Anticipation

Alex's rock on the bottom, and Ella's
on top.

Just when I feel like I'm catching up on my writing here...I find myself desperately behind once again.

It's not my fault. I was settling in to do some writing this morning, when Alex approached me. "Mom, would it be a good idea to paint some rocks to make them look like monsters? Would that be a good idea." Well, yes, I suppose so, if Joey wasn't perched at Alex's elbow. He's Alex's little echo lately, listening carefully to everything his big brother says and parroting in close synchronization. "Paint rocks monsters? That good idea?"

Carefully, carefully gluing on eyes.

I pulled out the paint for the boys and perched Joey on my lap while he meticulously covered more and more little rocks (and his face and arms).  Ella wandered in mid-project "Mom! What a great idea!"  I told her, that, actually, it was Alex's, and she looked at her little brother with an unusual expression, something approaching respect.

Alex: "Does Santa shop at stores?"
Ella: "Of course. All grown-ups do."

I did manage to lure the kids into a less messy project later on. It's almost the end of October, which means that the Migros grocery store has had their Christmas toy display up for almost a month now.  In addition to maliciously stacking piles of toys next to the check-out lines, they also have toy catalogues for the kids to take home.  In the middle is a large sheet of stickers, depicting each and every toy for sale this winter, and the kids are told to stick the ones they want on work sheet, which they can show to their parents, grandparents, godparents, or an aunt.  Very thoughtful.  The catalogues were at kid height, so Joey helpfully grabbed a couple this morning.

I have to say, it was pretty cute, watching the kids pore over the stickers, weighing their options.  Ella had many wants and desires, although she clarified that the two things she wants most of all are the piano and the Labyrinth game.

Ella's list

Alex, meanwhile, was reluctant to put too much on his list, lest something lower down on his list of priorities be selected.  He was very clear: these gifts are in order of preference: light saber (far and away his dearest wish), stuffed kitty, remote control car, remote control helicopter, weird dinosaur toys, and finally, the baby toy that pops balls into the air (which also made it onto Ella's list.)

Alex's list

Funnily, Joey was the only kid who wasn't enthusiastic about that toy. The last time we discussed Christmas gifts, he had an unending list, but this time he insisted there was one thing, and only one thing, that he wants. The Bakugan toys, similar to the ones that Alex has and (probably wisely) keeps high out of reach of Joey. Nothing is so appealing as the forbidden toy of the worshiped older brother.

Joey's list

While the kids were anticipating Christmas, I was thinking about a time slightly further in the future.  Dennis has finally been assigned to a relocation agent: the same woman (Denise) who helped get us installed when we first moved here.  Dennis found her to be very helpful and capable, so that's very good news.  She suggested that we request to stay in our apartment until we leave for Christmas vacation, and it turns out that it won't be a problem.

At this point, it looks like we'll need to have all of our things out of the apartment on December 22nd, so that a professional cleaning crew can come in and make the place ready for the next occupants. Despite Ella's grand ambitions for making the big bucks by selling off our belongings, we're leaning towards keeping everything we have as long as we can, and then donating or giving away everything at the last possible moment. I think it makes financial sense, given the cost of local hotels. As it is, we'll probably have to spend a night or two in a hotel. It'll be an interesting Christmas season.

While I was thinking about all of this, I wrote an e-mail to the secretary at Ella's and Alex's school in Kirkland, asking if there was any chance that we could have a list of their classmates in advance, so that the kids could get excited about being with their friends and have some idea as to what to expect, and also so that I could write the kids' teachers about what supplies they'll need, and so forth. I was surprised when she wrote back, saying this wouldn't be possible.  "We decide which classroom the child will be in when they show up at school, based on class capacity, giving the child's teacher 24 hours' notice." Odd, and unfortunate.

I suppose the kids will be fine: they've gotten out of the habit of anticipating things. If nothing else, living here has certainly taught the kids to be flexible.  For example, today we got another last-minute field trip notice, this one for Ella: they're going back to the woods tomorrow, to see a Fischotter habitat to round out the unit they've been working on since August.

She also brought home news of the subject of their next big class unit.  They'll be studying (drum roll, please)...Native Americans!   I've said it before, but it's so interesting to me, this Swiss obsession, but I'm looking forward to hearing the Swiss perspective on our nation's early history. Embarrassingly, when the teacher asked Ella what she knew about Native Americans, Ella told her that they didn't live in America any more.  More than once we watched full-dress pow wows in Oakland. But that was  long, long ago, in a country far, far away. And it was pre-blog.