Crazy holidays

I have all three whelps back home now for the holidays, and I must say that my lifestyle is much different now with them all around.

Yesterday, in the midst of the Army/Navy game, there was a clamor to go and get the Christmas tree.  It built and built until it was impossible not to satisfy the three yutes.  The wife, however, pretended not to want a tree, and flat out ordered me to refuse to get one, faking tears and sobs.  

This is my life.

The kids and I fired up the truck and drove to the nearest lot.  I picked out a tree I knew would work in probably 30 seconds.  I am a man that knows what I want.  The three kids were scandalized - how could I know so fast?  They wanted to savor the tree hunt, not buy and fly.

When we pulled up to the house, the wife met us, matches in hand, threatening to burn the cursed Christmas tree.  A rugby like scrum ensued, and the wife, being a strong farm wife, and motivated to burn the tree, broke free and actually managed to strike a match and then hold it under the tree, which was still in the back of the truck.  Naturally, there was lots of puffing and slapping at the lit match, and the tree survived.  It's now in the front room adorned with lights, but no ornaments as of yet.

As if that excitement wasn't enough, later that evening the two younger kids wanted to go out and try and photograph the Geminids, which were peaking last night.  This was supposed to be a meteor "shower," but I personally only saw one.  A bit overhyped, I'd say.

Anyway, when we had been standing around in the dark for a while, the two of them decided to go on a night photography expedition, so the three of us jumped into the truck and roared out of the yard.

Eventually, we found a place to get out and take some shots in a nearby vineyard.  Here is the middle kid doing his best Luke Skywalker imitation.  The weird orange light is from the yard lights at a maintenance building just on the other side of the hill.  The camera was set up for long night exposures, and it saw the light from the building as orange.  Looks like some sort of Icelandic volcano is erupting just over the hill.

This morning, three of them are at church right now, including the wife who tried to burn the tree (probably going to confession), I've spent the morning searching the front yard for a lost key to the car my wife likes to drive (successfully, I might add), and the oldest daughter is making something for lunch, giving me time to post something.  

I need the break from crazy!