Life List #50: Share a Bottle of Expensive Champagne With Someone Special and Also My Birthday

39!

As it turns out, 39 is the birthday where I just wanted to dig in my heels and run the other way. I have always looked forward to every age and every birthday but that attitude seems to be gone. I don't know what it is about 39 but I finally get the "anniversary of my 29th birthday" thing.


This is my "no way ever am I turning 39" face.

(Actually it's the "okay kid, hurry up and take the picture" face.)

This year my birthday coincided with the three-day weekend to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and so we escaped to Tahoe for the long weekend. Our friends, Wendy and Chris, went in on a rental house with us.  Even though the trip wasn't to celebrate my birthday, we did, in fact, celebrate my birthday while we were there.


I swore up and down that I did not want a present this year; getting away with the family was gift enough. Walt wouldn't have it though. He bought a gift and brought it along.


His gift was two new champagne toasting flutes and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne.

A bottle of Dom Perignon!


Apparently he knew it was on my Life List. Life List #50: Share a Bottle of Expensive Champagne With Someone Special. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect. The occasion was special but not over the top. The champagne became the celebration, not me turning 39. At least that's the way I spun it in my head.

Dom Perignon Brut was light and bubbly and delicious, completely unlike the $10 bottle I drink on New Years Eve. I have never had champagne like that before and hope to have it again someday.


I'm officially 39. It is going to be a good year.

Cheers.

Alcatraz

Over the past year, Walt has had Thursdays and Fridays off. When the kids are in school we don't get to do anything fun as a family so we took advantage of a Friday on Christmas break and went to San Francisco. 

None of us had been to Alcatraz before. A visit was due. 






Before catching the boat, we dropped in to Ghiradelli for some hot cocoa on the cold more.






Little sisters hog attention sometimes. 


In the recreation yard. 




Book 'em Danno. 


Solitary confinement.


The warden's house. 








After the Alcatraz tour, we had some delicious lunch near the wharf.


We could have planned our Friday evening escape a little better. 

Christmas

Hard to believe Christmas and New Year have already come and gone. The past three Christmases, I had semester finals a week or less before Christmas. This year I was able to savor the season a little more but that sure didn't make it go by any slower.

In November I made an "activity" advent calendar where I put little cards with a task in small, homemade envelopes and tacked it to a ribbon, which was stung up in a doorway at home. Starting on December 1st, the kids eagerly opened an envelope every day to see what we got to do. Some were simple like read a Christmas story and others were helpful like buying toys for a local children's charity. There were a few days where we didn't get around to the activity but we completed most happily. I think that Josh and Carley enjoyed it.

I didn't take photos every day but occasionally snapped a shot with my Instagram app. 

Day 1: Go see a play. Aladdin at Runaway Stage.
Day 5: Drink hot chocolate with all the fixings. 
Day 6: Buy a toy for a charity and deliver it.

Day 12: Leave quarters in toy vending machines at the grocery store. 
Day 16: Make "gingerbread" houses. 
Day 19: Make edible gifts for the backyard friends like birds and squirrels. 

Day 7: Make paper snowflakes.
Day 20: Go out to see Christmas lights tonight. 
Day 22: Eat breakfast in bed to start your Christmas vacation just right! 
Day 23: Have a sleep out in the living room. 

One squirrel in particular loved our generous activity from Day 19 of our advent calendar. 

We all loved seeing the same ol' lights on Dovewood Court. 

Carley's tossing a penny into the display. I just thought this photo might need explanation.

Walt worked Christmas Eve and Christmas this year, which was a little different for all of us. Josh, Carley and I went to a mid-day family get together with the rest of the local Thiels on Christmas Eve. 





In the evening, we spent time at my aunt, Janeice's, house playing some pretty crazy games. 





The kids and I were just getting home when Walt was waking up. 

Don't mind us, this is how Walt usually poses for photos. I usually only post the nice ones from after he got his wiggles out. Right, honey?


Josh and Carley still had a serious case of wiggles. I think it was a mix of too much sugar and Christmas morning anticipation. 


Seriously, what are they doing? 


And why is Carley wearing a Christmas stocking? These people!

Eventually everyone settled down and went to bed (or work). This was the first year Carley doesn't believe in Santa so she stayed up with me to fill stockings and put out presents. I did leave cookies and milk out for Santa just so Carley could experience the real deal of being Santa Clause. 

I didn't think it would bother me not having my children believe anymore but it turns out I'm a little bummed. I feel like a part of the magic is gone. We'll have to come up with a new, exciting tradition! Maybe. I'm sure Christmas mornings with continue to change in the future as the kids get older. 


Josh, Carley and I slept in. Once Walt got home from work, we took our traditional family photo and opened presents. 




And then we took it easy the rest of the day. (Except Walt who went to sleep and work again.)

Carley's First Band Concert

Carley started playing the flute back in September. Her first concert was the week before school let out for Christmas break. I think she was pretty proud, and she should be. She loved that it was her brother's turn to come watch her at her school event.











Not bad for their first time.