Christmas with the Dalias

We had settled into our apartment in Jacksonville for all of 4 days, barely long enough to get our internet hooked up and unpack, when we packed kids and presents (conspicuously absent was the imported Dominican Christmas Tree, which along with our seashell pictures were our sole decorations in our apartment), dosed kids with travel medicine, and headed north towards Charlotte.  We wondered at our decision when we saw all the traffic headed south, and realized people love to spent Christmas in Florida, and we were heading north.  

Four of the 9 little boys ages 2-4.  Sam intimidating Will by giving him a hug and once he gets a response from someone he continues the same behavior. (Clockwise:  Max, Marcus, Sam and Will)

The girl crew here, often led by Emmie and Alisa. We could tell our kids were Minnesotans (or else the only neglected ones), as they were the only ones running around without jackets, socks or shoes. 

(left to right: Tali, Ella, Alisa, Madeline, Emmie, Katie, and Addie)

We stayed with Erin and family for three fun-filled days.  Early Saturday, we headed to Sarah's house for a family get-together.  One of the top ten things my children love to do is to enter the Dalia Chaos.  This could perhaps qualify as a newly defined experience, encountered when one aligns with 17 siblings, two parents, 6 spouses and soon to be 21 grandchildren (all under the age of 8) in any public place or even private home.  My kids look forward to this, talk about this, long for it--to be one of the gang again.  They do not need any entertainment, they provide their own-- they just need space.  My girls dream of being part of a gang like this, and the idea of leading a gang just excites them.

Since Will was sleeping, Sam was the youngest and the first to open a present.

I realized that Max smiled in all the pictures where he had a present, but in few of the pictures where he did not.

This gathering could hardly be qualified as Dalia Chaos.  There were only two parents, 12 children, 3 spouses and 9 grandchildren.  Yet my children's yearnings were satisfied, and this was likely their best of all Christmas presents.  We had a wonderful meal, some Mitt Romney chit-chat, and kept all kids from danger.  The highlight was opening presents, my kids loved the attention of opening a present under the watchful eyes of 25 other oohs and aahs.  The only disappointment was that we were only together for 3 hours before we all had to leave.

Ella had the largest gift of the day, a gigantic horse book, which garnered much attention.

Madeline loved her American Girl Doll and books.

After the family get together, Erin and I prepared for Christmas, we helped the girls make cinnamon rolls for Santa Claus,  we chatted while the guys watched some football.  For Ryan it was like going back to his boyhood; sitting with his childhood friend (though I have heard Ryan would beat on Tom and Mark some), watching football and reminiscing about Greg's glasses, someone's high pitched siren cry, and the neighborhood football games.  Eating pulled pork that Mark had smoked only added to the appeal.  I still chuckle sometimes at the happenstance of my sister marrying my husband's neighbor.

The boys weren't always as social as the girls were.

Everyone was good-natured about Sam yelling "this is dumb", and "stupid", and all sorts of other offenses.  Luckily he entertained with sweetness just as often.

Christmas morning chaos

Madeline treasured her gum, a gift from Ella.

Another smile from a happy boy.

The girls all loved playing together, crafting together and singing together, whenever we had the girls car (because of course, we divided the cousins along gender lines when driving places), they all sang along to the Peter Breinholt Christmas CD.  The boys enjoyed cars and trains.  We had such a fun time together, that when we left Monday morning, we pulled away a crying Max again, who sobbed for 45 minutes while intermittently yelling at us to stop and turn the car around.  We weren't able to get him to take his travel medicine until a good 2 hours into the drive.  And we also put a damper on an otherwise great Christmas cd, as when we listened to Peter Brienholt the next day in the car, Madeline said she could barely listen to it because it reminded her so much of singing with Katie.  That aside, we had a wonderful time, and realized how much we enjoy being with family.

The girls before we went to church on Christmas day. (Katie, Ella, Madeline and Addie)

Sam's personality matched his expression.  As usual, there was someone at church who grew up with Ryan.  It's an ongoing joke we have that any church we visit will have at least one family from North Ogden, UT.  Having grown up in the Appalachians, an hour from church, I don't have that same network.

Marcus, Mark, Katie, Addie and Erin.