An Evolving Christmas Eve Tradition

Christmas Eve has always been a tradition for us. There was a meal. We listened to a Perry Como Christmas album where he recites scriptures from Luke about the birth of Christ. And then, after getting a new pair of pajamas, there was a chance to open one present.

Over the years the meal became less of a tradition. We never liked having a lot of people at a meal on Christmas Eve, so that one changed. And turkey and ham are rarely on the menu. This rear Jack and Kristin came for prime rib.

Although I have the Perry Como album on CD, my children were never fans of his music, Christmas or otherwise. I miss that tradition, but we never really did that in our own home. We always read the verses on our own, and we usually sang some Christmas songs, but this year was different. It was too late by the time we finished eating. Jack was excited to open a gift.

There is something to be said about what boys--both young and old--like for Christmas. Ann laughed at a visit at a UPS store we do business with, because we know the owner who also lives near us. When the young owner and I began talking about a race car set we had seen in a toy store, my Annie grinned, just like that character from Alice in Wonderland.

As soon as we returned to the car, she couldn't wait to say what was on her mind. "What is with it with men buying toys for children that they want to play with on Christmas day?"

We helped Jack find the right one to open on Christmas Eve--a gift he had not already found somewhere in the house in the days or weeks or months before that night before we wrapped it, a gift that he had never seen in a store while shopping with grandma and Pop Pop, a gift my Annie and I could recognize by its shape and wrapping.

We had him open the first of two Galactic Hero Cinema Scenes, one depicting a scene from Return of the Jedi.

The minute he spotted the speeders and
Ewoks he had not seen before, he was ecstatic and excited to get it out of the packaging.
Opening one of these requires more than a PhD or a MA or MBA. It requires the skills of Harry Houdini, thanks to the giles of sticky-fingered shoppers across the globe. How anyone could remove any part of the set from the box without a complicated set of tools is something I would never believe, but Jack was patient, because he knew that his Pop Pop was slow, but he also knew that he would never give up until it was open without damaging one single piece. But as soon as I began handing him the individual pieces and tiny figures, Jack's eyes sparkled, just like I'm sure Tommy's eyes did in Minnesota when he opened the same gift.

Jack's Take On Christmas Classics

Kristin is in her car with Jack buckled into his spot in the backseat. She sings White Christmas. Jack interrupts his mom. "Can you sing a Christmas Classic," he asks?

Jack, why don't you sing one? Kristin looks at him briefly in her rearview mirror as he begins to sing. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch . . ."

While riding with my Annie, Nat King Cole's Chesnuts Roasting On An Open Fire plays. Jack looks out the window for a moment before he speaks. "Hey Grandma, how about playing some of that Holly Jolly stuff."

Da Bears!

When I was in junior high and high school, a tradition began. On Thanksgiving--like many other dinners earlier--my mother would invite my aunt, who lived in a log cabin in Samaria. It wasn't that I didn't want to go with my dad to get her, in spite of the hour it took to get there and back. And it wasn't because she never started getting ready until we pulled in front of her house, so it automatically took another hour or more. It wasn't that it embarrassed me when she ironed her clothes while wearing a slip. The reason I didn't want to go was because of Dick Butkus. There was always a Bears game that day. I could sense when my dad would start looking for me to go with him to my aunt's house, and I would hide in the basement, each year thinking my new spot was better than the one I chose a year earlier. My dad found me every time.

By the time we returned home from Samaria some three or four hours later, the game was over, and unlike today's football coverage, there was little information about the game. I had missed a game where I joyfully watched my favorite linebacker twist, tackle and bite other players on the field. I loved to watch the bears for the same reason I like hockey: that few instances in most events where grown adults throw their sticks and gloves in the air and do acts of violence.

Did I mention I like it in baseball when the dugouts empty and players charge onto the field, or when a manager kicks dirt on one of the men in black. I don't usually admit enjoying watching grown men act like children as much as I once did, but I will always be a Butkus fan.

Tower of Terror

The Letters In Front of California Adventure Park

You would think that during four days of playing at Disneyland, we would have done the one thing that we all had talked about doing before the final day: taking pictures of all three grandchildren in front of the letters of California Adventure Park. But we forgot until the last hours of the last day we were there. By then, Jeff and Lydia and Tommy and Anna were in San Diego, so we took the pictures at night. It was still fun, but it would have been great to have everyone there.

What amazed me was how Jack posed for each picture. Camera shy is not something that he suffers from in any sense of the word. I always hated cameras, and I still do, although only the ones with wide angle lenses are threatening to me now.

Jack knew exactly what he wanted to do with each letter, and he enjoyed it, even more than I ever remember grandma enjoying having her picture taken.

The weather was nice in California those days during the week before Thanksgiving, yet it did get a bit cold after sunset. Even writing it now makes me laugh out loud, because it was still warm enough that I could swim in the outside pool after returning to the hotel. I would realize just how nice the evening temperatures were after returning to Idaho. As of this morning, we have over two feet of snow in the front yard, and we have not seen 32 degrees in weeks.

I would love to see some sunlight. I miss the feeling I felt in California the first few days of our trip in November, when I actually was a bit nervous about getting a sunburn. The only good thing about the weather is the fact that we are getting closer to February, the usual time when we see an occasional hint of spring in a good year. A few years ago, I actually spotted a robin.

Here it is Christmas Eve, and I am complaining about snow. To some, that must seem odd. I guess my inner child no longer yearns to make snowmen and snow angels. Personally, I would like to have a palm tree in the front yard and several lemon trees in the back. Now that would be my idea of a great place to live.

I have always loved California as a place to visit, and it seemed like the last five years seemed to make me realize that I liked it only as a tourist. This winter is making me reevaluate my position. I just don't see the magic of snow any more, not even on Christmas Eve. Right now, my best memory of a Christmas Eve was sitting in a hot tub in Florida with my family the year we did a Christmas cruise to the Bahamas. That was a great Christmas.

There were not a lot of great holiday years after that. I remember the one when my doctor told me I was probably only going to live two more weeks--two months at the most. The Christmas before was only a bit better. That was the year the doctor in radiology cut a line that went into my bloodstream on Christmas Eve. I spent hours on my back in a room while he and another doctor fished it out wish a wire they ran into an artery in my groin. At one point, the nurse looked at me with a puzzled look.

"Can you feel that?" I nodded and put my finger to my lips to make the sound that I felt my heart doing. "It fibulating," he said.

I realized then and again now that my Christmas gift was the ultimate one. I am so grateful to be able to see grandchildren smile at Disneyland, to see my Annie smile each day when I say something that is funny, to hear my children laugh at my jokes and stories. We had some tough times, but it is so nice to realize how fragile life is. I guess I understand that I have to enjoy every minute.

This past week someone asked me about how I was doing. I feel great. And I feel blessed. It is a great way to spend Christmas Eve, even if the weather is a bit cold and dreary. And besides, as bad as it is here, Lydia's weather right now makes Idaho seem like California.

Cles, however, let me know that he was grilling chicken outside in 40 degree weather.

Looking Cool at Toy Story Mania

Just when I thought that I could make a trip to Disneyland without spending large portions of time at Buzz Lightyear shooting at aliens villains and robots, the people at Disney give me something else to shoot at.

And I will say this, we went on this ride before the terror we experienced with Tommy and Anna on two other 3 D rides in the park, "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" and Muppet Vision 3D. When muppet characters frighten grandchildren, you know the dog in the first ride was terrifying. After the trauma, I am certain that neither Tommy nor Anna would have placed those yellow glasses on the bridge of their nose. They were about seeing the images jump out at you, and the kids didn't like it. One thing for certain, fashion sense was not a priority when designers made these babies. Only the glasses that the army provided for Cles during his six years were nastier than those yellow 3 D things.

This new ride, designed like a circus arcade, is very popular. A small cannon, which they mounted on the handle of the park ride, shoots every time you pull a string. It fires paintballs, darts and even rings in one area.

Anna, however, had a matching purple outfit which even had a bit of yellow that was alright. She sits quietly and waits in this picture. It's just another one of those where grandma gets more pictures of our little one, and I am not complaining, because not only is she photogenic, but it is fantastic to have a reminder like this of the many things we did during that week in the California sun. The pictures still make me wish I could leave tomorrow and go back. The weather is another plus.

We have only seen a few days of temperatures above 40 degrees during the day. Most temperatures at night are very cold. I left two bottles of water in the car after our trip, and today I noticed they were now two large chunks of ice with a bit of water. We won't have to worry about cooling them before we drink them.

This new Disney ride--except for the 20 or 30 minute wait--was fantastic. And the only carney there to entice and taunt those standing in front of the ride was Mr. Potato Head, a character from the Toy Story movies.

Tommy's Fantastic Ride On The Rope Swing

While playing on various things at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Tommy did his ride on the swing. It was something we had done with Jack, but we should have waited until this trip. I have it on film on a blog from another trip to Disneyland, but it scared Jack a little when he jumped free at the end. Before he could exit the area, the swing swung back and bumped him to the ground.

Tommy climbed aboard while the ranger held the swing in place, and then he went to the bottom without a problem. Doing it a year later would have been better for Jack, but seeing Tommy do it so well this time will hopefully motivate him to try it again.

Tommy's smile is what I enjoy in this picture, and it is the type of ride that I would have enjoyed at that age too. We didn't have Disneyland, but we had an area we called the Jungle. It was an overgrown area of weeds and willows surrounding a small stream, where we climbed trees and anything else we could find, hunted for frogs and crawfish, and swung across the stream on any swings we could find there too. The entire neighborhood used the area, which was behind the IGA store that Grandpa Thomas owned in Malad. As an adult, the most challenging part was knowing not to fall in the creek, which many used as an open sewer. Oh, the days when the EPA didn't rob us of our freedom. After my brief return to sarcasm, I will always wonder how we survived as children, playing in polluted streams like that, throwing snowballs and actually playing baseball during recesses and lunch hours, and riding bikes and skating on ice or cement without helmets. I am glad I lived during those simple times, although I do wish I had known about that stream.

Greetings From Our Family To Mickey & Minnie & Their Little Dog Too

Meeting Mickey and Minnie was not just a one-time thing during this trip, and because it happened a number of times, I don't know which pictures came first, but that doesn't really matter any way, which is a sign of my improving OCD condition. First, I admit that it doesn't matter, and then I wait to see if it bothers me during the course of the day. Who knows? Maybe the next step will be the cessation straightening pictures on walls of doctor's offices and other places I visit. Eventually I may even avoid stacking plates and glasses according to size in our cabinet.

Who could possibly miss taking a photograph of Mickey at California Adventure Park? As I remember, Anna coaxed to go on Monster's, Inc., and I began talking to the boys about riding with me on Soarin' Over California. Sitting between the boys was fun, and they only chose to go with me one time, but it was fun for me to have them with me on that ride at least once together. They were old enough now to notice the scents of pine, citrus groves and California shorelines. Both even watched for the hidden Mickey on the golfball at the end of the ride that I had told each of them to watch for at the end of the ride.
And during a walk down Main Street one night at the park, we took this picture of Annie hugging Mickey in front of one of the stores. Since she was very small, her favorite plush animal toys were Mickey and Minnie. This trip, like those we took in the past, found us looking for a pair of new versions for Anna. I have pictures, Anna has stuffed Disney characters, and the boys have Star Wars laser blasters and light sabers. Hopefully, those toys work for them like these pictures do for me: reminding me of the fantastic moments we shared in the park for four days.

It amazes some people that we travel to California and only go to Disneyland, but it has always been a must to spend as much time as possible there, although our next trip will require us to go to Universal Studios. Jack found out that there is a Mummy ride there, and he likes movies. He would love it there.
And after Anna's hug, Tommy was able to get a picture of Mickey too, although I sense that Tommy feels the same way about pictures that I do. I always hated having my picture taken. Cameras would make me feel self-conscious for some reason, and I remember feeling that way especially during the high school years. It doesn't bother me now. I figure it's their space on their memory stick, and given my size, I am sure that it takes a good portion of it for my broad smile. As for Tommy, I also found that he warmed up for pictures more than I had ever seen him do on earlier visits. Earlier he would have preferred time viewing other things, like the dinosaurs on the Disneyland Railroad shortly before the Main Station depot. I remember both boys asking to ride the train around the park to see the dinosaurs, and I also noticed how Tommy placed his T-Rex and Stegosaurus on a portion of his Thomas the Train layout at home last summer when we were there. But the boys are getting older now, and I see changes. Tommy now clowns around a bit for pictures. He feels comfortable with the whole picture thing, although I know at times there are things he would rather be doing.
Who could resist a chance to photograph Mickey's dog too, especially while hugging my three little ones? Even Anna let a dog hug her, as long as it wasn't very long, and as long as the dog was not too close. After the enthusiasm of a gigantic Black Lab knocking her to the ground and licking her from chin to blond curls, she has never appreciated the canine world.

Favorite Views Of Disneyland From November 2008

These pictures are a just a few of my favorites from this last trip. Each one is a memory of something that express what I mean by the Disney vibe. Personally, I would drive the distance just to sit in a chair and feel the moments in these pictures, and I would drive to be there at any time of year, rain or shine. Even though the sounds of laughter and the scent of cinnamon are not evident in this photograph, the vibrant colors are there, and they remind me of the other things that make the visit there so pleasurable. As much as I thought we would do things different during each visit, it seems that tradition or necessity always brings us to Fantasyland at night.
My Grandpa Cles bought me a toy. It was one of the last things I remember getting from him, although it was a gift from Grandma Liza too. It was called a Crazy Train. The tiny toy, made before Disney created the park, was a small windup model of this train. All of the Disney characters were on it, and each time when I ride this train with grandchildren, or when I rode it with my own three kids, I thought about that toy.

The pictures here are fun. Jack loved being there with his mom. It was a perfect trip for him: Disneyland with mom, grandma, Pop Pop, Lydia, Jeff, Tommy and Anna.

Tommy had fun too. In a rare moment for us, he not only seemed comfortable with a camera pointed at him, but he clowned around a bit too when someone told him to make a happy face. My memories are of the sounds of the train, the words "I think I can" repeated as we climbed the small hill and "I knew I could" as we sped around curves surrounding the Storybook Land Canal Boat ride. I will always remember the attendant from Utah looking at Cles when he was about twelve. "Where'd you get to be so cute?" she asked. It was the only time I ever remember Cles blushing in his life, the only time. Like I mentioned, the park is full of memories for me, and what is fantastic, I only remember the good ones.

I can't imagine what the three grandchildren thought each night when we walked down Main street toward the gate. It was never a struggle to get them to the hotel, because every day was one filled with fun.

Every moment was a chance to experience some new things and do much of the same thing we did every time we met together in the park, like my taking the three grandchildren on the teacups at the Mad Tea Party. Redoing many of those moments still do not measure up with original memories, like the first time I took Jack, Tommy and Anna on teacups. The boys were four and Anna was only two. The three of them giggled during the entire ride as I turned the wheel, sending us spinning faster toward the spot where grandma took pictures.

This visit at "it's a small world" was memorable, because Anna seemed so overwhelmed by the beauty of the lights. The vibrant colors were beautiful at night.

And walking toward the Main Gate down Main Street shortly before closing was a different experience than what I ever remember experiencing. We always felt at ease, knowing that there would be another day at the park the next day, and having annual passes also meant knowing that we didn't have to race from one ride to another to ensure our getting the most out of the money we spent on entrance fees. Besides,
all of us were tired at that point, and usually, at least one or more of the grand kids were asleep. When that happened, it reminded me of the night when Ann and I were there with our three kids. All three fell asleep, I carried Cles and Lydia, and Ann carried Kristin, who was only two or three. We walked the entire length of what was then the parking lot. Now it's California Adventure park. Anyone seeing us would have laughed, because Cles and Lydia's legs almost touched the ground.

Haunted Mansion is one ride that the boys enjoyed when they were small, but as they became older, that quickly changed. It scared them, until they changed the format to Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Kristin put the theme song on her phone, and Jack sings it. He also watches the movie as often as we will play it, so for him, the ride was a favorite adventure.

On one of the last visits, he disliked it so badly that he became sick, an opportunity to see the inside of a ride that few people see. I wish I could have gone with him and grandma that day.

Jack coaxed repeatedly to go on the ride during this last trip. Tommy enjoyed it too, and Anna also decided it was one of her favorite rides this time as well. She even appeared at the ride with her pink Hello Kitty purse and matching shoes. Grandma Thomas would have really enjoyed seeing our Anna and watching her as she gets older. I enjoy her attachment to pink. I enjoy buying her little things she likes, and I really enjoy my Annie buying her princess dresses and accessories. But the thing I enjoy the most is something I only see when we visit for a number of days--Anna running with the boys swinging a light saber.

Even though the next picture is not a good one, I included it, because the ghost of the dog was something that Jack really liked. He watched for it every time we went on the ride.

The next picture shows Jack and Anna posing in front of the horse drawn hearse in front of the ride. Grandma took this photo just before we went into the ride. The three kids would tell us after each visit how much less they had to cover their eyes.

The wishing well is a great moment too. I only wish that Anna were in this picture as well. It seemed like we ended up here each night, and the boys always leaned into the opening to see if they could see where the singing came from below in the darkness beneath them. Snow White's vibrato didn't make them smile. That's how you can tell the three of our grandchildren are still small.

I remember when I was young and the singing didn't seem overly obnoxious like it does to me now, but I refuse to make fun of it, because I want them to enjoy it as long as they can without listening to "my take" on the whole thing. I don't want to spoil it for them, not now or ever. And even in the past few days, Jack reminded me that we didn't go on the King Arthur Carrousel. I remember Jack's first visit, and I remember how he glowed with a mix of pride and excitement as he rode the horse with his mom at his side. Pictures never capture something like that. You have to remember it on your own, and my writing it down in this blog will be a reminder about that event that happened when Jack was only about two years old. It was the visit that many thought would be my last. It was February of 2005, a month after my oncologist told me I had 2 weeks to 2 months to live. He was an excellent doctor, and he was my friend too. I remember returning from that trip and his asking me what we did. When I told him I rode the Tower of Terror, his eyes were big, and he said, "You've got to be kidding." And then I told him about riding Thundermountain Railroad and Space Mountain too. He always like it when we returned to California, and he said he thought of me as an "eternal child."

And how can I finish this blog without one final view of the Disneyland Castle that they decorated special for the holidays. The trip was a magical one this year, one that was like high priced cheese--it became better the longer we stayed in California.

Making these blogs makes me want to return to warm weather and the place where flowers always bloom and trees never lose their leaves. It's not Eden in any case. Occasionally you see crying children, sated with everything they have and still wanting more, and sometimes you see parents threatening to take them home, but we had a good time, and our children were perfect. For the first time I ever remember, the trip truly had a "Disney" ending.