U stolečku jsme měli plno.

Začali jsme letos trošku víc bruslit.

I took it for a done deal that we would go camping at Lone Pine like last year. However, forecast with maximum forty during the day and twenty at night cooled my enthusiasm. Furthermore it was clear that we would never end up short of alternative program — Nejedlí came on Monday before Thanksgiving, this time for a long time, since Petr got a job here.

Tom and Jack were naturally ecstatic; we got together right on Tuesday with much joy. Petr could drive away his Cecilia, which thus finds a new home at old age; kids were issued some toys (although Tom made sure during a handoff of his large trains collection that Jack was only BORROWING them), I tested my cooking skills on ten people and discovered that our supply of tables and chairs was almost insufficient. It would seem that we had our company covered for Thanksgiving.

I did the shopping on Wednesday. A grocery store by ten o'clock in the morning contains a handful of dithering housewives and an occasional senior citizen. On this morning before a major holiday, all registers were operating at full capacity and people were hoarding food like if awaiting a siege. Back at home, kids questioned me regarding our turkey, and Lisa asked to be shown the bird. The enthusiasm of the juniors surprised me a bit, but then I recalled that previous year we missed proper Thanksgiving rituals (on account of camping and Lone Pine and Tom getting a strep throat). It's one of the main local holidays and the whole school revolves around turkeys. To cut things short, kids were very happy that even we would follow the customs.

At the occasion of Thanksgiving, Lisa translated her favorite song, Turkey Is a Funny Bird, into Czech, which floored me. She simply took the original lyrics and substituted Czech words.

A turkey is a funny bird, His head goes wobble, wobble And all he knows is just one word... And that is GOBBLE-GOBBLE!

Krůta je legrační pták, jeho hlava jde na stranu a na stranu a zná jen jedno slovo HUDRY HUDRY!

Lisa is barely standing upright, but would like to be a figure skater.

Hippo found a turkey roast recipe on the internet on Thursday morning and declared that this was the only way to roast a turkey, and where is sage. Ignoring my suggestions that a turkey roast can be done many ways and sage can be omitted or substituted, he embarked to a sage shopping spree. He simply could not be argued with — yet it was him who had to endure a crowded store, right? Our guests arrived in the afternoon, we took all kids for a little walk and sat down to a festive dinner in the evening. We were somewhat crowded in our home and Noemi had to sit on a play-doh pail, but a Thanksgiving is always more fun with lots of people.

Climbing in Pinnacles — unfortunately the only pictures I have are from the wrong end of the rope.

Now that our plan with climbing in Alabama Hills fell through, I arranged alternative climbing in Pinnacles with Rob for Friday. We agreed that there was no sense driving at dawn, for it would be cold among the rocks, and met by eight. We parked as the SECOND CAR by nine thirty on the most sought-after, most frequented lot — apparently everybody was still sleeping off their hangover, and digested turkey meat. I hoped it would last and we experience Pinnacles withouth the usual crowds, but already in the moment Rob began to lead Ordeal (5.8), people rolled out from under nearby rocks.

I had climbed Ordeal many times, but it's probably not the best route for a warm-up; I was huffing and puffing too much in it. We ran back down "around the rock" (i.e. didn't rappel) and packed our stuff, aiming to check out Monolith that we did not climb before. Passing by Wet Kiss (5.9), with (surprisingly) no-one around, I decided to still go for this classic. Rob said OK if I lead it, and so I found myself on a familiar collection of pot-bellies and tiny ledges. It surprised me how easy Wet Kiss seemed after a year. Back then, I climbed it sometime in October and sweated quite a bit; this time it was pleasant — always a few moves in an overhang, a resting ledge, all well protected (and I'm simply awfully GOOD). Later, belaying Rob, I heard Tommy from the canyon below us — my family had arrived. After some shouting we found each other and had a lunch together. They even packed me extra sandwiches (I intended to neglect myself with some bar and a few nuts), and thus I gained a solid meal.

Wet Kiss shares anchor with another, much tougher route, and after our refreshment Rob and I climbed The Big Pucker (5.10d) top-rope. I must admit that in the upper part I was rather glad for the rope to hang on, I most likely would not do it leading. The children grew bored watching their mother hanging herself on rocks, and the rest of my family sped away into the caves. They later said the underground waterfall was out, which is no wonder this late in fall.

Snack with mom's girl attached to my leg.

Rob and I meanwhile reached the foot of the Monolith. Rob wanted to climb some two-pitch 5.8 (Regular Route). It was super-easy and the pitches were very short. We even found a summit register on Monolith's top, but Rob said that the pages were all soaking wet and dirty, thus useless. By then dusk was falling and with it the ambient temperature, fast. We packed our stuff and got back home around seven or so.

Kids ready to enter a cave.

The Saturday eventually deteriorated into a very chaotic and very social affair. Sid had already on Friday loaded a baby crib for another set of immigrants into our bus (Kašpars). On Saturday they set out with Nejedlí's (and the crib as cargo) to the ice skating rink. Jack and Eliška had practically never skated before, and thus I was somehow taken aback by Blanka's staying totally cool while releasing them on ice. I understood in five minutes. Both Jack and Eliška, heeding their motto, "leave me alone" kept sweeping the surface for the next two hours. Their original system of two steps and a fall, they advanced to a much better vertical/horizontal ratio, and were able to chase with our children towards the end.

Rýzl's turned up on the ice at some point, who as the only owners (or rather renters, so far) of a seven-seater were volunteered to be the movers. Eventually Kašpar's showed up at the rink, with the occupant-to-be of the crib, Dominik. What ensued reminded me of an old Czech movie (Ball Lightning), which resulted in me kidnapping Míša Rýzlová and their little girls, with Nejedlí's in hot pursuit in their Cecilia. Meanwhile, Martin Rýzl took the crib from the parking lot in front of the rink to Kašpar's home, and returned for his family and our old desk, which went to the Nejedlí's. By that time I was panicked about dinner — I was certainly not ready for fourteen people, but frozen pizza from Trader Joe's saved the day.

As December approached, Tom began to get anxious about Christmas preparations. He strongly insisted on getting an Advent calendar again (chocolate treats), and I tasked him with writing a letter to Santa. Well, Tom wishes for an electric train, but Lisa would like to get a farm with a horse — and I don't know how to fit them in our house, and so I hope that Santa won't bring her a real horse. Santa took the letters, leaving Advent calendars behind on the fireplace mantle. December could begin.

Christmas rituals — decorating a ginger bread house.

The next stage of approaching Christmas means decorating a gingerbread house. Last years we were successful with an pre-fabricated model from Costco, and Tom had an eye on it already again. To our chargrin this year's house was already glued together, and therefore awfully hard to decorate; glazing slipped off the windows and the roof, and everybody was sticky all around, including behind the ears. At least the kids enjoyed it; I, not so much.

After the gingerbread house comes cookie baking and Vizovice dough decorations for the tree. Jana and Ula came to help us with the latter, and so we had a party with a manufacture. Hippo had to hang lights on the house gutters (the hardest part was finding the timer switch that prevents lights from shining all day), and then we went for our tree. Weather was miserable, a gray smog/fog rolled in the Valley, but as soon as we ascended into the mountains, we found ourselves above the inversion. When we spotted sequoias bathing in sunlight on the side of the road, we realized that we left our camera back home — and so this year there are no pictures from our tree hunt, a pity. The trees were silver-edged with dew and we were running amongs them in T-shirts.

A dam in Pinnacles.

We began decorating our tree on Sunday. It's hard work tying threads onto all the Vizovice dough, while time came to go to Jackie's birthday party. I stated getting ready things for Jack, while kids managed to hang all straw decoration that we have on the tree. Only then they were willing to leave the house and go to a sushi place to a fancy lunch according to Jack's choice. Jack had insisted on sushi boats, and Tom with Lisa appreciated it a lot for sure. Being very aggressive sushi eaters, soon we had whole towers of consumed plates in front of us, and so I'm not sure if Nejedlí's would ever invite us again.

Hippo demanded to go mushroom-hunting, and we released him from his duty to continue along with the party at Jack's home. A large company accummulated there eventually, there was cake and presents, and Jack caught me off guard when he brought a Lego submarine (which he got from us) and said that the sub was "REALLY PHAT" Well, at least he liked it.

Jack's party.

Starting with December, Tom and Lisa began to attend beginner's skating classes. I pondered for a long time, should I or should I not at all arrange for any extra-curriculars for them; the school and homework makes us busy as it is. They like skating, though, and it's a class which they can attend together — I drive them to the same place, on the same day and hour, and neither of them is bound to wait in a locker room (as it was in the case of Lisa's ballet last year). Since I paid for the classes, they can use the rink for the rest of the season during public hours, which we will (as I hope) take advantage of.

The first lesson shocked me — I found out that there were two instructors on the ice for about fifteen children; I could not imagine what good would that be. The class had reserved about a third of the rink, figure skaters moving freely (and beautifully) in the other two thirds. I watched from behind the barrier for a while, but then the cold got to me. I went to check with the register that these were INDEED public hours, I rented a pair of skates and set out to stumble among the "public". When we go skating on a weekend, I feel on the ice like the greatest start. It's not really that difficult — among sari-wearing Indian grandmothers, who diligently crawl along the barrier, and groups of giggling and always falling teenage girls, who hold each other by their hands (and therefore fall all together). Anyone who had stood on their skates before in their lives would do better. Now I found myself in the opposite situation — it was I, the largest elephant in a china shop, while little girls effortlessly circled around me.

Next phase of our Christmas rituals.

Occasionally I threw my look to the section with the beginner's class, whether there's need to interfere and control my offspring, but again a rule was confirmed, the same one I noticed in the swim classes. I can command my kids up and down and sideways and they refuse to follow my instruction no matter what. They obey a stranger's word by word, hence they tried (without talking back) sausages and jumping and braking and even skating backwards.

After the class ends, we have an half hour for public skating, which is great, since that way we skate to the fullest. Kids usually complain that they want to keep on skating, which on our way back home changes into complaining how tired and hungry they are; thus I think it's really just right. If it is going to have any effect on their future skating skills, I have no idea, but it is important that they enjoy it enormously. And besides — I can skate at the same time, which is a lot more entertaining that waiting in some locker room.

Lisa's school pageant — kids were the elves, Santa's little helpers.

The last week of school before winter holiday was quite hectic. A pageant at Lisa's, Christmas pajamas party at Tom's, saying goodbye to Lisa's pregnant teacher, on and on. Tom was wearing dark circles under his eyes; I was rather looking forward to the holidays and thought that the kids would feel the same. However, Tom announced that he was sad that there won't be any school, and he would wish the holiday to be only a week, for he's going to miss his teacher. His teacher must be a saint, for she's still maintaining sanity with a whole class of very energetic children (Tom's class is crazy — every kid is a strong personality; they are the noisiest class of the whole elementary — they don't really do mischief, but something's always going on) and she manages to deal with them kindly and with love (now I have enough after two hours I occasionally volunteer, and I would launch them all up to Mars).

The weekend before Christmas was extra nasty, a windy storm came. Fortunately we had it covered with a good program. The Rýzl's brought in their two girls, we let our granny in the clutches of all four kids, and went shooting. Míša wanted a .22, so I tried it, too — but I found it to be such a shot-spit. I hope we were all otherwise satisfied. On Sunday I took granny and the kids to YMCA. As it happens, granny turned into a dedicated athlete and exercises regularly. It's true that our local YMCA surprised even me how natural I feel there — for a relatively small fee, one can attend all kinds of classes, with unlimited access to a gym and a swimming pool (the latter after hours, outside regular group schedule). And they offer short-term child care, which our kids love and demand ever so often to be taken there so they can play. An ideal program for a rainy Sunday morning. The only member of our family not succumbing to YMCA is Hippo — which is a paradox, for he's the only one qualifying for a man (Young Men's Christian Association).

In the afternoon we went to check out new Tezaurs' house. I have to say that I was mostly impressed by their success in utilizing the formal entrace hall, where they placed a ping-pong table. True, that's rather far from formal, but it is ideal for visitors of our kind. Naturally, our kids wanted to try it as well and got soon disinterested (having trouble hitting the ball). But at least they have an excuse that they have never played before in their lives. Hippo and I USED TO PLAY back when we were young and now our performance was just as inept like our children's. I guess we shall have to practice more!