Brian and family head for Albany and their flight back to Texas. Routine life will soon return. We shlep all our stuff out of the Vrbo…seems like it multiplied while we were here. Kent and I wrangle an invitation to spend a couple nights at the kids to hang with Willa and Hazel a little more before we head south. It is a wonderful time. December 31, time to head on south.

Cookie baking – rolled, iced sugars – Willa had a school delay leaving us just enough time for some interesting creations. Christmas dinosaurs anyone? There was a bit of dough left over for Brianna to try her hand at it too.
Cookie eating – Willa and family did recognize, and subsequently eat, the ginger bread cookie people Carol so artfully created in their image. Ginger crisps were a hit and all the sugars disappeared.
It snowed! Not a lot, but enough for miniature snowmen and backyard sled riding. It was Brianna’s first time to play in the snow and I always love the chance. Willa got to try out her new snowpants….she opened a Christmas gift a couple days early…perfect.
Tie dye – a twist on family Christmas pajamas. We each tied then dyed a shirt to wear Christmas eve. I think it was a success. Brianna generously shared her gift (a tie dye kit) to supplement the supplies for all. Thanks.
Bowling – no pros in this bunch. We had great fun though. Willa enjoyed the rolling ramp and bumpers and with those managed to bet the score of several of us. Lots of laughing and far too many embarrassing pictures.
Bday celebration. As happens, we squeezed in Kent’s Bday celebration among holiday festivities starting with Mike’s perfect cinnamon rolls and ending with chocolate chip cookie and ice cream. Oh, and a cell phone ring-light. We need to up the game on our end of video calls!
Silly games and movie time
Mom and sons time – cocktails and catching up. It is joyous watching them with their families. My heart nearly bursts in these quieter moments when I am reminded of what wonderful young men they have become.
Gifts – the very best – We are all able to get together again on the Holiday. Kent and I have been blessed and spoiled in being able to celebrate surrounded by those we love so dearly. Our family grew by two this year, Ms Hazel born here in NY and Brianna adopted (just a bit of paperwork still to do) in Texas. Newest news is that Brian and Johnna will add another in 2022, Richard who comes to Brian and Johnna as a foster at 15 years old. Welcome young man. We can’t wait to meet you.
Ornaments – a twist this year – Nana’s take on the biggest thing in each kid’s life in 2021.
Christmas morning – stockings, plenty of gifts for all the kids, Nana gets a sweater that matches Willa’s, and we christen Mike and Tracy’s fancy new waffle iron.
A volcano – yeah, not exactly a holiday activity but Willa and I were just inspired to create one on the newly graded driveway. Small but satisfying.

Favorites like Grandpas pancakes, waffles, lasagna, potato leek soup and apple crisp.  Showier, special occasion creations like Mike’s cinnamon rolls and stuffed pumpkin as well as a marginally successful attempt at papousas.   Of course, NY bagels.  All took one night off and we had Mexican food delivered.  We ate well and shared fun kitchen time.

The carnivores among us shared a guilty pleasure of prime rib roast, oh so good even if I do say so myself.  Mike, Tracy and family shared Christmas Day dinner at her folks leaving us to take over their kitchen for a few hours.  We removed all traces of our decidedly NOT plant based meal as best we could. We were unable to calm a somewhat crazed cat who was apparently hung over on the scent of raw meat!

Everyone – I mean everyone – got a cold or flu or something. We ran home tests which confirmed it was not Covid but there was lots of sneezing, sniffling and coughing and a fair amount of napping. Must just have been our group reacting to comingling of TX, FL, PA and NY germs….yuck.

Both houses are filling up as the TX family, groceries, gifts and luggage arrive. Air travel went smoother than anticipated for Brian, Johnna and Brianna as did their drive from the airport (fortunately snow that was forecast did not materialize). We have all claimed our territory at the house and the kids are settling in. Kent and I sneak off to Hazel-sit and observe as Mike, Tracy and Willa give ice skating a try. It is kids’ afterschool session at a seasonal outdoor rink by Rondout Creek. There is a fair amount of trepidation early on and practicing how to fall and how to get up are integral to the experience; but everyone ultimately agrees it was a fun afternoon and worthy of another try. Hot chocolate helps solidify that sentiment. We head home to warm up.

First stop, a quick hello to Mike, Tracy, Willa and Hazel.  I think Willa has grown 2 inches in the 7 weeks we have been gone.  Hazel’s personality is blossoming. It is going to be a fun visit.  It is nap time and Kent and I head to the Vrbo house that will be home for five of us; Brian, Johnna, Brianna, Kent and I for the next week.  It is just a block down the street from the kids so super convenient and it gives us some extra space since we are 9 now ranging two months to well, oldish!  The place looks as promised and while kinda small, just fine for our stay.  We pick our room and settle in.  There is a big grocery run in the morning to stock up both houses before our TX family arrives in the PM. This evening we head back to the Kid’s house for dinner and some play time before we crash to rest up for a busy week.

Ack!  What was to have been an already taxing 13-hour drive day has stretched into a nearly intolerable 15 hours.   Traffic is heavy and it has rained for most of the way.  Kent has done all the heavy lifting as I have driven only a couple hours but we are both past ready to be there, anywhere!  The upside, we are on the way to New York to see kids and grandbabies with a stop in PA to pick up a sampling of Carol’s great Christmas cookies.  We can power through the travel.

We crash at The Wasik bed and breakfast where the quick overnight includes cookies and Irish coffee and a cozy warm bed.  A 5 star stop!  We head out after a pancake breakfast, thanks Bday boy, with dozens of cookies – chocolate chip of course, date pinwheels, figgies, pnut blossoms, fudge, Florentines, and adorable gingerbread people (can’t wait to see if Willa can identify herself in that collection).  Thanks Carol, for the delicious addition to the family get together.  You outdid yourself.

We video call with Willa and family this evening.  Hazel is growing fast and Willa ever full of surprises beyond her years.  She asks to come visit us then catches herself, I can’t come on a school day.  “Let me check my days of the week”, she says and disappears from view.  When she returns, she has her days of the week poster and walks down thru it with Mom’s help; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday….Friday/that’s today.  Tomorrow is Saturday. I don’t have school.  I can come see you tomorrow!  We are thrilled at the thought and heartbroken at having to tell Willa we are too far away.  We will all have to wait until we can come see them in a few weeks at Christmas.  We can do it.