when I was asked if I wanted to join Lewie on the course.  Hubby agreed, too.  

Our cousin, Elijah, celebrating his 9th birthday underneath the ropes course!

Before long, we were 20 maybe 30 feet up in the air trying to balance ourselves on tight ropes, wobbly swinging loops, shifty ladders, and all sorts of other gymnast type contraptions.  My heart pounded, and I found myself using every ounce of arm and leg strength to keep myself from shaking and losing my balance.  ("Do not embarrass yourself," my inner voice kept repeating over and over again; although after 20 minutes of this balancing act, every ounce of me wanted to yell, "Help. Help. Someone get me down from here!")

Somehow, I did manage to complete the course (both zip lines included), and hubby did, too; although, our bodies sure felt achy for the next few days.  Cousins Elijah, Brooklynn, and Lily all gave up (ages 8 - 11), but Lewie and his cousin Sarah stuck it through.  In fact, Lewie not only stuck it through, but he kept on going, repeating the cycle of zip lines.  I was shocked!  How was it that my kid--the kid that complains about walking and exercising being too hard--able to complete a ropes course?!  

"How did you do it?" I finally asked.

"Simple," he answered,  "I just took my time."  

And with that, I learned never to doubt the will power of my son again.  I had completely misjudged his abilities--bad Mommy!!

The next two birthday parties were equally interesting and entertaining.  One was at a friend's house where they played outside games with nerf guns and made tie dye t-shirts; another was at a place called SMASH Avenue, where you guessed it, the entertainment came from taking sledgehammers and smashing stuff--bottles, electronics, furniture...  Again, we dropped Lewie off at both parties, but I was able to snag a few pictures of the SMASH birthday.  Lewie came home from that one saying, "I learned that I'm not really that aggressive."   Evidently he did smash some things, but then he spent most of the time poking objects with a wrench--LOL.

The birthday boy letting off some steam.  "Take that Google Meet!!"

Lewie's in the background holding a wrench!

After the four-weekend birthday spree, it was time for Easter.  I spent a full week making sure the house was nice and tidy for the arrival of the Easter Bunny.  (The house gets amazingly dirty and "lived in" when we're all still working and schooling from home.) This year, in addition to hiding Lewie's plastic eggs and basket, the Easter Bunny also hid four "Buddy Biscuits" in the living room for Bruce to find.   It soon became a race between Lewie and Bruce.  Who would find their treats the quickest?  (Spoiler alert--Bruce won.  His sniffer gave him an unfair advantage.  If Lewie could sniff out chocolate the way Bruce could sniff out his treats, then they might have been on a more equal playing field.)

"Hmmm...What's in there?"

The holiday ended with a yummy ham dinner, which my mom, hubby, Lewie, and I enjoyed.  We didn't get to go out to dinner like years prior, and of course, we didn't have Aunty Kiki around to come over and search for plastic eggs--first my eggs as a kid and then Lewie's eggs. We missed her funny antics, but we made a promise not to become overly emotional.  No matter how many years go by, I'll never celebrate Easter without thinking of Aunty Kiki.  For years, I didn't want her finding my eggs full of chocolate.  Now, I would gladly ship them to heaven if I could...

Yes, life Post-Covid and Post-2020 looks different and feels different.  It's full of hope and optimism but also sadness and caution.  We'll get there.  We'll all get there.  Thankfully, life hasn't run out of birthdays or holidays to celebrate.

To Be Grateful...

Every night before we go to bed, Little Lewie and I say something we are grateful for...

Sometimes it's for God and for the gift of life itself; sometimes it's for good health; sometimes it's for friends and family; sometimes it's for independence and education; and sometimes it's for just the random things we take for granted everyday...food, shelter, clothing, and all the little and big things that make us happy.   At one time I was going to start writing down all of our nighttime answers, but admittedly, I didn't start.  I imagine if I did, the list could fill a book.

I woke up this morning with a to-do list in my head--pay these bills, start a load of laundry, answer a few work emails, vacuum the house, etc.  I realize now that these to-do lists that I wake up to each and every morning clouds my head space.  Instead of waking up feeling grateful and satisfied, I wake up to a void... I have this, and this, and this to do... Until the list gets done, I don't allow myself to feel happy, and if the list rolls into the next day, then I increasingly feel frustrated and burdened.

I'm not sure how to end the cycle.  After all, if I don't follow my "to-do list" for today, we won't have a Thanksgiving dinner...or we'll have some agitated family members that will be unhappy that I didn't do my part.  Maybe, Little Lewie and I need to begin our days in the same way that we end them..."Dear God, I am thankful for..."

Today, my morning gratitude reflection is this...

"Dear God, Today I am grateful for being able to celebrate another wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.  I am grateful that we all have our health, and although there has been some scares with family members in recent years, they are still here with us to enjoy and celebrate the day.  I am thankful for the yummy food we will be eating today, our warm and cozy house, and the fun board games we'll be playing afterwards.  Even more, I'm grateful that we all have today off to be with each other and not have to think about school or work.  We have time to laugh, to love, to inquire, to celebrate, and to be ourselves.  We have time to relax and be joyful (and maybe even have a glass of wine or slice of chocolate cream pie)."

I still have my "to-do list," but somehow it feels less important.  In a time where, lately, it feels like we're surrounded by feelings of scarcity and lack, I'm so glad we have a holiday that reminds us of our abundance.  Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and a happy day of gratitude!

This year our Cub Scout Pack helped out at a soup kitchen.  It felt good to be able to help sort food in the pantry and to be able to serve a yummy and nourishing meal.

The Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens

Last year, I learned about the Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens, and I wanted to take Lewie desperately; unfortunately, by the time I learned about the event, the show was sold out!

This year, I kept the show on my "holiday bucket list" and scored tickets.  I chose Black Friday for our date because 1) we all had the day off, and 2) I thought the lines might be less since most people reserve Black Friday for shopping.  My assumption proved correct.  The lines were much less, and we had another unexpected bonus--the weather was close to 67 degrees (in November!)

We took the Metro North Railroad to 125th Street and then hopped on another train to the Botanical Garden stop.  The railroad transportation couldn't be more seamless, and once we arrived at the Botanical Garden train platform, all we had to do was cross the street to get to our destination.

From the moment we started our little adventure, Lewie couldn't stop beaming.  Not only did he enjoy the train ride into the city, but he couldn't wait to see the model trains inside the gardens.  Stopping to have a bite to eat at the Garden's Pine Tree Café was torture for our seven year-old who didn't want to wait one second longer to see the trains.  Still, we made him eat something before we went inside.

 

Outside dining at the Pine Tree Café.

Once inside, we were in awe of the majestic train display running inside the gardens, over our heads, and beneath our feet.  Part of the allure is that favorite NYC monuments are painstakingly made out of twigs, pine cones, seeds, leaves, and other natural elements, which are then displayed with trains running around them.  Our favorites were Grand Central Station, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and the Statue of Liberty!

Grand Central Terminal

We spotted Thomas!

The NYC skyline

The Statue of Liberty

 

 

At the end of the show, we took a tram ride to see the rest of the gardens outside (mostly in hibernation during this time of year) and then left the Botanical Gardens to visit Central Park where we had a nice lunch/dinner at Tavern on the Green. 

After dinner, we asked the doorman of the restaurant about getting a cab; he politely recommended that we take a pedicab back to Grand Central, so we could weave in and out of the congested NY traffic and take in the sights.  The added expense of a pedicab wasn't part of our plan, but in the end, we couldn't be happier with the ride.  The driver gave us a little history about NY while pedaling all three of us up 5th Avenue.  He made sure to take us by Rockefeller Center, Time Square, and 42nd Street before dropping us off at Grand Central.  It was still warm outside, and so the gentle breeze hitting our faces as we took in the sights and listened to disco music (that's right--like Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff") made us giggle with delight.  Lewie was in awe of seeing the Big Apple this way, and he admitted that he loves disco music. 

Tavern on the Green - What delicious food!

Central Park

Front entrance to Tavern on the Green

The doorman

The pedicab!

My attempt at a selfie!

I saw this smile all day long!

All in all, we had an exceptional day in the city.  I knew it would be fun, but honestly, our experience went way beyond any of our expectations.  Lewie called the day "epic" (his new favorite word from classmates at school), and I couldn't agree more.  Our visit definitely inspired us to get into the holiday spirit.  What an awesome time of year!