Tag Archives: Christmas

It Is Time

It’s that time again, in fact it’s probably past time. The drifts of needles falling to the floor get deeper every day. Half the string of colored lights inexplicably stopped working and the other half has fallen to the floor. The ornaments have made a slow migration to the top half of the tree as they are moved out of the reach of little hands.

Yes, it is time.

The Christmas tree needs to be taken down.DSCN0341-(sm)

But, I never want to take the tree down.

I love our Christmas tree.

It’s not the most beautiful tree. While it is of better shape then many we’ve had in the last few years it still wouldn’t be up to snuff in a Christmas tree lot.

But our tree is extra special.

We planted it ourselves not long after we moved into the house, then on the first snowy day this winter we cut it down and dragged it back through the field to the house.GEDC8035-(2sm)

And then there are the ornaments – oh, the ornaments.

They all tell a story, they all hold a memory.

The girls like to sit and pick out their favorite ornaments and then ask me to tell it’s story.

There are ornaments that were given to me by my Granny that used to hang on her tree. DSCN0305-(2sm)

Old ornaments that always remind me of helping decorating her tree when I was girl.DSCN0350-(sm)

There are ornaments from John and I’s first Christmas together.DSCN0318-(2sm)

Ornaments for first babies ( and second and third).DSCN0331-(2sm)

Ornaments from friends.DSCN0326-(2sm)

And oh so many more, all with their own little story to tell.DSCN0366-(2sm)

This year we added a new story to the tree.

This year was the 100th year that my family (on my Mom’s side to be exact) ate Christmas dinner at the same table together. Five generations of traditions and memories all summed up in one little ornament that will hang on our tree forever.DSCN0302-(2sm) How will I ever get the gumption to take the tree down now?

A Memorable Christmas

Christmas celebrations are full of traditions and while I love traditions of all kinds, they do have the effect of making past holidays blend together

This year that won’t be a problem.

For starters there was Jane’s arrival.

Christmas with a two day old baby shall always be memorable.

We still went to Pewaukee for Christmas Eve and Day, for what was intended to be a small low key sort of Christmas. Just us, my Mom, Dad and Tyler.  We decided that we would still meet at Granny and Grandpa’s house even though they were in Florida.  And Granny and Gramps, if you want to stop reading now before I say any more, that might be for the best…

First off, lets just say that nothing is very low key with a four year old, a two year old,  a newborn, and a sleep deprived set of parents… and don’t forget the puppies.  While most of the dogs spent Christmas down at Mom and Dad’s by themselves, the puppies, who are fast approaching the six-month old crap head stage, were with us at the big house. You know the Family Circus cartoon? The ones where they show the tracks that the kids make as they run all over? Well Tyler’s dog Sunday would fit right in… you get him too excited and he leaves his own spotted trail behind him…all over the front steps,  your foot, your cousin’s pants…. Between Sunday’s Family Circus trails, Clara’s potty training and Jane just doing what a newborn does, it was a soggy sort of Christmas.

Soggy or not stockings were hung by the chimney with care and the next morning Jane wasn’t even upset that all  she got in her stocking was dog treats.  We moved right along to exchanging gifts, which went pretty well.  Only one tearful incident  and so long as someone kept an eye on Clara, who wanted to open everyone’s presents for them, gifts eventually made it to whom they were intended for.

Then there was dinner. Due to a combination of the new baby and Clara’s food restrictions, it was planned to be a much simpler meal than we normally have. Then it got even simpler when we opened the oven and stared flabbergasted at a turkey that wasn’t even close to done. Since the family routinely roasts large chickens and turkeys as an “easy” meal, the half-done turkey was a shock to everyone. But no worries, we were also having venison loin on the grill… which was great, except that it ran out of gas. Fortunately my family likes rare meat, really, rare meat.  After making it through dinner (thank goodness for the dog under the table to get the dropped food) we were ready for the annual lighting of the Christmas pudding.  A few false starts later, the chemist excused himself to the kitchen to help light the brandy and we only almost burned up Tyler’s place mat in the lighting of the pudding. (Really Granny… it’s fine!) 

All in all it was a Christmas to remember!

Naughty or Nice?

Ivy has been having a rough few days. I’m not sure if she’s got a bit of the virus that’s going around,  if she’s over excited, or if she’s just turning into a monster. Whatever is happening I’ve yet to figure out why it’s happening or how best to deal with it which has resulted in a trying few days for everyone.

Today I got desperate and brought Santa Clause into the conversation. We had a little chat about what happens if you are nice and and what happens if you are naughty. It was mentioned that with her current behavior Santa would only bring coal and rocks and sticks for her stocking. Ivy was quite for a moment and then said: “That’s OK if Santa brings me sticks I can play with Storm with them!”

I need a new plan.

The Christmas Cookies

Yesterday I wrote about a few of the traditions in my family, but the Connell family Christmas Cookies were too big of an event to fit on the same post. Now that my laundry pile is much reduced I’m back to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about our Christmas Cookie making tradition!

The event begins a day or two ahead of the gathering of people when Grandpa and Granny (sometimes with assistance by others) use the old hand grinder to grind up almonds and lemon peel and mix them up into the dough. Just the making of the dough is a bit epic, and we haven’t hardly started yet!

Next we gather as many family members (and sometimes brave friends) as possible into the farm house in Pewaukee where we will shape and bake the cookies.

Once gathered the cooking making begins with the rolling. That’s grandpas job and has been for as long as I can remember. Sometimes he has helpers, sometimes he smashes the dough into his helpers face to make “nose prints,” sometimes it’s hard to be Grandpas helper.

Then a cutter must come and trim edges.

They are followed by the butterer…

…who is followed by the sugerer.

Once sugared they are cut into squares, or if Ivy is helping something with about four sides, not necessary straight nor uniform in size.

Then they are finally picked up and baked.

After baking they are cooled on racks before getting put away into the tins. This has been my Dads job for many years. This year there was much harassing about how he is almost as good at it as the 90 year old lady (my great grandma) who’s job he inherited.

Which brings us to the next part of the tradition.

The harassment.

The cookies are too thin, too thick, not buttered enough, too little sugar or not enough. “Your making postage stamps again!” is often heard to be yelled at a cutter. Oddly enough, Granny in the baking position gets very little flack on her work, I’m thinking this isn’t a coincidence.

And all this fun, it’s been going on for years.

I asked Grandpa this year just how long we have been making Christmas cookies.

He said: “Since 1848.”

He was kidding.

Just a tip, never trust Gramps, they don’t call him “The Big Fink” for nothin’.

Then Granny told how they were not always made this way. My Great Grandma used to cut them out with a round cutter and dip them in butter and then in sugar. Granny thought that was ridiculous therefore we don’t do it that way any more. After we got that story  behind us (it’s a yearly event) we attempted to figure out just how long we have been making the Christmas cookies. It turns out 1848 isn’t too far off. The recipe is entitled “Lena Puchners Christmas Cookies”, it calls for 5 cents of potash, (we’ve updated that to baking soda in our new fangled ways and the cookies seem no worse for the wear) and in the top corner is written “Hayton.” This means -stop reading now if you want to save yourself from the family history- that the Connell family (my Moms, Dads family) had brought the recipe to Pewaukee with them from Hayton Wisconsin where they used to live before my Great Grandfather (James A Connell – Grandpa’s Dad) bought the farm in 1913.  My Great Great Grandfather (Richard Connell)  had died when James was only 16 and so when he came to Pewaukee at the age of 28 he brought his mother (Betsy Amelia, who is sometimes called Betsy and usually called Amelia which always manages to confuse me) and her Christmas Cookie recipe along with him. Shortly after they were joined by Jessie (my Great Grandmother) the maker of the round cookies.

What does all this mean?

It means that while we have no idea who Lena Puchner was, or how long before the move Amelia may have made the cookies, we do know that Lena’s got some pretty darn good cookies and my family has been making them for at least a hundred years.

Now that’s a tradition.

Traditions

Back from the long weekend of Christmas celebrations we are tucked back into our cozy house reliving the love and beauty of the season…

Sort of.

We are back, the house is still freezing cold, the laundry is sorted and piled on the floor, the hunting stuff is strewn about, the new toys (for young and old) are piled up waiting to find new homes in the morning, the children have only recently stopped yelling and requesting water, Piper is shivering on the couch under her blanket and worried we might leave her behind again at any moment, and the cat is doing her best to be on top of everything.

John is updating our yearly Christmas Book (one of the best newlywed gifts ever by the way) and I’m doing my blogging thing while a fire is trying desperately to turn our frigid house cozy.

Happily home.

Sort of.

Despite my dubious enjoyment of our homecoming we did have a great long Christmas weekend filled with traditions.

My Dads side of the family is traditional in their traditions. (Is that possible? Lets say it is.)

First we stuff forty to fifty people into one house.

They all bring food. (Can you get more traditional than that?)

There is traditional food like stuffed Vienna bread. (If this didn’t show up I’m afraid my mother would be forcibly ejected from the house until she went and made some.)

And there is not so traditional food. Aunt Jeanie always brings something interesting and new, this year she made Spanakopita. I’m not sure what it was, there was something green inside and I ate it all anyway. It was good, very good.

The next tradition is that we squish everyone into one spot, ask my very Finnish family to have patience, stand still, and do what someone else tells them to while we take a picture. (HA!)

 

Miraculously this seems to work every year. The picture taker puts up with a lot of abuse but the picture does get taken. This year cousin Jack took the picture. (He does that now, if you need a picture you should find him. If he can get this family to hold still and smile he can do anything!)

Then then evening turns into a mass of talking, eating, running kids and game playing.

Can you have a tradition of noise? There is a lot of noise.

It used to be the uncles (five of which are my Dads brothers) would play Scrabble and then another group (headed by most of the five  in-law aunts)  would find the new nosiest game ever (think Pictionary) and see how many dirty looks they could get from the serious Scrabble players.  The last few years I haven’t seen a scrabble board but the noisy games have continued. It  just goes to show, Scrabble is nice but you just can’t make a tradition out of it like you can screaming answers above the din of a noisy house… or something…

On my Moms side of the family the traditions are older a bit more reserved and to be honest, a few of them are decidedly odder.

We eat things called prick headed monkeys. They are much tastier than they sound and involve no monkeys whatsoever.

This year was the 98th year the Connell family ate a Christmas dinner around the same table. (unless it was more, but we can only say 98 years for sure)

Every year Grandpa hangs his ornament on the tree while telling the story about when he “was just this high” it broke and he fixed it with Micky Mouse bubble gum. (It’s still fixed by the way, Mickey Mouse bubble gum has some incredible staying power.)

We cook a pudding that is only mildly edible, light it on fire and than smother it in something called hard sauce to make it palatable.  In the last few years John has been leading the family in singing “Varsity” while the pudding burns.

Finally there is the making of the Christmas cookies. This actually occurs sometime before Christmas, (we are clearly too busy singing and burning things  day of) and is an EVENT. Since it is an EVENT it’s getting a posting of it’s own, stay tuned!

I offer no explanation for any of this other than it is – tradition.

Traditions, love em or hate, you just can’t have Christmas without em!

Hope your Christmases were merry and your laundry piles are small!

Little Christmas Helpers

My little Christmas helpers are sooo… umm… helpful?

Today Ivy was wrapping the present she made for Clara.  Since Ivy has never wrapped anything before I was helping her out. This in itself was sort of a dubious plan. I’m a really bad present wrapper. If you get a nice looking wrapped gift from us it came from John.  Nevertheless we were trying.  We cleared a space on the floor, pulled out the paper, tape and scissors and in a flurry of questions we got to work.  As we unrolled a brand new roll of wrapping paper, (and because if you wait until the 22nd to buy wrapping paper you can get it on sale and get the fancy kind with the squares on the back that you never otherwise would have bought) Ivy stared at all the squares rolling out before her and said:

“MOM, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A MAP! … Now, Lets see where we live.”

Then we spent a few minutes  finding our imaginary house and all our friends and relatives imaginary houses on an imaginary map.  Ivy couldn’t understand why I was laughing and why on earth I wanted to get back to wrapping a gift when we were having so much fun with our map.

Helpful may not be precisely the word for my Christmas helpers but between Ivy’s involvement in everything, Clara’s tree un-decorating and shooting Rudolph (While I admit to disliking Rudolph it wasn’t my idea. Ivy  suggested the activity and when I questioned it I was told  “He’s a deer”. Hard to argue with such logic… ) it’s been quite a time around here!

We’ve got maps on the wrapping paper and we ate an imaginary Rudolph dinner.

Picture by Ivy!

Yup, Christmas prep. is much more interesting than it used to be, I wonder how I got along without my helpers?!

The Rest Of Life

As much as I love the Christmas season, cookies and all, it does have a tendency to push the rest of life aside.  Spending evenings making toys for the girls, writing Christmas letters, baking cookies, it’s all  part of the joy of the season (to get all sappy about it) but it really puts a crimp in the rest of life.  Who wants to sit and pay bills when there are cookies to be baked?  Take the dog for a run when there are presents to be made, ordered and wrapped? Rip out the old carpet when you could be reading Christmas books with your kids in front of the fire? A few days ago we did not move a workshop from one outbuilding to another through eight inches of snow, instead we trimmed our tree.

Through the years we have struggled where exactly to put a Christmas tree in our little house.  When the dog requires a love seat for a dog bed (you think I’m exaggerating with the “requires” but I’m not, she is unbearable without her couch) and the house is small there just isn’t a way to put up a tree without some major rearranging.  Some years we’ve put furniture out into the barn, sometimes we’ve moved things upstairs and one year  I put the tree in the kitchen and moved the kitchen table into the living room. This is something that I’m afraid fell under the “my wife is a crackpot” category in John’s mind but I thought worked out just fine.

This year we’ve tucked our little, lopsided, and very tipsy tree in the corner of the living room opposite the wood stove. Then we tied it to the wall and left all the good ornaments off.  Between Clara and the tipsiness I still fear for the ones we did hang!  It looks very cute there, and full of character.  Lots of character is what happens when you choose and cut down a tree at night with no flashlight, but I digress… This year while preparing to put up the tree I did what I’ve done with the rest of life this season, I shoved it aside. In this case the rest of life was a couch, two recliners, a stereo, the biggest speakers that ever  inhabited this size house, a sewing machine, a chest of sewing supplies, a bin of toys, a basket of magazines, a tub of Christmas lights and a partridge in a pear tree.  I actually took a picture of what my living room looked like and then decided not to post it, it was that bad.  While sometimes I have a little trouble letting the rest of life slide during the holidays I had no problem sitting in my chair looking at my tree, ignoring the mess around me and just enjoying the season for a few days.  Either that speaks of my love of the holiday or my hatred of house keeping, I’m not sure which one. It wasn’t until tonight when I got tired of “taking the long way” through the living room to get to the office door that I finally pushed and pulled and rearranged things into something a bit more practical.

Now that I can walk through my house  I’m going to enjoy my holidays and continue to ignore the rest of life waiting in the wings. There will be plenty of time afterward to come up with plans for those projects that will land me back in the “my wife is a crackpot” category.  For instance I’m thinking we’ll use sleds to move the workshop through the snow… but not until January!

‘Tis the Season

I think I missed the memo that it’s December, and that Christmas is essentially two weeks away.

I must have been in Kansas when it went out.

Even though it snuck up on me I am excited the holiday season is here, I love it: The cookies, and the family, and the driving, and the snow, and the cookies, and the gift giving, and the Christmas trees, and the cookies, and the kids on Christmas morning, and the family dinner in Pewaukee (this will be 98 years at the same table!), and the cookies- I love it all. And since I’m all adult-like and I get to pick out and buy presents for my family I have found that I enjoy that far more than you would think from someone who has never, ever, been a shopper.

So, now that I have received my belated memo every day I don’t have something planned I think about how I should go take the girls and make a trek out into the world of stores and shiny items to pick up some gifts. Then the Christmas spirit starts to wane as I mentally plan my day. My thoughts go something like this:

It’ll be best if I can leave the house as soon as possible to get back as soon as possible. Earliest the kids get up at 7 and it takes us a good  hour and a half to dress, eat and do chores.  That’s right about when Clara is ready to take a nap. We can skip the nap this morning, she’ll be OK so long as we are doing things. Of course skipping the nap does result in a high probability that a melt down will occur in some public place, most likely when I’m trying to pay. This will no doubt happen just as Ivy is trying to put extra items from those evil displays at the register on to our pile. It is hard to carry the two girls both throwing fits bodily to the car as well as a shopping bag, but I can do it if I have to.  Then even if we make it back on the road tear free I’ll have to try to get Clara home before she falls asleep. If I feed her something half way home that should keep her awake until we get home, but will likely mean a McDonald’s stop. Then I might be able to get her into the house for a nap, but since she’ll be overtired we are looking at an hour napping max (don’t ask me why, that’s just how it works). Or she’ll fall asleep in the car and wake up when we get home, hungry and really cranky. Meanwhile Ivy will likewise be hungry and in need of a “rest” but protesting it all the while.  Wound up from being in the car too long yet still tired in the afternoon, that’s a guaranteed recipe for an afternoon “rest” struggle.   By the time I get done attempting to get them to sleep (and possibly feeding them) it’ll be time to make something for dinner to make up for the fast food consumed for lunch. Most likely I will have to do that with two cranky kids hanging off of me. John probably won’t be home in time to help (end of the year push at work and all that) and by the time I get them into bed I’ll be hating everyone and have lost the whole Christmas spirit thing entirely…

Do I even need to mention that I have yet to attempt the shopping thing?

It’s funny how that sort of  scenario seems worth a try when going grouse hunting, yet completely unmanageable if shopping is involved.

I think instead I’ll be using nap time and the power of the internet to do a bit of online shopping.

Now I’ve just got to cross my fingers that my satellite connection doesn’t go down in the snow that just started…