We need a little Christmas, right this very minute

It was a long trip to Maine. We were in the San Jose airport with all of our luggage, a very tired Elena, no apartment, no rental car, and it turns out, no flight because of bad weather on the East Coast. The Delta gate agent was an everyday angel and helped us get a room for the night and van service for all of our things at 4:30 am the next morning.

Elena was a champ traveler, with her own carseat (and gogo carseat wheels!) she breezed through the airport and then slept on most of the time on the flights. Mom and Dad were a little harder hit and the effects of the previous week were catching up with us. We arrived in Portland late on Friday night and Elena finally had enough and cried the last 30 minutes of the 2 hr drive to Wilton.

But waiting for us was Nana, a hot dinner, and a warm bed. We all collapsed. In the morning there was snow on the ground, Elena was amazed. And we had grand plans, a pancake breakfast and Christmas tree cutting! It finally was starting to seem a bit like Christmas.

The pancake breakfast at Titcomb Ski Slopes was fun, we barely squeaked in by the 10am cut off. The Santa Cruz crowd missed the loud firefighters taking eggs to order, but the view was hard to beat.




We arrived to cut the tree. Elena liked the snow, but we forgot her sled, so she got tired quickly. After much 'discussion' we all decided on the perfect tree. Elena was initially excited to say 'cut it!' and watch Grandpa start cutting! However, when the tree fell, she said 'Uh-Oh' and then 'back in!' I think she though the tree police were going to come after us. But some cooled, hot cider and animal crackers later, there was no harm done.