Happy New Year

2010 is ending, and, for the most part, it's been a very good year. Having two young children certainly adds to the happiness found in our home. Sarah and Eric make us laugh every day. Graciously, they allow us to see the world through their eyes and I am often awed by their insights and ideas. (Sometimes, they aren't nearly so gracious and make us want to scream instead. But for now, I'll focus on the good.)

Here's a sneak peek at the photo we used for the Happy New Year card we're sending out. You'll be getting it in the mail soon! (Fairly soon. I still need to place the order.) Until then, we wish you much happiness. Thank you for adding so much joy to our lives. And - for one of my New Year's resolutions - I'm hoping that next year I'll be able to send out a holiday card and wish you well before Christmas, rather than after. (I'm not making any promises . . . just a resolution.)

Happy, happy 2011!!

December

Our days are always busy, but right now I'm almost certain that December is (by far) the busiest month of all. We made, we cleaned, we played, we baked, we cooked, we gave, we received, we celebrated. These photos are all out of order, because after three days of uploading all the pictures and moments I've neglected to share (because even if I wanted to, I was too busy), I'm ready to be done with December. It was a wonderfully exciting month, as it always is, with both Sarah's birthday(s) and Christmas.

We spent the week leading up to Christmas with my side of the family, and despite the chaos and loudness that four small children create, we loved (almost) every minute. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas is made more special with family. We're grateful that we were able to share our home this holiday season.

Even though my mom cooked ALL the dinners (yes - ALL) and the rest of us helped with cleaning and dishwashing, it took several days for us to recover after everyone left. I felt like Eric looks in the last picture. We're mostly back to normal.

So, as I said, these photos are all out of whack. According to them, Sarah's birthday party came after Christmas. And we must have gone to the Christmas parade recently, not at the beginning of the month. In reality, the ice cave was built the day after Christmas, but who's counting? Maybe sometime in January, I'll organize them all, or maybe I won't. It would probably be more fitting if I let them stay as they are. It'll give me a good sense of what December feels like - very full, very happy, and very, very busy.

Now She is Six

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six,

I'm as clever as clever,

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

- from Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

hello snow

We got lucky this year and have already had our first snow. Sarah wanted to try snow with maple syrup, and she had great hopes that she would love it. No such luck. Maybe we'll try snow ice cream next time and maybe we'll come inside to eat it.
Eric and Brian threw lots of snowballs.
Meanwhile, Sarah was a penguin. She waddled around with her arms glued to her side and her hands facing out. It was a pretty good impression, I must say. She tried to talk Eric into being her polar bear friend and he appeased her for awhile, but then went back to the snowball fights. I couldn't help but mention that penguins live in Antarctica and polar bears live in the Arctic, and therefore they probably wouldn't be friend. (Not to mention that if a polar bear was anywhere near a penguin, the penguin would be eaten in short order.) Sarah decided that neither geography nor animal behavior mattered.
The snowman toppled over within an hour, but it survived long enough to snap a picture!
It snowed on Saturday (December 4th), so we bundled up and went out for sledding the next morning. They loved it - can you tell?!

Thanksgiving 2010

We spent several days leading up to and following Thanksgiving with my parents. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed/behaved themselves, even during Thanksgiving dinner! For me, this was somewhat shocking - unfortunately, no matter how much Brian and I entertain, plead, and threaten our children, dinners are not where they show their best selves. But, on this very special evening, they outdid themselves and made us proud, or at least relieved that we didn't have to badger them every minute and a half . . .

In preparation for our celebration, Sarah, Grandma, and I made turkey name cards for everyone, on which we wrote what makes us thankful. Six things that make Eric thankful: playdoh, all my family, water, playing in my sandbox, my trucks, and cookie yogurt. (Water? Really? We had to comment at his awareness of such an important resource.)
Six things that make Sarah thankful: salty corn, my family, Christmas, (I'm certain this is because she loves to spend time with her family, and not because of presents, right?!) raspberries, my teachers, and my friends.As for the rest of us, some ideas that stand out include: family, friends, good food, health, books, beautiful days, smiles, music, and (last but certainly not least) football. As my dad likes to say and have his grandchildren say (over and over again), "Go Hawks!!"

loose teeth (finally/already)

11/23/10 - I picked Sarah up from school today and she was beside herself with excitement at having a loose tooth. "Mommy!! I have a loose tooth! Feel it! It's wiggly!!" I was taken aback. This poor child has been lamenting the solid nature of her baby teeth for almost a year now. Most of her friends have experienced this rite of passage, and she couldn't help but be (more than) a bit jealous.

"Really?! How do you know? Can you feel it wiggle?" I asked her.

"It hurt at lunch. And because Stella said so," she replied.

"How could she tell?" I asked her. "Let me see." (At this point, I was skeptical and concerned that I might have to let her know that she'd have to wait just a little longer.)

"She said my tooth was sticking out and that it meant I have a loose tooth," she said and opened her mouth for me to check. (Sarah's tooth has always stuck out - she doesn't have enough room in her mouth.) So, in the school lobby, despite my almost-certainty that the tooth would not wiggle, I bent down and wiggled her tooth. And the one next to it too. Stella was almost right.

As soon as we got home, she called Stella to let her know that she had two wiggly teeth, not one. Immediately after the phone call, she drew a picture of herself holding two teeth, one in each hand. (She drew Stella standing next to her and plans to give her the drawing. I'm pretty sure that Sarah thinks Stella is as excited as she is about her big news.) At dinner, she asked to eat things that might help speed up the process. She wanted to eat corn on the cob and a whole (hard) apple. We didn't have either available, so she settled on wiggling her teeth several times throughout the evening. She was quite entertaining.

But (there's always a "but", isn't there?) - while I'm so happy and excited for her, knowing what a very big moment this is, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for myself. What can I say? When it comes to my kids and their growing up, I'm just not quite as ready as they are.

11/24/10 - Sarah woke up at 6:47 this morning, early for her (and for me). When I finally got to her bedroom after many urgent "Mommy!" cries, she informed me that she was wiggling her tooth. (Great. Thanks for letting me know. Just don't let me know so early next time.) At one point, a little while later, she referred to herself as "Loose Tooth Girl." Very nice. We have our own little superhero!

Tell Me a Story . . . Sarah

I gave her less credit than she deserved! I assumed her story would most certainly include princesses, horses, unicorns, or fairies, but look at this. Not a single one. She has been quite focused on her birthday recently, including a daily countdown. (One month and two days to go . . .)

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. It was her birthday and she was so excited. She couldn't wait to celebrate with her friends. When it was time for her party, she went to the park with her mommy and daddy. But she didn't see her friends. She wondered where they were. They jumped out from behind a tree and said, "Surprise!" The little girl said, "I didn't know you where you were. You surprised me!" She was so happy. When it was cake time, they sang, "Happy Birthday!"

The End

photography

We spent a good chunk of the last two days at Duke Gardens, and while we were there, I took some photos of fall leaves. I hope to use them for a display in the office, and while I think I got some good ones that will work for us, I'd love to know more about the art of photography. I'd love to be able to capture a moment, or a leaf, in just the right way.