Chelsea Salomone: 2022

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Christmas 2022

We had a great, although not uneventful, Christmas this year. After having Covid last year and missing out on all of the normal family traditions, it was so nice to be back to "normal."

On Christmas Eve we went over to my mom's bright and early for Christmas with the Sledges and Scat. We had a huge brunch and everything was delicious- my mom worked so hard making such a nice meal for us, and the gifts were absolute mayhem and chaos in the best way possible.

After my mom's we came home and changed clothes for 2:30 church. Sadly, I never got a family picture so this is as good as it gets. Boys occupied with some of their favorite gifts from Mimi's- light up Rubik's Cube game and a book called "Snow" that I would say is the first official book Beck read cover to cover!

Even more sad than the no family Christmas picture, was the fact that in the middle of the church service Eric Miscoll called Nick to say we had a burst pipe and water was gushing down from our front porch. We had kind of been anticipating it with the crazy cold temperatures, and Nick had been doing everything humanly possible to keep it from happening, but Beck's bathroom pipes over the front porch ended up bursting like they did about ten years ago. Two great things were: Eric got our water shut off fast and so none of the water came inside the house (HALLELUJAH!!!). Secondly, Nick got on the phone and was able to get a plumber to come fix the pipe and turn the water back on that evening. Rex and Kylee had major damage in their master bathroom that morning, so that really puts things in perspective. This was a hassle and really nothing else.

While Nick and Chris were at our house with the plumber we enjoyed drinks at Al and Teri's and a rousing game of bingo with the cousins. Everett was the big winner!

Nick and Chris made it back in time for ravioli and gifts and Christmas cookies, and it really was the best night. I am so thankful for our family and our wonderful Christmas traditions.

My mom spent the night with us that night, and we set out cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and I read "Twas The Night Before Christmas" (elf edition) to the boys all snuggled up in their sleeping bags on our floor. That was one of the sweetest parts of Christmas.

What I also want to remember is how Beck cried and was genuinely so sad because he knew Elfie and his reindeer Kip were leaving with Santa that night. It was equally parts endearing and precious and heartbreaking. Gah- I just wish I could bottle that sweet innocence and Christmas magic up. Elfie was such a fun and pivotal part of the Christmas season for our family, and especially Beck this year even more than in years past.

And then Santa came! But there wasn't much sleeping to speak of, because the boys coughed all night and were up at 2:30 and 5:30, and Nick slept upstairs in Beck's room so he could get up and flush the toilet every couple of hours to keep the pipe from bursting a second time. But in the morning...

And Elfie did go back to The North Pole, but he left Kip for Beck (and his brothers) to baby sit until next December, since they loved him and took such good care of him. And that kitchen- that Nick spent HOURS assembling that Beck has talked about for months- barely got a second glance. Beck was just thrilled to have his reindeer back and carried that around and loved on it all morning long.

Cuddles with Kip > Gifts

Santa brought Everett a Brandon Crawford jersey and a signed baseball, and roller blades- which he was thrilled to finally get!

Logan also got a signed baseball and his big Santa gift was a Porsche Lego set he wanted.

From us Everett got a new lacrosse stick and gloves, Beck got a classroom play set and Jurassic Park Uno and Logan got a nice wallet and they all three got personalized water bottles, and a Dragon hoodie and a Dragon shirt.

Nick surprised me with a GORGEOUS black YSL purse and all of my favorite treats in my stocking- he's such a thoughtful gift giver. I gave him a new range finder, an Under Armour hoodie he wanted, and a new overnight travel kit thing.

Nick went back to bed while my mom and I fixed breakfast. It was a delicious change of pace- we had waffles, bacon, eggs, fruit and ebelskeivers for the boys. Nick did wake up and join us for breakfast- I really slacked on the pictures this year.

We spent the rest of the day exactly like this and it was soooo nice...

The boys played and Nick and I laid around all day and watched a murder mystery called The Glass Onion. Neither of us want to cook or make a big production on Christmas Day, so we thought ahead this year and Nick picked up some tri tip and some salmon and sides at Eatzi's so we had a really delicious meal (and used the Christmas China for the second time that day) with minimal effort.

And the house looked like this...

And I did a pretty good job just embracing the season and trying to look the other way, but by the next morning I couldn't take it any more so when Nick went to Winstar with his college friends, the boys and I got the house (close to) ship shape, and things felt a lot better.

It was a really sweet and wonderful Christmas. I'm so grateful for the memories we made.

Logan's Birthday: Eleven

Logan is eleven!! Maybe because it's been a year of so much change and emotions already and I was feeling nostalgic about life in general, eleven hit me kind of hard. I felt much more emotional- a little sad and bursting with pride and in shock of how fast it's going than I did even last year at ten. Eleven... here we are!

I've had at least three favorite ages with Logan, but ten/going into eleven is definitely one of them. Gah it was such a good year with him. The night before his birthday he whispered to me and asked if Elfie would still bring him a gift, like he normally does. This is his first year not believing in Santa, but he's been so sweet and unassuming about the whole thing.

Logan really, really, really wanted a personalized baseball glove this year. I don't know if he was more excited to open it on his birthday or if Nick was more excited to give it to him. Either way it was a sweet moment (at 5:30 in the a.m. no less....)

JG and Stacey sent him a putting green that he loved, and Jeanice gave him a Darth Vader Lego set that he was also excited to open.

The boys hung out and played Fort Nite and played football and built Legos most of the day. It was really low key. I got the house ready for our family party, and we had a late lunch at Taverna Rossa at Logan's request.

That night Grammy and Papa, Mimi and Chris, Colin and Cameron came over (Deed had a work event). We had Papa's steaks at Logan's request, mashed potatoes and green beans. I also made him the Ina Garden chocolate icebox cake for dessert. It made me so happy to cook for him on his birthday.

It was a fun, easy night. Logan got a new kindle from Grammy and Papa, Beats ear bud speakers from Mimi and a gift card from Deed and Chris.

And a great singing card from Grammy and Papa

Dear Logan,

There is basically nothing I don't adore about you. When I look back on this past eleven years, I am just flooded with pride and joy. You're a really good human with a good head on your shoulders. Sure you act like an eleven year old boy a lot of the time, and that's great too. But you also give us glimpses of the man you will be some day. It may sound weird, but I just know I don't have to worry about you too much. Generally, you're always going to do the right thing, or if you don't, you get it and will course correct.

You are responsible, hardworking and dedicated. Every morning you get up (early, always) and play Wordle on your iPad with Mimi and Grammy, and then do your workout, which includes a ridiculously long wall sit. You work hard at your math (most of the time) and show such tenacity when you rework problems just to get a higher A on your homework, or sit for hours and do Lego sets like you've done since you were basically a toddler. You are so sweet to little kids- like your cousins and Quinn and Savannah, and sometimes Beck. You love little kids and babies so much.

You are really social and love your friends. Brooks, Owen and Andy are your best friends, but you like hanging out with Harrison from baseball and Attie from school as well. You're on a group chat with a lot of your baseball friends on your iPad, and you definitely care a lot about your friends and spending time with them.

You still enjoy reading and video games (so much!), and are constantly trying to negotiate for more video game time (no), an iPhone (also no), later bedtimes, Everett and Beck to sleep in the bunk beds with you on weeknights, etc.

Your teachers have really nice things to say about you. You started wearing deodorant this year (necessary), and still love sports with a passion you and your dad share. You love to play them, watch them, study them, read about them... You are playing flag football, baseball and basketball but sadly a shoulder injury took you out of a lot of playing time this spring, which really made you sad and frustrated. You have been such a good sport working hard in your hitting lessons and going to physical therapy.

You are such a special kid, and such a blessing to me and your dad and also to Everett and Beck, even if they don't know it yet, as well as the rest of our family. As Mimi said at your birthday dinner, you excel at so many different things, but you do it all in such a kind, unassuming manor.

I love our long conversations and the things you share with me and the questions you ask me. I count it a privilege that you still do this and want me to come to things at school, etc. I love you so much, and I thank God for you and for the honor of being your mom every day.

I hope eleven is full of fun and friends and sports and great memories for you.

I love you,

Mom