Christmas 2008

The older I get the more appreciative I become of well-worn, familial traditions.

I The Kilarski mirror/shelf


When I was a little boy, my Mother's kin celebrated Christmas with a Christmas Eve party. The party was hosted by a different aunt and uncle each year, such that every third year it was our turn. I am confident these parties have merged into a single memory of one long night of German song, home-cooked food, fathers waltzing with their daughters, and uncles filming the festivities with Super 8 film.

I suppose one's own childhood memories are never wholly supplanted by the memories of one's adulthood. Indeed, the early morning exuberance of Arianna bounding into our bedroom and announcing that Santa had come during the night are now as precious to me as the vision of Oma and my Father dancing and singing together at Uncle Fabian's house.

And so another Christmas comes and goes amidst the tearing of Christmas wrapping paper, of Bruno patting bows on his head, of Aunt Myra's and Uncle Lester's arrival at the house, Greg's return for yet another plate of food, and the after dinner card playing of the men in the basement.

II We wake to stuffed stockings


No 4x6 glossy photograph, no frame of video, no words I could ever set down -- and I have tried in earnest -- can ever embody the sights and sounds we experience on Christmas.

Nor can our words of praise and thanksgiving ever fully articulate the fullness of our hearts to the One whose gift to us gives us hope eternal.

And still we try . . . and still I try . . . .


III Toys from Iowa



IV A skirt from Oma



V Clothes from Uncle Greg and Aunt Ronda in California


VI Grandpa opens his gift from Bruce, Laurie, and his Grandkids in Iowa



VII Santa even brought something for Samantha



VIII Another gift from Santa



IX Nancy Drew! Thanks, Aunt Kay!



X Another gift from Oma



XI Oh . . . Thank you, Aunt Laurie!



XII Something from Arianna



XIII Something from Arianna and Daddy



XIV Thank you, Mommy!

Christmas Eve

Awoke to 6" of wet, heavy snow.

I View from the street


II Looking east toward Lake Sharon, aka 'the pond'


III Goldenrod in the backyard


IV Looking at the northeast corner of the backyard


As the family rose to greet the morning, I finished my oatmeal, dressed myself appropriately, and went outside to clear the driveway.

Two hours later I re-entered the kitchen soaking wet: undershirt, shirt, sweater, and coat. Although a 'good sweat' is often considered a remedy for a cold, I found it to be quite the contrary. And so into a hot tub I went.

Christmas Eve is traditionally a day of final preparations. This year was no exception. Bruno spent much of the day in the kitchen, chopping onions for the pyrogie, chopping chicken gizzards for the bird's stuffing, making chicken soup. Despite the cold outside, all the windows were steamed up. Needless to say, the aroma throughout the house was tasty.

Oddly enough all the gift wrapping was finished. So, I was free to malinger much of the day.

Sharon and Arianna busied themselves with fine china, silverware, and tablecloths, as well as the relish tray and other culinary delights.

As the sun began to set and all our chores completed, we gathered for our traditional Christmas Eve fare: homemade chicken noodle soup.

After supper Arianna and I dressed for the 7 o'clock Vigil Mass at St. Catherine of Siena. Like last year, we volunteered to be greeters and so we left the house a good thirty minutes before Mass.

Mass was well-attended. And, this year the music was beautiful: organ, flute, and a female vocalist.

Although I have come to eschew over-the-counter cold remedies, on the way home from Mass I dragged Arianna to Walgreens for any relief in a bottle I could find. I think this is the first time in my entire life I'd ever been in a store after 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Frankly, it was kinda pathetic seeing folks inspecting packages of toys. But, we all have unique stories, and I am grateful that I needn't be scouring the aisles of Walgreens for stocking stuffers on December 24.

Due to the lateness of our return, before putting Arianna to bed, we relaxed in front of the Christmas tree and snacked on Christmas cookies. Although Arianna had planned to stay up all night and present Santa his plate of carrots and cookies in person, she abandoned the idea in favor of a more prudent course of action: to go to bed and get a good night's sleep.

V Awaiting Mr. C's return

100 months old

Sunny, bitter cold -3 F today (Compared to -8 F, with a driving wind yesterday. A veritable heat wave!!)

Arianna is 100 months old today!

And what a day to celebrate: Winter has (finally) begun, and the house is abuzz with final Christmas preparations.

I Candlestick maker



II Er, makers



III Advice and learning


Phone conversations mit mein Vetter: Karl, Carl, and Kurt. An email message from Solingen, too. Although an off year for Christmas cards, communications keep coming.

Longest Commute: Redux

Ol' Tom Skilling and Co. forcast the snow to begin tonight. Instead it started to fall around 11 o'clock this morning. By 3 o'clock is was coming down steady, so I pack up my things and headed home.

It took me 1 hour to drive a mile! All told I was on the road for just about 4 hours. Imagine that . . . I bested my previous time . . . in a manner of speaking.

So what does one do while snaking along Euclid Avenue from Northbrook to Palatine? Sings Christmas carols, of course!

Sharon collected Arianna from school after lunch. She has a fever; sinus infection. She's adamant that she'll be well for Friday's class Christmas party. I hope so.

The tree is trimmed, the greeting cards are in the mail, and Sharon, Bruno, and Arianna have started to bake.

What?

Not I?

Too many cooks, er bakers . . . don't you know.

[placeholder for photos]

With all the work that's being accomplished -- at home and at the office -- it hardly seems as if the year's end is fast approaching.

Visit from Santa

After weeks of talking about going to see Bolt, we finally got around to it this afternoon. And, Arianna was not especially happy with the film.

The drive home from the theater and throughout the early evening Sharon and I tried to explain that sometimes our expectations get the better of us.

Had it not been for the distant sound of a fire engine, I think we'd have wallowed in the disappointment of Bolt all evening long. But, as luck would have it, this evening was Santa's annual journey through Sleepy Hollow.

I Arianna awaits Santa


II Arianna chats with Santa

Baking

Quiet day.

The house was filled with the wonderful aroma of Christmas.

I Baking ginger bread cookies


II Baking ginger bread cookies


III Baking ginger bread cookies


IV Baking ginger bread cookies

Longest Commute

Rain turning to snow.

It took me more than 3 1/2 hours to drive 26 miles this evening. For most of the way home from work I was driving 5 miles an hour! All the while listening to radio commentary about our illustrious governor's being hauled to jail in handcuffs.

When I finally got home, Arianna was already in bed.

One

Cold, grey, snowy day.

Perfect day for trimming the Christmas tree. -The earliest date in December on which we've ever done this.

I Examining the string of lights . . .




II Close work to set things aglow



III Portrait of a Father as a Lamp Post



IV Hanging ornaments on the tree



V Hanging ornaments on herself



VI Sharon and her Dad inspect our progress



VII Mele Kalikimaka



VIII Stretch goal



Of course I couldn't begin stringing lights until after I shoveled snow. -The first of the season.

First Snow

December 1, 2008.

View from the driveway - 5:50 a.m.

Not Your Neighbor's Black Friday

A more recent 'tradition' in our house has been the stringing of popcorn for the Christmas tree. In previous years we've begun this task shortly after Thanksgiving.

This year is shaping up to be no different. While many Americans scurry helter skelter hither and yon for best buys, the Chicagoland Rudorf's cozy up to Miracle on 34th Street (in glorious black and white, of course) and string popcorn.

I. Stringing Popcorn



II. Sharon the Popcorn Lady

Thanksgiving

Slept late: 7 a.m.

Cold, frosty but brilliant morning.

A bit of a disagreement with Arianna about which was more important: accompanying me to Mass or watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I lost.

As has been 'the tradition' since we returned to Chicagoland, Linda and Michael had the family to dinner at thier house in Lake in the Hills. Michael prepared a wonderful dinner.

After dinner, Sharon presented Grandpa with a certificate of appreciation for the number of things he's helped out with around the house. Arianna drew up the certificate Wednesday night.

I. Sharon explains and then reads Grandpa's Certificate of Appreciation




II. Arianna hugs Grandpa

III. Aunt Myra and Uncle Lester read Grandpa's Certificate of Appreciation

Later, when the dishes were washed, some of us played a few hands of Uno. Both Arianna and Grandpa enjoy Uno a lot.

IV. Playing Uno

Tommy, Huck, and Fred Gone Missing

Today we carried the 'Big House' down to the basement. With temperatures near 30, it's doubtful Arianna will be playing in the sunroom any time soon. Unfortunately, as is often the case on 'moving day' things can get misplaced. This was the case this afternoon. Arianna and I were all set to put things aright in the 'Big House' when we discovered that Tommy, Huck, and Fred were missing.

After a half-hearted attempt to locate the missing lads, Arianna gave up.

So what to do? Left alone amid the ruin of the 'Big House', I decided to resume work on my photo albums.

In contrast to Arianna, who became distraught at having misplaced her little friends, I was happily surprise by how quickly I was able to locate Arianna's First Communion photos.

Back to School

Today Arianna returned to school. The antibiotics she's been taking since Sunday impacted the fever she'd been running.

ER

Arianna's recurring fever resulted in our spending most of the day at St. Joe's. We arrived around Noon, took care of the administrative business, and waited. After an hour, Arianna and Sharon were ushered into an examination room. I didn't anticipate a long examination, so I didn't question Sharon's suggestion to 'mind the coats'.

As I waited, the ER began to fill. An emotionally disheveled family arrived; a man in his 40's consoling his Mother fought back tears. His Dad, transported to the ER by ambulance . . . . A heart-attack . . . a stroke?

As the Packers piled on the Bears, the man whose young, children had become restless seemed incapable of anything other than apologizing to his son for the long wait. Although he watched the TV, I sensed he was wondering how he'd ever manage if the results of his wife's tests indicated something life threatening.

A young boy in a wheel chair was examined by a nurse.

More family members arrived . . . they embrace, wipe away tears, pace.

Eventually a nurse calls my name -- it's 3 o'clock -- and I join Sharon and Arianna in an examination room. Arianna is in tears. I offer her my handkerchief and blood runs from her nose. The nurse was a bit too assertive in taking a culture.

After Arianna calms down, we play hang man while waiting for the fruit juice to stimulate her bladder.

A nurse confirms that she hasn't got the flu and that she hasn't got strep -- what her friend Bridget was diagnosed with.

Arianna and Sharon go to the rest room to collect a sample.

The family whose patriarch was run over to St. Joe's in an ambulance is next door in a physican's consultation room. The doctor -- loud, boisterous -- goes into the room and asks if the folks inside are the family.

Arianna and Sharon return from the rest room: no luck. Hang man: a five letter word.

Next door hospital employees come and go. Every time the door opens I catch bits of conversation.

Arianna and Sharon go the rest room to collect a sample.

It's a heart-attack. Not life threatening. More tests are required to determine the severity of the blockage.

Arianna and Sharon return to the examination room with a sample. We wait for the nurse to return and retrieve the sample so the analysis can be done.

Shortly after the nurse retrieves the sample a technician arrives. So thick is her accent that we have to ask her to repeat herself three times until we understand that she has to take a blood sample. Arianna becomes anxious. We explain that it will be quick; 'just a pin prick', we say. But, naturally, Arianna cries when blood is drawn from her finger.

A Physician's Assistant arrives on the scene: bladder infection. 'Will Arianna swallow tablets?'

Shortly after 4 o'clock we emerge from the examination room, perscription in hand.

What a day.

Parent - Teacher Meetings

Grey, rainy, 50's.

Due to Parent - Teacher conferences, Arianna had only half day of classes today.

After lunch her friend Peyton J. came by for a play date. Peyton is Arianna's best friend. But, due to Peyton's folks' decision to home school this year, Arianna does not get to see her on a daily basis.

It sounds like they had a nice afternoon. They helped Sharon bake scones and later they had a tea party.

After supper Sharon, Arianna, and I went to St. Catherine's and met with Mrs. Norman. This was the first time I met Mrs. Norman, who -- even after an 11 hour day -- was animated and articulate.

Since we just received Arianna's first report card for the year, Sharon and I were not too surprised by Mrs. Norman's summary of Arianna's performance and behavior. She is doing extraordinarily well. Arianna reads at the 6th grade level. He math skills are at the 4th grade level.

Math remains a challenge for Arianna and we've been asked to drill her so that she becomes more confident.

What astonishes me is the Iowa Basic Test results: Arianna is in the 99 percentile of third graders across the United States.

I don't think Arianna really understands what this means, nor what it means to be at a 6th grade reading level. And, I'm glad. I don't want Arianna 'to peak' in 3rd grade. And I certainly don't want Arianna to grow complacent.

She may be savvy with the English language -- and why wouldn't she be, being an only child surrounded by oldsters who prefer books to television? -- but she is not an especially motivated student. Homework still results in fits of tears -- especially math homework. So, while I have no complaints whatsoever about her performance, and, in fact, am very proud of her; we -- Sharon, Grandpa, and I -- still need to incite her to adopting a postive attitude about learning.

It'll come.

As an aside, while sitting at the table with Sharon, Arianna, and Mrs. Norman, I drifted back to Guardian Angels. It's a bit unsettling being a child in the presence of adults, who are talking about you.

I cannot recall my Father ever accompanying my Mom to G.A. on Parent - Teacher Night. Of course, now that I think about it, the fact that my Father was not Catholic may have had something to do with it. Although more than likely his being hard of hearing was probably a bigger cause for his staying away.

My hope is that I'm able to keep Arianna in St. Catherine's. I cannot bear the thought of her attending the area's public schools.

Hard Frost

Cold morning. Hard frost.

Yesterday was Sharon's birthday. Although I had suggested we go out for pizza - or Italian - everybody else preferred to remain comfortable and stay at home. So, we ordered a pizza, played Operation, and then watched an old movie -- Topper.

A quiet but happy evening.

Surprise!

Yesterday, Arianna, Bruno, and I succeeded in throwing Sharon a surprise birthday party.

I. Sharon - Guest of Honor



Although not all the invited guests were able to attend, the family and friends who braved the cold and traffic enjoyed wishing Sharon a happy 50th birthday.

II. Familie Falloon - Julie and Bill





III. Warren and Kristi, Bill and Julie, Aunt Myra and Uncle Lester



Logistics dictated that we arrange a get together away from the house. The idea to rent a room at a Chinatown restaurant came after a lot of hemming and hawing. I chose a restaurant we'd planned to eat at last year on Sharon's birthday, but were unable to locate -- due to the fact that Tony's web site was out of date and he'd closed the Palatine store. Not one to hold a grudge, I decided to venture into the city this year.

Preparations had been ongoing for at least 6 weeks. Since I'd planned to invite family from out of state I knew they'd need sufficient time to plan. Much to my surprise both Sharon's brother's family and my Mom and my sister, Marikay, and her son, Ben drove in from Iowa and Michigan, respectively.

IV. Mom and Marikay




V. Ben (Marikay's son) and Alana (Kilarski)





VI. Bruce and his son, Alex



Due to horrendous traffic our trip into town took us longer than anticipated. Then, where my directions indicated I was supposed to merge onto Emerald Avenue, I ended up back on the Dan Ryan expressway. Silence fell on the back seat of the car. Our game of 20 Questions was cut short.

I told Arianna not to worry -- we had a compass; we couldn't get lost. And, within 15 minutes we were in front of the restaurant.

Since it was cold, I decided that Sharon, Bruno, and Arianna should go into the restaurant while I parked the car. Who knew they wouldn't wait for me. So, by the time I'd gotten back . . . everybody'd already yelled surprise!

I missed the 'big moment'.

No worries.

It was a fine evening spent laughing, eating, and enjoying everybody's company.


VII. Sharon's cousin Barb and her husband Gregg




VIII. Uncle Lester and Warren, Kristi's beau




IX. Watching . . .




X. Waiting . . .




XI. Laurie cuts (more) cake! While Bruno enjoys a slice.




XII. And the kids enjoy a slice (Jane, Arianna, Alana).




XIII. Uncle Lester and Linda (What? No photo of Michael?)