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DEC 2024
Traditions to Cherish Making Christmas Magical
December is upon us, which means we are pushing into winter and the best holiday of the year: Christmas (and its smaller and often overlooked sibling, Christmas Eve). While Christmas is always a time of year I look forward to, for kids, it’s more than just a fun holiday — it’s a magical celebration packed with excitement and literal wish fulfillment! Growing up, my parents would spend a lot of time and effort making sure Christmas stayed special and memorable for us. They would enchant us with stories of Santa, stage close-calls with reindeer (more on that later), and festoon our living room with a lit-up Christmas tree. I am working to continue these traditions with my own family and — in my own small way — help keep Christmas magical.
presents and excited children. It was a ceiling-high centerpiece that reminded us of the cheer and magic of the holidays. Given its importance, my parents would never settle for a faux-tree. Every year, we visited a nearby Christmas tree farm and searched for the perfect pine — tall enough to impress but not too tall for a star scraping against the ceiling — to bring home with us. After we chopped it down and brought it home, the smell of fresh pine needles radiated through the home, a gentle reminder of the wonderful traditions the tree represented. I can still remember how majestic those trees always looked to me as a kid, especially when we turned off the lights and let the Christmas lights glow. SANTA AND HIS REINDEER My parents kept our belief in Santa going strong for as long as they could. Sure, that was quite a bit easier without the power of the internet to help break the illusion, but they put in significant effort to make sure the magic lived on. We would always put cookies and milk out for the big guy, just in case he ever got hungry when delivering presents to our neck of the woods. We would also leave out carrots in case his reindeer got peckish. Sometimes, my dad would chew up some of the carrots to make it look like they topped themselves off before taking off to finish their day’s deliveries. BRINGING THAT MAGIC BACK These days, I am working to keep the magic alive in my community. Part of these efforts include Santa-con, which a group of us local dads put together for the youngins among us. We are hoping to have 30–40 of us, and the plan is for us all to dress up as Santa and march
down to Town Square together for the Christmas celebration. After all, the holidays are only special so long as we work to keep them that way!
THE TRADITIONAL TREE Keeping Christmas magic alive sometimes requires a keen eye and a green thumb. If your house was anything like mine growing up, the living room was incomplete without a well-ornamented Christmas tree. However, in our home, it was more than just a gathering point for
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The Young Woman Who Could Be President
A Michigan Activist Inspires Global Change
We may someday see Amariyanna My’Angel “Mari” Copeny sitting in the Oval Office. Although she has 20 years to go before she’s eligible for the 2044 race, reaching the White House is one of the many goals this 17-year-old has already considered. If her past achievements are any indication, this inspiring young woman — affectionately known as “Little Miss Flint” — will very likely get there. In just 10 years, Mari has gone from an anonymous child in Michigan to an internationally renowned climate activist who’s spent time with U.S. presidents, made global headlines, and become a valued participant in the United Nations — and it all started with a bubble bath. One evening in 2014, Mari’s mother, Loui, noticed something very wrong with the water she was using to bathe her three children at the family’s home in Flint. Loui told Teen Vogue, “[It] didn’t have a specific color at first, but the smell was off. The water would almost burn your skin and your eyes, and it got worse when they started dumping chemicals into it to try to fix the damage that was already done to the pipes.”
Mari immediately took action, making a video that put a human face to the water crisis affecting her city. A now- famous screencap of the recording — featuring the stern- faced girl holding a sign reading, “Flint, MI has been without clean water since April 24, 2014” — became a viral sensation. She also gained exposure by penning an open letter to President Barack Obama in the Los Angeles Times urging him to visit Flint and experience the emergency for himself — prompting his approval of $100 million in federal aid. In addition to her work with President Obama, Mari has spent time with Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and other national and world leaders. In 2021, she became the youngest U.N. delegate in history when she was named to the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. That’s a huge honor for someone who has yet to celebrate her 18th birthday! Not surprisingly, she has a clear message for any young person who wants to better their local or global communities: “You’re never too young or too small to change the world.
Sharing the Magic Co-Parenting Strategies for Happier Holidays
While you may be divorced, the children you share together still need a home for the holidays and effective co-parents to steward them during the festive season. While co-parenting, even at the best of times, can present its challenges, it can be especially difficult during the holidays, as it requires effective coordination, planning, and cooperation to be successful. However, you can use tools and make decisions that can reduce stress and instill a sense of security and consistency for your children during the holiday season. PARENTING PLANS In Illinois, a parenting plan is a document that details how shared custody will be handled between divorced parents of children. Parenting plans include a swathe of information, including decisions regarding the children’s health care, transportation, and living arrangements. It is best if both parents can agree on a shared parenting plan, though either may file their own version of the plan to the court for consideration. If the plan is agreed upon between the parents, it must be filed with the court within 120 days of any “allocation of parental responsibilities,” according to 750 ILCS § 602.10. If parents do not agree to file their own parenting plan(s), then the
details are out of their hands, and the responsibility of allocating parenting responsibilities then falls to the court. ALLOCATING PARENTING TIME
One of the key details included in a parenting plan is related to
parenting time: how much time each parent spends with the children. The most convenient way to establish parenting time during the holidays is with an agreed-upon parenting time schedule. This can be made equitable by having parents alternate years for certain holidays (such as even years for the father, and odd years for the mother) or by splitting holidays between the two parents depending on their personal preferences. By having a consistent schedule, both you and your children will have more certainty and less stress this holiday season.
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Branching Out The History and Symbolism of Christmas Trees
them to reflect their tastes, travels, and traditions, whether picking up ornaments on vacation to pin them to the branches or patterning them with red and green lights to capture the holiday spirit. But where does the Christmas tree tradition come from, and how did trees become a mainstay in homes
off land of Germany. There, Christians would bring trees into their homes and decorate them to celebrate Christmas. Martin Luther, the famous monk who started the Protestant Reformation, is believed to have been the first one to add lit candles to a tree, sparking our long-held tradition of lit-up Christmas trees. MODERN CHRISTMAS TREES In the mid-1800s, a popular illustration of popular British royals Queen Victoria and Prince Albert — themselves of German heritage — standing around a Christmas tree made waves in America. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, Christmas trees and ornaments imported from Germany became increasingly popular. While Europeans tend to prefer shorter trees, Americans, as is tradition, prefer taller and more grandiose varieties. Soon, Christmas trees became ubiquitous with the holidays, and to this day, most American families form fond memories around them every year.
across the country? WELCOMING WINTER
The winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, takes place in late December. For centuries, the occasion has been celebrated around the world with decadent feasts and symbolic traditions, where participants would do their best to ward off the cold dark through bonfires and lights. These celebrations inevitably featured trees, which were often festooned with decorations. FROM GERMANY, WITH LOVE The original Christmas Tree tradition is often thought to have started in the 1500s in the far-
Few sights are as special as finely wrapped presents gathered under a tall, green, and abundantly ornamented Christmas tree. According to the American Christmas Tree Association, in 2023, around 75% of American households displayed Christmas trees for the holidays. Families across America adorn their trees with special decorations and personalize
TAKE A BREAK
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Colder weather means mac and cheese! Try this spicy twist on a weeknight classic.
Ingredients • 2 sticks butter, divided
• 2 tsp salt • 2 tsp garlic powder • 1/2 tsp pepper • 1 lb bacon, chopped and cooked • 8 jalapeños, seeded and chopped • 1 lb macaroni, cooked • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup flour • 5 cups milk • 8 oz cream cheese • 3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, divided • 4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
Directions 1.
Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a large saucepan, melt 1 stick butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until fully absorbed in butter. Whisk in milk slowly. 3. Once sauce thickens, stir in cream cheese and shredded cheese until melted, reserving 1 cup of each shredded cheese. Add seasonings, bacon, and jalapeños before removing from heat, then combine pasta and sauce. 4. In a small skillet, melt remaining butter and stir in panko. 5. In a greased baking dish or skillet, add macaroni and top with panko and remaining cheese. Bake for 30–40 minutes and serve warm.
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161 N. Clark, Ste. 1700 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 488-1938 rbbfirm.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
1.
The Magic of Christmas Traditions
2.
Lessons From ‘Little Miss Flint’
Co-Parenting During the Holidays
3.
The Story Behind the Christmas Tree
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
4.
Samson and Cleo’s Tail-Wagging Tale
A Purr-fect Match How a Kitten Helped Samson Unleash His Inner Pup
Golden retriever Samson takes his job as a medical service response dog very seriously, maybe even too seriously. For owner Lea Hendy, it became apparent quickly that the loveable giant didn’t know how to dog. On their days off at the dog park, Samson was the odd man out, sitting alone in the corner while the other pups played. It seemed like he couldn’t turn off work mode or form bonds with other dogs. Samson joined Lea’s family to train as a service dog. When she noticed his seeming lack of social skills with other dogs, she was determined to find a way to bring him out of his shell. Little did she know that a chance encounter with a cat would change everything. While they were out traveling, Samson spotted a kitten in the window of a building and immediately wanted to play. It was an “aha!” moment that Samson could indeed make deep bonds; it just had to be with the right animal. A couple of months later, they brought home a tiny kitten named Cleo, and the instant friendship surprised everyone. They gently placed the backpack with the little kitten inside in the middle of the room, and Samson immediately sprung into excited barks
and tail wags. Lea said they were never expecting him to be so excited about his new friend, and the two have been inseparable since. “It was so heartwarming to see him come out of his shell and immediately form a connection with Cleo,” Lea said. Now, the pair spend every moment they can together, playing, napping, and enjoying each other’s company. Cleo has become an avid adventurer since the family started taking her on hikes. When the kitty tires out, she takes a ride on her older brother Samson, who looks so proud to be transporting his sister. Cleo, a tiny kitten with a big heart, allowed Samson, a workaholic looking for a friend, to break out of his shell and explore his world in ways his family never thought possible. Now, thousands of people worldwide watch their friendship and adventures on the animal-odd couple’s Instagram page @calvin.andco .
“It shows that friendship has no bounds,” Lea said. “Anyone can be friends.”
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