Photography

As we were pulling out of the Costco parking lot this weekend, Heidi asked if she could have a croissant. Sure, why not? Nothing wrong with a buttery, flaky croissant except I don't make a habit of keeping a croissant on my person. So I told her, "Sorry babe, but I don't have a croissant," and then a blistering rage rolled out of her thirty-five pound body.

The ride home looked something like this:

The whole way home she screamed, and cried, and convulsed, "I WANT A CROISSANT! I WANT A CROISSANT!" Stuff was shooting out of her mouth and her nose. It wasn't until we got home that I realized she hadn't been asking for a croissant, but a Capri-Sun, which I found to be somewhat disappointing. It was bad enough that I'd had to listen to her temper tantrum for ten miles because she couldn't have a fancy, French pastry, but pitching a fit over a bag of juice? It's what the French call malappris, or ill-bred.

I call it: grownin' me some malappris young-ungs.

Heidi was born with a small crease on her left ear. Or as I like to think of it, an ear dimple.

For the first time in thirteen years, we skipped our annual photo with Santa. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, any one of us was sick so we decided to spare the other families we would have contaminated while waiting in line for the big man. Instead, we stayed home where we could spread our germs around with the people we love. Family.

I took this photo on Christmas and the grandparents should consider it the official 'Santa Photo.' Heck, while we're at it, lets consider it our family holiday card too.

And another thing...Once in a while, I'll catch a glimpse of my children causing me to pause and then sharply inhale the full knowledge that they're mine. My flesh, my blood, my tax write off. This photo captures one of those glimpses.

Where have I been? I’m not even sure myself. I think the last time I saw me was somewhere around the intersection of Money Stress and the Holidays (is that redundant?). Or maybe it was our work obligations or The Groenevelt: Everyone-Is-Going-to-Die-Virus-of-Christmas-Vacation-Twenty-Eleven.

I'm not sure what virus circumvented our immune systems. All I know is that the fatigue was so bad I could be cutting a length of wrapping paper and have to stop mid-way through my slice, stretch out over the unrolled paper like a beach towel and rest my cheek on its slippery, cool surface until I had the energy enough to finish pushing the scissors through the remaining uncut paper.

But we're all better now and I can finally hold my head up unassisted so I'd like to take this opportunity to ask: WHO in God's name scheduled Christmas during flu season? I mean, how are we expected to celebrate the baby Jesus' birthday with deep discounted electronics and door busters, if were too sick to get out of bed?

Anyway, in spite of it all, we did manage to have a nice holiday, and enjoy each other, and not hurl. That’s how we’ll remember this Christmas...the Christmas we sidestepped vomiting. Ah, the memories we'll treasure.

Here are some of those memories:

Isn't this disgraceful? Who wears their undies inside out, when they decorate for the holidays? Probably not fancy people.

Christmas bokeh and bow-tie lips.

I love these classic, wooden, Germanic, Christmas toys. Plus this one can be used as nunchucks.

Santa made a stop at my in-laws. My kids' grandparents are throwing them a wonderful childhood.

Lexi's holiday, choir concert. You wouldn't know from this photo, but we had to sedate her like a cat on its way to the vet in order to get her there. She did her best to grimace during the program, but as you can see, she failed to sustain the surliness she fought to maintain through her performance. Maybe next year, honey. Maybe next year.

Christmas afternoon, we drove down to Illinois to spend the evening with my stepfather-in-law's family. Here's Heidi getting herself all psyched-up for the soiree while we were getting ready in the hotel.

And here's Ben, at the Christmas party, with a couple of his favorite holiday companions.

I hope you all had fabulous holidays yourselves...I’ve missed you so!