Christmas in California

One of the worst things about living half a world away from home-- jet lag.  Jet lag is a close second to other worst things... like: missing births, weddings, deaths (and all other familial and friend-centered events); not being present for joys and sorrows that permeate our loved one's daily lives;  and the ever-important "hug-on-demand" that you can get when you live close to your nearest and dearest. That all said, the positives of our crazy lives still outweigh the negatives and so we continue exploring the world and teaching as we go. But jet lag is a nasty result of such an interesting lifestyle. And this year--jet lag is dreadful. Between the inevitable holiday blues, the 22+ hours of flying, and the 10 hour time change, I'm walking the halls of our summery still house at 1 am in Johannesburg reflecting on our Christmas in California.

Don't get me wrong, we've had some amazing Christmases not in California. But after the trips to Rob's family in Belgium, Jordan, Lombok, Thailand, and recruiting in Bangkok last Christmas, I was eager to go home. So... after 6 years of Christmas in California absences, I pushed and prodded, whined and weaseled my way into what is now being coined our Costly Christmas in California. But damn, it was worth it! We arrived home restless for cold weather, craving chaotic family events, and a yearning (by me) to relive the Christmas traditions of my youth through my kids' eyes. And we did just that!

We were most excited about the opportunities to play elves on many occasions. Our first experience started on day 2 of our trip, when my dear friend Tricia came down with stupidity and fell off a young man's loft bed leaving her and her Spreading Christmas Cheer Project in a lurch! Who would be the delivery elves this year while she was bolted to her couch with a broken wrist, smashed face, and a gloomy disposition? Why? We would. Of course. So after some careful scheduling, loading, and Google mapping, Tricia's elves loaded vans and cars with over $6,000 of items that two very wonderful (but struggling) families needed and wanted this holiday season.

The second such elf-like experience came just two days after Christmas when Santa's [belated] helpers organized a living room redecoration to accommodate a new TV and cabinet for the matriarch of our family. Despite the white-lies and lunch cancellations, our Nama was pretty excited about her new entertainment! Now she can watch 'Judge Judy' in HD! During this holiday, we enjoyed a girls-only trip to see the Nutcracker, BART-ed to San Francisco to see the Christmas displays in Union Square (though extremely disappointing, dinner at the Ferry Building was quite delightful), attended an adorable American/Russian Christmas program at Katya's daycare, and made copious amounts of holiday treats with my Nama while listening to my grandfather's old 45s crackling in the background.

We enjoyed opening gifts on Christmas Eve at Dominic and Anna's house, making retro Christmas ornaments from Styrofoam balls and sequins, watching my dad finally show off his "frying bacon" routine (what grandparents won't do for their grandchildren!), thanking him by driving to Half Moon Bay at the start of crab season to score some deliciousness, long and lovely dinners with cousins, as well as seeing to the health and well-being of grandpa's chickens.

A holiday highlight was enjoying a Christmas with little ones again! It was great to see our niece and nephew mesmerized by the glitz and excitement of Christmas. During a pre-departure sleepover, we even got to take Katya and the kids to one of those outrageously decorated (and synchronized-to-music) houses in the Bay Area. The kids got out and danced on the lawn under the fake snow while my parents and grandmother listened to the music from the comfort (read: warmth) of the car!

After caring for our dear friend, Tricia, Rob and I got to sneak off for a little date and caught The Secret Life of Walter Mitty while enjoying a dinner of popcorn and soda. We even got to enjoy some alone-time with my godfather, Steve though this time it wasn't over BINGO cards. Rob even organized an afternoon out with a former colleague who is now living in Pakistan! Whoa... reading over this list of events makes me tired all over again!

But... one of the most enjoyable and unexpected events occurred just a few days after Christmas when my mom (in her wonderful Annette way) concocted a plan with an old friend and arranged a post-holiday soiree with some of the former boys of the Golden Gate Boys Choir. Without knowing all the ins and outs of the event, I called upon my Notre Dame girls and included them in the mix--boy they didn't know what hit them when they descended on our house with 30 people cramped in every corner of my parent's house devouring amazing Filipino food and catching up on old times. Seeing my friend Dian pregnant made me giddy and meeting the newest addition to Teresa's family was such a blessing.

But watching my brother sing after such a hiatus had to be one of my personal highlights. Seeing my brother pick up complicated sheet music and sing so beautifully took me back to all those years of carting him to rehearsals, following him on tour around the world, and doing my homework in many a church basement! I was thrilled to see friends I hadn't seen in years and catch up on the lives of people who were so vastly important in our old lives. I know that my parents enjoyed the night tremendously--they stayed up and gabbed until midnight! My mother, again, pulls off another one of her crazy plans with great success!

Though our jaunt to the states was wonderful, it's nice to be back "home" in our own beds, with our own things, and our crazy dog in toe. Though we miss everyone desperately and long for the next holiday, it is time to get back to reality in this new year!

Blessings for great adventures and happiness in 2014!

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