2009 Resolutions

I keep trying to set aside time to put more thought into this but so far I haven't had that moment of clarity where peace just transcends my thoughts and I have that zen-like state where I say,"Oh now I know what I want to accomplish." When I asked Denver what her resolution was, she thought for about 8 seconds and said, "To make my bed every morning." And then skipped away, on to the next thing. Maybe my resolutions should be like that. If I can't think in 8 seconds what I really would like to do, maybe it's too complicated. I know that some of these thoughts have been hanging out in my brain for a while now. So here goes...

• Have a Will made-I'm ashamed we haven't done this yet. It was on the resolution list for 2007 and 2008.
  
• Play more with my kids-Ya' know the carefree kind, without thinking about the laundry or dinner or what else I could be doing instead of enjoying their childhood.
• Dance more(No not in the living room, on the ballroom floor!)(Post baby)
• Focus less on me and more on others.
  
• Maintain a spirit of Thankfulness.
  
• Start Volunteering at an old folks home- Ever since Grandpa died I feel an old person void. Not just in me but with the girls too. I liked that they were around him so often that they didn't have to stare in drop jaw fashion when he had denture issues. Not that I could realistically say I miss denture issues, just that there was a comfort level there with the girls and him. It was nice and felt like family should. I always thought that the worst thing for Grandpa would be loneliness. And I'm sure that there are people out there whose day could be brightened by a craft made by little hands and a smile from a little girl in her Sunday Best. I'm not sure when I can fit this in, especially with number 3 8 weeks away. So clearly the logistics need to be worked out still.

Well, maybe I should stop there. I don't want to go too crazy. Hopefully all these things are manageable. And hopefully by typing them out for all of you who read this blog(ya' know all 5 of you) will help me feel a sense of obligation to do as I said I would. Happy New Year.

2008 in Review

So a little look back into 2008 for our family and try to name our most memorable moments and perhaps something we may have learned from them.

• Losing Grandpa-Such a sad, sad time for us and I could write an essay about what I learned but I guess, to sum up, I learned that it is incredibly important to advocate for people who cannot do it for themselves. That, along with birth, death is also a very sacred moment. That kids have a capacity to learn everything, including how to grieve and how important it is to teach them healthy ways to do it. That I will likely always miss my Grandfather and look forward to heaven a little bit more now, knowing he's there. I learned mostly that there is never as much time as you think.
• Expecting Number 3!!-I looked at Wayne the other night and asked, "Are we crazy for going for number 3?" Granted this was after one of those days where I was interrupted 100 times while trying to complete 1 task that should have only taken a half an hour, and every single new toy from Christmas had to be opened and played with and then not put away. Wayne answered, "No, we're not crazy for trying for a third, we're optimistic. We'd be crazy if we went for number 4!" If I am learning anything from a third pregnancy it's that I don't really want to do it again.
• Our Maine Vacation-Such a fun time for all of us after a very difficult Spring. I learned that having family and friends we can vacation with is a wonderful thing.
• 2008 Summer Olympics-This is a little cheesy I know, but this was the first Olympics the girls could really understand and they were into them in a way that was unexpected to me. Also, seeing Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor win consecutive Golds was a great volleyball moment. Plus, Michael Phelps was enthralling to watch compete. In a way, it was a great lesson in Pride of Country for our little ones.
• Nazareth Winning Section V Volleyball Tournament...again.-And what an incredible game it was. There are only a few volleyball moments that stick out in my head as WOW-moments but that game will always be one of them. Winning by only 2 points in a 5 game match was thrilling. A few lessons-Adrenaline does not hurt a fetus, belief and perseverance are very strong allies to have on your side, and that there are some high school students out there who are truly remarkable people, and I am lucky enough to be able to work with many of them.
• Denver starting Kindergarten and Willa starting Preschool-This has been such a fun part of this year because Denver has exploded with her reading and writing ability. A couple times now I have asked her to take Willa upstairs and read her a story and tuck her in for nap and surprisingly, she does, happily. I can sense her confidence growing weekly and with the way her school teaches writing, she really views herself as competent to write stories. Willa has also really thrived with the experience of going to her own school. If for no other reason than she has an important thing going on in her life, just like Denver.
  

So that's our list. I'm sure there were other great and memorable moments, I just can't think of them right now with my stayed-up-too-late-last-night brain. I'll be working on my resolutions for 2009 now and maybe post them. Hopefully, that will be enough accountability to help me achieve them.

Happy New Year!!

This New Years we spent at my Brother and Sister-in-laws. And surprisingly, our girls managed to stay awake for the big event! These pics make Willa look like the party animal but rest assured, moments before midnight she was curled up on just about anyone who would sit still. We even had a sleepover, which to two little girls was the best thing ever!! Possum even got to come to the party and had an exhaustive time playing with Ripley, my brothers very large German Shepherd.

More Christmas Pics

Christmas Moments

To celebrate Christmas, Denver was invited to a friends house for a Gingerbread Party. Each child got to make her own gingerbread house and take it home. Denver happens to LOVE gingerbread houses, the making, the decorating the eating, so we did one at the party and one with Willa at home.

The Perfect Picture

Every year I try to capture that perfect picture to use for a Christmas card. For some reason, after the first few clicks, my children find this endeavor much less fun and important than me.
So in the spirit of imperfection, which if you have or have had small children in your home, you understand, here are some runner ups of the ones that didn't make it.
And to be honest, the ones I ended up using are not very Christmasy, but they are ones that were spontaneous without the maniac with the camera telling the small models how to smile or what to do.

Holiday Show

Here, Denver is second from the right.


This fall the girls started taking dance lessons through a little studio in town. They have been really enjoying it and have learned quite a bit for such a short time period. This year the studio put on a Holiday Show for the first time. This definitely seemed like a large undertaking especially for my 3yr. old and 6 yr. old to remember a dance that was just taught to them. Denver danced to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and Willa was to perform an enthusiastic rendition of the Hoky Poky. The day was a long day with regular class in the morning and then dress rehearsal at 2:45 followed by the show at 6 pm. After they both did well in the dress rehearsal, I'm afraid the day was too much for Willa and by showtime she was done. So, while we got video of her performing on stage during dress rehearsal, she did not actually make it on stage to do the Hoky Poky for the show. Denver, however, had enough energy to do 5 dances. She just loved the whole thing. I had to do the whole hair and makeup thing and I really hated to tart them up, but they did look adorable. Willa was against any makeup and I was lucky to get a dab of lipstick on her. Poor thing, it was just an off day for her. I am working on getting the video posted so you can see the whole dance but I think our video camera is a bit dated now and not sure if it will work. Until then, here's some pics.Here is cousin Rebecca, the famous Aunt Tia, and cousin Sarah who were all so nice to come to the show and make the girls feel extra special! Gran and Papa were there too but managed to escape my lens.