Mama's Musings

Home for the Holidays

Growing up, I remember the smell of Folgers coffee in the mornings. For some reason I associate the Folgers brand in particular with Christmas morning. Perhaps it was because my parents stumbled in the pre-dawn hours to the kitchen to drink a cup while we three girls ripped open presents in a flurry of fun and joy. When the folks at Folgers wrote to tell me about their latest contest to giveaway five trips back home for the holidays, it tugged on my heartstrings (partly because I do not live in one of the 48 continguous United States any longer and, therefore cannot apply, and partly because it's just such a darned nice idea!). It is free to enter, but there's a hitch. You've got to get a little creative, too.

From September 30, 2009 through November 7, 2009, you can visit www.folgers.com for a chance to win a trip home to celebrate with family as part of the Folgers “Home for the Holidays” Contest.  Five winners will receive a seven day, six night trip in December, 2009 for themselves and up to three other guests to travel to their hometown destination within the 48 contiguous United States.

Here's the thinking cap part: To enter, visitors to the site will be asked to describe what they think is the best part of wakin’ up at home during the holidays. 

(Blogger's note: You may wish not to quote any part of Holly Hunter's Home for the Holidays movie although I will tell you it is one funny and scarily accurate portrayal of what happens when adult siblings get together). 

Winners will be announced on or about November 11, 2009.  Each trip includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, a rental car, $1,000 spending money and a Folgers gift basket.  See www.folgers.com for Official Rules and complete details.  

Girl Swirl

My dearest bloggereaders! I have been remiss in not recounting the tales of my US travels as they happened. Partly it had to do with the challenges of remote working; the other part had to do with temperatures ranging in the high '90s during which time my brain sagged woefully.

I am back in the saddle after my three-week digital respite. It felt forced because I yearned to tell you about my daughter's adventures riding a former thoroughbred racing horse for several weeks; or my son's incredible swimming abilities; my niece and nephew's fabulousness; their mother's (my sister's) kindness; the great shopping deals I found at Tyson's Corner with my oldest sister whose hawklike eye left no garment unturned. I wanted to tell you about reconnecting with old friends I hadn't seen in ten years but who are cut from the same cloth such that we bonded wordlessly at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I felt compelled to share sad news of an old friend's passing, which we learned about while at the beach. Thankfully, we were surrounded by each other's memories of him, and it helped considerably.

Needless to say, I got wrapped up in the girl swirl, a fourteen-year-old trapped in a forty-year-old body. It never fails to amaze me how our genetic code holds us hostage when we return to our roots, to the very lap of our becoming. Visiting family was intense and fun and glorious and taxing. We love each other immeasurably. We are the flower which yields beauty, then kills the very plant from whence it came.

I am not certain I will ever understand the machinations of family. We are all one. Love and expectation swathed in powerful emotion. Emerging from the vortex, I feel renewed and full of gratitude for my life and all that it contains.

Staycations

Huffington Post's Johanna Smith recently reported on ways to enjoy staycations, that is vacations from home, without falling into the trap of your everyday routine. It made me realize how much time off I actually take, hosting visitors, taking them places, and generally enjoying life as we live it.

Staycations are a great way to embrace the power of slow while learning to appreciate your surroundings. I have found inviting friends and family to stay at our house forces us beyond the comfortable radius we usual travel. Pushing the borders of your comfort zone is a fabulous method for bringing more gratitude into your life.

When my dad and his wife recently visited, we took day trips to various places as close as five miles away. I had no idea the world's oldest brewery was just a stone's throw from my husbands workplace, for instance. Sometimes changing up your routine just a little can release enormous bouts of energy, the exact thing a vacation is meant to do.

Merry Christmas!

Because pictures speak a thousand words...

Home for a day

We just got back from the rockin'est vacation ever. Our two-week hiatus to Italy was full of sun, fun and, believe it or not, exercise. The resort had a new animation program (and I'm not talking about Disney, people). It was a team of twenty-somethings who got us up off our butts and into aerobic classes, yoga-like stretching courses and water aerobics. Every. Day. Sheesh, by the end of Week One, my husband was so into it, he'd make me skip breakfast to go. We'd hear the poolside music calling us and, in a trance-like state, we'd carry ourselves and our beach towels to the water to begin the Tai Chi-like movements. Dag. I think I even lost a pound.

As for the entertainment, it was hilarious. The same team of animators performed night after night. Despite my limping understanding of Italian, I laughed my head off. They were that funny.

I needed a snow plough to get through my email inbox today, but it was worth it.

Oh, and did I mention I'm going to Budapest with hubby sans bébé tomorrow?

Yes, life is good. And I even manage to do some research for my book.

All I want for my birthday

...are my two front teeth. Jackson lost his front teeth this month, and I swear I'm gonna miss that whistle when he says soccer once his adult teeth settle into the front of his face.

We celebrated his seventh birthday a little early. You see the fierceness on these boys' mugs? I hired two bodyguards to protect me for the three-hour (endless) fun. My husband and friend played the role well.

Welcome to the knight's of the round table, featuring the fearless, toothless Jackson!

Foraging for Mushrooms

It's been the most surprising, delightful 24 hours I've had in a while. First, the seven hour train ride with my six-year-old flew by yesterday because we met the most entertaining actor couple in the second train who happened to take the third train with us, too. We laughed the whole way. Then this morning, after a late start (because I usually don't sleep with the shades down and when I do, boy howdy, I'm not gettin' up until someone knocks...), we went into the forest and rummaged about the moss and trees, looking for Pfifferlinge (bright yellow mushrooms that make even grown women like me yelp with delight just for the discovery!).

In between, I get to pretend I'm on vacation, typing away at blog posts and not worrying that my son is drowning at the local pool because he has three adult relatives with him who aren't me.

Yeah.

Life is good!

Little Zeus

When asked what my son wants for his birthday, he replied:

"To be Zeus."

I see.

He has requested we throw a Roman Empire party for his seventh birthday. Anybody know where I might borrow a few togas?

This is going to be rich.

Thanksgiving on Sunday

Being an expat gets you all twisted up timewise. Since Germans don't celebrate Thanksgiving the way we do or even when we do, my family is obliged to squeeze our feast between soccer practice, school outings and grocery shopping. Nonetheless, we had a delicious meal with a small turkey, potatoes, stuffing and peas today. Jackson wondered why we didn't invite anyone this year. I gave him a two-word answer: the flu.  It caught me by surprise several weeks ago and through my haze I couldn't bear the thought of sociability when all I wanted to do was die quietly under my duvet.

I recovered. We played 'Flaschenpost' in which we successively whispered something into the person's ear to our left to see what would come of the message.

The guinea pigs ate themselves into a food coma. Shortly after lunch, Leah closed her eyes (as much as a guinea pig can) and snored.

We wear many hats

In this case, about ten! This was the most hysterical hat game I've ever played. Depending on the number called, you had to executve various commands. I started off with the yellow one and ended up with none!

My mother-in-law turned sixty so we had to celebrate German-style. We partied until the wee hours of the morning. This game happened after midnight.