Christmas Fun
We had a white Christmas! As much as I dislike dealing with icy, snow-covered roads, there’s something magical about waking up to a fresh snowfall on Christmas morning.
Tru discovered a new favorite Christmas movie this year: Elf! I had forgotten how funny that movie is. We must have watched it a hundred times together, laughing about Buddy serving spaghetti with maple syrup for breakfast and saying, “Oh, you’re an angry elf! You must be a South Pole elf!”
We also fell in love with The Star, a Netflix movie about the birth of Jesus and the very first Christmas. There are some silly donkeys in that movie that Tru found hilarious! Another favorite was the Illumination animated version of The Grinch, which we watched multiple times as well.
It was very important to Tru to write his letter to Santa this year, and he wrote it all by himself! He addressed the envelope: “To Santa Claws at the North Pole.” He asked for a few things and invited Santa to choose among them: K’NEX roller coaster building materials, gear to track aliens, an 8-foot-tall teddy bear, and a ping pong table. He even thoughtfully wrote, “Thank you for spreading joy around the whole world!”
His recent alien obsession has been so cute. He often came home from school telling me how he and his friends were searching for aliens at recess. I decided to show him E.T., one of my childhood favorites. He found the part where E.T. gets sick quite frightening, and I felt bad about that—maybe he was still too young. But he thought the part where E.T. accidentally gets drunk was absolutely hilarious!
We did so many fun Christmas activities. One of my favorites was an evening stroll through the local botanical garden, which was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights. By some stroke of luck, we arrived at a time when there were hardly any other people around, even though the event is usually very popular. We had so much fun walking the lit-up trails and stopping at a booth halfway for cookies and hot chocolate. The night wasn’t too cold, and as I gazed up at the clear sky, I noticed a giant full moon shining brightly. I snapped a photo of Chris and Tru under that moon.
We also took a similar Christmas light stroll at a local winery and golf course. Afterward, we had dinner at their restaurant, which was absolutely wonderful—I had white fish with corn, potatoes, pancetta, and a delicious beurre blanc.
Chris and Tru discovered a spectacular Christmas light display while driving on the highway! It was set up on a farm, with winding paths for visitors to drive through. We set our car radio to a Christmas music station and enjoyed the festive atmosphere—it was so much fun!
We also had a wonderful time at the Jordan’s Christmas Village event. I loved the old-fashioned Christmas displays – complete with Victorian homes and general stores all decorated for the holidays! There was even fake snow falling that Tru tried to catch on his tongue! There was also an indoor tubing hill that was not nearly thrilling enough for Tru, and a laser light show set to Christmas music. And a reindeer game that Tru won – he was given a new stuffed animal (as a prize) to add to his Tru Crew. We stopped at the bakery on our way out for some of the most delicious cupcakes.
I bought a gingerbread decorating kit, and Tru did an amazing job creating his gingerbread house masterpiece. We also waited until Christmas Eve to bake and decorate sugar cookies—after all, they needed to be fresh for Santa! Tru even left Santa a note, thanking the elves and reindeer, and asking how warm and cold it gets at the North Pole and how much snow they get.
A couple of nights before Christmas, Tru received a Zoom call from Santa! This was especially meaningful because, although Trevor doesn’t have a lot of memories in general, he remembers this tradition. Leading up to Christmas, he repeatedly mentioned how much he hoped Santa would call again this year. Santa was fantastic—he talked to Trevor about the Northern Lights at the North Pole and even discussed Trevor’s love of roller coasters and aliens.
We also went to a few movies over the holiday break—such a fun way to spend a wintry weekend! We saw Mufasa on a Sunday morning and had the entire theater to ourselves, which was wonderful! Tru loves sharing popcorn with Chris and chocolate cookie-dough bites with me. We also saw Moana 2.
Tru begged and begged to have a sleepover with his two best friends, so we finally made that happen over the holiday break. Although Ben couldn’t make it (he was sick), Tru and Harrison had so much fun together. They went to the mall to do the golf simulator and eat warm soft pretzels. Then they played for a while at home, playing Mario Brothers and acting completely crazy and silly and laughing hysterically. Harrison fell asleep pretty quickly – by about 10pm – to Tru’s disappointment (Harrison had been out skiing all day). The following morning, they ate Dunkin Donuts and played with the alien slime kit that Tru got for Christmas.
Christmas Traditions
On Christmas Eve afternoon, we went to Chris’s parents’ house and opened some presents together. We then enjoyed a delicious meal of ham, cheesy potatoes, and vanilla cake with raspberry jam.
On Christmas Day, we went to my parents’ house, where Uncle Rick, Greg, Sam, and Bentley joined us. Tru was thrilled when Bentley arrived—he was so excited to have a playmate! I feel bad that Tru doesn’t have siblings or cousins his age. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of celebrating the holidays with my cousins. My parents made a fantastic Christmas dinner with turkey, carrots, squash, stuffing, and my contribution—chive mashed potatoes. My dad, as always, made Mémère’s pork stuffing. Uncle Rick brought over old photo albums from Nana and Grandpa’s house, and we had so much fun looking through the black-and-white photos and talking about our family tree.
Tru also got to do the special scavenger hunt that has become a tradition at my parents’ house. My mom writes incredible rhyming clues that send him searching for his special gift. This year, it was a brand-new set of golf clubs, since he had outgrown his old set. He’s a lucky little boy!
We also continued our annual Christmas Eve tradition at home. We made breakfast for dinner—avocado BLTs, fruit salad with sugar, lime, and basil, tater tots, and cinnamon buns. My definition of heaven! Tru was willing to eat a bit of fruit salad, and of course, he devoured the cinnamon buns. We each opened one present and then settled in to watch a Christmas movie.
On Christmas morning, Tru was up early, as always. He was so excited to discover a brand-new ping pong table in the playroom, all set up and ready to go. He also received all the alien-tracking gear he had asked for. I had worked so hard to find it—an alien fact book, a UFO sighting journal, and kits with old newspaper clippings and images of real alien sightings. He was interested… for about a day! He also received the K’NEX roller coaster building kit.
Winter Hardships
This winter has been especially tough in terms of weather. Over the past three years or so, we barely got any snow. This year, by comparison, has been brutal. Tru has had a two-hour delay and one full snow day at school so far. As I write this, we’re experiencing yet another blizzard. We got at least six inches overnight, and now it has turned to rain, which means the roads are probably covered in black ice. I haven’t been able to go for walks for the past month and a half because the roads are just too covered in snow and ice.
It’s not just the school cancellations and treacherous roads—it’s also the terrible dark, cold, gloomy weather that makes everything feel so bleak. But sweet Tru keeps a positive attitude. He loves building forts, tunnels, and igloos, both at home and during school recess. He even started a friendship with the little boy across the street, A.J., who is seven. They’ve played in the snow together a few times so far, which has been a bright spot in an otherwise difficult winter.
In addition to dealing with daily contacts (and the multiple cases of conjunctivitis that have come with it!), Tru is now also dealing with a palate expander. Every night before bed, Chris uses a little metal tool to rotate the expander. Tru has never complained about pain or discomfort and I’m so grateful for that. He did talk with a bit of a lisp for the first couple weeks, although that has mostly faded. And he was struggling meals because food would get trapped in the wire that stretches across the top of his mouth. He’s slowly getting used to that as well, though. Unfortunately, he’s lost interest in some of the healthy foods he was just starting to eat – such as oranges – because they get caught in the wire.
As for my injuries, I’m on a slow road to recovery. I’ve been injured five times over the past 16 months, and it’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t thinking about aches and pains in my body. It has become second nature—like someone who absentmindedly chews their nails—checking in with where I’m feeling pain happens automatically, from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Sometimes, an ache will even wake me in the middle of the night.
Mornings used to be the worst; I dreaded getting out of bed for fear of how much pain I’d feel in my ankles and knees. Even now, I relive that experience. Currently, I experience minor aches and pains, mostly in the insides of my knees, the tops of my feet, and my big toes. The ankle that was my original injury aches occasionally, but it’s rare. When a new pain flares up, I panic immediately, fearing another long healing process.
My exercise routine these days consists of 20 minutes on the Peloton, followed by floor exercises and stretching, especially foot and balance exercises. An acupuncturist told me that I have flat feet and should wear special arch-support shoes for the rest of my life—even inside the house. That didn’t feel right to me. I used to walk the streets of Boston five days a week in three-inch heels! Instead, I’ve started walking barefoot through the house, which felt like a huge achievement after my foot injuries. I’ve also started dancing again, introducing it very gently—maybe two songs a day—and hoping to work my way up from there.
I’ve also been going to Pilates classes. It’s not a cardio workout, but it is still challenging in terms of muscle engagement. I always feel a bit of dread before class, but I’ve seen real improvements in my confidence and strength because of it.
I feel hopeful that one day, I’ll be back to a pain-free life. I love that Emily Dickinson poem about how hope endures all, and I like to imagine my future self—fit, strong, and healthy—looking back on this post and barely remembering what this struggle even felt like. That would be nice.
My greatest struggle of all, as I’ve often written before, is the endless cycle of viruses circulating through Tru’s school. Just a few weeks ago, Tru got conjunctivitis again—his second or third time in the course of a year. And now, as I write this, he is slowly recovering from an awful virus that lasted an entire week.
It started on Monday when he came home from school coughing. I gave him vitamins and prayed it wouldn’t turn into anything. By Tuesday morning, he couldn’t eat and seemed utterly exhausted. His face was pale, his eyes sunken, and his lips chapped. He missed school from Tuesday through Thursday, sleeping most of the day and refusing to eat. Luckily, he drank water, but seeing him so drained of energy was terrifying. It’s so unlike him that it sends waves of fear through me, this foreboding sense that something must be really wrong.
By Friday, he begged to go to school because he didn’t want to miss celebrating Valentine’s Day with his classmates. He had the best Valentines ever (according to many of his friends!)—soft foam balls in the shape of footballs, basketballs, baseballs, and soccer balls with matching sports-themed Valentine’s cards. But unfortunately, he came home that afternoon with his cough worse than ever—a constant, scary cough that sent my anxiety through the roof.
Even Chris, who usually stays calm in these situations, was shaken by how bad it sounded. Funny side note: I had bought a stone massage kit for Chris for Valentine’s Day to help him relax. I worked so hard to create a spa atmosphere in our bedroom with scented candles and calming music. And then, of course, we had a child with the most horrific cough in the next room—the complete opposite of relaxation! Not exactly the most joyful Valentine’s Day.
By Saturday morning, we were so worried that Chris took Tru to the doctor. The doctor said there was nothing that could be helped with medication—no strep, no pneumonia—we’d just have to ride it out. So we gave Tru honey syrup and honey lollipops and got him a really good cool mist humidifier. Today (Sunday, day seven of this illness), things are finally looking up. His cough is no longer scary, and he has enough energy to ask Chris to play ping pong. But seven days with a very sick child is exhausting. And now, my next worry is whether Chris or I (or both of us) will be the next victims of this virus.
That’s another cruel reality of parenting—you get a terrifying preview of the illness that may soon invade your own body. The dread is real!
Winter Routines and Joys
Tru, as a nearly nine-year-old in third grade, is such a joy. He hops out of bed with enthusiasm every morning, typically waking between 6:00 and 6:20 a.m. Once in a great while—maybe every couple of months—he’ll accidentally sleep until 7:00 a.m., and when he does, he’s devastated, feeling like he’s missed his morning.
As soon as he’s up, he comes straight into my bed for cuddles, carrying a few members of the Tru Crew in his arms. He still loves to cozy up with a few of them each night, giving those lucky three (or so) a “special night.” Our morning cuddles are precious. His hair still smells so heavenly sweet in the morning—I call it his sugar sweet.
Next, we head downstairs so I can let Cal outside, feed him, and make Tru’s breakfast. His go-to choices are cookie dough yogurt, a muffin cup, a waffle, or a bagel with cream cheese. He’ll often have a fruit smoothie, a protein smoothie, or some orange juice. I also try to get him to eat a little fruit—he likes bananas, strawberries, and melon.
Sometimes, we cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. Our current favorites:
- March of the Penguins (Tru fell in love with emperor penguins at SeaWorld, so I knew he’d love this movie).
- The Wizard of Oz (I had forgotten how much I love this movie, and Tru adores it too! The Lion is hilarious. We always laugh at the part where the Wizard says, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”).
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (I was surprised how much Tru loved this old classic!).
After breakfast, I pick out his clothes. He wants “comfies” every day (i.e., sweats), but about once a week, I manage to sneak him into a nice outfit. I got him a really cute button-down with dinosaurs on it, as well as a white top with red and blue stripes.
Tru is great about getting his contacts in every morning and brushing his teeth thoroughly. Since he had to get a baby tooth filled, he’s become super dedicated to his oral care—he brushes, rinses with ACT mouthwash, and flosses every night. I think he might be a perfectionist and a Type A personality, just like Chris!
Since we’re dealing with mountains of snow this winter, I retrieve Tru’s snow gear from the heating vents, where I left them the night before, and help him get dressed—snow pants, mittens, hat, and boots. Then, I drive him to school. He always has things he’s looking forward to, such as gym day on Fridays (he was really excited about learning archery in gym class) and special presentations (he played the part of Mercury in his class’s solar system presentation). Since he’s able to choose his own independent projects as well, Tru has also been extremely enthusiastic about writing stories as part of his dream to one day open an amusement park called Park Invater. He even missed recess one day (!) to watch a teacher present on how to publish your own book (because she published a children’s book). He wrote a story called Big Beefy Bobby, A Buff Stuffy. It was really funny and told the story of his massive giant panda stuffed animal going on crazy adventures.
Once I get home, usually by 8:30 a.m., I try to hop on the Peloton right away. If I don’t do it first thing, I lose motivation! Afterward, I’ve come to love my meditation routine. It used to feel like a boring to-do, but now I truly look forward to the peace and relaxation it brings. I often do breathwork, tapping, and Joe Dispenza visualization meditations. Then I spend time journaling, doing affirmations, practicing metta meditation, and working through an A Course in Miracles lesson.
Chris often picks Tru up from school since he leaves for work in Boston around 4 or 5 a.m. to beat traffic. But on days when he can’t, I leave at 2:50 to pick up Tru. He prefers to meet me on the playground rather than waiting in the car line (which I don’t mind—it saves time, and I get a little fresh air). Sometimes, he comes running toward me with a big smile, which is always a highlight of my day. Occasionally, he still grabs my hand as we walk to the car, which melts my heart.
Lately, his after-school updates have been a mix of good and bad news. As a third grader, he’s navigating more complex social interactions, and I have to be mindful not to get too emotionally invested in his struggles. This is real work for me since I often feel his pain even more deeply than he does. One time, he told me that some girls in his class made fun of him for getting an answer wrong, and I was practically in tears myself. I still remember the moment I stopped raising my hand in class at around twelve years old—fear of being laughed at or judged. Tru is so bright, with such beautiful thoughts and ideas, and I can’t bear the thought of him losing his confidence.
Afternoons are filled with sports. Tru plays for both a local hockey team and an elite travel team, so he has hockey practices several times a week. He also loves basketball and plays on a local team. Weekends are packed with hockey and basketball games, plus a soccer drills workshop on Saturdays. Tru has been a star of his basketball team! Although his team has sadly lost every single game this season (Tru is often in tears at the end of a game because he puts his whole heart into it), he often scores at least half of the points for his team. It’s amazing to watch him dribble down the court with so much speed and confidence, darting around his opponents, shooting, and scoring! He’s completely unstoppable when he makes that decision to give it his all. He’s great at defense as well. He also often goes to the golf simulator at our club—golf is still his greatest passion.
Despite his busy schedule, we try to eat dinner together as a family. Not much has changed on that front—Chris and I eat whatever I cook, while Tru gets a separate meal of the few things he’ll eat. For example, if I make chili, he won’t touch it, but he’ll eat the tortilla chips I serve on the side, plus string cheese, a protein smoothie, and a few strawberries. If I make veggie pasta, he’ll have plain pasta with butter. It still makes me sad that I can’t share my love of food with him. I always imagined that one of my meals would become his favorite, something he’d request over and over. But that just hasn’t happened. Side note: We do still have fun baking together. He loves making muffins and chocolate-chip peanut butter oat balls with me.
Bedtime has been really fun lately. Tru always tries to negotiate a later bedtime—right now, it’s 8:20, though he sometimes stretches it to 8:30 or 8:40. He showers every night, and he’s now able to do his whole oral hygiene routine—brushing, rinsing with ACT, and flossing—all in the shower.
Sometimes, we listen to his favorite songs on YouTube. Lately, he’s obsessed with Liar by Jelly Roll. Then we snuggle up in his bed for reading time, usually with Chris joining in. I loved reading him the classic Winnie-the-Pooh hardcover collection I got him, but more recently, he’s been into the Wayside School series (he got them for Christmas). Chris and I both remember these books from when we were kids! They’re silly, wacky, and ridiculous—just what Tru loves. It’s so much fun listening to him read aloud, cracking up at the antics of the Wayside kids. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.
