Christmas 2020

These are things from Christmas I don't want to forget.

A few nights before Christmas we celebrated our second Bethlehem Dinner.  (We did this a few years ago when Kayla and Matt were visiting.)  It's basically a charcuterie board that we eat on the floor.  And I have no fancy serving boards, so it's all hodge-podge.  Still delicious, though.  I bought several types of cheese from Trader Joes, and had some fruit, nuts, crackers, meat and dips.  We were smart to do it after Enzo was in bed, and the older kids all loved it.  Tiago kept repeating, "This is the best meal I've ever had."  And it's nice to be on the floor because it makes laying down really easy once you're really stuffed.  I think the winning flavors this year were a smelly french cheese paired with cranberry jelly and a dried apricot.

Jenna came to town on Monday and left Saturday, the 26th.  I had fun chatting with her, but my girls!  They couldn't get enough.  At almost any moment they could be found sitting on her lap or hugging her.  She spent hours doing crafts and activities with them, and the lived for it.  She cut their hair, sang songs with them, and did bedtime every night, including extra singing together.  That meant that Tiago and Enzo were also able to get a lot of extra attention.

We had some amazing food.  In addition to our giant charcuterie board, we made a lot of treats-- english toffee, sugar cookies, fudge, and cinnamon rice krispie treats.  The adults went downtown for lunch -- everything at Pecan Lodge was amazing-- the brisket, pork, sweet potato, mac and cheese, banana pudding.  The weather was beautiful so we could eat outside.  Jenna and I went to get fancy tacos at Velvet Taco -- indian , cuban, bbq, and grilled salmon.  And maybe the most satisfying was making beef bourguinon on Christmas eve.  We had a french theme, with several (trader joes) appetizers, shrimp, cheese, and bread.  I added a french salad because I felt obligated to include at least one vegetable.  But it was amazing.  (And my funny kids didn't want anything but the bread, of course.)

On Christmas Eve the kids exchanged gifts with each other.  They drew names this year, for the first time.  Siena was SO excited to give Mila colored hair clip-ins.  She has really enjoyed wearing them herself.  Tiago got beyblades from Enzo, but needed a launcher he didn't have.  The girls each got something L.O.L. related.  Enzo got a super-cute bouncy donkey from Mila.  He was picking it up and hauling it all over.  From the start of opening presents, Enzo would match the excitement of whoever was opening, throwing his arms in the air and saying, 'Wow' even though he didn't really understand what was going on. 

Tiago was very anxious to open presents, trying to rush every one and get to his next gift.  We realized on Christmas morning the secret is to keep him occupied with something, like an interesting book.

On Monday before Christmas, we drove around looking at Christmas lights.  We found a neighborhood that was recommended.  It wasn't a huge deal, so there were not crowds, but they host a decorating competition so there was plenty to see.  One amazing street had a song theme, every house decorated to a new song.  We realized after our first drive-through that a radio station was programed to play the exact song, based on your location.  So we drove through a second time listening to the music change from "Feliz Navidad" to "Baby it's Cold Outside," etc.  Very impressive.

We took a trip to Crayola Factory.  And then two of those crayons ended up going through the wash and causing a big head ache and a lot of waste.  

For our Christmas Eve 'program' I had the kids draw pictures of different parts of the nativity.  They took turns holding their pictures and reading the story.  We sang a few songs mixed in.  And the kids each 'performed' --Siena and Tiago on the piano and Mila singing Angels we have heard on high.  Maybe in the future we'll go back to acting out the nativity, but I didn't actually miss it.  

We had no presents under our tree until after the kids were in bed.  I knew if I brought any out, Enzo would rip into them.  So there was a big transformation on Christmas morning.  Once the presents were all opened, it looked normal again, instead of just looking empty.

The kids all LOVED their Santa gifts.  Tiago got a giant nerf fun, which 'shoots 90 feet'.  The neighbor boys all love running around with these big guns doing battles (not even with bullets, just pretend.)  The girls got L.O.L. dolls, which is all they really asked for.  I don't get the hype, but they were pleased.  Siena got a fuzzy headband in her stocking which she's been wearing non-stop.  

All morning, Mila was just happy with everything.  I think she would have been content if we stopped 10 minutes into it.  Tiago, as mentioned, was anxious to open everything, and loved it all.  He got a Titanic model he was so excited to build, and a stomp rocket, book, space robot building thing, Legos, and a science kit.  That kid certainly has a niche, and is easy to buy for.

The girls also got princess Legos, although Siena ended up letting Tiago put hers together... They got sparkly sequin skirts, purses (which they use to bring snacks to church) and a lot of crafts -- window art, beads for bracelets, etc.  My mom gave them a package of a few dozen rings, which they went around sharing with neighbor girls.  Plenty for everyone.  

Enzo got a board book filled with family pictures.  And was none the wiser that -- being the 4th-- he was kind of neglected.

After opening presents, and eating breakfast (which included candied bacon) the kids played, then went outside for a bit to play with neighbor kids.  Over the next few days Tiago spent a dozen hours putting together the Titanic and was pleased to show it off to everyone over video chat.  

We watched a few movies (Home Alone, Muppet Christmas Carol) and the kids put together a gingerbread house with Aunt Jenna.  Bless the people who invented the ready-to-go kits at Costco. 

The nights leading up to Christmas we were pretty good about doing the "Novena"-- a Colombian tradition we've adopted and adapted.  We do a short spiritual thought, hang an ornament on the tree, and sing "villancicos" -- spanish Christmas songs.  The kids learned a few really well this year.  We sang "Campanas de Belen" and "Burrito Sabanero" many, many times.  It's cute to watch them sing, and be able to read the words on the TV.  (We just searched YouTube videos.)

For the kids 'last presents' to open on Christmas morning I did a little scavenger hunt for them.  Tiago got to the end of his, and it said, "Go to the black trashcan."  (It's on our back patio, where we store outdoor toys.)  I was waiting out there to see his reaction.  He walked out and went straight to the trash can, looking around, confused that he couldn't find anything.  After about 30 seconds he turned around and saw the new bike he had walked right past.  He acted surprised and confused.  If only I'd pressed the right button to catch it on video, but glad I got to enjoy the moment of his confusion.

The girls' hunt led them to 16" squishmallows (stuffed animals).  They were thrilled, because they asked for them, but expected 6" versions.  Costco pulled through.  

Hyrum received some new shoes, chocolate, socks, a fancy water bottle, and I guess technically a bike that we bought last month but still haven't put together.

As a family we got some new pots and pans from Mom, a gift certificate from Dad, and artwork from the Blomfields.  I had Hyrum gift me some nice leather sneakers that I've been eyeing.  

The day after Christmas we took the kids over to the school playground to play with some of the toys in the field.  Tiago would launch his stomp rocket and Hyrum would try to shoot it with the nerf gun.  It looked a lot like shooting clay pigeons.  We were playing around with slow motion videos and got some great clips.  It was warm enough the kids all took off their coats.

Hyrum took off work the entire week of Christmas.  He worked with the girls every day helping them learn how to ride bikes.  They're not quite there, but getting closer!  (bending over, holding onto the back of the bike... really makes us appreciate that Tiago taught himself.)

Santa and the reindeer enjoyed the treats we left.  We used all the carrots in the beef bourgoinon, so we left a bell pepper.  Someone took quite a violent bite out of it.  I imagine it was quite loud.

My kids spent the whole week taking sips of Jenna's diet coke.  Enzo spent the week mostly avoiding her, although he, too, tried to steal coke.  I was holding Enzo about a foot away from Jenna.  He was watching out of the corner of his eye, but wouldn't make eye contact.  So I rotated my body towards her, and in equal measure, his head rotated away.  After a few days, he warmed up, and even chose to have her hold him, instead of his own mother, when she offered him a cookie.  

We sent out Christmas cards.  I didn't have any specific plan, so the Sunday after Thanksgiving I made the family dress in Christmas colors and sit in the back yard while I propped up the camera on a bunch of stuff.  When I looked though them later, we had few 'usable' shots, but we found this one cute one of everyone looking a little goofy and a very serious Enzo.  We decided it would be perfect for a bit of comedy, so I created all these speech bubbles in Powerpoint, then pasted it into the card website.  It wasn't perfect or professional, but it was well-received.  (On the opposite side, I put a drawing that Mila did in church one Sunday.  It was so cute!  And completely spontaneous.  I just had to use Paint -- yes, very professional -- to squish some of the text and picture closer together.)

The best gift of Christmas was that Hyrum let me sleep in... the entire week.  He woke up at 5:30 with Enzo, which shifted gradually to 6:15.  And I slept as long as I wanted.  Initially my body woke me up around 7, but by the end I slept happily till 8:30.  I can't remember the last time I was able to sleep in like that for more than a day at a time.  Priceless.

4 Dr Check-ups

Tiago  

Height: 49.5" (75%)

Weight: 50.8 lb (50%)

Siena

Height: 43.5" (50-75%)

Weight: 40.2 lb (50%)

Mila

Height: 43.5" (50-75%)

Weight: 39.4 lb (25-50%)

Enzo: 

Height: 34" (98%)

Weight: 25 lb 9 oz (75-90%)

Head: 47 cm (50%)

Somehow I completely skipped over the girls' well-check appointments back in March, and the ones I had scheduled in September for them and Tiago got cancelled.  So we found ourselves with appointments for all four kids in November.  Despite a scheduling headache, in which they told me only two patients were allowed in each room and no kids could wait in the waiting room alone, they ended up crowding all 5 of us in one small room. 

It took nearly two hours to get everyone seen by the doctor.  All three older ones had their hearing and vision checked.  Everyone got flu shots, which involved physically restraining several of them.  Enzo was OVER IT after 1.5 hours.  (Me too.)  When the doctor was checking Siena's stomach, I thought she was going to urinate right there on the table, so she hopped up and ran to the bathroom.  When that was taken care of, of course the other two also needed to go.  

But we ended with 4 mostly happy and very healthy kids.  Let's do this again next year. hahahaha

School

 Ever since school was cancelled in March, I had my fingers crossed the kids would go back in the fall.  All summer, most people were in limbo waiting to see what their school district would decide.  In July, Dallas County created an order that no in-person classes or activities could occur until September 8.  That came after getting false hope from the Texas Education Board who said every student needed to have the chance for in-person school.  (Virtual options have always been available for those who prefer it.)  So then RISD came out with a plan to start school virtually, and then open schools after about 3 weeks.  

I think it was good to establish virtual capabilities; in the case that the school (or class) has to go virtual for a period, they're fairly well prepared for it.  But... it was painful.

The toughest part was having to abide by their schedule, which lasted from 7:50 am - 3 pm.  There was only about 1.5 hours of substance in there, but they manage to spread it out over the entire day, with calls throughout the day.  Between the two class schedules, we never got to leave the house, and barely even got a lunch break.  Plus, kids are grumpier when they're on tablets all day.

Tiago, literally, just wanted to sit in the chair and read all day.  Once school re-started, he said he'd rather just be home reading.  And, I don't blame him.  Sounds good to me, too.

Initially the school district set case-number requirements our county needed to meet before re-opening.  And they had a phased opening, that would start with half-classes attending two days a week (M,T and then Th,F).  As the 're-open' date approached, I was super confused, because we were nowhere near meeting the metrics.  Just a few days before they were supposed to go back face-to-face, they explained they were not using all of Dallas County numbers, and only the small part of Dallas County in our school district.  And without mention, they just did away with the phased approach.

On September 8 I went and dropped off ALL THREE big kids for a full day of school.  Of course, they were wearing masks, all day.  (I think they just take them off for lunch, and recess if they need to, as long as they're not in close contact with others.)  They have clear plastic 'shields' or dividers that they use in the classroom and carry with them to lunch and specials.  They have assigned seating and interact mostly with a group of only 4 students.  And the best part of all is they don't really complain about any of it.  I think the social aspect outweighs the inconvenience, and they're happy to be in school.  

The only problems are the kids biting the inside of their masks.  Or sucking on them.  Several already have holes in the inside, and it hasn't even been a month.  And all of Tiago's masks slip off his nose.  It would be great to buy a bunch and see what really fits his face best, but I don't want to spend a small fortune on a bunch of masks that probably won't work well, either.  

I always imagined that having the oldest 3 at school all day would give me a bigger break, but here I am trying to entertain a baby/toddler for 7 hours.  (Well, he takes a nap for part of that, which is when I hurry and try to get everything done.)  He often throws a tantrum if I take him on a walk longer than 10 minutes, which I still do sometimes, anyway.  He likes to dump all of our containers of toys out all over the floor then empty all of my lower kitchen cabinets. Every. Day. And he wants to be held if I'm standing up trying to do anything.  It has been a reminder of how unstimulating I find the beginning years of motherhood.  Bigger kids get hard, but there's at least stuff going on.  Conversations.  Activities.  Etc.  With Enzo, we've read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" about 100 times since the start of school.  But he's cute.  I'll keep him.

My fingers are crossed that the kids stay in school all year.  Flu season may throw a wrench in things.  Currently, the school district has a covid-tracker where you can see all current/past cases by school.  It's interesting to follow.  Weekly, we have to fill out a symptoms tracker, indicating whether the kids have any covid symptoms.  I suspect if there's any positive, they tell you to stay home and make you get a test before coming back.  So with flu symptoms mixed in, I think things could get messy.

Here are pictures we took on the first day of school (Mila in purple), along with some 'schooling'.  Before school started, they each got to pick out a new shirt, and the girls got lunch boxes.  (A pineapple and Wonderwoman.)

This was walking to school on the first day of in-person school.  They didn't need to wear the masks during the walk, but I think they wanted to feel extra-prepared.  And lastly... my fitbit step-count was about double what it usually is.  The first day back felt busy, trying to get them to school, entertain Enzo, clean the house, run errands, etc.  14,600 steps.

First Hatch Family reunion - Bear Lake 2020

We've never had an official reunion before.  Now seemed as good a time as any.  (There are now 31 of us, if my math is correct.)  Courtney and I coordinated our trips so we could all visit Bear Lake at the end of June.  Mom made the logistics very easy by providing most of the equipment, bedding, chairs, etc for us coming from out of town.  

Food

Is it a Hatch gathering without good food?  We decided that one of the big successes of the reunion was Mom's ability to feed a crowd!  She planned all the meals in advance, prepped most of the food, and got all the snacks, etc.  It certainly doesn't sound fair--but she insists it's something she's able to do, and since she does it so much better than any of us could, we kind of decided we're all willing to pay for the food if she'll do the planning/prep.  We had steak, corn on the cob, and a lot of other delicious things.  The second night we went out to dinner at a local restaurant.  It would have been more fun for the Suarez family if we didn't have 4 kids.. but it worked out okay.  Maybe next time we'll order in pizza or something.

Lodging

We held the reunion at the KOA campgrounds for two nights.  (Arrive Thursday afternoon, leave on Saturday.)  It was a great length, although I wouldn't have minded one more night, or another beach day.  We stayed in cabins, which were arranged in a horseshoe, most of them facing in towards a fire pit and picnic tables.  It was a fantastic set-up!  We each had our own personal space, there were plenty of beds, and a common gathering area.  

There was a pool, a playground with a huge bouncy thing, mini-golf, and an ice-cream shop.  The kids had a great time roaming around together (with a little supervision) and playing with all their cousins.  

Activities

Thursday afternoon was a lot of hanging out, with a few planned activities.  Kayla did a pirate treasure hunt with the kids, which was a hit with the kids (who all ran around with pirate hats and eye patches) and a hit with the adults (who could kick back and relax while the kids were all entertained.)  Then Courtney did tie-dye with the kids, which required significantly more adult interaction and stressed me out big time because my kids were getting the dye on their regular clothes until I stripped them naked.  It was kind of messy (not my forte) but in the end all the shirts were cute, and Courtney did the hard work of rinsing/drying them after.  Now we're enjoying the fruits of our labors and I'd say it was worth it.  But maybe let's not do it again. haha.  I set up a guessing game about family members and ancestors, with some candy prizes.  And after dinner mom told stories, and we all chatted.

Saturday was our beach and boating day.  Mom rented a boat for us for about 6 hours, and after breakfast, one group went to get the boat and start on the water.  (Jenna and Peter were the fantastic captains for most of the day.) The rest of us headed to the beach.  Then we switched and brought out a couple more groups to water-ski/surf, or ride the water weenie.  Tiago got to ride with all his older boy cousins, and felt quite grown up.  Mila and Siena loved playing at the beach with Charlotte and Ella, and riding on the blow-up unicorn.  I went out in the last group and tried my hand at surfing.  I got up once, but couldn't quite get in the groove.  But I gave myself an A for effort for trying so many times.  It's harder to do new things the older you get.  And it hurts more, too.  

Fun moments

My funnest moment might be the fantastic weather.  It wasn't too hot (maybe even on the cold side.  And us Texans often don't even remember what cold feels like) but the beach was warm enough to be pleasant.

My mom shared stories of her kids growing up, for the grandkids to listen to.  Mila and Siena thought they were HILARIOUS.  They couldn't stop giggling, and for days (and now months) kept saying, "Remember the time Uncle Matt sang 'amen' at the end of the prayer?"  Or, "Why did Aunt Courtney throw all her toys in the toilet?"  

Rosalie was the star of the reunion.  The kids and adults all loved her best and she didn't disappoint with all her smiles.

Second to the baby were the bigger-baby boys.  We had a big fold-up corral in the middle of the camp chairs where we kept the babies a lot of the time so they couldn't escape or get hurt.  Enzo HATES being in it by himself, but with Lucas and Paul in there he didn't seem to mind as much.  They got attention from all the surrounding adults, and many kids.  Ella especially was good at entertaining them.

This was one of the first chances the cousins had for extended time together (more than just a few hours.)  They really bonded.  The little girls were always off playing games and imagining, and probably talking about beautiful things and unicorns and rainbows.  Tiago really became Andrew's shadow and loved playing with him.  He thinks Andrew is hilarious.  

Elle really proved herself on the boat, being one of the few to really succeed at wake boarding.  

Saturday morning we took some of the kids to the pool (and froze!) before driving home.  We stopped to see Grandpa Buttars on the way.

You know the reunion was a success because when it was all over, everyone happily committed to do this every two years.  We'll either do the same set-up at the KOA, or try to rent a big house somewhere on the lake, because why re-invent the wheel when it worked so well the first time.  We will probably have families responsible for snacks, and let mom take charge of meals again.  It's bizarre to realize we are in the stage of life where we'll regularly gather together for family reunions, like I remember doing growing up.  Hopefully the kids can all make great memories.

Now for the photos in no particular order.