Stuff Jo Knows ...: (Just Pics)

Papa, Mimi, Daddy, Francie, Beebee, Mama

We celebrated Christmas at home this year, and enjoyed the company of Mimi, Papa, and Beebee. I will likely remember this year as "the one where Francie dressed as Wonder Woman and I was officially diagnosed with frostbite."

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I bought her this Wonder Woman costume on Amazon. It was a TOTAL HIT. Alex got her the Big Kid Bike she asked Santa for. When I was wrapping presents I was reflecting on the fact that it wouldn't "look" like Daddy gave her anything, so I put his name on the tag. Epic mama fail. But don't you worry, I told her the truth later so she knows damned well who so thoughtfully purchased that favorite dress-up getup ;)

But first, a few days before Christmas, we had a flamily outing to see "The Children's Nutcracker" at Portland State, an abridged version of the ballet with all youth performers. The Bean was mostly engaged in the show (we were in the very back row), but her body was antsy as hell. She said she really liked it, but after the show I asked her if now she wants to be a ballerina - to which she responded that she wants to work in construction. Hashtag proud mama.

So adorably fancy in her new blue satin dress.

With the flam - Mama, Bean, Daddy.

And then on Christmas Eve we had a lovely visit from the Menne clan to exchange gifts and visit and play, before lounging around some more (ahh, a teacher, university adjunct, and preschooler on vacay for two weeks over the holidays), and then going to the candlelight church service.

Rachel, Baby Finley, Mimi, Francie, Logan Alex, Max, and Nesta.

Mimi and Francie reading/practicing The Night Before Christmas. She later blew Alex and myself away with how many of the words she could recite with some assistance.

Flamily foto with flash.

Mimi, Beebee, Alex, Francie and I attended the Unitarian church the Bean and I have been going to on and off the last year. It was a "family" service so the kids could stay for the entirety of the service, and we sang a slew of traditional Christmas carols. Francie was all about that Baby Jesus.

The Bean wearing Great Aunt Patty's perfect peacoat, with her lit candle, all ready to walk outside.

That beautiful little profile of hers. May your light shine on into 2017. May I shine my light a bit more like you, sweet girl.

Mama and the Bean couch cuddles.

Surprise surprise, Daddy wanted in on that cuddle time with his best girls.

Pot-church fish tacos, thanks to Mimi.

This was the first year Francie cared about leaving cookies for Santa (and water for his reindeer, namely, Rudolph).

And then it was Christmas Morning .... which turned into Christmas Day, with us opening gifts even into the late afternoon. No joke. Clearly no one was left wanting. But we did get to celebrate and unwrap at the leisurely pace I much prefer to the frenzied consumerism of some of our holiday celebrations. But also, the day was interrupted with an urgent? (anxious) visit to Kaiser Beaverton's Urgent Care to get my big toe checked out. More on that later.

Santa came! And he brought a pink (not purple) Big Kid Pedal Bike, just as the Bean asked.

She was a great little elf, passing out presents from under the tree, and paying almost as much attention to other people's gifts as to her own.

And just like that she turned from a Christmas Elf into Wonder Woman.

The costume was a hit, obvi.

***Trigger warning - bare feet ahead***

And then, just as I showed my defective toe - me worried about an infected blister or wart or something - to my dad, it started to hurt tenfold and my anxiety set in. I convinced myself I had an infection and likely needed antibiotics, given that it had been bugging me for more than a week and my dad said "well that doesn't look good," so we took an intermission so that Alex could take me on a run Kaiser Urgent Care. Turns out, no kidding, it's a mild case of frostbite, related to my Raynaud's. In all the 20 years I've had Raynaud's, I have never had a nip of the frost - not even when living in the biting Telluride cold, nor when in Tahoe, and then not even while surviving my dad's subhuman-barely-heated house in the dreary wet cold of Portland.

The frostbite diagnosis also helped explain why the pain level was a solid 7 when I (my toes) were cold, and why when waiting to be seen by the doctor, my feet warmed in my winter boots, the pain/sensitivity was only a 2 or so.

For proof, evidence that, although I remain skeptical about the diagnosis, an MD actually named it frostbite. It's not always in my head. Not the random bleeding ulcer in Italy. Not the smallpox/chicken pox in Argentina. Not the frostbite in 30-something Portland.

I didn't make the grand REI purchase until the day after Christmas, but it is worth documenting here how I intend to manage my "disease" - legit down booties and a down sleeping bag that you wear. (And also, at the urging of the MD, I signed up for a qigong class to improve my circulation and energy flow, which apparently can also be closely related to the unnamed infertility issues).

I can EVEN do the dishes in this bad boy.

But now, we return to our regularly scheduled Christmas Day programming, with presents and more presents for the center of this home's universe, the child:adult ratio always in her favor ...

Body crayons!

Wonder Woman nigthgown!

These two really are the best of snow friends, of which we've coined "snowmies."

She made this adorable painted fabric and then her Teacher Joann quilted/sewed it for her to give her parents. Probably one of my favorite gifts of the year.

Also a big hit - here she models Mama's "Big Girl Gift Bag" - a long skirt (like Elsa), a sports bra (like Wonder Woman and her mama), and colored lipgloss (like no one in her family).

Both Alex and the Bean got new ski goggles and were so PSYCHED to wear them in the snow.

Thanks to music-loving Mimi and Papa, and new REAL uke!

Wearing one of the new dresses Mimi sewed her.

Sporting the new leotard (from Mama for her new gymnastics classes) and new purple Bog boots (from Brian and Jen), on the jumpin "flybar" (from B and Z).

Alex designed/built me a C-shaped table - ya know, so I can be even more sedentary on the couch to accommodate my snacks or multiple beverages and iPad.