Santa's Pork Butt: Recap Volume One

So a lot of stuff has happened that I have wanted to share here.  Nothing too amazing so don't get too excited but wanted to recap the last few weeks and share a photo or two...

 Tradition!


Red at the dinner theater before the show

For Red's birthday we have a tradition where I take her for a special event.  It started when she was four years old and I took her to the Phoenix Ballet's Nutcracker.  What made me think it was cool to take a four year old to the ballet is beyond me, but she was awesome.  We sat in the balcony and she totally followed along.  We didn't know that it was such a fancy affair so the next year we went back but we did it up right.  Juanito work his tie and I wore an evening dress and Red wore a Christmas dress bought especially for the occasion.  Over the years we have gone to see the Twelve Dancing Princess, Junie B. Jones Jingle Bells Batman Smells, and the Wizard of Oz.  This year it was Annie at the
Arizona Broadway Theatre that is a dinner theater.  I aim for something non-Christmas since her birthday is like a week from Christmas and that has to suck. The community eating was a strange experience.  As she is getting older there are more options available to us so I don't think that I'll limit it to just performances in the coming years.  The night we went to Annie it was cold and rainy and we could see our breathe, but we still capped off the night with some fro-yo!

Tamales! 


Mamacita's Masa taste better with pork butt!

The next day I made tamales. I have never had the pleasure and this year Schmacey's family invited me to join in.  It was pretty much an all day event where we made probably 35-40 dozen tamales.  It was crazy but so much fun.  I now know how to make my meat better and can't wait for next year!  I bought a 7 lb pork butt and man I loved talking about my pork butt!  cuz really when can you say "pork butt" except when you're looking to buy pork butt???  From my 7 lb pork butt I got almost 5 dozen tamales.  I gave a dozen to my Dad for his stocking and the rest are living in our freezer to be enjoyed in the coming months.
 
Unexpected Illness!





Breakfast in bed

The day after that....The Boy woke up with a fever.  I am lucky enough to work for a company that allows me to work from home, but there wasn't a lot of work getting done because someone did not think they were sick and really just wanted to play.  Outside.  we went to the doctor and found out he had a double ear infection, started a new antibiotic and breathing treatments (which he hated).  We watched a lot of Nick Jr.  and Disney Juinor as well as Peter Pan, Cars, and Cars 2 that we borrowed from Grandma Peggy. Over the course of the time he was sick, I probably watched those movies three times each and I would do it again if it would keep him on the couch and resting.  I ended up working from home the next day as well  and I think Cass was starting to think that I lost my job again.  Juanito stayed home with him the day after that because he didn't break the fever until then.  It was so hard to have him be sick, since he rarely is.  We bounced from trying to keep him calm and not running around (which caused him to cough which caused him to throw up) to trying to keep the fever down which made him a crying, whining, mess of a boy who wouldn't keep his clothes on.  I get it, you're hot but dude keep your shirt on!
Santa...we know him!!! 

The Boy with Santa 2011

The Boy did recover ,thankfully, in time to meet Santa! 
Ok, Santa side note.  So Santa...we know him.  See Schmacey's dad works as for Santa so we have the absolute pleasure of having the same Santa every year.  And with The Boy's new clarity on who Santa is (the guy who is bringing you a gift and commencing the gift opening???), well needless to say I had high expectations for this year's Santa visit.  So we went to the designated hotel on Sunday morning.  Many of our other friends and their children were there too.  We had been prepping him that we were going to go see Santa and he identified every Santa he could see (loudly).  He was ready, we were ready, my camera was ready!  Cue the fat guy!

Can you see that twinkle of fear in his eye?

Sadly though, when met face to face with Santa, The Boy frozen and clung to Juanito and me for dear life.  He did not yell or cry (like that kid who screamed even when his dad walked over to Santa).  He did not run away.  He simply did what his mother does best and buried his head. Eventually Santa was able to talk him into sitting with him. And they chatted about tractors (mostly on Santa's part. Ok, so Santa was the only one talking), But The Boy did sit with Santa for a picture.   I'm encouraged since he didn't run screaming from the guy in a velvet suit perhaps next year will be even better. But I should learn that when it comes to The Boy I should learn to expect the unexpected.  Perhaps next year Santa should wear a cup.    


The Boy and Santa 2012

No high fives for Santa!

Our Christmas Eve.....


Glendale Glitter...no picture please

Our Christmas Plans have been the same since like 2002 when Juanito and I started sharing holidays.  Christmas morning is always at my parent's house.  I know I should compromise and share the morning with his family, but this is the Christmas morning that I want for my kid(s).  The craziness that is Christmas morning with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great grandma.  But Christmas Eve we go to church.  It one of the two times in the year that we get our Jesus on so its kind of a "must" for me.  Its an hour out of the day and a reason to dress both my boys like the handsome men they are.  We go to the traditional service because timing wise it works better and contemporary and church don't go together for me...its just awkward.  And the church that we go to is in the historical part of Glendale where the city decorates the park (same park we got married in) with thousands upon thousands of twinkle lights...appropriately named Glendale Glitters. There are horse and carriage rides around the park and its always a fun little walk after church.   So regardless of how handsome The Boy is in this picture, he fights us to wear jeans, button downs and appropriate shoes.  He is wearing his slippers in this picture because two outta three ain't bad.  

I will be back with more stories and more pictures but I should probably work now  Merry Belated Christmas!