Christmas 2004

We’re off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz…

On this occasion of the 10th anniversary of our annual Christmas treatise, I was briefly tempted to simply re-issue the original letter in a fancy envelope and leave it at that. But now that even Cameron knows how to spell “cop out”, I was forced to reconsider. Finding a theme was the next conundrum. As we drew straws for who got stuck with the late night pick-up from Will’s “Oz” rehearsals, I was inspired. While I had every intention of casting myself as Glinda, the good witch, the rest of the family seemed to think that I more closely resemble her wicked sister (I have to admit, green is one of my favorite colors)!

West Palm Beach resembled the land of Oz last Christmas… ten days after we moved (and about ten minutes after I mailed last year’s letter) we headed to Florida to spend the holidays with Phil’s family. 14 munchkins, oops, I mean cousins, crammed into a family room built for 4, vying for presents, candy canes and Grandma’s undivided attention. It was all worth it! Except for maybe the midnight fire alarm in our hotel …

Follow the yellow brick road… we actually did it… for 28 hours of middle-aged mom/teenage daughter/teenage son bonding along I-70 eastbound enroute to the Jersey shore. While Kristen looks cute in braids…somehow it’s hard to picture her as an innocent from Kansas. After eight hours of highway with little more to look at than billboards “TRIPLE XXX ADULT STORE… SEX TOYS HALF-PRICE” and truckers who dared to pass her:“Where the ^%#$#$^do you think you are going?!! I could take you$%&%*^!!”…Will and I breathed a sigh of relief when we crossed over the bridge into Kansas City, Missouri and saw actual two-story buildings. Civilization at last!

Now that Kris is a boarder at The Masters School in NY, the only thing she really wants from the wizard is MONEY... “you guys are so naïve to think that a person can get by on $50 a week in NY. Things are really expensive here!!” (Mind you, we lived there ourselves for over 13 years and, by the way, EVERYTHING she eats , sleeps, and breathes is already paid for)!

Will really feels like he has made it to the Emerald City. He started his fourteenth year with a surprise trip to Vegas with Phil. In two and a half days they managed to ride the rollercoaster at New York, New York 34 times. (Phil had vertigo for weeks) Though he played the Tinman last month, there is little need for a new heart; Will’s summer theatrics involved two passionate kissing scenes in Oklahoma! out on the Jersey shore. This was closely followed by an early August start at his new high school, Denver School of the Arts. When I asked about his Halloween costume plans, he replied “Mom, at DSA every day is Halloween.” He is asking the wizard for a chance to re-do those kissing scenes now that his braces are off!

Though Kevin had to search for enough courage to face the dreaded Red Sox fan bandwagon at school this fall, he is more committed than ever to becoming the Yankees GM. Every morning he regales us with obscure baseball statistics from the sports pages. A 7th grader now, he is showing the faintest glimmer of attitude, but still good-naturedly endures limitless abuse from Cameron (who loves to scream “Go Red Sox!” whenever he sees Kevin). Now the oldest Seefried at Graland, he has adjusted well to the role of protector. On the roller rink, he was a regular Dave Schulz, leading the league in penalty minutes. Kevin is asking the wizard for Randy Johnson, straight As, tickets to the next World Series, a lifetime supply of fudge along with an out-of-state adoptive family for Cameron.

Nicole is starting down the yellow brick road of theater too. After playing Harriet the Spy in June, she was a chorus member in Oklahoma (the better to see Will’s kissing rehearsals!), and recently landed a part as the balloon girl in a local high school production of Gypsy! A real renaissance gal, she continues with piano, voice, guitar, soccer, girl scouts and basketball. A developing hoopster she scored 17 points in her first game this fall after being basketless all summer! She is asking the Wizard for an electric guitar, Spongebob slippers, a dog like Toto, and a perpetual playdate with Faye or Cecilia.

While he campaigned early on for the role of Glinda, Cameron is kind of like our own personal munchkin -way too wise for his size. This year, after outgrowing his wheat allergy he discovered the #1 vehicle for sugar, doughnuts with icing and sprinkles. He was hooked. A kindergartener now, he loves to write letters to one and all. One of our favorites: Dear Kris, I hat you! Love Cameron. He plays a mean game of rock, paper, scissors (cheats every time) and is on a personal mission to keep Wendy’s in business. When his dad took him out for the ultimate father/son model rocket-launching experience, he ran screaming into the night and it was weeks before he forgave Phil who he now refers to as “Rocket Boy”.

Speaking of Phil, he’d be willing to endure flying monkeys, jitterbugs, lions, tigers and bears and even ten more years with the wicked witch if only the Wizard would give him “the perfect swing”. Yes, golf is still his main obsession. He thought he’d landed in Oz last summer when he traveled to Doonbeg, Ireland for the ultimate guy’s guy golfing/drinking extravaganza. Rumor has it his partner Matt and he drank enough Guinness to finance the Guiness advertising budget:brilliant! But he arrived home intact and with another “exquisite” crystal bowl for the mantel and a big smile on his face.

Somewhere over the rainbow…I’m actually there. I discovered the pot of gold-otherwise known as full-day kindergarten. After almost 16 years on the afternoon play date circuit. I am a free woman. Time alone is heavenly…one day I actually sat down (and it wasn’t in the car).

Dorothy was right, there really is no place like home…note the singular…yes, after 13 long months we finally sold the nightmare on Elm Street. Though our Irvington house is still in our real estate holdings, at least we don’t have to shovel there!

The lowest point of the year came in early August when we lost our beloved niece Betsy to Batten Disease. She touched hundreds and hundreds of people during her far too brief life and she is terribly missed. We are so grateful for the years we had with her and for her extraordinary family Chris, Kim, Kate, Courtney, and Dougie. We pray for them and for all the families who are missing a loved one this holiday.

Wishing you and yours happiness, health and peace in the New Year…

Or as Cameron would say “Feliz Navidad, Aloha!”