The Christmas Tree Lady

In October we met our sweet 91-year-old neighbour Jan while we were out walking and she told us to be sure to visit her house around Christmastime to see all her trees. She sets up trees in every room of her house and thought the children would like to see them all (since when she was younger she would always see people's trees lit up in their windows and wonder how they decorated their trees). 

I wasn't sure if she was serious about her offer (though she reemphasized her offer when we stopped by her house on Halloween) but decided that we'd just head over there this afternoon to drop off a Christmas gift and leave things up to her. So I whipped up a little crochet washcloth last night and Miriam made a Christmas card and we walked up the hill to her house. 

We rang the doorbell and waited for her to come. When she opened the door we sang her a little carol and presented our gifts and then she invited us inside and began her tour. "I've been hoping you would come!" she said. 

Her door was flanked by two little trees covered in homemade ornaments. She used to be part of a sewing group and every year they would do an ornament exchange and those trees showed off the ornaments from that group of friends, which, she noted, have all since passed away, leaving her the sole member of their sewing circle. But she still puts up their ornaments every year and thinks about them. 

In her calling room she had a tree decked out in Christmas picture books. She let the kids pull whatever they wanted off the tree to read and helped Alexander with some pop-up books and then we hung the books back up and continued the tour.

He sees you when you're sleeping...

My sweet sister Kelli phoned yesterday afternoon to let me know there was another package on the way to our front door (she already sent everyone Christmas presents!) but that this was one to open before Christmas. It was a game that she saw and thought Zoë would like it, since Zoë is so very excited for Santa to come. It's kind of a Candyland game, but with Santa Claus delivering presents.

I've never played Candyland and, frankly, haven't heard good reviews of it, but this game seemed sweet and fun and tolerable to play with toddlers. Alexander picked up the rules pretty quick and could hardly wait for his turn to say, "Ho! Ho! Ho!' or sing a Christmas song or twirl like a snowflake or leave a gift under the Christmas tree.

Anyway, she sent it with a note from Santa that read, "Dear Heiss Children, I know when you are sleeping and can see when you're awake. Remember: I'm always watching you. Love, Santa."

When Allen saw that note come through (they share an Amazon account) he said, "You've got to call your sister and let her know that package is from you. That note's a little...stalker-y."

So she phoned to tell me that a package was coming with a slightly troublesome note (had I not know the origin of the note). It's a little jab at Zoë for getting so mixed up about Santa Claus is Coming to Town. 

And it's a good thing she let me know about it, too, because remember that one time my other sister (well, one of my other sisters) Josie anonymously sent me a book called I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You? That was an intense afternoon.

Anyway, Kelli was right—the kids loved the game and were excited to get to open a present early! She's always thinking of us and sending us little reminders that she loves us (for example, she sent Zoë a bell for her bike after she got hit by a car this summer (and sent bells for each of the children for good measure)). She's a wonderful person to know and love. I'm so glad she's my sister!

Miriam's organ recital

Miriam had her organ recital the other night, which was a good practice for tomorrow when she and Andrew will play O Holy Night for our church Christmas program. It was a little difficult for them to pull this off since Miriam couldn't hear a note Andrew was playing (the organ is in her teacher's bedroom and the piano is down the hall in the living room), so hopefully they'll be able to coordinate better tomorrow when they're in the same room. (Also, I think the piano could use some tuning).

Given the circumstances they did great!

Here's the view from the audience:

Four days prior to Christmas, Mommy fell down the stairs...

It's been a good 25 years since I last did this, so it's not like my track record is entirely tarnished, but I just fell down the stairs carrying a baby. Last time it was my little sister Josie. This time it was Alexander. Both times the baby was just fine at the end of it all.

Last time I remember that I got hurt quite a bit, but mostly I remember being scared and then relieved that Josie (who was really still quite tiny) was alright.

This time I have rug burn covering an embarrassing percentage of my body and my bottom feels (and looks) like it's been paddled by a particularly stern (and rather old-fashioned—because this sort of beating would clearly be banned in this day and age) school teacher.

Before we'd even finished falling my sweet baby boy was asking, "Are oo otay, Mommy?"

And then while I was crying and trying to clean up both my elbows (or elbow-to-wrist as the case is on my left arm) he was patting me and giving me all sorts of advice: "Maybe you need another band-aid, Mommy. Do you feel better now? It's okay. Are you okay? It's okay. Do you need more and more bandaids?"

He's a sweet boy.

Rachel's winter orchestra concert

Rachel had her winter orchestra concert...last week! In all the chaos of the weeks before Christmas I somehow neglected to write about it, but it was a very enjoyable concert and we were happy to be able to support her there.

The video is a little shaky because I had Alexander on my lap (but I'm happy to report that he's not the shrieking baby you hear (at least not in this particular video)):

Wrong way up

I am unsurprised this happened. I am surprised it took her this long to decide to try it (or at least to get caught doing it).

Zoë climbing the outside of the stairs

Christmas Goodies, the Strum-and-Sing Along, and Entryways

Sunday and Monday afternoons were spent baking up a storm. 

Andrew and the older girls assembled some graham cracker houses for everyone and we had plenty of fun (and made a huge mess) decorating them. We only had one bag of icing to pass around and I was worried the children wouldn't share it well and we'd be diffusing tempers and assuaging hurt feelings all evening, but they passed the bag around sweetly and generously shared everything. The only sounds were joyful squeals. 

Miriam helps Alexander (cheeks stuffed with candy) put some icing exactly where he wants it to go 

Heiss Holiday Humbug 2019

It's here! The moment you've all been waiting for: our 2019 Christmas newsletter/poem! 

Today is our 14th anniversary (weird), so I figured it was as good a day as any to publish this installment of our epic poem. I completely neglected to make a 20/20 joke in this poem...so y'all be on the lookout for that next year. 

The artwork (which are geese, not rockets) were drawn by Zoë (for Alexander, our resident ornithopihle; the background is from Vecteezy).

You can download a full-sized PDF version here or read the text below the jump:

Santa Claus came to town

This morning we had our ward Christmas party—a breakfast—which was obnoxiously early. The other family at our table lamented with us that we'll be switching to the 9:00 schedule for church next year because it simply takes more effort (more planning/coordination/organization/forethought) to get a handful of kids preened for church and out the door at that time of day. But, I suppose we'll get used to it. 

We've spent a lot of time at church this week already, I'm realizing. We had our Relief Society Christmas social on Thursday night, last night was game night, and today we had breakfast. Tomorrow we'll be back, but that's alright.

This afternoon Miriam went to her friend's house and Rachel and I took little kids to see Santa. Benjamin stayed home to keep Andrew (who is furiously grading exams) company (not that Andrew is furious about grading; he's simply working at a furious pace). I honestly don't know why everyone was moaning about going to visit Santa this year. We went both years we lived in Utah—and it was actually, legitimately freezing cold. It's absolutely not freezing cold here, yet no one wanted to go stand in the cold with me. 

Not that I wanted to either, but these little ones deserve childhood memories, too (sometimes it feels like it was easier and/or that I was more motivated to take the older kids out to do things (such as visit with Santa)). It's not that I don't love my little ones as much; it's just that I'm a little more tired than I used to be (though, honestly, if y'all would let me sleep through the night that might change...).

When I asked who wanted to see Santa I was met with a chorus of moans from the older kids, but Zoë called out, "I want to see Santa!" And Alexander cried, "I want to see it...mailman!"

He loves the mailman.

The line was long, but the weather was so nice that Rachel and I discussed removing our sweaters. People in the line were dressed in all sorts of things, from shorts and tank tops to winter coats and big fluffy boots. And all around us different languages were being spoken: Korean, Russian, Hindi, and a few I didn't recognize. It's wonderful to live in a place with so many cultures around. 

After waiting in line for about an hour (broken up with the excitement of a mail truck driving up—because that's what Alexander had wanted to see, anyway), we'd made it this far (and still had quite a wait to go):

You'd better watch out...

I'm not sure if Zoë how been less able to keep her hands off Alexander lately or if he's simply gotten pickier about when she gets to touch him, but these two have been squabbling constantly lately and usually it has something to do with Zoë carrying Alexander around or Zoë stuffing her hand down Alexander's shirt to feel his soft baby skin or Zoë sitting on Alexander so he can't get into her toys or...Zoë touching Alexander in some way or another.

I don't blame him for not liking all this attention (that he's been battling since his birth). She just loves him so much that she can't help touch him. That or she's aggressively attacking him.

There is no middle ground.

A new phrase he's picked up on, and which he shouts regularly, is, "I'M IN CHARGE OF MY BODY, BO-BO!"

Because that's what I say when she's invading his personal space: "I know his skin is soft, but Alexander doesn't want you to touch him right now. Do you hear how he's squawking at you? That means he doesn't want you to do that. Alexander is in charge of his body and you need to listen to him."

She doesn't often listen to him, unfortunately, and yesterday when I found her sitting on him (after following the sounds of his muffled cries) I began chastising her once again.

"Zoë!" I said. "Get off of your brother!"

"But I don't want him in my room!" she said.

"Well, he can't get out of your room when you're sitting on him," I pointed out. "You need to use your words to communicate with him, not your body."

"Fine," she said, rolling off of him. "Alexander, get out!" she then said, giving him a little push to emphasize "out."

Does she really think I don't see these things? I am right here.

"Zoë, you've got to start being nicer to your brother. Santa's not going to be very happy when he sees how unkindly you've been beha..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zoë interrupted. "You mean he can see us when we're awake, too!?"