holiday season chapter three: Christmas coming!

It's a busy season of holidays indeed. As soon as Halloween was over, it was all about preparing for Thanksgiving. And now it's been all about Christmas. We've decorated the house, been to a Holidazzle parade, a Norwegian Christmas service, a Christmasy winter walk downtown, and we're lighting candles, burning incense, playing Christmas music and singing and dancing just about every day. We cross off each day on the calendar, counting down. So much fun! Lilly's so excited about the tree we're going to have to decorate and then sing and dance around on Christmas eve (a Norwegian tradition). We were supposed to get the tree and decorate it this past weekend, but with the 21 inches of snow that fell on top of the 10 inches or so that fell last weekend, we were simply snowed in most of the weekend, and then Lilly was sick throwing up constantly on Saturday, recovering on Sunday.

But back to the fun stuff.

 Sweethearts at the Holidazzle parade.

 Marveling at the parade.

 At the Norwegian Christmas service, St. Olaf College chapel.

 

 With a basket for treats to hang on the tree (a Norwegian tradition).

 Admiring another tree at St. Olaf.

 Winter walk fun downtown.

 Historic train models at the city library.

 Back outside to see the horses with sleighs, and to listen to some caroling.

 At the local pub for beer and food and more caroling.

 

Child-friendly pub this one night at least; eating rice with her best friend Anna.

 

Peek-a-boo with a girl Lilly befriended in the pub.

Good'ol papa.

holiday season chapter two: Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with grandpa Kent and grandma Cheryl visiting. Lilly loved all the play and attention and had a little bit of a hard time readjusting to the emptier house once they'd left, but now she's back to her good cheerful self (except when sick with the stomach flu, which happened for the first time this past Saturday. She was such a trooper though.) It was the first time we hosted Thanksgiving and I had so much fun with all the cooking and preparations. We had talked to Lilly in advance how Thanksgiving is all about coming together and being thankful, different people learning from each other. I found it quite appropriate that the native-Norwegian-fairly-recent-immigrant to this country got to share and learn from people who grew up in this country.

 Preparing the turkey, first time for me!

 Everyone busy in the kitchen 

(which I allowed just this one time; I know, I was kind of strict about that...)

 Having fun playing with grandpa Kent.

 A new book.

 Grandma Cheryl reading about Thanksgiving.

 Around the table Leighton fixed up for us, just in time.

(Thanks, sweetie!)

Halloween snapshots

ready to go trick or treat!

here we go!

 the loot...

mouth full of chocolate treats

we got tricks too!

something about fatherhood

A while back I started a "daddy" blog called something about fatherhood. For whatever reason I no longer post on the blog. But now I've copied the posts from that blog to this blog, backdating each to correspond with the dates each was originally posted. The post are listed in chronological order, the first from February of this year and the final (which was never actually posted) from June--on the occasion of Lilly's birthday. I used the picture below on the blog.

It's difficult too

Resources

A girl's best friend, or Sick again

The village thing

Readjusting in times of change

Sighing at lunchtime

Lilly turns 2

sjokolademelk

Lilly is a big fan of chocolate milk just like me! Anne has frowned upon this, which is understandable. After all, neither of us want to raise a sweet tooth. But, really, Lilly doesn't eat many sweets. Our house is basically a sweet-free zone. No regular desserts, no candies. Only occasionally do we have ice cream, in which case we make it a family thing: Chubby Hubby for mama, Phish Food for papa, and a good vanilla for Lilly. And occasionally Lilly and I share a yummy, gooey, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, in which case I consider it father-daughter bonding. The same goes for chocolate milk. I think Anne has come to see it this way too (the photographer's eye tells all?!). Anne took many, many photos of Lilly and I drinking chocolate milk after carving and decorating our pumpkins for Halloween. Viewing all the photos together, I could see that she had captured the joy of our father-daughter bonding (heightened, to be sure, by the festive atmosphere at the time). Here are two of my favorites.

holiday season chapter one: Happy Halloween!

Lilly was the cutest Little Red Riding Hood on Halloween! You've gotta take my word for it, because at the moment, I'm unable to upload pictures from our camera to the blog (we need to refill our quota). Below are just a couple pictures taken with my friend's cellphone camera (her daughter's in the background) from when she took the girls to the pumpkin patch before Halloween.

Man, everything was great about this holiday this year. I remember last year, she was a little afraid when kids came to the door, but this year she loved it! All about it. I love how Halloween is not just about Oct. 31, but everything leading up to it, the actual day, and then the aftermath. Getting the pumpkin, carving the pumpkin (actually, Leighton carved one and she drew and put stickers on hers; I either helped her or worked on the pumpkin seeds, cleaning and then roasting them), reading about Halloween, talking about what's going to happen, how we'll get into costumes and go "trick or treat" and say "thank you" and "Happy Halloween!" Lilly and papa savoring some of their favorite treat: chocolate. Both some hot chocolate on the pumpkin carving night the Sunday before Halloween, and then some mini-chocolate bars after we'd come home from trick or treating and were counting the treats (I'd told her the treats were just for counting) before putting them away on Halloween the following Sunday.

Ahh, I love how holidays have become even more fun with a child around!

Now we look forward to Thanksgiving, and then Christmas (seriously, I've already start humming carols, but have vowed not to play any till after Thanksgiving). We look forward to having grandpa Kent and grandma Cheryl with us, and hosting our first actual Thanksgiving meal! I've already ordered the turkey from the Co-op and started stocking up on the things we'll need.

amazing fall

The full moon on Friday concluded a four-week Indian summer spell that we've been graced with here in Northfield. I'm so grateful we got all these sunny days to soak in the outside before we turn inwards for winter hibernation. My friends and I have vowed to stick to our weekly play-date in the Arboretum where we--six moms and eight kids--have been meeting every Wednesday these last lovely weeks for play and picnic--throughout the winter. As they say in Norway, there's no such thing as bad clothes, just bad gear (det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær). More about how that turns out later. For now, let me share some of our summery fall magical times with you.

A family excursion to the Lake Harriet - Linden Hills neighborhood in Minneapolis for:

* a trolley ride on a historic train

* play and picnic by the lake

* a stop by the Wild Rumpus, a children's bookstore with hens and cats (among others) roam freely, and that has a little door in the big door for little people to enter through (Lilly loved this part in particular)

* super yummy ice-cream at the local Sebastian Joe in its charming courtyard where there's a giant tortoise to climb and play on

We had another nice family excursion to Cannon Falls, a small town only 20 minutes away, along the same river that runs through our town, for play at the playground, exploring down by the river, then over to the duck and swan pond, wandering along the Cannon Fall trail before and after lunch and milk shake at The Old Market Deli. (For pictures from this excursion and more fall fun, check out our online album, linked under "our photo albums" to the right or here.)

And then there have been all those everyday post-nap loungy times on the porch in the afternoon sunshine, strolls and play at various playgrounds, or along the river, or out at the orchard by the pond in the rose garden, with friends and their kids, or just Lilly and I.

As for indoor updates, Lilly LOVES going to "school;" the "Terrific Twos" class she's in on Monday mornings that's offered by the public schools' Early Family Education Program (ECFE). At breakfast those mornings, she'll talk about all her friends that she'll see in class, and when we get there she'll run excitedly into the building, hugging her friends as they arrive. She also LOVES the toddler gym class ("Wee jungle games") she's taking at the local YMCA on Monday afternoons where she gets to run, kick and throw balls, race tracks and obstacle courses, and more. Finally, she's graduated from the potty and now proudly pees and poops sitting on the toilet. We bought a little stool that's the perfect height for that and she'll position it just right, get her pants and panties down all by herself, and then bend over when she's done (ferdig!). So cute.

P.S. We already made an exception to our weekly play-date in the Arboretum yesterday when we had to dig out our winter coats before heading over to "Wiggles & Giggles" at the YMCA instead during the extremely cold and blustery weather that we were suddenly hit by, a storm described as "stronger than most hurricanes, more intense than the Armistice Day Blizzard, the 1991 Halloween Superstorm, and even the wild storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior in 1975." Now that that storm's behind us, we plan to return to the Arboretum next week, however.

fall fun

We had a fun packed weekend with a visit to Sogn Valley Craft Fair on Saturday and the Nerstrand Big Woods on Sunday. Family excursions have become so thoroughly enjoyable now that Lilly's gotten so big that she can understand and do and remember so many things. She's still talking about how she danced at the craft fair and that we bought the pumpkin sitting by our entrance door there. And the river and all the fallen leaves she saw in the big woods. In the below video snap she's dancing at the craft fair:



And here she is as we're about to leave the big woods:



As I'm at it, I might as well add some more videos. Here she is on the couch surrounded by all her stuffed toy and doll friends:



And here she is playing on the couch with her best friend Anna:



Finally, at one of the local playgrounds, this one by the river next to the farmer's market, playing with our neighbor's son:

fall and back to school

As soon as we were on the other side of Labor day, we were hit by fall. After just a gorgeous spell of sunny summery days, it got cool, leaves started turning color, and now we've just had a record rain fall that's caused us to get water in the basement (as of 11 a.m. this morning, a state of emergency has been declared for for out town). Still, though you last found me holding on to summer, I've enjoyed the change of seasons. Leighton and I started taking turns working again, so I could finish revising my feminist porn manuscript which I've now submitted to my editor. That mission accomplished, I'm back being full time with Lilly again, except on Friday mornings when I pay my friend Mary to have her. Leighton packs a lunch and is gone all day at the library, working on his thesis, which is due November 15. This is a glimpse of everyday life for Lilly and I.

Monday: Lilly's in school! Well, sort of. From 8:30-10, she's in the "Terrific Twos" class offered by the public schools' Early Family Childhood Education (ECFE) program. From 9:15-9:50, it's separation time when the kids have a snack and then their play of choice while the parents meet in another room for group discussion. I was dreading this part in particular, but so far so good.

Lilly in the parking lot outside of "school"

Lilly in her classroom

Several of Lilly's friends and their moms, my friends, are in this class; we've been going out for coffee after to debrief, which has been really nice.

Tuesday: My friend Daisy pays me to have her daughter Bella from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. She's 19 months and with a lot of energy, so there's a lot going on in the house those days, especially since she's going through potty training (four accidents within two hours last time) and has a huge appetite. She and Lilly play well together, despite the age difference, so that's a good thing.

Wednesday: Toddler Rhyme time at the library 10-11. The first half is dedicated to reading books and singing song, the other half to play. We missed it this week, because we toured the Montessori preschool in town that we'd like Lilly to be in as of next fall. She, and I, loved it there! A great space, both inside and out, wonderful staffing, and I really like the child focused approach to learning.

Thursday: Mary and I child swap for yoga. Her daughter is Lilly's best friend Anna, they're in ECFE together on Mondays and Lilly's with Anna and her mom on Fridays, so it's been working really well. Except that right now sharing is a real challenge for them. Like yesterday; Lilly has two chairs, a white and a blue. Both wanted the blue one and there was nothing I could do to have Lilly give it up for Anna to have a turn to sit in it, causing a wailing Anna.

Friday: Lilly's with Anna at Anna's mom from 8-12 so I get some time to write (on my sleep question book, and now this).

We thought for a while that Lilly's been done napping, but this summer when she was with me all day and had that consistency, she'd nap, and she still does. So after lunch it's about books and quiet time, then she naps, and then it's time for snack before I make dinner. She has an art class at the YMCA in the late afternoon on Mondays. Leighton goes to yoga Monday and Thursday evening, I go for a walk with my neighbor in the evening on Tuesdays and then yoga Wednesday evening. We still have fresh fish from the Co-op for dinner every Friday and I go to yoga Saturday morning and for a walk Sunday morning with a friend of mine.

We're creatures of habit, and it's a good thing. Summer was fun to be free to be spontaneous and leisurely about things. Now it feels good to be back to a routine. We're at a good place. I'm really enjoying my time with Lilly. I love how it's not all about care taking now, but also teaching (words, numbers, tasks, songs, etc.) and fun play (she's displaying a real sense of humor, tickling us or making fun of herself and then saying, "Lilly silly" or "Lilly tuller"). Her language's exploding, both in Norwegian and English. She loves to turn on the music and dance, play her instruments, and sing (her favorites right now: "Happy Birthday," "5 Little Ducks," "Twinkle, twinkle," "Mockingbird," and "Fader Jacob"). She likes to read books, draw and color, and make little things out of pieces that fit together, blocks and lego. 

It's a good thing she also likes to pretend cook and feed her baby Millie, because we spend a lot of time in the kitchen, seeing that I'm in charge of all meals and snacks (except Leighton's lunch and snacks; he packs his own food). She's taking to sitting on the kitchen counter where she has a better view and easier access to food to snack on and me to talk to.  

holding on

I love the change of season; spring thaw and the arrival of the first crocuses, daffodils and tulips, followed by forsythia and lilacs. The end of the academic year, the opening of the city pool, and boom summer's here. The back-to school anticipation, the crisper air and change of colors to sparkling red and orange hues. The first snow.

But seriously, summer is really the only season I hold on to. I mean who, in Minnesota, holds on to winter (aside for compulsive skiers and ice fishing enthusiasts) after it's been around for about, oh, half a year or so. With loads of snow and sub-zero temperatures. Spring is really just a flash around here, fall can be beautiful (till it turns dark and gray and chilly). But summer, oh summer. Even when it's a steaming hot (with the tornado siren going off with heat advisories; and yes, we've had several tornado warnings this summer too), muggy buggy summer like this one has been (with our house besieged by colds from about mid July to mid August). And to be honest, summer usually lasts from way before school's out. This year we had HOT summer weather in May (but of course we had our month of sick then too).

This week, we're seriously holding on. Labor day is on Monday and then it's back to school on Tuesday. The city pool closed for the season on Sunday. It was the last day Grism's corn was available. On Saturday, Walker Art Center will have its final outdoors Free First Saturday for families before heading inside for the rest of the year.

This holding on is not a sad bad thing. It's slightly nostalgic, but it's more about savoring each and every moment of these final precious days of summer. Be they with friends in the park, or at the zoo as a family. At the pool with friends and/or as a family. Out on the porch (when it's not too hot). In the garden (when it's not too buggy). Stopping by Hogan bros downtown after dinner for ice cream and to hang out with friends. Spending time preparing delicious dinners with fresh ingredients from our garden and the farmer's market. Creating memories to savor when winter gets long...

With friends in the stone ring at the Arboretum

Lilly taking a break in the stone ring

Hanging out in the porch

Fun at the zoo (there were real giraffes too...)

Happy Leighton and Lilly at the zoo

The lily in bloom

Making a splash at the pool

Playing in the park by the farmer's market

 Spicy shrimp over red quinoa with black beans and fresh garden salad

Lilly likes shrimp

summer highlights

We're approaching Labor Day, which to me introduces fall. The pool closes for the season on Sunday. School's starting up soon. It's a time of holding on, and looking back.

Here are my summer favorite memories so far:

- Lilly's birthday and birthday part
- day trip to Lake Pepin with dinner at Harbor View
- picnic at the beach at Lake Byllesby
- our mini vacation in Duluth
- a fun family day at the Walker art museum
- Leighton's birthday (including a yoga date for the two of us, lunch out as a family, an afternoon visit to Cannon Valley Winery, finished off with a dinner date out for Leighton and I, and then a drink on the patio outside of the restaurant before getting Lilly who was at a playdate at the house of some dear friends)
- the times we've been at the pool (including for three hours this afternoon, pushing nap time till 3)
- a day at the farm with my friend with our kids
-visiting a friend of mine at the hospital the first day after she gave birth to a precious baby girl
- following another friend of mine stay in hospital for a month till giving birth to twins end of July
- spending a weekend afternoon (that Lilly wouldn't nap) at the pub patio sharing a pitcher of beer with Leighton while we played with Lilly
- spending another weekend afternoon at the pub patio with a girlfriend for cocktails, NO kids
- a girls' night out at a restaurant in the cities (got to wear heals and got NOT to wear a nursing bra)
- more playdates with friends who were off work (and because I had more time too, what with being with Lilly all day everyday and less scheduled classes to attend), doing fun different things like river walks and ice cream making
- going to the farmer's market and the new weekend market along the river
- taking a summer music and movement class for Lilly at the YMCA
- spending an afternoon as a family at an outdoor barn fest concert in Red Wing
- summer time cooking, including harvesting from the garden (interspersed with weeding) and making my own pesto with basil from our bountiful basil garden
- BBQs in our backyard and at friends' houses
- some nice walks with friends, in the Arb on Sunday mornings or in the evening around the neighborhood
- leisurely strolls with Lilly

Lilly at the Barn Fest concert in Red Wing

Lilly in the garden over at some friends' house for a BBQ

Lilly in our backyard pool

 Lilly at the city pool

Lilly in our backyard at a family BBQ

Leighton at same said BBQ

Me, the chef of homemade pizzas with homemade pesto

Lilly and papa on a stroll around the house

Leighton on his birthday, having lunch out

Me hanging out in our porch